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The Empire Strikes Back IMPERIAL "AUDIOPHILE" EDITION - Restored & Remastered Score - J. Williams & LSO (Released)

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This project is an updgrade on many points of the previous “Audiophile Edition”. It is my definitive set & fix.

<span style=“text-decoration: underline;”>© Copyrighted material:</span> You must own the Empire Strikes Back original motion picture soundtrack Special Edition if you mean to keep for yourselves a copy of the entire project presented here. If you own any other releases of this score, then you may select and keep for yourselves the material in common from the actual set.

THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK restored score

  • Composer / Conductor: John Williams
  • Performer: the London Symphony Orchestra
  • Project: multiple sources remixing, restoration and remastering.
  • Sources: 1980-1985 RSO/PolyGram (LPs & CD), 1993 Arista Anthology, 1997 RCA Special Edition, 1983 NPR Radio Drama.
  • Set:2CD (complete cues archive) + 2CD (edited score) + 1 CD (original album reconstructed and completed) + art covers, special booklet with liner notes and documentation, inside arts.
  • Format: Lossless Flac audio

Related projects:

Dark_Jedi & ABC’s IMPERIAL EDITION DVD - The restored score against the picture (B&W GOUT sourced restoration), featuring the completed original score as written for the 1980 final cut.

THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK AUDIOPHILE EDITION (version 1) - Check for a more complete presentation.

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- Check here the previous remixing/editing details (version 1)-

 

...What's new since:

  • EQ's: mostly 1993 sessions mixes tracks, using a 20Khz parametric equalizer to manage the 20Khz tone that is particular to these. Overall, the CD3 from the AE has been the main reference for new EQs. A lot of tracks from it then replace the previous CD1 & 2 ones.
  • Pitch corrections: 5M4/6M1; 6M3; 7M3; 9M4 + 1M2 Alt this one checked against the 1980 film mix)
  • Balance adjustment on a few tracks
  • New source occasionnaly used for enhancement: the NPR Radio Drama for 6M3; 10M1
  • Redone tracks: 6M2 (uses the film mix instead of the SE remix); 9M4, 1M2 Alt.
  • Editing: checked and corrected when needed against J Williams piano sketches manuscript (scoring sheets).
  • Other improvements: notably 8M2, bringing back the background details (xylophone(?) harmonics) from the sessions mix during Luke's vision passage.

 

+ A few other details.

 

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SET 1: The Complete Cue List Archive Collection

 



Disc 1

01. 1M1-1M2 Main Title - The Imperial Probe (original)
02. 1M3/2M1 Luke's Escape
03. 2M2 Ben's Instructions
04. 2M3 Luke's Rescue
05. 2M4 The Probe Scanner
06. 3M1 Drawing The Battle Lines
      3M2 Leia's Instructions
07. 3M3 The Snow Battle
08. 3M4/4M1 Luke's First Crash
09. 4M2 The Rebels Escape Again
10. 4M3 The Asteroid Field
11. 5M1 Crash Landing
12. 5M2 Yoda Appears
13. 5M3 Yoda's Entrance
14. 5M4/6M1 Solo And The Princess
15. 6M2 Yoda's Teaching
16. 6M3 This Is Not A Cave
17. 6M4 Training A Jedi
18. 6M5/7M1 The Magic Tree
19. 7M2 Attack Position
20. 7M3 Yoda Raises The Ship
21. 7M4/8M1 Vader's Command


Disc 2

01. 8M2 City In The Clouds
02. 8M3 Lando's Palace
03. 9M1 Luke To The Rescue
04. 9M2 Vader Shows Up
05. 9M3 Putting ThreePio Together
06. 9M4 Trouble In Prison
07. 9M6/10M1 Carbon Freeze (original)
08. 10M2 Luke Pursues The Captives
09. 10M3 Chewie Chokes Lando
10. 11M1 Through The Window
11. 12M1 Losing A Hand
12. 12M2 To Hyper-Space
13. 12M3 Finale
    12M4 End Credits

CONCERT VERSIONS:
 
14. Darth Vader's Theme
15. Yoda's Theme

BONUS MATERIAL:

16. Fox Fanfare (Empire sessions recording)
17. 1M1-1M2 Main Title / The Imperial Probe (Alt inserts)
18. 12M2+2M3 Snowspeeder (film edit)
19. 4M3 The Asteroid Field (film cut)
20. 9M6/10M1 Carbon Freeze (Alt insert version)
21. 7M3+12M3 Finale (film edit)
      12M4 End Credits (Alt March Insert film version)

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SET 2 - The Restored Original Score & Suites As Written For The Film (for no confusion: is not the IE DVD music track - tracks here are uncut excepted one... See the SE ? You've got the idea then)




DISC 1

1. Main Title / Ice Planet:

   1M1 Main Title
   1M2 The Imperial Probe

2. Heroics Of Luke And Han:

   1M3/2M1 Luke's Escape
   2M2 Ben's Instructions
   2M3 Luke's Rescue

3. Aboard The Executor:


   2M4 The Probe Scanner

4. The Battle Of Hoth:

   3M1 Drawing The Battle Lines
   3M2 Leia's Instructions
   3M3 The Snow Battle
   3M4/4M1 Luke's First Crash
   4M2 The Rebels Escape Again

5. The Asteroid Field:

   4M3 The Asteroid Field

6. Swamps Of Dagobah:

   5M1 Crash Landing

7. Luke's Nocturnal Visitor:

   5M2 Yoda Appears
   5M3 Yoda's Entrance
  
8. Han And The Princess / Vader And The Emperor:

   5M4/6M1 Solo And The Princess

9. Jedi Master Revealed / Mynock Cave:


   6M2 Yoda's Teaching
   6M3 This Is Not A Cave

10. The Dark Side Of The Force:

   6M4 Training A Jedi
   6M5/7M1 The Magic Tree

11. Attack Position:

   7M2 Attack Position

12. Yoda And The Force:


   7M3 Yoda Raises The Ship



DISC 2:

01. Darth Vader's Command:

   7M4/8M1 Vadar's Command

02. The City In The Clouds:
  
   8M2 City In The Clouds

03. Lando's Palace / Luke's Promise:

   8M3 Lando's Palace

04. Leia's Worries:

   9M1 Luke To The Rescue

05. Betrayal At Bespin:

   9M2 Vader Shows Up

06. Captives:

   9M3 Putting ThreePio Together

07. Deal With Darth Vader:

   9M4 Trouble In Prison

08. Darth Vader's Trap:
  
   9M6/10M1 Carbon Freeze
   10M2 Luke Pursues The Captives
   10M3 Chewie Chokes Lando

09. The Duel:

   11M1 Through The Window

10. Revelation / Escape From Bespin:

   12M1 Losing A Hand
   12M2 To Hyper-Space

11. The Rebel Fleet / End Titles:

   12M3 Finale
   12M4 End Credits

12. The Imperial March

13. Yoda's Theme

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SET 3: The RSO album reconstructed & completed (fixed). (78:10)

 


1. Main Title / Ice Planet / The Wampa's Lair
2. Snowspeeders
3. The Imperial March 
4. The Battle In The Snow
5. Luke First Crash 
6. The Rebel Escape  (alternate mix)
7. The Asteroid Field 
8. Nocturnal Visitor

9. Yoda's Theme
10. Han And The Princess / Vader And The Emperor
11. Jedi Master Revealed / Mynock Cave
12. Training A Jedi / The Magic Tree 
13. Yoda And The Force
14. The City In The Clouds 
15. Lando's Palace/Luke's Promise 
16. Departure Of Boba Fett 
17. The Duel
18. Hyperspace 
19. The Rebel Fleet/End Title (Album Version)

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- SAMPLES -

 

DRAWING THE BATTLE LINES (Set 1, CD1)

 

DARTH VADER'S TRAP (aka the "Carbon Freeze" Suite; Set 2, CD2)

 

HYPERSPACE (Set1, CD2)

 

 

If you know the previous version of the "Audiophile Edition", you can compare the new EQ's for the Session mixes, and appreciate the new balance level for "Departure Of Boba Fett" wich missed some "juice" on the left before. This correction allowed a neat editing besides.

I hope you'll forgive me to have left in place the LP layer's end on this last track (end wich was originally lifted from the end of 9M3). That may be one of the only "error" on the whole set, with an unrestored pitch issue (it seems) on a few seconds at the end of the Alt March Set 1, CD2, tr 21, 12M4.

 

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Excellent.  I await the final results.  :)

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As it seems none else cares to update his set I'll send it to you then. Since you announced your soundtrack preservation project, I may leave the share to you (as we said) cause now I know I won't do anything about SW's musics again, and I don't see what could I add posting in this thread. Of course I'll send it to the few people I worked with personally.

I don't know in what shape you'll receive it btw. I may just join and even reduce the current 16 pages booklet with the essential again of a couple of pages, and only upload SET 2, extended or not with the bonuses from SET 1. Otherwise it will take too much time for me to prepare and it appears it's not worth it this time. I'm already "far far away" from this project besides.

 

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Okay.  Well, I still have very much enthusiasm for this and the fixes, so it will be great to get it and replace the tracks.  Once I replace them and have it in order, we can discuss how I might share it if indeed anyone still wants it.

Thank you A B C!

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These are not replacement tracks for the AE... Let don't spread the confusion I'm trying to avoid! :D

There are too much changes besides.

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Yeah, my bad.  The AE stands on it's own and the IE is different.  'Nuff said.  :)

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I, for one, would love to get a copy of this!  I had waited to comment on it because your initial post said the project was on hold, but absolutely, I'd love to hear any changes you've made.  Your first set was so good; if you think what you've done here is better... I'm all in favor of that!

Quick question:  I don't have a copy of the Imperial Edition DVD, but have seen where I could download it.  The audio track on that DVD... is it PCM?  I'm asking because it's sort of sounding as if you're ready to move on (you mentioned it doesn't seem as if it's "worth it" since no one else had chimed in), and if that's so... if I ripped the audio track from the DVD, would that give me Set 2 from what you're discussing here?  Just checking, but I'd still love to get a copy of this from you, or from JediTray, if that's a possibility.

Thanks for your work!

Eric

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Yes, the audio is PCM.

So the question is, is ripping the audio from the DVD the best option for the IE?

I want to hear back from A B C before pursuing that myself.

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Two things:

1) You have in the IE DVD post 1 (or on the backcover) all the detail: film version cut / or not. It doesn't entirely match with the current SET 2 then. Great for the DVD, but for a CD listening experience you'll curse me for sure, haha !

2) The PCM audio has been converted from 44,1Khz to 48Khz. Sure that a new convertion to 44,1Khz will mess up the tracks.

Note: only "Losing a Hand" has been left as edited for the film on Set 2. I think it really gives a better cue. It misses only two tiny bits that are welcome out, and the editing between the many segues is better done (more dynamic) than on the original.

 

fleminec said:

... Your first set was so good; if you think what you've done here is better... I'm all in favor of that!...

I've posted two samples (that are 4 tracks). If anyone wants to say what he feels about these by comparison with the AE, nice. Otherwise no worries, I think I'm used to this kind of silence now.

 

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Ah, just as I was starting to toy with the idea of extracting the PCM.  I was going to separate and convert to FLAC, but that would be a severe pain in the ass.  A B C, what format do you have for the original material on the IE DVD?  I don't mind doing the tagging and so forth, but if I can avoid having to rip PCM and separating, that would be grand!  As for the samples, I think I chimed in on those already, but I'll say again that they are fantastic.  :)

If you want to make the original files available to me, and covers, etc., I can try to distribute however you see fit.

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I thought our first posts of today said it all for now. I can't see why you ask me about the original audio for the DVD... Afraid that I leave without giving a goodbye kiss ?... I'm not posting here to tease people, you know.

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No, I just think that maybe we have a language barrier.  I tell you what.  Forget I ever asked and anyone that is interested can find their own way.  Savvy?

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Maybe we have a language barrier indeed. If anyone else wants to explains to the stupid frenchy that I am what he meant... ;)

 

Edit & ps: sorry, I guess I maybe took things wrong for myself and I hope you'll hear this: it was such a long way to present this set the best way I could that it makes me sad you would satisfy with the DVD version I made.

I wish I can help the few people interested with having the best of it, as I said above: SET2 + the bonus tracks. That's the essential. If I have indeed some language barriers regarding what is beeing said sometimes, it still allows me to go straight to the point in the way to present this score as it should be.

I don't want at all to propose the audio from the DVD because of the necessary cuts that have been done, so I can't understand why you're after it in regard of the current CD set. Simply. The very original audio for the DVD you're after will be found only through the current set besides (What I sent to D_J was the exact track you have on the DVD).

I hope it clears it all.

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No, I don't understand and I am tired of dealing with it.  I thought that there were going to be fixes made available for the AE.  Apparently not.  I thought there was going to be FLAC available for the IE.  Apparently not.  So, I am making my own FLAC of the IE and retiring the AE, simply because I don't know what the hell version is the best to keep anymore.  I will probably retire both the AE and IE in favor of my project to save my sanity because I don't know what end is up on your releases anymore.

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Huh, ok. Sorry if I spread such a confusion.

Well, I'd have been glad to simplify the problem as you say: by only proposing replacement tracks.

Then why not doing this ?... I just can't just "replace" the tracks even for myself. They just don't match anymore due to several changes that were necessary to be made:

It concerns, if you study a little the infos I've given to present the current set, almost all the session mixes EQs + a couple of source changes. And also, someone great sent me a copy of John Williams manuscript (piano sketches) for the whole score, and it appears after having studied these that a couple of editing choices from me were wrong on the AE. I haven't detailed this anywhere. It changes the AE as it was presented.

For you understand further only a few tracks, no more than four or them are the very same from the AE to the IE. But you already know cause you've seen announced all the details of the changes in the AE thread... here. It misses a couple of fixes though.

Sorry I can't reply to your personal request the way you wished JediTray. I thought you got it when I read your post 11 after my simple explanation by pm.

Also sorry for my love for details and precision (both content and presentation), though I keep on thinking that it's the best thing I've been able to bring to this score through my work. Thanks to show me it's welcome

If now you prefer dealing it through "fuckwit factor" ways for yourself, no worries. It's a choice. Not the one people are fighting for through this place though.

Regards.

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Again I don't fully understand you, but whatever.  This experience has made me tired and frustrated, so I have removed it from my system so I can start anew with my collection.  To me, the official releases are the only answer to this AE IE WTF collection anyway.  At least I know what to expect from the official releases, and what the track names are.  I have decided not to pursue ripping the IE, as my patience level has been passed.

I sincerely hope that you are not calling me a fuckwit.

I don't know how to take any of your posts because frankly your use of English is confusing as hell.

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No worries. Be sure there was no insult in my post, of course. And for what are the title changes they're from the original scoring list. Maybe a detail, but I chose to present it as close as it was originally intented.

All the best with your projects, sincerely.

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fleminec said:

 

... I'm asking because it's sort of sounding as if you're ready to move on (you mentioned it doesn't seem as if it's "worth it" since no one else had chimed in)...

 

By the way, I wanted to reply to this but I forgot. I have made this thread a couple of weeks ago and maybe it needs more time. I'll watch this thread around December to see if it gets serious attention... You'll allow me a few doubts for the moment, even apart from what the latest discussion would inspire to any sincere contributor.

 

Read you soon then, and all the best.

- ABC

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I'm interested. Naturally. How the best can sound better is beyond me.

I understand the improved Audiophile and RSO discs. So, essentially the Imperial disc is sort of like a film mix (or rather cut)?

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Uncut (one exception). Edited title of post 4:

SET 2 - The Restored Original Score & Suites As Written For The Film (for no confusion: is not the IE DVD music track - tracks here are uncut excepted one... See the SE ? You've got the idea then)

You know my care for details... Each single edited track has been mentionned since the beginning.

edit: I'm gonna take a rest from tiping in English, guys. ;)