New from Dutton Vocalion
15-Jun-2008 - Dutton Vocalion Records has released scores for
three British cult movies from the sixties.
Johnny Keating’s name was legendary within big band and jazz circles in both the UK and America
during the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s. His score for the 1967 UK crime-thriller film Robbery is arguably
his best, and is the subject of this Vocalion release.
Based on the Great Train Robbery of 1963, Robbery stars Stanley Baker as hardened criminal
and ex-convict Paul Clifton, who’s determined to pull-off the biggest job of his career –
robbing the overnight mail train from Glasgow to London .
Keating’s brilliant score underlines and heightens the drama, suspense and action, especially
during the tense opening sequence (Diamond Robbery). The score is composed in the modern
big band style, but also features some gorgeous, tender underscores as heard in Kate’s Theme
(for Paul Clifton’s wife, played by Joanna Pettet) and Robinson – Portrait of a Loser (for currency
expert Robinson, played by Frank Finlay).
Passing the Mail Bags, Breaking into the Mail Van and Gang’s Arrest are tension-filled big band
scores, while Born to Lose (not heard in the film) sung by session vocalist Jackie Lee is as good
an example of bright, optimistic big band pop as you could wish to hear. If you haven’t seen
Robbery, listening to John ny Keating’s gripping score will certainly make you want to.
Remastered from the original analogue stereo tapes.
Malcolm Arnold’s score to the 1963 British film Nine Days To Rama is heard on this Vocalion
release. Arnold was an uncommonly versatile composer, who has taken his rightful place amongst
the pantheon of great British composers of the 20th century.
His works ranged from film scores such as this to chamber music to full-scale classical concert
works to recording in the 1970s with legendary British rock band Deep Purple.
Starring Horst Buchholz, José Ferrer and Robert Morley, ‘Nine Days to Rama’ depicts the life of
Nathuram Godse (Horst Buchholz), the man who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi.
Filmed almost entirely on location in India , Arnold ’s superb score underlines perfectly the
film’s tension and drama as well as capturing India ’s mystique.
Also included is the equally rare Decca EP of selections from Arnold ’s score for the film
The Lion (1962) starring Trevor Howard, William Holden and Capucine.
Remastered from the original analogue tapes.
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