2001: A Space Odyssey (score)  

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The 2001: A Space Odyssey score is an unused film score composed by Alex North for Stanley Kubrick's 1968 film, 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Background

Stanley Kubrick commissioned North to write the score for his film 2001: A Space Odyssey, but decided not to use it in favor of previously recorded classical music. It is divided into two movements, corresponding to the first and second chapters of the film.

North, unaware that Kubrick had decided not to use the score in his film, was "devastated" at the 1968 New York City premiere screening of 2001 not to hear his work, and later offered this account of his experience: "Well, what can I say? It was a great, frustrating experience, and despite the mixed reaction to the music, I think the Victorian approach with mid-European overtones was just not in keeping with the brilliant concept of Clarke and Kubrick."

On hearing the score as it might have been in the film, film scholar Gene Phillips argued that "it is difficult to see how North's music would have been an improvement on the background music that Kubrick finally chose for the film." In his notes for the Jerry Goldsmith recording (see below), however, Kevin Mulhall argues that "there is no doubt that 2001 would have been better if Kubrick had used North's music. Even if one likes some of the choices Kubrick made for certain individual scenes, the eclectic group of classical composers employed by the director... resulted in a disturbing melange of sounds and styles overall."

Original theme music

Alex North's main title theme has a striking resemblance to the "Also sprach Zarathustra" piece that would eventually be used in the final film. The original theme was listed on North's original score sheet as "Bones". It would have been used three times in the film, once as the main title music, and again during the opening "Dawn of Man" sequence as an ape smashes skeletal remains (hence the score sheet's title), and finally at the end of the film during the "Starchild" scene. This theme music made its public debut in early 1993 as part of the Telarc compilation CD Hollywood's Greatest Hits, Vol. 2, by Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, and there it was titled "Fanfare for 2001". It would eventually be recycled by North for his later score to The Shoes of the Fisherman.

Jerry Goldsmith recording

Shortly after Telarc's release of the theme, the entire original North score was released to the public, also in 1993, in the form of an entirely new recording produced and conducted by film composer Jerry Goldsmith, performed by the National Philharmonic Orchestra and recorded from January 26 to January 30. It was released in CD format from Varèse Sarabande Records, with the track list sequenced by co-producer Robert Townson.

1. "Main Title" – 1:37
2. "The Foraging" – 3:44
3. "Eat Meat and the Kill" – 3:27
4. "The Bluff" – 3:01
5. "Night Terrors" – 2:02
6. "The Dawn of Man" – 3:14
7. "Space Station Docking" – 2:22
8. "Trip to the Moon" – 3:21
9. "Moon Rocket Bus" – 5:01
10. "Space Talk" – 3:30
11. "Interior Orion" – 1:26
12. "Main Theme" – 2:31

Official original recording

In January 2007, Intrada Records issued 3000 copies of a limited edition CD featuring North's original recording of the score from 1968. The release was authorized by the family of North, the estate of Stanley Kubrick, rights holder Turner Entertainment, and several others. The album features nine tracks from the score, as well as an alternate version of the track "The Foraging." In addition, the album features three bonus tracks, all of additional takes of other tracks on the album.

1. "The Foraging" – 3:11
2. "The Bluff" – 2:38
3. "Night Terrors" – 1:47
4. "Bones" – 01:41
5. "Eat Meat and Kill" – 4:00
6. "Space Station Docking" – 5:22
7. "Space Talk" – 3:47
8. "Trip to Moon" – 3:04
9. "Moon Rocket Bus" – 5:19
10. "The Foraging" (alternate version) (aka The Dawn of Man) – 3:08

Bonus Tracks:

11. "Eat Meat and Kill" (take 7 – wild) – 1:03 <li>"Space Station" (take 4 – partial) – 2:11 <li>"Docking" (take 2) – 1:15</ol>
    

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