{"id":929,"date":"2011-09-26T02:00:56","date_gmt":"2011-09-26T02:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jwfan.com\/?p=929"},"modified":"2012-04-16T12:05:45","modified_gmt":"2012-04-16T12:05:45","slug":"behind-the-scenes-la-la-land-records%e2%80%99-%e2%80%991941-%e2%80%93-expanded-edition%e2%80%99","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jwfan.com\/?p=929","title":{"rendered":"JWFan Exclusive – Interview with Producer Mike Matessino about ‘1941’"},"content":{"rendered":"

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BEHIND THE SCENES: LA-LA LAND RECORDS’ ‘1941 – EXPANDED EDITION’<\/strong><\/p>\n

By Jason LeBlanc<\/strong><\/p>\n

La-La Land Record\u2019s Tuesday release of 1941: Expanded Edition is a landmark release in a lot of ways: The first Williams\/Spielberg theatrical collaboration to be expanded by one of our beloved independent labels; La-La Land\u2019s first plunge into the Universal Vaults; And a score done right in the middle of a string of untouchable Williams classics, finally expanded for the first time 32 years after the short Original Soundtrack album was released.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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I contacted MV Gerhard of La-Land Records to ask him about how it came about, and he had this to say:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1941\u00a0really was a dream project for La-La Land. It\u2019s a score we\u00a0love with great passion\u00a0and Mike Matessino\u00a0produced\u00a0as\u00a0wonderful an album re-issue as we could have hoped for.\u00a0 We are grateful that we were able to\u00a0secure the re-issue\u00a0license from Sony Music and that Universal\u00a0allowed us to expand it with all the previously unreleased material.\u00a0 Everyone is excited by the result and we of course\u00a0are optimistic\u00a0this release leads to further Universal projects for us, as well as more Spielberg\/Williams collaborations.\u00a0 We hope everyone enjoys the listen and overall presentation. It\u2019s been a blast!<\/p>\n

I also was able to get the incredibly busy Mike Matessino \u2013 producer, edit, mixer, and liner note writer of the release \u2013 for the following exclusive interview:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Thanks for agreeing to be interviewed, Mike!\u00a0\u00a0 La-La Land Record\u2019s release of 1941 is a landmark release in a lot of ways.\u00a0 How and when did you become involved in the process?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A little checking into old emails reveals that on May 21, 2010, MV Gerhard appended a message about\u00a0Alien Resurrection<\/em>\u00a0with: \u201cby the way\u2026 wanna work on\u00a01941<\/em>?\u201d I\u2019m sure he was being wryly humorous, but from that moment I think it was clear that La-La Land was bringing me the opportunity to take complete charge of the release, producing as well as overseeing the audio and writing the liner notes.<\/p>\n

The sound quality of the set is amazing!\u00a0 Can you tell us what source material was used, where it was located, what condition they were in, and what work had to be done to restore them?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The original first generation 16-track scoring masters were in the Universal vaults and they are pristine. They were transferred at 96k, 24 bit to Pro Tools at BluWave Audio on the Universal lot and I did a multi-track remix following John Neal\u2019s usual methodology and carefully comparing it to the LP master for accuracy. The same tapes had been used to create the isolated score and extended version remix but this time around more attention was paid to getting it exactly right. Noises and anomalies were addressed in the usual way, but it was all in good shape so it was all about accurate mixing and editing.<\/p>\n

Was the Promo Trailer music found with the rest of the source material, or in a different location entirely?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Promo Trailer was at Universal but filed separately. At first two other elements for the trailer were found, both mono. Then the 16 track was located and transferred and I remixed it.<\/p>\n

Was the restoration of the original 1979 LP done by remastering the original album master, or was it a total re-edit from scratch using the same source material as was used on disc 1?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I recreated the original album using my new mixes, so the quality is the same throughout the set. We found a 1\/4\u2033 LP master at Fox that I used for comparison. I did keep \u201cSwing, Swing, Swing\u201d from this album master because that mix was so different from the film version and I felt it should be preserved. The original album production materials were also at Fox and contained the discrete explosions and clean John Belushi vocal, so those came from that source.<\/p>\n

What are your thoughts on Williams\u2019 original 1979 LP presentation of the score?\u00a0 What music that he didn\u2019t include out of that presentation do you think fans will enjoy hearing most on this new release?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The LP was a timid presentation compared to the double record sets for\u00a0Star Wars<\/em>,\u00a0Superman<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0The Empire Strikes Back<\/em>\u00a0and considering the volume of music that was recorded for the film. Overall the decisions were good ones considering the limited running time of an LP. And let\u2019s not forget it was\u00a01941<\/em>\u00a0and not a blockbuster space movie. There is so much music that wasn\u2019t on it, however, it\u2019s hard to say what will be most enjoyed. I think just the overall scope of the score is the revelation; there is amazing action music and it\u2019s really as expansive as the\u00a0Star Wars<\/em>\u00a0scores or\u00a0Superman<\/em>\u00a0and it\u2019s right in the middle of this amazing period where Williams seemed to be delivering one masterpiece after another. I\u2019d go so far to say that it\u2019s a more enjoyable score than\u00a0Raiders<\/em>.<\/p>\n

One thing fans will love about this set is that it includes the \u201cEnd Credits\u201d in 3 different iterations:\u00a0 Without cannonade (Disc 1, track 29), with the cannonade used in the film (Disc 2, track 23), and with the cannonade used on the LP (Disc 2, track 9).\u00a0 However, the original LP also contained a unique edit of \u201cEnd Credits\u201d that Williams titled \u201cThe March From \u201c1941\u2033\u201d, that became the basis for the concert version that continues to be played today,\u00a0 that also contained cannonade (Disc 2, track 1).\u00a0 Was it ever on the table to include this edit without cannonade somewhere on the set?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It was considered before we knew what we had and how it would time out. As you can tell we have two maxed-out discs. My feeling was that the cannonade is appropriate for the march because it is really a concert and album piece even though it\u2019s done in concert without them. So I opted to have the full cue without the cannons play as the end credits of the main score with all the cannons found on disc 2. A version of the march without the cannons is easily edited.<\/p>\n

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At any point did you consider including the source cues into the flow of the main score rather than as separate bonus tracks?\u00a0 Was the fact that doing so would make the complete score presentation spill over onto a second disc a deciding factor?\u00a0 In general, what factors lead to you deciding to including source music in the flow of the main score (Outland) or not (Home Alone, Star Trek 5) when working on a film score release?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sequencing sort of dictates itself as you move through a project and it\u2019s really decided on a case-by-case basis. From the beginning\u00a0I thought it was a fun idea to have all the source music in one section so that it played like a night at the U.S.O.\u00a0The deciding factor was that all of Williams\u2019 compositions, including \u201cThe Countdown\u201d and \u201cSwing, Swing, Swing\u201d fit neatly on one disc. But whenever possible I wanted to facilitate listeners\u2019 ability to playlist the score with the source music integrated into the narrative. As for the other titles you mentioned,\u00a0Outland<\/em>\u00a0was sequenced the way Lukas Kendall wanted it,\u00a0Star Trek V<\/em>, I think, was a matter of balance to make the second disc longer and the fact that the source music seemed an unnecessary interruption of Jerry\u2019s score. And as for\u00a0Home Alone<\/em>, the church sequence is so critical to the narrative that it had to be in sequence, especially since both \u201cStar of Bethlehem\u201d and \u201cCarol of the Bells\u201d are both melodically intrinsic to the score.<\/p>\n

Speaking of source music, at any point was it on the table to include any of the existing music recordings used in the film that weren\u2019t recorded by Williams on this release \u2013 namely \u201cDaddy\u201d and \u201cDown By The Ohio\u201d by the Andrew Sisters, and \u201cOver The Waves\u201d?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Nothing could be found on \u201cOver the Waves\u201d other than what was on the mono music stem. The two Andrews Sisters recordings were in my original proposal, but the licensing fees were prohibitive. They\u2019re available on iTunes.<\/p>\n

The version of the film Williams originally scored was different in a lot of ways from the theatrical version and the Extended version of the film, containing some footage not found in either and not containing some footage later added in re-shoots.\u00a0 In your work on this release, did you get to see anything from this, or any other, version of the film?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t actually see anything, but co-screenwriter Bob Gale was involved and he provided drafts of the screenplay and other recollections. Also involved was Jeff Cava, who\u2019s now at Paramount but was at Universal when the extended version was assembled in the mid-1990s. He gave me all of his notes on the project. Hearing the uncut music and reading the scores revealed a lot about how the film came together and what was still in the film at the time it was scored.<\/p>\n

What are your thoughts about the decision made to have Williams write a \u201cSing, Sing, Sing\u201d homage, rather than edit the existing piece (which was played on set while choreographing and shooting the scene) to the final cut of the film?\u00a0 Do you like the way the Williams version came out?\u00a0 I\u2019ve always marveled at how well it plays on its own, when at the same time its so perfectly synced to the on-screen action when watching the film.\u00a0 Williams is unparalleled in that regard.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cSwing, Swing, Swing\u201d is masterful in every way. The whole movie is kind of in an alternate universe, so it makes sense that they have a slightly different version of \u201cSing, Sing, Sing.\u201d Williams crafts it as a standalone swing piece while still managing to match the action like a piece of underscoring. It\u2019s magical, and reminds me of \u201cTIE Fighter Attack\u201d from\u00a0Star Wars<\/em>\u00a0in how it feels like the film was edited to an existing piece of music rather than music that was written for a piece of edited film.<\/p>\n

Of the album version of \u201cSwing, Swing, Swing\u201d, the liner notes say that the album mix \u201creduces the more prominent dramatic overlays and flourishes featured in the film version\u201d.\u00a0 Does this mean the material heard only in the film version was recorded separately from the rest of the cue?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Everything was recorded together and just mixed differently for the album.<\/p>\n

Your liner notes mention all the leitmotif themes Williams interspersed throughout the score \u2013 the March (Kelso\u2019s Theme), Donna\u2019s Theme, the patriotic melody, Wally and Betty\u2019s Theme, the \u201cCall To Arms\u201d motif, and the ammunition motif.\u00a0 Do you come up with the names of these themes yourself?\u00a0 How good are you at noticing the themes \u2013 do you pick them up right away, or are several listens required before noticing a melody that appears in multiple cues?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I came up with those myself as generally there\u2019s no official name unless there\u2019s a standalone piece of music written around one of them. It does sometimes take a few listens, which in the case of\u00a01941<\/em>\u00a0was no big sacrifice to make. But there\u2019s nothing subtle about the score so Williams didn\u2019t really use themes esoterically. When they\u2019re used, you hear them.<\/p>\n

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I absolutely love the way \u201cThe Capture Of Hollis\u201d and \u201cKelso Lost\u201d are combined in track 7.\u00a0 Do you think the version of the film Williams scored intended the two cues to play back to back like that, or was that a creative liberty you took when assembling the album?\u00a0 Williams is a master at writing two separate pieces of music that dovetail together like they were always intended to be played that way.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The length of \u201cCapture of Hollis\u201d suggests that those two cues were not intended to go together. That section of the film was constantly changed, and Wild Bill\u2019s flight over the Grand Canyon was a very late addition to the picture. It seems that most of the Christmas tree scene was intended to be unscored, as opposed to the TV version and extended video cut that covered it with bits of tracked music. It made sense to put the cues together as a track just to keep the continuity of the score. There\u2019s an alternate on disc 2 that demonstrates the necessary musical adjustment for moving the Hollis Wood sequence earlier.<\/p>\n

Where all of Williams\u2019 original cue titles used for this release?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cService Tunes\u201d was a cue sheet title. The manuscript had it as \u201cVarious Service Tunes Etc.\u201d Two other cue titles were shortened by one word for, as Captain Hook might say, reasons of good form. No titles were \u201cmade up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Our former forum moderator Neil S. Bulk is a \u201cProduction Assistant\u201d on this release, and forum contributor John Takis is mentioned in the \u201cSpecial Thanks\u201d section.\u00a0 Can you tell us what it was they each contributed to the production of this release?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Neil has become a great collaborator and helps out to one degree or another on most of my projects. I don\u2019t think anyone besides me worked on the audio on this one\u2014I do get a little proprietary once in a while\u2014,but there are a hundred other things that need to get done over the course of a project of this size, whether it\u2019s data getting moved around, materials delivered, picked up or whatever. Neil is also a great resource in the home stretch as a particularly sensitive set of eyes and ears looking over the booklet and listening to the mixes and master references. A lot of little fixes get implemented because of his attentiveness. John, I think, provided the Varese release of the original album, which I wanted to compare to the Bay Cities version just to be thorough.<\/p>\n

Why do you think it is that this score isn\u2019t commonly listed as a favorite among Williams\u2019 oeuvre?\u00a0 The short OST, the critical failure of the film, or perhaps people don\u2019t realize there are many more themes to the score than just the March? \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

There\u2019s a stigma about the movie, for sure. Plus it\u2019s simply not a brand name like\u00a0Star Wars<\/em>,\u00a0Superman<\/em>,\u00a0Indiana Jones<\/em>\u00a0or\u00a0Harry Potter<\/em>. Not realizing there is more to the score than the march could have something to do with the fact that there is so much noise in the film that the casual viewer will not have his or her attention focused on the music. The LP doesn\u2019t really represent the full scope of the score, so I absolutely think that the full presentation will be very satisfying.<\/p>\n

Do you think this release will change people\u2019s opinions of the score?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It won\u2019t necessarily change opinions because so much of the score was already heard on the isolated score track on Laserdisc and DVD, but proper presentation and sound quality will hopefully also play a role.<\/p>\n

And finally Mike, putting aside the music for a second \u2013 what are your thoughts on 1941, the movie itself?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I think\u00a01941<\/em>\u00a0is essential to understanding Steven Spielberg\u2019s films. By his own admission he was drunk with power at the time, yet his unique vision somehow comes through all the mayhem and destruction. There are a lot of themes in the film that he continued to explore later. This movie shows that talent in a raw, undisciplined state. It\u2019s Spielberg channeling his inner 10 year-old and running wild on Hollywood backlots and soundstages. So if you like his films\u2026 and it would hard to be a fan of John Williams\u2019 music if you didn\u2019t\u2026 you really need\u00a01941<\/em>\u00a0to put everything else in perspective. There\u2019s a lot of great talent in the film but the original idea got lost when uncertainty about the humor led to a \u201cnoisier must be funnier\u201d approach. The end result is visually spectacular and sometimes you can hardly believe what you\u2019re seeing. It isn\u2019t terribly laugh-out-loud funny but its pedigree is such that time has been very kind to it.<\/p>\n

Mike, thanks so much for giving us some of your valuable time.\u00a0 Before you go, any hints you can give us on what Williams releases could be coming down the pipeline soon?<\/strong><\/p>\n

There\u2019s one I worked on that I expect will be announced before the ink completely dries on this interview.<\/p>\n

Thanks again Mike.\u00a0 Looking forward to your next release!<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>Mike Matessino is a prominent mixer \/ editor, soundtrack producer and film music preservationist.\u00a0 Visit his website for a complete list of projects he has worked on:\u00a0<\/strong>www.mikematessino.com<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Jason LeBlanc can be reached on the JWFan forums
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