Maurice Gibb: "A Breed Apart" - (Reconstructed unreleased 1984 soundtrack)

 

Hi, everybody!, Oscars month and we started it off with a unreleased soundtrack reconstructed. This is a special record, very, very difficult to reconstructed. I think that, one of the most. It has been a personal challenge, it took me almost a year to achieve it, because the material has been very complicated to find and then it had enough quality to be able to work and include it. The entire soundtrack has been restored and improved as much as my technical means have allowed me, but I think the result has been more than acceptable. But before we enjoy it, let's take a quick look at its history.

A Breed Apart  soundtrack by Maurice Gibb in his second collaboration with Jimmie Haskell, succeeded as a film score composer. A Breed Apart features Maurice’s score and two songs by Maurice.

The story takes place on an island that is home to rare eagles and a loner named Jim. A visitor named Mike comes to see the eagles, but once Jim leaves the island to see his friend Stella and her son Adam on the mainland, Mike plans to steal an eagle’s eggs for a collector he works for. The main title song ‘Hold Her in Your Hand’ appears to be about both Stella and the eagle. The other song ‘On Time’ appears in a scene during Jim’s visit to Stella.

The soundtrack was the very last recording session at the famous Gold Star Studio in Los Angeles in 1984.bit.ly/M-CiNn Maurice attended even though he did not play on the soundtrack— or so he believed. Jimmie Haskell said years later that he was very impressed by Maurice’s demos, especially his sensitive playing of the flute parts. He thinks Maurice did not know it, but Jimmie mixed the synthesizer flute into the finished recordings because he liked the sound so much.

The titles, timings, and running order above are from the tape box, which lists Maurice as producer and Dennis Hetzendorfer as engineer. These are the finished tracks for the soundtrack album. The score for the film itself included different and alternate recordings of the same musical themes. Maurice and Jimmie prepared a soundtrack album that was not released. This is the original line-up:

Side One: (16;02)

1.Hold Her In Your Hand.(4:22) / 2.A Breed Apart.(1:59) / 3.Jim's Theme.(3:17) / 4. Solitude. (2:34) / 5.The Intruders.(3:48)

Side Two: (19:36)

6. On Time [Rmk] (3;39)  / 7.Mike And The Mountains.(1:38) / 8. Adam's Dream.(3:56) / 9.A Touch Apart.(3:20) / 10.The Breed Ending.(2:29) / 11.Hold Her In Your Hand [Instrumental version].(4;30).

All songs by Maurice Gibb, except: track 1 & 11 by Maurice Gibb & Barry Gibb.

Jimmie Haskell — orchestral arrangement, /  Maurice Gibb — synthesizer, lead vocal on "Hold Her in Your Hand" and "On Time" / Dennis Hetzendorfer — engineer. / Maurice Gibb – producer.  February 1984, Gold Star, Los Angeles

A single of the new song, ‘Hold Her in Your Hand’, was released on September 1984 in Britain (Audiotrax) and by RCA in Australia, and South Africa. It was originally recorded by the Bee Gees  in the sessions of Living Eyes in 1981, but was not released at that time. The song was re-recorded for the film A Breed Apart.

The country ballad-style would have made it ideal for Kenny Rogers (as the Gibbs wrote songs for him in 1983) The instrumental mix Maurice made for the B side has a little of his backing vocal in it.

Finally, among all the discarded material I include some extras that I consider reach enough quality not to spoil this soundtrack.

Bonus tracks: (21:17)

12.A Breed Apart [Alternate] (2:16) / 13. The Intruders [Alternate Rough Mix] (3:37) / 14.On Time  (2:59) (Original Version) (*) / 15.Hold Her In Your Hand [Alternate Mix] (4:26) (**) / 16.Hold her in your hand [Instrumental Alternate Mix] (4:09) / 17.Hold Her In Your Hand (sung by Samantha Gibb) (3:47)

(*) B-side "My World" single.  Released on 14 January 1972. "On time" was recorded on 21 October1971 at IBC Studios. London. England.

(**) "Living Eyes Outtake".

Ok.., I hope you like it, I think so. Be good and see you soon with another promised soundtrack. Can you keep a secret? .., me too!.