Revisiting Jerry Goldsmith’s StarTrek: The Motion Picture (Released tracks vs. Rejected tracks)

Revisiting Jerry Goldsmith’s StarTrek: The Motion Picture (Released tracks vs. Rejected tracks)

I still feel Goldsmith’s score to the first Star Trek film is still best. Here I’m going to only go through a few tracks and compare some. I’ve written about the rejected tracks before, but I wanted people to listen to the tracks side by side with their released counterparts.

Anyway, here’s the history behind why Goldsmith had to start from the beginning when Wise ordered rewrites to the score. From the IMDB triva page, (Jerry Goldsmith's famous theme for the movie almost didn't happen. One of the first scenes Goldsmith scored was the scene when Kirk and Scotty do a flyover of the refit Enterprise. Robert Wise liked the music that Goldsmith composed, but in the end, he rejected it, saying it didn't fit the movie because it lacked a theme/motif. Goldsmith went back to the drawing board and composed the famous theme that has become a staple of the Star Trek universe. )

Leaving DryDock (The released version and the rejected version.)

Rejected version

Comment: This version uses the dropped Enterprise theme that Robert Wise hated. The launch theme is completely different than the released version. It seems like Goldsmith had sailing ships in mind for this version. The released version is clearly a march. Plus, Goldsmith went back and added a few themes there are “pre-launch” themes to the release version. While this version is certainly pretty to listen to, the released version is grander and fuller.

Released Version

Comment: Man, I love this track. At the beginning, you can hear some of Goldsmith’s pre-launch cues that he uses before this track. The drums add to the marching tone Goldsmith tried to set in the revamped track. Plus, the track is longer than the one he wrote in the rejected track.

The Enterprise

Rejected version

Comment: While this is an amazing track, it does have the fullness of the released track. It is still a great song. Portion of this rejected track is still in the released version. The ending of this track sees the most changes.

Released Version

Comment: Yes, this is my favorite track in the entire score. This version has more a build, meaning the tracks starts out quiet and than grows louder and louder.

Spock’s Arrival

Rejected version

Comment: While the opening seconds are the same as the released version, the track goes in completely different direction. It heavily uses the rejected theme.

Released Version

Comment: As you can hear, it takes a darker tone without the optimistic sound. Ending to the track is almost the same, but it is slightly different.