Composed and Conducted by BRUCE BROUGHTON

Intrada’s latest installment of music from the Disney catalog is an expanded re-issue from the 1993 film Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey, more than doubling the length of the original release that just ran 30 minutes.  Composer Bruce Broughton’s skill at underscoring action and emotion are on display throughout the film’s lengthy score, a particular challenge in this case since the main characters are household pets. He introduces these protagonists with his opening, comic flourishes, and underscores their relationship with the family and their contrasting points of view.

Homeward Bound is comprised of four basic themes, three of which are introduced in the main title. The opening guitar represents the narrating pup, Chance, and is followed almost immediately by a sweet sustained theme in the strings which is associated with the human family the animals live with. After a brief (and typical) interruption by Chance’s theme, the violins briefly play Sassy the Cat’s theme.  It is not until “The Journey Begins” that we hear the broad and heroic main theme associated with Shadow, the older dog, and with the adventure itself.

Homeward Bound is a remake of Disney’s earlier The Incredible Journey.  This time the story is set near the Sierra Nevada mountains in California and features voiceovers from Sally Fields, Michael J. Fox, and Don Ameche.  After the pets are dropped off at a friend’s ranch while their family vacations, the animals think they’ve been left for good and escape the ranch into the wild wilderness in search of their family.

Broughton scores this Walt Disney Pictures classic, Duwayne Dunham directs, Robert Hays, Kim Greist star, Michael J. Fox, Don Ameche, Sally Field provide voices for two dogs and one cat. Warmhearted 1993 tale is a remake of Disney’s own 1963 live-action adaptation of Sheila Burnford’s novel chronicling the incredible journey three house pets make to reunite with their owners. Broughton anchors outdoor tale with expansive, diatonic main theme, but judiciously holds back on it until perilous journey gets underway. Ideas both humorous, dramatic play first and throughout. Initial 30-minute CD release captured several highlights but necessarily omitted many sequences. Amongst new material is powerful “Sassy In The River”, dramatic “Shadow’s A Hero”, complete dog pound escape sequence with rousing interpolation of Lalo Schifrin’s “Mission: Impossible” theme, intense “Shadow’s Fall”, wild “Birdzilla”, many others. Entire CD presented from two-track digital stereo session masters made by Armin Steiner at 20th Century Fox Studios Scoring Stage in November 1992, vaulted in pristine condition courtesy Disney. Informative liner notes by Jeff Bond plus flipper-style booklet design and colorful graphics from Joe Sikoryak. Bruce Broughton conducts. Intrada Special Collection release available while quantities and interest remain!