Show Notes
John Williams had really hoped to take a break from film scoring in 1992. But when Ron Howard approached him about writing music for the tale of two Irish settlers in America, the Maestro could not say no. He realized his chance to write Irish music for a film about the Irish had finally arrived. That film is "Far and Away," starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. Host Jeff Commings is joined by Colin Stokes as the two talk about the strengths of the score that elevate the clunky film and often mask Cruise's obvious overacting in terms of obtaining his accent. The music includes appearances by the popular Irish band The Chieftains, who provide a lush Irish flavor in several moments before Williams transitions to a more American flavor for the climactic land race sequence that closes out the film.
More from The Baton: A John Williams Musical Journey
This special episode details the exciting music for the Hoth battle from The Empire Strikes Back.
Steven Spielberg convinced semi-retired John Williams to write the film score for his new science-fiction epic about alien visitations called Disclosure Day. The result is a "restrained" score that lacks the thematic richness we have come to expect from Williams. But the score, as host Jeff Commings details, is one of the best Williams has written in the 21st century. Join this episode to hear music from the score, including a brooding first cue, an intensely scored cue for a car chase that doesn't focus on the car chase, and a lovely end credits cue that takes variations of a melody that is sparsely used throughout the film.
The fifth Indiana Jones movie brought 79-year-old Harrison Ford back into the old fedora for another adventure involving a precious artifact that could spell doom if put into the wrong hands. Along for the ride was 91-year-old John Williams, who completed his 43-year association with Indy with a score that features callbacks to moments from previous Indiana Jones films and a lack of a major theme that had the potential to make the score a major standout. Host Jeff Commings details some of the highlights of the score on this latest episode of The Baton: A John Williams Musical Journey.
Looking for something to pass the time as you wait for episode 113 of The Baton? Since the next John Williams film score won't be released until summer 2023, there won't be a new episode of The Baton until then. But host Jeff Commings has another podcast that can help you fill the time with more Hollywood history. This show, called The Best Song Podcast, is perfect for fans of Hollywood history, of music history, of movie songs, and movies in general. You'll go on a 92-episode journey through 90 years of the Academy Award for Best Original Song, featuring all the songs nominated for the big award from 1934 to 2023. Chances are you'll find a new favorite movie song, or learn a bit more about one that is already near to your heart! The show is available on all podcast platforms, and new episodes are released every Monday. Enjoy the show!
Host Jeff Commings is back on The Baton to discuss what might be the final film collaboration between director Steven Spielberg and composer John Williams. The Fabelmans is Spielberg's semiautobiographical film about his family and the beginnings of his career as a filmmaker. Though the film is 200 minutes long, there is only about 30 minutes of original music from John Williams in it. Commings details a couple of the highlight musical cues, including a now-iconic dance scene with Michelle Williams, and what Williams had been doing in the two years since finishing work on The Rise of Skywalker..