The Black Hole [Original recording, Soundtrack]

John Barry (Composer) | Format: Vinyl

Product Details

• Vinyl
• Original Release Date: 1979
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording, Soundtrack
• Label: Buena Vista
• Run Time: 31 minutes
• ASIN: B000MI2VRK
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #253,175 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

This is the 1979 Original Motion Picture Soundtrack of "The Black Hole", With music composed and conducted by John Barry. A digital recording, this Buena Vista record number 5008 (from Walt Disney Productions) was produced by John Barry and Engineered by Danny Wallin. The Black Hole motion picture starred Maximillian Schell, Anthony Perkins, Robert Forster, Joseph Bottoms, Yvette Mimieux and Ernest Borgnine. The movie was produced by Ron Miller and directed by Gary Nelson. The screenplay was by Jeb Rosebrook and Gerry Day from a story by Jeb Rosebrook and Bob Barbash & Richard Landau.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Will Someone Ever Release This Soundtrack On CD ( Legally, That Is...)?, February 14, 2009

By 

Davidp. (Jax. Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Black Hole (Vinyl)

This soundtrack album was from the space-age Disney update of '20,000 Leagues Under The Sea', and was meant to attract the large fanbase that 'Star Wars' had pulled in just two years prior. But with it's muddled plot, juvenile dialogue, complete lack of regard for the laws of science, and unsatisfying ending, it failed to connect with viewers or critics. The one thing the film did have going for it was the romantic score by John Barry with it's grand, swirling, and mysterious main title.

The album itself is very short by today's standards, and some of the tracks seem to be repetitive reworkings of the main theme ( "Zero Gravity", for example ), but it's still an enjoyable listen. Some of the pieces are quite evocative, such as the somber "Six Robots", and the occasionally eerie "Into The Hole".

Although the movie has been re-released on DVD twice - once by 'Anchor Bay', in a deluxe box that contained all sorts of extra stuff, and once by Disney themselves - Disney has never seen fit to release the music on compact disc. There is a commercial CD available, but it is technically an illegal Italian bootleg from a vinyl album ( albeit a very good transfer ) paired with Barry's soundtrack from "Howard The Duck". It is very rare and difficult to find. I don't own the movie, and don't really care to, but if some company would release a proper CD from the original master tapes, I would be all over that puppy ( particularly if it was expanded with previously unreleased music from the film ).

If you are a collector, I would reccommend picking up a copy of the soundtrack. It's another score ( like Barry's music for the 1976 'King Kong' ) that transcends the film it accompanied.

UPDATE, 2011;

Thanks to helpful info from another Amazon customer, I am now the happy owner of the complete score on CD from Intrada records. As another review on this page details, this CD contains all the tracks found on the original vinyl album, and 20 minutes more in musical cues ( some of which were unused in the movie ), wonderfully restored and sequenced in film order. Also included as a bonus, is a rather nifty track titled "In Through... And Beyond". At first listen, it might sound as though this track is either a synthesizer demo for the Main Title, or someone's idea of a tribute cover version. It's actually a unique mixdown isolating only the layers of synthesizers in the End Title, and an fascinating retro listen to the unique sound of old analog synths.

The booklet details the incredible amount of research and effort it took to get these recordings out of the vaults and remastered to their original glory. If you are a fan of this score, you MUST reward the hard work and persistence it took to allow this wonderful score to see the light of day again, and buy this CD.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Soundtrack available on iTunes...for now., February 14, 2010

By 

Kansuke (Harlington-Straker Studios) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Black Hole (Vinyl)

I often wonder what Disney is thinking when they decide what to release on CD. While I know a lot of fans of John Barry's music (and of this film) are waiting for it to be released on CD, there is one alternative. iTunes has finally released this soundtrack and "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" for download. For those who want to physically hold a CD of this soundtrack, you will have to wait a little longer. There have been reports that a remake of this film is in the works.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great soundtrack, now finally available on CD (but not from Amazon)!, August 31, 2011

By 

Martin Pollard (Royal Oak, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Black Hole (Vinyl)

The score for "The Black Hole," the world's first digitally recorded soundtrack, is pure John Barry, with a style that's familiar to anyone who's watched the Sean Connery and Roger Moore James Bond films (he scored almost all of them, up to and including "A View to a Kill"). In fact, "The Black Hole" is reminiscent of his score for "Moonraker" in its scope and grandieur; listen to both, and you'll see how similar they feel, yet each is still its own unique experience.

Others have already commented on various aspects of the music itself; that's not why I'm writing this review. Until now, the score for "The Black Hole" has only been available on iTunes and hard-to-find vinyl. The great news is that the score is now officially on CD at last, 32 years after the film premiered in theaters, as an expanded special edition available only from Intrada Records. It's the real deal, folks, taken directly from the original digital masters (discovered in 2006), and includes over 20 minutes of music that was not included in the 1979 LP. The included booklet also goes into exhaustive detail about the film, the soundtrack, and the arduous journey to get the all-digital score on CD. If you want it on CD, this is the only way to get it; I have it, I've listened to it, and it's worth it at twice the price. With the extra music, it's like listening to an old friend expanding on one of your favorite stories!

If you're a vinyl aficionado, then obviously this is the product to buy, but if you're looking for "The Black Hole" on CD, you're gonna have to head over to Intrada. Don't waste your time with iTunes when you can get it pure, with extra music as well!