Melodic Treks: A Star Trek Music Podcast

Jefferson Russo and Erich Kunzel.   An omnipotent entity once was quoted as saying “All good things must come to an end,” and the time has come to say good bye to Trek FM’s podcast on the music of Star Trek after 85 episodes and three supplemental releases. With the arrival of the newest Star Trek television series, Star Trek: Discovery, the baton has been passed to a young mind with fresh ideas, and in this episode, your hosts try and examine where these ideas will take us. In this episode of Melodic Treks, hosts Colin Higgins and Brandon-Shea Mutala discuss several projects in the career of Jefferson Russo, the new composer for Star Trek: Discovery. In the second part of the episode, host Brandon-Shea Mutala is joined by film score expert Erik Woods to discuss conductor Erich Kunzel, and how he contributed to the rise of the home media release of film scores. Chapters Intro (00:00:00)  Part 1: Welcome to the Final Episode/Welcome Back, Colin (00:00:00)  “If You Could Only See Me” (performed by Tonic) (00:14

The Music of Star Trek: Voyager.    The music for the later Star Trek series has been described by some as 'wallpaper' music, or music that is just there as filler, without substance. While it may be challenging to come up with new music after having scored 183 episodes (Jay Chattaway) or 256 episodes (Dennis McCarthy), there were still plenty of opportunities for the composers to stretch their legs and compose some truly brilliant music, even in the third Star Trek spin off series. In this episode of Melodic Treks, host Brandon-Shea Mutala takes a look at the new 4-Disc Star Trek: Voyager soundtrack release from La La Land Records. He focuses on the music from the episodes that truly had a shining score which were composed by three different composers. Chapters Intro (00:00:00)  Welcome to Melodic Treks (00:01:29)  "Scorpion" (music composed by J. Chattaway) (00:04:42)  "Lifesigns" (music composed by P. Baillargeon) (00:11:03)  "Tinker, Tenor, Doctor, Spy" (music composed by D. McCarthy) (00:17:13)  "Spiri

Matthew Hightshoe Interview.     In the eighties and nineties, buying a soundtrack usually meant an album full of hit songs that were used in a film, and every once in a while, you would get a track or two of the score included. Some labels would release an album of only score music, but. due to the costs involved with licensing the music, these albums would usually be 30 minutes in length. Over the last two decades, many new film labels have emerged and begun to release rare scores, and usually complete scores for films. But how do these releases come to be? In this episode of Melodic Treks, host Brandon-Shea Mutala interviews Matthew Hightshoe about his upcoming documentary. We talk also talk about the quipment he uses to conduct the interviews, crowdfunding, favorite composers, and his process of pre-interviewing guests. Chapters Intro (00:00:00)  Welcome, Matthew! (00:01:29)  History (00:02:53)  Noticed (00:07:18)  The Documentary (00:10:20)  Interviews and Archival Footage (00:23:32)  Equipment, Crew, a

The Songs of Leonard Nimoy.     Many Star Trek actors have expanded their talents to include other areas of artistic exploration. Some have tried their hand at directing or photography. Some have gone on to write, and some have gone on to to take a stab at a singing career. Leonard Nimoy was one of the Trek celebrities to attempt the musical arts and, in fact, released five separate albums of music. In this episode of Melodic Treks, host Brandon-Shea Mutala is joined by Tony Robinson to talk about the singing career of Leonard Nimoy and weather or not the record labels were taking advantage of the Spock character when they released the first album.  Chapters Intro (00:00:00)  Welcome, Tony and News (00:01:29)  "The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins" (00:12:18)  "Humans Are Highly Illogical (00:17:27)  "Proud Mary" (00:24:50)  "If I Were a Carpenter" (00:28:23)  "Let it Be Me" (00:35:33)  Closing (00:41:52)   Hosts Brandon-Shea Mutala   Guests Tony Robinson   Production Brandon-Shea Mutala (Editor) C Bryan Jones (Exec

The Hunt for Red October with Lukas Kendall.   For eighty episodes and three supplementals, Melodic Treks has explored the world of Star Trek composers and their works outside of the Star Trek franchise. Basil Poledouris is a talented composer, and while he never composed for the franchise, he did appear in roles as an extra for three episode of the original Star Trek. In this episode of Melodic Treks, host Brandon-Shea Mutala is joined by film music historian Lukas Kendall to discuss the score for the film The Hunt for Red October. We also talk about Poledouris' career, why soundtracks used to be so short, the meaning of a "cult film," and how the budget for the scoring of the film was truncated during production and how that affected the score. Chapters Intro (00:00:00)  Welcome, Lukas! (00:01:28)  Basil Poledouris (00:02:50)  The Hunt for Red October (00:13:38)  "Main Titles" (00:16:31)  "Course Two Five Zero" (00:20:30)  "Opening Title" (from The Abyss composed by A. Silvestri) (00:20:50)  "Two Wives" (0

Main Titles with Mike Schindler.     Main Titles are an interesting and important part of a film's score. Generally the first thing that you see during the cinematic experience, they are designed to audibly paint a landscape, provide an emotional anchor for the viewer, and to provide expectations for what they are about to see. In this episode of Melodic Treks, host Brandon-Shea Mutala is joined by Mike Schindler, host of Trek FM's Stage Nine, to discuss Main Titles. We talk about their purpose in the film, how they differ from End Titles, and weather or not Jerry Goldsmith is better than John Williams. (He is.) (Or is he?) Chapters Intro (00:00:00)  Welcome, Mike (00:01:00)  "Main Title" (from Star Trek, composed by M. Giacchino) (00:10:10)  "Overture" (from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, composed by C. Eidelman) (00:14:30)  "Main Title" (from Star Trek: The Motion Picture, composed by J. Goldsmith) (00:18:45)  Closing (00:20:10)   Hosts Brandon-Shea Mutala   GuestsMike Schindler   Production Bran

The Fantastic Voyage score with Brandi Jackola. Many composers will have periods in their careers where a sound or an instrument becomes extremely influential, and they will adapt and modify that inspiration for several film scores in a row. One composer, however, seems to have had a style stick with him for a longer period than average. In this episode of Melodic Treks, host Brandon-Shea Mutala is joined by Brandi Jackola to discuss two scores by Leonard Rosenman: his Emmy award winning score for the 1976 mini-series Sybil, and the strange and moody score to the 1966 science fiction film Fantastic Voyage, and how that score seems to be mirrored in his Academy Award nominated score for Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. Chapters Opening (00:00:00)  Welcome, Brandi! (A Hefty Tangent) (00:00:59)  "Main Titles" (from Sybil) (00:19:34)  "End Titles" (from Sybil) (00:25:04)  "Group Leaves" (from Fantastic Voyage) (00:42:15)  "Get the Laser" (from Fantastic Voyage) (00:45:10)  "Optic Nerve" (from Fantastic Voyage) (

The Patriot Games score with John Takis. One of the most respected and loved film composers was James Horner, who composed two scores for the Star Trek films: The Wrath of Khan and The Search for Spock. The 1990s were a very busy time for Horner, and a few films would inspire him to develop a sound that would lead him to his first Academy Award for Best Original Score in 1997 for the film Titanic. One of those important scores was 1992's Patriot Games. In this episode of Melodic Treks, host Brandon-Shea Mutala is joined by film score specialist John Takis to discuss the score for Patriot Games and how it would influence Horner's work. We also discuss Horner's ability to write extended tracks, synth elements in scores, and fully synthesized scores for films. ** please note that at 17:31, I incorrectly refer to the vocalist in the "Main Titles" as Marie Brennan from Clannad. Her correct name is Maggie Boyle, and she was not a member of Clannad. Chapters Opening (00:00:00)  I Apologize / Welcome, John!  (00:

Star Trek Movie Source Music with Tony Robinson. The scores to the films and episodes of Star Trek have been analyzed and studied for over five decades and are the primary focus of this podcast. One episode of Melodic Treks has even focused on instances of singing on screen throughout the 729 episodes and films. However, there are many instances of music that are designed as background filler, and are used to enhance the mood of scenes that are on screen. This type of music placement is called "source music." In this episode of Melodic Treks, Host Brandon-Shea Mutala is joined by Tony Robinson, host of Continuing Mission, to discuss five instances of source music in the Star Trek films, as well as the song created for the end titles of Star Trek Beyond, "Sledgehammer" by Rihanna. Chapters Opening (00:00:00)  Welcome, Tony! (00:01:01)  "Magic Carpet Ride" (performed by Steppenwolf) (00:04:14)  "Les Troyens" (written by H. Berlioz) (00:13:59)  "I Hate You" (written by K. Thatcher) (00:25:03)  "Make Over Mam

Escape from the Planet of the Apes With John Jackson Miller. One of the most famous franchises in the history of science fiction is The Planet of the Apes, originally written as a novel by Pierre Boulle. This one book inspired a film, four sequels, a remake, a prequel series, a television series, and animated series, comics, books, and so much more. In January of 2017, Titan Books released and anthology of 16 short stories called Tales From the Forbidden Zone. These 16 stories are set in a variety of time periods of the rich history of the Planet of the Apes mythology. In this episode of Melodic Treks, host Brandon-Shea Mutala is joined by Apes fan Nicolas Anastassiou to talk with author John Jackson Miller about his new short story, "Murderer's Row," which is his contribution to the anthology. We also discuss the music for the film Escape from the Planet of the Apes, which is the period in which his story is set. Chapters Opening (00:00:00)  Welcome, John and Nicolas! (00:00:59) Tales from the Forbidden

"Yeoman on the Bridge" With Leslie Hudson. Star Trek has inspired many people in many different ways. It has inspired people to write stories, paint, and write songs. Leslie Hudson, a Canadian singer and song writer, describes herself as a powerhouse at the mic, and a person who can cut through a crowd of sound with a caress. With eight solo albums under her belt her songs span more than 25 years of writing every genre from rock to geek to faerie and demonstrate not only her versatility as a musician but her refusal to be contained. In this episode of Melodic Treks, host Brandon-Shea Mutala is joined by singer/songwriter Leslie Hudson, to discuss her new album of Star Trek inspired songs called "Yeoman on the Bridge." We also discuss her album "The Redhead League," red-headed characters in pop culture, how song writing has changed, and CBC television. Chapters Opening (00:00:00)  Welcome, Leslie! (00:01:00)  Leslie's Story (00:02:05)  How Has the Writing Experience Changed? (00:04:10)  Messages (00:06:12

"The Doomsday Machine" With Dan Davidson and Andy Farber. The music of Star Trek has become such a staple of fandom and the episodes that we love, that just playing a few notes of a score can conjure up images from the episode itself. One of the most memorable score from the original series' run was the freight-train like sounds of Sol Kaplan's "The Doomsday Machine." In this episode of Melodic Treks, host Brandon-Shea Mutala is joined by Trek Geeks co-host Dan Davidson and Star Trek: Continues composer Andy Farber to discuss the music of "The Doomsday Machine." We talk about Sol Kaplan and his Hollywood exile during the McCarthy hearings, comparing the score to "The Enemy Within," and the proper pronunciation of several words. Chapters Opening (00:00:00)  Welcome, Dan and Andy! (00:01:00)  Our Stories (00:03:05)  Sol Kaplan (00:12:21)  "The Doomsday Machine" (00:16:22)  "The Dead Ship" (00:17:53)  "Kirk Does it Again" (00:19:15)  The Commodore (00:21:40)  The Releases/Hooked on Phonics (00:23:09)  Scorin

La La Land Record's 50th Anniversary Collection. After fifty years, there have been many releases of Star Trek music from all across the franchise. La La Land Records had to create something very special in order to celebrate the monumental milestone for Star Trek, and they delivered it with their four disc set last December. Each disc is filled with rare music from all of the series including synth demo mock ups for main titles, bumpers, and new transfers of music from newly found first generation masters. Also inclusded on the set is an amazing disc of music from the animated series that many fans thought we would never get. In this episode of Melodic Treks, host Brandon-Shea Mutala is joined by Neil S. Bulk, Associate Producer for La La Land Record's Star Trek 50th Anniversary Collection to discuss how new masters of the music were discovered, fixing previous errors, responding to fan criticism, and creating a music selection from stems. Chapters Opening (00:00:00)  News (00:01:16)  Charles-Henri Avel

Dust and The Invaders with Tom Elliot. Prolific composer Jerry Goldsmith, began his composing career with television in 1954 with the television series The Lineup. Throughout the fifties, his resume slowly started to grow until it exploded in the sixties with over forty different productions that he would work on. One of the television shows that he would compose for in the early sixties was the cult classic called The Twilight Zone. In this episode of Melodic Treks, host Brandon-Shea Mutala is joined by Tom Elliot, host of The Twilight Zone Podcast, to discuss Goldsmith's contributions to two classic episodes from the second season of that show. We also compare the music of "The Invaders" to Bernard Herrmann's work on Psycho, as well as the effectiveness of the score in an episode that has almost no dialogue. We also talk about Goldsmith's Mexican influenced score to the episode "Dust," and the legacy of that episode. Chapters In Memorial: Richard Hatch (00:00:00)  "Colonial Anthem" (composed by B. McCre

Nicholas Pike Interview. One of the most iconic images that comes to mind when people think of Star Trek would be Spock.  In 2014, Adam Nimoy approached his dad, Leonard Nimoy, about the possibility of working together on a film about Mr. Spock. With the 50th anniverasary of the series coming up, the timing seemed right for a deeper exploration of the iconic character, Mr. Spock.  In this episode of Melodic Treks, Brandon-Shea Mutala is joined by Nicholas Pike, composer of the documentary For the Love of Spock to discuss the music for the film. We also discuss conducting via Skype, working with a Macedonia Symphony, working with Mick Garris on Stephen King films, and meeting Alice Krige. Chapters Intro (00:00:00)  News (00:00:58)  "Mom" (00:03:32)  Nicholas Pike (00:04:13)  Scoring a Documentary (00:05:21)  Conducting Through Skype (00:10:39)  Direction From Adam (00:12:04)  "Burning Man" (00:13:30)  The Thing About a Documentary (00:15:33)  "Opening" (00:17:17)  How Do You Write Music? (00:18:18)  Mick Ga

Family Guy and "The Offspring" with John Takis. *I would like to apologize as there are some audio issues in this episode. During the first four seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Ron Jones and Dennis McCarthy alternated scoring duties on the show, and Ron ended up composing 42 episodes including "Datalore," "Q Who," "The Drumhead," and "The Best of Both Worlds" Parts One and Two. After working on The Next Generation, an avid fan of Jones names Seth MacFarlane hired him to compose for a new project called Family Guy. In this episode of Melodic Treks, host Brandon-Shea Mutala and John Takis dive into the music from Family Guy composed by Ron Jones as well as Takis' favorite score by Jones, "The Offspring." We also discuss sound design style scoring, needle dropping, Elmer Bernstein and Airplane!, as well as scoring for comedy. We also might even bring up #ReitzellforTrek2017 Chapters Intro (00:00:00)  Welcome, John (00:01:14)  Family Guy: Movement One (00:02:27)  "A Very Special Family Guy Freakin

The Mephisto Waltz with John Takis. *I would like to apologize as there are some audio issues in this episode. Released in 1971, The Mephisto Waltz was almost a response to the cult hit Rosemary's Baby. In this film,  Alan Alda plays a music journalist named Myles Clarkson, whose career as a piano player came to an end when his debut concert received terrible reviews. Then, Clarkson and his wife find themselves on the path of the Macabre when an aging pianist wants to trade souls with Myles so that he can become immortal. In this episode of Melodic Treks, host Brandon-Shea Mutala is joined by film score journalist Jon Takis to take a deep dive into Jerry Goldsmith's score to the film The Mephisto Waltz. We compare it to two of his other scores, Planet of the Apes and "The Invaders," an episode of The Twilight Zone. We talk about his techniques used for this score, including over dubbing, playing cues backwards, and the unique sound known as "The Lion's Roar," and determine that this is a strong contender f

The Melodic Treks Christmas Special. Once again, the most wonderful time of the year is upon us: Trekmas! Trekmas time is a time for sharing and in this episode of Melodic Treks, Brandon-Shea Mutala reached out to the listeners of Trek FM to roast some marsh melons around the camp fire, sit next to the tree and pick a track or two that they enjoy and share it with you. The tracks are as varied as a present selection under a tree. Some of these tracks you may have guessed ahead of time, and some, like all good presents, are a surprise. So take a glass of egg nog or some nice mulled wine, and sit back as the listeners of Trek Fm wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, Star Trek Style. Chapters Intro (00:00:00)  Contest Reminder and Feedback (00:01:17)  "Make It So" (arr. by J. Covenant) (00:06:38)  Chris Reeve's Message (00:07:48)  "Into the Final Frontier" (E. Kunzel ft. L. Nimoy) (00:09:53)  Chris Chaplain's Message (00:11:02)  "First Contact" (from Star Trek: First Contact, composed by J. Goldsmit

Comparing Film Scores. When fans of Star Trek are asked what their favorite films are, an overwhelming majority will give you an odd numbered entry. These are the stories that seem to resonate the most with fans, except for one. The tenth Star Trek film, and the fourth in The Next Generation series of movies, generally doesn't make the list. The plot has many holes, and there are several story cliches that make this one of the weaker entries in the franchise. However, when looking beyond the story, how do fans feel some of the other elements of the film hold up? In this episode of Melodic Treks, host Brandon-Shea Mutala discovered in a recent Facebook exchange that most people feel that the score to Star Trek: First Contact is considered by many to be the best of The Next Generation film scores. In an effort to plead his case that Star Trek: Nemesis is in fact the superior, he invited Erik Woods of Cinematic Sound Radio to put their top five tracks from each of these movies head to head. Chapters Intro (00

Middle Tracks on Albums Almost everyone has some form of device that can store music digitally. These devices are included, but not limited to, cellphones, laptops, tablets, and iPods. With the invention of the playlist, how often do you actually sit down and listen to a whole album, the whole way through? In this episode of Melodic Treks, host Brandon-Shea Mutala creates his own playlist of tracks that you may not listen to very often. In this episode, we focus on the middle tracks from the extended releases of the even numbered Star Trek movies. Chapters Intro (00:00:00)  Contest Reminder (00:01:33)  "The Briefing" (from Star Trek: Horizon, composed by T. Ktaft) (00:04:15)  Speakpipe Draw (00:04:45)  "Orbiting Earth" (from Star Trek: Horizon, composed by T. Kraft) (00:06:49)  Playlist (00:07:17)  "Kirk's Explosive Reply" (from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn, composed by J. Jorner) (00:09:46)  "Kirk Freed" (from Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, composed by L. Rosenmann) (00:13:05)  "Dining on Ashes" (from