Recently I decided to create a kind of “Ultimate Edition” of one of my favourite scores, combining the official Reel Music Down Under CD with a scarce bootleg source. I’m sure most people prefer the stereo mix on the official CD, but the boot’s mono mix does have interesting differences. And although the boot is much shorter (just over 32 minutes) it contains some additional music not available on the RMDU CD, specifically the middle section of Track 21 (“I Didn’t Have The Courage To Die”) which is an unused cue.

One thing that’s always bugged me about both versions of this score is that the Main Title - one of my favourite pieces of music ever - just doesn’t make me feel the way the film version does. Doing an A/B comparison recently, I realised why: the film version has a mix that’s quite unique. It’s a beautiful and lean blend of piano, whistling, strings and the simple tapping of claves percussion. I’ve always liked that gently rolling piano, it seemed such a fresh choice for a western score, which would normally have a more conventional guitar strumming away under the main melody. And guess what? The CD and boot versions DO have guitar at that point - strumming away on top of the piano. It’s not like that in the film, so that’s why it didn’t feel right to me. It’s a subtle thing, and nobody probably cares, but I thought I’d include the actual film version of the Main Title just in case anyone wonders what the hell I’m raving about.

I’ve changed the names of the RMDU CD’s track titles to better reflect what’s happening in the film. And I’ve added some comments in the track list below to highlight the differences between versions. Predictably, I’ve included my own take on the artwork :)

TRACK TITLES:

Reel Music Down Under Version:

1. Main Titles (2:18)
2. Sam Discovers Sarah / Salvaje Was Here / Please / Sam Escorts Sarah & Boy (7:36)
3. Boy Lost In Sandstorm (4:59)
4. Massacre Aftermath (2:37)
5. Stage To Silverton (2:55)
6. Train Journey / Ride To The Cabin (3:21)
7. Sarah's New Home / Sam Sleeps Outside / Sarah & Boy Climb The Hill (4:02)
8. Nick Arrives / Salvaje Is Coming (4:55)
9. Sam Comforts Sarah / Sarah Abducted / Sarah Found (3:49)
10. Salvaje Attacks The Cabin (2:24)
11. Dead Dog / Dead Ned / Dead Nick / Nick’s Cards (8:20)
12. Stalk And Fight / Salvaje Dies (7:42)
13. End Titles (1:56)

Bootleg Version:

14. Main Titles (2:25)
The boot version has a quieter alternate opening.
15. Sarah's New Home / Sam Sleeps Outside / Sarah & Boy Climb The Hill (3:32)
16. Salvaje Attacks The Cabin (2:22)
17. Sam Escorts Sarah & Boy (1:37)
18. Sam Discovers Sarah / Salvaje Was Here (3:06)
The boot version has a slightly extended ending.
19. Nick Arrives (1:40)
20. Ride To The Cabin (1:39)
21. Salvaje Is Coming / I Didn't Have The Courage To Die / Dead Nick (8:47)
The boot version starts late on “Salvaje Is Coming” but does continue into “I Didn’t Have The
Courage To Die” which is unused in the film and not on the RMDU CD. Strangely, the boot version
then segues seamlessly to a much later cue, “Nick Dies.” This makes me wonder if the boot is
actually an LP preparation that never happened.
22. Stalk And Fight (5:59)
The boot version has a slightly longer tension build plus a more powerful mix at 4:46 when Sam’s
leg is speared by Salvaje’s trap.
23. Salvage Dies (2:22)
24. End Titles (1:56)

Bonus Track from USA DVD:

25. Main Titles (film version) (2:20)
My go-to version of this cue. No guitar obscuring the piano. (I’ve eliminated some clanking spurs
at the end by blending in the last few seconds from the boot version).

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Thank you very much!.

Thanks a lot

Excellent upload!
Thank you for your great work, Feedthecats!

Great share, thank you so much!

Thanks

thank you will give it a try L

Nice work! Thanks for sharing.

Another great share, man, thank you very much!!

Great share and I love your new cover. Thanks!

Thank you so much.
Fred Karlin's score to THE STALKING MOON is also one of my favourite Western Soundtracks
and of course I have that RMDU CD too.
But I wasn't aware that also a bootleg version of that Karlin score existed, so it is great
to have both versions combined now.
Your CD cover artwork is excellent as usual.

Cool!!! Thanks So Much!

Nice package, feed. Thanks for your efforts. A strong Karlin score, nicely recorded.

Nice package, feed. Thanks for your efforts. A strong Karlin score, nicely recorded.

The booklet describes the painstaking lengths the CD producers went to in order to recreate the score in stereo from surviving elements. Some elements were missing, notably that weird sound that suggests the scary off-screen presence of the vengeful Salvaje. They had to take that off an M&E stem. Amusingly, Karlin originally discovered the sound when his cat knocked his zither onto the floor.

Nice assembly work, then. They did a remarkable job.

thank many!

thanks

Thank you for a wonderful share.

thank you very much indeed

This is great. Thank you so much.

Link received! Thank you very much, feedthecats!

Link received!!! :) :) :)

Many thanks, once more, dear feedthecats! ;)

Thank You for this complete score!

Another great thank you, i got the link :)

Very interesting movie, the antagonist's image is never completely revealed to great affect.

Nice!!!!!!

feedthecats A-1 for giving us this gem. Good Western movie that had a music score above average

Feedthecats delivers the goods again.....thanks!