There’s a Roy Budd crime score I’ve always loved, The Stone Killer, a 1973 Charles Bronson film. It was directed by Michael Winner, who was working with Jerry Fielding a lot at that time (The Mechanic, Chato’s Land).
For whatever reason, Budd did this one, and it sounds like his version of Fielding (with a helping of Lalo Schifrin).
I love all the 1970s Roy Budd crime–action scores: Get Carter, Fear Is the Key (that epic car chase), The Black Windmill, The Carey Treatment (on FSM!), The Internecine Project, The Marseille Contract...so good!
Budd has such a distinctive style, with that large, shimmering, cavernous sound—and he was so young, it was like he emerged fully formed as a composer. A little like James Horner, in that way.
I remember the first time I heard him. I was in college and got Fear Is the Key from Hiro Wada (R.I.P.) at SLC in Japan, and that car chase came on (even with those stupid sound FX)—and it was like the Shaft fantasy action score of my wildest dreams:
There are two different CD programs of The Stone Killer—one from Legend, one from Cinephile—and at some point I made the above playlist, trying to figure out what was what, and what would be the longest, most comprehensive playlist (with duplicates at the end).
I’m pretty sure I referenced a playlist somebody else made at the FSM board, which now I can’t find, of course.
Anyway, I’ve screen capped what I came up with from iTunes.
This Budd’s for you! (groan)