Dr. Heckyl and Mr. Hype

Dragon's Domain Records presents the world premiere soundtrack release of Dr. Heckyl and Mr. Hype, to be distributed through buysoundtrax.com. Dr. Heckyl and Mr. Hype features music composed by Richard Band for the 1980 science fiction/horror film written and directed by Charles B. Griffith, starring Oliver Reed, Sunny Johnson, Maia Danziger, Virgil Frye, Mel Welles, Kedrick Wolf, Jackie Coogan, Corinne Calvet, Sharon Compton, Denise Hayes, Charles Howerton and Dick Miller.

Released in 1980, Dr. Heckyl and Mr. Hype tells the story of Dr. Heckyl (Reed), an atrociously ugly, malformed podiatrist who falls in love with one of his patients. When his colleague, Dr. Hinkle (Welles) develops an 'instant diet paste' that reduces his fat patients to skinny babes, Heckyl steals a vial and drinks it down – and finds himself transformed into Hype (also Reed), a handsome, hedonistic but violently self-absorbed ladies' man. Soon, the transformations become more frequent and uncontrollable, with Hype reverting back to Heckyl at the most inappropriate of times.

Composer Richard Band was contacted by Charles B. Griffith and asked to score the film. Dr. Heckyl and Mr. Hype would be his third score. His music for the film is a mixture of orchestra and electronics, considered a unique approach in those days as synthesizers were still relatively in their infancy in film music. The score is built around the interaction of three primary themes and two subordinate motifs. The main theme consists of the melody that accompanies both Dr. Heckyl and Mr. Hype as they are characterized through the story. The main theme represents the overall quirkiness of the whole tone of the movie. The score was recorded with a small orchestra of 20 – 22 pieces, small string, brass and woodwind sections, along with two percussionists and augmented by synthesizers.

Dragon's Domain Records is excited to present the soundtrack to Dr. Heckyl and Mr. Hype for the very first time. Dr. Heckyl and Mr. Hype has been produced from the composer's original elements by James Nelson at Digital Outland, including liner notes written by author Randall Larson, with the participation of the composer.