Exclusive: Hear Two Tracks From Hulu's 'Catch-22' Soundtrack
Lakeshore Records will release Catch-22 – Music From the Original Series digitally on May 17, coinciding with the premiere of the new Hulu miniseries from George Clooney and Grant Heslov. Ahead of that debut, we have two exclusive tracks from the Catch-22 soundtrack below, composed by Rupert Gregson-Williams and Harry Gregson-Williams – marking the brothers' first collaboration together.
Catch-22 Soundtrack – Basecamp At Dawn
Catch-22 Soundtrack – John Yossarian
Rupert Gregson-Williams (Wonder Woman), and Harry Gregson-Williams (The Martian) collaborate for the first time on the soundtrack for Catch-22, the new miniseries adaptation of Joseph Heller's classic novel. "Catch-22 not only provided an opportunity to dig deep with emotional writing, it has such wit too," said Rupert Gregson-Williams. "Beyond that, I got to write with my brother Harry for the first time, which was very special. Working together as a team with George Clooney and Grant Heslov was a wonderful collaboration."
Harry Gregson Williams added: "Once my brother Rupert and I had co-written the main theme (sitting at a piano together), and had the filmmakers fully on board and excited about our musical direction, our first project as co-writers began in earnest. The creative process that followed was as unusual to us (as individual composers...and, of course, as siblings!) as it was hugely productive and inspiring."
The end result is a score both mournful and amusing; playful yet cautious. It suits the adaptation of Heller's book quite well. Catch-22, set in Italy during World War II, follows "Yossarian, a bombardier, whose frantic obsession every time he goes up on a mission is "to come down alive." His odds of success at such a simple aim keep getting worse because Colonel Cathcart keeps raising the number of missions the men have to fly. More than the retreating Germans, the real enemy for Yossarian and his rag-tag bunch of friends is the bureaucracy of the military, inverting logic at every turn. The pinnacle of this is Catch-22, a military by-law which states that if you fly your missions, you're crazy, and don't have to fly them; all you have to do is ask. But if you ask not to, then you're sane, and so you have to fly them."
"The work from Rupert and Harry elevated this project to an incredible level," said George Clooney. "They're a class act and I can't thank them enough for their great work."
Executive Producer Grant Heslov added: "Working with Rupert and Harry was nothing but a pleasure. They delivered a score beyond our expectations, a score that can make you smile and then bring you to tears."
The full track list for the soundtrack is available below.
Track List
01. Basecamp at Dawn
02. Soap Runs
03. Back in the Air
04. Nately
05. Kid Sampson
06. Bombing Run
07. Moving the Line
08. Torna a Surriento
09. Scheisskopf In Charge
10. Dunbar Down
11. The Banquet
12. Everyone's Gone
13. The Arrest
14. Hip Hip
15. Yoyo Pulls the Plug
16. Snowden
17. John Yossarian
18. Catch-22