THE MUMMY RETURNS (2CD)

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CD 1 Complete Soundtrack 01. Opening (4:53) 02. Tomb Raider Rick* (1:30) 03. Been Here Before* (2:46) 04. I Just Had A Vision* (1:39) 05. Sling Shot Marksman* (0:19) 06. Scorpion Shoes (4:24) 07. Loch-Nah And Meela (1:10) 08. Imhotep Unearthed! (3:15) 09. Just An Oasis (1:23) 10. Bad Guys To The Manor* (0:32) 11. Bracelet Awakens (1:27) 12. Have I Kissed You?* (0:55) 13. Meet Meela (Revised)* (0:54) 14. Evy Kidnapped (Revised)* (6:09) 15. Rick’s Tattoo (2:02) 16. Imhotep Reborn! (2:40) 17. My First Bus Ride (Revised) (7:43) 18. The Mushy Part (2:40) 19. Train Chapter (Film Version)* (5:51) 20. Medjai Commanders (1:13) 21. Dirigible Montage (0:54) 22. I Want Him Back* (1:04) 23. Flush Of Freedom* (1:50) 24. Tsk Tsk* (0:24) 25. Evy’s Flashback Swordfight* (2:30) 26. Flashback Finale (4:02) 27. What? No Ice?* (0:29) 28. Sandcastles/Breadcrumbs (3:25) 29. Canyon Deluge (2:18) CD 1 Total Time: 70:54

CD 2 Complete Soundtrack (Cont.) 01. Pygmy Territory* (1:53) 02. Something Is Coming!* (2:04) 03. Pygmy Attack (3:31) 04. More Pygmies* (1:41) 05. Racing The Sun!* (0:54) 06. Evy Dies (3:27) 07. Curator’s Bad Idea* (1:28) 08. Sand Warriors* (2:40) 09. Gong* (0:19) 10. Rick Battles Imhotep* (6:55) 11. False Victory (Revised)* (4:46) 12. Wrong Girlfriend (Revised)* (1:52) 13. Happy Ending* (4:07) 14. The Mummy Returns – End Credits* (2:29) 15. Forever May Not Be Long Enough (Performed by LIVE) (3:47) Time: 42:00 Complete Soundtrack Time: 1:52:54 The Extras 16. Meet Meela (Original) (0:54) 17. Evy Kidnapped (Original) (5:54) 18. My First Bus Ride (Original) (7:42) 19. Train Chapter (Album Version) (5:32) 20. False Victory (Original)* (4:49) 21. Wrong Girlfriend (Original)* (1:46) 22. The Mummy Returns (7:42) Total Extras Time: 34:25 CD 2 Total Time: 76:33 *Not Previously Released

Tech Talk From The Producer…

The soundtrack for The Mummy Returns is one of the most ambitious ever composed by Alan Silvestri during his extremely prolific career. In terms of thematic material, volume of notes and sheer weight, it is substantial indeed. To present all of it to listeners for the first time, Intrada was provided access to all the scoring session elements made in London with the composer conducting the Sinfonia of London Orchestra and Chorus in March 2001, courtesy of Universal Pictures and the Universal Music Group. The scoring sessions were helmed by Dennis Sands, who brought everything back home to ToddAO in Studio City, California, to mix the 32-track digital masters in 5.1 for the film soundtrack as well as down to two-track stereo for the album and other related purposes. From there, Silvestri and his associate David Bifano selected 70 minutes of highlights from the stereo mixes (plus the song “Forever May Not Be Long Enough,” performed by Live) and quickly assembled the initial soundtrack album release for Decca Records on May 1, 2001.

The finished film featured approximately 110 minutes of music Silvestri also recorded another half hour of changes—including alternate pickups and revisions for the changing editorial needs of the picture as well as some re-scored bars intended for the album—bringing everything captured at those London sessions to some 140 minutes. Intrada presents the score as intended for the film on CD 1 and the first part of CD 2 (including the song), and the alternate takes on the second half of CD 2.

In certain instances, the alternate versions differ by mere bars; in other cases, the differences are more substantial. Examples of each follow:

The original take of “Meet Meela” (CD 2, track 16) includes a rattlesnake shaker in the percussion section at the point where the reptile appears on screen, but this color was dropped in the revised take that appears in the film (CD 1, track 16). In a more substantial revision, the “Evy Kidnapped” sequence appears as originally recorded on CD 2, track 17; Silvestri revised and lengthened the cue that appeared in the film (and on the Decca album) to include an additional rousing brass fanfare near the end to mirror some climactic onscreen heroics (CD 1, track 14).

Silvestri revised “My First Bus Ride” (CD 1, track 17) to feature orchestral hits timed to the action on screen; as such, it differed from the original take heard on CD 2, track 18. “Train Chapter” features several revised bars and edits used for the album version (CD 2, track 19) that differ from those recorded for the film itself (CD 1, track 19). “False Victory” is another example of an exciting sequence recorded in one version (CD 2, track 20) and subsequently revised for the picture (CD 2, track 11). “Wrong Girlfriend” was scored twice, once with a version simply ending the phrase in strings and again in a similar version that extends this ending to include an additional coda. Both are heard on CD 2 with the revised version in the complete soundtrack portion (track 12) and the original featured in the extras (track 21).

Incredibly, not a single cue representing the climactic action sequences or finale (about 25 minutes of music) was included on the original Decca release. This was because the album master was due for delivery prior to everything having been mixed; consequently, those cues were not available for the album mix sessions. All this impressive music appears on this release for the first time.

Deserving the spotlight here are the magnificent final sequences with the family of heroes sailing away from danger via hot air balloon and the subsequent end title sequence—both cues available here for the first time. In “Happy Ending” (CD 2, track 13), Silvestri offers some of the most rousing and ferocious music of his entire score. Then, midway into the cue, the picture moves to the group’s aerial farewell to their friend, the noble Medjai warrior Ardeth Bay (Oded Fehr), mounted on horseback down on terra firma. Silvestri offers a stirring quote of his theme as everyone waves goodbye. Following a dramatic crescendo, the composer presents a powerhouse finish to the picture proper. In the following sequence that introduces the end credit music, Silvestri writes his most sweeping and epic treatment of the warrior theme, now scored for the full resources of his massive orchestra, percussion ensemble and chorus. As the principal credits emerge on screen, Silvestri works with the magnificent Medjai theme, and as the end credit crawl scrolls towards the climactic appearance of the film’s title card, he unleashes a resplendent, fortissimo fanfare to crown his most triumphant of codas.

—Douglass Fake