Mad Max CD Soundtrack
Who composed the Mad Max Soundtracks?
The music for Mad Max and Mad Max 2 / The Road Warrior was composed by the Australian musician Brian May - no relation to Brian May from Queen. Brian was the Music Director of the Australian Broadcast Commission, and scored a variety of Australian Films from this era, with "Mad Max" and "Mad Max 2" possibly being the scores he is most remembered for. Brian unfortunately passed away in 1997, you can read some further information on Brian on his biography page.
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome was scored by Maurice Jarre, a well known composer of a wide variety of film music. The title track to the film was obviously sung by Tina Turner - further detail can be found on those recordings below.
Byron Kennedy, George Miller and Roger Savage
mixing the soundtrack to Mad Max
Where can I buy the soundtracks?
The soundtracks for Mad Max, The Road Warrior and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome are all readily available on CD. Further information, including links to Amazon, can be found in the table below. You may also be able to find them locally, depending on where you live -
The Mad Max soundtrack is readily available on CD from online stores, including Amazon.com. You can also find some additional information on this release at the Varese Sarabande web site.
The cover pictured is the Varese Sarabande pressing: VCD 47144.
I'd recommend that if you grab any of the soundtracks, this should be it! One of the reasons that Road Warrior is the movie that it is would have to be Brian May's fantastic score. The Road Warrior (Mad Max 2) soundtrack is readily available on CD from online stores, including Amazon.com. You can also find some additional information on this release at the Varese Sarabande web site.
The cover pictured is the Varese Sarabande pressing: VCD 47262.
After a period out of print, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome is now back in print in the USA, and available online - 2010 UPDATE - I believe this is out of print again! Please refer to the listing at Amazon.com for ordering information (various third party sellers have it on sale, even if out of print). It has also recently been in print in Germany, and can be ordered online through Amazon.de.
ALSO please note, an expanded 2 CD soundtrack is being released by Tadlow Music in the UK on May 25th, 2010. This can be ordered directly through their web site (which accepts PayPal), and also through other third party soundtrack specialists, such as Intrada music. This is supposedly limited to 3,000 copies.The cover pictured is from the Australian pressing: Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, Festival Records (Australia), D19755 - I believe this is out of print.
Tina Turner (Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome)
The following tracks from Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome were released by Tina Turner:
We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome) (released as a 45)
Side A We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome) Side B We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome) Instrumental Version
We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome) (released as a 12")
Side A We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome) - Extended Mix Side B We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome) Instrumental - Re-mixed Dub Version We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome) Single Version
One Of The Living (released as a 45)
Side A One Of The Living (Edited Version) Side B One Of The Living (Dub Mix)
One Of The Living (released as a 12" and cassingle)
Side A One Of The Living (Remix) Side B One Of The Living (Instrumental)
The above singles should be able to be picked up fairly cheaply at any good second hand record store with a good selection of vinyl. If you are interested in the lyrics to We Don't Need Another Hero, they can be found online at this web site for lyrics of top 1985 songs - to jump to We Don't Need Another Hero directly just go here.
Note: I have been told that the Tina Turner tracks from the Soundtrack differ to what was used in the actual film. I have not verified this myself.
Other Music
The Nightclub / Cabaret Song from Mad Max - "Licorice Road"
Licorice Road and Jessie's Theme (the saxaphone solo played by Jessie to Max) were written and produced by Nicco Gazzana, who also played Starbuck in the film. The on screen performance of Licorice Road was given by Robina Chaffey, however the female voice on the track actually belongs to Creenagh St. Clair. The track, which was not released, featured some of Melbourne's most loved musicians including Garry Costello and Mal Capewell.
Rollin' Into The Night
The Japanese release of Mad Max replaced Brian May's music from the closing credits with the track "Rollin' Into The Night". This was released on vinyl in Japan as a 45:
Side A Rollin' Into The Night (Vocal Version) Side B Rollin' Into The Night (Instrumental Version) I do not know of this track being released on any other format. I do not currently know where any version of the film containing this track can be obtained.
Back 2 The Max
CD Cover
Comic CoverA few people have asked about the music in the Back 2 The Max documentary.
The music used was by Sydney based group "Brethren". In 2004 they released their full length CD "Beyond Underground", including the track "Intercepta", as heard in Back 2 The Max (and for which the video clip appears on the Back 2 The Max DVD). The CD was available stand-alone, and also as a limited edition with a comic book (which has, you guessed it, a reasonable amount of Mad Max reference to it as well).
I'm not sure about general availability these days, as it was obviously an independent release. You might try ebay or the usual places, a quick google search shows that some of the tracks can now be downloaded as MP3, but I'm not sure about being able to buy the CD / comic themselves from anywhere.
Not Quite Mad Max Music...
Motorhead Bootleg
There was a 1982 bootleg recording of the band Motorhead, which features Humungous on the cover. The cover basically seems to be trying to disguise the fact that it is a bootleg. Thanks to Kurt for sending this.
There is also a series of Techo CDs called "Thunderdome", which have nothing whatsoever to do with the movies. Below is the cover for "Thunderdome XVIII"
And finally there is a group who also called themselves "Mad Max", who once again have nothing to do with the films.
For music info, thanks to:
Toshio Yamabe, Don Townit.