LEE HOLDRIDGE: DOCUMENTARIES - VOLUME 1

Dragon’s Domain Records presents LEE HOLDRIDGE DOCUMENTARIES, VOLUME 1 featuring music composed and conducted by Lee Holdridge (JONATHAN LIVINGSTON SEAGULL, SPLASH, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST) for three documentary films from his extensive filmography, THE SHARKS, THE GREAT WHALES and GOLD.

Lee Holdridge has scored a wide range of feature films, TV movies, television series and documentaries over the last four decades, with more than 230 projects, brimming with memorable and affecting music. The composer holds the latter in a particularly favored category. LEE HOLDRIDGE DOCUMENTARIES, VOLUME 1 presents music from three television documentaries, from exploring popular seagoing creatures to the lust for seeking treasures of Gold. The original recordings are being released here for the first time.

Released in 1982, THE SHARKS follows an expedition to study sharks and challenge the myths around them. The film allowed the composer to write music that is more pensive and impressionist, high string figures, rising chords of brass, a murky vibrato from lower strings set against a growing anxiety from smashing cymbals counterpointed against low brass intonations. THE SHARKS was narrated by Alexander Scourby.

From 1978, THE GREAT WHALES was the composer’s first collaboration with director Nicholas Noxon and includes one of the composer’s most majestic main themes. In addition to the orchestra, Holdridge also includes a wiry synth sound mixed in among the downward strokes of brass, identifying the massive weight and intelligence of the whales. THE GREAT WHALES was also narrated by Alexander Scourby.

Also from 1978, GOLD was written and directed by Irwin Rosten, narrated by E.G. Marshall. GOLD was a completely different kind of documentary, about a thing called ‘gold’ and the eternal lust for it. GOLD gave the composer the opportunity to write a song, after being asked by the director to treat it as if it were a song for a James Bond film or a commercial.

Lee Holdridge was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti in 1944. He spent his early years in Costa Rica, beginning music studies on the violin at the age of ten with Hugo Mariani, then the conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra of Costa Rica. Later, Holdridge moved to New York to continue his music studies and begin his professional career as a composer. Holdridge’s successes in New York came to the attention of Neil Diamond who brought Holdridge to Los Angeles to write arrangements for his forthcoming albums. A string of Gold and Platinum hits followed, which led to Diamond and Holdridge collaborating on the film score for JONATHAN LIVINGSTON SEAGULL. Since that time, Holdridge has scored numerous film such as SPLASH, BIG BUSINESS, MR. MOM, MICKI & MAUDE, 16 DAYS OF GLORY, SYLVESTER, A TIGER’S TALE, EL PUEBLO DEL SOL, OLD GRINGO, PASTIME and BROTHERS AT WAR. His television work include MOONLIGHTING, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, the complete eight hour remake of EAST OF EDEN, DREAMER OF OZ, Hallmark Hall Of Fame’s ONE AGAINST THE WIND and THE STORY LADY. Lee also began a very successful collaboration with Moriah Films, the film division of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, with the Academy Award winning documentary feature film THE LONG WAY HOME. In addition to his film career, Mr. Holdridge has had an extensive repertoire of concert works performed and recorded. He has also worked with many major recording artists having written, arranged and conducted for Placido Domingo, Barbra Streisand, Brian May of Queen, Stevie Wonder, Neil Diamond, John Denver, Neil Sedaka, Daniel Rodriguez, Al Jarreau, Dionne Warwick, Diana Ross, Natalie Cole, Jane Oliver and many others.

Dragon’s Domain Records is excited to bring these documentary film scores to compact disc for the first time as part of LEE HOLDRIDGE DOCUMENTARIES, VOLUME 1, newly remastered by James Nelson at Digital Outland. The booklet includes exclusive liner notes written by author Randall Larson with the participation of the composer.

LEE HOLDRIDGE DOCUMENTARIES, VOLUME 1 is a limited edition release of 500 units

Release Date: The week of August 21st, 2023.

THE SHARKS
1. The History Of Sharks (2:26)
2. Studying Sharks (5:02)
3. Mega Mouth/Man And Shark (7:45)
4. The Great White/Electric Fields (4:34)
5. Hammerheads/Squids/Protective Suits (5:25)
6. Gliding Underwater/Birth of a Shark/Finale (4:03)
THE GREAT WHALES
7. Opening (2:51)
8. Whales In Captivity (2:32)
9. Whales At Play (1:54)
10. Whales On The High Seas (1:27)
11. Pods (2:20)
12. The Baby Whale (1:53)
13. Gigi (3:45)
14. Russians and Greenpeace (1:10)
15. Finale (2:09)
GOLD!
16. Good As Gold (2:13)
17. Noble Gold/History Of Gold (2:18)
18. Germany In The 1920s/“God Gave Us Gold” (2:46)
19. Mining/Dubai/Italy (2:54)
20. Legend Of El Dorado/Burial Chamber (3:21)
21. Almighty Gold/Closing Credits (4:38)
22. Introduction and Theme (From “The Great Whales”) (4:04)
Performed by the London Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Charles Gerhardt
Total Time: 72:30