The Flight of the Phoenix
Intrada Special Collection Volume ISC 450

Expanded, fully-restored 2-CD release of exciting desert adventure soundtrack! Robert Aldrich directs, 20th Century Fox presents, Lukas Heller scripts, Joseph Biroc photographs. All-star cast features James Stewart, Richard Attenborough, Peter Finch, Ernest Borgnine, George Kennedy, Hardy Kruger, Ian Bannen (Academy Award nominee), Dan Duryea. Stewart pilots his Arabco twin-engine cargo plan towards Benghazi, flying over the Sahara desert.

Expanded, fully-restored 2-CD release of exciting desert adventure soundtrack! Robert Aldrich directs, 20th Century Fox presents, Lukas Heller scripts, Joseph Biroc photographs. All-star cast features James Stewart, Richard Attenborough, Peter Finch, Ernest Borgnine, George Kennedy, Hardy Kruger, Ian Bannen (Academy Award nominee), Dan Duryea. Stewart pilots his Arabco twin-engine cargo plan towards Benghazi, flying over the Sahara desert.

His passengers are oil workers, members of the British army, physicians and engineers. Characters are introduced, the plane travels, a sandstorm emerges forcing the engines to fail. Stewart attempts to rise above the threat but disaster is imminent.

The plane nose dives and - wham! - composer DeVol hits hard with his “Main Title”, some ten minutes into the film! The lengthy pre-credit sequence is a director Aldrich trademark. For DeVol, it affords him a stunning series of freeze-frame images with which to synchronize his taut, percussive music, playing as part thematic main title, part riveting action cue. Musical dynamite! DeVol’s primary melodic idea is a sweeping theme tinged with desert color, rising upwards then winding about.
Other melodies also make an impression, including a dignified line for Stewart’s pilot, tortured as he is for crashing his aircraft. There is also haunting use of a song, “Senza Fine” by Italian singer-songwriter Gino Paoli, (“Without End”), repurposed by DeVol for several dramatic sequences as well as heard in the composer’s arrangement for American singer Connie Francis with new lyrics by Alec Wilder.

Not merely source music, it factors into one character’s tragic storyline. The crash survivors, tired, wounded and in despair, summon the strength to rebuild the broken aircraft and fly to safety holding onto the remaining wing with one propeller. Several powerful cues play for the tension and struggle to work this miracle of courage and stamina. Spotlights definitely go to the climactic sequences where DeVol creates music of mounting power and strength, beginning with the massive pulling of the 'Phoenix' into takeoff position, bringing the engine up to speed, mounting the wing itself and ultimately scoring the thrilling lift-off.

It’s simultaneously gripping and exhilarating music! Ace mastering engineer Chris Malone builds the entire lengthy score in sequence, creating beautifully restored full stereo tracks from the original 35mm session recordings courtesy 20th Century Studios.
A wealth of previously unreleased cues appear, including alternates and all of the source music. Highlighting the unused material is a powerhouse “Main Title” alternate that eschews the primary melody in favor of the propulsive syncopated percussion rhythms and staccato brass fanfares.
Two unused finales appear as well as the film version. Informative notes from Frank DeWald plus dramatic packaging design from Kay Marshall that incorporates the original artwork campaign are further assets.

A dynamic presentation of a powerful score from 1965, a fabulous era when the “Golden Age” mastery of Steiner, Kaper, Waxman, Newman and Herrmann were merging with the newer visions of Goldsmith, Schifrin, Barry, Williams and Morricone.
Frank DeVol composes, conducts. Intrada Special Collection 2-CD set available while quantities and interest remain!

For its latest release, Intrada features a completely restored 2-CD set of Frank DeVol's The Flight of the Phoenix. Hailing from 1965, this 20th Century Studios release was in the midst of a stunning period for film music with both old guard (Rózsa, Tiomkin, Steiner to name a few) and new talent (Barry, Goldsmith, Jarre, to also just name a few) on the scene, resulting in a wealth of powerful scores featuring both classic and modern sensibilities. Composer Frank DeVol was part of this crew, providing remarkable work, and yet somehow without many album releases, missed much notice.

For its latest release, Intrada features a completely restored 2-CD set of Frank DeVol's The Flight of the Phoenix. Hailing from 1965, this 20th Century Studios release was in the midst of a stunning period for film music with both old guard (Rózsa, Tiomkin, Steiner to name a few) and new talent (Barry, Goldsmith, Jarre, to also just name a few) on the scene, resulting in a wealth of powerful scores featuring both classic and modern sensibilities. Composer Frank DeVol was part of this crew, providing remarkable work, and yet somehow without many album releases, missed much notice.

The Flight of the Phoenix is a showcase for DeVol's power as a composer, featuring a sweeping, Middle-Eastern flavored theme for the exotic, yet remote, setting. Although largely taking place in a single location, DeVol musically captures the location, the inner and outer drama of the characters, and seeming hopelessness of their situation. The result is an exciting, dramatic, heartbreaking and ultimately heroic score from someone who remains an underrated composer.

Restoration specialist Chris Malone mastered this expanded edition from 35mm magnetic tapes provided by 20th Century Studios. The score proper has been restored in vibrant stereo.
The bonus section also features a few alternates, including a longer Connie Francis vocal of “Senza Fine,” accompanied by only piano, guitar and bass, and two versions of the concluding cue, “Ole Swimmin’ Hole.”

The film stars James Stewart, Richard Attenborough, Peter Finch, Hardy Kruger, and Ernest Borgnine, making up most of a crew who take off from a Jebel Sarra Arabco oilfield in a Skytruck, a utilitarian transport plane, headed to Benghazi.
Because of an inaccurate weather report and a miscalculation by the pilot, the plane is overcome by a sandstorm and crashes in the central Libyan desert, instantly killing two of the passengers and leaving one grievously wounded.
The film becomes a tale of relationships under dire circumstances, survival, and ultimately a creative escape—all based on a true story.

INTRADA ISC 450
Barcode: 720258545008
Starts Shipping Week of 2/21

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