Posted by Jim Self on July 11, 2000 at 10:38:42:
In Reply to: close incounters of the third kind posted by steve on July 08, 2000 at 17:46:17:
FROM THE HORSE'S MOUTH!!!!
The Conversation in Close Encounters of the Third Kind begins with lots of low F's. The 5 note motive is in the key of Ab (beginning on Bb). There are many pedal Ab's later on.
On the recording session there were four musicians--two oboes in unison (John Ellis and Bill Criss), and tuba and contra-bassoon in unison (me and Norm Herschberg). That's why it sounds "electronic" (the peculiar way the two sound in unison). The cue was done as a "pre-score" and the movie was made to sync to the music--so the theme pitches would trigger different colored lights in the film. The session with composer John Williams was in June 1976 at Warner Bros. Studio. The movie was filmed later that year and released in May 1977.
Hope this helps.
JIM SELF