The year was 1979. Film audiences across the world were celebrating in the release of many spectacular science fiction films that changed the face of the medium. Movies like George Lucas’ groundbreaking “Star Wars”, Steven Spielberg’s “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”, Richard Donner’s epic adaptation of “Superman”, and Ridley Scott’s surprise thriller “Alien” proved to be both critically and commercially successful. Each successive release attempted to top the previous one by aiming for large-scale special effects as the selling point of the story. One such film to rise to the challenge was a film almost ten years in the works: “Star Trek: The Motion Picture”.
Fans long awaited the return of Captain Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise since the cancellation of the original “Star Trek” series in 1969, and throughout the 1970’s series creator Gene Roddenberry proposed a revival of the project either as a sequel television series or a feature film. Plans were set to bring back the series in 1977 under the title “Star Trek: Phase II” as part of a proposed Paramount television network (many of these ideas would continue into the 1980’s with the successful sequel series “Star Trek: The Next Generation”, into the 1990’s with “Deep Space Nine” and the United Paramount Network’s anchoring series “Voyager”, and into the 2000’s with “Enterprise”). But as plans were prepared to begin filming the second television series, Paramount officials, upon seeing the then-realistic effects of “Star Wars”, switched gears and in 1978 announced a theatrical version of “Star Trek” to be filmed under the direction of Robert Wise.
Upon its release on December 7, 1979, one of the most highly praised aspects of the film was the sweeping score by composer Jerry Goldsmith, which would be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Score. In an interview with Jeff Bond in The Music of Star Trek, Goldsmith revealed that he had composed approximately 30 minutes of music for the film without having developed a main title theme at that time! At the request of director Robert Wise, Goldsmith spent two weeks developing and writing the main title theme that would become one of the most important themes in the overall “Star Trek” saga, setting the standard for the scores to “Star Trek V”, “First Contact”, “Insurrection”, and “The Next Generation”. Ironically, in 1989, “Next Generation” fans accused Goldsmith of deriving the title theme for “Star Trek V” from TNG without realizing that the music was first composed back in 1979!
As the long-awaited DVD of “Star Trek: The Motion Picture – The Director’s Cut” nears its November 6th release date from Paramount Home Video, let us analyze each of the cues from the Jerry Goldsmith score in relation to the film.
1. Ilia’s Theme (opening prologue) (1:41) * - This shortened version of the full concert theme opens the film over a black screen. This was used in the film’s “road show” performances and in selected theatrical screenings, as well as in the home video releases. The full concert version of this theme was released on the original album.
2. Main Title (1:23) CBS, SON – The opening music for the title credits that begin the film. This theme would be joined with Alexander Courage’s original “Star Trek” theme to become the title theme for “The Next Generation” and would also be used as the theme for “Star Trek V”, “First Contact”, and “Insurrection”. This segues directly into:
3. Klingon Battle (5:27) CBS, SON – A mysterious cloud floats through space, and three approaching Klingon vessels fire upon the cloud. Meanwhile, a Starfleet monitoring station receives telemetry from the cloud and witnesses the apparent destruction of all three Klingon ships. According to the readouts, the cloud is headed for Federation space, directly from Earth. This cue is re-looped in two places in the film yet is heard complete on the original soundtrack.
4. Total Logic (3:44) SON – On Vulcan, Spock prepares to complete the Kolinahr ritual of purging all emotions from his life and dedicating himself to complete logic. He receives a mysterious signal that interrupts the ceremony, and the Vulcan elders deem him unworthy of Kolinahr. A short time later, a shuttle arrives at Starfleet Command in San Francisco, bringing with it a most important passenger: Admiral James T. Kirk, who has arrived to take command of the Enterprise once again. This second sequence, set to the tune of the Main Title theme, is edited slightly in the film yet is heard in its complete form on the Sony CD.
5. Floating Office (1:03) SON – Above Earth a Starfleet station awaits Kirk’s arrival via transporter. Once Kirk arrives, chief engineer Montgomery Scott awaits to take him via shuttle to the newly refitted Enterprise.
6. The Enterprise (5:59) CBS, SON – In the musical centerpiece of the entire film, Kirk and Scott make their way to the updated USS Enterprise, and both Kirk and the audience are re-introduced to the legendary starship through a series of on-screen beauty passes. The score eloquently presents the changes to the starship, as Kirk and Scott’s shutte docks on the port side of the ship.
7. Transporter Malfunction / Kirk Lost (1:27) * - Upon arrival, Kirk takes command from Captain Will Decker and temporarily reduces the younger officer in rank to commander. A transporter mishap then occurs, resulting in the death of two arriving officers. The deaths greatly disturb Kirk, and he wanders aimlessly through the corridors of the ship. Encountering Decker, Kirk states that the young officer will have to pull double duty as acting science officer. This somber cue represents the first of the missing film cues that remains unreleased in an official capacity.
8. Crew Briefing ( :35) * - On the ship’s recreation deck, the ship’s company views the replay of the cloud’s attack on the Klingons. Kirk and his command staff then arrive to inform the crew of their mission.
9. Extra-Vehicular Activity (1:11) * - Kirk receives an incoming transmission from monitoring station Epsilon 9 on the size of the cloud. In this dark, violent cue the crew witnesses the destruction of the huge monitoring station.
10. Pre-Launch Countdown ( :28) * - In this fast-paced sweeping cue, Kirk orders that the pre-launch countdown will begin in 40 minutes. Kirk later arrives on the bridge to take the center seat.
11. Leaving Drydock (3:29) CBS, SON – With all hands aboard ship, including the bald Deltan navigator Lt. Ilia and Dr. McCoy, drafted out of retirement, the Enterprise departs from drydock in a majestic launch, reprising the Main Title theme once again.
12. Stardate 7412.6 ( :28) * - The first of three reprisals of Alexander Courage’s original 1964 “Star Trek” theme in the film, used each time as music representing Kirk’s log entries. Here, Kirk expresses his concern about using an untested warp drive system to encounter the cloud. The actual cue as heard in the film remains unreleased to date.
13. Warp One / Wormhole ( :33) * - Despite Scotty’s warnings, Kirk orders the ship to engage at warp one. IN a brilliant streak of lights the Enterprise goes to warp, only to enter into a space wormhole. This downloaded cue includes dialogue and sound effects from the film; the actual cue remains unreleased to date.
14. Ilia and Decker ( :48) ** - After Decker orders the Enterprise to escape by using photon torpedoes, he receives a dressing down from Kirk, who in turn receives a dressing down of his own by Dr. McCoy. Decker then encounters Ilia in the corridor, and the two briefly speak about their unresolved relationship. This cue as heard in the actual film remains unreleased to date in its complete form; however, a portion of this cue can be found at the very end of Track
18. “Sign Off: Nichelle Nichols” on the expanded “Inside Star Trek” CD. In the extended television and videocassette versions this cue is twice repeated, first in an additional scene of dialog between Sulu and Ilia on the bridge, and second in an expanded scene in Ilia’s quarters.
15. Spock’s Arrival (1:58) SON – As McCoy leaves Kirk alone in his quarters, a mysterious cue introduces us to an equally mysterious shuttle approaching the Enterprise, bearing Mr. Spock, who has elected to return to his shipmates as science officer once again. Two alternate versions of this cue are known to exist.
16. Stardate 7413.4 ( :33) * - The second of three reprisals of the original “Star Trek” theme underscoring a Captain’s Log entry. In the log entry Kirk notes that Spock and Scotty have successfully repaired the warp engines in less than three hours. The cue includes William Shatner’s narration; the actual cue remains unreleased.
17. Warp Seven (1:04) * - The ship succeeds in jumping to warp seven, enabling Kirk and the crew to face the mysterious cloud a day ahead of schedule. Later, Spock meets with Kirk and McCoy in the recreation lounge to express his perceptions about the entity. This cue includes dialogue and sound effects from the film; the actual cue remains unreleased.
18. Red Alert (3:04) * - In this energized cue, the ship goes to red alert, as the crew gets its first look at the power and size of the cloud. Spock senses that the entity has somehow “contacted” the Enterprise.
19. The Cloud (4:58) CBS, SON – Once the entity attacks the Enterprise, Spock realizes that the cloud’s “torpedoes” are in fact high-energy signal transmissions and programs the ship’s computers to emit a response signal. The Enterprise begins to pass safely through the various layers of the cloud, eventually reaching a gigantic alien vessel. Kirk orders a parallel course over the vessel, in this dark, exploratory cue.
20. V’Ger Flyover (4:57) CBS, SON – The Enterprise continues on its quiet journey over the alien vessel, seemingly endless in size and shape.
21. The Force Field (5:03) SON – The alien vessel sends a probe to the bridge of the ship and seemingly kills Lt. Ilia. The vessel then emits a tractor beam and pulls the Enterprise into its inner workings. The crew frantically scrambles to send a transmission to Earth but to no avail.
22. Ilia’s Examination (1:13) * - Kirk, Spock, and McCoy soon find that an android replica of Ilia has appeared on board, the messenger of the huge alien vessel that calls itself “V’Ger”. The Ilia probe brings a message to Kirk of V’Ger’s mission: to find its mysterious creator. In sickbay McCoy finds that except for mechanized processor units inside, the probe is a perfect replica of Ilia. However, the probe lets its guard down upon Decker’s approach. An alternate version of this cue is known to exist.
23. Stardate 7414.1 ( :45) * - In the third reprisal of the original “Star Trek” theme, the probe orders Kirk to assist it further, but Kirk remarks that Decker can best assist the probe. Later, Kirk and McCoy watch as the probe follows Decker through the recreation lounge. Decker then shows one of the games to the probe. This cue features narration, dialog, and sound effects from the film; the actual cue remains unreleased to date.
24. Games (3:41) SON – As Decker shows the probe a familiar game, memories of the real Ilia seem to break through for a moment then end very quickly. The probe then reveals to Decker that V’Ger intends to assimilate the crew of the Enterprise as part of its immense repository. Meanwhile, Spock renders a security guard unconscious with a Vulcan neck pinch. Later, in Ilia’s quarters, McCoy, Decker, and Dr. Chapel further attempt to reach for Ilia’s memory patterns within the probe in an attempt to revive Ilia, but to no avail. In the extended television and videocassette versions, this cue is vastly re-edited, and the final third of “Games” is replaced with the “Ilia and Decker” cue from earlier in the film. Also, portions of this cue are re-used in the extended versions as Kirk prepares to journey outside the Enterprise to go after Spock. The cue is heard here in its entirety as originally recorded.
25. Thruster Suit (1:50) * - Having taken a thruster suit, Spock goes out into V’Ger’s deep chasms to prepare to journey to the center of the vessel. Meanwhile, Chekov informs Kirk of Spock’s position.
26. Spock Walk (4:19) CBS, SON – Spock journey’s through V’Ger’s immense memory repository and discovers that V’Ger has become a living machine in and of itself. He then encounters a giant replica of Ilia with a sensor probe at the base of Ilia’s neck and attempts a mind meld with it. The vast amount of information becomes too staggering, and Spock is sent back to the ship and recovered by Kirk. In the extended television and videocassette versions, the opening strains of this cue are interrupted by an added scene of Kirk preparing to journey out into V’Ger. This scene incorporates portions of “Games” into the movie at this point; the cue is heard here in its entirety as originally recorded.
27. V’Ger Signals the Creator (1:02) CBS, SON – After Kirk and McCoy deem Spock ready for return to duty, V’Ger begins its approach to Earth, and Uhura begins to receive stronger signals on the alien vessel’s telemetry and position. It is determined that V’Ger’s transmission signal is based on an old carrier wave signal known as radio. This cue is not original music but in fact the last 62 seconds of “Spock Walk” re-used in this scene in all versions of the film.
28. V’Ger’s Tantrum (2:01) * - The Ilia probe orders Kirk to disclose information pertaining to the creator. When Kirk refuses, V’Ger launches a series of probes over Earth and threatens to destroy the planet.
29. The Heart of the Cloud / Behold, V’Ger (3:52) * - Kirk and Spock confer that the information could only be input to V’Ger directly and not the probe, and Kirk orders the probe to take them to V’Ger. The ship is pulled via tractor beam to the center of the vessel itself. Kirk orders Spock, McCoy, and Decker to accompany him and the Ilia probe to the center of the ship. In the extended television and videocassette versions this cue is re-looped and duplicated to cover two additional scenes, of Kirk ordering Scotty to prepare for the Enterprise’s self-destruction should their mission fail, and of Spock weeping for V’Ger’s lack of evolvement.
30. Inner Workings (3:01) SON – The Ilia probe escorts Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and Decker to a vast chasm containing V’Ger. As Kirk looks at the nameplate on the giant probe, he notices a portion of the probe’s identification burned out and illegible; hence the name “V’Ger”. On the Sony CD this cue fades out at the 3:01 mark.
31. Voyager 6 ( :51) * - Continuing directly from “Inner Workings”, Kirk makes out faint letterings on the probe’s nameplate, revealing it to be the lost Voyager 6 space probe sent out by NASA in the 20th century to collect data from space and transmit it back to Earth. Strange pulsing signals from the ship give the crew an idea that they are close to something.
32. V’Ger Speaks (3:50) SON – Kirk asks Uhura to pull up the transmission code for Voyager 6 to transmit its data into the Enterprise tricorders. When the code fails, the antenna leads burn out, and Decker realizes that a human touch is needed to complete the job. Part of this music is re-looped as Decker completes keying in the transmission code by hand.
33. The Meld (3:09) CBS, SON – Decker and the Ilia probe join together, as a series of mysterious lights envelop the two and Voyager 6. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy race back to the Enterprise, and V’Ger explodes into a miniature nebula of lights, evolving into a new and mysterious life form. The Enterprise orbits Earth, and the threat is over. In the film, the cue is dialed out in two places toward the climax yet is heard on both the original CBS album and the Sony CD in its complete form.
34. A Good Start (2:26) SON – Continuing from “The Meld”, Kirk reports that Decker and Ilia are to be declared missing in action and the ship fully operational. He then orders the Enterprise to continue on its shakedown cruise, as the starship sails out into warp speed to a reprise of music from “The Enterprise”, and the closing cue card reads, “The human adventure is just beginning.”
35. End Titles (3:16) CBS, SON – The full version of the end title theme is heard here as the credits appear on screen. In the actual film the cue is slightly edited but is heard on the original CBS album and the Sony CD in its complete form.
37. Main Title (Take #1) (1:33) * - This is the very first recording of the “Star Trek: TMP” theme by Jerry Goldsmith. As the cue opens, we can hear the composer counting down to the orchestra to cue them to start performing.
38. The Enterprise (6:03) * - This is the original recording for the Enterprise as initially conceived and written by Goldsmith. This version is significantly different in many places, as the main theme for the movie had not yet been composed at this time. Where the final version reflected a more lyrical ballad encompassing Kirk and his starship, this original take is more epic in scale. Portions of this original version would be incorporated into the final version of the cue and would later be used for music in “Star Trek V”.
39. Ilia and Decker ( :57) * - This is the alternate take that has been downloaded and distributed through the Internet. This version paces differently in some places and ends differently than in the movie, yet is fairly similar to the final version.
40. Spock’s Arrival (Take #1) (2:39) * - In the initial version reflection Spock’s arrival on the Enterprise, it proceeds much longer and is similar in content to the original recording of the first version of “The Enterprise”. It does not exactly fit the pacing of the scene as edited in the final film, suggesting that portions of this cue would have been scaled down to fit the scene. Some downloads place this cue as an alternate version of “Leaving Drydock”.
41. Spock’s Arrival (Take #2) (2:04) * - When the initial recording did not fit with the editing of the movie, Goldsmith recorded this second version to reflect the on-screen action. This version is much closer in content to the final version as heard in the film but with an emphasis on the main “Star Trek” theme and not the Vulcan music that is heard in the final version. Also, some arrangements are similar to the final version but are performed in a different key.
42. Ilia’s Examination (1:20) * - The original version of this cue is recorded in a higher key and also includes a portion of music originally found in the first version of “The Enterprise”.
43. Games (3:48) * - This alternate recording is similar to the final version but has a slightly different string arrangement in the final third of the cue.
44. Inner Workings / Voyager 6 (4:39) * - This alternate recording begins with a different arrangement of violins and strings present in the first versions of “The Enterprise” and “Ilia’s Examination”, then goes into essentially a similar version of music in the final film. This is followed by a lovely harp arrangement, as the Ilia probe descends to Voyager
6. A different arrangement of violins follows as Kirk and crew approach the probe. The cue ends as arranged in the final film.
45. End Titles (Take #1) (3:20) * - This is basically the same as heard on the final recording and film versions, but with edit points similar to what is heard in the film. Once the music ends, we hear Goldsmith speaking to the orchestra.
46. Ilia’s Theme (3:29) * - Similar to the final recording but contains some slower instrumentations in places.
Because of the richness of the music, Jerry Goldsmith’s score for “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” remains the defining work in the nine-film series and the standard against which all subsequent scores in the later entries by James Horner, Leonard Rosenman, Cliff Eidelman, and Dennis McCarthy, as well as Goldsmith’s later contributions, have been measured. The influence of this score can be felt and heard not only in the subsequent film entries but also in the “Next Generation”, “Deep Space Nine”, “Voyager”, and (perhaps one day) the “Enterprise” television series. Hopefully Paramount will eventually have the rest of this classic film score restored and released in an official capacity for “Star Trek” and film score fans to enjoy.
STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE
The initial album release from CBS Records was a single album of ten tracks from the film, clocking in at a running time of 40 minutes. Many of the film’s most mysterious, sweeping, and exciting cues remained unreleased for 20 years until 1998, when Lukas Kendall, the editor of Film Score Monthly, produced an extended version of the score for compact disc release with eight tracks previously unreleased and the entire score chronologically arranged and supervised by Goldsmith himself. Clocking in at less than 65 minutes, the score was reproduced in 20-bit digital sound for the best sound clarity possible. Sony/Legacy Records prepared the score, along with an expanded version of the 1976 album “Inside Star Trek”, for release in November 1998, and a number of promotional copies of this two-CD set were pressed and distributed. But the CD was pulled prior to its release and rescheduled for release in the summer of 1999 to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the film. Even with this expanded release, a number of cues from the film’s score remained unreleased to the public in an official capacity.
Then, an amazing series of events happened. With the advent of Napster and recordable compact disc technology, music fans began to discover via the Internet a series of ripped files from the unreleased Goldsmith cues to the film, including several never before heard alternate cues. These alternate cues contained almost completely different arrangements and orchestrations from what was heard in the final film. Using compact disc burners music fans could download these missing cues and record them onto blank CDs to produce their own “complete” versions of the Goldsmith score. In 2000 the first in a series of expanded versions of the Goldsmith score surfaced through one recently closed website, under the title of “Star Trek: The Motion Picture – The Special Edition Complete Motion Picture Soundtrack”, chronologically arranging all cues in order to the film, with the alternate cues on the second half of disc two. Since then at least two versions of the expanded score and one version of the alternate and lost cues alone are known to have been circulated to date.
