New soundtrack label Stylotone unearths rare and classic film music

Stylotone are a new label whose remit is to preserve and unearth classic and contemporary cinema soundtracks and present them to the highest possible standards.

They have already worked with include the Estates of Bernard Herrmann, Alfred Hitchcock, Henry Mancini, Elmer Bernstein, Frank Cordell and have just announced their first wave of releases.

On the schedule to be issued in the next few months is Bernard Herrman‘s soundtrack to Roy Boulting’s 1968 psychological thriller Twisted Nerve (featuring Hywel Bennet and Hayley Mills), Frank Cordell‘s motion picture soundtrack to Basil Dearden’s 1966 epic Khartoum (a film that starred Charlton Heston and Laurence Olivier) and a handful of special vinyl EPs, including a four-track seven-inch featuring music from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to Alfred Hitchcock’s 1964 film Marnie (another Bernard Herrman composition).

The Twisted Nerve soundtrack has never before been issued, although elements may be familiar to some, thanks to Quentin Tarantino’s inclusion of the whistling motif in his film Kill Bill, vol. 1. and in fact the Pulp Fiction director provides some brief sleeve notes in the new release.

Stylotone have put together ‘super deluxe edition’ packages for both full-length soundtracks and SDE has been lucky enough to have an early preview of the packaging and presentation, and it’s nothing short of absolutely stunning. They’ve ticked virtually every box for both film music connoisseurs and fans of physical music and cleverly presented all the contents within a gatefold vinyl package.

Twisted Nerve is actually available in ‘yellow’ or ‘black’ super deluxe editions (the former has yellow ‘blood spattered’ vinyl, while the latter boasts clear ‘blood spattered’ vinyl) but here’s what you get in each package:

• • High quality ‘tip-on’ gatefold sleeve (spot varnished) with ‘OBI’-style strip
• • 180g coloured vinyl pressing of the full album soundtrack, plus eight additional cues not used in the film
• • A ‘vinyl replica’ expanded CD replicating the music on the vinyl, along with seven alternate/unused takes
• • a 30″ x 40″ British Quad Film Poster
• • a three-track seven-inch ‘radio promo’ EP (including an alternate Jazz version of the main theme)
• • An embossed certificate signed by Mrs Norma Herrmann
• • A download card which gives you access to hi-res 24bit WAVs of the complete unedited recording sessions (as well as 320kbps MP3s)

While those contents are extremely well thought out, it’s the amazing attention to detail that really impresses. Not only is the Quad poster included printed on the same stock/weight as was used originally, it matches the correct machine folds (since film posters would be folded and inserted into large brown envelopes before arriving in the post for display at the cinema). As someone who has bought old Quad posters in the past (I have Francis Ford Coppola’s The Conversation framed in my front room) the Twisted Nerve poster really does feel like a mint condition original, not a reprint!

The CD included, isn’t just thrown in – in a boring clear plastic or plain sleeve – it has exactly the same gatefold wallet as the vinyl record, complete with spot varnishing! Even the download card is fully designed with Twisted Nerve artwork.

Nothing has a barcode printed on it. Instead, discreet stickers are used for barcodes, preserving a design and presentation sympathetic to the era of the original film (top right at the back of the Twisted Nerve gatefold is “File under: SOUNDTRACK : Films and shows”. The Khartoum super deluxe is a double coloured vinyl set and also comes with the CD, Quad poster, download codes and signed certificate (signed by Mrs Anja Cordell).

All the vinyl has been assembled, mastered and cut at Abbey Road Studios by Sean Magee, who is renowned for his work on The Beatles vinyl catalogue.

The icing on the cake is that despite hi-res downloads, vinyl, CD, and all the other content in these super deluxe editions, Stylotone aren’t charging ‘silly money’ for them. Head over to their newly opened online store – where these are currently available for pre-order – and you might be pleasantly surprised at the wallet-friendly price tag.

Twisted Nerve SDE is out on 6 May, and Khartoum is issued on 3 June 2016. The vinyl EPs will be issued over the next few months and are as follows: Twisted Nerve 7″ EP, Demon 7″ EP, and Marnie 7″ EP.

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Bernard Herrmann

Twisted Nerve (Super Deluxe Version. Limited Transparent “Blood-spattered” Coloured Vinyl Black Artwork Version) [VINYL]

Shop Price gbp Stock Amazon uk   24.29 Order Amazon de   32.11 Order Amazon usa   33.62 Order Amazon fr   32.18 Order Amazon it   35.46 Order Amazon es   33.09 Order Amazon ca   46.48 Order Amazon jp   7211.00 Order

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Bernard Herrmann

YELLOW BLOOD-SPATTERED COLOURED VINYL & YELLOW ARTWORK

Shop Price gbp Stock Amazon uk   69.99 Order Amazon de   99.99 Order Amazon usa   116 Order Amazon fr   199 Order Amazon es   199 Order Amazon ca   260.47 Order Amazon jp   23033.00 Order

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Twisted Nerve Super Deluxe Edition

Vinyl LP

Side 1

1. Main Titles
2. The Detective
3. Henry Complains*
4. Twisted Nerve (Jazz Version)
5. Second Meeting
6. Martin’s Anger
7. The Mirror
8. The Letter
9. Georgie
10. Washing-up
11. Playing Cards
12. Psychopathia Sexualis / Hot Chocolate
13. The Rocking Horse
14. The Scissors / Peeping Georgie / Leaving the House
15. The Murder / Henry’s Dead
16. Georgie’s Nightmare / Just Lie Still* / Ready and Willing*
17. The Body
18. Twisted Nerve (Pop version)

Side 2

1. Swimming / Drowning
2. Getting Dressed / Flowers I / The Kiss*
3. Flowers II / Henry Calls*
4. The Signature
5. The Newspaper
6. The Shed / The Portrait
7. The Dresser / The Axe
8. The Telephone / There Was No Reply / The House / The Front Door
9. The Bedroom / No Bloody Wood / He’s Not A Mongrel / The Struggle
10. The Assault
11. Georgie’s Madness
12. The Cell
13. Finale*

Bonus tracks on CD

• Prelude to Main Titles (Re-Takes)*
• Prelude to Main Titles (Alternate)*
• Main Titles (Alternate Ending)*
• Twisted Nerve (First Jazz Version)*
• Second Meeting (Rehearsal)*
• Martin’s Anger (Pop Intro)*
• Whistle Sessions*

*no used in the film

Khartoum Super Deluxe Edition

Vinyl 2LP

Side 1

1. Overture
2. Main Titles
3. Prologue / Hick’s Army
4. The Ambush
5. Looting Party
6. The Hour of Prayer
7. Gordon Meets Gladstone
8. The Palace Chambers

Side 2

1. Zabeir’s Curse
2. Up The Nile
3. Stewart Challenges Gordon
4. Gordon Returns to Khartoum
5. Gordon Enters the Mahdi’s Camp
6. The Marhdi’s Tent
7. Gordon’s Doubts
8. Ditch Flooding
9. Cattle Raid: Parts I and II
10. Sandstorm

Side 3

1. Intermission / Entr’acte
2. The British Are Coming
3. The Madhi’s Guns
4. Gordon Prays
5. Khartoum is Shelled / Siege of Khartoum
6. Battle of Berber I
7. Battle of Berber II
8. Execution
9. Dead City

Side 4

1. Wolesley’s Army
2. The Madhi
3. Gordon’s Journal
4. Severed Heads
5. Prelude to Battle
6. Death of Gordon / Finale
7. Exit Music

(CD and hi-res/MP3 downloads repeats the same tracks)