‘I’m going on an adventure…’

January 23, 2013Australian Jazz, Blog, JRR Tolkein, Prue Batten, pruebatten, Richard Armitage, The HobbitNo Comments

I played my CD of The Hobbit soundtrack for the first time today – in the car on the way to the city. It was certainly cinemagraphic and … big. I loved the theme, as iconic as Harry Potter or Downton Abbey. Once heard never forgotten. I loved the way little riffs of the theme unfurled through other pieces, I loved the Dwarves singing. Richard Armitage’s deep tones in the opening bars of Misty Mountains are spine-tingling. And of course, anything elvish stands the hairs on the neck.

But…

Many years ago, 1973 to be exact, an Australian jazz musician, John Sangster, released an LP called The Hobbit Suite. OH and I just HAD to have it as OH had just filmed a documentary with one of Australia’s greatest jazz musicians, Don Burrows for the ABC. (Australia not the USA) We still have the LP stashed in a trunk at House.

It was brilliant music and I found an old tape of it today and played it after struggling to get the tape player to work. To give you an idea: this is Sangster’s interpretation of Belladonna Took. You’ll remember that Belladonna is Bilbo’s adventurous relative. If you listen to this, you’ll see he’s captured Belladonna perfectly.

tp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8UzKGkloq4

So the ‘but’ is because I’d rather spend an hour listening to John Sangster’s interpretation of The Hobbit than the current soundtrack. I’m aging myself terribly here, but listening to it as I write, I can honestly say there is a retro 1970’s feel to it. It’s truly super!

I went online to try and source a CD for sale and there was nothing that I could find – only copies of the LP ranging in price from $A18 to $A39. Or I could borrow a specially re-recorded CD (one of two) from the National Library of Australia.

Instead, I think I’ll take the tape and the LP to my brother’s Post Production facility, Winning Post, and see if they can transfer it to CD for me.

And whilst on things hobbit-ish, this is my Christmas stash:

One ticket for two, Gold Class, to see The Hobbit from OH.

One limited edition illustrated Hobbit Moleskine notebook from OH.

One especially minted gold coin from Middle Earth (ie NZ) from my friend, hist.romance writer, Lucinda Brant.

As a background to it all, my 1970’s copy of The Hobbit from Allen & Unwin lies loved and lauded beneath.

Cheers.

I think I might go on an adventure…