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Jaws
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Composed, Conducted, and Produced by:
Orchestrated by:
Herbert Spencer
2000 Re-Recording Produced by:
Robert Townson
2000 Re-Recording Conducted by:
Joel McNeely
2000 Re-Recording Performed by:
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LABELS & RELEASE DATES
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ALBUM AVAILABILITY
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All of the albums are regular commercial releases and the
1992-2000 products can be readily found for reasonable prices. The 2015
and 2025 sets from Intrada Records, though not limited in quantity,
still sold for an initial price of $30 and $40, respectively. Digital
versions of the first two CDs of the 2025 set are available
separately.
The partial 2023 re-issue by Pantheon and Universal in France called
"The Legend of John Williams" is a large commercial set selling for
$110. The partial 2025 Sony Classical re-issue is part of a $300
commercial set called "John Williams: The Anthology, Volume 1
(1969-1990)."
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AWARDS
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Winner of an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Grammy Award, and a Golden Globe.
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ALSO SEE
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Buy it... on the impressive 2025 3-CD set if you seek to conduct a
definitive study of one of the most effective film scores of all time,
or on the immense 2000 re-recording if you want to hear that classic
music translated decently into contemporary sound quality.
Avoid it... on all the albums if you recognize, like many John
Williams collectors do, that this remains a great score only truly
appreciable in the context of the film, a challenging listening
experience on album for merely casual entertainment.
BUY IT
 | | Williams |
Jaws: (John Williams) The first film to ever gross
more than $100 million, 1975's Jaws also represented the
mainstream debut of director Steven Spielberg. An incredibly well
conceived concept and outstanding screenplay scared audiences in such a
timeless fashion that the film is still effectively terrifying several
decades after its release. A massive shark terrorizes a tourist beach
destination on America's East Coast, killing people randomly and sending
the town into a panic. Several false alarms cause tourism in the area to
take a hit despite the efforts of local politicians to downplay the
problem. The leading trio of the story set out on a relatively small
boat to catch the shark and get more of a battle than they could have
ever bargained for. The film spawned a franchise and continues to be
respected as one of the great horror entries of all-time. One undeniable
reason for the film's great memorability relates to its striking score
by composer John Williams, who had previously worked with Spielberg on
Sugarland Express. When Williams first invited the director to
his studio and played on a piano the two-note theme (E-F, E-F, E-F...)
he had conjured to represent the great white shark in Jaws,
Spielberg responded by saying something along the lines of "you're
kidding, right?" Fortunately for both, Williams wasn't kidding, and thus
was born a film music and silver screen legend. Spielberg was still an
up and coming director, with only a few small, successful films under
his belt, but Williams was already an Academy Award winner and the
composer of choice for large-scale disaster films. His popular scores of
the early 1970's for The Poseidon Adventure, Earthquake,
and, most notably, The Towering Inferno had offered a glimpse of
the symphonic rebirth that Williams was initiating in Hollywood at the
time. He would go on to earn Academy Award wins for both Jaws and
Star Wars within a two-year span, elevating him to a status of
the top composer of the 1970's.
The production of Jaws was a near disaster during
its shooting, mostly due to "Bruce," the mechanical shark that was
useless 90% of the time, and Spielberg was counting on a strong score
with a dark and sweeping identity to help save the production. One can
truly understand Spielberg's surprise when Williams produced a title
theme for Jaws consisting of a repeating two-note phrase. On the
piano, it sounded silly, but when performed by the string section of an
orchestra, both men were surprised by the monstrous thematic creation
they had stumbled upon. There is no serious debate about the
functionality of the music in the film. Part of the film's dominant
success was due, directly, to its relatively deceptive use of music,
however. The ingenious idea of using the mindless two-note progression
to represent the shark is effectively applied to the score by its tempo
or even by its absence. The two-note progression was meant to match the
blood pressure of the shark, not that of the audience. Many people
mistakenly believe that the theme was intended to reflect the horror
level of the audience. In fact, the idea represents the internalized
zeal of the shark itself, a flow that Williams and Spielberg allowed the
audience to listen in on. The theme increases its pace as the shark gets
excited, and it is absent from scenes in which the shark isn't anywhere
near the present locale, most notably in the false alarm scenes of
mistaken identity. The shark's primitive and brutal hunting instincts
make the structurally simplistic two-note theme into the embodiment of
the shark that Spielberg had struggled to obtain with the actual,
physical beast that he had built for the film. Even if you see a fin in
the water, if Williams' theme isn't heard, then there's no reason to
worry or panic. A deep tuba and horn motif that actually serves as the
primary theme for the film is usually presented on top of this simple
ostinato, though this idea is truly overshadowed by its underlying
rhythm. The theme's concert version and the cue "Man Against Beast" both
build to a wondrous crescendo of melodramatic movie music fantasy on
strings that is pure Williams in other-worldly style.
Accompanying the title theme is a pleasant, if not
jubilant theme for the cozy beach town of Amity, one which provides a
handful of thematic bursts that serve as early evidence of Williams'
talent for capturing the Americana spirit. The most enjoyable theme in
the film is that for the Orca, the boat optimistically sailing off to
dispatch the shark. It is here that Williams offers his swashbuckling
spirit of adventure that is destined for a very dark turn as the animal
eventually prevails over the craft. The enjoyable statements of
adventure music in Jaws accompany the Orca as it sets off and
initially shows some success against the shark, highlighted in "Man
Against Beast." This cue prompted Williams to define the lengthy duel as
having a "pirate spirit" that necessitated music that rolls along with
jovial sport. Williams slowly takes that uplifting spirit and transfers
it into one of increasing panic and desperation as the Orca comes under
life-threatening attack, a back-and-forth of motif struggles until the
ultimate timpani roll declares relief as the decapitated shark's blood
fills the ocean waters. The narrative of Williams' approach to
Jaws is absolutely superb, a tighter-woven progression through
the emotional realms than heard in his sequel score a few years later.
Despite the awesome power and effectiveness of the score as heard in the
film, however, the mass majority of the music doesn't make for one of
Williams' better album experiences. For most listeners, Jaws is a
work of fine craftsmanship to appreciate intellectually on album rather
than enjoy with casual ease, because it doesn't really serve any
particular ambient mood without inevitably reminding of only this story.
The sense of flighty adventure on the high seas, reminding of the Golden
Age of Hollywood during the chase sequence, offers the only really
accessibly listenable material on album. Who really wants to listen to
the shark's theme on snowy day in Montana? Many people have suggested
correctly that Williams' Jaws 2 is a better and more consistent
listening experience on album. Despite this fact, the first film's score
understandably exists on a variety CD albums.
The original LP and 1992 MCA CD feature about half an
hour of music that Williams rearranged and re-recorded for the sole
purposes of the album, and this was for a long time the only available
music from the picture. Given public acceptance of the "re-recording for
album" practice through the years, this album was considered
satisfactory by most. In 2000, a sudden flurry of activity included the
announcement by Varèse Sarabande that composer/conductor Joel
McNeely would be conducting the Royal Scottish Orchestra in a
performance of the entire Jaws score, scheduled for release later
that year. Before that could be recorded, however, Universal decided to
hasten the project of releasing 51 original minutes of Jaws music
(not the re-recordings done in 1975 for the LP) on an album to coincide
with the much-hyped collector's DVD release celebrating the 25th
anniversary of the film. For the most casual fans of Williams' music,
the best bet on album was long the 2000 remastered release of the
original Jaws score, though there are those who regularly prefer
Williams' typically strong rearrangements for his albums ( The
Fury is a good example of such disparity). If sound quality is your
concern, then the RSO re-recording might be preferred, though the raw
and intimate sense of danger experienced during the original recordings
of the Jaws themes is lost a bit by the echoing sound of the
large, dynamic performance. That re-recording does feature some
different tempi and instrumentation during key sequences, and this may
bother listeners who are very familiar with the original. Williams had a
direct say in how the music was presented on the 1992 and 2000 releases
of the two original Jaws recordings, so the cues are rearranged
and renamed in parts of those albums to suit his wishes, which was a
common practice in the production of his albums. In 2015, Intrada
Records sought to finally produce a more definitive release of the
score, revisiting both the film and album recordings with the intent of
providing a complete presentation of the work and clean up its sound
quality using newer digital mastering technologies. Even so, their best
work could only be done on the film version of the score, as the
original album recording's masters remained missing.
The score's original film version has always suffered
from issues with clicking, hiss, and other artifacts from studio tapes,
and its three-channel spread really prohibited a true stereo experience.
At times, alternate takes had to be used on the 2000 album rather than
those heard in the film. The 2015 expansion finally used technology to
salvage those tapes with better results, though don't expect a vibrant
stereo soundscape to result. The Intrada album, especially in the film
recording on its first CD, does sound noticeably improved in its clear
instrumental spread. The many alternate takes on the set are a pleasure
to study, mainly to hear the composer and director struggle to find the
right tone of malice in the score's later cues. That album also
features, after the 1975 re-recording on the second CD, a wealth of
source material recorded by Williams for the film's on-shore sequences.
The 12-track LP presentation from that master was used for inclusion on
massive 2023 and 2025 Williams sets from Pantheon and Sony Classical.
Intrada returned to the score for a 50th anniversary 3-CD set in 2025
with even better sources resulting from improved studio transfers of the
film recording and, more importantly, the original album recording
masters that had been missing for the prior offering. The true benefits
of this set come from the delightful new presentation of the album
version of the score, especially given that those sources also contained
very intriguing alternate recordings made by Williams that didn't make
the product. Most impressive is "Theme From 'Jaws' (Variation)," which
contains remarkable combinations of the score's themes on top of one
another with rare skill. A few extra alternates from the film recording
of the work round out a third CD that contains the most alluring new
experiences. Across the 2025 set, the improvement in sound is
appreciable and highly commendable for the score's age. While casual
listeners may be completely satisfied with one of the earlier products,
this second Intrada set manages to eclipse the first one and is
recommended to any dedicated enthusiast of the score. Still, on the
whole, outside of two or three cues led by the phenomenal "Man Against
Beast," Jaws is not something most people can sit and listen to
for any great length of time. Study and admire its constructs and
intelligent application, but don't expect it to freely entertain without
forcing you into a more contemplative analysis of its purpose.
Regardless of its arrangement for the albums, the score's application in
context is a stroke of genius, one that endures as a singular triumph in
the history of film music.
@Amazon.com: CD or
Download
- Music as Written for the Film: *****
- Score as Heard on the 1992 MCA, 2023 Pantheon, and 2025 Sony Albums: ****
- Score as Heard on the 2000 Decca Records Album: *****
- Score as Heard on the 2000 Varèse Sarabande Re-Recording: ****
- Score as Heard on the 2015 and 2025 Intrada Sets: *****
- Overall: *****
| Bias Check: |
For John Williams reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.68
(in 91 reviews)
and the average viewer rating is 3.53
(in 365,764 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.
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query..? Expand >>
pablo - July 13, 2006, at 2:49 a.m. |
2 comments (5043 views)
Newest: December 19, 2006, at 5:44 a.m. by
N B |
| 1992 MCA/2023 Pantheon/2025 Sony Albums Tracks ▼ | Total Time: 35:12 |
• 1. Main Title (Theme From 'Jaws') (2:18)
• 2. Chrissie's Death (1:39)
• 3. Promenade (Tourists on the Menu) (2:46)
• 4. Out to Sea (2:26)
• 5. The Indianapolis Story (2:23)
• 6. Sea Attack Number One (5:23)
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• 7. One Barrel Chase (3:04)
• 8. Preparing the Cage (3:23)
• 9. Night Search (3:29)
• 10. The Underwater Siege (3:31)
• 11. Hand to Hand Combat (2:32)
• 12. End Title (Theme From 'Jaws') (2:18)
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(This score appears at the start of CD 8 of the 2023 set and the start of CD 4 on the 2025 set.) |
| 2000 Decca Records Album Tracks ▼ | Total Time: 51:17 |
• 1. Main Title and First Victim** (3:27)
• 2. The Empty Raft* (1:23)
• 3. The Pier Incident* (2:23)
• 4. The Shark Cage Fugue (1:59)
• 5. Shark Attack*+ (1:17)
• 6. Ben Gardner's Boat (3:31)
• 7. Montage (1:31)
• 8. Father and Son*+ (3:42)
• 9. Into the Estuary* (2:50)
• 10. Out to Sea (2:58)
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• 11. Man Against Beast (5:33)
• 12. Quint's Tale (2:40)
• 13. Brody Panics* (1:10)
• 14. Barrel Off Starboard* (1:30)
• 15. The Great Shark Chase**+ (3:28)
• 16. Three Barrels Under*+ (2:05)
• 17. Between Attacks*+ (2:06)
• 18. The Shark Approaches*+ (2:40)
• 19. Blown to Bits (3:03)
• 20. End Titles (1:52)
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* previously unreleased
** includes unreleased music
+ includes music not used in the film |
| 2000 Varèse Sarabande Re-Recording Tracks ▼ | Total Time: 51:09 |
• 1. Main Title (1:06)
• 2. The First Victim (1:43)
• 3. The Empty Raft (1:15)
• 4. The Pier Incident (2:19)
• 5. Father and Son (2:19)
• 6. The Alimentary Canal (2:02)
• 7. Ben Gardner's Boat (3:21)
• 8. Montage (1:31)
• 9. A Tug on the Line (2:12)
• 10. Into the Estuary (2:49)
• 11. Out to Sea (0:56)
• 12. Man Against Beast (5:15)
• 13. Quint's Tale (2:30)
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• 14. Brody Panics (1:16)
• 15. Barrel Off Starboard (1:38)
• 16. The Great Chase (3:02)
• 17. Three Barrels Under (2:05)
• 18. From Bad to Worse (0:53)
• 19. Quint Thinks it Over (1:08)
• 20. The Shark Cage Fugue (2:00)
• 21. The Shark Approaches (0:42)
• 22. The Shark Hits the Cage (1:45)
• 23. Quint Meets his End (1:08)
• 24. Blown to Bits (3:11)
• 25. End Title (1:56)
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| 2025 Intrada Album Tracks ▼ | Total Time: 138:49 |
CD1: (54:37)
• 1. Jaws - Main Title (0:57)
• 2. The First Victim (1:46)
• 3. Remains on the Beach (0:58)
• 4. The Empty Raft (1:44)
• 5. The Pier Incident (2:30)
• 6. Father and Son (1:59)
• 7. The Alimentary Canal (1:56)
• 8. Ben Gardner's Boat (3:33)
• 9. Tourist Montage (1:33)
• 10. Into the Estuary (2:53)
• 11. Heading Out to Sea (1:00)
• 12. Tug on the Line (2:42)
• 13. Man Against Beast (5:36)
• 14. Quint's Tale (2:45)
• 15. Brody Panics (1:17)
• 16. Barrel Off Starboard (1:39)
• 17. Great Chase (3:01)
• 18. Shark Tows Orca 0:40)
• 19. Three Barrels Under (2:19)
• 20. From Bad to Worse (1:06)
• 21. Quint Thinks It Over (1:14)
• 22. Work Montage (The Shark Cage Fugue) (2:03)
• 23. The Shark Approaches (0:54)
• 24. The Shark Hits the Cage (2:04)
• 25. Quint Meets His End (1:27)
• 26. Blown to Bits (3:17)
• 27. Jaws - End Title (1:56)
CD2: Remastered Original Album Soundtrack: (35:19)
• 1. Main Title (Theme From Jaws) (2:21)
• 2. Chrissie's Death (1:43)
• 3. Promenade (Tourists on the Menu) (2:51)
• 4. Out to Sea (2:37)
• 5. The Indianapolis Story (2:31)
• 6. Sea Attack Number One (5:30)
• 7. One Barrel Chase (3:09)
• 8. Preparing the Cage (3:30)
• 9. Night Search (3:36)
• 10. The Underwater Siege (2:36)
• 11. Hand to Hand Combat (2:37)
• 12. End Title (Theme From Jaws) (2:23)
CD3: 50th Anniversary Extras (Additional Cues and Source): (48:53)
Album Recording: (13:01)
• 1. Main Title and the Beach Attacks (2:49)
• 2. Theme From Jaws (Variation) (2:29)
• 3. Chrissie's Death (Alternate) (1:43)
• 4. The Underwater Siege (Extended Version) (2:50)
• 5. Hand to Hand Combat (Extended Version) (3:02)
Music From Amity Town Beach: (7:05)
• 6. Original Rag (2:05)
• 7. Winter Stories Waltz (1:44)
• 8. Thousand and One Nights Waltz (1:48)
• 9. In the Good Old Summer Time (1:28)
Film Score Recording: (28:47)
• 10. Jaws - Main Title (Alternate) (1:03)
• 11. The Typewriter (0:20)
• 12. The Pier Incident (Alternate) (2:25)
• 13. Father and Son (Alternate) (1:59)
• 14. Into the Estuary (Alternate) (2:51)
• 15. Man Against Beast (Alternate) (5:36)
• 16. Brody Panics (Alternate) (1:16)
• 17. Barrel Off Starboard (Alternate) (1:26)
• 18. Great Chase (Alternate) (3:01)
• 19. Shark Tows Orca (Alternate) (0:40)
• 20. Three Barrels Under (Alternate) (2:15)
• 21. The Shark Approaches (Alternate) (0:56)
• 22. The Shark Hits The Cage (Alternate) (2:04)
• 23. Quint Meets His End (Alternate) (1:33)
• 24. Wild Shark Theme (1:10)
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The packaging of all of the albums is extensive; all are very
informative about the film and score. The 2000 Re-recording contains the
complete score with cues in the order in which they appeared in the
film; Jown Williams rearranged the other two albums' cues to his liking.
The 2000 re-recording album's liner does contain a few errors in the
track title names during its commentary by Michael McDonagh and Robert
Townson. The Decca album contains notes from Williams, Spielberg, and
music producer Laurent Bouzereau. The 2015 Intrada set's booklet adds
extensive album-related information from Mike Matessino and throws in
Spielberg's original LP notation for good measure. The 2025 Intrada set
contains similarly thorough notes. The book contained within the 2023
Pantheon/Universal box provides detailed information in both English and
French. That contained within the 2025 Sony Classical box is also
extensive in its detailed notation about the film and score.
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