Press Release from La-La Land:
La-La Land Records and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer proudly present a remastered and expanded 2-CD re-issue of composer Michel Legrand’s original motion picture score to NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN. The 1983 film stars Sean Connery as James Bond 007 and is directed by Irvin Kershner (THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, ROBOCOP 2).
The world was excited for the return of Sean Connery in his signature role. However, as NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN, a remake of THUNDERBALL, was produced outside of the official film series it would mean iconic themes associated with the character could not return and all-new, original music would be required. Composer Michel Legrand (THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR, THE THREE MUSKETEERS, YENTL) accepted this mission, crafting a dynamic and stylistically varied, jazz-infused musicscape that finally gets a deluxe showcase within this expanded and remastered 2-CD presentation.
Produced by Neil S. Bulk and mastered by Doug Schwartz from a variety of stereo sources, Disc 1 presents the score in expanded form debuting music not available on prior releases. Disc 2 opens with the original soundtrack album featuring newly translated track titles. In a puzzling move, at the time of the film's release, this soundtrack was available only as a Japanese LP while in the US, a 7" 45 was issued with the Lani Hall title song on one side and an exclusive instrumental of "Une Chanson d'Amour" on the other. This latter single opens the "Additional Music" section.
Limited to only 5,000 units, the album has sharp art direction by Dan Goldwasser with a new front cover designed by Jim Titus. Rounding out the release are new and exclusive, in-depth liner notes by journalist and "The Music of James Bond" author Jon Burlingame.
