A classic, congenial, groundbreaking electronica score to Ridley Scott's movie "Blade Runner". While the most significant cues like "Love Theme" and "Memories of Green" were included on numerous compilations before, it took 12 years for the soundtrack to get released officially. Since Vangelis "recompiled" the music for the soundtrack, adding new music, reworked cues and left out parts of it, it's the best sounding but far from complete version of the soundtrack. Due to this fact there have been a huge amount of unofficial bootleg releases over the years, mostly private releases put out in small quantities. Even after over 20 years since the soundtrack has been recorded it still sounds fresh and highly evocative as ever before. The feeling throughout the soundtrack is a neo-retro, future-noir mood with grand soundscapes created with a mass array of various analogue synths. Especially the wonderful use of the Yamaha CS-80, with it's somewhat organic, sweeping, harmonica-style polyphonic sound gives the music such a remarkable feel. On "Love Theme" though Vangelis prominently features pretty much the only "real" instrument on the whole soundtrack, a saxophone played by Dick Morrisey.
10 Jun 05 ·nighteye: This is one of the best instrumental synth soundtrack track ever made, Vangelis is a genius! The pads / strings and the saxophone are so incredibly relaxed it feels like you are floating in space. My other favourite song from the Blade Runner soundtrack is 'Blade Runner Blues', it's also amazing! 10 Jun 05 ·nighteye: Forgot to mention there is a variation of this song on the Blade Runner Bootleg by Esper called 'Thinking of Rachel', which is a muffled warm analog synth piece.
From the 1968 film of Romeo and Juliet. One of the most beautiful movie themes I've ever heard.
It's all there. The composition, the sweeping orchestra, the violins. Everything. So wonderful.
available on CD - Henry Mancini's Greatest Hits
20 Jul 04 ·delicado: I think the score was actually by Nino Rota, although Mancini's version was a hit. I do quite like the tune, but its overuse in soap operas has killed it for me a little!