Varèse Sarabande is excited to announce an all-new collectible picture disc edition of John Debney’s score for the 2003 holiday classic Elf, along with a reissue for the expanded Encore Edition on CD and Digital formats. Available to pre-order and pre-save today, the picture disc and expanded Encore Edition CD arrive on September 25, followed by the digital release on October 16.
Side A of the picture disc contains an image of Buddy the Elf inside a festive snow globe, while Side B is fashioned after the original teaser poster image. The Encore Edition of the CD, which has previously only been available on the Varèse Sarabande store, includes 44 score cues, over 20 of which are exclusive to this release.
The Jon Favreau–directed holiday favorite Elf stars Will Ferrell as Buddy, a human raised by elves in the North Pole. After discovering he’s really human, Buddy heads to New York City to find his real father and his place in the world. While there he not only finds his family but also manages to rekindle the festive spirit that has been missing in the city. John Debney’s score perfectly accents the triumphant and joyous spirit that moves through the film, with the composer having also worked on family favorites Hocus Pocus, Spy Kids, The Princess Diaries, and The Jungle Book.
Debney’s score to Elf, right from the first bars of “Papa Elf” at the start of the movie, immediately feels magical, forming a significant part of the emotional connection the movie has forged with filmgoers through the years. Elf remains a year-round classic, a rare holiday film that transcends Christmas, and for the film to pull this off, Debney’s score had to be pitch perfect, emphasizing the warm heart at the film’s core.
In a 2014 interview with Go See Talk, Debney reflected on what the score means to his audience. He said, “There are scores that I love for various reasons but it’s usually because they have some sort of emotional connection. Elf is also right up there too, and I just love that every year people get to enjoy that thing. They email me and comment on it and it’s just one of those things that is sort of a fan favorite, and if you’re lucky enough to get one or two of those I think you’re really lucky and blessed.”
Another aspect of creating the memorable score was in the way Debney and Favreau established Buddy the Elf’s theme. In conversation with the Society of Composers & Lyricists, Debney explained: “Buddy the Elf needs a theme. We need a theme that we can play through the movie and at the end really explode and let it bloom and blossom.” To create that iconic cue, Debney says he sat at the piano and listened to the music of Georges Delerue, who, in his estimation, wrote melodies that were both simple and powerful. That’s what he aimed to accomplish with Elf.
The results speak for themselves. The collaboration between John Debney, Jon Favreau, Will Ferrell, and the rest of the Elf cast and crew stands as a high watermark of 21st-century filmmaking—a holiday favorite that’s a year-round treat.
Tracklist (Picture Disc):
Side A:
1. Papa Elf
2. Main Title
3. Buddy’s Journey
4. A Stroll With Buddy
5. Christmas Medley
6. Weird Wonderland
7. The Frozen Battlefield
8. Buddy’s Theme
9. Santa’s in Trouble
Side B:
1. A Walk in the Park
3. Attack of the Little People
4. Central Park Rangers
5. Working With Dad
6. A Snowman’s Advice
7. Showdown in the Park
8. Buddy and Santa’s Flight
9. Spaghetti and Syrup
Tracklist (CD/Digital):
1. Papa Elf / Main Title (Pt. 1)
2. Storybook / Main Title (Pt. 2)
3. Orphanage / Elf Dancing
4. Here’s The Baby
5. Buddy’s Childhood / Santa’s Sleigh
6. Nightmare
7. Buddy Learns the Truth About Parents [Edit]
8. The Book / Goodbye Buddy
9. Buddy’s Journey to New York
10. Susan Wells / Buddy Meets Jovie
11. Yearbook / Beautiful Voice
12. Fake Santa
13. Dad’s Present
14. Jail Time
15. Buddy and Little Girl
16. Elfized Home
17. Tucked In
18. Where Did You Get the Wood
19. Pants Down / Evil Radiator
20. Elf at School
21. Snowball Fight / The Star
22. Buddy to Work With You
23. Let’s Hire Miles Finch
24. Problem in the Mailroom / Miles Finch
25. Miles and Buddy
26. Miles Book / Buddy’s Goodbye
27. The Pitch Will Wait / Sad Buddy on the Bridge
28. Buddy Sees Santa
29. Buddy, Dad and Brother in the Park
30. Mounted Police / Santa / Attack
31. Here Come the Police
32. The Chase Continues
33. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town (Pt. 2)
34. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town (Pt. 3)
35. Still Only 90% / Santa Claus Is Coming to Town (Pt. 4)
36. Here Comes the Sleigh
37. End Credits Score Suite
38. Papa Elf [Original Soundtrack Mix]
39. Main Title [Original Soundtrack Mix]
40. A Snowman’s Advice [Original Soundtrack Edit]
41. A Walk in the Park [Original Soundtrack Version Without Vocal]
42. Attack of the Little People [Original Soundtrack Edit]
43. Buddy and Santa Take Flight [Original Soundtrack Edit]
44. Christmas Medley [From The Original Soundtrack]
Click here to pre-order/pre-save Elf (Original Motion Picture Score).
