Jerry Goldsmith's "ALIEN" in Full Score

1979 saw the release of director Ridley Scott’s second feature film Alien, following 1977’s The Duellists. It was Lionel Newman; head of 20th Century Fox’s music department at the time, who suggested that Scott contact veteran composer Jerry Goldsmith, and after describing the setting and premise of the movie to him, Jerry was on board.

Aside from the success of the movie, which went on to spawn a number of sequels, the score to Alien is perhaps as infamous as James Horner’s entry in the series for the way that so much of it was not used in the movie at all, or was edited and not used in the way the composer intended. There have been many well documented comments from all parties involved as to their thoughts on why things turned out the way they did, but the over-arching theme seems rooted in a breakdown in communication.

Goldsmith’s vision for the movie ranges from lush romanticism to terrifying dissonance. Employing some unusual instruments which are not normally paired with an orchestra such as conch shell, serpent, didgeridoo and shawm, and using extended playing techniques across the orchestra, Jerry’s score is a treasure trove of ideas which we are excited to share with you.

256 pages, 9x12 inches. Paperbound, printed in the U.K.

Note: Shipped from the UK. Please check with your country for import tax before ordering. This charge will be in addition to the item cost and shipping cost and varies by country.

Contents

R1P2 Main Title
R1P3 Hyper Sleep
R2P1 The Landing
R3P1 The Terrain
R3P2 The Craft
R4P1 The Passage
R4P2 The Skeleton
R4P3 A New Face
R5P1 Hanging On
R6P1 The Lab
R6P3 Drop Out
R7P1 Nothing to Say
R7P1A Nothing to Say (Insert)
R7P2 (New) Catnip (Revised)
R8P1 Here Kitty
R9P1 The Shaft
R10P1 It's a Droid
R11P1 Parker's Death
R11P2 The Eggs
R12P1 Sleepy Alien
R12P2 To Sleep
R13P1 In the Cupboard
R13P2 Out the Door
R13P3 End Title

Appendices

R1P2 (New) Main Title (Revised)
R1P3 (New) Hyper Sleep (Revised)
R3P1 (New) The Terrain (Revised)
R4P2 (New) The Skeleton (Revised)
R5P1 (New) Hanging On (Revised)
R7P2 Catnip (Original)
R13P1 (New) The Cupboard (Revised)
R13P2 (New) Out the Door (Revised)
R13P2 (Alt.) Out the Door (Alt. Ending)

Thematic & Cue Analysis by Dr. Erik Heine