Joe Kidd

The 1972 Universal feature Joe Kidd could be considered Lalo Schifrin's first "traditional" western score, and he approached the assignment with his customary cool confidence. Eschewing the Copland-esque form, he played on Eastwood's "spaghetti" roots and fondness for Ennio Morricone and also introduced a "modern" styling with an array of exotic instruments, including cimbalom and electric guitars, to create a distinctive aural world for the vistas of mountains and deserts.

The final release length of Joe Kidd was a lean, mean 88 minutes, but it is clear that Schifrin composed music for a significantly longer version. The 43 minutes of music on this premiere Intrada CD is a far more satisfying feast than that available in the finished film.

The recording sessions for Joe Kidd were captured on 35mm three-channel magnetic film and transferred onto 1/2″ 15 ips three-channel tape. These three-channel masters were maintained in the Universal vaults in beautiful condition. After BluWave Audio, the sound transfer division of Universal Studios, made digital transfers of each 1/2″ element, we folded them down into two-track stereo and assembled the score in picture sequence.