5 Hard-to-Find Horror Soundtracks in Need of a Vinyl Re-release
When done well, a musical score for a horror film can be just as effective as the visuals on the screen.
If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that we currently live in an era when special edition, limited edition, and newly restored releases of horror and cult films are hot. Red hot. Companies like Vinegar Syndrome, Shout! Factory, Arrow Films, Kino Lorber, Olive Films, Synapse Films, and others are investing their time and money into breathing new life into films that, over the years, have become challenging to track down and are worthy of the restorative &/or making-of treatment.
As horror fans and movie collectors, we’re all indebted to these companies for resurrecting films that may otherwise have gone lost and forgotten.
Thankfully, there are also some companies that have put in the hours scouring the countless archives, warehouses, basements, attics, back shelves, music studios, and who knows how many vaults in a quest to re-release original music (sometimes memorable, sometimes not) that has accompanied so many of the obscure horror gems we all love so much. Outlets such as Waxwork Records (responsible for reviving Harry Manfredini’s Friday the 13th recordings as well as numerous other cult/horror OSTs including Tourist Trap [1979], Patrick [1979], C.H.U.D. [1984], Danny Elfman’s, Night Breed [1990], and dozens more) have been culling some of the genre’s strongest and craziest titles out there and delivering them direct to your in-home turntable.
Movie music is important, and it isn’t enough just to resuscitate the film as a standalone product. No, we must also give thanks (and our dollars) to the creative magic happening simultaneously behind the camera (and usually behind the piano or theremin or synthesizer or all three). Remember: When done well, a musical score for a horror film can be just as effective as the visuals on the screen. And so, with all of this in mind, I’d like to cast my votes for soundtracks I feel are deserving of the Waxwork Records treatment. Happy horror listening, y’all!
Grizzly (1976); Robert O. Ragland / Truluv
The music for Grizzly was composed by the late Robert O. Ragland. In his film scoring days Ragland attached himself to a variety of horror/cult/oddball projects including The Touch of Satan (1971), The Thing with Two Heads (1972), Q – The Winged Serpent (1982), The Supernaturals (1986), Fred Olen Ray’s Deep Space (1988), and others. Ragland would also find himself working again with Grizzly director William Girdler on the 1976 action film Project: Kill. In the Jaws rip-off universe, Ragland’s name actually appears even before his work on Grizzly. Ragland is responsible for producing the music for the oft-forgotten 1975 action-adventure flick Sharks’ Treasure, directed by Cornel Wilde and starring Yaphet Kotto (of Alien fame).
The music from Grizzly is quintessential 70s. It oozes carefree sunshine and – particularly the opening theme – captures the essence of outdoor adventurism from that era. Ragland’s main theme paired nicely with the opening helicopter shots of the film with the camera gliding atop tree lines and mountain sides, luring viewers into what appears to be the start of a fun-filled romp in the woods, only to discover something quite different. Grizzly is usually noted for being a Jaws rip-off, however, with slightly more intense on-screen violence and of course involving a grizzly bear as opposed to a shark. The filmmakers wasted no time in producing this knock-off which came very soon after the release of Spielberg’s classic, but as time has passed, it seems those who were around to see it in theaters remember it fondly. Scoring (pun intended) a copy of this one on vinyl is no easy task. A recent eBay listing boasted an asking price of $150. Let’s hope that with several re-releases of the film on DVD and Blu-ray that someone will find and dust off the master recordings and give Ragland’s score the release it deserves.
Orca (1977); Ennio Morricone / Toho Records0-Tam label (Japan)
Ennio Morricone needs no introduction. This prolific composer has been bringing visuals to life with his music since working as studio arranger and ghost writer for RCA. Orca, which on the surface may seem like just another rung on the Jaws rip-off ladder, is really a special little film full of sentimentality and tragedy. Rather than being your straight man vs. nature story, the story of Orca is really a kind of case study, examining man’s place in the larger animal kingdom. Shot against the beautiful backdrop of Newfoundland, it’s a tale of loss, redemption, and revenge. Morricone was clearly in touch with these elements when composing the score – beautifully weaving tragedy and adventure into a musical canvas that – much like John Williams’ score for Jaws – only intensifies the on-screen visuals. More than that, Morricone’s primary themes in Orca are effective in giving a voice to the voiceless (the whale and its murdered baby) in a way that feels more poetic than hokey. For a deeper dive into the musical DNA of the music from Orca, definitely check out Randall D. Larson’s analysis HERE.
At the time Orca was released in July of 1977, a soundtrack album hadn’t been released. Eventually the Japanese record company, Toho, released Morricone’s soundtrack on their subsidiary label, Tam. In 1993 the Italian label, Legend, re-issued it on CD, featuring a variety of different cuts and versions of Morricone’s main themes. Both the Japanese LP and Italian CD are hard to come by today – all the more reason why the whale-loving world deserves an re-issue!
Piranha (1978); Pino Donaggio / Varèse Sarabande
Not familiar with the name Pino Donaggio? Fear not! If you’re a horror fan, you’ve probably seen at least one of the films he’s composed for, some of which include: Tourist Trap (1979), Beyond Evil (1980), The Howling (1981), Dario Argento and George Romero’s Two Evil Eyes (1990), and Seed of Chucky (2004). Fans of Brian De Palma may recognize Donaggio’s handiwork from such titles as Carrie (1976), Home Movies (1979), Dressed to Kill (1980), Blow Out (1981), Body Double (1984), Raising Cain (1992), and Passion (2012).
Piranha has no doubt spawned more remakes than any other Jaws rip-off out there. From a sequel featuring flying fish (thanks, James Cameron) to a 90s made-for-TV version starring an adolescent Mila Kunis to a 3D remake starring Richard Dreyfuss, Christopher Lloyd, and more gratuitous breast shots than fish, the Piranha franchise really does have it all. Even Steven Spielberg has admitted that Piranha is his favorite of all the Jaws-inspired movies. So, with all of the love the movie biz has shown Piranha and its spawns, let’s show some love to the original version and the soundtrack that started it all and re-release Donaggio’s work. Much like some of the others on this list, finding an original vinyl pressing of the Piranha usually commands at least three to four Andrew Jacksons (soon-to-be Harriet Tubmans). Groove to the main theme from Piranha here:
Children of the Corn (1984); Jonathan Elias / Varèse Sarabande
When making a horror film, you can almost always bet that using a children’s choir in your score will up the ante in respect to overall creepiness. It just works. I’m reminded of this every time I listen to certain tracks from Jonathan Elias’ score for Children of the Corn as well as Elliot Goldenthal’s score for Pet Sematary (which also used a children’s choir) for that matter. For my money, this is Elias’ best work. His score is atmospheric and creepy and also quite beautiful all at the same time. Several years back Varèse Sarabande did release a special collectors edition on CD, but I still think this deserves a fresh vinyl pressing for horror and Stephen King fans alike.
Like every other composer on this list, Elias is no stranger to the horror genre. In addition to Children of the Corn, he’s also responsible for creating musical mayhem for such beauties as Vamp (1986), Parents (1988), Leprechaun 2 (1994), as well as the TV-movie version of Children of the Corn from 2009. This may be my favorite OST on the list and one I’d gladly pay up for should a fully loaded vinyl re-issue ever become a sweet, sweet reality.
The Kindred (1986); David Newman / Varèse Sarabande
David Newman has composed music for dozens of films, covering almost every genre. From Critters (1986) to Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989) and The Mighty Ducks (1992), Newman has certainly covered a lot of ground. The Kindred, however, isn’t exactly a film that comes up often – though it should! While at its core The Kindred is just another schlocky monster movie, it’s actually quite fun, and Newman’s score makes it all the more enjoyable to sit through. Plus it stars Rod Steiger, whom I’ve adored since first seeing him in Sidney Lumet’s The Pawnbroker, (1964) and then again in Claude Chabrol’s beautiful thriller Innocents with Dirty Hands (1975).
Newman weaves together effective lullaby-style themes with more straight-ahead electronica (not uncommon for horror movies of the 1980s). This is another Varèse Sarabande and one that deserves a re-issue with all of the limited edition bells and whistles we horror fans/music lovers have grown accustomed to getting!
