The Doomsday Machine is the finest hour of television I've ever seen. This musical score is simply fantastic and contributes so much to this episode. Thanks for analyzing it.
I am Sol Kaplan's granddaughter. I'm also a huge Trek nerd. I never met the man, he died 2 years before I was born. I actually didn't know of his scoring for Star Trek until after I'd already become a Trekkie (I started with TNG!). I was already so proud of him for the convict of his character, the way he stood up for himself during the McCarthy, but knowing he's forever linked to Star Trek's legacy made me able to connect with his memory in a way I had not before. It is so cool to see this respect shown. Thank you so very much.
Wow, I'm so honored to have your comment! And I share your thoughts on his conduct through the HUAC sham, that he preferred to be blacklisted than to bend his knee to them. Great character, and it doesn't seem to have hurt his career. Thank you so much for watching. LLAP!
If only he got the chance to see how well alot of us love this score and how well it played in with the episode. He has no idea how big a fan I am of his music ..Even playing sto I play clips of his pieces in the background your grandfather was a Ledgend for his creativity in creating this memorable piece!
So, 1969, UK, and this episode blew me away: I'd never seen anything like it... okay, I was 8... still... William Wyndom's performance - while a little hammy in a couple of parts, mostly because of the editing style at the time - was the first time that I'd stared fresh grief in the face... and the score was just perfect. This look at it explains so much. I loved the various cues Kaplan created. Yet, some cues seem reminiscent of some of Williams' Lost in Space cues?
Your welcome!! And the same to you also! The music of TOS was very unique and very, very special! The music of Sol Kaplan in particular will forever be a part of my life. As it has been for decades. Whenever I am facing what would appear to be any kind of seemingly insurmountable obstacle that I apparently can't conquer or overcome I have always thought of his music from The Doomsday Machine!! For that score and his others also he will always be remembered!!@@davidpage9355
Great video. Very informative. Doomsday Machine is my favorite Trek episode. Everything about that episode was perfect, from the nonstop action, acting, and the musical score. What a classic.
This was Nothing short of BRILLIANT!!! This really made may day!! Great on all levels!! Thanks so much for putting this Together!! Sol Kaplan was a Genius!! Cheers!!
It's fascinating to me that when I first watched this episode when it premiered, my 11 year old self felt it was so over-the-top, and the more I watched it over the years, I felt like it's what lifts the episode into greatness.
William Windom definitely plays Decker dangerously over the top---but his talent brings him just to the edge. Decker is barely holding it together and Window's superb performance "goes there."
One thing I always loved about this soundtrack is how in Act IV, Sulu's countdown ("Sixteen. Fifteen. Fourteen. Thirteen.") landed on exact downbeats. Either it was a coincidence, or had access enough to fine-tune it.
Yep, always noticed that too. It may also have been the music editor being able to slide the track a bit to fit the countdown.. maybe? Then again, someone with Kaplan's level of skill certainly could have just made it so.
Agreed. Great plot points, tension and conflict, character arc, and the stakes are so high with such immediate peril. Everything was clicking by this point.
So much energy in the best Star Trek episodes, but the first two movies were based on previous stories: "The Changeling" and "Balance of Terror" and the rejected ideas were just terrible. I did love the two movie soundtracks, but it was funny to hear _Krull_ sound like _The Wrath of Khan_ since it was composed by the same guy. Imagine if they had better ideas for social commentary of the day going into the movies: ERA, migration/boat people, gay rights, assassinations, environmentalism, etc. A real missed opportunity.
It was really amusing and amazing that when originally broadcast, the one hour "Doomsday Machine" episode was so well crafted and such a dramatic change of tone for the series that it felt like a wonderful two hour movie, while Star Trek: The Motion Picture with it's protracted CGI shot and "veeger" plot felt like a one hour episode stretched into a three hour snoozefest.
Kaplan's music for "The Doomsday Machine" is my favorite score composed for TOS. David, great job with this analysis and especially the mash ups demonstrating the tracking for other episodes.
Another thing I forgot to say before. The inevitable analogy to the Jaws theme is of course obvious to everyone but someone on here made a clip a few years ago, I'm going to assume it's still up here, where they took the climax of Jaws and put Sol Kaplan's music from this episode over the top. It probably goes without saying that it still worked perfectly. - Liam
@17:59 the music you hear was eventually turned into the “Jaws” theme, it’s the same key. Spielberg “borrowed” from the Doomsday Machine episode to adapt from the book Jaws to the screen, I’m convinced of that. Spielberg, beyond the shadow of a doubt, sat down with John Williams and asked him to give something along the lines of the Doomsday Machine score for the Jaws theme.
@@davidpage9355 they are in the same key. Also, just getting away from this episode, City on the edge of forever is really where James Cameron “borrows” from the episode for Terminator. Sarah Connor must live, Edith Keeler must die. Kirk, unknowingly, becomes a terminator. Both Spielberg and Cameron, in their younger days, were no doubt heavily influenced by Star Trek.
I just came across your videos this morning - and am thoroughly enjoying them. This one is giving me particular pleasure because The Doomsday Machine is not only my favorite episode ST:TOS episode.... but is also the episode I regard as the finest episode of any Star Trek series. This is the absolute pinnacle - and Sol Kaplan's mighty musical score is a big reason why. Thanks for your thoughtful discussion of it.
I have always believed that a musical score can make, or break, a movie or television show. TOS was the best television series music that I ever heard.
Wow!! After watching that visual mashup, all the colours and fantastic visuals combined with that fantastic music I need a lie down lol Seriously though, thank you so much for these fantastic videos. It’s obvious they are a real labour of love and it really shows. I don’t know much about reading music but always appreciated the superb music the show was blessed with which gave it far more gravitas than many movies, even to this day. Kind regards to you David from a new fan and subscriber over here in Edinburgh. P.S loving the Jerry Finnerman inspired lighting in your beautiful studio. Well done 👍
i must have watched this episode a dozen times and never made the connection of the enterprise theme when decker takes control of the enterprise. well done. i appreciate the original series more because of your videos.
I am really enjoying this whole series of videos on Star Trek(TOS). This series shows the music of Star Trek was vitally important to the show's success. The larger than life themes, characters, and stories certainly begged for an operatic treatment these composers utilized. The amount of effort put into the scoring of each episode seems truly extravagant compare to modern TV. I am pretty sure TOS will out survive all its offspring in part because of the music.
Oh my gosh. How can I thank you enough sir. My all time fav episode and you took me into the inner workings of the music where I have never gone before. I subscribed instantly. Your presentation was flawless. Thoughtful. Educational and entertaining in a huge way. I’ve been a musician for well over 50 years and what you demonstrated was fantastic. I seriously request you do this with all of the Trek movies. That would be amazing. I love how you simplify everything. Thank you very sincerely.
Wow, thank you. There was one fairly clumsy flaw - the final "in memoriam" image I used was not Kaplan at all, but Gerald Fried. 🙄 Still learning. Thanks for checking it out.
Thank you for this it was very informative I've been a fan of Star Trek for many years and the music from the original series has always been very special to me
I saw this music overlayed to the final scene in Jaws. Works perfectly. I always thought there was a simularity between this score and the score for jaws. I remeber this episode when I was three of for. I was supposed to be in bed but snuck to the top of the stairs and could see the TV. Everytime the doomsday machine appeared I covered my eyes.
With apologies for not citing a reference video, but the main "doomsday" theme is very reminiscent of the swaggering brass that accompanied the appearance of Godzilla in certain of those early films. In the other direction, one could argue that John Williams (consciously or unconsciously) nicked a bit of Sol Kaplan (and others) for certain Star Wars stuff.
David, I found your Part 6 video, which answered my question about the fanfare. All your videos have been so meaningful to me. I knew Gerry Fried through a scriptwriting workshop we both attended, and he was so kind to me. And your video about horn players was marvelous-Vince DeRosa taught Brian O'Connor, my best friend in high school and the reason I pursued a music career (Brian played the First Contact solo for Jerry Goldsmith). Thank you so much.
Wow, cool story about Brian! Glad you're in music as career, and great that you knew Gerry Fried. By all accounts he was just a terrific human being. I would also guess that DeRosa taught a lot of horn players! Thanks for sharing your stories!
Showing the image of that Thunderbolt brought back hella memories. When those things went off it was like hearing the world come apart! I still cannot image Robert Ryan, playing the part of Decker I think Willaim Windom was a perfect choice. He captured the role so well with his emotions!
Love this breakdown. But I do wish you'd spent a bit more time on the Decker/Constellation theme. That funereal music that plays when the Enterprise first encounters its sister ship, and the sad yet heroic fanfare reprise near the episode's end, as the Constellation cruised toward its destruction, always stood out to me.
I was way to busy surviving to watch Star Trek back then, and I only had a 5 inch black and white TV set. I guess Marshia and I will have to dig out some old episodes.😁😁
So iconic. I esp. love the track 'what is doomsday machine'.. those bassoon(?) chords give me chills. I also notice Goldsmith used nearly the same bassline on harp & piano for 'the cloud' in STTMP.
Great stuff. The incidental music on Star Trek has had me hooked since I watched the repeats in the mid 1990s, and I remember by the middle of season 2 I'd be listening out for themes I recognised, and anticipating what name would appear on the music credit at the end. I'm one of the many fans you allude to in that The Doomsday Machine is my #1 original Star Trek score. It was quite a surprise when I found out that Sol Kaplan only scored one other episode (The Enemy Within). I have difficulty in thinking of Kaplan as a "less frequent" composer, and it's only in the last couple of years that I realise why this is so. Out of the less prolific composers, Kaplan is the only one to get credit when his music is recycled in later episodes - you never saw a recycled music credit for Joseph Mullendore, Samuel Matlovsky or Jerry Fielding, and Kaplan had more recycled music credits than George Duning, who scored 6 episodes, and as many as Gerald Fried who scored 5. Had composers got credit for recycled music in season 1, he'd have got even more, but season 1 episodes that didn't have newly scored music only ever gave credit to Alexander Courage, when Kaplan and Fred Steiner really deserved credit, which they would have got in subsequent seasons (actually those two shared credit for recycled music in season 2 more times than they got it individually! And while I'm at it, Kaplan should have shared credit with Fried on Journey To Babel!).
Great observations. In interview, Fred Steiner explained that union rules did not allow every composer credit - so they had to work out a formula based on percentage of music by time. What a hassle!
@@davidpage9355 I get that - most of the recycled music credits in seasons 2 & 3 are going on the majority of the cues but obviously there's the odd bit from someone else - like in Obsession, Kaplan gets the full credit at the end but Fried's atmospheric music from the beginning of Catspaw has a few memorable appearances in it too.
4:59 to 5:17 Love your use of VISUAL cues (twice) in this part when referring to "monsters". 😁 I continue to gain great pleasure from learning how much intelligence and effort went into every aspect of my beloved TOS. Thank you, David: your TOS music videos are uplifting. 🖖
Very interesting. I know a lot more about music now (not that I could write it) than I did before. I assumed that Kaplan scored EACH of the season 2 episodes, Alexander Courage season 1, and various composers for season three. As someone who has seen each episode close to 1,000 times, I've been careful to catch the cues over time, and who did them. Such a shame they didn't let Kaplan score any of season three, but if it's any consolation, they used a snippet of M62 in the final 3 minutes of the final episode, as Janice Lester struggles with Dr. Coleman. Some other season three episode scores of note: And the Children Shall Lead Is There In Truth No Beauty? And one of my favorites Spectre of the Gun. Also worth mentioning is the melancholic love theme in such episodes as The Empath and All Our Yesterdays. People always praise Kubrick, but truly what made his movies was the score. And I must wonder if Star Trek would be a thing today with a different score.
@@davidpage9355 Ha! That’s okay. I did a similar thing on my original mini doc. I got pummeled for it. There’s a similarity there worthy of error. Not many photos of SK out there. I only know of the one. Again, great job! SvS
The best soundtrack of TOS, and there were a lot of great ones. In fact, to me, the series has the best soundtrack of any TV series in history. As a little boy in the 60s and early 70s, I’d sit next to the TV speakers with my crappy cassette recorder during many of the show’s episodes trying to capture my favorite musical passages, and there were a lot. Interesting that none of the subsequent ST series producers placed any great emphasis on their soundtracks, if any at all. Lost in Space had some good stuff, too, including quite a few compositions by young Johnny Williams!
"... best sound track of any TV series in history" - yep, hands down. When the musicians union rules changed in the early '80s - so that TV producers could no longer reuse recorded music, that every new episode required new music - that's when it seems the epic creativity was lost. Because composers were now expected to essentially mass produce music, and musicians would be getting more work recording music ... all which I can get ... still it seems to have resulted in a less creative environment overall. That's just my at-a-glance unprofessional opinion. So we continue to hold in high regard the music we love! Appreciate your comment.
@@davidpage9355 Funny, I think of the 1980s series as having long intros with musical themes that they don't do anymore for time: Air Wolf, A-Team, Fall Guy, Greatest American Hero, Miami Vice. But I don't think of music inside the episode (though I'm told Miami Vice used Genesis). Two iconic ones from Star Trek were both from "Amok TIme:" Spock's soup theme, and the hand-to-hand battle. Both I remember from other (better) episodes since I don't like "Amok Time."
I remember that after the Doomsday Machine episode, that music was intercut with Fred Steiner's music from the Corbomite Maneuver, as the attack music on future episodes.
That mix up montage was impressive. Excellent. Would love to see you dive into the score by Stu Phillips from the 1978 3 hour TV premier of Battlestar Galactica.
Sol Kaplan did the score for Sophia Loren movie called "Judith" I liked so I bought the soundtrack. When I found out this was the man who gave us that magnificent music for my favorite episode I was on cloud nine. And, since John Williams was working in television, the 4th movement of the New World Symphony wasn't the only inspiration for the "Jaws" theme. Thanks for making that point.
John Williams' obvious sources of inspiration for his composition of the iconic "Jaws"(1975) theme music was Hans J. Salter and Frank B. Skinner's music from Universal Studios' the mummy Kharis films of the 1940's, Sol Kaplan's music score from "The Doomsday Machine" Star Trek episode and John Barry's "Capsule in Space" from "YOLT"(1967).
Thanks Mike. '58 babies huh 😁👍 Did this episode give you nightmares? Decker in the shuttlecraft is a pretty intense scene, I remember that freaked me a little.
David Page , believe it or not , no nightmares. I took pictures of the episode on reruns in 1969 when I was 11. I also recorded the audio with my old reel to reel tap recorder. I shot some 8mm color film of the episode when we got our first color tv around 1970. Now we can see it in 4K, on multiple devices!
AMAZING and appropriate commentary on the genius of Kaplan's work. Thanks so much for this and...... how can I get your book?!? It's like.... unobtainium!
Thank you Mark! It's been a fun adventure for sure. I suppose you refer to Jeff Bond's book "The Music Of Star Trek: Profiles in Style" - I haven't written any books! I just steal material from others ; -) Mr. Bond's book is, unfortunately, out of print - unobtainium! I first found a copy at our local library and then got very fortunate to find one on Amazon a few months later. He has been very encouraging and helpful to me! Also out of publication is the complete CD set of all the music with booklet, etc. I wish I could get my hands on that. My wife checked earlier today and found a copy of Bond on Amazon going for about $100, I think. Hope that helps, and thanks again for watching.
David, I can't thank you enough for creating these analysis videos. I am a trumpet player, and hearing the first trumpet wipe out on the sustained high note (:32 to :37) in the Doomsday Machine cue brings back memories. Could you tell me who wrote the trumpet fanfare cue (and the name of the cue) that you use at 20:15 to close your show? Also, do you think the Musician's Union still has lists of the musicians used in these performances? Thank you again for your wonderful analyses.
That wipe out, if it's what I'm thinking of, was PERFECT for that moment. Those guys were putting so much air through those horns, my God! As for the Musician's Union, I don't know. I once sent in an email off the "contact us" form on their site but got no response. The now out-of-print La La Land Collector set lists the musicians for all but one session (The Trouble With Tribbles). And La La Land is running a new series of releases - the "1701" series - which you should be able to track down on their website. The producer tells me they are including much of the same info plus some new material. Maybe that's helpful. Thanks for watching!🖖
So that's who wrote the great music to the original series. I thought it was all Alexander Courage. I've always said about the Next Gen that it was a brilliant follow up to the original, but the music wasn't a patch on the original.
Actually, a total of eight composers scored for Star Trek, not including a few incidental pieces by Desilu music director Wilbur Hatch, and keyboardist Ivan Ditmars who composed the "Brahms Waltz" for "Requiem For Methuselah" Kaplan composed for just two episodes, but his music was re-used again and again - because it's just .. awesome. And you're correct about music for TNG vs TOS - no where close to as dramatic. But that was what the new series producer Rick Berman wanted for his new ship and crew, a more subdued sound to better reflect the more subdued character of Captain Picard. Still, a great show in its own right!
It's amazing how many good episodes were made great by cues taken from this episode's score! Sadly, the converse may also be true, with good episodes in season 3 becoming average due to their cues. Du-Du-Du-Dum -"The Enterprise Incident" is the only one I can think of.
Oh, "The Paradise Syndrome" by Gerald Fried is wonderful. "Elaan Of Troyius", "The Empath", "Spectre of the Gun".. all had great music composed for them. I haven't gotten to season 3 yet but looking forward to it!
Kaplan's pulse-pounding beat and sudden alarming brass go back to at least one film he scored, "The Scar" aka Hidden Triumph: ruclips.net/video/k119u4QiFuY/видео.html
This wonderful score also highlights just how poor some of the music on shows like ST: Strange New Worlds is, which sound dull and listless, and arexsimply not efited properly to match the action.
It just dawned on me that Norman Spinrad, the writer of the screenplay for _The Doomsday Machine,_ may have borrowed the classic literary character plot of Captain Ahab _(Moby Dick)_ for the Captain Decker character in _The Doomsday Machine._ A monomaniacal Captain seeking revenge against a faceless and unbeatable force of nature.
Good call. I don't know for sure Spinrad was inspired by Melville, but that's always been my take on Decker. Would stop at nothing to defeat the thing! Conflict = Drama.
The Doomsday Machine is the finest hour of television I've ever seen. This musical score is simply fantastic and contributes so much to this episode. Thanks for analyzing it.
Truly - my pleasure.
I am Sol Kaplan's granddaughter. I'm also a huge Trek nerd. I never met the man, he died 2 years before I was born. I actually didn't know of his scoring for Star Trek until after I'd already become a Trekkie (I started with TNG!). I was already so proud of him for the convict of his character, the way he stood up for himself during the McCarthy, but knowing he's forever linked to Star Trek's legacy made me able to connect with his memory in a way I had not before. It is so cool to see this respect shown. Thank you so very much.
Wow, I'm so honored to have your comment! And I share your thoughts on his conduct through the HUAC sham, that he preferred to be blacklisted than to bend his knee to them. Great character, and it doesn't seem to have hurt his career. Thank you so much for watching. LLAP!
...and by the way, I do apologize for the wrong image at the end. That wasn't your Grandpa.
If only he got the chance to see how well alot of us love this score and how well it played in with the episode. He has no idea how big a fan I am of his music ..Even playing sto I play clips of his pieces in the background your grandfather was a Ledgend for his creativity in creating this memorable piece!
Your grandpa contributed massively to the joy of my yoot!
The musical score...truly ...makes the Doomsday Machine a masterpiece....Sol Kaplan...even to my amatuer ears ...is a genius...
So, 1969, UK, and this episode blew me away: I'd never seen anything like it... okay, I was 8... still...
William Wyndom's performance - while a little hammy in a couple of parts, mostly because of the editing style at the time - was the first time that I'd stared fresh grief in the face... and the score was just perfect. This look at it explains so much. I loved the various cues Kaplan created.
Yet, some cues seem reminiscent of some of Williams' Lost in Space cues?
My all time favorite Trek episode... my all time favorite Trek score!
And you are not alone! It's a great one. Thanks, and happy new year.
Your welcome!! And the same to you also! The music of TOS was very unique and very, very special! The music of Sol Kaplan in particular will forever be a part of my life. As it has been for decades. Whenever I am facing what would appear to be any kind of seemingly insurmountable obstacle that I apparently can't conquer or overcome I have always thought of his music from The Doomsday Machine!! For that score and his others also he will always be remembered!!@@davidpage9355
Great video. Very informative. Doomsday Machine is my favorite Trek episode. Everything about that episode was perfect, from the nonstop action, acting, and the musical score. What a classic.
Wow...that theme for the dead star ship...so moving!
This was Nothing short of BRILLIANT!!! This really made may day!! Great on all levels!! Thanks so much for putting this Together!! Sol Kaplan was a Genius!! Cheers!!
Appreciate you watching! And agreed - genius.
It's fascinating to me that when I first watched this episode when it premiered, my 11 year old self felt it was so over-the-top, and the more I watched it over the years, I felt like it's what lifts the episode into greatness.
William Windom definitely plays Decker dangerously over the top---but his talent brings him just to the edge. Decker is barely holding it together and Window's superb performance "goes there."
One thing I always loved about this soundtrack is how in Act IV, Sulu's countdown ("Sixteen. Fifteen. Fourteen. Thirteen.") landed on exact downbeats. Either it was a coincidence, or had access enough to fine-tune it.
Yep, always noticed that too. It may also have been the music editor being able to slide the track a bit to fit the countdown.. maybe? Then again, someone with Kaplan's level of skill certainly could have just made it so.
Such a great score and it’s my all time favorite episode. It feels like a movie
Agreed. Great plot points, tension and conflict, character arc, and the stakes are so high with such immediate peril. Everything was clicking by this point.
So much energy in the best Star Trek episodes, but the first two movies were based on previous stories: "The Changeling" and "Balance of Terror" and the rejected ideas were just terrible. I did love the two movie soundtracks, but it was funny to hear _Krull_ sound like _The Wrath of Khan_ since it was composed by the same guy.
Imagine if they had better ideas for social commentary of the day going into the movies: ERA, migration/boat people, gay rights, assassinations, environmentalism, etc. A real missed opportunity.
That is the very first episode I saw at age 9 - I was completely enraptured..
Yes, the movie was “Jaws”.
It was really amusing and amazing that when originally broadcast, the one hour "Doomsday Machine" episode was so well crafted and such a dramatic change of tone for the series that it felt like a wonderful two hour movie, while Star Trek: The Motion Picture with it's protracted CGI shot and "veeger" plot felt like a one hour episode stretched into a three hour snoozefest.
Kaplan's music for "The Doomsday Machine" is my favorite score composed for TOS. David, great job with this analysis and especially the mash ups demonstrating the tracking for other episodes.
Another thing I forgot to say before. The inevitable analogy to the Jaws theme is of course obvious to everyone but someone on here made a clip a few years ago, I'm going to assume it's still up here, where they took the climax of Jaws and put Sol Kaplan's music from this episode over the top. It probably goes without saying that it still worked perfectly.
- Liam
This is what is missing from modern Trek. Epic music.
Agreed, that and an attention span of more than 10 seconds sadly 😢
That’s why Seth MacFarlane’s three season ode to Star Trek features truly epic soundtracks for nearly every episode.
You deserve a MacArthur Genius Grant for these analyses. Bravissimo!
Aw, you're too kind. Thanks for checking it out.
I very much appreciate the analysis, it adds to the enjoyment understanding the multiple levels creating TOS. Creative people at another level.
Outstanding summary of a masterpiece...Credit editing of your video too to demonstrate the usage of Sol's score.
Thank You!
For sure, thank you.
I like the Greenflower Street outro too!
Ha! Not many have caught that 👍
My favorite episode in no small part due Mr Kaplans epic iconic score. Thank you for this retrospect tribute to Kaplans contribution to Star Trek
Thanks for checking it out.
@17:59 the music you hear was eventually turned into the “Jaws” theme, it’s the same key. Spielberg “borrowed” from the Doomsday Machine episode to adapt from the book Jaws to the screen, I’m convinced of that. Spielberg, beyond the shadow of a doubt, sat down with John Williams and asked him to give something along the lines of the Doomsday Machine score for the Jaws theme.
Good observation. Though there is no solid evidence about Spielberg and Williams, at least not that I've found, I did mention the same thing @6:58! 🖖
@@davidpage9355 they are in the same key. Also, just getting away from this episode, City on the edge of forever is really where James Cameron “borrows” from the episode for Terminator. Sarah Connor must live, Edith Keeler must die. Kirk, unknowingly, becomes a terminator. Both Spielberg and Cameron, in their younger days, were no doubt heavily influenced by Star Trek.
I just came across your videos this morning - and am thoroughly enjoying them. This one is giving me particular pleasure because The Doomsday Machine is not only my favorite episode ST:TOS episode.... but is also the episode I regard as the finest episode of any Star Trek series. This is the absolute pinnacle - and Sol Kaplan's mighty musical score is a big reason why. Thanks for your thoughtful discussion of it.
Thanks Greg. Appreciate the comment!
Thanks so much, David! All of your videos are so informative. you really know your stuff! And I love your transcription examples.
Very kind, Rich. Thanks for watching. Still more to come.
This has been a great help in explaining to students how essential music is to a movie or tv show! Thank you for this!
I have always believed that a musical score can make, or break, a movie or television show. TOS was the best television series music that I ever heard.
Thank you for checking it out!
Wow!! After watching that visual mashup, all the colours and fantastic visuals combined with that fantastic music I need a lie down lol
Seriously though, thank you so much for these fantastic videos. It’s obvious they are a real labour of love and it really shows. I don’t know much about reading music but always appreciated the superb music the show was blessed with which gave it far more gravitas than many movies, even to this day. Kind regards to you David from a new fan and subscriber over here in Edinburgh.
P.S loving the Jerry Finnerman inspired lighting in your beautiful studio. Well done 👍
So glad you took a look! Thanks for the kind comments.. from my humble basement in Kansas City.🖖
i must have watched this episode a dozen times and never made the connection of the enterprise theme when decker takes control of the enterprise. well done. i appreciate the original series more because of your videos.
Such a great moment. Thank you for the comment!
I am really enjoying this whole series of videos on Star Trek(TOS). This series shows the music of Star Trek was vitally important to the show's success. The larger than life themes, characters, and stories certainly begged for an operatic treatment these composers utilized. The amount of effort put into the scoring of each episode seems truly extravagant compare to modern TV. I am pretty sure TOS will out survive all its offspring in part because of the music.
Oh my gosh. How can I thank you enough sir. My all time fav episode and you took me into the inner workings of the music where I have never gone before. I subscribed instantly. Your presentation was flawless. Thoughtful. Educational and entertaining in a huge way. I’ve been a musician for well over 50 years and what you demonstrated was fantastic. I seriously request you do this with all of the Trek movies. That would be amazing. I love how you simplify everything. Thank you very sincerely.
Wow, thank you. There was one fairly clumsy flaw - the final "in memoriam" image I used was not Kaplan at all, but Gerald Fried. 🙄 Still learning. Thanks for checking it out.
Thank you for this it was very informative I've been a fan of Star Trek for many years and the music from the original series has always been very special to me
I saw this music overlayed to the final scene in Jaws. Works perfectly. I always thought there was a simularity between this score and the score for jaws. I remeber this episode when I was three of for. I was supposed to be in bed but snuck to the top of the stairs and could see the TV. Everytime the doomsday machine appeared I covered my eyes.
That damn thing gave most of us little kids nightmares. I've seen that Jaws/Doomdsay video. Amazing!
With apologies for not citing a reference video, but the main "doomsday" theme is very reminiscent of the swaggering brass that accompanied the appearance of Godzilla in certain of those early films. In the other direction, one could argue that John Williams (consciously or unconsciously) nicked a bit of Sol Kaplan (and others) for certain Star Wars stuff.
Such a fantastic show and channel! Love the way you produced this video, so excellent!!
David, I found your Part 6 video, which answered my question about the fanfare. All your videos have been so meaningful to me. I knew Gerry Fried through a scriptwriting workshop we both attended, and he was so kind to me. And your video about horn players was marvelous-Vince DeRosa taught Brian O'Connor, my best friend in high school and the reason I pursued a music career (Brian played the First Contact solo for Jerry Goldsmith). Thank you so much.
Wow, cool story about Brian! Glad you're in music as career, and great that you knew Gerry Fried. By all accounts he was just a terrific human being. I would also guess that DeRosa taught a lot of horn players! Thanks for sharing your stories!
Showing the image of that Thunderbolt brought back hella memories. When those things went off it was like hearing the world come apart! I still cannot image Robert Ryan, playing the part of Decker I think Willaim Windom was a perfect choice. He captured the role so well with his emotions!
Better and better, these videos of your'n! I'm taking them slow -- don't want to run out of them!
Love this breakdown. But I do wish you'd spent a bit more time on the Decker/Constellation theme. That funereal music that plays when the Enterprise first encounters its sister ship, and the sad yet heroic fanfare reprise near the episode's end, as the Constellation cruised toward its destruction, always stood out to me.
I was way to busy surviving to watch Star Trek back then, and I only had a 5 inch black and white TV set. I guess Marshia and I will have to dig out some old episodes.😁😁
Hey Ted! Glad to "see you". Yes, the show was so far ahead of its time. My all time favorite.
So iconic. I esp. love the track 'what is doomsday machine'.. those bassoon(?) chords give me chills. I also notice Goldsmith used nearly the same bassline on harp & piano for 'the cloud' in STTMP.
Great stuff. The incidental music on Star Trek has had me hooked since I watched the repeats in the mid 1990s, and I remember by the middle of season 2 I'd be listening out for themes I recognised, and anticipating what name would appear on the music credit at the end.
I'm one of the many fans you allude to in that The Doomsday Machine is my #1 original Star Trek score.
It was quite a surprise when I found out that Sol Kaplan only scored one other episode (The Enemy Within). I have difficulty in thinking of Kaplan as a "less frequent" composer, and it's only in the last couple of years that I realise why this is so. Out of the less prolific composers, Kaplan is the only one to get credit when his music is recycled in later episodes - you never saw a recycled music credit for Joseph Mullendore, Samuel Matlovsky or Jerry Fielding, and Kaplan had more recycled music credits than George Duning, who scored 6 episodes, and as many as Gerald Fried who scored 5. Had composers got credit for recycled music in season 1, he'd have got even more, but season 1 episodes that didn't have newly scored music only ever gave credit to Alexander Courage, when Kaplan and Fred Steiner really deserved credit, which they would have got in subsequent seasons (actually those two shared credit for recycled music in season 2 more times than they got it individually! And while I'm at it, Kaplan should have shared credit with Fried on Journey To Babel!).
Great observations. In interview, Fred Steiner explained that union rules did not allow every composer credit - so they had to work out a formula based on percentage of music by time. What a hassle!
@@davidpage9355 I get that - most of the recycled music credits in seasons 2 & 3 are going on the majority of the cues but obviously there's the odd bit from someone else - like in Obsession, Kaplan gets the full credit at the end but Fried's atmospheric music from the beginning of Catspaw has a few memorable appearances in it too.
4:59 to 5:17 Love your use of VISUAL cues (twice) in this part when referring to "monsters". 😁
I continue to gain great pleasure from learning how much intelligence and effort went into every aspect of my beloved TOS. Thank you, David: your TOS music videos are uplifting. 🖖
Really appreciate that, DD.
Very interesting. I know a lot more about music now (not that I could write it) than I did before. I assumed that Kaplan scored EACH of the season 2 episodes, Alexander Courage season 1, and various composers for season three.
As someone who has seen each episode close to 1,000 times, I've been careful to catch the cues over time, and who did them. Such a shame they didn't let Kaplan score any of season three, but if it's any consolation, they used a snippet of M62 in the final 3 minutes of the final episode, as Janice Lester struggles with Dr. Coleman.
Some other season three episode scores of note:
And the Children Shall Lead
Is There In Truth No Beauty?
And one of my favorites
Spectre of the Gun.
Also worth mentioning is the melancholic love theme in such episodes as The Empath and All Our Yesterdays.
People always praise Kubrick, but truly what made his movies was the score. And I must wonder if Star Trek would be a thing today with a different score.
Thanks for this. I am almost through season two, as far as original scores are concerned so almost to S3. Looking forward to more great music there.
That was one of my favorite episodes. The newly recorded stereo score sounded so good with the newer updated episodes.
Music for TV just doesn't get better than this!
A wonderful job, David. And thank you for the mention in your description.
Sir, I'm honored. Much of my motivation came from your video! Thanks for checking it out, and for not mentioning the ending photo of Gerald Fried 😔
@@davidpage9355 Ha! That’s okay. I did a similar thing on my original mini doc. I got pummeled for it. There’s a similarity there worthy of error. Not many photos of SK out there. I only know of the one. Again, great job!
SvS
The best soundtrack of TOS, and there were a lot of great ones. In fact, to me, the series has the best soundtrack of any TV series in history. As a little boy in the 60s and early 70s, I’d sit next to the TV speakers with my crappy cassette recorder during many of the show’s episodes trying to capture my favorite musical passages, and there were a lot. Interesting that none of the subsequent ST series producers placed any great emphasis on their soundtracks, if any at all. Lost in Space had some good stuff, too, including quite a few compositions by young Johnny Williams!
"... best sound track of any TV series in history" - yep, hands down. When the musicians union rules changed in the early '80s - so that TV producers could no longer reuse recorded music, that every new episode required new music - that's when it seems the epic creativity was lost. Because composers were now expected to essentially mass produce music, and musicians would be getting more work recording music ... all which I can get ... still it seems to have resulted in a less creative environment overall. That's just my at-a-glance unprofessional opinion. So we continue to hold in high regard the music we love! Appreciate your comment.
@@davidpage9355 Funny, I think of the 1980s series as having long intros with musical themes that they don't do anymore for time: Air Wolf, A-Team, Fall Guy, Greatest American Hero, Miami Vice. But I don't think of music inside the episode (though I'm told Miami Vice used Genesis). Two iconic ones from Star Trek were both from "Amok TIme:" Spock's soup theme, and the hand-to-hand battle. Both I remember from other (better) episodes since I don't like "Amok Time."
I remember that after the Doomsday Machine episode, that music was intercut with Fred Steiner's music from the Corbomite Maneuver, as the attack music on future episodes.
Your series is great! So much great music in Star Trek, it was absolutely integral to it’s success!
Agreed. Thanks for watching!
That mix up montage was impressive. Excellent. Would love to see you dive into the score by Stu Phillips from the 1978 3 hour TV premier of Battlestar Galactica.
Well, there's LOTS more Trek to get through first! Thanks for checking it out.
Incredible talk fir some magnificent music by a fantastic composer. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks for that insightful analysis. I can't read music, but seeing the notes highlighted during the scenes was nonetheless interesting.
Truly one of the great episodes, and a great score. Hope you do some Gerald Fried videos soon.
Yes he is next! Equally intimidating for sure. Thanks for watching.
Wow!!
Fantastic Video And Really Well Done and Super Impressive
Im a Subscriber Now Too
Thank You Very Much
Happy I Found You
Oustanding!
Thanks for checking it out!
Another lovely Trek music essay. Thanks and Happy New Year.
Well thanks again. Best to you in '22.
@@davidpage9355 Have a Happy New Year 2023!
Bravo, David! This was an insightful analysis of one of the greatest TOS episodes and unquestionably the greatest TOS score of all time. Bravo!
Thank you so much. This is fantastic!
Sol Kaplan did the score for Sophia Loren movie called "Judith" I liked so I bought the soundtrack. When I found out this was the man who gave us that magnificent music for my favorite episode I was on cloud nine. And, since John Williams was working in television, the 4th movement of the New World Symphony wasn't the only inspiration for the "Jaws" theme. Thanks for making that point.
Thanks for this. Kaplan was certainly not an untried entity walking in the door. I would love to have heard at least another Trek score from him!
John Williams' obvious sources of inspiration for his composition of the iconic "Jaws"(1975) theme music was Hans J. Salter and Frank B. Skinner's music from Universal Studios' the mummy Kharis films of the 1940's, Sol Kaplan's music score from "The Doomsday Machine" Star Trek episode and John Barry's "Capsule in Space" from "YOLT"(1967).
Sheer creative brilliance!
Sol Kaplan also scored the longtime band movie "Salt Of The Earth."
Yes. That was his first film score after his blacklist experience, and working with fellow black listed Hollywood veterans.
I have to think that guys like Kaplan can hear the music they write clearly in their heads, as clearly as we hear the sounds we hear.
Undoubtedly. Much like the great composers. "The rest is just scribbling, bibbling.. bibbling and scribbling.. "
Flutter tongue on the trumpet
Great video, but the final photo was a portrait of composer Gerald Fried, not Sol Kaplan.
Yup. 🙄 Well known. Thanks.
Too bad there isn't a way to make a ringtone out of that segment when the Doomsday Machine is first revealed.
You deserve many more subs! This is good stuff.
How long would it take to beem 400 people up and down 6 at at a time to the third planet?
Fabulous video David!
Excellent episode. Possible unpopular opinion, this and Arena are episodes I would love to see be remade into a movie for the Kelvin timeline.
David, we are the same age. This episode changed my life at age 9. Nice job on the music of Sol Kaplan.
Thanks Mike. '58 babies huh 😁👍 Did this episode give you nightmares? Decker in the shuttlecraft is a pretty intense scene, I remember that freaked me a little.
David Page , believe it or not , no nightmares. I took pictures of the episode on reruns in 1969 when I was 11. I also recorded the audio with my old reel to reel tap recorder. I shot some 8mm color film of the episode when we got our first color tv around 1970. Now we can see it in 4K, on multiple devices!
Yeah right? But back then - cool that you wanted to capture it with what we had! Do you still have some of those pics?
I found some color photos earlier this year while going through some boxes in our attic
AMAZING and appropriate commentary on the genius of Kaplan's work. Thanks so much for this and...... how can I get your book?!? It's like.... unobtainium!
Thank you Mark! It's been a fun adventure for sure. I suppose you refer to Jeff Bond's book "The Music Of Star Trek: Profiles in Style" - I haven't written any books! I just steal material from others ; -) Mr. Bond's book is, unfortunately, out of print - unobtainium! I first found a copy at our local library and then got very fortunate to find one on Amazon a few months later. He has been very encouraging and helpful to me! Also out of publication is the complete CD set of all the music with booklet, etc. I wish I could get my hands on that. My wife checked earlier today and found a copy of Bond on Amazon going for about $100, I think. Hope that helps, and thanks again for watching.
David, I can't thank you enough for creating these analysis videos. I am a trumpet player, and hearing the first trumpet wipe out on the sustained high note (:32 to :37) in the Doomsday Machine cue brings back memories. Could you tell me who wrote the trumpet fanfare cue (and the name of the cue) that you use at 20:15 to close your show? Also, do you think the Musician's Union still has lists of the musicians used in these performances? Thank you again for your wonderful analyses.
That wipe out, if it's what I'm thinking of, was PERFECT for that moment. Those guys were putting so much air through those horns, my God! As for the Musician's Union, I don't know. I once sent in an email off the "contact us" form on their site but got no response. The now out-of-print La La Land Collector set lists the musicians for all but one session (The Trouble With Tribbles). And La La Land is running a new series of releases - the "1701" series - which you should be able to track down on their website. The producer tells me they are including much of the same info plus some new material. Maybe that's helpful. Thanks for watching!🖖
So that's who wrote the great music to the original series. I thought it was all Alexander Courage. I've always said about the Next Gen that it was a brilliant follow up to the original, but the music wasn't a patch on the original.
Actually, a total of eight composers scored for Star Trek, not including a few incidental pieces by Desilu music director Wilbur Hatch, and keyboardist Ivan Ditmars who composed the "Brahms Waltz" for "Requiem For Methuselah" Kaplan composed for just two episodes, but his music was re-used again and again - because it's just .. awesome.
And you're correct about music for TNG vs TOS - no where close to as dramatic. But that was what the new series producer Rick Berman wanted for his new ship and crew, a more subdued sound to better reflect the more subdued character of Captain Picard. Still, a great show in its own right!
This was the best music of the series.
A close 2nd is the music from “Enemy Within” episode & used in other episodes as well.
Good call! Same composer for both. See my first Sol Kaplan video for "Enemy..." 🖖
GOOD STUFF HERE !!!~
Thanks for watching!
It's amazing how many good episodes were made great by cues taken from this episode's score!
Sadly, the converse may also be true, with good episodes in season 3 becoming average due to their cues. Du-Du-Du-Dum -"The Enterprise Incident" is the only one I can think of.
Oh, "The Paradise Syndrome" by Gerald Fried is wonderful. "Elaan Of Troyius", "The Empath", "Spectre of the Gun".. all had great music composed for them. I haven't gotten to season 3 yet but looking forward to it!
Kaplan's pulse-pounding beat and sudden alarming brass go back to at least one film he scored, "The Scar" aka Hidden Triumph: ruclips.net/video/k119u4QiFuY/видео.html
wow
The ultimate trek score right next to jerry gold smith and James Horner who are both saddly no longer with us.
I wrote that this score resembled Jaws about 14 years ago.
I even started editing it into the Jaws finale
Commodore Decker.
Why did you say "Goodbye, Mr. Decker" when he was actually a Commodor?
Because that's the actual name of that music cue from his score!
Actually, Commodore...you left off the "e".
Huh. Reminds me of the Jaws theme, released 7 years after this episode premiered. What a coincidence.
how ironic; Kaplan was blacklisted at the height of the cold war, and now he's honored after the communists won.
You last frame seems to indicate that shortly before his death Sol Kaplan became the splitting image of Gerald Fried.
Yep, busted! Now working on Fried I realize that, to my horror! But hey, nice to know you watched to the end. Hope you enjoyed it otherwise.
😅For a second there I thought I was losing my mind! Glad you noticed too.
I'm a huge Herb Alpert fan but that blaring trumpet has me tapping the mute button.
A bit too much huh? I get it.
@@davidpage9355 That said, this is one of my top five episodes.
Omg so much like JAWS as well but set in space lmao
Right? Or - since this predated JAWS by 10 years or so, more like Williams took THIS and set it in the ocean!
Found it! The climactic scene from Jaws re-edited with Sol Kaplan's music from this episode over the top. ruclips.net/video/vZ8KIDaGTX0/видео.html
😆 Hysterical!! Brilliant!
@@davidpage9355 actually this version is better ruclips.net/video/rFywK6S0oBk/видео.html
Even more brilliant!
@@davidpage9355 "We're gonna need a bigger starship!"
@@dressinggownsessions7296 😆
This wonderful score also highlights just how poor some of the music on shows like ST: Strange New Worlds is, which sound dull and listless, and arexsimply not efited properly to match the action.
click click click click click click click click click
It just dawned on me that Norman Spinrad, the writer of the screenplay for _The Doomsday Machine,_ may have borrowed the classic literary character plot of Captain Ahab _(Moby Dick)_ for the Captain Decker character in _The Doomsday Machine._ A monomaniacal Captain seeking revenge against a faceless and unbeatable force of nature.
Good call. I don't know for sure Spinrad was inspired by Melville, but that's always been my take on Decker. Would stop at nothing to defeat the thing! Conflict = Drama.
I’m getting some pops and crackles on the left and right channels when I watch this video. It’s not on any other videos. Just FYI.
Hmm .. just watched all the way through and didn't hear it. But thank you!