Bill Conti
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Apologies if there’s already a thread about Bill Conti (I couldn’t see one).
This is a composer who I’ve long loved, since my older sister brought me the ROCKY II LP back from America, after she’d been on holiday there during the year the film opened (1979? 1980?).
I loved the music and immediately ‘got’ the sound and style of Bill Conti and his music.
Next would have been the wonderful Varese LP of THE RIGHT STUFF and NORTH & SOUTH, and my Conti Love was cemented.
I bought various Conti LPs and CDs thereafter. Bob Townson and Varese were massive champions of his film music and released lots of stuff by him, most of which I bought (I’ve always regretted NAILS though, which is a terrible score).
I kind of lost touch with him, maybe in the late 90s or early 00’s, and didn’t play his stuff so much.
But he’s one of those composers who, whenever I go back and have a little dabble into his stuff, reminds me how great his film music can be and how much I love his music.
I spent the weekend blasting through scores like KARATE KID II, FIVE DAYS FROM HOME, GOTCHA and DREAMER (amongst others) and couldn’t believe how fantastic they all were (even GOTCHA, with its drum machines and obvious temp-track riffs on GORKY PARK, was a real great listen).
Any other Bill Conti fans here?
What do you like about him? Which scores?I like him a lot as well. His ROCKY theme was one of the first themes I would recognize. In the 80s I was a huge fan of this Rocky/Eye Of the Tiger remix (still have that maxi single ;-)).
Generally you named the scores I also like (I don’t know DREAMER). I love his TV themes. NAILS is indeed difficult as is YEAR OF THE GUN and probably some more from the 80s I don’t remember right now.
Although many Bond fans ditch FOR YOUR EYES ONLY to be too much “disco” (it is actually not “disco” IMHO) it was always one of my non Barry favorites. I also like PRAYER FOR A DYING a lot. I remember I once saw the movie on TV and being disapointed that the score was not availble then.
Conti is fine. Not terribly complex or idiosyncratic, but always very capable and accessible.
My first forray into his work wasn’t really ROCKY, although I came to appreciate those later. It was the TV series NORTH AND SOUTH, which I used to watch with my mom in the 80s. The very first post I made on FSM, in March of 1998, was a request for the NORTH AND SOUTH/THE RIGHT STUFF album from Varèse (the CD version of the LP Kev mentioned), which I then got via Gerry Kroll. That, plus DYNASTY and FALCON CREST, which I also watched with my mom, were my first exposure, as far as I can remember.
But over the years, I’ve discovered his versatility. I also like it when he uses pop/synth/ethnic idioms, like BLOOD IN BLOOD OUT, INFERNO and THE BIG BLUE. Other favourites include A PRAYER FOR THE DYING, GLORIA, GRAND CANYON: THE HIDDEN SECRETS and THE KARATE KID (another massive nostalgia favourite…but I had to whittle down the LLL album).
I seem to have seen a news bit recently, that he’s scoring a documentary about Sylvester Stallone or some such thing? Good he’s keeping moderately busy at 84, although it’s been a long time since he was a sought-after composer.
Jon, I think you’d like INFERNO, the Van Damme vehicle. Lots of cool synth riffs and melodies in that.
Although many Bond fans ditch FOR YOUR EYES ONLY to be too much “disco” (it is actually not “disco” IMHO) it was always one of my non Barry favorites.
I might be one of those fans. I didn’t like the score at all in context. When it comes to Bond I appear to be a Barry/Arnold purist.
But I like Rocky quite a bit. And I am still thinking about getting the ŔOCKY II expansion at the right occasion. Whenever that is going to be.
I hate those posts that say “I can’t believe nobody’s mentioned…” but I can’t believe nobody’s mentioned The Thomas Crown Affair, which in expanded form is spectacular.
He was also very good as Dracula in the Badham version.
I like YEAR OF THE GUN and THE BIG BLUE.
The YEAR OF THE GUN end title with the choir is nice.
Jon, I think you’d like INFERNO, the Van Damme vehicle. Lots of cool synth riffs and melodies in that.
Indeed. That’s a nice “dated” 80s score that should be right up your alley. Aren’t the riffs an actual electric guitar?
He was also very good as Dracula in the Badham version.
😉
“Conti is fine. Not terribly complex or idiosyncratic”
That’s an odd thing to say. Thor.
Neither is John Williams, by the same token. And many other major A-list composers.
There are lots of film composers who stayed within their lanes and are none the less for it.
In fact, I think Conti is probably more idiosyncratic than most, in his adeptness at classical, jazz forms, plus pop/disco and his many synth (or synth embellished) scores.“he’s scoring a documentary about Sylvester Stallone or some such thing”
Almost. He’s apparently written some original music for the audio book edition of the new Sly Stallone’s autobiography!!
I didn’t think audio books came with score (FYI…I’ve never listened to one).“I like YEAR OF THE GUN and THE BIG BLUE”
I’ve actually never heard YEAR OF THE GUN. It’s a synth one, is it not?
Yes, his BIG BLUE USA replacement score is great. I have a very nice boot of that one 👍“He was also very good as Dracula in the Badham version”
Haha, yes. I do believe Bill Conti and Frank Langella have never been seen in the same room together, at the same time 🧐😊
That’s an odd thing to say. Thor.
Neither is John Williams, by the same token.I can probably recognize Williams within five seconds.
But yes, it’s no big deal. Not all composers need to have this super unique, idiosyncratic voice for me to enjoy them. Certainly, Conti does at least have enough of a singular voice to be channeled (poorly) by Ludwig Göransson every two weeks. That’s something.
I think it’s more the fact that he’s such a ‘straight shooter’, harmonically and structurally. Not a lot of complex things going on in the layers, it’s all rather straightforward. Which is why Conti isn’t in the top, top echelon of my composers. I’d probably put him in Waiting Room No. 4. But that’s fine too, really. I dig Randy Edelman, for example, who’s a master at this. And I think Conti is more advanced than Edelman.
But now I’m rambling.
I’ve actually never heard YEAR OF THE GUN. It’s a synth one, is it not?
Yes, there might be some strings that might also by synths occasionally and there is some Gregorian choir. The movie being a political thriller is not that bad unless I remember it wrong.
I can probably recognize Williams within five seconds.
I can recognize Conti with his themes quite easily but not always with “normal” score tracks. But I know what you mean. His scores are always rather melodic centered.
Another nice score btw is the obscure BOYS ON THE RUN released by Musicbox a while ago.
Conti is fine. Not terribly complex
Agreed. Often catchy, but not enough details for the brain to latch on to.
I’ve just played GLORIA and THE BIG FIX, and I would say those two scores are as idiosyncratic as they come!
The former, with its Spanish guitar, Gypsy vocals and free form jazz sax explosions, amongst serial 12 tone techniques, is quite astounding (and clearly influenced a young James Horner for his 48 HRS score two years later).
BIG FIX is also all over the show, combining honky tonk, banjo and light pop over all manner of orchestral techniques.
But all sound uniquely Bill Conti.
I can spot that Bill Conti sound just as much as John Williams or James Horner or John Barry etc. But then I have been listening to his music for nearly 5 decades now.
I’d say you need to explore a lot more Bill Conti music if all you know are his brassy anthems and symphonic techniques.I have only one album of his, The Formula. How is that one regarded? I can’t really remember it. I also have one track on an Easy Tempo comp.
“The Formula. How is that one regarded?”
It’s quite short, IIRC. The CD runs under 30 minutes.
I remember it being low-key, rumbling, vaguely European.“I also like PRAYER FOR A DYING a lot. I remember I once saw the movie on TV and being disapointed that the score was not availble then”
Yes. Same here. I ended up taping the music onto cassette, via the TV-Video. It had to do, until the CD bootleg, then Quartet release.
His was a last minute replacement score, after John Scott’s didn’t test so well.
Conti packed much more punch and emotion into his effort.
That opening cue/sequence, underscoring the disastrous IRA bombing, is absolutely stunning. It carries the whole scene, like a silent movie.
The Love Theme (for Mickey Rourke and the blind girl) is also one of the most beautiful things Bill Conti ever wrote.“The Formula. How is that one regarded?”
It’s quite short, IIRC. The CD runs under 30 minutes.
I remember it being low-key, rumbling, vaguely European.A nice score. I think that describes it. It’s a nice score and one of his more “dramatic” scores.
Yes. Same here. I ended up taping the music onto cassette, via the TV-Video. It had to do, until the CD bootleg, then Quartet release.
Oh indeed I forgot that I got a digital copy of the bootleg later as well.
His was a last minute replacement score, after John Scott’s didn’t test so well.
Scott’s is not bad either but I indeed prefer Conti’s.
That opening cue/sequence, underscoring the disastrous IRA bombing, is absolutely stunning. It carries the whole scene, like a silent movie.
Yeah, that opening and the end credits did especially grab me back then. And some Celtic flavour I more or less always like.
It’s a lovely score. Fairly recent discovery for me, maybe 5-6 years ago.
By the way, I had a look at his resume, and appears I’m probably familiar with about 35-40 of his titles (either the soundtracks, or from having watched the films). A decent amount, but several more to check out.
Bill Conti is probably underrated. By me, that is. I mean, I’ve known him for as long as I listen to film scores, have a selection of his scores, like a lot — I love the theme from THE RIGHT STUFF ever since I heard it at the Academy Awards, and the DYNASTY theme is one of the greatest TV themes ever — but I never lingered or delved on it. Shame on me.
But I think ROCKY (all of them), NORTH AND SOUTH. and THE BIG BLUE are great.
I shall put on more Conti these next weeks.I remember two mates going to interview him, at his home (mansion) in L.A in the 90s and being blown away by his bling.
They said every room of his incredible estate was adorned with paintings/fine art worth millions, and he was very blase about his film scores (and their subsequent LP/CD releases).
They loved him though and said he was incredibly warm, generous and engaging (they left with handfuls of CD’s he gifted them, after he gave the interview).I’m playing my BLOOD IN BLOOD OUT CD right now and man, it’s soooo good.
I remember buying it originally for £5 at a Liverpool Film Fair, many years ago, and selling it for 300 Euros, way back when (I didn’t quite take to it and made a CDR for keepsake). I think, at one point, it shared, with CHERRY 2000, the top spot of most sought after film score CD’s.
Years later, I started to get into it a lot more and, incredibly, snagged a copy off eBay for about £20, so that was quite lucky (and cool) for me.he was very blase about his film scores
I think many fans of musicians have the perception that composers or artists in general would be awestruck by their own work all the time. For many of them, especially in the work for hire environment in the US, it’s often also a job to make a living. And for every artist the current work is just a step to the next and (hopefully) better work to follow, too 😉
I’m playing my BLOOD IN BLOOD OUT CD right now and man, it’s soooo good.
I got that on a booty CD-R many years ago (it also had some rare bonus tracks of other Conti scores at the end), and it’s since left my collection. But I still have the files. I love that throbbing, slightly ethnic style, and I believe I brought it up in the “Ethereal Cityscapes” thread. Great score — deserves proper treatment by a specialty label.
BLOOD IN BLOOD OUT had a short regular Varese release back in the day if I am not mistaken. I think the first tracks on that boot that I also have files of are from that.
Really? A regular release? I thought maybe the Varese Club or something, but I have no memory of a regular release of this.
Didn’t know that. Just looked it up and discogs has a comment on that:
https://www.discogs.com/de/release/10492663-Bill-Conti-Blood-In-Blood-Out-Music-From-The-Original-Motion-Picture-Score
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