DIE, KAIJU! Volume V: REEL RARITIES (Leaping Fox)

 

Compared to previous volumes, this disc goes in a very different direction. You may know that many Godzilla & Toho films, especially early ones, had music either swapped around (or in the case of KING KONG vs GODZILLA, completely replaced) when these films were released in America.  This was probably done for a variety of reasons we will never know, but by the time American fans were able to see the original Japanese versions of the films, (and many are now legitimately available) these changes became evident.

As I always say on this blog, one of the old bromides The Sphinx runs under is "credit where credit is due."  In my searches I discovered the YouTube page of "SpaceHunterM," who had been doing his own research on this exact subject of Godzilla scores, and I asked him if I could use some of the audio he had located and pieced together for a future disc.  Not only did he very kindly oblige, but he sent me a batch of upgraded files, to boot!  This disc wouldn't have come together without his help, and he has my gratitude.  I recommend his YouTube page for lots of Godzilla goodness.

While this volume is by no means comprehensive, it does give a look at some of the radically-different music used to replace the often-Ifukube scores.  Ironically, the practice isn't limited to the earlier films, as GODZILLA 1985 has quite a bit of alternate music, as does the last U.S. theatrical release, GODZILLA 2000 (has it really been that long?).

A note on GODZILLA 2000: this is really the only music on the disc that was written specifically for its purpose.  While other tracks are library music, stock cues, or simply scores written for a completely different film and re-purposed (CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON, where are you?), the short tracks written by J. Peter Robinson were purposeful, and it shows--for example, he quotes Ifukube twice, which the listener will notice immediately.  Also, these tracks had a legitimate, although extremely sparse, release on a label called "Blue Room Music," that some said came from Germany, or possibly Mars, and it's just about impossible to find, being long out of print.  I also want to point out that there is ONE source of these tracks floating around the Internet, no matter where you look, and it's screwed up...I know this because on whatever download site you can find these tracks on, they are always missing the same track! Fear not, because I have supplied them from my own disc here!

If you are a soundtrack person, you will enjoy this disc! It would be nice to see someone eventually piece together a complete KING KONG vs GODZILLA soundtrack, but I wonder if it's even remotely possible.  One comment on YouTube said the American soundtrack was made from at least eleven films!

LINK:  Reel Rarities