Release Date:
Downloads include choice of MP3, WAV, or FLAC
BSXDG0216
Includes Digital Booklet
BSX DIGITAL presents a premiere release of music from the original score to FOR US, THE LIVING: THE MEDGAR EVERS STORY, composed by the great Gerald Fried (THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E., STAR TREK, ROOTS) for the 1983 dramatic film directed by Michael Schulz, written by Ossie Davis, J. Rotcop,based on the book by Myrlie Evers-Williams and William Peters, starring Howard E. Rollins, Jr., Irene Cara, Margaret Avery, Roscoe Lee Browne, Laurence Fishburne, Janet Maclachlan, Thalmus Rasulala, Dick Anthony Williams and Paul Winfield.
Originally airing as an episode of AMERICAN PLAYHOUSE, an anthology series on PBS in 1983, FOR US, THE LIVING: THE MEDGAR EVERS STORY covers the final years of Evers (Rollins, Jr.), who pushed for integration in a racially segregated Mississippi as the first field secretary for the NAACP, as his family faced constant death threats while he fought to give African Americans fair and equal rights. His life was cut short at the age of 37 when he was murdered outside his home by a white supremacist just hours after President John F. Kennedy delivered a powerful speech on television about equal rights. Ossie Davis and J. Rotcop won a Writer’s Guide Award for Best Adapted Drama - Anthology for their script based on the book by Myrlie Evers-Williams and William Peters.
Gerald Fried was a logical choice to compose the score for this project, given his previous work on the mini-series ROOTS and its various sequels. For this film, he drew inspiration from spiritual hymns originating in the slavery era to underscore the injustices and tragedies depicted on screen. The orchestral ensemble consists of a small chamber orchestra of approximately 25 musicians, supplemented by vocalists.
Born February, 1928 in the Bronx, Gerald Fried’s interest in music found its first fruition at the High School of Music & Art in New York City. He attended The Juilliard School of Music asan oboe major, graduating in 1945. Among his earliest friends was a bright kid named Stanley Kubrick. The two of them used to hang around Greenwich Village and talk about their budding interests, Fried’s in classical music and Kubrick’s in filmmaking. Their interests merged when Kubrick began filming DAY OF THE FIGHT, an 18-minute short about boxing. Knowing Fried was a music major, Kubrick asked him if he could write the score for his boxing picture. Fried agreed, then spent months going to the movies to learn how film scores worked as there were no schools or courses on film music in those days. Fried wrote an effective score, and Kubrick sold the film to RKO Pathé. Fried rejoined Kubrick to score four more of his films, including THE KILLING and PATHS TO GLORY,where the young filmmaker first gained his reputation.
After the success of THE KILLING in 1956, Kubrick moved to Los Angeles, shortly followed by Fried, who was immediately hired to compose and arrange music for several films, including THE VAMPIRE, THE RETURN OF DRACULA, MACHINE GUN KELLY and I, MOBSTER, I BURY THE LIVING, and TIMBUKTU (1959). By the 1960s, Fried moved into television, scoring episodes of such seminal shows of the decade as GILLIGAN’S ISLAND, THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E., MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE and STAR TREK. By the 1970s Fried was composing music for numerous made-for-TV movies. His best-known score of the decade was for the 1977 miniseries ROOTS, which he took over scoring when Quincy Jones fell behind and was unable to meet the broadcast deadline for the eight-hour miniseries. Both Jones and Fried won Emmy Awards for their musical efforts on the series. During the ‘80s, Fried continued to compose music for television series, movies, and documentaries, and an occasional feature film. These are just two of the many magnificent scores Fried wrote throughout his career. The composer passed away on February 17, 2023 at the age of 95. His work remains a testament to his talent and dedication to the art of composition and he isremembered as a key figure in the evolution of music for film and television.
BSX Digital presents the premiere release of FOR US, THE LIVING: THE MEDGAR EVERS STORY, featuring music composed by Gerald Fried. The music has been remastered by James Nelson at Digital Outland and includes liner notes by author David Hirsch.
FOR US, THE LIVING: THE MEDGAR EVERS STORY - ORIGINAL SCORE FROM THE MOTION PICTURE
Gerald Fried
$8.95
Downloads include choice of MP3, WAV, or FLAC
BSXDG0216
Includes Digital Booklet
BSX DIGITAL presents a premiere release of music from the original score to FOR US, THE LIVING: THE MEDGAR EVERS STORY, composed by the great Gerald Fried (THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E., STAR TREK, ROOTS) for the 1983 dramatic film directed by Michael Schulz, written by Ossie Davis, J. Rotcop,based on the book by Myrlie Evers-Williams and William Peters, starring Howard E. Rollins, Jr., Irene Cara, Margaret Avery, Roscoe Lee Browne, Laurence Fishburne, Janet Maclachlan, Thalmus Rasulala, Dick Anthony Williams and Paul Winfield.
Originally airing as an episode of AMERICAN PLAYHOUSE, an anthology series on PBS in 1983, FOR US, THE LIVING: THE MEDGAR EVERS STORY covers the final years of Evers (Rollins, Jr.), who pushed for integration in a racially segregated Mississippi as the first field secretary for the NAACP, as his family faced constant death threats while he fought to give African Americans fair and equal rights. His life was cut short at the age of 37 when he was murdered outside his home by a white supremacist just hours after President John F. Kennedy delivered a powerful speech on television about equal rights. Ossie Davis and J. Rotcop won a Writer’s Guide Award for Best Adapted Drama - Anthology for their script based on the book by Myrlie Evers-Williams and William Peters.
Gerald Fried was a logical choice to compose the score for this project, given his previous work on the mini-series ROOTS and its various sequels. For this film, he drew inspiration from spiritual hymns originating in the slavery era to underscore the injustices and tragedies depicted on screen. The orchestral ensemble consists of a small chamber orchestra of approximately 25 musicians, supplemented by vocalists.
Born February, 1928 in the Bronx, Gerald Fried’s interest in music found its first fruition at the High School of Music & Art in New York City. He attended The Juilliard School of Music asan oboe major, graduating in 1945. Among his earliest friends was a bright kid named Stanley Kubrick. The two of them used to hang around Greenwich Village and talk about their budding interests, Fried’s in classical music and Kubrick’s in filmmaking. Their interests merged when Kubrick began filming DAY OF THE FIGHT, an 18-minute short about boxing. Knowing Fried was a music major, Kubrick asked him if he could write the score for his boxing picture. Fried agreed, then spent months going to the movies to learn how film scores worked as there were no schools or courses on film music in those days. Fried wrote an effective score, and Kubrick sold the film to RKO Pathé. Fried rejoined Kubrick to score four more of his films, including THE KILLING and PATHS TO GLORY,where the young filmmaker first gained his reputation.
After the success of THE KILLING in 1956, Kubrick moved to Los Angeles, shortly followed by Fried, who was immediately hired to compose and arrange music for several films, including THE VAMPIRE, THE RETURN OF DRACULA, MACHINE GUN KELLY and I, MOBSTER, I BURY THE LIVING, and TIMBUKTU (1959). By the 1960s, Fried moved into television, scoring episodes of such seminal shows of the decade as GILLIGAN’S ISLAND, THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E., MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE and STAR TREK. By the 1970s Fried was composing music for numerous made-for-TV movies. His best-known score of the decade was for the 1977 miniseries ROOTS, which he took over scoring when Quincy Jones fell behind and was unable to meet the broadcast deadline for the eight-hour miniseries. Both Jones and Fried won Emmy Awards for their musical efforts on the series. During the ‘80s, Fried continued to compose music for television series, movies, and documentaries, and an occasional feature film. These are just two of the many magnificent scores Fried wrote throughout his career. The composer passed away on February 17, 2023 at the age of 95. His work remains a testament to his talent and dedication to the art of composition and he isremembered as a key figure in the evolution of music for film and television.
BSX Digital presents the premiere release of FOR US, THE LIVING: THE MEDGAR EVERS STORY, featuring music composed by Gerald Fried. The music has been remastered by James Nelson at Digital Outland and includes liner notes by author David Hirsch.
