New Archive release: Laura Palmer's Theme bundle (part 2): Piano Versions

   

   

   

   

The rest of this week's release contains the various piano versions of "Laura Palmer's Theme" that were used in the series, including two unused versions, and a full length Solo Piano version, only a very brief portion of which was heard on the show. So, its heard here in full for the first time. I have to say once again how thankful I am for these releases. It would have been such a shame if these had remained unheard!

FWWM fans also take note, the "Goodnight princess" piano version, one of the last pieces in the film to remain unreleased, is included here. The version in the "Montage" track on the original soundtrack is actually not the version heard in the film,. I believe it was created for the track itself when assembling the soundtrack to work with the flow of the montage. The released TK3 version is the one used in the film.

Laura Palmer’s Theme (Piano):
(Piano A) TK1 (1:06)
Episode 03: After Leland breaks down at the Great Northern, Hawk and Cooper escort him out (mixed with a dark vibrato sound)
Episode 15: Palmer living room, Leland tells Donna & James they can write to Maddy, he sees bob in mirror, takes Maddy’s body in golf bag (second half mixed with Unease Motif/The Woods [not-reversed]) (repeated end)
Episode 15: Leland closes trunk to his car, sees Bob in rearview mirror (mixed with Windom Earle’s Motif)

(Piano A) TK2 (1:07)
Pilot: Doc Hayward and Donna in car, tells her “we’re so thankful to have a daughter like you” (note: this seems to be a slightly different or edited version, but its very close)

(Piano A) TK3 (1:13)
Episode 02: James & Donna talk about their feelings, “I don’t think that what we’re feeling or doing is wrong”
Episode 02: Leland cries over broken & bloody picture of Laura
Episode 07: Jacoby sees Maddy dressed as Laura at the gazebo (mixed with Unease Motif/The Woods [not-reversed])
Episode 11: Leland confesses to killing Jacques
Episode 14: End of scene where Audrey confronts Ben about OEJ, says he loved Laura (mixed with Laura Palmer’s Theme)
Episode 20: At Dead Dog Farm, Jean lectures to Cooper (slow speed and mixed with White Lodge Rumble)
FWWM: A sobbing Leland tells Laura he loves her, “goodnight princess”

(Piano A) TK4 (1:14)
Episode 12: Sternwood releases Leland & says a date for his trial will be set

(Piano B) TK1 (0:56)
Unused

(Piano B) TK2 (1:33)
Unused

Laura Palmer’s Theme (Piano Bridge) (0:20)
Episode 01: At Donna’s for dinner, Donna & James smile at each other then hold hands across the table

Laura Palmer’s Theme (Solo Piano) (4:13)
Episode 07: Last dissonant chord only(!) is heard after Cooper's line, "We've got a trout on the line, Hawk"
Episode 22: Malcolm threatens Evelyn on stairs (segues from Evelyn’s Mourning)

New Archive release: Laura Palmer's Theme bundle (part 1)

   

   

   

This week we recieved a fantastic new bundle from the Archive of 14(!) various versions of the show's signature melody, "Laura Palmer's Theme". I'll be splitting this into two posts.

Beginnings And Endings... part 2
Back in August when the Archive released the "Diary Bundle", I mentioned the four versions of Laura's Palmers Theme that I thought of as the "Beginnings And Endings" versions (named after Andrew's toast with Josie in episode 23). Two versions were released then: the "Ethereal Pad Version", and the "Guardian Angel Version". Actually the latter was mistakenly released with the incorrect title of "Letter From Harold". But I've always listed it here on my site as the "Guardian Angel Version".

This week we finally got the two MIA versions, one of which is the actual "Letter From Harold". I've been waiting for these, and its fantastic to finally have them. Here's where they were used:

Laura Palmer’s Theme (Caroline Version) (1:14)
Episode 21: Cooper tells Truman about Caroline’s death, an image of Caroline appears over Cooper
Episode 28: Leo looks at the Queen-Shelly card

Laura Palmer’s Theme (Letter From Harold) (1:18)
Episode 16: Donna & Cooper meet the younger Mrs. Tremond, Donna reads Laura’s last diary entry to Cooper (mixes into Dance Of The Dream Man (Solo Sax) & Laura Palmer’s Theme (Vibraphone))

This leads us into the next track, which you can see was also featured in the scene where Donna reads the page from Laura's diary (left by Harold). The lovely "Vibraphone" version which we can now hear in its entirety for the first time.

Laura Palmer's Theme (Vibraphone) (4:17)
Episode 16: After receiving it from the younger Mrs. Tremond (from Harold), Donna reads Laura’s last diary entry to Cooper (mixes from Laura Palmer’s Theme (Letter From Harold) & Dance Of The Dream Man (Solo Sax))
Episode 29: One bass sound(!) as Lucy & Andy say "I love you"

Laura Palmer’s Theme (Dark Synth) (2:15)
Episode 03: Truman, Ed, and Hawk bring Cooper to the Bookhouse for the first time, James is there with a tied up Bernard
Episode 22: Donna confronts Evelyn at Wallies, is threatened by Malcolm
Episode 24: Cooper talks to an angry, drunk Truman at the Bookhouse

And lastly, we get the two short clarinet bridges:

Laura Palmer’s Theme (Clarinet & Strings Bridge) (0:20)
Episode 04: Cooper vaguely talks about "the pain of a broken heart" during shooting practice

Laura Palmer’s Theme (Clarinet Bridge) (0:22)
Episode 05: Cooper finds Audrey in his bed as the episode ends
Episode 17: Josie arrives at Truman’s and collapses to the floor, where he kisses her all over (mixed with White Lodge Rumble)

Absolutely great bundle from the Archive. One of the best releases yet. Next post will be about the piano versions.

New Archive release: DOTDM Mix, LPT Mix & Leo Returns

   

This week's new release gives us three very welcome (yet oddly paired) tracks.

Even with all of the versions of "Dance Of The Dream Man/Freshly Squeezed" that have been released, there was still one that a lot of fans were asking for- the version heard at the start of episode 1. The naming of the track is a little odd. The solo of this track was released as: "Dance Of The Dream Man (Solo Clarinet 2)" whereas the original vibraphone version was released as "Freshly Squeezed (Fast Cool Jazz Version 2)". The more accurate name would be "Freshly Squeezed (Fast Cool Jazz Clarinet). There is still another version of this that remains unreleased- a "Clean" version (background without solos) that was heard in Episode 21 where Jacoby tells of Lana's heightened sexual drive.

Dance Of The Dream Man (Fast Soprano Clarinet) [or Freshly Squeezed (Fast Cool Jazz Clarinet)]
Episode 01: Cooper hangs upside down in his room at the Great Northern
Episode 16: Catherine reveals herself as Tajamura to a jailed Ben (re-edited)
Episode 21: Cooper & company re-enter conference room to find that the Mayor (lip-stick on face) & Lana have “reconciled”

Next up we have one of the most often used/heard tracks in the series, the "Baritone Guitar Punctuation" version of "Laura Palmer's Theme". Interestingly, I believe the original version of this track is just the simple repeating synth and guitar section- and did not include the piano sections. I think the Archive decided to mix this with the piano sections from the original version of LPT for this release to create a "fuller" track. In fact, there is a noticeable audio drop-out at around the 1:03 mark where the two were joined. (I was able to fix this using Adobe Audition). I don't think the piano section is ever heard in the series when this version was used. Anyway, check out my scene guide to see where the Baritone Guitar version was used, as they are too numerous to list here.

Finally we get the music heard in episode 21 when Leo re-awakens. The version heard in this scene is re-edited somewhat, but this is the original version.

Leo Returns
Episode 21: Leo, having awakened from his comatose state, attacks Shelly & Bobby, flees into the night (re-edited)
Episode 21: A very brief portion plays as we see the reflection of fire in Eckhadt's glasses (segues from Stair Music/Danger Theme)
Episode 24: Briefly as the pine weasel bites Dick at the fashion show
Episode 25: Earle shows his card deck to Leo, with Donna, Shelly, & Audrey as queens and Cooper as king (re-edited)

Here's to the continued releases from the Archive as we start 2012!