Rare Maurice Jarre TOP SECRET Film Soundtrack LP Varese Digital Mix Val Kilmer

	£		30
	$		40

Rare US import of the original soundtrack to 'Top Secret!' (1984), composed and conducted by Maurice Jarre. Performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. On the Varese Sarabande label.

The film, from the makers of the 'Airplane!' series, starred Val Kilmer, Peter Cushing and Lucy Gutteridge.

Maurice Jarre / The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra ?– Top Secret! (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (1984)

Condition (refer also to notes at bottom):
Vinyl – VG-EX. Generally clean on visual inspection though there are a few scuff marks. Played just pre-listing and sound clarity is very good. Some clicks/pops for at start of both sides.
Outer sleeve / Cover – G-VG. Light corner/aperture/edge wear and some marking on front; creasing and damage on spine edge; disc showthrough outline and mild soiling on reverse. Front bottom right corner has a fold and crease. Colours are unfaded with no tears. 
Inner sleeve – EX. Original. Clear polythene. Clean and intact despite creases/folds through normal handling.
Label: Varèse Sarabande ?– STV 81219
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Import, Digital Mix
Country: US
Released: 1984
Genre: Electronic, Classical, Stage & Screen, Theme
Style: Soundtrack, Modern Classical, Score, Instrumental


Track listing:
A1. Top Secret!   5:52
A2. Love And Resistance   2:22
A3. Cedric   5:28
A4. Tango Of The Things Unsaid   1:18
A5. Medals And Imprisonment   3:26
A6. The Potato-Farm Siege   3:55

B1. The Big Fight   2:43
B2. The Torch   4:33
B3. Pizza Rock   1:49
B4. Nigel's Plan   3:41
B5. The Triumph Of The Resistance   5:19
B6. Happy Ending   2:50


Composed By, Conductor, Producer – Maurice Jarre
Engineer [Digital Mixing Engineer] – Roland Harris
Engineer [Editing Engineer] – Ben Turner
Engineer [Recording] – Eric Tomlinson
Executive Producer – Robert Townson
Executive Producer [Album] – Chris Küchler, John Yap, Tom Null
Mastered By – Erick Labson
Other [Assistant To Maurice Jarre] – Christopher Palmer


Review:
In between Airplane! and The Naked Gun, the film collaboration of Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker made the rather less well-known Top Secret!  It's basically more of the time, this time being loosely spy movie / WWII-based. Val Kilmer plays Nick Rivers, a secret agent in the style of Elvis Presley. On board were cameos from Peter Cushing and Omar Sharif.

Jarre did for the filmmakers exactly what Bernstein had done for them on Airplane! - namely, to go completely over-the-top, exacerbate all the things he is known for doing, overplay the drama in every way possible, and above all to make it seem like he was scoring the film as if it were the most earnest and sombre drama possible.  Which is exactly what he did.

The full might of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, no less, is put to full effect, with larger-than-life orchestrations, big, sweeping themes, thunderous action music, swooning love themes, everything but the kitchen sink in fact.  It's simply a blast!  The track with the best title is also the best track - "The Potato Farm Siege" is in fact one of the most blisteringly exciting pieces of action music you could ever hear, with the orchestra blasting out of every tiny bit of your speakers, going as full pelt as you're ever likely to hear an orchestra go.  There are numerous highlights, even including a brief quotation of Doctor Zhivago's theme in "Cedric" - this is grand music, on a big scale, quite brilliant really.  

This is one of the earliest digital recordings. And it is arguably one of Jarre's most wonderful scores.  The cover too is one of the most unusual: "The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra performs the Maurice Jarre score for Top Secret!" plastered across a picture of a cow.


–––––––––––––––––––


Postage and packaging FREE to UK.

Will post worldwide.
Europe (Royal Mail International Standard) – £7.
Europe (Royal Mail International Tracked and Signed) – £12
N and S America, USA, Canada (Royal Mail International Standard) – £9.50
Asia, Australia, Japan (Royal Mail International Standard) – £11.50

Sorry but no returns are accepted.

Payment by cheque (UK only) or Paypal please.

Please see my other soundtrack listings.

Thanks for looking and happy eBaying!






ITEM CONDITION - items are graded according to Record Collector definitions - see below:

MINT: The record itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items such as the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition. Records advertised as Sealed or Unplayed should be Mint.

EXCELLENT: The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality. The cover and packaging might have slight wear and / or creasing.

VERY GOOD: The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable surface marks and the occasional light scratch. Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items, without any major defects, is acceptable.

GOOD: The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches. The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, discolouration, etc.

FAIR: The record is still just playable but has not been cared for properly and displays considerable surface noise; it may even jump. The cover and contents will be torn, stained and / or defaced.

POOR: The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise, etc. The cover and contents will be badly damaged or partly missing.

BAD: The record is unplayable or might even be broken, and is only of use as a collection filler.