FRANCIS LAI AT UNIVERSAL PICTURES
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FRANCIS LAI AT UNIVERSAL PICTURES

Music Composed by Francis Lai

Music Box Records - Limited Edition of 750 units • Sold Out

2-CD

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World Premiere 2-CD Release.
115 minutes of unreleased music.
12-page CD booklet with liner notes by Gergely Hubai.

In collaboration with Universal Pictures, Music Box Records announces the 2-disc collection Francis Lai at Universal Pictures which featured three previously unreleased scores by the composer. The three scores are arranged and conducted by the talented Christian Gaubert.

Three Into Two Won’t Go is a 1969 drama in which Rod Steiger plays travelling salesman Steve Howard who hooks up a free-spirited hitchhiker. While leading a double life seems fun at first, the girl turns up at Steve's home and moves into the place. Even though it’s a pop score at heart, Francis Lai captured the central conflict of the film with a relatively simple musical solution - creating two different musical worlds to represent Steven’s relationship with his lover and her wife. Two great love themes and a handful of fun source cues cover the entire score of this title.

House of Cards (1968) marks the earliest collaboration of Francis Lai and Universal represented on this disc - the John Guillermin-helmed spy adventure stars George Peppard as a world-weary boxer who hooks up with a wealthy window as he becomes a tutor to her son. The appearance of a Neo-Fascist group disrupts the idyllic life and is followed-by a cross country manhunt culminating in a showdown at the Coliseum. The typical Bond-inspired potboiler gets an engaging and energetic spy jazz score with Lai providing a great theme song as well as memorable action cues.

The second disc is dedicated to Berlin Affair, a 1970 TV movie about a bounty hunter who is tasked with hunting down a former associate. Believing his friend is innocent, Pete Killian (played by Darren McGavin) tries to help his pal until it is revealed that there is indeed malicious intent in the background. Throw in a beautiful girl entangled in the extortion business, the 90-minute television film offers more than 50 minutes of top drawer spy jazz scoring, including a thunderous main theme and a sweet love theme that recalls Diamonds Are Forever (though this was written earlier).

The three scores on the album have never been released before and have been fully mastered from complete scoring session elements, stored in Universal vaults. The 12-page booklet features rare photos as well as an essay by Gergely Hubai discussing the composer, his work with Universal as well as each film and score.

DISC 1:

3 INTO 2 WON'T GO (1969)
1.Three into Two Won't Go (Main Titles) (3:35)
2. Eyes (1:22)
3. Leaving (1:21)
4. You Married Young (3:42)
5. Ready (1:59)
6. Cinema (1:00)
7. Steve's Return / In the Garden (4:29)
8. Adoption / Five Pound Note (1:33)
9. First Time Home (1:24)
10. Alone (3:59)
11. Dinner (1:04)
12. Arrival / Afterwards (2:10)
13. End Titles (0:49)

HOUSE OF CARDS (1968)
14. House of Cards (Emblem and Prologue) (2:15)
15. Château de Cartes (2:13)
16. Scene on the Seine / Danger and Death (4:29)
17. The Villa (2:07)
18. The Arsenal / Over the Roof (1:57)
19. The Human Concert (1:45)
20. Ballroom Source (2:42)
21. Reno Arrives (1:25)
22. Château de Cartes (Instrumental) (2:16)
23. Restricted / Fruitful Flight (1:55)
24. Trip to Rome (1:17)
25. Forced Finale (3:11)
26. Flame Game (1:42)
27. Meeting Day (2:17)
28. Château de Cartes (Alternate) (1:53)
29. Château de Cartes (End Credits) (2:16)

Disc 1 Time • 65:22

DISC 2:

BERLIN AFFAIR (1970)
1. Berlin Affair (Main Titles) (3:20)
2. Steinplatz (3:36)
3. Paul and Pete / Information Center (0:38)
4. Pete Left for Dead / Klaus (3:45)
5. Blonde (2:06)
6. Wendi and Pete / Wendi Meets Paul (3:55)
7. Jet Flight (0:54)
8. Berlin / Albert and Camera (0:47)
9. Phone Call (3:22)
10. Everything / To Catch a Friend (0:45)
11. Pursuing Pete (3:15)
12. Pete in Gallery (2:08)
13. Wendi (1:22)
14. Galt Handcuffed (2:40)
15. Wendi Takes Money (2:02)
16. Languin (0:25)
17. Pete Loves Wendi (2:53)
18. Antique Store / Taped Wristwatch (1:01)
19. Showdown (1:23)
20. Wendi's Death (3:13)
21. Joe Taunts Pete (1:06)
22. Bugged Telephone / Berlin Affair (End Titles) (1:01)
23. Berlin Affair (Main Titles) (Alternate) (3:35)

Disc 2 Time • 50:07

Total 2-CD Time • 115:29

CD
MBR-124
New
Format
CD
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