Press Release from Quartet:
Quartet Records, in collaboration with Universal Music Enterprises, Studiocanal and Calash Corporation, presents a 40th-anniversary, restored and remastered edition of Henry Mancini’s classic Christmas score for SANTA CLAUS: THE MOVIE.
The film, directed by Jeannot Szwarc in 1985, starred Dudley Moore, David Huddleston and John Lithgow, was an ambitious and expensive project produced by Alexander and Ilya Salkind, and although it was not the box office hit it was expected to be, has gained fans over time to become a cult film. One of the most important aspects of the film was its score, for which Salkinds hired Henry Mancini. The composer was deeply involved in the production, composing more than 85 minutes of original music for the 109-minute film. This score is surely one of the biggest symphonic efforts of his career, beautiful, diverse and emotional, written during the same period as LIFEFORCE and THE GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE.
Recorded at CTS Studios in London with the National Philharmonic Orchestra, the score also features The Ambrosian Singers and The Ambrosian Children’s Choir performing several charming songs written by Mancini and Leslie Bricusse. For the original album, released in 1985 by EMI America, Mancini prepared a program of highlights lasting only 37 minutes. Some themes were modified for their album version—with different durations, slightly different mixes or the addition of pop elements. Almost all of Mancini’s underscore was missing.
Quartet Records released Mancini’s score in its entirety in 2012 and reissued it in 2019 on a 3-CD set, mastered from ½̋″ 3-track. For this new edition, the recently discovered complete first-generation 2″ 24-track set has been transferred in high resolution, allowing engineer Chris Malone to offer a fully restored, remixed and remastered version from the scoring masters recorded by Dick Lewzey.
Showcased in a 2-CD set, Disc 1 includes the complete score, while Disc 2 brings together the original songs by Mancini and Bricusse, as well as all the recorded versions intended for the 1985 original album and alternates, including two previously unreleased tracks. We have not included the two pop songs that had nothing to do with Mancini and were included in the film and the original album for commercial purposes.
The package includes in-depth liner notes by film music writer John Takis, discussing the film and scores, and features art direction by Jim Titus. This deluxe presentation unleashes the Mancini Christmas magic sounding like never before.
