This is without doubt my favourite Gil Melle score. I fell in love with it during its first cinema showing in 1975, and I recorded huge chunks of it off the TV a few years later. When Lukas Kendall’s Film Score Monthly began to explore the Warner Bros archives I waited patiently for him to release this. After all, he’d already presented us with a terrific Holy Grail score in the shape of The Omega Man, so I felt sure The Ultimate Warrior must be on their radar. So I waited … and waited…

Still waiting.

A couple of years ago I decided to buy the DVD and make my own version. Sure, it would have lots of sound effects and bits of dialogue, but it would be better than nothing. I know that a few rare scores have been shared on this board with dialog and FX - because there’s no other way to hear them (yet!) - but I also know those shares are kind of the black sheep of the family here, viewed with suspicion and sometimes outright contempt. For that reason I hesitated uploading it. But recently I listened to it again and decided this score is just too darn good to keep under a rock. The music is mixed pretty loud in the film and holds its own against the sounds of screaming post-apocalyptic mobs and the endless chases and hand-to-hand fight sequences. There’s very little dialog, so I left it in.

If you hate DVD rips with FX, this one’s not for you. But if you’re a big Gil Melle fan and you’re as tired of waiting as I am, you just might enjoy this. Let the composer take you on a trip through a grungy post apocalyptic New York, where Max Von Sydow employs warrior-for-hire Yul Brynner to protect his group of survivors from the psychotic street gang led by William Smith… a world in which our hero defeats dozens of bad guys with nothing but his bare hands and a very small knife.

TRACK LIST:

1. Scavengers (2:40)
2. The Warrior (2:03)
3. A Demonstration (1:45)
4. The Search (0:57)
5. Discovered (1:11)
6. The Trap & Escape (5:11)
7. Stolen Tomato (0:26)
8. Exiled (2:06)
9. Sundown & Night Attack (5:05)
10. Carson Leaves (2:52)
11. End Of The Baron (0:53)
12. The Trackers (4:57)
13. Dead Tracker (0:36)
14. Closing In (1:20)
15. Another Dead Tracker (0:30)
16. Birth, Death & Rebirth (12:45)

PM for link.

Thank you for this share. :)

Thank you very much for sharing! :-)

A Classic on all counts...many thanks for sharing !

Thanks

thank you very very much L

Thank you so much!

Thanks

Magnificent SHARE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hello,
thanks for this great share and the resurrection of this terrific Gil Melle score!
I adore Gil Melle myself immensely ...
The movie itself is a must for all Yul Brynner fans (who for his age at that time was in incredible good physical shape).
Kind regards, Klaus.

Yes, at 55 (in 1975) he was totally convincing in the fight scenes. Brynner had always moved well, with a kind of relaxed economy, no movement wasted, and he brings that to the action scenes in this film. In the climactic fight to the death he looks completely believable grappling with the very scary (and much more muscular) William Smith, who was 13 years younger than Brynner. It could have looked ridiculous, but it doesn’t.

Can’t stop listening to this now :)

I'm actually surprised a boot has never emerged of this score. We’ve had unofficial leaks of other Melle works like The Sentinel (Thread 113899), Frankenstein The True Story (Thread 176206), World War III (Thread 163419), Kolchak (Thread 163420), The Intruder Within (Thread 190639), Starship Invasions (Thread 184215)… but nothing for poor old Ultimate Warrior. I hope the tapes aren’t missing. I really really hope we get an official CD. I mean, for crying out loud, we’ve had Intrada release the similarly post-apocalyptic Ravagers (Thread 189768) by Fred Karlin, and that’s a much more obscure film.

Hello feedthecats,
I think one reason that Yul Brynner moved so well with a kind of relaxed economy and no movement wasted (almost eel like)
is that very early in his life he performed in a French Circus for a short time (Trapeze act) and also took ballet dancing lessons.
This may be also the reason why he started on Broadway so successful: his dancing numbers where so fluent, almost perfect
(I mean THE KING AND I).
And he loved dancing - that's why he ended his film career in the late 70s and returned to Broadway (to his most famous role in THE KING AND I).

Burt Lancaster had exactly the same kind of athletic movement with a kind of relaxed economy and no movement wasted (almost eel like)
because he also started as a Circus artist before he moved to acting: the perfect basic ground for absolutely controlled body movement ...
By the way, his long-time Circus acrobatic partner then was Nick Cravat (performing as "Lang & Cravat") -> this is the reason why Lancaster
took Cravat with him as he moved to Hollywood (They partnered in THE FLAME AND THE ARROW, THE CRIMSON PIRATE and many more
Lancaster movies to come).

This background made Brynner and Lancaster a special breed of movie actor which was unique.
Kind regards, Klaus.

That’s interesting, because when I was describing Yul Brynner that way I was also thinking of Burt Lancaster. Although Lancaster could be physically exuberant on screen, he also had an amazing stillness. The Birdman of Alcatraz springs to mind - an exercise in stillness.

One of the things I find remarkable about guys like Lancaster and Brynner is that they were men’s men. So many of today’s actors seem like overgrown boys in comparison. I actually find those older guys inspiring - whenever I’m faced with a challenge or a problem, I ask myself, “How would Burt Lancaster have handled this?” Helps me keep a sense of perspective.

thanks

Thank you share!

For people who like to print stuff:

Nice work!
Thank you, Feedthecats!

Thanks very much.

Thanks for sharing your job, Feedthecats!!!... I really appreciated it, y friend!!!... :)

Melle is Great, thanks a lot!

Thanks.

Thank you very much for sharing!

hes a very underrated, groundbreaking composer that Ive always been fond of since I heard his night stalker theme, perhaps the best mystery tv theme ever composed

feedthecats- THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!! This is AWESOME WORK!!! I've had it on repeat for the last couple of hours, no joke!!! Much appreciated! Love the film, love Melle! Sounds PHENOMENAL!!!!

feedthecats- THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!! This is AWESOME WORK!!! I've had it on repeat for the last couple of hours, no joke!!! Much appreciated! Love the film, love Melle! Sounds PHENOMENAL!!!!

Very glad you like it :) I feel the same way. We're fortunate that the music is mixed pretty high in the film, allowing the score to drive the action. We'd be even more fortunate if the music was released on CD...

Agree 100% re: a legit release on CD.....but your version, with the dialog and SFX still in the mix is actually very cool in and of itself. Again, really appreciate the work!

Thanks a lot

Thanks

Many thanks.

Groovy! Never seen the film or heard the score, and Mell� is always a composer to check out. Big props, feed. :)


As you remarked, barring missing tapes, I'm amazed this score hasn't seen an official release. Cool genre entry. Something of a companion piece to Grainer's Omega Man.

Thanks for bringing this to our (my) attention.

thanks

Thanks for the share...

thanks again! link received!

Thank you
rep given:)

You know, when I first read "The Ultimate Warrior" I thought this was going to be a thread devoted to Pro Wrasslin. I was soooo happy!

An hour later, after getting past my initial disappointment, I read below the thread title and said to myself "hmmm, this is a Gil Mellé soundtrack."

Once again I was optimistic, although not quite as happy were I watching The Ultimate Warrior and The Hulkster defending Freedom and Democracy from the Axis of Eeevil.

But pleased nonetheless.

Thank you, feedthecats, for sharing your labor of love. And possibly saving Democracy in the process.

Got the link. Many thanks!

Link received. Many thanks! :)

Could I please get the link for this? Many thanks!!! Steve P.S. LOVE THAT GIL!!!!!!!!!

Got the link (and fast!)

Thank you so much, feedthecats!

Got the link (and fast!) "May I say you have excellent taste in music?" Damn straight when it comes to anything by Gil Melle! I do remember this from the 70's! Thank you for taking the time to do this, as you are just as big a fan of Melle's work as I !

Can I please, feedthecats? ;) G96

Also got the link very fast - thank you feedthecats

Gil Melle was just so damn AWESOME with his musical presentations!

Absolute cracking score!
The link I have thankfuly received :-)
Great Professional covers, THX

link received, thanks.