Varèse Sarabande, through its Varèse Vinyl online store, is releasing for the first time on LP, a two-record set of Dave Grusin's score for The Goonies. Released on “Willy’s Gold” coloured vinyl, follow One-Eyed Willy’s map. The 1985 film is from the imagination of Steven Spielberg, it plunges a band of small heroes into a swashbuckling surprise-around-every corner quest beyond their wildest dreams...

When the The Goonies movie came out I bought the original vinyl LP and over the years I've managed to acquire various editions (one I think was recorded from the LaserDisc / DVD isolated soundtrack track). But this new release contains way more music than the other editions. In full it spans 34 tracks (1 hr, 19 min, 08 sec) including four bonus tracks of alternate themes (which were at one point the original tracks for the movie).

There are a number of tracks here that I hadn't heard before. I was surprised to discover that the ending to 'The “It”, Fifty Dollar Bills and a Stiff' featured the same Psycho-esque stabbing motif as John Williams unleashed the year before (1984) in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (in the track 'Nocturnal Activities') and that '12 Boulders, Bats And A Blender' brought to mind Williams's music for Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981).

While this hasn't aged quite as well as scores from the same period (like Alan Silvestri's 1985 music for Back to the Future) it's still a wonderful, magical soundtrack that is worthy of adding to your music library. Although, you'd better hurry. Varèse Sarabande has only pressed 750 discs for soundtrack lovers.

Track listing:

Side One
01. Fratelli Chase (2:50)
02. Map and Willie (2:15)
03. The Goondocks (Goonies Theme) (2:04)
04. Doubloon (1:47)
05. Lighthouse (1:18)
06. Cellar and Sloth (1:41)
07. Restaurant Trash (:55)
08. The “It,” Fifty Dollar Bills and a Stiff (4:35)
09. It All Starts Here (1:30)
10. Plumbing (1:25)

Side Two
01. Skull and Signature (3:27)
02. Boulders, Bats and a Blender (2:32)
03. Wishing Well and the Fratellis Find Coin (2:49)
04. Mikey’s Vision (1:52)
05. Oath and Booby Traps (1:06)
06. Triple Stones and a Ball (2:10)
07. Pee Break and Kissing Tunnel (2:06)
08. They’re Here and Skull Cave Chase (3:03)

Side Three
01. Playing the Bones (4:21)
02. Water Slide and Galleon (1:38)
03. Octopus (1:02)
04. The Inferno (1:14)
05. One Eyed Willie (3:05)
06. Treasure, Data & Mouth and Walk the Plank (3:18)
07. Sloth & Chunk (1:57)
08. Mama & Sloth (1:58)
09. The Fighting Fratellis, Sloth’s Choice and Ultimate Booby Trap (3:24)

Side Four
01. The Reunion and Fratellis on Beach (3:41)
02. No Firme and Pirate Ship (2:42)
03. End Titles (Goonies Theme) (3:11)

Bonus Tracks:
04. Fratelli Chase (original version) (3:30)
05. Triple Stones and a Ball (original version) (1:54)
06. They’re Here and Skull Cave Chase (original version) (1:55)
07. Octopus (original version) (1:04)

10

Darren Rea