Pleasantville


RANDY NEWMAN’S PLEASANTVILLE SCORE
TO BE RELEASED AS A DELUXE EDITION 2-LP SET
The Deluxe Edition gatefold marks
the first-ever vinyl release of Newman’s score
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Los Angeles, CA (July 23, 2024) – Varèse Sarabande and Craft Recordings announce the first-ever vinyl release of Randy Newman’s classic score to the 1998 fantasy-comedy Pleasantville. This 2-LP Deluxe Edition will be available on Red, White and Blue swirl vinyl in North America, while the international edition is pressed on Translucent Tan vinyl. Releasing September 17 and available for pre-order today, this Deluxe Edition expands Randy Newman’s score for the film to 34 tracks and 66 minutes, with unreleased tracks, extended cues and much more. The 2-LP gatefold package includes a brand-new illustration by acclaimed artist Sim Sim on the cover.
Pleasantville (1998) is a high-concept fantasy-comedy about high-school siblings (Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon) transported into an idyllic, black-and-white 1950s Leave It to Beaver–type TV show. In the hands of writer/director Gary Ross, the film is more than just a fish-out-of-water tale with dazzling VFX—it is a touching character study and potent Civil Rights allegory that received critical acclaim and is fondly remembered today.
Scoring Pleasantville was a master of Americana, humor and symphonic scoring, Randy Newman. Newman had cheeky fun with the show-within-the-film’s old-school traditions, but just as the story blossoms into a heartfelt tale of emotional awakening—with a beautiful performance by Joan Allen as a repressed mother—so does the gorgeous score.
“Randy is unique in the fact that he can write with a depth of emotion, and he’s also an accomplished satirist,” says Gary Ross in the liner notes by Tim Greiving. “He could write to the vernacular of what the movie was, but not be limited by it. That’s what the film is trying to do, and it really needs someone who can understand the breadth of those intentions… I’ve never been happier with any score, on any movie.”
Randy Newman is one of the most heralded and beloved singer-songwriters in pop music history. Known for his sardonic humor in unique hits like “Short People” and “I Love L.A.,” he has made a lasting mark as a film composer (continuing the tradition of his esteemed Newman family) with such seminal scores as Ragtime, The Natural, Avalon, Awakenings and Seabiscuit, plus numerous blockbusters for Pixar, most notably the Toy Story films.
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Side A
Side B
Side C
Side D
* Previously unreleased
** Contains previously unreleased material
About Varèse Sarabande:
Varèse Sarabande is one of the leading and most prolific producers of film and television soundtracks. The label was formed as a merger between Varèse International Records (named for composer Edgar Varèse) and Sarabande Records (named after a musical dance form). Initially a classical label, Varèse Sarabande has released thousands of soundtracks and new recordings of classic film scores conducted by celebrated composers with the world’s best-known orchestras since 1977. The label upped the ante for fans by creating the Varèse Sarabande CD Club—releasing exclusive limited-edition deluxe soundtracks featuring rare and long-requested titles. The CD Club ran initially from 1989–92 and was restarted in 2001, and Varèse continues to create Deluxe Editions of cherished scores that might otherwise never see a release. Since joining Concord in 2018, Varèse Sarabande continues its mission to release new scores, high quality vinyl and Deluxe Edition soundtracks.
For more info, visit VareseSarabande.com and follow on Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
About Craft Recordings:
Craft Recordings is home to one of the largest and most essential collections of master recordings and compositions in the world. Its storied repertoire includes landmark releases from icons such as Joan Baez, John Coltrane, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Celia Cruz, Miles Davis, Isaac Hayes, John Lee Hooker, Little Richard, R.E.M., Joan Sebastian, and Traveling Wilburys. Plus, the catalog recordings of celebrated contemporary acts including A Day to Remember, Evanescence, Alison Krauss, Nine Inch Nails, Taking Back Sunday and Violent Femmes, to name just a few. Renowned imprints with catalogs issued under the Craft banner include Fania, Fantasy, Fearless, Musart, Nitro, Panart, Prestige, Riverside, Rounder, Specialty, Stax, Vanguard, Varèse Sarabande, Vee-Jay and Victory, among many others. Craft creates thoughtfully curated packages, with a meticulous devotion to quality and a commitment to preservation—ensuring that these recordings endure for new generations to discover. Craft is also home to the Billie Holiday and Tammy Wynette estates which preserve and protect their respective names, likeness and music through day-to-day legacy management of these cultural trailblazers.
Craft Recordings is the catalog label team for Concord. For more info, visit CraftRecordings.com and follow on Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
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