Tobe Hooper - Wayne Bell – The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

Composers: Tobe Hooper, Wayne Bell

 

Tracklist

 1. Main Title 04:03
2. Warnings Medley: Joe Bill's Cemetery Warning - Gas Station Sun 01:04
3. Cuts Medley: Feedlot - Hitchhiker's Razor 00:54
4. Outside Grandpa's - The Mark 01:46
5. Inside Grandpa's - Bones 00:45
6. Menace Medley: What Kirk And Pam Don't Know - Pam's Foreboding - Leatherface Slams the Door 01:10
7. Jerry X, Leatherface Worries 03:37
8. Trouble Moon 04:55
9. Distant Disturbance (Sketch 1) 01:48
10. Closer Problem (Sketch 2) 01:50
11. Franklin X, But Then... 06:12
12. Sally Awakens For Dinner, To The End 09:27
13. End Titles 01:30
14. Descent (Sketch 3) 01:16

 

 "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" is a 1974 American slasher film

produced, co-composed, and directed by Tobe Hooper, who co-wrote it with Kim Henkel.

The plot follows a group of friends who fall victim to a family of cannibals while on their way to visit an old homestead.

The independent film was marketed as being based on true events

to attract a wider audience and to act as a subtle commentary on the era's political climate.

Although the character of Leatherface and minor story details were inspired by Ed Gein, its plot is largely fictional.
Hooper produced the film for less than $140,000

and used a cast of relatively unknown actors drawn mainly from central Texas, where the film was shot. 

Hooper struggled to find a distributor, but it was eventually acquired by the Bryanston Distributing Company.

He also limited the quantity of onscreen gore in hopes of securing a PG rating,

but the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) rated it R.

The film faced similar difficulties internationally, being banned in several countries

and numerous theaters stopped showing the film in response to complaints about its violence.
"The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" was released in the United States on October 11, 1974

and it has since become widely regarded as one of the best and most influential horror films.

It is credited with originating several elements common in the slasher genre:

the use of power tools as murder weapons, the characterization of the killer as a large, masked figure and the final girl.

It led to a franchise that continued the story of Leatherface and his family

through sequels, prequels, a remake, comic books, and video games.

In 2024, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry

by the Library Of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
The film's original score was composed by Tobe Hooper and Wayne Bell.
It is an experimental exercise in music composing and performance that utilizes non-traditional instruments

such as suspended cymbals, aluminum saucepans, a children's toy percussion set,

various wildlife calls, whistles, shakers, and more.
The result is one of the earliest examples of industrial music

and has since become known as the "holy grail" of film scores due to its status of being either lost or destroyed.
As such, Hooper and Bell's innovative score has become highly sought after,

spawning countless bootlegs and attempts to re-create it for commercial gain.
In 2023, the original film score master tapes were discovered

and then privately held at the Harry Ransom Center in Austin, TX for preservation.

Co-composer Wayne Bell worked to have these original source material master tapes safely transferred.

Bell then personally worked to construct and mix the newly score for a cohesive listening experience.

The score was then mastered by Thomas Dimuzio at Gench Mastering.
Finally in 2024 Waxwork Records released the soundtrack on CD and Vinyl,

making the official score available anywhere for the first time ever.

 
Memory