Your Favourite Hollywood Western Music Composer?

The Saloon
1

I think we are all in agreement that the music in Spaghetti westerns was pivotal to the genre’s appeal and that people like Morricone, Ortolani and Bacalov were masters of their field. But there have also been some great composers working in Hollywood who added just as much to the American western. So who is your favourite?
I Would set up a vote but I can figure out how to do it but some to consider would be:

[ul][li]Elmer Bernstein[/li]
[li]Dimitri Tiomkin[/li]
[li]Jerry Fielding[/li]
[li]Lennie Niehaus[/li]
[li]Ry Cooder[/li]
[li]Misch Bakaleinikoff[/li]
[li]Victor Young[/li]
[li]Jerry Goldsmith[/li][/ul]

2

I think I would have to go for JERRY GOLDSMITH.

With some of fav’s being; TAKE A HARD RIDE, BREAKHEART PASS, BANDOLERO, 100 RIFLES and THE BALLAD OF CABLE HOGUE.

3

It’s Victor Young for me. I love the music of Johnny Guitar. Classic!

4

Victor Young also did the music for Shane of course Bill. Which apparently you hate!

5
[quote author=ENNIOO link=topic=673.msg10652#msg10652 date=1179182853] I think I would have to go for JERRY GOLDSMITH.

With some of fav’s being; TAKE A HARD RIDE, BREAKHEART PASS, BANDOLERO, 100 RIFLES and THE BALLAD OF CABLE HOGUE.

[/quote]

Jerry Goldsmith was a legend. Not only did he score some great western music he was also responsible for the music on such films as:
Alien
The Omen
Chinatown
Planet of the Apes
and all the Star Trek films

as well as some classic TV work composing the themes for shows as varied as The Man from Uncle, Wagon Train, The Waltons and Star Trek Voyager.
The man is sorely missed.

6

LOL :D, honestly I can’t really remember how was the music in Shane.

7

Sentimental like the Film Bill. You’d probably hate that too. :smiley:

8

[quote=“Phil H, post:5, topic:601”]Jerry Goldsmith was a legend. Not only did he score some great western music he was also responsible for the music on such films as:
Alien
The Omen
Chinatown
Planet of the Apes
and all the Star Trek films

as well as some classic TV work composing the themes for shows as varied as The Man from Uncle, Wagon Train, The Waltons and Star Trek Voyager.
The man is sorely missed.[/quote]

Yes, he did some really great work.

Although not a western I think the music to the film THE LAST RUN is great, and is one of the best films GEORGE C. SCOTT ever starred in.

9

My favourite is Elmer Bernstein. The score of the Magnificent Seven is very good and athmospheric.

1 Like
10
[quote="Sean Mallory, post:9, topic:601"]My favourite is Elmer Bernstein. The score of the Magnificent Seven is very good and athmospheric.[/quote]

That is a classic theme. Bernstein also did two of my favourite non western themes, ‘The Great Escape’ and ‘The Man With the Golden Arm’. A genius.

11

My favorite Hollywood film composer is John Williams, but John Barry is also very, very good.

12

I’m a big fan of Lalo Schifrin, his soundtrack to the Mitchum/Langella film The Wrath of God is fantasic.

1 Like
13

Love Lalo Schifrin. There’s a Whole Lalo Schifrin Goin’ On was possibly my favourite album title ever until I heard his previous effort, The Dissection and Reconstruction of Music From the Past as Performed By the Inmates of Lalo Schifrin’s Demented Ensemble as a Tribute to the Memory of the Marquis De Sade. Genius!

14

There’s a mini compilation of songs from The Wrath of God on youtube. The last one is my favorite, a really rousing and adventurous theme, seeing as it goes in a scene in which Victor Buono drives through a massive fort, Thompson at his side, blasting anyone he sees. Ken Hutchinson is good aswell as an Ex IRA gunman, and Mitchum makes it perfect as the Tommy toting priest.

That, and Golden Needles has possibly my favorite Martial Arts film score.

15

Neal Hefti’s score for Duel at Diablo is my favourite out of all the American westerns I’ve watched. As far as I know, that was his only western score.I also really liked Frank De Vol’s score for Ulzana’s Raid.

16

Dimitri Tiomkin.

17

Heaven’s Gate (David Mansfield)
How the West Was Won (Alfred Newman)
From Noon Till Three (Elmer Bernstein)
The Searchers (Max Steiner)
The War Wagon (Dimitri Tiomkin)
Duel at Diablo (Neal Hefti)
Charro! (Hugo Montenegro)
Soldier Blue (Roy Budd)
The Ballad of Cable Hogue (Jerry Goldsmith)
The Professionals (Maurice Jarre)