Blade Runner (soundtrack)

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The Blade Runner soundtrack by Vangelis is a dark melodic combination of classic composition and futuristic synthesizers which mirrors the film-noir retro-future envisioned by Ridley Scott. Vangelis, fresh from his Academy Award winning score from Chariots of Fire, composed and performed the music on his synthesizers. He also made use of various chimes and the vocals of collaborator Demis Roussos, as well as the haunting sax solo by Dick Morrissey on Love Theme. Ridley Scott also used "Memories of Green" from Vangelis' album See You Later (an orchestral version of which Scott would later use in his film Someone To Watch Over Me). Along with Vangelis' compositions and ambient textures, the film's soundscape also prominently features a track by the Japanese Ensemble Nipponia (Ogi No Mato or 'The Folding Fan as a Target' from the Nonesuch Records release "Traditional Vocal And Instrumental Music") and a track by harpist Gail Laughton ('Pompeii 76 A.D.' from Laurel Records recently reissued "Harps of the Ancient Temples").

Despite being well received by fans and critically acclaimed – nominated in 1983 for a BAFTA and Golden Globe as best original score – and the promise of a soundtrack album from Polydor Records in the end titles of the film, the release of the original soundtrack recording was delayed for over a decade. There are two official releases of the music from Blade Runner. In light of the lack of a release of an official score, an orchestral adaptation, recorded by The New American Orchestra, was released in 1982. Some of the film tracks would in 1989 surface on the compilation Themes, but it was not until the 1992 release of the Director's Cut version of the film that a substantial amount of the score would see the light of day on an official release.

Releases

Cover to the New American Orchestra adaptation.

Original Releases

The first official release (on LP, tape and CD) was a reinterpretation by the New American Orchestra in 1982. Billed as an "orchestral adaptation of music composed for the motion picture by Vangelis", this release consisted of jazz-inspired, orchestrated renditions of the major tracks from the film, but not the original score tracks.

In 1989 the Vangelis "Themes" Collection LP was released. This compilation featured compositions from a variety of Vangelis film scores, including three tracks from Blade Runner.

New American Orchestra Vangelis "Themes" Collection LP
1. Love Theme (4:12) 1. End Titles from 'Blade Runner' (4:57)
2. Main Title (5:01) 2. Main Theme From 'Missing'
3. One More Kiss, Dear (4:00) 3. L'Enfant
4. Memories Of Green (4:50) 4. Hymn
5. End Title (4:17) 5. Chung Kuo
6. Blade Runner Blues (4:38) 6. The Tao Of Love
7. Farewell (3:10) 7. Theme From 'Antarctica'
8. End Title Reprise (3:08) 8. Love Theme from Blade Runner (4:55)
9. Opening Titles From 'The Bounty'
10. Closing Titles From 'The Bounty'
11. Memories of Green (from Blade Runner) (5:42)
12. La Petite Fille De La Mer
13. Five Circles
14. Chariots Of Fire
Total tracks time: 33:16 Total Blade Runner tracks time: 15:34

Official Vangelis score

1994 release

In 1994, an official recording of Vangelis' score was released by EMI, and reached top 20 in the UK album charts. This release had extensive liner notes in a twelve-page booklet, but the closest Vangelis came to explaining the long delay was the following:

Most of the music contained in this album originates from recordings I made in London in 1982, whilst working on the score for the film BLADE RUNNER. Finding myself unable to release these recordings at the time; it is with great pleasure that I am able to do so now. Some of the pieces contained will be known to you from the Original Soundtrack of the film, whilst others are appearing here for the first time. Looking back at RIDLEY SCOTT's powerful and evocative pictures left me as stimulated as before, and made the recompiling of this music, today, an enjoyable experience." (VANGELIS Athens, April 1994)[1]

While most of the tracks on the album are from the film, a number were composed by Vangelis but were ultimately not used in the film itself. Other compositions that appear in the film were not included on this release. Many do not consider this to be a satisfying representation of the score [who?].

Off World Music Bootleg Blade Runner: Vangelis
1. Ladd Company Logo (0:24) John Williams 1. Main Titles (3:42)
2. Main Titles and Prologue (4:03) 2. Blush Response (5:47)
3. Los Angeles, November 2019 (1:46) 3. Wait for Me (5:27)
4. Deckard Meets Rachael (1:29) 4. Rachael's Song (4:46)
5. Bicycle Riders (2:05) Gail Laughton 5. Love Theme (4:56)
6. Memories of Green (5:39) 6. One More Kiss, Dear (3:58)
7. Blade Runner Blues (10:19) 7. Blade Runner Blues (8:53)
8. Deckard's Dream (1:12) 8. Memories of Green (5:05)
9. On the Trail of Nexus 6 (5:30) 9. Tales of the Future (4:46)
10. If I Didn't Care (3:03) Jack Lawrence [WP only] 10. Damask Rose (2:32)
11. Love Theme (4:57) 11. Blade Runner (End Titles) (4:40)
12. The Prodigal Son Brings Death (3:35) 12. Tears in Rain (3:00)
13. Dangerous Days (1:02)
14. Wounded Animals (10:58)
15. Tears in Rain (2:41)
16. End Titles (7:24)
17. One More Kiss Dear (4:00) Skellern & Vangelis
18. Trailer and Alternate Main Titles (1:39) Robert Randles
Total disc time: 72:42 Total disc time: 57:53
Cover to the Blade Runner Trilogy, 25th Anniversary set.

2007 release

Blade Runner Trilogy, 25th Anniversary

A 3CD set was released in 2007 to coincide with the 5-DVD release to mark the 25th Anniversary of the film includes a remastered version of the 1994 official cd along with two bonus CDs, both compiled from original material by Vangelis. The second disc includes some previously officially unreleased material, but is still not complete, omitting the Main Title track, for example. The third disc contains new material inspired by Blade Runner.

25th Anniversary Disc #2 25th Anniversary Disc #3
1. Longing (1:58) 1. Launch Approval (1:54)
2. Unveiled Twinkling Space (1:59) 2. Up and Running (3:09)
3. Dr. Tyrell’s Owl (2:40) 3. Mail From India (3:27)
4. At Mr. Chew’s (4:47) 4. BR Downtown (2:27)
5. Leon’s Room (2:21) 5. Dimitri’s Bar (3:52)
6. One Alone (bonus track) (2:23) 6. Sweet Solitude (6:56)
7. Deckard And Roy’s Duel (6:16) 7. No Expectation Boulevard (6:44)
8. Dr. Tyrell’s Death (3:11) 8. Vadavarot (4:14)
9. Desolation Path (bonus track) (5:45) 9. Perfume Exotico (5:19)
10. Empty Streets (6:16) 10. Spotkanie Z Matka (5:09)
11. Mechanical Dolls (2:52) 11. Piano In An Empty Room (3:37)
12. Fading Away (3:32) 12. Keep Asking (1:29)
Total disc time: (46:17) Total disc time: (44:00)

To quote a comprehensive review by David Cordes[2]:

"Disc 1 is a re-mastering of the 1994 Vangelis album (although it sounds identical to my original CD) which featured music from the film edited together with numerous dialog samples from the film as well as newly composed music by Vangelis that did not appear anywhere in the film. As an album, it was interesting thematically in its own right with some beautifully composed themes like "Rachel's Song" and "Damask Rose" but it was still not the original film soundtrack and was considered to be a disappointment.

Disc 2 features officially unreleased cues, some of which are not even heard anywhere in the film. They could be outtakes but most of the memorable cues are completely omitted such as the opening "Prologue" with the somber haunting Asian motif that establishes the dark tone and atmosphere of the film.

Disc 3 is a collection of letters and "spoken word" commentaries from various authors, actors and film makers who share their memories and experiences of the celebrated cult classic along with newly composed music by Vangelis, again "inspired by" the film but not the original, unabridged movie soundtrack."

Bootlegs

The delays and poor reproductions of the Blade Runner score led to the production of many bootleg recordings over the years. A bootleg tape surfaced in 1982 at science fiction conventions and became popular given the delay of an official release of the original recordings, and in 1993 "Off World Music, Ltd." created a bootleg CD that would prove more comprehensive than Vangelis' official CD in 1994. A disc from "Gongo Records" features most of the same material, but with slightly better sound quality. In 2003, two other bootlegs surfaced, the "Esper Edition," closely preceded by "Los Angeles - November 2019." The double disc "Esper Edition" combined tracks from the official release, the Gongo boot and the film itself. Finally "2019" provided a single disc compilation almost wholly consisting of ambient sound from the film, padded out with some sounds from the Westwood game "Blade Runner."

Studio Tape

The first release of the Blade Runner score in any form was a tape suspected of coming from a sound engineer during the film's mixing. It was popular, despite subpar audio quality, given there were no plans to release a Vangelis score.[3]

Bootleg tape (1982)
Side A Side B
1. Los Angeles, November 2019 (1:46) 9. Tales of the Future (4:46)
2. Leon's Interrogation (1:12) 10. Dangerous Days (1:02)
3. Lift-Off (1:10) 11. Wounded Animals (10:58)
4. Deckard Meets Rachael (1:29) 12. Tears in Rain (2:41)
5. One More Kiss, Dear (4:00) 13. End Titles (7:24)
6. Blade Runner Blues (10:19)
7. Love Theme (4:57)
8. The Prodigal Son Brings Death (3:35)
Total tape time: (55:19)

Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Bootleg

A second bootleg Original Motion Picture Soundtrack: Blade Runner appeared in 1993 by "Off World Music, Ltd." on CD, which was of high quality and actually more comprehensive than the official release by Vangelis in 1994. This release includes a 1939 recording by R&B group The Ink Spots. "If I Didn't Care" which originally appeared in an early workprint of Blade Runner, but was replaced by the Don Percival cut "One More Kiss, Dear" in the final version.

Esper Edition

In 2003 a bootleg – Blade Runner (Esper Edition) – was created, providing a comprehensive Blade Runner soundtrack. It contains some background music that has never been released. [4]

Blade Runner (Esper Edition)
Disc One Disc Two
1. Prologue And Main Titles (3:54) 1. Deckard's Dream (1:10)
2. Leon's Voight Kampff Test (1:09) 2. Thinking Of Rachael (1:18)
3. Sushi Bar - Damask Rose (2:46) 3. Esper Analysis (2:34)
4. Spinner Ascent (1:21) 4. Animoid Row (2:34)
5. Blush Response (5:43) 5. Taffey Lewis Night Club (2:02)
6. Wait For Me (5:12) 6. Salome's Dance (1:23)
7. Deckard Meets Rachael (1:36) 7. Zhora's Retirement (1:42)
8. Rachael's Song (4:20) 8. I Am The Business (2:29)
9. Tales Of The Future (4:53) 9. Love Theme (4:58)
10. Bicycle Riders (2:10) 10. I Dreamt Music (4:32)
11. Chew's Eye Lab (1:15) 11. Morning At The Bradbury (3:46)
12. Memories Of Green (5:35) 12. The Prodigal Son Brings Death (4:07)
13. Blade Runner Blues (10:01) 13. Deckard Enters The Bradbury (3:37)
14. Pris Meets J.F. Sebastian (1:47) 14. Dangerous Days (0:57)
15. One More Kiss, Dear (4:04) 15. Wounded Animals (10:53)
16. Tears In Rain (2:51)
17. Rachael Sleeps (2:08)
18. End Titles (4:06)
Total disc time: 55:46 Total disc time: 57:07

Esper Edition Notes:

  • Original Music Composed and Performed by Vangelis
  • "Harps Of The Ancient Temples" written and performed by Gail Laughton
  • Performed on tracks 3, 9 (disc I) and track 5 (disc II) by Demis Roussos
  • Performed on "Rachael's Song" by Mary Hopkin
  • Saxophone on tracks 2 and 9 (disc II) by Dick Morrissey
  • Lyrics and vocals on "One More Kiss‚ Dear" by Don Percival (Note: the official 1994 release credits the vocals to Don Percival but the lyrics to English singer/composer Peter Skellern).

Trivia

In March 2006, U.S. magazine Variety put Blade Runner at #16 in "The Gorgeous 100, the best moments in film music". Vangelis' score for Chariots of Fire was also featured at #18, making Vangelis the only composer to appear twice in the top 20.[5]

References

  1. ^ Vangelis (1994). Blade Runner soundtrack (CD liner notes). Warner Music UK.
  2. ^ [1]
  3. ^ Sammon, Paul (1996). Future Noir: the Making of Blade Runner. London: Orion Media. ISBN 0-7528-0739-0.
  4. ^ Blade Runner Rarities, Esper Edition
  5. ^ Dennis Lodewijks' Elsewhere

External links

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