Every weekend I'm going to attempt to cover one episode of a TV show scored by Arthur B. This week I'll start with THE PHOENIX which was a short lived television series that starred Judson Scott as an ancient astronaut who is discovered in a sarcophagus in a Peruvian tomb. The show only lasted for 5 episodes on ABC even though 8 episodes were produced. The premise of the show has Bennu of the Golden Light (Scott) searching for his partner Mira and the reason why he was unearthed too soon. Bennu has super powers, like many of the main characters from shows of this era, but his strength is dependent on the sun. I clearly remember watching one episode of this show with my dad when I was five years old and being disappointed it did not come back on the next week.
Rubinstein's music for the pilot episode is the best from the series and utilizes a main theme for Bennu that does not appear again in the short run. The opening main theme is impressive and consists of strong brass writing with an octave leap and a repeated single phrase over a pedal tone with only a slight variation:
There are some experimental colors like this wild percussion and pizzicato string cue where Bennu escapes from the scientists who are doing experiments on him:
The main theme is soon explored on a pan flute when Bennu escapes to the beach with a photographer named Noel (Shelley Smith). Pan flutes at the beach always remind me of THE KARATE KID (1984) -- maybe this is where Bill Conti got the idea!
The warm tremolo string bed adds support to the theme along with the piano as Timmy is introduced:
Noel is a photographer who for some reason thought it was a good idea to pick up this strange alien hitchhiker who gives foot massages. She has a yearning minor theme which also acts as a sort of love theme for Bennu and does appear again for another woman who he meets in the series. It becomes an important part of the score later:
E.G. Marshall plays a supporting role as Dr. Ward Frazier, one of the scientists who unearthed Bennu, and helps him escape from the head of the Latin American Department of Antiquities Diego DeVarga. There are some interesting textural cues with synth for Bennu's mind powers:
After Bennu is shot more electronics are added to the score on the main theme. Bennu hides the amulet with Timmy who gives it back to him when he prepares to escape from the hospital:
There are a few exciting car chase sequences with repeating timpani, muted horn and trumpet. It all comes to a halt with French horns blowing dissonant clusters as Noel's car careens out of control and crashes off a bridge. The best dramatic use of Noel's theme is after she dies. A gorgeous statement of the theme is stated on trumpet and then the music returns to the main theme on pan flute with harp followed by an exciting synth and brass statement for the finale:
Overall the score is very beautiful and perfectly matches the spiritual elements of the series.
-- Brandon F.
No CD release but the new theme written for the opening of the rest of the series was mistakenly released on the FAKE OUT soundtrack. No DVD release.
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