What's the Score Podcast

Our guest is an author, publisher, film historian and documentary filmmaker. His books include looking at the careers of Clint Eastwood, John Wayne and Sean Connery among others. He's also has written/co written books on James Bond (Incredible World of 007, The Essential James Bond.) His magazine, Cinema Retro, is devoted to films of the 60's and 70's. Our discussion was wide ranging and covered BTS stories of several classic films, his relationship with Bond Producer Cubby Broccoli and of course his favorite film scores. Composers include Goldsmith, Bernstein and Tiomkin among others. Enjoy this episode with Lee Pfeiffer.

Our guest has worked in theater, TV, film and commercials around the world. Proficient in martial arts she has worked with Jean Claude Van Dam and been a Bond girl. She has hosted various travel programs travelling to the far reaches of the globe. She also has a real passion for film music. Enjoy cues from classic musicals and as well as instrumental music as we talk with Actress Rachel Grant. DOWNLOAD AND LISTEN AT YOUR CONVIENCE. 

We are excited to welcome composer Bill Conti to the program. Our discussion is wide ranging where we discuss his early career, his work on several films like his Academy Award winning score for the Right Stuff, his iconic score for Rocky and his work on the James Bond film For Your Eyes Only. His stories are both enlightening and very entertaining. We also discuss his newest work which will be featured in a concert on June 14 in Los Angeles. I'll post details on my facebook page. Be prepared for some amazing behind the scenes stories and terrific music!

Our guest is a DJ, Movie Critic and stand up Comedian. His career is varied and so are his selctions in film scores as we explore composres like Barry, Goldsmith, Horner and Schifrin. He is the creator of a fabulous Facebook page called "The Spectacular Cinema Showcase" which you should check out. His story as well as his thoughts on films and scores are worth a listen. Take a listen to this episode with Kelly Smith.

We like to feature up and coming film composers and this episode does exactly that. He is an award winning composer who has written music for commercials. documentaries and feature films. His influences include Goldsmith, Conti and Horner. We play cues from those composers and also share some music of his own. His fascinating story of his immigration from Argentina to his journey into film music will capture you. Meet Nicholas Repetto.

If you're a fan of the music of John Williams, you're in for a treat. Our guest is the Conductor of the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra, David Torns. On April 5, the BRSO will present a concert of Williams's music. On the podcast, we'll play some cues from some of Williams best loved scxores, all of which will feature in the concert. A few cues may surprise you. We discuss David's career path, why he likes the music of John Williams, other composers he admires like John Barry and Jerry Goldsmith and how AI may or may not influence film scores in the future. Sit back and enjoy great conversation and amazing music.

With over 200 credits to his name and countless live theater productions, Lance Nichols is an accomplished actor with a wealth of experience. He shares much of those experiences with us in an informative and sometimes humorous way. His choices of music will surprise you with selections from the 70s and from someone not associated with film music...Prince. Be prepared to laugh and learn as we explore his journey and listen to some great music inspired by terrific films.

We bring back one of our more popular guests, Warren Ringham the leader of the tribute band Q the music. Warren is an accomplished trumpet player but more importantly leads his incredible band which plays music from the James Bond films. We discuss the exciting plans he has for the band this year and beyond, learn how he recreates the music without any sheet music and get his thoughts on a previous episode where we discussed who wrote the James Bond theme. If that wasn't enough, you'll hear examples of his band's work and be amazed at how much they sound like the original. I think you'll really enjoy this one!

Our guest has made a career out of scouting locations of film/tv productions and then organizing tours for fans to visit them in an entertaining fashion. While has a particular interest in James Bond film locations, he also knows of locations of countless other productions. He has a musical background which equips him to speak intelligently about film scores. For those who know him, you'll learn much more about the man behind the tours. We hear selections from George Martin, Toto and John Barry. And for patrons, our bonus episode explores the score from Shogun. You'll find our discussion and music selections enjoyable. Our guest is Matt Sherman.

100 episodes! I never thought I would do this many shows. I thought it appropriate to have a retrospective for our 100th. It was hard to choose highlights but I've tried to select ones that had interesting discussions. Guests I selected are Composer George Clinton, Composer John Altman, Master Violinist Holly Mulcahy, Musician Mike Lang, Producer Robert Townson, Podcaster Erik Woods. Music cues chosen include compositions by John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith, John Barry and George Clinton. My thanks to these guests and the countless others (too many to list) who have contributed to the program. Enjoy this look back as we celebrate 100 episodes!

Paul Scrabo is an Emmy winning video technician who enjoyed a 35+ year career at NBC television. His work included contributions to "The Tonight Show", "Saturday Night Live", and the 2012 London Olympics. He has also been an integral part of a team producing documentaries for Blu Ray releases of many films including the James Bond series. His insights into films and film music are sure to interest you.

Ever wanted to know some behind the scenes info on recording film scores? Ever wanted to know what composers were like to work with? Then this episode is for you! Ron Lang was sought after woodwind player in Los Angeles for over 40 years and worked on many scores and with the the most accomplished composers. His stories will interest you and the cues he chose feature some of his best work. Films like Body Heat, The Specialist, Hatari, and Taxi Driver. Composers we talk about include Bernard Herrmann, John Williams, Henry Mancini, Jerry Goldsmith and John Barry. Enjoy a fascinating discussion and iconic music.

Our guest is a screenwriter, documentarian and expert on all things James Bond. But his love of music goes beyond Bond as you'll hear on this episode. Composers include Goldsmith, Williams, Newman and of course Barry. We have a rather interesting discussion on who wrote the Bond theme which was a recent subject of an episode as well as insights into his life and career. He was a driving force in producing the special features found on the DVD's of the Bond series but as you'll find out, his career has had plenty of successes out side of Bond. Enjoy learning more about our guest John Cork.

Our guest is a casting director who has become one of the busiest casting directors in the southern market of the USA. We take a different slant on this episode and focus on musicals, a favorite genre of our guest.  We discuss his career, musicals that stand the test of time and advice for actors in the audition process. You'll learn more about the film industry and its process as well as hear some great music. Our guest is Hunter McHugh from "On the Hunt Casting".

Our most ambitious episode ever. I've assembled three knowledgeable people to discuss, dissect and inform on the fascinating story of the theme's authorship. It's not as straightforward as you may think. We don't aim to change the official record but rather provide a backdrop into the composing of one of cinema's most famous pieces of music. We talk about the events of 1962 when the theme was being developed for the first Bond film "Dr. No". Also discussed are possible influences for the theme. We then dive into the lawsuit filed by composer Monty Norman against the Sunday Times who claimed John Barry had written the theme. All angles and opinions are explored to give the listener a comprehensive view of this controversial topic. Join Stephen Woolston, Peter Greenhill, Terry Walstrom and myself as we explore the story of "who wrote the James Bond Theme". 

In one of my better interviews, our guest provides great insight into film music and symphonic music. Holly Mulcahy is a master Violinist who has great thoughts on film music and symphonic music. She is currently the featured artist for the Concerto "Rose of Sonara" written by film composer George Clinton, performing around the country, Not only did we have a great wide ranging discussion but also played some great music by composers like Barry, Morricone, Horner and more. You'll find the discussion and music very entertaining.

Kyle Rodriguez is a composer who likes to use unique instruments to create his scores. His work can be heard in projects showing on Apple TV, Netflix, Hulu and more. We focus on his most recent work for an episodic called "Jane", about the Conservationist Jane Goodall. I find his music to be refreshing in this day and age since it sounds reminiscent to the works of Barry, Goldsmith and Thomas Newman. Join us for an interesting conversation and music I think many of you will enjoy.

Peter Chapman, who hails from Canada, has been composing since the tender age of 19.  He has scored TV, film, commercials and video games. This award nominated composer shares his hard charging electronic music which is sure to stir the soul.

Our guest isn't an Actor or a Director but rather he is a super, superfan of fiim music. Terry is an author, artist and composer who understands music. Many may recognize his name from various Facebook groups he participates in. His choices of cues are quite varied today and illustrate how music works in film. From Alex North to Lalo Schifrin to a spec ail section on John Barry, the discussion and music is sure to draw you in.

P Andrew Willis has been a composer for film since the early 2000s. He uses unique instruments and likes scores that feature the same. Listen in for fascinating conversation and an episode that features more music than any episode before it.

Anyone who is interested in life behind the camera needs to listen to this episode. Our guest is Assistant Director Jason Allen who provides insights into life behind the camera as well as advice for getting into the film/tv industry. Additionally, he has some terrific choices of film music including cues from Barry, Williams, Zimmer and Morricone. Join us for a fascinating conversation as well as some great music.

This independent filmmaker has turned a hobby into a full time passion. His short films have generated literally millions of views on social media. The self proclaimed "Americas Movie cop", based on his "look", John Armijo has dozens of credits to his name as a background actor, actor, writer and producer. We cover a wide variety of music and John shares some great stories about some fan favorite films such as Pulp Fiction, Star Wars, Forrest Gump and more. Be prepared to listen, laugh and learn!

Our guest is Composer Sharon Farber who hails from Israel, studied music in the USA and has become an award winning composer. She writes and orchestrates for film, TV as well has written concert pieces. Listen to our fascinating conversation about her journey and her approach to writing for film...as well as some terrific cues of her favorite scores.

With all the craziness going on in the world, the Christmas season is a welcomed relief. I thought it might be fun to explore some music from Christmas films and TV specials. So I've chosen some of my favorites to share with you. I'm sure I missed some favorites of yours but I hope you enjoy this wide array of music that captures the spirit of the season. Merry/Happy Christmas to all! 

Our guest is Composer Andrew Morgan Smith. He's scored over 90 projects from films to TV to Video games. His selections of cues will delight you and include music from films such as Star Trek, Pirates of the Caribbean, Tropic Thunder and more. We'll also play a cue from his upcoming film, a western starring Nik Cage, called The Old Way. Our discussion will interest those listeners who want hear some of the behind the scenes material of scoring films which I found interesting. Join us for great conversation and fabulous film music! PLEASE DOWNLOAD and listen at your convenience.

We do something a little different in this episode at the request of our guest Actor Creek Wilson. Creek is someone who later in life changed careers and decided to follow his dream of being an actor and he's been successful at it, having been in numerous TV shows, films and commercials. The music will bring back memories of those great Burt Reynolds films of the 70s and the music that was in them. Toe tapping music with Creek's great stories make a for an interesting episode.

Most fan music fans know of John Williams work from 1975 on...but are you are aware of his early work on TV? Returning guest Bill Koenig shares some great early Williams recordings and the stories behind them. Any film music fan is sure to enjoy these cues!

Returning guest podcaster/author Jon Auty helps us explore the filmography of one of America's finest composers, Henry Mancini. IMHO, Mancini doesn't seem to be appreciated enough so we decided to dedicate an episode to him. Jon did some great research for background info and chose some terrific cues. Listen and enjoy. DOWNLOAD now!

A returning guest, Raymond Benson is an accomplished author and film historian with a broad knowledge of film music. For this episode, Raymond decided he wanted to focus on Italian cinema and 2 composers, Ennio Morricone and Nino Rota. You'll have chance to hear some fabulous music you probably haven't heard before. Plus, you'll learn plenty about Italian cinema. Join us for interesting conversation and music!

Ian Macdonald makes a return visit to the program. I call him a John Barry groupie but as this episode will show, his knowledge and interest goes well beyond the Barry filmography, You're sure to enjoy his great stories about various composers as well as his selections of cues. Music from Goldsmith, Williams, Gold and yes even one from Barry. Enjoy the conversation and music!

Part 2 of my conversation with Mike Lang, What an amazing man and musician.

The passing of Mike Lang has touched many in the film music world and beyond. An incredible talent, I was able to talk with him for two hours and recall some of his finest efforts for some of the 2000 scores he worked on. He tells great stories about composers (Jerry Goldsmith, John Williams and John Barry) he worked with, his approach to music and reveals a little about himself personally. Plus, we play what Mike thinks are his best performances. This is part one of our conversation. I think you'll enjoy it and learn some behind the scenes info on the film music world. Mike Lang...RIP

Our guest is award winning composer Brian Ralston. A career spanning 20 years in film music, he employs a strong sense of melody, something missing in many of today's scores. For you music nerds, you'll enjoy much our conversation as Brian shares many technical details about writing for film. His upcoming film, "Silent River", will be released this year. You're sure to enjoy his selections of cues from other composers as well as several of his own works.

If you love learning of behind the scenes info on how films scores come about, this book is for you. An amazing collection of essays on how numerous scores, written by John Barry, came to be. Authors Pete Walker, Geoff Leonard and Jon Burlingame have assembled THE definitive collection of fascinating stories behind the scores written by the maestro. To help share some of the anecdotes form the book are two "superfans" of Barry's, Stephen Woolston and Tony Weeks. They are extremely qualified to discuss this book and the career of Barry. Plus, we have terrific cues to share as well. This is part 2 of a long discussion you're sure to enjoy!

If you love learning of behind the scenes info on how films scores come about, this book is for you. An amazing collection of essays on how numerous scores, written by John Barry, came to be. Authors Pete Walker, Geoff Leonard and Jon Burlingame have assembled THE definitive collection of fascinating stories behind the scores written by the maestro. To help share some of the anecdotes form the book are two "superfans" of Barry's, Stephen Woolston and Tony Weeks. They are extremely qualified to discuss this book and the career of Barry. Plus, we have terrific cues to share as well. This is part 1 of a long discussion you're sure to enjoy!

Our guest is Scott Sullivan, an up and coming filmmaker based in our backyard, Baton Rouge, LA, where he heads up his production company Sulliscope Films.. He is a writer, producer and director of several films and has chosen some unique cues from Composers not heard before on this podcast. Join us for fascinating discussion on films and some terrific film music.

In honor of the anniversary of the maestro's death, as well as the release of a book on his career, a special mystery guest shares some of his favorite cues written by John Barry. Unlike other episodes, this is full of music written by Barry. The music ranges from the 60s up to the 90s and highlights Barry versatility and genius. Some of the choices may surprise you. Come listen to some of the finest music ever written for film. Let me know what you think of the mystery guest...

Start the new year right with some great film music. Our guest is J Blake Fichera who is an author, producer and working musician. If that wasn't enough, he also hosts a podcast called "Scored to Death" which focuses on scores from horror movies. While our discussions focus on horror, many of his selections are of other genres. Composers represented include Williams, Morricone and Conti. 

If you love hearing inspiring stories of those who have achieved despite the odds, this episode is for you. Our guest, Erica Summers is a filmmaker who has overcome roadblocks to become an award winning writer/director. You may not know her name, but you soon will. Her passion is the horror genre and we recorded this around Halloween. So...she has chosen some terrific cues from horror films to play. Her latest film called Obsidian has won awards on the festival circuit and can be found on most streaming services. You may even recognize one of the actors,...Hear her fascinating life journey plus some great movie music on this episode of What's the Score.

This episode features one of the best podcasters on film music. Erik Woods has been producing programs on film music since 1996. Erik has set the standard on film score podcasts. He has a huge following that hasn't heard about his favorite scores and about his life but we correct that with this episode. Please download this fascinating conversation and surprising cues for a interesting journey into film music. 

Bill Koenig has been writing about James Bond for over 20 years. He is recognized as "go to" source for anything Bond. In this episode, with the new Bond film coming out, we thought we'd focus on the music of Bond. We play cues from the 1960's mostly and even branch out to discuss another Spy series from that period. Towards the end, we do discuss No Time to Die so...SPOILER ALERT. Enjoy a trip down memory lane and hear some terrific music from the world of James Bond.

A new and upcoming composer joins us on this episode...his name is Joe Hodgin. Originally trained as a audio engineer, he expanded his skills and became a film composer. His journey is interesting as are his unique selections of music. I think you'll also like his compositions which we'll play towards the end. The cues are from his latest film "Royal Jelly" which is streaming now. Listen to a great story and some fantastic music not heard on the program before.

You may not know his name but he is an in influencer in the film score fan community.  You will find our discussion fascinating as we explore the career of an forensic audio engineer. Plus his selections of music are extraordinary. Enjoy great conversation and fabulous music in this episode with Douglas Lacey.

Jon Auty is a Producer, writer and Presenter who happens to love film music. His early career was focused on becoming a stuntman but an injury changed all that so...he now produces podcasts on stunt work in film...a fascinating look at stunts. You'll find his youtube channel here Behind The Stunts - YouTube  He is also the author of the upcoming book on stunts in the James Bond films. An interesting interview coupled with great choices of cues make for an entertaining episode.

Our guest for this episode is Dr. Lisa Funnell, who is a professor, award winning author and expert on gender in films.  She's written several books on action films and in particular on the James Bond films. Be ready to hear some strong opinions on the James Bond franchise, fascinating discussions on film and music and of course, some great music.

Filmmaker Barbara Bentree is our guest and we focus on her latest film, "Dave Grusin: Not enough time". She's a singer, been a musical director for TV and lately a filmmaker of documentaries. While Dave Crusin's story is interesting enough, Barbara's story is just as compelling. Here behind the scenes stories of Grusin's career plus the fascinating career of Barbara Bentree. And of course some great music!

Part 2 of our conversation with jazz pianist Mike Lang...great behind the scenes stories on recordings of score you will be sure to know. Enjoy great conversations and music on this episode!

Our guest is an in demand piano player that has played on over 2000 film scores for all the the most accomplished film composers such as John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith  and John Barry among others. He is so accomplished that he has also contributed  to recordings for artists such as Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye, John Lennon and Barbara Streisand just to name a few. What's the Score is proud to present an interview with Mike Lang. Be prepared to hear never before heard stories about recording memorable film scores!

Occasionally, I like to feature those among us who are huge fans of film music that have a great knowledge and appreciation of the craft. This episode is an example. Tony Weeks is, in my opinion, an expert in film music though he has no official "title" as such. A Nurse by trade, he has spent his entire life collecting, admiring and listening to great film scores. His selections will bear that out. Enjoy some great cues as well as a wonderful life story in this episode. 

Our guest, Steve Rubin is a Producer, writer and author. His accomplishments are many but I know him as the author of an outstanding book, The James Bond Film Encyclopedia. The book has just been updated and is a must have for Bond fans and film fans. Other works include the Twilight Zone Encyclopedia. He is a lover of film, especially those made in the 50's thru 70's. You'll hear great cues from the early masters of film scores and fascinating discussion on the history of cinema.

Our guest, Eimear Noone is an award winning composer for film and video games. She is viewed as one of the world's premier composers for video games for such games as World of Warcraft. For films, she has worked with Directors such as Gus Van Sant and Joe Dante. Her talents include being an in demand conductor as evidenced by becoming the first female conductor to perform at the 2020 Academy Awards. She has some great choices of favorite scores and we hear some of her work as well for her latest film Two by Two Overboard.