SpaceCamp - Expanded

Track Listing Legend:
* previously unreleased

Intrada, in cooperation with ABC and Sony Music Entertainment, presents the long-sought expansion of John Williams' glorious score to 1986 feature film SpaceCamp. Williams' approach was to focus on the magic and mystery of space and the emotions surrounding the adventure of orbital flight. While strong conclusions to film scores are a rarity these days, Williams brings the adventure to a close with not one, but two thundering endings ("Home Again" and "SpaceCamp"). Interestingly, the beautiful, soaring style he brought to SpaceCamp is a style he carried over into the following years' The Witches of Eastwick (the largely unused ballroom sequence) and parts of Empire of the Sun, before moving on stylistically. The original RCA program (issued twice by Intrada) was fairly comprehensive, save a handful of missing cues, the most striking omission being the "Arriving At Daedalus" cue, featuring a thrilling fanfare, distinct from any other part of the score.

For this release, producer Mike Matessino built the complete score program from Armin Steiner's original three-track film mixes, featuring a breathtaking and sweeping clarity to the score. This is featured on disc 1, along with three extras. Disc 2 presents the original RCA program as mixed for record by Len Engel from a newly mastered hi-res transfer of the 1/4" album master. Matessino also wrote the detailed liner notes within.

The film fits in with many other summer adventures of the 1980s, putting kids at the center and heart of the story. Here, a talking experimental robot instructs NASA computers to turn a shuttle engine test into a launch that will send teenaged astronaut trainees into space. Together they must get past their angst and work together to return home safely.