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Howlin' Wolf Records is very privileged to present the score for the 1974 cult classic, SILENT NIGHT, BLOODY NIGHT, music composed and conducted by Gershon Kingsley. Gershon Kingsley is a pioneer of early electronic music and an Emmy-winning, Tony-nominated composer well known for his many works as a composer and conductor, including his internationally recognized hit instrumental Popcorn (1969).
Gershon Kingsley's score for SILENT NIGHT, BLOODY NIGHT is a Gothic score composed for strings and piano, recorded and conducted by Gershon Kingsley with a chamber orchestra in Munich, Germany. Kingsley's score was deconstructed and rearranged to accommodate subsequent edits of the film and unfortunately lost much of its fluidity and structure. This release features the score, for the first time, as presented by the composer.
SILENT NIGHT, BLOODY NIGHT, directed by Theodore Gershuny and filmed in 1972, was not released theatrically until April of 1974 placing it chronologically in horror genre history as the first holiday-themed slasher film, predating BLACK CHRISTMAS (1974) and HALLOWEEN (1978), and the rightful granfather of what has become a thriving horror subgenre. Many elements used thematically in SILENT NIGHT, BLOODY NIGHT are represented in later genre entries leaving some speculation as to what influence this early film had over the genre as a whole. The film features performances by Mary Woronov, James Patterson, John Carradine, Astrid Heeren, Patrick O'Neal, Walter Abel, Fran Stevens, and Walter Klavun.
SILENT NIGHT, BLOODY NIGHT is a limited edition pressing of 1000 and features the score in the form of two suites, as preserved by Gershon Kingsley from the original quarter inch tapes. The two suites are divided into thirteen tracks representing various movements within each suite. The album features beautifully designed liner notes highlighting the composer, the score, and the film.
Click on highlighted tracks below to hear excerpts from select score cues.
Album Running Time: 30:19
01. | Suite I, Movement 1 (3:06) |
02. | Suite I, Movement 2 (1:31) |
03. | Suite I, Movement 3 (2:08) |
04. | Suite I, Movement 4 (1:45) |
05. | Suite I, Movement 5 (0:35) |
06. | Suite I, Movement 6 (1:29) |
07. | Suite I, Movement 7 (0:55) |
08. | Suite I, Movement 8 (1:24) |
09. | Suite I, Movement 9 (2:46) |
10. | Suite I, Movement 10 (3:23) |
11. | Suite II, Movement 1 (6:17) |
12. | Suite II, Movement 2 (2:23) |
13. | Suite II, Movement 3 (2:37) |