"Tutankhamun, Live Forever" (1977) Soundtrack

[the_view_electrical]

Hi everyone,

This is my first post, yeepee !

Well, no doubt, there's a special reason for me being here...

I've been desperately looking for the original audio recordings which were used as the soundtrack of a beloved TV documentary aptly named "Tutankhamun Live Forever" (1977), filmed & edited by Jim Tolhurst who passed away in 1995, way before the Internet and emails era...

My parents recorded the show on VHS and later I converted it to DVD. A few weeks ago, I thought it might help to add it on YouTube. You can find the original version here: https://youtu.be/JbPtFLDGj-I

My researches, during the last thirty years, have been quite a quest... I got in touch with Jim Tolhurst's daughter who currently lives in New Orleans and so far we've been able to clearly identify the following songs:

- "Oysters and Snails" from "Spartacus" OST by Alex North
- "Ahyazain" & "Byr Demet Yasemen" by Gus Vali
- "Jeremiah" & "Leviticus" from Derek Laren's "Episodes from the Bible" Vol. 2 (which led me here at some point, when I started to discover the concept of Library Sound / De Wolfe label.)

I can also recognize a "Gymnopédie" (Erik Satie) version which sounds pretty old, orchestrated à la Debussy, with delicate harp, slow-paced, almost elegiac... Still trying to find the original recording.

So today I'm kinda asking everyone for some precious help, knowing that some of you have a comprehensive knowledge of the whole De Wolfe catalog and probably beyond... Would you give it a listen and eventually help me to locate the original recordings which are still missing ?... I suppose there's some more peplum, Hollywood music to be identified.

Last but not least, here's another TV documentary made by the same cinematographer. It has just surfaced, thanks to her daughter. Well, the music is almost the same than in "Tutankhamun, Live Forever"... https://youtu.be/NPQ9jyvYujE

Thanks a lot for your attention and forthcoming help !!
This will be much appreciated.

Best wishes from Lausanne, Switzerland.
Sincerely,

Frederic

[Retronic]

Interesting. I love projects like these and know very well the pleasure of finding a track you’ve listened to since being a kid in its original glory (without all that dialogue over the top!).

The good news is I think we have a great chunk of the De Wolfe output covered so if you start to see patterns or have a hunch about a composer or particular LP someone could well have it to help you out.

I’ll take a listen when I get some time :-)

[Retronic]

Oh, and welcome.

[the_view_electrical]

Thank you !

Well, I should get my «Episodes from the Bible » vol 1 and 2 pretty soon and I’ll figure out. Two songs are from number 2, it’s crystal clear ! But what about vol 1... ? I’m very excited to discover this one. High expectations, I might probably find these are original Derek Laren recordings too:

Song 1:
https://youtu.be/wbhHZ4sfkPs
https://youtu.be/oEY2g2uaxCc

Song 2:
https://youtu.be/LmgdTmouxB8
https://youtu.be/lZtVq62c4v0
https://youtu.be/T0TFjINNCWE

(I made these extracts. Taken from the French version of « Tutankhamun, Live Forever ».)

Why ?

- It kinda sounds oriental. Mysterious and sad. Austere.
- Melodic patterns repeated on and on.
- Instruments (and their sounds) are the same than those used in the two songs from vol 2: cello, harp, flute, oboe and clarinet, if I’m not mistaken.

By any chance, does someone own vol 1 and could confirm ?...

[Retronic]

I have volume 1- I'll have a check along with any other De Wolfes in the same vein/ vicinity.

[the_view_electrical]

Thanks a lot !!

[Retronic]

I had a very quick flick through and although the right feel in places nothing seemed exactly right, but I was on my way out to work so a bit rushed.  The tracks are familiar to you so you'll know them right away when you hear them.
I also looked at a De Wolfe catalogue I had to see if they had a section which listed ethnic cues or something similar but no clues there.
There's a full list of De Wolfe LPs in the Labels section and then a look at Discogs for track titles will give you more clues.   Then I would request them in the request section on here. 

Meanwhile here's a unedited rip of DWLP 3051 while you wait for yours.  Fingers crossed you find some treasure....

I do have volume 2 too.

Also Boosey & Hawkes have some tracks like these- I've heard some in 'Ilsa, Harem Keeper of the Oil Sheiks (1976).  Might be worth checking that.

 

www.sendspace.com/file/dd92t9

[stackjackson]

In addition to these two "Bible" releases, you might also check DWLP 2976 - Nathan the Prophet / Quatre rituels pour orchestra

You should be able to sample this one on the De Wolfe site.

[the_view_electrical]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH... It's 7:44 and you made my day !!

I'm listening to it right now and I've already found one song used for the TV documentary...
It's the 4th one, "Joseph and his Brothers". Jim Tolhurst made a loop of it for illustrating this part:

https://youtu.be/T0TFjINNCWE

More news later...

Oh, last but not least, yesterday I finally found two (!) other ones taken from the same original source (remember me mentioning a "Gymnopédie" ?!...) and I'll say more about this, how I did it. But in a few minutes my students arrive and I've got to teach them a few things before the summer break...

Thanks again !
Can't wait to hear the LPs when they're home !!

Best wishes,

Frederic

[Retronic]

I know that feeling.  Hope you find more  Let us know of any others you want to check out.

[the_view_electrical]

Thank you guys !

BREAKING NEWS

I'm so so happy to let you know that I finally found some songs all by myself !! It's even "full circle". DAMN, SO HAPPY !!!
You know, this Erik Satie's "Gymnopédie" I previously mentioned... well, here's the EXACT version that I finally found:

André Previn & The London Symphony Orchestra - Music from France for Oboe and Orchestra

Actually, the slow-paced rhythm was such a good clue ! Even if I couldn't find it on YouTube, I tried the "Shazam" application on my smartphone (yes, why not ?! always damn worth trying) and it directly led me to this composer & conductor André Previn. Then I checked on discogs: three LPs featuring two "Gymnopédies", number 1 and number 2. A german release (1977...) mentions the "Gymnopédie no 2" ; its length is 3:58... It's the longest running time I could find here and there for a "Gymnopédie" orchestrated à la Debussy... Then I checked the other songs from the tracklisting of this record: "Symphonie Concertante"... What is this ?... Back to YouTube, I found that and... eureka !!!

JACQUES IBERT - "SYMPHONIE CONCERTANTE II, ADAGIO MA NON TROPPO"
https://youtu.be/nCB4rBkn9oU

Yes, this is the dark and beautiful one featuring here: https://youtu.be/JbPtFLDGj-I?t=909
and here: https://youtu.be/NPQ9jyvYujE?t=275
and here: https://youtu.be/aLmqhi9ZPeM

As I previously did, I immediately bought a mint LP copy on discogs and I chose the very first UK version from 1967.

Then, thanks to you, I've been able to listen to "Episodes from the Bible" Vol 1 before my copy arriving at home and I was right to follow my intuition:

- "Joseph and His Brothers"" (as mentioned earlier)
- "Intermezzo No 1""

Beautiful music featuring in this old TV documentary I'm in love with !!!

Then... with Shazam once again (WTF ??)... Thanks to "Search for Alexander" featuring almost the same music than in "Tutankhamun, Live Forever", I found this one:

Albert Ketelbey - "In A Chinese Temple-Garden"
https://youtu.be/J0ptZADMgdM

THE FAMOUS MEN'S CHOIR ! ^_^
THIS IS SO IMPORTANT !!! It's been used several times in Jim Tolhurst's documentaries.

And, from discovers to discovers, I tried again on the Bach path... Early 2000's, I asked my music teacher about the soundtrack and the only thing he was almost able to recognize was the intro and outro of the documentary. A Bach fugue, solo flute. So I went back to discogs.com (WHAT A GOLDMINE, BY THE WAY, HAIL TO THE PEOPLE WHO PUT OUT THIS AMAZING WEBSITE !!!) and found this last one:

J.-S. BACH played by J.-P. RAMPAL
"Sarabande" (BWV 1013) Solo Flute

https://youtu.be/-dKLPfRbrhU
https://www.discogs.com/fr/Rampal-Bach-Rampal-Plays-Bach-Complete-Works-For-Solo-Flute/master/776520

https://youtu.be/s2puykteiTY
https://youtu.be/afV7kymGt4s
https://youtu.be/Q7QRmECFXq0

So, after more than 30 years, today I'm so happy to have finally identified all the music from my beloved TV documentary.
Paradoxically, I can't believe how fast things went these last days. The domino effect... ?

A BIG THANK YOU to everyone who cares and still believes...

Sincerely,

F. Aellen

[Retronic]

Wow- all done!!! I'm pleased for you.  I thought thoise Intermezzos at the end of the B side might bear fruit.You can make up your own CD and enjoy.

[stackjackson]

Very satisfying! Many of us here know what you're feeling today

[Greta]

Wow, I've been following your adventure Frederic, but never chime in cause I had absolutely no clues for you.
It's been exciting, I can understand how much it must been for you. I'm glad you got it all, and I'm glad you got it here.

[the_view_electrical]

thank you very much !

today, i'm trying to identify some music featuring in another french tv documentary, this time about the nile.
it was released in 1977, https://www.ina.fr/video/CPC77057011/le-nil-video.html

i'm pretty sure it's some library music. probably from a de wolfe release.
i've got "legend of the sea", it sounds familiar but it's not...

well, here are two snippets i made available here:

https://we.tl/t-UMPZ9czu39

you won't find this documentary on youtube, unfortunately.
the only way to see it is paying for it via the INA website.

anyone can help and recognize this music ? it's close
to PHILIP GLASS arpeggi style, isn't it ?

thanks a lot and looking forward to hearing from you soon,
best wishes from sunny switzerland !!

sincerely,

f.