Press Release from Dragon's Domain:
Dragon’s Domain Records presents HAMMERSMITH IS OUT, featuring music composed by Dominic Frontiere (THE OUTER LIMITS, THE INVADERS, BRANNIGAN, THE AVIATOR) for the 1972 dark comedy directed by Peter Ustinov (BILLY BUDD), written by Stanford Whitmore, starring Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Peter Ustinov, Beau Bridges, Leon Askin, Leon Ames, George Raft, John Schuck, Marjorie Eaton and Linda Gaye Scott.
Released in 1972, HAMMERSMITH follows Billy Breedlove (Bridges), an orderly at a Texas psychiatric hospital as he becomes involved with two patients, Jimmie Jean Jackson (Taylor), a waitress, and the enigmatic Hammersmith (Burton), who promises Billy fame and fortune if he helps him escape. The trio embark on a crime-fueled adventure where Billy rises in social status, becoming an owner of various businesses and a political financier. Over time, he grows to resent Jimmie Jean, while Hammersmith grants her wish to become a mother. Eventually, Hammersmith orchestrates Billy's disability and suicide, leading to his own return to confinement...
Dominic Frontiere's music for HAMMERSMITH IS OUT stands out as a remarkable and eclectic addition to his lengthy film catalog. The movie required a diverse range of musical styles, beginning with a compelling main title theme that evokes a distinctly 1970s atmosphere, serving as a recurring motif for the character of Hammersmith and a beautiful theme for Elizabeth Taylor’s character. In addition to the primary score, Frontiere was tasked with crafting numerous cues that could be classified as "source music."
His collaboration with director Leslie Stevens began with THE MARRIAGE-GO-ROUND and led to work on THE OUTER LIMITS. Frontiere composed themes for several notable shows in the 1960s, including THE RAT PATROL, BRANDED and THE FUGITIVE. He scored Clint Eastwood's HANG 'EM HIGH, which featured a top-10 hit by Booker T. & the M.G.'s, as well as the documentary ON ANY SUNDAY and three John Wayne films. In the early 1970s, he became the head of the music department at Paramount Pictures, working on both film scores and popular music albums. He won a Golden Globe for THE STUNT MAN and created a jingle for Paramount's television division. His final film score was for the 1994 thriller THE COLOR OF NIGHT, starring Bruce Willis.
Dragon’s Domain Records presents HAMMERSMITH IS OUT on two CDs, featuring the premiere release of the complete score on Disc 1 along with the album version plus bonus tracks on Disc 2. The music has been newly mastered by James Nelson at Digital Outland and the liner notes have been written by author G.B. Kenmer and Scott Davis.
