Music by JERRY GOLDSMITH
Long in coming complete release of 1984 Jerry Goldsmith soundtrack! Universal Pictures presents, Steve Martin stars, Charles Grodin, Judith Ivey, Steve Lawrence, Robyn Douglas co-star, Neil Simon, Stan Daniels, Ed Weinberger script, Arthur Hiller directs. Based on Bruce Jay Friedman non-fiction book, sweet comedy follows Steve Martin’s would-be author and lonely guy Larry Hubbard about New York City in search of romance, finding success with his newly-published book about “Lonely Guys” all-the-while pursuing Judith Ivey’s Iris.
For the 1984 Universal Studios film The Lonely Guy, composer Jerry Goldsmith composed a lighthearted score, dominated by a sweet love theme. The theme is first featured over the film’s opening credits in the form of a vocal (“Love Comes Without Warning) performed by America — a melody that begins with a melancholy, seven-note phrase and variations before turning into a rhythmic, pop-flavored song. Goldsmith wrote a number of treatments of this theme for keyboard and solo piano, giving the score a unified feel that centers around Steve Martin’s character. As is evident from the numerous alternates on this CD, the film was a challenging, perhaps even grueling assignment, with the composer forced to record numerous approaches to several cues, often making changes and revisions on the recording stage during sessions.
Previously released only on an MCA LP back at the time of the film’s release, it was a mini-LP, featuring four vocals and two of Goldsmith’s score cuts. With the generous cooperation of Universal Music Group and Universal Studios, Intrada accessed all of the stereo music elements from 1/4″, 1/2″ and 2″ 24-track elements to put a comprehensive album together featuring Goldsmith’s charming, wistful, and playful score. It’s infectious and good-natured, and perhaps the last Jerry Goldsmith LP to find its way onto CD.
The Lonely Guy was based on The Lonely Guy’s Book of Life, a non-fiction book by Bruce Jay Friedman. The late Neil Simon spun off a screenplay loosely based on Friedman’s ideas, following lonely guy Larry Hubbard (Steve Martin) in New York City, where “Lonely Guy” is an established class of persons and where Hubbard commiserates with other Lonely Guys such as milquetoast Warren Evans (Charles Grodin). He also endures excruciating bad fortune with women such as his ex-girlfriend Danielle (Robin Douglas) and Iris (Judith Ivey), ex-wife of another Lonely Guy—who apparently hasn’t had sex despite six previous marriages.
Avoiding then-trendy comic raunch, lightly bittersweet tale provides Jerry Goldsmith with opportunity to write in his most tuneful, sentimental vernacular with nice meld of gentle love, animated city rhythm. Goldsmith writes for 65-piece orchestra with emphasis on transparent lines over warm harmonies, both major and minor. He pens title song “Love Comes Without warning” with John Bettis, sung by America, then brings infectious tune through numerous guises, both happy and sad. Interesting structure includes two parts which play in whole, in part, in tandem or independently depending on Goldsmith’s needs. Results are richly coherent score with ostensibly two main themes.
Getting just the right musical support was also a major challenge for the composer, with several cues requiring multiple re-writes that often changed in tempo, orchestral color, individual bars and overall timings, all of which also appear on this CD and are heard for the first time anywhere. In fact, almost all of Goldsmith’s score is being heard on this Intrada CD for the first time. This includes one almost lost, very brief yet striking serious-minded cue (“So Empty”) scored for 4 French horns, 4 clarinets, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones plus basses and drums, recorded in a separate pick-up session. Cool piece! The music for The Lonely Guy was previously available only as a MCA special mini-album offering just six tracks, three of them vocals by various artists, plus the title song and two brief score cues.
This complete Intrada CD release features all of the music Jerry Goldsmith recorded, including the numerous alternates and revisions, all presented from pristine condition stereo session masters vaulted by Universal Pictures on 2” 24-track tape plus 1/2” and 1/4” mixed master elements. Intrada release also includes all three vocals heard on original 1984 MCA mini-LP plus Goldsmith/Bettis title song, presented from original album masters vaulted by Universal Music Group. This score comes from a strong period in Goldsmith’s career, surrounded by top-notch and varied scores for Twilight Zone – The Movie, Under Fire, Supergirl and Gremlins. The Lonely Guy adds yet another winner! Recorded at Universal Pictures Scoring Stage. Arthur Morton orchestrates, Jerry Goldsmith composes, conducts. Intrada Special Collection CD release available while quantities and interest remain!
TRACKLIST
Songs by Various Artists
01. The Lonely Guy
(Performed by Max Carl) (3:38)
02. Oughta Know Love By Now
(Performed by Winston Ford) (3:18)
03. Don’t Call Me Lonely
(Performed by Gerard McMahon) (2:42)
Total Song Time: 9:43
Score by Jerry Goldsmith
04. Love Comes Without Warning – Main Title
(Performed by America) (3:38)
05. In Dedication (Revised #6) (1:33)
06. House Hunt (1:23)
07. Rock Source (0:30)
08. Joggers Do It (Version 2) (0:53)
09. No Number (2:15)
10. Where Are You? (0:33)
11. So Empty (0:22)
12. Love Comes Without Warning (Piano Solo) (1:31)
13. I Understand (1:14)
14. Wait For The Beep (Revised) (0:39)
15. The Book (0:56)
16. The Magazines (Version 3) (0:37)
17. Times Past (0:37)
18. Dog Overboard (0:47)
19. Short Show (0:22)
20. The Wedding (Version 2) (3:02)
21. Too Late (0:56)
22. Abandon Ship (Revised #3) (1:30)
23. Love Comes Without Warning (Instrumental #2) (2:54)
Total Score Time: 27:03
Alternates and Revisions
24. In Dedication (Version 1) (1:30)
25. In Dedication (Version 2) (1:32)
26. In Dedication (Revised #1) (1:32)
27. In Dedication (Revised #2) (1:32)
28. In Dedication (Revised #3) (1:31)
29. In Dedication (Revised #4) (1:33)
30. In Dedication (Revised #5) (1:33)
31. Joggers Do It (Version 1) (0:51)
32. Wait For The Beep (Original) (0:40)
33. The Magazines (Version 1) (0:41)
34. The Magazines (Version 2) (0:36)
35. The Wedding (Version 1) (3:02)
36. Abandon Ship (Original) (1:39)
37. Abandon Ship (Revised #1) (1:38)
38. Abandon Ship (Revised #2) (1:41)
39. Abandon Ship (Revised #4) (0:27)
40. Love Comes Without Warning (Instrumental #1) (2:54)
41. Abandon Ship (Wild Synth) (0:14)
42. No Number (Album Remix) (2:13)
43. Abandon Ship (Wild Synth) (0:14)
Total Alternates Time: 31:07
