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Dragon's Domain Records presents the premiere release of original music composed by Harry Lubin for the second season of THE OUTER LIMITS. Originally broadcast on the American television network ABC from 1963 to 1965, THE OUTER LIMITS was one of many series influenced by THE TWILIGHT ZONE and SCIENCE FICTION THEATRE, though it ultimately proved influential in its own right. 49 Episodes were produced.
When the familiar dulcet tones of the 'Control Voice' welcomed viewers back to THE OUTER LIMITS on for the second season premiere, few, if any, were aware of the behind-the-scenes turmoil that had caused the departure of several key staff members. But something was different. In particular, there was a new signature tune that was lonely, sad, and claustrophobic. Despite its current reputation as a cult classic, the original ABC run of THE OUTER LIMITS was not the ratings blockbuster the network had been hoping for. Creator Leslie Stevens and fellow writer Joseph Stefano continually struggled to bring their personal visions of "extraordinary people in extraordinary circumstances" to life each week, despite being gifted with an ensemble of first-class actors, directors, and stunning noir photography. Network executives constantly interfered, trying to make the show more formulaic and easily marketable.
The perpetual battles between Stevens and ABC over what the network classified as "questionable content," along with frequent budget overruns, eventually led ABC to demand that several conditions be met in order for them to commission a second season. These conditions included a time slot change and cutting the budget.
Season 1 combined science fiction and horror, while Season 2 was more focused on 'hard science fiction' stories, dropping the recurring 'scary monster' motif of Season 1. Each episode in Season 1 was to have a monster or creature as a critical part of the story line in a villain of the week format. Season 1 writer and producer Joseph Stefano believed this element was necessary to provide fear, suspense, or at least a center for plot development. This kind of story element became known as 'the bear.' This device was, however, mostly dropped in Season 2 after Stefano left. Also gone were Leslie Stevens and composer Dominic Frontiere. ABC then installed one of their own executives, Ben Brady, as the new producer. No stranger to television production, Brady had come to the network after a successful run on the first two seasons of PERRY MASON. Brady's limited resources for the second season required him to rely on the talents of another former co-worker to provide an impactful, but cost-effective musical score.
Harry Lubin was an accomplished composer, arranger and conductor who began his career as a piano accompanist for Feodor Chaliapin, Sr. At only 20 years old, Lubin became musical director of the Irving Palace Theater in New York City before spitting his time between Broadway shows and locally-produced radio drama. Eventually, he transitioned into television as musical director for THE LORETTA YOUNG SHOW, a long-running anthology series that allowed him to experiment with early electronic instruments like the theremin. He further expanded his palette of unusual instrumentation while scoring the horror/science-fiction anthology ONE STEP BEYOND, which pre-dated THE OUTER LIMITS.
Though there were some new recordings done for the second season of THE OUTER LIMITS, much of the second season's 17 episodes featured thematic material edited from multiple variations within the vast library Lubin had amassed from his earlier series. To create this compilation, Dragon's Domain Records has carefully selected and grouped together the most memorable musical themes for the episodes in which they were initially used. So turn out the lights, sit back and allow us to control all that you hear from as we take you back to…THE OUTER LIMITS.
Dragon's Domain Records presents THE OUTER LIMITS: SEASON 2, featuring the premiere release of original music from the second season composed by Harry Lubin. The album includes liner notes written by authors David Hirsch and Sam Scali. The music has been mastered by James Nelson at Digital Outland.
- BSX
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