1985 Soundtrack – Cocoon

Cocoon is a 1985 American science-fiction comedy-drama film directed by Ron Howard about a group of elderly people rejuvenated by aliens. The film stars Don Ameche, Wilford Brimley, Hume Cronyn, Brian Dennehy, Jack Gilford, Steve Guttenberg, Maureen Stapleton, Jessica Tandy, Gwen Verdon, Herta Ware, Tahnee Welch, and Linda Harrison. The screenplay was written by Tom Benedek, from David Saperstein’s story.

The score for Cocoon was composed and conducted by James Horner. The soundtrack was released twice, through Polydor Records in 1985 and a reprint through P.E.G. in 1997 and features eleven tracks of score and a vocal track performed by Michael Sembello. Despite the reprint, it is still considered a rarity among soundtrack collectors. Ron Howard directed the music video for “Gravity,” and also has a cameo appearance as himself, investigating Sembello’s “disappearance.” “Gravity” was Howard’s first, and to date, only music video.

Tracks

1  Through The Window (James Horner) 03:00
2  The Lovemaking (James Horner) 04:27
3  The Chase (James Horner) 04:32
4  Rose’s Death (James Horner) 02:15
5  The Boys Are Out (James Horner) 02:40
6  Returning To The Sea (James Horner) 04:18
7  Gravity (Cruz Sembello) 04:04
8  Discovered In The Poolhouse (James Horner) 02:50
9  First Tears (James Horner) 01:53
10  Sad Goodbyes (James Horner) 02:15
11  The Ascension (James Horner) 05:58
12 Theme From Cocoon (James Horner) 06:05

Musicians

Drums/PercussionAndy Narell
Drums/PercussionEmil Radocchia
Drums/PercussionJerry Williams
Drums/PercussionKen Watson
Drums/PercussionLarry Bunker
Drums/PercussionMark Zimosky
Drums/PercussionMarty Jabara
Drums/PercussionMike Fisher
Drums/PercussionRalph Razze
Drums/PercussionJohn Morell
Drums/PercussionTommy Tedesco
KeyboardsChet Swiatkowski
KeyboardsGary Chang
KeyboardsIan Underwood
KeyboardsKen Wannberg
KeyboardsMike Lang
KeyboardsRalph Grierson
KeyboardsRandy Kerber
OrganClare Fischer
BassoonMichael O’Donovan
BassoonPatricia Kindel
ClarinetDavid Shifrin
ClarinetGary Gray
FluteDavid Shostac
FluteJim Walker
FluteLouise DiTullio
FluteSheridon Stokes
French HornBrian Drake
French HornBrian O’Connor
French HornDiane Muller
French HornJames Thatcher
French HornJim Atkinson
French HornRobin Graham
French HornTodd Miller
OboeBarbara Northcutt
OboeKathleen Robinson
SaxBob Tricarico
SaxErnie Watts
SaxGary Foster
SaxGary Herbig
SaxGene Cipriano
SaxLarry Williams
SaxRonny Lang
SaxSteve Tavaglione
SaxWilbur Schwartz
TromboneAlan Kaplan
TromboneBobby Sanders
TromboneCharlie Loper
TromboneDick Nash
TromboneLloyd Ulyate
TromboneWilliam Booth
TrumpetChase Craig
TrumpetGraham Young
TrumpetMalcolm McNab
TrumpetMario Guarneri
TrumpetRobert Divall
TrumpetUan Rasey
TubaJohn Thomas Johnson

Other Musicians

7 Gravity 

DrumsVinnie Colaiuta
GuitarMichael Sembello
ProgrammingCasey Young
HornJeff Hamilton
VocalsMichael Sembello

Strings

Bass – Arni Egilsson, Bruce Morgenthaler, Buell Neidlinger, Drew Dembowski, Jay Grauer, Scott Harper, Susan Ranney, Tim Barr
Cello – Barbara Hunter, Christina Soule, Douglas Davis, Eleanor Slatkin, Gloria Strassner, John Walz, Kevan Torfeh, Marie Fera, Miguel Martinez, Nancy Stein, Paula Hochhalter, Rebecca Reese, Robert Adcock, Steve Erdody
Harp – Catherine Gotthoffer, Dorothy Remsen
Viola – Allan Harshman, Harry Shirinian, Holly Barnes, Janet Lakatos, Kenneth Burward-Hoy, Linn Subotnick, Michael Nowak, Myra Kestenbaum, Pamela Goldsmith, Patricia Matthews, Peter Hatch, Ray Tischer, Roland Kato
Violin – Anatol Kaminsky, Arnold Belnick, Arthur Zadinsky, Assa Drori, Bonnie Douglas, Bruce Dukov, Claudia Parducci, Constance Meyer, David Frisina, Dixie Blackstone, Dorothy Wade, Endre Granat, Gerald Vinci, Gwenn Heller, Haim Shtrum, Harry Bluestone, Herman Clebanoff, Irma Neumann, Isabelle Daskoff, Israel Baker, Jennifer Small, Joy Lyle, Karen Jones, Mark Baranov, Marshall Sosson, Myron Sandler, Oscar Chausow, Paul Shure, Peter Kent, Rene Mandel, Robert Peterson, Roger Wilkie, Sidney Sharp, Stanley Plummer, Stuart Canin, Vicky Sylvester

Liner Notes

Producer – James Horner (Track 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
Producer – Richard Rudolph, Michael Sembello (Track 7)
Arranged By – Michael Sembello (Track 7)
Edited By – Ken Wannberg (Track 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
Engineer [Mixing] – Bud Rizzo, Tommy Vicari (Track 7)
Engineer (Recording) – Armin Steiner (Track 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
Engineer [Recording] – Nick Spegal (Track 7)
Orchestrated By – Billy May, Herbert Spencer (Track 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)

Mastered At Mastering Lab