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I'm working on both scores at the same time but CONAN THE BARBARIAN will hit before DESTROYER. Big surprise. If there's any one thing that stands out it's just the sheer power and energy captured in these originals that just raises the few hairs I have left on the back of my neck!
I recall talking at length to Basil about the first score while we were mastering our very first release, which was RED DAWN. One of the things he stated was how disappointed he was that the film ended up being mixed just for mono presentations. He said one reel had been mixed in Dolby surround for testing and the producers decided not to incur the extra costs. Basil was really frustrated because he said he'd managed to capture such ferocious "over the top" performances on the multi-channel session masters and couldn't understand why the film makers would reduce it all down into a mono film soundtrack.
The two-track mixes were used for the record versions (and the later Varese CDs) and everyone, including Basil, pointed out those actual original 24-track session masters were lost for ever. So it was a goosebump moment to find virtually everything alive and well in those Universal vaults.
Since these are the unedited masters being heard for the first time, we're having a blast finding out all sorts of cool stuff: Basil's very first take of the famous CONAN THE BARBARIAN main title ("Anvil Of Crom") has those familiar French horns starting out not low as they always have done BUT way up an octave, screaming in the upper register! He obviously didn't like the high melody line and asked them to drop it an octave. And there's a complete bridge section recorded for the sequence after the "Funeral Pyre" scenes that has never been heard before, not even in the re-recording.
Some of the neatest things are finding out how much power Basil got out of his percussion by frequently having the tympani and bass drums try several different strokes and volume levels, making adjustments right there on the podium to get just the sound he wanted. Much of the energy comes from working right there and literally ad-libbing specific passages, then adding other percussion sounds and getting that unique Conan sound.
I honestly can't think of many film scores where the raw power and intensity comes from players who just "go for it". THE WIND AND THE LION, recorded in Germany, comes to mind. Anyway, as Roger pointed out, when we were doing JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS, Bruce Broughton and engineer Mike Ross pointed out just how raw energy and vitality would trump clinically accurate playing on epic scores like this. I know in my heart that's what Basil was looking for during his Conan sessions. Captured on 24-tracks spread out over two inch wide tape, I can hear those players giving Basil just what he wanted. And we're really excited about bringing it all to you.
--Doug
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