Gerald Fried Plays His Own Star Trek Medley

From Larry Nemecek.com's Trekland, "Dr. Trek" shares rare and unplanned video he shot of legendary original Star Trek composer Gerald Fried, 82, playing oboe in a medley duet with pianist Rich Ruttenberg for his most iconic Trek scores ever: "The Paradise Syndrome," "Amok Time," and "Shore Leave." It was the historic climax to LaLa Land Records' launch party for its 15-disc complete TOS Soundtracks box set on 12/3/12. An amazing moment, and the audience knows it.
The full TREKLAND blog post with this video (archived):
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[@spockboy]

One of the BEST composers on all of Star Trek.

[@finnmccool684]

My God, I'm listening to the soundtrack of my childhood. What else can i do but wipe my eyes?

[@1rotbed]

Astonishing. Like many gifted people, here is someone who was hired for his craft and his work became a key component of complex film productions by their nature preserved to be enjoyed by many generations.

[@finnmccool684]

I can't believe it. I just learned that he passed away yesterday. 😥

[@strtrkn7962]

February 17, 2023 - Rest in peace, Mr. Fried. Thank you for your contributions to the Trek universe and for the best ringtone ever ;-)

[@gavc6442]

I can picture all the scenes within these episodes, just goes to show the power of well written music. Star Trek may not have had as much money as they needed but when you have the genius production team that they did, with people like Gerald, they proved that money is not everything.

[@LarryNemecekTrekland]

Of course, 20 years of reruns without competition for attention helps, too. 😄 But OHHH yes. Iconic!

[@CosmicWhizKid]

Wow! Just found this in 2023, but thank you for sharing such a remarkable recording! RIP, Mr. Fried. So much memorable and enjoyable music you created for Star Trek and other shows of that era.

[@warlordmacilvernock1979]

Thank you for the music Mr. Fried. Rest in Peace.

[@FreedomZealot]

What a bottomless treasure Star Trek is.

[@aaronbarnett9438]

Agreed.

[@BuShips]

R.I.P. ❤️

[@Trekfanwanda]

Just breathtaking 🥰🖖🏽

[@tilt0matic2]

We will miss you, Mr. Fried. 🕊

[@TheDatadate]

R.I.P. Gerald Fried

[@buffstraw2969]

"Can you feel *that* now, Jimmy boy?" 😆 Beautiful performance!

[@friendulums]

Just thought it would be nice to acknowledge the wonderful pianist, Rich Ruttenberg, who deftly accompanied Mr. Fried in this rare performance!

[@LarryNemecekTrekland]

THANK YOU. I have been trying ever since to track down his name; I wanted to add it to the video. Believe me, I asked several, and Mr. Fried himself never responded. FIXED at least here, and on original blog post: larrynemecek.blogspot.com/2014/11/gerald-fried-music-from-tos-soundtrack.html

[@virginiaconnor8350]

​@@LarryNemecekTreklandWeren't you playing Dr. McCoy in "Star Trek Continues" not too long ago?

[@derekramsaroup3883]

"Finnegan's Theme"is my absolute favourite Star Trek musical piece

[@brandonflorida1092]

An integral part of TOS. Almost holy.

[@LarryNemecekTrekland]

Almost? 🖖

[@northernbettygirl]

Ohhhh, (sigh), how I love these melodies. "Ruth" is the one that's the look in our eyes when my boyfriend and I saw each other again in his parents living room April 2010, after 30 years apart. 🌹 It was like yesterday for us❤️

[@LarryNemecekTrekland]

Awww. Thanks for that!

[@tomschnauber6749]

I used to play in a woodwind quintet with him. He is a wonderful man and great musician.

[@albertkaramani6593]

Why these themes were not brought to the Big Screen is beyond me. They Are Part of the entire character of the show as much as the cast, the ship and the title theme !!!

[@Eklektik40]

Oh wow... I'm out of words. So touched to see and hear Mr. Fried having the chance to finally have a live audience; that loves his music so much. And he's still playing so great at 82!! May he live long and prosper!!! Would have loved to see his salute to audience, though. But you can't film and applause at the same time!!

[@virginiaconnor8350]

Eklektik40 Guess who can still play the oboe-and the English horn too-and he's almost 85? Clue: He plays on "NCIS".

[@michaelgonzalez1042]

R.I.P. Gerald Fried, please spread some love and heartfelt condolences to his family. Fried won an Emmy for the landmark miniseries Roots and his 1960s scores, from Star Trek to Gilligan’s Island, left an indelible impression on a generation of TV watchers.

[@LarryNemecekTrekland]

Absolutely. We get Trek-focused, but look at that entire career. And just two years ago he was with us on The Trek Files, and so funny.

[@franktproductions5832]

Paradise Syndrome ALWAYS brings tears to my eyes . . . this was GREAT!!!

[@sandal_thong]

It was "Ruth" that did it for me, as it was used in "This Side of Paradise" for Spock's romance. "For the first time in my life, I was happy." kzbin.info/www/bejne/h4q6d6aQrLKKkJo

[@annmarie6985]

That love theme is one of the most beautiful Melodies ever!!!

[@SAPprogramming]

at 5:34 and 6:50 I can visualize the Star Trek scenes so clearly that the music was incidental. Thank you.

[@SAPprogramming]

I listened again to "Ruth's Theme" (5:34) and it sounds even better than I remembered - maybe better speakers.

[@scotpens]

I love the audience's reaction when the selection from "Amok Time" starts at 2:20. Everybody recognizes the iconic Star Trek fight music!

[@LarryNemecekTrekland]

+scotpens And then Finnegan's theme, too. :-)

[@gregdark5203]

JEEZUZ!! This was special! Very, very special! That wonderful music came from this mans head. I am such a fan.

[@rapidfirerob4]

I went to The Man From U.N.C.L.E's The Golden Anniversary Affair 50th anniversary get together in 2014. Gerald Fried was there. What a treasure indeed. Lalo Schifrin as well. MFU music from the original scores were played the second and last night of the weekend by a small jazz ensemble.

[@Zooba57]

God Bless Maestro Fried! He and Fred Steiner gallantly led an excellent array of composers for STAR TREK THE ORIGINAL SERIES! All the TOS composers gave us brilliant compositions that are truly etched in our memories. What a treasure of work!

[@LarryNemecekTrekland]

Sol Kaplan's Doomsday Machine danger stalking theme, and the Constellation dirge, were just IT for me, too.

[@finnmccool684]

Miramanee...Spock...Ruth...Finnegan... All of them very important to Kirk.

[@finnmccool684]

So beautiful. I don't know whether to laugh or cry. Edit: I did a little of both.

[@Galacticadude]

As a TOS fan it was great to hear this. Thank you for posting!

[@misssunnyglasses]

I love his performance of Ruth. I really appreciate this great audio that you captured.

[@CurtisAmusements]

What a genuine treat! Thank you always, Mr. Fried. Iconic...

[@richardbennett6237]

Thank-You Gerald Fried ... always wondered who came up with those melodies, what memories, remembered each story that went along with them ... and some of their titles

[@DavidWesleyBrooks]

Very touching. I love “Ruth”! Thank you for sharing, Mr. Nemecek!

[@BonesMcCoy2013]

Phenomenal recording of TV and music history!

[@Volker400]

This is an absolutely musical treasure!! Really brilliant! Naturally I had recognized all musical themes (without any exception) from STAR TREK-TOS that Mr. Fried has played here. Many thanks, dear Larry for posting this - I think - rare musical document! I appreciate it so much. Best regards from Germany, Volker H. :)

[@LarryNemecekTrekland]

+Volker400 I *think* others videoed it that night, but I could not believe I saw no obvious cameras. Just glad I did.

[@Volker400]

...And I'm so happy You did!!! Thanks so much again!! Best regards from Germany, Volker H. :)

[@jon1701]

Great Video. Found myself grinning from ear to ear.

[@SoundwaveSG1]

Me too! :)

[@LarryNemecekTrekland]

jon1701 I know, right? You can't help it.

[@jon1701]

Larry Nemecek Captures the essence of TOS perfectly. With all the tracked music they did these cues remind me of so many episodes. Astonishingly good! Keep up the good work, Larry. Your TNG companion (I still have my season 1-5 edition) was my bible!

[@LarryNemecekTrekland]

+jon1701 Awww, thank you. Hope you enjoy the rest of Trekland, too. :-)

[@Bondoz007]

Vale Mr Fried 😞🖖🏽❤️

[@mikecane]

Such memorable music.

[@MichaelRielly]

LOVE this!

[@davidpage9355]

Wonderful! Bravo Fried!

[@carolcallas]

Miramanee’s theme 1:38 Paradise Syndrome

[@drsilkworth]

Oh Larry!!!! What a Gift !!!! Thank You so much.. The Music, The Music. Everyone remembers the name Alexander Courage, but how many; Gerald Fried ?? His music created the star trek success as much as anything else. I was just listening to his scores on one of the internet ST re-dos and while hating the overall rip-off , fell into a nostalgic trance listening to the old Gerald Fried scores they had cannibalized, trying to remember exactly which dramatic moment /episode they originally came from.. It was sad how the audience didnt get "Mirimani's Theme or at least didnt know to applaud. Amok was easier, and then Shore Leave's 3 movements; "Alice and the Rabbit, My favorite "Ruth" and Finnegans Fight" WOW What a treat to see and hear The Master; Fried perform his scores for the world on his own oboe. WOW!!!! Please forward this to him if you would. Where can I get more info on him and his work. There was a special some time ago where he was interviewed in depth. What was that? Just how many other piecves did he actually do for Star Trek? Thanks again.

[@LarryNemecekTrekland]

@101520820897454969198 First off, you are welcome. And I totally agree! I can tell you are a fan's fan. You can catch his credits on IMDb. But you can't fault the audience for knowing the Amok Time fight score best--it's transcendent! Finally.. by the "fan film rip-off" I hope you don't mean ST Continues. That's done very lovingly.. and is exactly what Bob Justman had done when they tracked various composers' themes together on TOS. Every episode did not get its original score; that was maybe a fifth or an eighth of them all. Much love goes into it by fans, as with the rest. Oh but later, there was new original score music being composed by Andy Farber, composer/arranger who's a fan, on STC Eps. 4 & 5.

[@josephheston9238]

Gerald composed for 5 episodes: _Shore Leave_ _Catspaw_ _Friday's Child_ _Amok Time_ _The Apple_ _The Paradise Syndrome_ Also, he did the arrangement of the _Star Trek_ theme for Season 2 (Courage composed and arranged for the pilots, Fred Steiner for Season 1 and George Duning arranged for Season 3). Both Fried and Duning utilized Loulie Jean Norman, but that's where the similarities end.

[@josephheston9238]

Loulie Jean Norman was the voice that provided the melody for the _Star Trek_ theme.

[@floppabingussled]

Thank you, Larry! Mr. Fried was an underrated composer who scored a lovely score for the film One Potato, Two Potato from 1964. The gentle melodies for the film are exquisite. Bravo, Mr. Fried!

[@sandal_thong]

"Shore Leave" wouldn't have been the same without this music. There were some episodes, like "Conscience of the King" that were composed for (with elevator music of the Star Trek theme) that could have been composed by anyone, or would be no great loss if changed. His score for "Amok Time" was iconic. I didn't like that episode, but the music survived and was reused in "Journey to Babel" and "The Gamesters of Triskelion" to great effect. The Danish Orchestra did a medley of Star Trek themes, but just the main music from TV shows and some movies.

[@joshuamadelung8525]

Amok time segment was awesome!

[@krieg1999]

I was there! It was at the Egyptian in LA! We ran into him at the bar afterwards!

[@LarryNemecekTrekland]

+Jim Krieg Awesome night, right?

[@finnmccool684]

That was terrific. Best video I've seen in a long time.

[@LarryNemecekTrekland]

Whoa!

[@FrankPepito]

Thanks to the Okudas for sharing this link on FB today. A friend and I were at this event and this was definitely the highlight of the event. Thank you for sharing your video. We were in the balcony, so getting to see it from your vantage point is a treat, besides getting to see it at all again.

[@LarryNemecekTrekland]

+Frank Pepito To have been there yourselves, I'm glad this was a bonus on top of the live memory!

[@XanAxDdu]

so many thanks for uploading this, i am an admirer of maestro fried since roger corman movie soundtracks

[@DanTheMan1701]

Very awesome, thanks

[@Kujalamuse]

WOWZA! Many of my favorite Trek themes featured here. I didn't realize that the oboe was Mr. Fried's instrument. What a treat to hear the composer play his own themes - and with Rich Ruttenberg, no less, who went to high school with me and was no doubt a Trek fan in the 60's like I was. I'm wondering who the woodwind players were on the original sessions, and I'll take a guess that they were: Arthur Gleghorn, flute (the "love theme" and the opening solos on "paradise syndrome"), Bill Chriss, oboe and Mitchell Lurie, clarinet. Maybe Jack Marsh on bassoon. Can anyone confirm those guys? Thanks for posting.

[@jahbad01]

Very well done. I was supposed to have been there that night and had to work late. Thank you so very much for sharing!

[@briannahoff8589]

Love the Rabbit and Finnigan's theme!!

[@chuckdenson]

Wonderful.

[@brianarbenz7206]

This music says Star Trek!

[@aaronbarnett9438]

I would have loved being present at this presentation.

[@JoelEverettComposer]

Thanks for sharing - this is wonderful!

[@LaurenWeinstein]

Priceless. Thanks!

[@Pimp-Master]

Wonderful upload!

[@bellswebster5775]

awesome

[@cbspock1701]

That’s awesome

[@B9M3]

I've always considered the music of TOS to be just as much an integral character of ST as Kirk, Spock, or the Enterprise. As great as the Berman era of ST was, the music was little more than background wallpaper (with rare exceptions). I think this was intentional, sadly.

[@diogocatalano9557]

This is awesome !

[@finnmccool684]

Thank you...Mozart of the Stars.

[@VLH1951]

Great

[@johnwarner4849]

Check out the Movie, "terror in a Texas Town!" The trumpet player is fantastic!

[@johnwarner4849]

Who is the trumpet player in "Terror in a Texas Town?"

[@virginiaconnor6491]

I love the oboe and English Horn! Didn't Larry have something to do with "Star Trek Continues"?

[@LarryNemecekTrekland]

McCoy for Eps, 1 & 2... Creative Consultant (and documenting) throughout. Thanks for asking!

[@SoundwaveSG1]

Love it! :)

[@annmarie6985]

❤❤❤❤

[@virginiaconnor6491]

Thank you, Larry. Why aren't you playing him now then? You know who else plays oboe (and English horn)? He plays Ducky on "NCIS". He made 4 albums during the '60's.

[@larrynemecek5746]

Here, Virginia: Sometimes the feast is just TOO much, all at one time. :-) larrynemecek.blogspot.com/2014/01/2014-in-trekland-bevy-of-crazy-busy-new.html (And thanks for the info about Ilya. ;-)

[@LarryNemecekTrekland]

Really? David McCallum? He did those albums whule he was "UNCLE" Ilya?

[@Violanjo]

Great to hear the composer playing! I am looking for the sheet music for "paradise syndrome". Where can i get it? I will perform a Star Trek medley with violin, banjo, horn and cello next week and I would like to include some melodies from paradise syndrome....Thanks!

[@ewaf88]

Star Trek TOS was lucky to have the use of some of the best composers around. Sadly the producers of STNG decided that music was no longer important and used a series of bland chords for most of the episodes

[@bsharpmajorscale]

@@nickarons79 I thought the bad ones were NuTrek, STD and Picard? :P

[@sportsmedia25]

This is why TNG will NEVER be as memorable as TOS. Music is so vital to the production of a TV show or movie!

[@ewaf88]

@@sportsmedia25 I agree fully. The original Lost in Space was blessed too.

[@DamienDrake]

Check out the episodes Ron Jones scored. He was let go because he refused to play ball and insisted on writing melodic, thematic scores. Where No One Has Gone Before, Q Who, The Offspring, and Final Mission are highly recommended, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. Jay Chattaway's scores to Tin Man and The Host are quite good too.

[@LarryNemecekTrekland]

@@sportsmedia25 Well, memorable with its music, anyway. The new series not doign wallpaper - did you HEAR the Picard S3 score so far?

[@scain54]

RIP

[@joselysylva9455]

🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧

[@notvisible8200]

Ruth and Finnegan!

[@jp_0118]

6:45 IT’S LIT

[@lenoresimon3745]

It is so GREAT to watch and hear Gerry play once again. I knew him as a kid growing up in the Bronx and was Lucky enough to be invited to the concert. I am going to my own opening of an Art Show tonight in San Diego and my way to relax before the event is via KZbin. Thank You for making this possible.

[@mrajw2456]

5:35

[@jptaylor]

Ah - the magic and privilege of KZbin!

[@specialist486]

3:18 Music Name? Pls

[@LarryNemecekTrekland]

+akrep505033 I always called it "Spock's Theme," but looks like Fried just called it "Mr. Spock" in his title list.

[@specialist486]

+Larry Nemecek I never find. link?

[@joselysylva9455]

🤖🤖🤖

[@grandpavanderhof]

RIP