MACKENNA'S GOLD / IN COLD BLOOD

Two great '60s Quincy Jones albums on one CD! Headlining is 1969 western score for Carl Foreman’s Mackenna’s Gold. Columbia Pictures presents huge tale of gold and greed. Large cast includes Gregory Peck, Omar Sharif, Telly Savalas, Julie Newmar, Ted Cassidy, Edward G. Robinson, Eli Wallach, many others. Directing is J. Lee Thompson, scripting is producer Foreman, scoring is then white-hot Quincy Jones, just coming off his Academy Award-nominated work for In Cold Blood and blockbuster success of In The Heat Of The Night. Interesting tidbit here: Dimitri Tiomkin, longtime composer for Foreman, this time lays down baton, instead tackles co-producer chores! Quincy Jones anchors varied score with rousing, flexible main theme that plays in numerous guises from heroic French horn statements to subtle woodwind quotes. Jones also pens lilting romantic waltz theme for accordion and strings. Carrying equal weight throughout is “Ole Turkey Buzzard” theme, heard both in terrific vocal takes by Jose Feliciano and instrumental versions featuring lively woodwinds against strings, plus solo trumpet, horn in classic “spaghetti western” style. Also getting attention is powerful staccato rhythmic device for horns built from two major chords a full step apart: exciting motif often becomes glue that holds holds everything together, ultimately building into spectacular full orchestral statement at finale of entire score. Intense action even rears in several sequences. Jones & Feliciano prepared stirring 1969 album for RCA label with maximum listening enjoyment in mind: Feliciano treatments feature rich guitar work with snippets of his line playing across several tracks, other orchestral cues meld together into longer pieces with track indexes identifying sections, other creative assembly choices. Second album is for Richard Brooks acclaimed filming of Truman Capote’s landmark true-crime book In Cold Blood. Legendary film chronicling senseless quadruple murder in 1959 of Kansas family stars Robert Blake, Scott Wilson as killers Perry Smith, Dick Hickock. Filmmakers originally sought Leonard Bernstein but ultimately turned to Quincy Jones, who delivered stunning, graphic Academy Award-nominated score featuring meld of gorgeous symphonic sequences for Clutter family, twin basses for pair of killers, jazz cues with distorted effects, snapping percussion, trombone with wire buzz-mute, other creative colors matching stark black and white filmed images. Murder sequence for intense low strings against organ is one of the most chilling entries in all film music! Intrada CD presents both classic original albums exactly as produced by Jones, intact from original 8-channel and 2-track stereo elements vaulted by Sony Music Entertainment in pristine condition. Liner notes by John Takis, dramatic graphic design by Kay Marshall features flipper-style booklet cover allowing your choice of which album to display. Quincy Jones conducts both scores. Intrada Special Collection CD available while quantities and interest remain!