Eastwood Soundtrack selection #1

Eastwood Soundtrack selection #1

I was playing a few scores last week when it occurred to me that we really don’t share enough of the many great soundtrack releases that have graced Clint’s films. I thought we should address this and post the occasional theme, or a suite from the vast selection of scores. Considering that most are readily accessible and available on various platforms such as YouTube – why not enjoy them here too.

I’ll back up each post with a little information to accompany each choice. If anything, I hope it will provide us all with a bit of a musical ‘interlude’ as well as a reminder of some classic Eastwood moments. 

I thought I’d get things going with Lalo Schifrin’s great theme to Joe Kidd (1972). Schifrin had just finished composing his great urban jazz score for Eastwood’s previous picture, Dirty Harry when he was asked to provide the John Sturges western score. Schifrin would later work with director Sturges again on the 1976 British war film, The Eagle Has Landed. Both films also featured actor Robert Duvall. 

Joe Kidd took a long while to receive a soundtrack release, eventually coming through over 40 years later on January 21st 2013 on the Intrada label (Intrada Special Collection Volume 234]. Although in an Interview with composer Lalo Schifrin, he did explain to me that there was a bootleg album which he believed originated from South America that briefly surfaced, but to this day I have never seen a copy. 

The official release was certainly worth waiting for. Intrada’s complete score used pristine condition multi-track stereo session elements from Universal Pictures. The release featured highly informative liner notes by our late friend and Schifrin authority, Nick Redman plus it featured reversible covers containing original Universal/Malpaso art from both America and Europe. I was also lucky enough to assist art director Joe Sikoryak on this release, and as such - it became a very personal and rewarding experience.

Below: Here's the Main title to Joe Kidd