NEW Q&A with Mike Matessino on Home Alone, Jaws, Jaws 2, and future Williams expansions

[Jay 40,416]

Hi all,

My exclusive Q&A with producer Mike Matessino is online on the main page of JWFan.com

We discuss the new 2CD sets for Home Alone, Jaws, and Jaws 2, and Mike reveals some exciting news about the future of Williams restorations. Check it out!

http://www.jwfan.com/?p=8269

[Scarpia 132]

Great Q&A! And very informative about the outstanding work in these new releases, especially Jaws for those of us that have the Decca CD.

Also, I must say it brings me hope to know Matessino is prevented for saying anything Star Wars-related by "Imperial decree". It seems there are some surprises in the works!

[Jay 40,416]

Thanks Scarpia!

[Incanus 5,831]

A great interview Jason! Matessino really is the man!

[filmmusic 2,363]

Thank you very much Jason.

Great and very informative interview.

The thing I should hope you would ask though (maybe I have mentioned again this and you replied, but i don't remember) since you asked what's the hold-up about other Williams expansions, is if Matessino would be interested or if there is ANY movement whatsover towards the direction of releasing other completely unreleased Williams scores. I mean have they searched for something and didn't find it (or found it), or haven't they?

I know he explained the situation with studios and stuff, but IS there any movement or any interest from the labels?

That's what I'd like to know since there are years since the last totally unreleased Williams score that appeared.

Although to be fair, you did ask about Sugarland Express.

But I meant mostly other non-Spielberg, early Williams scores.

[Jay 40,416]

Of course the labels would be interested in doing that. They're not actively ignoring them all! What a silly thought.

[filmmusic 2,363]

Of course the labels would be interested in doing that. They're not actively ignoring them all! What a silly thought.

You mean you are sure they are interested in releasing I passed for White, Because they're young, The Secret Ways and such stuff?

because from the moment the FSM label stopped, we haven't seen much movement towards this direction which seems strange.

[Jay 40,416]

Anything is possible in the future!

Of course, to start - the elements must exist!

[filmmusic 2,363]

Anything is possible in the future!

Of course, to start - the elements must exist!

Do you have any commentary on the actual Q&A instead of what's not in it?

I wrote you my comments.

Obviously I didn't have anything negative to say about it that's why I didn't elaborate any further.

I really didn't mean any offence by adding this about the unreleased scores.

It's just that it's a matter that interests me mostly, and since the instances of interviewing these people are usually on the release of an expansion, I thought it would be an opportunity to know something.

I know the elements must exist and they should find them first.

The thing I was asking is if they are looking for them..

And it would be perfectly logical and acceptable if they aren't!

I mean, I can't imagine any label desperately looking for the source elements to "The Secret Ways" or something..

Something like this would sell far less than an expansion of a famous score.

[Jamie Dutton 7,679]

Don't sweat it, Jason's just being his typical condescending self.

[Jay 40,416]

Producers don't really talk about upcoming projects. The labels prefer to announce the titles when they are ready to be sold, so as not to be inundated with questions as they are trying to work on them. Its a process that makes total sense to me!

You're right that I could have asked him a general question about if totally unreleased scores were being considered as well as expansions, but I don't know if any answer he could have given would set your mind at ease.

The real problem is that I don't think a lot of elements from the 60s are still in a vault that haven't been released already! When it come to Williams I mean.

[filmmusic 2,363]

but I don't know if any answer he could have given would set your mind at ease.

Well, I would be content with just a "We're interested in releasing some of his early unreleased stuff but we don't know yet if the elements exist, if we can get approvals etc."

The positive thing would be to know that there is at least interest, regardless the result, because I'm not even sure of that.

Anyway, topic closed. That was just a parenthesis on the interview.

Reading this, made me more sure that I want to buy this new release although i have both the ost and the first expansion.

[Jay 40,416]

Sorry I didn't ask if they were being looked for by the labels, filmmusic. And sorry for my post before. Now I know how the label heads feel when they announce a title and the first posts are by people asking about other titles!

[filmmusic 2,363]

Sorry I didn't ask if they were being looked for by the labels, filmmusic. And sorry for my post before. Now I know how the label heads feel when they announce a title and the first posts are by people asking about other titles!

i wouldn't have mentioned it at all, but i did because as i said in my first post: "since you asked what's the hold-up about other Williams expansions"

[TownerFan 5,421]

Wonderful piece, Jay!

EDIT: I'd say we should be immensely grateful that we have people like Mike Matessino doing this kind of loving restoration work on so many John Williams scores, including some of his most important ones ever. And it makes me feel excited to know he will handle most, if not all, of them in the future. I'm confident we'll see a lot of them released, both expansions of previously released material and completely previously unreleased works. Exciting times ahead!

[nightscape94 967]

I always look forward to these inevitable interviews with Mike when a new release comes out; and there was so much ground to cover. Can't wait until next year. Well done!

[steb74 53]

Great interview and insightful as always, thanks!

......but come on man

Now I know how the label heads feel when they announce a title and the first posts are by people asking about other titles!

[Omen II 1,256]

It's good to get confirmation that the beach source music heard in Jaws 2 is indeed by Williams, as likely as it always was. I wonder why he objected to its inclusion on the new release? It would have been nice to have it as a bonus track, but I suppose worse things happen at sea (consumption by a big fish, for example).

[EhTar 63]

A great interview, once again, Jay. So deep, so sharp and so informative. Thanks a lot!

[Luke Skywalker 2,030]

Great interview.

And my poor wallet thanks you jason as now I HAVE an impending neccessity of buying Home Alone.

Is there any time of the year that LLL offers free shipping or som discount? For exampe July 4th?

[Jay 40,416]

I don't think LLL ever offers free shipping, no. Maybe they've had a few sales that offered free shipping on orders of over a certain amount, but those have been rare. You can always order from Music Box Records, since they are already based in Europe. That should help, I think.

[Not Mr. Big 4,753]

No countdown this time?

[Luke Skywalker 2,030]

I don't think LLL ever offers free shipping, no. Maybe they've had a few sales that offered free shipping on orders of over a certain amount, but those have been rare. You can always order from Music Box Records, since they are already based in Europe. That should help, I think.

Well, last year's July 4th had international free shipping.

I may wait till then. And rush it if quantities get near sold out.

Its more expensive to order from music box records... and since i 've never had problems with LLL i'll order directly from them, I suppose.

[Fozmo 13]

Many thanks for a thoroughly awesome interview!

[phbart 640]

Terrific interview! Too bad Matessino couldn't elucidate more about future releases and anything about Star Wars... that darn imperial decree!

About the composer and director approval on these projects, I wonder what was their first thoughts when they listened to the 2000 Decca version of Jaws, or what Lucas and Williams had to said about the 1997 RCA version of RotJ (the two worst sounding expanded Williams release that came to my mind). I would risk to say that depending on how much money is involved for them, they'll approve anything...

[crocodile 8,755]

Great Q&A Jay. Too good, in fact. It makes me want to buy this set. Sadly.

Karol

[mstrox 6,997]

Thanks, Jason - this was great. Sold me on rebuying Home Alone, as well.

[Luke Skywalker 2,030]

yeah, THANKS for that jason...

[Jay 40,416]

Trust me, its worth it!

Sell off your old versions to help fund it!

[Luke Skywalker 2,030]

I think i'll have to start selling online my pristine obsolete CDs sometime.

[Jay 40,416]

sending?

[BloodBoal 7,541]

He obviously meant "selling".

[Luke Skywalker 2,030]

OMG! i hope i'm not flooded with PMs now...

[Jay 40,416]

Ah.

Yea, sell off the stuff thats been superseded by definitive reissues. Clears up shelf space and puts money in your pocket!

[airmanjerm 83]

Great interview Jason! Appreciate the insight and as others have said, it may have convinced me to pick up the new Home Alone. I think it was great that he acknowledged the criticism they would get for releasing a new version so close to the previous one, but explained their reasoning for it quite well. It's obvious the guy is a fan himself, so it's nice to see how excited he was about finding the new elements.

Your interview is also one of the great things about these specialty labels, and the folks who run them. They're not only film score fans, they are also very open and approachable about what they do. They listen to fans and try to make us happy (and boy, can we be a whiny, critical bunch), and aren't so high-and-mighty, hoity-toity that they won't do an interview about their process.

Anyways, great reading, thanks!

[fommes 158]

Thank you for the interview. Wonderful read, and great questions. (And answers, obviously.)

[Jay 40,416]

Thanks guys!

[phbart 640]

Jay, you could have asked about the 7.1 mix from the 2012 Blu-ray. The documentary about the 4k restoration seems to sugest they did not expand the 5.1 2000 mix to 7.1, but went back to the original analog elements and did it from scratch...

[Jay 40,416]

Interesting, I didn't know that!

[Lady Dimitrescu 9,133]

Ah.

Yea, sell off the stuff thats been superseded by definitive reissues. Clears up shelf space and puts money in your pocket!

Don't listen to Jay!

He's spreading propaganda that your perfectly good old versions are inferior when really they are wonderful keepsakes from the time of their release.

There's no freakin' way I would give up my OSTs, which I consider the "definitive" versions in most cases!

[phbart 640]

Interesting, I didn't know that!

I never really paid much attention to that part, just the negative restoration.