REVENGE: Original Soundtrack by Jack Nitzsche
‘There’s only one passion more uncontrollable than love.’
Dragon’s Domain Records presents the soundtrack release of REVENGE, featuring music composed by Jack Nitzsche (ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST, THE RAZOR’S EDGE, STARMAN) for the 1990 thriller directed by Tony Scott (THE HUNGER, TOP GUN, CRIMSON TIDE), starring Kevin Costner (THE UNTOUCHABLES, BULL DURHAM, DANCES WITH WOLVES), Madeleine Stowe (STAKEOUT, CHINA MOON, TWELVE MONKEYS) and the legendary Anthony Quinn (GUNS OF NAVARONE, ZORBA THE GREEK, LION OF THE DESERT), Tomas Milian, James Gammon, Sally Kirkland, Miguel Ferrer and John Leguizamo.
REVENGE tells the story of fighter pilot Jay Cochran (Cochran), recently retired from the Navy, who accepts an invitation from his friend, Tibey (Quinn) to visit him in Mexico and celebrate his retirement. Cochran arrives at Tibey’s mansion and encounters Tibey’s beautiful trophy wife, Miryea (Stowe). As they spend more time with each other, Jay and Miryea both begin to feel an undeniable attraction and in a moment of weakness, they give in to their desire. With the knowledge that Tibey is possessive and vindictive and a man of great power in the Mexican underworld, they struggle to keep their affair a secret. When Tibey discovers the relationship, he sets in motion a chain of events that will change all of their lives…
REVENGE was based on a 1979 novella by Jim Harrison published in Esquire magazine. With a script co-written by Harrison and Jeffrey Fiskin, the production was filmed entirely on location in Mexico (Puerto Vallarta, Durango, Mexico City, Cholula, and Cuernavaca, primarily) with cinematography by Jeffrey Kimball, who had worked with Scott on his previous two films.
Composer Jack Nitzsche had been recommended to Tony Scott by producer Ray Stark. After discussing Scott’s viewpoint on his film and the kind of music he had in mind, Nitzsche went off to his studio to compose the music, creating a predominantly synth-based score, centered around a beautiful love theme. Legendary guitarist Tommy Tedesco came in to play live acoustic guitar on several tracks. Live piano and guitar along with sampled pan-pipes and strings dominated the instrumental pallet along with percussion and a variety of synth tonalities.
Oscar-winning composer Jack Nitzsche (1937-2000) had come out of rock music, where he began his career as a songwriter before coming into prominence as an arranger and conductor for a number of notable producers, most significantly Phil Spector. He wrote his first film score in 1965, but it was in the 1970s and ‘80s that he began to focus on film composition more steadily, composing such works as HARDCORE, STARMAN, THE RAZOR’s EDGE, STAND BY ME and THE SEVENTH SIGN.
Previously released on compact disc by Silva Screen Records at the time of the film’s release, REVENGE has become difficult to find over the years. Dragon’s Domain Records is excited to bring REVENGE back into the marketplace, newly remastered by Digital Outland, along with previously unreleased music. With this remastered reissue of the REVENGE score, Dragon’s Domain Records are following Jack Nitzsche’s original album program that he sequenced for the 1990 Silva Screen original soundtrack release and adding several previously unreleased tracks to bring the program up to a proper CD length. A suggested listening sequence is contained in the liner notes.
01. Love Theme 4:39
02. Friendship 1:28
03. Miryea 3:24
04. Betrayal 2:03
05. Jeep Ride 1:25
06. On The Beach 3:08
07. Illicit Love 3:22
08. Tibey’s Revenge 3:35
09. Whorehouse & Healing 4:11
10. Dead Texan 2:38
11. Confrontation 3:37
12. Miryea’s Death 5:19
13. End Credits 3:02
BONUS TRACKS
14. Main Title 3:18
15. Cochran’s Goodbye 0:46
16. Burnt Cabin 0:54
17. Drive to Town 1:17
18. Elefante Killing 1:53
19. Guys on Rooftop 0:54
20. Miryea’s Death / End Credits (Film Version) 8:21
Total Time: 59:59
Music Composed by JACK NITZSCHE
Produced by MICHAEL HOENIG
Score published by EMI Worldtrax Music Inc. (ASCAP)
