Why Blade Runner (1994) is an album and NOT a soundtrack

For those of you who are Vangelis fans in general (as opposed to Blade Runner fans per se) go check out the officially released movie soundtracks in your Vangelis collection.

Notice anything?

Take the likes of Antarctica (1983), 1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992) and Alexander (2004).

All of them have the legend 'Original Motion Picture Soundtrack' on the front cover, spine and disc.

But not Blade Runner (1994).

Perhaps, then, one of the reasons that this release did not officially see the light of day until 1994 was because, back in 1982 during the hectic post-production, Vangelis did not have the luxury of time to 'tinker' with the music and the producers wanted to rush out a simple soundtrack.

Vangelis refused.

Instead we got Musak for androids in the shape of the New American Orchestra release.

The movie was a commercial flop and, it would appear as a result of this, Vangelis saw no incentive to revisit the music (there are literally dozens of motion picture scores which Vangelis has never officially released, so for him then Blade Runner would have been no big deal: just another in a long line of unreleased soundtracks).

Vangelis has stated that he has no interest in simply 'packaging up' his entire motion picture scores directly from the movie and onto vinyl LP or CD. He strongly feels that a great deal of music used in movies (including his own) does not stand up on its own; that they are, in other words, simply musical 'cues' lasting only a minute or two which, whilst serving their purpose admirably within the context of the images up on a screen, do not hold up on their own. There is also the question of repetition, as major themes in a movie are reprised again and again.

Therefore, it has always been Vangelis's desire to only release the major themes of his picture scores, or at least those which he feels stand up on their own (his fans, of course, will argue this point, feeling as we do that all of it stands on its own!) But even here Vangelis will not simply lift a theme directly from a movie.

Music has to be edited to fit a scene. Sometimes it is cut short, sometimes it is stretched out, especially during closing credits (thus the reason the Blade Runner End Titles on the official '94 release is only 4:40 minutes long, as opposed to 7:14 on the various unofficial releases. If you listen to the longer version - and you don't even have to listen hard - you will notice that the final 3 minutes are just a simple reprise, rehashed over and over again as Vangelis fills in the time until the credits finish.)

Instead, Vangelis prefers to revisit and re-edit the music as he feels would be more fitting for an album.

This is an important distinction. Vangelis has recorded dozens of studio albums, not just soundtracks. It is clear then (especially is you compare the '92 official release of '1492' with the unofficial 2 disc 'Complete Score' released ten years later) that Vangelis likes his soundtrack releases to stand on their own as albums, and not simply as a package containing every single musical cue and original edit length as they appear in the movie.

It was this opportunity to re-edit and 're-imagine' the score of Blade Runner which was denied Vangelis back in 1982 due to time constrains during post-production, and the reason for his refusal to rush out a 'soundtrack' as opposed to an album (Vangelis would rather not release his music at all than release a 'sloppy' edition of it).

But the fact that it was released 12 years later is a testament to the movie and the music's durability.

For, consider, there are no other 'old' Vangelis soundtracks which have later been released, at least not officially.

Even then, though, Vangelis still seems to have felt that some of his themes for the movie were not strong enough to stand on their own. At least, this is the only reason I can think why he would include dialogue on some of the tracks, much to the annoyance of purists. Or perhaps the inclusion of dialogue was simply something he wanted to 'try out' as he'd never done it before with any of his other official soundtrack releases.

Blade Runner (1994) is just under 1 hour long because it is an album and not a soundtrack - a point Vangelis seemed determined to make clear by not including the legend 'Original Motion Picture Soundtrack'.

That Vangelis wasn't interested in just releasing the film edits makes sense to me. Even though that I think this is some of Van's best work, I also believe that the soundtrack is not as strong on its own (some parts are not very interesting, like the final showdown between Deckard and Batty). This music was composed with a purpose to enhance an image. The Blade Runner score is fully interweaved with the images. That's how it's composed and that's how it should be experienced. It's a perfect marriage. Why break them up?

From what I have read somewhere years ago, Vangelis was in dispute with Ridley, because Ridley also wanted to use music from other sources. And Vangelis didn't like that and as a result he refused to work on the Official Soundtrack. I don't know how much is this true, but anyways, the "Offical Soundtrack" was released in 1982, and it contains Vangelis' music performed by orchestra. I never heard the OST, but from a review I understood it doesn't sound half that good as original electronic compositions, so I stopped caring for the OST... even though I'd like to have it just because it has Blade Runner logo on it.

I heard those rumors too but I read that Vangelis said that it had nothing to do with Ridley and that there was no "situation" between them.

In any case, if Vangelis wouldn't have been available back then, probably John Williams would make the original score. You can hear his alternate "Tears in Rain" theme on the Esper and DeckArt relases, as it appeared in the Workprint. I must admit, Williams is a professional, but without Vangelis' music, BR wouldn't be half that impressive. So it's good he was "available".

Anyways, far as I know there was at leats one certain "artistic misunderstanding" between Scott and Vangelis - Scott hired him to make score for "White Squall" (1996), but apparently didn't like it and turned attention to Rona/Zimmer. Vangelis relased the music he made for White Squall on his album Oceanic.

You can hear his alternate "Tears in Rain" theme on the Esper and DeckArt relases, as it appeared in the Workprint.

Which track is it? I can't seem t find it.

My apologies, it's either on the Off-World OR DeckArt release. Not 100% sure if it's on both. In either case it should be somewhere at the end of playlists/CDs. Can't say precisely, I don't have them with me here at work.

Have mercy, I heard them for the first time just few days back.

Which track is it? I can't seem to find it.

RE: Leon Corporation

The John Williams 'workprint' version is track 19 on Disc 4 of Blade Runner - Esper Edition - The Definitive Collectors' Edition (2005)

Sometimes referred to as the Mark 3 this edition - like the Mark 2 - was not produced by the same people who put together the first edition. However, the Mark 3 does have improved sound quality over the MR1 and MR2 as well as featuring an extra two tracks on Disc 2 of the score. Disc 3 is Los Angeles November 2019 and Disc 4 is an 80 minute 27 track disc of bonus material consisting of alternative edits.

Scott hired [Vangelis] to make the score for "White Squall" (1996) but apparently didn't like it and turned his attention to Rona/Zimmer. Vangelis released the music he made for White Squall on his album Oceanic.

I never knew this! I knew Ridley asked Vangelis to compose the score but due to work commitments (in the mid-'90s alone Vangelis composed the soundtracks to no less than half a dozen European movies) was unable to squeeze the project into his schedule.

However, this rumour does seem to hold water: I've seen 'White Squall' and own a copy of 'Oceanic'. The mood of both is entirely different, so it doesn't seem credible that any of the music on Oceanic was in fact intended for 'White Squall' as Vangelis has always been extremely good at capturing the 'mood' of a picture.

Another reason - and this also relates to the rumours of a 'feud' with Ridley on Blade Runner - if Scott and Vangelis seemed so at odds with each other, especially on Blade Runner, then why did he compose the soundtrack to Ridley's '92 movie "1492: Conquest of Paradise"? No difference of interest was ever reported for this movie, and indeed 1492 is arguably Vangelis's best soundtrack ever.

One final point in regards to Blade Runner (1994) - like the movie, many fans hope Vangelis will one day bring out a definitive edition of the soundtrack.

This will never happen.

Why?

Well, for one thing, Vangelis rarely revisits old projects, but more importantly with the '94 release Vangelis achieved exactly what he wanted to achieve: a Blade Runner 'album'. He has no interest in a Blade Runner 'soundtrack'. For that we'll have to go to the unofficial 116:22 minute score released last year.

The John Williams 'workprint' version is track 19 on Disc 4 of Blade Runner - Esper Edition - The Definitive Collectors' Edition (2005)

Too bad, I only have the 2-disc version at my disposal (a 4-disc version was not downloadable ).

However, this rumour does seem to hold water: I've seen 'White Squall' and own a copy of 'Oceanic'. The mood of both is entirely different, so it doesn't seem credible that any of the music on Oceanic was in fact intended for 'White Squall' as Vangelis has always been extremely good at capturing the 'mood' of a picture.

I made some minor research and found this...

http://www.brmovie.com/Articles/MrShowbiz_RS_1996.htm

David from getty.edu:
Vangelis has done a number of soundtracks for movies. Was he considered for White Squall? Do you plan to work with him in the future?

Ridley Scott:
Both answers are yes. Our dates conflicted with an album he was doing, so we had to pass on White Squall. I would work with him again. I think what's good is that he doesn't do too many movies, and therefore each time I've worked with him, he's always brought something original to the process, without sensing that sometimes you can get something that came out of the filing cabinet. He really gets inside the film and watches it. He is very much driven by the visual and will watch the film without sound, even without dialogue sometimes. Then I think he works in silence. It's an interesting way of working.

Another source:

http://rejectedfilmscores.150m.com/list.html
"1996 - 208.WHITE SQUALL - Maurice Jarre - Jarre sued director Ridley Scott over the replacement of his score, claiming that Scott refused to pay him his full fee. Vangelis may have done a score and it is rumored music from it is on his album ?Oceanic?. [Jeff Rona.] "


So it seems that he was really hired, but probably people just made up a rumor that he actually made some music and put it on Oceanic...

RE: Leon Corporation

Too bad, I only have the 2-disc version

PM me your home address and I'll send you a set on TDK CD-Rs, burned at 4xspeed. Postage free, of course (assuming you're from the States the postage is only ?1.37 anyway - I know this because I've already mailed out quite a number of sets!) Scans of the artwork I can email to you.

Paul