GREAT ESCAPE LP Elmer Bernstein Steve McQueen James Garner Film Soundtrack OST

	£		25
	$		33

Here I have for sale the first UK release of the landmark original motion picture soundtrack LP to ‘The Great Escape’ (1963), composed and conducted by Elmer Bernstein.

Elmer Bernstein – The Great Escape (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (1963)

Condition (refer also to notes at bottom):
Vinyl – G. Wonderfully clean on visual inspection. No signs of wear or marks apart from one light scratch on side A, tracks 1-2. But this has clearly enjoyed many plays in its time! Played just pre-listing and sound clarity is good. There is the odd click/pop and static and there is some distortion in places. Crackling/bad surface noise between cues. Some cues sound cleaner with less surface noise.
Outer Sleeve / Cover - G. Classic laminated front cover. Clean in central artwork area but sellotape residue all round edges, notably aperture edge. Disc showthrough outline on top of front. Some soiling near corners but edges and corners remain hardly damaged. Rear shows sellotape residue more obviously. Some soiling on flipbacks and a few marks elsewhere but overall good.
Inner Sleeve – G. Original. White paper. Yellowed but this may be original colour. Some folding and creasing. Biro pen writing on one side denoting the album info; intact.

Label: United Artists Records ?– ULP 1041
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Mono
Country: UK
Released: 1963
Genre: Stage & Screen, Instrumental, NeoClassical, Theme
Style: Soundtrack, Contemporary, Score, Easy Listening

Track listing:
A1  Main Title  2:05
A2  Premature Plans  2:06
A3  Cooler And Mole  3:23
A4  Blythe  2:13
A5  Discovery  2:53
A6  Various Troubles  2:40
A7  On The Road  2:53

B1  Betrayal  2:04
B2  Hendley's Risk  2:22
B3  Road's End  1:59
B4  More Action  1:56
B5  The Chase  2:47
B6  Finale  3:14

Composed By, Conductor – Elmer Bernstein
Orchestrated By – Jack Hayes, Leo Shukin


A review:
A perennial favourite, The Great Escape is one of the most legendary (and entertaining) films ever made, a product of a time when not every blockbuster action movie bent over backwards to pander to illiterate morons.  The escape itself may have turned out to not be so great after all (since virtually every escapee ends up dead or recaptured) but their adventures are pure cinematic gold, something not harmed by the stellar cast on display, with Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough, James Coburn, Charles Bronson, Donald Pleasance and - just as important as any of them - Elmer Bernstein. 

Just as he had in his previous collaboration with the director John Sturges (The Magnificent Seven), Bernstein outdid himself and wrote the definitive score of the genre - a position both scores have held ever since, in the forty proceeding years.

What can possibly said about the main title?  One of the classic film themes, it never loses its lustre despite having been heard in countless situations over the years, from loving parodies in other scores to even being the anthem of England's football supporters.  When Bernstein performed it in concert in London in 2002, virtually the whole audience started whistling along, which amused the composer/conductor (and me) greatly.  Needless to say, it appears on countless occasions on this album - and could easily appear a dozen more without outstaying its welcome. 

Of course, there's more besides - much more.  Great, dynamic action music in Bernstein's unmistakable style; soaring emotion; classic suspense; a lovely, moving finale.  There's not a dull moment, not a single bar of music which is redundant.

I've always felt that Bernstein's strongest scores have come when he has written for a chamber ensemble for serious drama, as is the case here.  The album is probably a little too schizophrenic to be entirely satisfying and be considered alongside his very best works, but even so this is a strong score bolstered by the composer's typically touching orchestrations and some rare branching out into different territories for Bernstein.  Recommended.


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Postage and packaging FREE to UK. Will post worldwide. Europe standard £6.50; Europe tracked and signed £11; N and S America, USA, Canada £9; Asia, Australia, Japan £11.

Sorry but no returns accepted.

Payment by cheque (UK only) or Paypal please.

Please see my other soundtrack listings.

Thanks for looking and happy eBaying!


ITEM CONDITION - items are graded according to Record Collector definitions - see below:

MINT: The record itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items such as the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition. Records advertised as Sealed or Unplayed should be Mint.

EXCELLENT: The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality. The cover and packaging might have slight wear and / or creasing.

VERY GOOD: The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable surface marks and the occasional light scratch. Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items, without any major defects, is acceptable.

GOOD: The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches. The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, discolouration, etc.

FAIR: The record is still just playable but has not been cared for properly and displays considerable surface noise; it may even jump. The cover and contents will be torn, stained and / or defaced.

POOR: The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise, etc. The cover and contents will be badly damaged or partly missing.

BAD: The record is unplayable or might even be broken, and is only of use as a collection filler.