Celebrating the centenary of Maestro Elmer Bernstein, Quartet Records and MGM are proud to present a mammoth, deluxe 4-CD collection with the original iconic MAGNIFICENT SEVEN saga that comprises four films produced between 1960 and 1972, all of them scored by the great Elmer Bernstein.
Bernstein’s music is a genre-defining masterpiece. Inspired, in part, by the work of Aaron Copland, the composer created a distinctive blend of Americana and what he called Tex-Mex elements without resorting—as so many of his predecessors did—to quoting actual folksongs. The score is replete with memorable themes and rife with tension when such is called for. Following the development of Bernstein’s music through all four films makes for a fascinating journey!
The score of THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN was not officially released until 1998 by Ryko. For this new release, on Disc 1, we accessed three 1/4″ full-track monaural rolls of “print” takes vaulted by MGM to expand upon the earlier edition. Several bonus tracks are included at the end of Disc 4 due to insufficient room on the first disc.
For RETURN OF THE SEVEN, only the celebrated re-recording done by Bernstein in London has survived; the scoring masters and music stems remain lost. For Disc 2 of this set, we newly transferred the 1/4″ stereo album master and have maintained the spacing the composer placed between each track. We have also included the CD premiere of the rare album recorded by the composer for a promotional Philip Morris & Co. campaign on United Artists Records: THE MUSIC FROM MARLBORO COUNTRY, sourced from the 1/4″ stereo album master.
GUNS OF THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN is perhaps the most varied and musically satisfying of the sequels. We have used on Disc 3 the same extended stereo program produced by Lukas Kendall for the Film Score Monthly label and included in a long-out-of-print western box set.
For the final entry in the series, THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN RIDE!, Bernstein’s orchestrators, Leo Shuken and Jack Hayes, adapted the composer’s thematic material to fit sequences in the movie. A single day was spent recording at the Universal Scoring Stage in Los Angeles with Bernstein conducting. While scoring masters remain elusive, we have accessed the monaural music stem to include the 45 minutes of music heard in the film on Disc 4.
Meticulously produced, restored and mastered by Chris Malone, the package designed by Nacho B. Govantes comes with cover art created by Jim Titus and a 36-page booklet with an in-depth essay by authoritative music writer Frank K. DeWald.
Elmer Bernstein never wavered from his commitment to write music that enhanced every film he scored with beauty, excitement, passion and dignity. Quartet Records is proud to celebrate his centenary with this 4-CD compendium of all the surviving music Bernstein recorded for the four original MAGNIFICENT SEVEN films. Enjoy the ride!
TRACK LISTING
DISC 1. (1960)
THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN
1. Main Title (2:01)
2. Calvera (1:55)
3. Council (3:13)
4. Quest (0:59)
5. Strange Funeral (4:04)
6. After the Brawl Is Over (2:41)
7. Vin’s Luck (2:02)
8. And Then There Were Two (0:54)
9. Britt (0:51)
10. Duel (1:22)
11. Chico’s Bravado (1:21)
12. The Journey (4:37)
13. Chico’s Speech (1:47)
14. Stalking (1:17)
15. Worst Shot (3:02)
16. Toro (3:23)
17. Training (1:40)
18. Calvera’s Return (2:34)
19. In the Trap (3:11)
20. Calvera Routed (1:49)
21. Ambush (3:10)
22. Petra’s Declaration (1:45)
23. Quiet Moments (0:43)
24. Enemy Cam (1:53)
25. Lee’s Problem (2:22)
26. Argument (1:20)
27. I Can’t Give You Anything But… (2:19)
28. Surprise (2:06)
29. Defeat (3:28)
30. Crossroads (4:46)
31. Harry’s Mistake (2:48)
32. Calvera Killed (3:33)
33. Finale (3:30)
Total Disc Time: 78:40
DISC 2. (1966)
RETURN OF THE SEVEN
1. The Magnificent Seven (2:12)
2. Bandidos (2:21)
3. Return of the Seven (2:32)
4. Defeat (3:23)
5. Mariachis De Mexico (1:59)
6. El Toro (3:26)
7. The Journey (3:33)
8. Council (3:22)
9. Petra’s Declaration (1:49)
10. In The Trap (2:58)
11. Battle (2:30)
12. Finale (3:39)
Music For The Marlboro Country (1967)
13. The Magnificent Seven (2:15)
14. Bossa Nova (1:22)
15. Return of the Seven (2:31)
16. Mariachis De Mexico (1:58)
17. The Journey (3:32)
18. Border Town (3:17)
19. Symphony Seven (2:35)
20. Guaracha (1:08)
21. Seven Miles From Home (1:19)
22. El Toro (3:24)
23. Lazy Night In Nashville (1:36)
24. Bandidos (2:18)
25. Swingin’ Through (1:28)
26. Petra’s Declaration (2:49)
27. The Longhorns (2:04)
Total Disc Time: 67:32
DISC 3. (1969)
GUNS OF THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN
1. Logo (0:18)
2. Main Title (3:21)
3. Church Sanctuary (1:52)
4. Farmer’s Demise (2:32)
5. Quick Exit (1:15)
6. Max Joins Up (0:45)
7. Explosion (2:32)
8. Hat Trick (0:24)
9. Belly Dancer (1:13)
10. Armed Gunnie (0:37)
11. High Hung Farmers (2:07)
12. Father And Son (1:50)
13. Saddle Pals (1:15)
14. Un Porco Es Un Porco (0:52)
15. Nightmare (1:21)
16. Ceremony Is Over (3:20)
17. Aftermath (1:10)
18. None For Out (1:53)
19. New Recruits (0:29)
20. The Lady Of The Land (0:49)
21. A Man And A Boy (1:13)
22. Lace Hanky (1:17)
23. Lobero’s Camp Suicide (0:17)
24. The Riding Seven (0:30)
25. Cantina Rushed (3:46)
26. Attack (4:32)
27. End Title (3:47)
28. Guitar Source (2:46)
29. Thin And Handsome (2:38)
30. Camp Source Part. 1 (2:08)
31. Camp Source Part. 2 (1:31)
32. Camp Source Part. 3 (3:10)
Total Disc Time: 57:45
DISC 4. (1972)
THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN RIDE!
1. Logo And Prologue / Main Title (2:31)
2. A Mother’s Accusation / Friends (2:35)
3. Shelly Strikes / Chris Rides Out (1:03)
4. Finding Arilla (4:45)
5. To Mexico (1:15)
6. Leaving Jim (0:56)
7. Tracking Shelly (2:49)
8. Arrival In Magdalena (1:34)
9. MacKay’s Fate / Recruiting (1:54)
10. The Lucky Seven (1:08)
11. Preparing The Hacienda Attack (4:03)
12. Ready For Magdalena (0:39)
13. Working With The Women (1:49)
14. Noah Reflects (2:00)
15. De Toro Attacks (6:55)
16. The Final Confrontation (3:04)
17. Finale (2:19)
18. De Toro’s Woman (Guitar Source 1) (1:40)
19. Hard At Work (Guitar Source 2) (1:29)
20. If A Tree Falls… (Guitar Source 3) (1:27)
Source Cues and Additional Music From The Magnificent Seven
21. Fiesta (1:20)
22. Meanwhile Back At The… (0:39)
23. Drum Improvisation (0:11)
24. Celebration (1:25)
25. Petra’s Declaration (1:51)
26. Argument (Edited Version) (1:14)
27. Training (Edited Version) (1:27)
28. Small Suspense (0:16)
29. The Journey (Alternate Ending) (4:41)
Total Disc Time: 58:01