Howard The Duck Gets The Intrada Treatment

Howard the Duck.  There's no getting away from it, it's a weird movie.  That's not to say I don't like it...Actually I still can't decide if I do.  Anyway, that's another discussion perhaps but one thing I do like is the soundtrack.  John Barry along with Sylvester Levay gives us a mixture of score and songs.  This is an extensive release spanning over three discs!  Another one for my collection.  Here's the full press release:

HOWARD THE DUCK
Music Composed and Conducted by JOHN BARRY
Original Songs Produced by THOMAS DOLBY
Additional Music by SYLVESTER LEVAY
 INTRADA ISC 426

Intrada announces one its most ambitious releases of 2019 – the soundtrack to the 1986 film Howard the Duck, perhaps the first big-screen adaption of a Marvel comic. With songs by Thomas Dolby and performed by Cherry Bomb (featuring Back to the Future's Lea Thompson), writer-director Willard Huyck had Dolby top of mind when first considering music. Dolby was originally slated to score the film, but ultimately producer George Lucas and Dolby decided a more traditional approach was warranted. Enter composer John Barry, who was familiar with sci-fi extravaganzas, including The Black Hole, Moonraker, and Starcrash. Barry composed over 102 minutes of score for the film, with a large (for its time) orchestra of 93 players. While the filmmakers embraced most of the score, the ultralight sequence didn't quite click with them, so they brought in Sylvester Levay to compose for that sequence. Levay is a composer known for a more contemporary sound and he was getting a lot of attention for his current scoring of the Universal TV series Airwolf. Levay's 72-piece orchestra featuring synths and a heavy backbeat brought the momentum for which the filmmakers were looking.

Released with the cooperation of Universal Music Group and Universal Pictures, this expanded edition features three CDs. CD 1 presents the John Barry score as Barry envisioned it. CD 2 contains more than 22 minutes of alternate or rewritten Barry score, followed by Levay's contribution to the score. CD 3 contains the original Thomas Dolby songs and then the original 1986 MCA album program, that featured the Dolby songs and a suite from the Barry score. Intrada tops off the release with notes by John Barry expert Jon Burlingame.

In the film, Howard the Duck is accidentally beamed from Duckland, a planet of sentient ducks, to earth – Cleveland specifically. He saves Cherry Bomber Beverly (Lea Thompson) from thugs and they form an endearing friendship. Dr. Jenning (Jeffrey Jones) attempts to return Howard to his world, but instead transfers an evil spirit, the Dark Overlord, into his own body – and the fate of the world rests in Howard The Duck's hands.

Listen to the podcast with Doug Fake about this release!


INTRADA ISC 426
Barcode: 720258542601
Retail Price: $34.99
SHIPS EARLY OCT

For sound samples, please visit the Howard the Duck soundtrack page.

CD 1 Original Score by JOHN BARRY 01. Lullaby Of Duckland (2:32) 02. Disco Duckland (Original) (0:37) 03. Main Title (2:41) 04. Howard To The Rescue (2:28) 05. Flashback (0:23) 06. Beak Jobs And Tail Tucks (1:15) 07. Special Destiny (0:32) 08. You’re The Duckiest (2:09) 09. Taxi Ride (Alternate) (1:00) 10. Taxi Ride (0:54) 11. Man’s Oldest Fantasy (0:43) 12. Super Powers (0:43) 13. Ascent Of Duck (1:20) 14. So Long Ducky (0:57) 15. Lonely Duck (1:04) 16. Duck Bond I Presume (1:28) 17. Beddy-Bye For Howard (3:21) 18. Experiment Video (1:09) 19. Experiment Video (Alternate) (1:10) 20. Hard Boiled Egg (1:44) 21. My Eyes, My Eyes (1:00) 22. Take His Clothes Off (0:31) 23. So Long, Copper (0:32) 24. Shoot To Kill (4:14) 25. Shoot To Kill (Alternate) (3:03) 26. Dark Overlord      – Introduction (Alternate) (1:42) 27. He’s Got A Whole Gang (1:48) 28. Howard’s Bar Brawl (1:37) 29. Give Me The Code Key, Howard (1:20) 30. It’s Closing Time (1:08) 31. Filthy Scum Bucket (2:16) 32. Ultralight Discovery (0:29) 33. Nuclear Drive (0:36) 34. Ultralight #1 (Alternate) (1:33) 35. Ultralight #1 (1:37) 36. Power! (1:09) 37. Ultralight #2 (2:22) 38. Smog Inspection (0:48) 39. Ultralight #3 (3:38) 40. Jenning As Dark Overlord (7:18) 41. Jenning As Dark Overlord – Part II (0:47) 42. Dr. Jenning (0:17) 43. Dark Overlord (5:25) 44. Fallout (1:27) 45. End Credits – Suite (Version #1) (2:13) CD 1 Total Time: 78:16

CD 2 Alternate Score Cues by JOHN BARRY 01. Main Title (Alternate) (2:42) 02. You’re The Duckiest (Alternate) (2:07) 03. Man’s Oldest Fantasy (Alternate) (0:44) 04. My Eyes, My Eyes (Alternate) (1:01) 05. Ultralight #2 (Alternate) (2:13) 06. Ultralight #3 (Alternate) (3:34) 07. Jenning As Dark Overlord – Part II (Alternate) (0:46) 08. Dark Overlord (Alternate) (5:24) 09. End Credits – Suite (Version #2) (3:25) Total JOHN BARRY Alternates Time: 22:07 Original Rescore by SYLVESTER LEVAY 10. Howard’s Bar Brawl (Rescore) (1:31) 11. Shoot To Kill (Rescore) (4:13) 12. I Need Your Body (Rescore) (2:22) 13. Nuclear Drive (Rescore) (0:38) 14. Ultralight #1 (Rescore) (1:45) 15. Power! (Rescore) (1:09) 16. Ultralight #2 (Rescore) (2:34) 17. Ultralight #3 (Rescore) (4:18) Total Rescore Time: 18:43 Alternate Rescore Cues by SYLVESTER LEVAY 18. Shoot To Kill (Rescore) (4:12) 19. I Need Your Body (Rescore) (2:22) 20. Nuclear Drive (Rescore) (0:38) 21. Ultralight #1 (Rescore) (1:45) 22. Power! (Rescore) (1:09) 23. Power! (Alternate End) (Rescore) (1:09) 24. Ultralight #2 (Rescore) (2:36) 25. Smog Inspection (Rescore) (0:50) 26. Ultralight #3 (Rescore) (3:30) Total SYLVESTER LEVAY Alternates Time: 18:30 CD 2 Total Time: 59:37

CD 3 Original Songs and Music Produced by THOMAS DOLBY 01. Hunger City – With Extended Intro      (Allee Willis/Thomas Dolby) (4:38) 02. Don’t Turn Away      (Allee Willis/Thomas Dolby) (5:18) 03. I’m On My Way      (Trad., Adapted & Arranged by Thomas Dolby) (2:55) 04. It Don’t Come Cheap      (Allee Willis/Thomas Dolby) (4:47) 05. Beverly’s Loft (Howard The Duck – Instrumental) (0:35) 06. Don’t Turn Away – Version 2      (Allee Willis/Thomas Dolby) (6:22) 07. Howard The Duck – Extended      (Allee Willis/Thomas Dolby/George Clinton) (5:10) 08. Howard The Duck (Alternate)      (Allee Willis/Thomas Dolby/George Clinton) (4:53) Total THOMAS DOLBY Time: 34:59 Original 1986 Soundtrack Album 09. Hunger City (4:14) 10. Howard The Duck (3:57) 11. Don’t Turn Away (5:02) 12. It Don’t Come Cheap (4:47) 13. I’m On My Way (2:55) 14. Lullaby Of Duckland (2:27) 15. Journey To Earth (2:40) 16. You’re The Duckiest (2:06) 17. Ultralight Flight (2:58) 18. Beddy-Bye For Howard (2:45) 19. Dark Overlord (5:27) Total Original Album Time: 39:47 CD 3 Total Time: 74:55