Blade Runner / Soundtrack / Official

Official Blade Runner Soundtrack

In July 1994, Vangelis released the Official Blade Runner Soundtrack for the first time. Vangelis' notes accompanying the album say:

Most of the music contained in this album originates from recordings I made in London in 1982, whilst working on the score for the film BLADE RUNNER. Finding myself unable to release these recordings at the time, it is with great pleasure that I am able to do so now. Some of the pieces contained will be known to you from the Original Soundtrack of the film, whilst others are appearing here for the first time. Looking back at RIDLEY SCOTT'S powerful and evocative pictures left me as stimulated as before, and made the recompiling of this music, today, an enjoyable experience.

VANGELIS Athens, April 1994

Blade Runner
VANGELIS
Warner Brothers 4509-96574-2
  1. Main Titles (3.42)
  2. Blush Response (5.47)
  3. Wait for Me (5.27)
  4. Rachel's Song (4.46)
  5. Love Theme (4.56)
  6. One More Kiss, Dear (3.58)
  7. Blade Runner Blues (8.53)
  8. Memories of Green (5.05)
  9. Tales of the Future (4.46)
  10. Damask Rose (2.32)
  11. Blade Runner (End Titles) (4.40)
  12. Tears in Rain (3.00)

There are some samples of this music stored here.

The cover of the album is a closeup of the movie poster, showing Deckard, Rachael, and the top of Police Headquarters. The back cover is a photograph of the Tyrell building. Inside is an eleven page photobook, which contains:

* Photo of Vangelis
* Vangelis's text (above), plus album credits
* Two page montage:
* Deckard and Gaff at the noodle bar
* Spinners in flight
* Top of Police Headquarters
* Deckard running across the roof
* Spinner taking off
* Deckard pointing gun in J.F. Sebastian's apartment
* Roy talking to Leon
* Two page photo of Deckard running across the tops of cars
* Portrait of Rachael smoking
* Portrait of Deckard
* Portrait of Pris, plus picture of Ridley Scott directing Harrison Ford
* Picture of Roy at the chess board
* Spinner approaching Tyrell building
The tracks on the album also contain some sound clips from the movie.

An album called Blade Runner (WEA 1982) is available but it is not the actual movie soundtrack, rather it is an orchestral arrangement of the soundtrack performed by the New American Orchestra. It contains the following tracks:

  1. Love Theme (4:12)
  2. Main Title (5:01)
  3. One More Kiss, Dear (4:00)
  4. Memories Of Green (4:50)
  5. End Title (4:17)
  6. Blade Runner Blues (4:38)
  7. Farewell (3:10)
  8. Love Theme (4:12)
Vangelis released an album called Themes in 1990, which contains the following music from the movie soundtrack:
* End Titles from "BLADERUNNER" (4:57)
* Love Theme from "BLADERUNNER" (4:55)
* Memories of Green (5:42)
Memories of Green was originally released on Vangelis' album See You Later. Scott used the orchestrated version of Memories of Green in his film Someone to Watch Over Me.

There is a CD called "Blade Runner: Synthesizer Soundtracks" available (STD 5003 from Silva Screen Records Ltd., 1995) It has pieces from a number of films including the "complete version" of "End Titles from Blade Runner" (7:29), produced and performed by Mark Ayers.

Vangelis also wrote the score for Antarctica, which includes tracks very similar to those used in Blade Runner. His 1979 album VANGELIS: Opera Sauvage also contains tracks similar to those in Blade Runner.

The Japanese vocals associated with the Blimp are from:

Japan: Traditional Vocal and Instrumental Music, Shakuhachi, Biwa, Koto, Shamisen" [compact disc] Performed by Ensemble Nipponia, 1976 Electra Asylum Nonesuch Records/Warner Communications Inc. The lyrics tell of the tragic and utter destruction of one Japanese clan by another.

Gail Laughton's Harps of the Ancient Temples is used as the bicyclists pass by Leon and Batty on their way to Chew's Eye World. This album is listed in old CD catalogs on the Laurel label, cat #111.

Blade Runner

Murray Chapman