Back To The Future (1985) Alan Silvestri

First released October 13, 2014

Nothing about this release was easy! The scores were a mess, and there were multiple versions for each cue, sometimes as many as four versions. The parts proved to be invaluable, but there were still mistakes that needed to be addressed. When neither the score nor parts yielded any answers, it was up to the soundtrack to solve the problem. Then came the request to self-publish. The studio agreed if I wait six months to release my book at a specified date, so as not to interfere with another Universal publication containing a collection of themes from all three films. Then it came time to obtain permission to use the artwork on the cover. When it comes to their likeness in print, actors like to have a say, so the management for Michael J. Fox had to clear that hurdle. This then opened up a can of worms when it came to the attention of Bob Gale, the film’s producer. He had no idea all this was going on and quickly sent an email to the composer. Luckily, I had already ran it by Alan Silverstri who assured Bob that this was being done with his permission and the proper rights secured. This has been another very popular release.

Thirty years have past since this iconic film first graced the silver screen and it still looks as fresh and original now as when it was first released the summer of 1985. It’s one of those rare films where everything worked like clockwork: the direction, the cinematography, the acting, and not least of which, the musical score.

The script was continually passed up in the early 1980s by virtually all major studios until Steven Spielberg’s fledgling Amblin Entertainment gave the green light to director Robert Zemeckis after his success on the 1984 film Romancing The Stone. Zemeckis relied on the talents of composer Alan Silvestri to imagine the musical sound of this ground-breaking film.

Silvestri wrote music that not only reflected heroism in the main brass fanfare, but also perfectly balanced that with the fantasy and danger of time travel. The score is fun and exciting, utilizing a juxtaposition of chords a tritone apart, hinting at a past-present duality. Silvestri handled a large orchestra with such care, that it would surprise most to learn that he was a relative newcomer to the genre.

Now musicians, music students, conductors – any music lover – can study Back To The Future in this durable, high-quality edition, carefully reproduced and edited from the original handwritten manuscript and individual orchestral parts used for the recording session.