The Epic 5-9233 release indeed exists, according to Elmer Bernstein's official website:

http://www.elmerbernstein.com/disc/disc.html

Tin Star, The, 1957
(Epic – 5 9233)

However no more details are mentioned there.

I'm sure this would be a great score because that's always the case with Bernstein. Sadly according to IMDB the studio which produced (or distributed) the film was Paramount, which considerably decreases the chance that a decent CD release might appear soon.

-Dorian

42zaphod, May 14, 2007; 6:22 AM

Many thanks for your reply and the link, Dorian. It is much appreciated. I willl keep a look out for this record...although there does seem to be some confusion as to whether it's on a 45 or an LP.

David.

david_rayner, May 14, 2007; 6:38 AM

Epic 5-9232 is a single by Jaycee Hill (Orchestra), "Made In Heaven", sporting a rendition of "Tin
Star" on the flip side. Jaycee (or J.C.) Hill was a bandleader and recording artist for Epic Records
during the 50s and is now nearly forgotten. No other releases of Tin Star to date. Hope this
helps!

David

coma, May 14, 2007; 9:26 AM

Many thanks for that, David. I wonder if he did a good job on it, like Leroy Holmes and his Orchestra did with Lionel Newman's THE LAST WAGON theme. I shall try to track down the J.C. Hill single and find out.

David.

david_rayner, May 14, 2007; 10:49 AM

Many Thanks. I've just found an excellent condition copy of this single for sale by a seller on the GEMM website for around $12 (£6), so I've just ordered it and paid for it online. I should have it in a week or so. Then I'll see how good this version is. At any rate, if this is the only version ever issued on disc, I'm unlikely to find a better one, except for Elmer Bernstein's original recording on the actual film soundtrack.

David in England.

david_rayner, May 14, 2007; 1:26 PM

Well, the single arrived today (Wednesday, May 23rd, 2007) and here is my verdict on it for anyone interested in buying it (off GEMM or eBay or wherever).

It’s a vocal version with lyrics by Jack Brooks, set to Elmer Bernstein’s main title theme. It’s quite acceptable, seeing that this is the only version of this theme ever released, but the singer is not really suited to this song, which would have been better suited to someone like Frankie Laine or Marty Robbins. It’s possible that originally, the film was going to have this song sung over the opening titles and that the song was composed for that reason and released on disc. But at the last minute, the producers decided to go with just Elmer Bernstein playing it as an orchestral piece.

Title songs for Westerns were very popular in the late 1950’s, with titles such as Gunfight at the O.K. Corral; The 3:10 to Yuma and The Hanging Tree. However, there’s nothing like the original and I hope that one day, Elmer’s original score will be released on a CD.

David in England.


david_rayner, May 23, 2007; 1:50 PM

Hello

There is a "private" recording out there. It's around 40 min of score. Not very good sound but it's Bernstein ;)

Regards

algonrei, June 25, 2007; 12:52 PM

Thanks, algonrei. I''ll keep a lookout for that one.

David.

david_rayner, June 25, 2007; 12:58 PM

I was thrilled to see that there are other soundtrack collectors out there who love Elmer's music as much as I do. And Tin Star is also one soundtrack I'd really like to see issued--or in this case--reissued. I correspond with Elmer's official site, and about once every six months, I send another humble request to them, in hopes that they'll consider searching for lost masters or going through the legal red tape to get these gems released. Anyway, Tin Star is truly one of Elmer's really wonderful early scores from a movie that was also very good. The main title is especially powerful, with a great melody. I'll keep on searching.

kevin, July 23, 2007; 1:17 PM

As well as THE TIN STAR, another of Elmer's neglected and most spectacular scores I would love to see issued is that for THE MIRACLE, a Napoleonic wars religious Technirama and Technicolor epic shot in the summer of 1958; scored by Elmer in 1959 and released in 1960 in the UK.

The score was recorded in stereo, although I've been told that only a mono mix survives. A re-recording of the score was made by Elmer in England in 1975, but using a smaller orchestra than the one used for the film and also without the choral arrangements that were so much a part of the original.

In 1959, Warner Bros. had just started it's own record label and soundtrack LP's were issued for both "John Paul Jones" by Max Steiner and "The Nun's Story" by Franz Waxman. But for some reason, Elmer's score for THE MIRACLE got overlooked.

David in England.

david_rayner, July 23, 2007; 1:49 PM