Tobruk Soundtrack [1967-2010]

For the 1967 Universal Pictures war epic Tobruk, Bronislau Kaper wrote a musically massive, thundering wall of sound — just like the formidable German fortress under assault by the Allies during WWII. His primary theme is weighted by a barrage of brass playing eight angular notes seemingly chiseled out of concrete and layered throughout the entire score in blocks. It makes its first appearance in the Main Title in its most militaristic form, bursting with brass, bristling with snares, underlining the massive potency of the German force in North Africa. Numerous other motifs play a role, but Kaper seldom strays from his main Tobruk theme, an idea whose dominance mirrors the towering objective under siege by the Allies.

For this premiere presentation of the soundtrack, Intrada was generously given access to all of the multi-track master elements recorded at Universal
Picture’s scoring stage in February of 1967 under the supervision of Joseph Gershenson. The ½” 15 i.p.s. three-track stereo session masters were vaulted in magnificent condition, allowing Intrada to create brand new two-track stereo mixes of every cue. The results are vibrant and robust, bringing great clarity to this energetic, martial musical campaign.

Tobruk tells the tale of a near-suicidal mission staged at a turning point in World War II: it’s 1942, and if Rommel and his Afrika Korps can gain access to the Suez Canal, they will, in effect, control the Mediterranean. To prevent this, a small Allied force is sent on an 800-mile march across the deserts of North Africa to the port city of Tobruk; there, they hope to knock out a deadly battery of German guns so an Allied invasion can be launched, and blow up Rommel’s massive fuel depot, thus stymieing the Desert Fox’s designs on the Canal.

This release is limited to 2000 units.

Track list
Tracklist:
01. Main Title / Prologue (02:46)
02. Frognapped (02:32)
03. Rendezvous (00:43)
04. Desert Convoy / Prepare For Attack (03:42)
05. Harker's Humor (01:22)
06. Mine Field (01:33)
07. Sitting Duck (01:01)
08. Taureg Trade / Caravan Continues (02:02)
09. Night Camp (00:54)
10. Traitor Of The Tunnel (01:40)
11. Exit Portman (03:19)
12. Head Hunters (03:34)
13. Many Tanks (00:43)
14. The Big Dump (01:38)
15. The Guns Of Mersa (00:55)
16. Shalom (01:47)
17. Bergman's Death (02:40)
18. End Title / End Cast / Emblem (02:00)

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