With the 100th anniversary of when the Titanic set sail and the release of the popular James Cameron film “TITANIC in 3D”, “TITANIC: Collector’s Anniversary Edition” is a wonderful set which includes the remastered version of the two original soundtracks plus two new additional soundtracks featuring music from the 1900’s. A wonderful set for “Titanic” fans featuring the fantastic music of James Horner and also for fans of ragtime and classic jazz music. “TITANIC: Collector’s Anniversary Edition” is highly recommended!
Click here to purchase the “TITANIC: Collector’s Anniversary Edition” on Amazon
TITLE: TITANIC: Collector’s Anniversary Edition
LABEL: Sony Classical
DURATION: DISC ONE: TITANIC “ Music from the Motion Picture (1:16:35), DISC TWO: I Salonisti: Gentlemen, It Has Been a Privilege Playing with You Tonight (57:39), DISC THREE: Back to TITANIC (1:16:35), DISC FOUR: Popular Music from the Titanic Era (43:16)
RELEASE DATE: March 26, 2012
DISC ONE: TITANIC “Music from the Motion Picture”
1. Never an Absolution
2. Distant Memories
3. Southampton
4. Rose
5. Leaving Port
6. “Take Her to Sea, Mr. Murdoch”
7. “Hard to Starboard”
8. Unable to Stay, Unwilling to Leave
9. The Sinking
10. Death of Titanic
11. A Promise Kept
12. A Life So Changed
13. An Ocean of Memories
14. My Heart Will Go On (performed by Celine Dion)
15. Hymn to the Sea
DISC TWO: I Salonisti: Gentlemen, It Has Been a Privilege Playing with You Tonight
1. Valse Septembre
2. Marguerite Waltz
3. Wedding Dance
4. Poet and Peasant
5. Blue Danube
6. Song Without Words
7. Estudiantina
8. Vision of Salome
9. Titsy Bitsy Girl
10. Alexander’s Ragtime Band
11. Sphinx
12. Barcarole
13. Orpheus
14. Song of Autumn
15. Nearer My God to Thee
Included only on TITANIC: Collector’s Anniversary Edition
DISC THREE: Back to TITANIC
1. Titanic Suite
2. An Irish Party In Third Class (performed by Gaelic Storm)
3. Alexander’s Ragtime Band (performed by I Salonisti)
4. The Portrait
5. Jack Dawson’s Luck
6. A Building Panic
7. Nearer My God to Thee (performed by I Salonisti)
8. Come Josephine, In My Flying Machine (performed by Máire Brennan)
9. Lament
10. A Shore Never Reached
11. My Heart Will Go On – with dialogue from the film (performed by Celine Dion)
12. Epilogue: The Deep And Timeless Sea
DISC FOUR: Popular Music from the Titanic Era
1. It’s a Long Way to Tipperary (John McCormack)
2. Let Me Call You Sweetheart (Halfway House Dance Orchestra)
3. Vilia (Guy Lombardo & His Orchestra)
4. My Gal Sal (Chick Bullock & His Levee Loungers)
5. Oh! You Beautiful Doll (Chuck Foster & His Orchestra)
6. Martha (Adrian Rollinoi Trio)
7. In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree (Duke Ellington & His Orchestra)
8. Waiting at the Church (Beatrice Kay)
9. Frasquita Serenade (John Kirby & His Orchestra)
10. Shine On, Harvest Moon (Hal Kemp)
11. From the Land of the Sky Blue Water (Mildred Bailey & Her Orchestra)
12. Loch Lomond (Maxine Sullivan & Her Orchestra)
13. A Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight (Miff Mole’s Molers)
Reviewed back in 2012
For anyone who loved the 1997 James Cameron film “Titanic” or anyone who fell in love with the film’s music soundtrack, will definitely want to pick up “Titanic: Collector’s Anniversary Edition”.
Featuring four fantastic soundtracks including the wonderful compositions by James Horner, the classic hit “My Heart Will Go On” by Celine Dion plus more wonderful music that captures the essence of the film but also music of that era.
As a fan of the film, I have watched “TITANIC” multiple times on the big screen when it was first released. And after the first time I watched the film, I traveled store after store many distances away just to find the music soundtrack. I loved the movie, I loved the soundtrack but at the time, there was only one soundtrack which featured James Horner’s wonderful music but yet, I admit to feeling a bit deflated because the film had so much music and little over a dozen made it into the original soundtrack. To put it bluntly, the best musical score from the film was not included on the first soundtrack. Also, the version of “My Heart Will Go On” was the album version and not the version that was played on the radio or on the music video.
The following year, a second soundtrack titled “Back to TITANIC” was released. And this was the soundtrack that many people wanted to hear. The moving, beautiful and emotional score by James Horner along with the London Symphony Orchestra and the Choirsters of King’s College, Cambridge. The soundtrack would feature the music that people remember from the film.
The second soundtrack also included clips from the film especially the dialogue mix of “My Heart Will Go On” which was played on multiple radio stations and on MTV and VH1 (back when they used to show music videos).
But there was so much more music from the film that have yet to be released and here we are 15-years-later to celebrate the 100th year anniversary that the Titanic set sail (April 10, 1912) and also the April 4th theatrical release of “TITANIC in 3D”. And for many film fans, seeing what James Cameron was able to accomplish with “AVATAR”, many wonder how far he can take “TITANIC”, a film released in 1997, to the 3D realm. But we’ll have to wait and see.
For now, the good news is that with the release of “TITANIC in 3D”, that means a possible revisit to the music of “TITANIC” and fortunately, hearing the music that was missing from the film.
And let’s just say that my eyes were open wide when I found out that Sony Classical would be releasing “TITANIC: Anniversary Edition” and “TITANIC: Collector’s Anniversary Edition” on March 26th.
Both soundtracks includes remastered versions of the original “TITANIC” soundtrack with extensive bonus material. The Collector’s Anniversary Edition will include two new additional soundtracks (“I Salonisti: Gentleman, It Has Been a Privilege Playing With You Tonight” and “Back to TITANIC”). Including the original “TITANIC” soundtrack (which sold over 25 million units worldwide) and “BACK TO TITANIC” (which sold over 3 million units worldwide).
While I am reviewing a digital version of the soundtrack provided to me by Sony Classical, I am unable to comment on what extensive bonus material the soundtracks come with, aside from the fact that I do know that 4 bonus vintage Titanic luggage stickers would be included.
Other than that, I’m going to focus on the two new soundtracks that have been released in the “Titanic: Collector’s Anniversary Edition”. As for the remastered original two soundtracks, I will say that the primary difference is that the recordings are much more pronounced and louder than the original CD soundtracks.
But for those who loved the film, it’s one thing to get the remastered versions of the first two original soundtracks but the Collector’s Anniversary Edition is the version I recommend.
The first new soundtrack included on this new edition features “I Salonisti: Gentlemen, It Has Been a Privilege Playing with you Tonight”. For those who remember the 5-piece quintet that appeared in the film, this soundtrack features their music. And yes, I Salonisti was not a group of actors hired to play musicians in the film, it’s an actual band that formed back in 1983 and is known for playing serious and light chamber music from every period and variety of musical styles.
For “Titanic”, James Cameron did a lot of research into the music that would be played on the ship and he hired I Salonisti to record authentic music from the period, specifically music that all bands from the White Star Line would have been required to perform when hired to play as employees of the prestigious cruise fleet.
Along with arranger and music historian/advisor John Altman, he oversaw the process and was tasked with taking the White Star Line official playlist, arrange and recording those songs for the film. Two of the marquee songs on the disc “Nearer My God to Thee” which was the last song played by the band as the ship went down and “Song of Autumn” which does not appear in the film but it is rumored to be the actual song that the band played when Titanic went down.
For me, the inclusion of “I Salonisti: Gentlemen, It Has Been a Privilege Playing with you Tonight” is remarkable as I Salonisti was one of my memories of the film. To hear their music played, the violin and bass, the emotions that you feel from their music is fantastic. From the beautiful piano and violin playing in harmony for “Valse Septembre” and “Marguerite Waltz”, to the violins that capture your ears with “Wedding Dance” and “Blue Danube”.
And for any hardcore fans who were moved by their music, the addition of this soundtrack is wonderful.
The fourth soundtrack “Popular Music from the Titanic Era” has become my new favorite and a soundtrack that I have listened to many times. With the fourth soundtrack, songs from the early 1900’s are featured. It’s important to note that some songs on the album are later songs made after 1912.
The first track features “It’s a Long Way to Tipperary” from John McCormack. This British music hall song was released in 1912 and was a popular song that people listened to during the First World War and is a song by Jack Judge who wrote about his Irish family and his grandparents from Tipperary. While the song came out in 1912, the version included is the 1914 version and is the most popular version sung by McCormack.
“Let Me Call You Sweetheart” is the second track on the album and is performed by the Halfway House Dance Orchestra. This song was quite popular back in 1910. The version featured on this soundtrack is an instrumental version.
The third track is “Vilia” performed by Guy Lombardo and his orchestra. Guy Lombardo was a popular Canadian-American bandleader and violinist and was quite successful during the 1920’s.
“My Gal Sal” is the fourth track on the album and is performed by Chick Bullock & His Levee Loungers and the song is about 1890’s composer and songwriter Paul Dresser about his singer Sally Elliott. The story was made into a biopic in 1942 by 20th Century Fox and starred Rita Hayworth and Victor Mature.
The fifth track “Oh! You Beautiful Doll” is performed by Chuck Foster & His Orchestra. The popular 1911 ragtime song was known for being the first to use a twelve-bar opening.
The sixth track “Martha” is performed by the Adrian Rollinoi Trio and is a fun guitar/xylophone track.
“In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree” is the seventh track on the album and was a popular song from 1905 originally written by Harry Williams and Egbert Van Alstyne. This version is performed by Duke Ellington & His Orchestra.
The seventh track “Waiting at the Church” is a popular and humorous British music hall song originally sung by Vesta Victoria and about a woman who gave her fiance to buy her a ring or house but left her waiting at the church and finds out that he is married. This version is performed by singer/vaudevilian/actress Beatrice Kay.
“Frasquita Serenade” is the eighth song in the soundtrack and features a performance by John Kirby & His Orchestra. The song was released back in 1923.
The ninth song on the album is “Shine On, Harvest Moon”, the popular early 1900’s song originally made by married vaudeville team Nora Bayes and Jack Norworth. This version features a performance by bandleader Hal Kemp.
The tenth track is “From the Land of the Sky-Blue Water” performed by American jazz singer, Mildred Bailey & Her Orchestra. The original version of the song was released back in 1909 and is based on an Omaha love song collected by Alice C. Fletcher. The song is probably best known for its performance by Groucho Marx in the 1940 film “Go West”, but this version is possibly a 1930’s version (during the height of Mildred Bailey’s career).
“Loch Lomond” (or best known as “The Bonnie Banks o’ Loch Lomond”) is the eleventh track on the album performed by Maxine Sullivan & Her Orchestra. This song was made in 1841 and is a well-known traditional Scottish song. This version of the song was performed by popular American jazz vocalist Maxine Sullivan in 1937 and a song that she is best known for.
The final track on this album is a violin version of “A Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight”, an American ragtime song composed back in 1896 and was used by the American military at the turn of the 20th century. This version of the song. is performed by jazz trombonist and band leader, Miff Mole via his band Miff Mole’s Molers.
“TITANIC: Collector’s Anniversary Edition” is a wonderful collection of music from the film and also a collection of music that would have been played in 1912 on the Titanic. While not all the music from the movie is included in this anniversary collection, including the popular version of “My Heart Will Go On” by Celine Dion (note: you do get the album version of “My Heart Will Go On” and dialogue mix version, which is the popular version mixed with audio dialogue between Rose and Jack), the fact that you do get the additional two soundtracks is fantastic!
For me, as a fan of ragtime and jazz music from that era, I was pleased with the two new soundtracks featuring I Salonisti but also the collection of music from the 1900’s as well.
As for the original two soundtracks, they are remastered and sound much better and louder than the original but what it comes down to is your love for the film and its music. The first two soundtrack’s capture James Horner’s musical scores while the original two soundtracks is geared to the hardcore fans who want everything. For me, I loved the film so much that “TITANIC: Collector’s Anniversary Edition” with the two additional soundtracks was a no-brainer. But it all comes down to preference as for those who just want the original two soundtracks will be fine with the 2-CD “TITANIC: Anniversary Edition”.
Overall, with the 100th anniversary of when the Titanic set sail and the release of the popular James Cameron film “TITANIC in 3D”, “TITANIC: Collector’s Anniversary Edition” is a wonderful set which includes the remastered version of the two original soundtracks plus two new additional soundtracks featuring music from the 1900’s. A wonderful set for “Titanic” fans featuring the fantastic music of James Horner and also for fans of ragtime and classic jazz music. “TITANIC: Collector’s Anniversary Edition” is highly recommended!
Click here to purchase the “TITANIC: Collector’s Anniversary Edition” on Amazon
