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Dragon's Domain Records presents the world premiere soundtrack release of DR. HECKYL AND MR. HYPE, featuring music composed by Richard Band for the 1980 science fiction/horror film written and directed by Charles B. Griffith (LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS), starring Oliver Reed, Sunny Johnson, Maia Danziger, Virgil Frye, Mel Welles, Kedrick Wolf, Jackie Coogan, Corinne Calvet, Sharon Compton, Denise Hayes, Charles Howerton and Dick Miller.
DR. HECKYL AND MR. HYPE began life as a result of a conversation between Charles B. Griffith and Menahem Golan. Griffith was a prolific writer/director for low budget films whose main claim to fame was the quirky LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS and screenplays for many Roger Corman films including DEATH RACE 2000, EAT MY DUST and THE WILD ANGELS. Griffith's concept for the film would be that "the ugly guy would be the good guy".
Released in 1980, DR. HECKYL AND MR. HYPE tells the story of Dr. Heckyl (Reed), an atrociously ugly, malformed podiatrist who falls in love with one of his patients. When his colleague, Dr. Hinkle (Welles) develops an 'instant diet paste' that reduces his fat patients to skinny babes, Heckyl steals a vial and drinks it down – and finds himself transformed into Hype (also Reed), a handsome, hedonistic but violently self-absorbed ladies' man. Soon, the transformations become more frequent and uncontrollable, with Hype reverting back to Heckyl at the most inappropriate of times.
Composer Richard Band was contacted by Charles B. Griffith and asked to score the film. DR. HECKYL AND MR. HYPE would be his third score. His music for the film is a mixture of orchestra and electronics, considered a unique approach in those days as synthesizers were still relatively in their infancy in film music. The score is built around the interaction of three primary themes and two subordinate motifs. The main theme consists of the melody that accompanies both Dr. Heckyl and Mr. Hype as they are characterized through the story. The main theme represents the overall quirkiness of the whole tone of the movie. The score was recorded with a small orchestra of 20 – 22 pieces, small string, brass and woodwind sections, along with two percussionists and augmented by synthesizers.
Richard Band was born in Los Angeles on December 28, 1953. He is the son of film producer-director-writer Albert Band (THE RED BADGE OF COURAGE – screen adaptation), brother to producer-distributor Charles Band and uncle to young rock star Alex Band of the rock group 'The Calling'. Shortly after his brother Charles had formed his first movie company, Richard decided to take a break from music and began to work as an assistant director on some of his films. He then went from assistant director to production manager, to associate producer and finally producer on over 13 films. Richard has since gone on to score over 75 feature films and many television productions including multiple episodes of STARGATE SG-1, WALKER: TEXAS RANGER and Disney's SING ME A STORY series.
Richard has composed the music for more than 10 interactive computer/video games over the years and has had many soundtracks that have been released of his film works. Richard has also scored many documentaries including the award-winning series' MOST DECORATED, BRUTE FORCE and WEAPONS OF WAR and has also contributed much music to other series' like THE REAL WEST, CIVIL WAR JOURNALS and BIOGRAPHIES. His experience over the years has brought him to record over 22 film scores with internationally renowned orchestras such as THE ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA, THE LONDON SYMPHONY and THE ROME PHILHARMONIC. He has also had his music recorded in Prague, Romania, Croatia and Munich. In more recent years, Richard has also enjoyed scoring a variety of family and comedy films for Viacom and Paramount Pictures as well as hundreds of animated vignettes for the WB kid's network all of which were scored with orchestra. His musical talents can also be heard on several amusement park rides including ALIENS - THE RIDE as well as several Vegas venues. Among the many interactive games Richard has scored the music for STAR TREK, WATERWORLD, CASPER, STONEKEEP, DECENT UNDER MOUNTAIN, CLAYFIGHTER and INVICTUS: THE SHADOW OF OLYMPUS.
Dragon's Domain Records is excited to present the soundtrack to DR. HECKYL AND MR. HYPE for the very first time. DR. HECKYL AND MR. HYPE has been produced from the composer's original elements by James Nelson at Digital Outland, including liner notes written by author Randall Larson, with the participation of the composer.
- BSX
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