April 29, 2015

  • The Belstone Fox Returns!

    Dragon’s Domain’s second limited edition release is another welcome addition to British composer Laurie Johnson’s discopgraphy, The Belstone Fox (1973).  Johnson is perhaps best known for his work on two seminal television series The Avengers (1965-`969) and The Professionals (1977-1983) and perhaps best known for his limited film work for Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove (1964).  A few years ago a couple of larger sets of Johnson’s music were released covering original performances of TV themes, film score highlights, and some of his popular big band  arrangements (now OOP).  Even BSX managed to release another camp classic Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter (1974).  The current score originally appeared as a vinyl import on Ronco at the film’s release thus making this a premiere CD mastering of this family film score.

    David Rook’s novel The Ballad of the Belstone Fox may be mistaken perhaps for the Disney film, The Fox and the Hound (1981), though that is based on a novel by Daniel Mannix.  James Hill (Born Free) directed and adapted the screenplay for his live action film about a fox that is always one step ahead of the hounds who are released to chase him down.  Here the fox is the remaining member of his litter that is killed by fox-hating hunters and raised by a hunter and his teenage daughter.  The fox, Tag, is raised alongside one of the dogs, Merlin, and they become inseparable friends.  The story thus deals with a variety of difficult issues from hunting and animal cruelty with some quite intense scenes.

    Some of this melancholy is hinted at in the theme which opens the disc.  This is a beautiful setting for oboe and strings with rich harmonic writing and a romantic sweep.  “Early Days” continues this sad, yet still warm tone that will take a more upbeat mood when young Tag is named along with the puppies he will be raised with early in the film.  The score has a somewhat classical feel as it begins to unfold in “The Friendship” and eventually takes on a more playful move with great interplay among winds, horn and strings.  Still things tend to hinge on Johnson’s heartbreaking main theme which recurs to add emotional punch to practically every cue here.  Some moments of light humor are also wonderfully scored in “Tag’s Escapades”.  As the story moves to its climax, the music reaches as well into some great action and dramatic scoring for “The Belstone Hunt”—with some great eerie harmonies before the violence is unleashed; “Vendetta”; and the finale at “Badger Hill” with moments of musical austerity.

    The Belstone Fox is a very moving score with a beautiful theme that should melt your heart.  The hunting sequences add some great action music along the way as one is taken along this quite moving story.  The booklet is attractively designed with great notes by Randall D. Larson.