Vangelis - The Ultimate 'Blade Runner' Collection (1982)

As a tribute to Vangelis, who passed away last week, Mike has delved into his collection to give us something unique, and which vividly shows just how much this talented musician meant to him. Over to Mike....

Last Week Vangelis passed away. That was a tremendous blow to me. I own thousands of albums, and 'Blade Runner' is my favorite. Nuff' said. But not enough said really. I love this album, and I personally think it is the greatest soundtrack album ever recorded. And just like the movie it has gone through many, many changes since it was first recorded in 1982, and even with the many changes and editions that have been released over the years, no real, complete and pure version has still seen the light of day.
Until now.
I have been collecting Blade Runner Soundtrackʼs for over 40 years. I have about 60 right now. This collection is the most musically pure version I could create by combining bits and pieces from all of them. Before I tell you about whatʼs included in my version, first let me give you a little background on itʼs history (and my history with it). I was 19 years old when the original film was released. And Iʼll freely admit that this was the second movie I had ever seen high. (TRON was the first). When life changing events happen to you, you tend to remember them vividly. Trust me, sitting in the darkened theater and hearing the super deep and thunderous bass notes and soaring synth notes as the film began its approach over the flaming endless cityscape of Hades, it had an effect on me… a hugely vivid one, one I still feel to this day. That was the day that science fiction books and movies became my passion. Sitting in that theater and hearing that incredible music just made me want to buy the soundtrack album....like that very second. But I waited...and waited, and when, after way too long, they announced that the soundtrack was being finally released, I waited again,,,but this time in the record store on the day of release. And when it finally did arrive... it was NOT the original soundtrack but one by The New American Symphony performing the Music of Vangelis. This “original” version was universally hated, so much so that both Vangelis and

the movie's director Ridley Scott have disowned it. I had to wait until 1994 (12 freakin' years more!!) before another “official” soundtrack came out...and although it was Vangelis' music, it was still incomplete. The 1994 release omitted much of the film's score and included compositions NOT used in the film. Cut now to 2007, 13 years later, when the record company decided to release a 25th-anniversary edition. This version included further unreleased material not in the movie, special effect sounds and dialog on top of the music, and a disc of new music "inspired" by the film.

I remained heart broken.

Still, to this day, they have not released a pure music soundtrack for the film, only these mish-mashed, edited, sound effect-laden, incomplete and horrible versions. So over the years, I have made it my mission to do what Vangelis and the record companies refuse to do. I created a complete, unedited, and musically pure version of the soundtrack… and so much more! This Ultimate Blade Runner Album I Wish Existed is a project I have been working

on (and have continued to add too) for 40 years. Many songs used in the film were edited down to match the scene's lengths. My version includes the longest versions of each song in the film that are currently available, as well as alternate versions used in many of the different released cuts of the film (seven, I think so far!), music written for the film but cut from the final project, and music used during production but never used in the film. Here is a little illumination of what I've included (changed and improved) in this special AIWE version:

Discs 1 & 2: The Score

There are many improvements over all other Blade Runner releases. There has always been an argument as to whether the music of Blade Runner sounds better with or without sound effects. This is the pure score. The score has been completely remixed and created from scratch . When the ‘Blade Runner Trilogyʼ set was released the original 1994 album was remastered and it is these remastered recordings that are used on this edition. Also many
other unreleased tracks have been remastered. One of the most notable additions to this release is the inclusion of a very rare and previously unreleased early demo of 'Tales Of The Future', which is different to the version released on the 1994 Warner/2007 Blade Runner Trilogy releases, and was used for the Animoid Row scene in the movie. Another piece of music that is on this edition and cannot be found on any other previous Blade Runner score is a track entitled 'J.F. Sebastianʼs Apartment' (tagged onto the end of 'Morning At The Bradbury'). All fans of the 'End Titles' will be happy to see that this edition contains the best available version as far as completeness and sound quality goes.
Here is a list of all the other improvements:
● It contains the best available version of the 'Prologue And Main Titles'. Whereas earlier releases contain either poor sound quality, inferior mixing or hiss in the background , this edition uses the full original studio recording, not previously available anywhere else.
● 'Leonʼs Voight Kampff Test' is the original un-modified version (it does not contain the ‘gatedʼ synth that was added to previous releases for effect – this synth was not Vangelis and you can now hear all of Vangelis' sounds instead).
● 'Blade Runner Blues' no longer has a pitch change at around 8.30 mins and  also has improved sound quality.
● 'I Am The Business' has been extended and contains better sound quality.
● 'I Dreamt Music' has been extended. It is longer than the version on the Blade Runner Trilogy (entitled 'Desolation Path').
● 'Dangerous Days' and “Wounded Animals” have much improved sound quality than any previous release. It should be noted that these tracks can be found on the Blade Runner Trilogy as one track entitled 'Deckard and Royʼs Duel', but 'Dangerous Days' and 'Wounded Animals' on this edition are 12 minutes long compared to 'Deckard and Royʼs Duel' which is only 6 minutes.
● The following tracks have been remastered to improve the sound quality: 'Deckard Meets Rachel', 'Deckardʼs Dream', 'Thinking Of Rachel', 'Salomeʼs Dance', 'Morning At The Bradbury'.
● The following tracks no longer contain sound effects, when compared to previous releases: 'Rachelʼs Voight Kampff Test', 'Chewʼs Eye Lab', 'Esper Analysis', 'Rachel Sleeps'.
● 'One More Kiss, Dear' now is the original unaltered version.

● “The Ink Spotsʼ 'If I Didn't Care' was used in the original trailer but was replaced by 'One More Kiss Dear'. It can still be heard briefly in the background at the beginning of the move as the camera closes in on Deckard reading the newspaper in the rain.

I found many other little tidbits of music spread out over many of the 60 different versions of the soundtracks that I have collected over the years. When the sound quality met my standards, I placed them at the appropriate spots in soundtrack. But my overall attempt was to keep the music as naturally flowing and segued into the next song as possible. I have also included as a bonus, three additional Vangelis Blade Runner related volumes from my complete collection:
Volume 8- Vangelis' music mixed in WITH the movies sound effects to help you create a perfect “Movie In Your Mind”.
Volume 17 (edited) - Other Vangelis cuts from his complete discography that have a similar feel and sound to the cuts on The Original Blade Runner Soundtrack.
Volume 26 - Vangelis Documentaries and The Making Of The Blade Runner Soundtrack
Hereʼs the link to the bonus folders:
https://spaces.hightail.com/receive/XnKN5yqcgS

R.I.P. Vangelis...and thank you for the soundtrack to so many high points in my life.
You'll live on through your music …forever!

Track listing

Disc One

01 Ladd Company Fanfare (John Williams)
02 Prologue & Main Titles
03 Leon's Test
04 Rain... Peals Of Thunder... And Sounds Of A November Night
05 Los Angeles 2019
06 The Blue Room
07 Flight To Tyrell Corporation
08 Deckard Meets Rachael
09 Deckard Meets Rachael [Reprise Version]
10 Rachael's Voight-Kampff Test (Dr. Tyrell's Owl)
11 Harps Of The Ancient Temples
12 At Mr. Chews
13 Memories Of Green
14 Blade Runner Blues
15 I'm Hungry J.F.
16 Prelude To Deckard's Dream
17 Deckards Dream
18 Thinking Of Rachael
19 Esper Analysis (Longing & Empty Streets)
20 Esper Machine Noises
21 Animoid Row Part 1 (Tales of the Future - On The Trail Of Nexus 6)
22 Animoid Row Part 2
23 Leon's Room

24 Qu'ran (Byrne/Eno)

Disc Two

01 Taffey Lewis' Club
02 Miss Salome And The Snake

03 Waiting For Zhora
03 Zhora's Retirement
04 One More Kiss, Dear (Vangelis/Skellern)
05 I Am The Business
06 I Dreamt Music [Alternate Love Theme Version]
07 I Dreamt Music [Alternate Prelude To Love Theme Version]
08 Love Theme
09 The Blimp
10 Morning At The Bradbury (including  'J.F. Sebastianʼs Apartment')
11 The Prodigal Son Brings Death (Prelude): Will You Help Us

12 The Prodigal Son Brings Death (Interlude): Elevator To Tyrell's Bedroom
13 The Prodigal Son Brings Death (Postlude): Queen To Bishop 6
14 The Prodigal Son Brings Death (Outro): I Want More Life... Father
15 The Prodigal Son Brings Death [Demo Version]
16 Bradbury Apartments [Demo Version]
17 Dangerous Days
18 Roy Enters The Bradbury
19 Wounded Animals
20 Tears In Rain
21 Rachael Sleeps (Unveiled Twinkling Space)
22 End Titles

As well as this ultimate edition of the music soundtrack, Mike has also included links to his complete 32-volume set of discs, which has been over 40 years in the making, and it includes everything a fan of the film could possible want. Do check it out.

The cover is based on a poster by CandykillerArt, adapted by WesterosiAssassin, and updated by pj.