Intrada

Intrada is an American independent record label focused on the preservation, restoration, reissue, and presentation of music written for film and television. Founded by producer Douglass Fake in San Francisco in 1985, the company developed a specialist position within the soundtrack market by releasing both commercially oriented soundtrack albums and historically important recordings that had previously been unavailable, incomplete, or difficult to obtain. Its catalogue has included a substantial body of work by major film composers, notably Jerry Goldsmith, as well as music by Leonard Bernstein, Elmer Bernstein, Henry Mancini, Bernard Herrmann, and Miklós Rózsa. The label's activities extend beyond ordinary album reissues. Intrada has worked with film studios and the American Federation of Musicians on limited-edition historic soundtrack releases, often involving archival research, restoration, reconstruction, licensing, and the preparation of recordings for specialist audiences. These editions have helped document scores that were represented in the marketplace only by shortened albums, pop-song adaptations, or incomplete releases. Fake's producing work included the first complete restoration of Leonard Bernstein's score for On the Waterfront, a six-CD edition featuring Elmer Bernstein conducting music from The Ten Commandments, and premiere presentations of several Henry Mancini underscoring projects, including music associated with Breakfast at Tiffany's. Intrada also established The Excalibur Collection, a line devoted to world-premiere re-recordings of film scores. Rather than relying solely on surviving original sessions, these projects reconstructed scores and had them performed by professional orchestras, creating new recordings intended to preserve and present important film music when original materials were unavailable, incomplete, or unsuitable for release. The label has also supervised re-recordings of classic scores, including works by Bernard Herrmann and Miklós Rózsa. The company began in San Francisco and moved to Oakland around the turn of the millennium. Its Oakland operation supported an expanded release schedule and included Roger Feigelson as director of business operations. Intrada has operated not only as a label but also as a retail store, selling its own releases alongside soundtrack albums issued by other labels. Following Douglass Fake's death after an extended illness in July 2024, the business continued operating, with retail management identified with long-time associate Jeff Johnson. Intrada therefore occupies a hybrid role: an archival soundtrack publisher, a producer of new orchestral re-recordings, a limited-edition specialist, and a direct-to-consumer retailer for film-music collectors.

Intrada was established in San Francisco in 1985 by Douglass Fake, a producer and composer who developed the business around film and television music. From its beginning, the label served a specialized audience interested in soundtrack recordings, particularly scores that were unavailable, incomplete, poorly represented by earlier commercial albums, or in need of archival restoration. This orientation distinguished Intrada from general music labels: its work commonly required negotiations with studios, examination of surviving session materials, preparation of historical notes, and coordination with musicians' organizations. The company became associated with substantial editions of major film-composer repertory. Its catalogue included numerous works by Jerry Goldsmith and projects involving composers such as Leonard Bernstein, Elmer Bernstein, Henry Mancini, Bernard Herrmann, and Miklós Rózsa. Fake's producing credits included the first complete restoration of Leonard Bernstein's music for On the Waterfront, a six-CD set of Elmer Bernstein conducting music from The Ten Commandments, and premiere releases of Henry Mancini underscoring, including material connected with Breakfast at Tiffany's that had previously been represented mainly through abridged or pop-oriented recordings. These projects reflected Intrada's broader interest in presenting film scores as substantial musical works rather than merely as supplementary products tied to motion pictures. Around the turn of the millennium, Intrada moved from San Francisco to Oakland, California. The relocation accompanied an expansion of operations and an increase in the volume of album releases. Roger Feigelson was added as director of business operations, helping support the label's growing production and commercial activity. Intrada's catalogue structure included several specialist lines, among them the Intrada Special Collection Series, Intrada Signature Editions, and the Disney/Intrada Series. The business also maintained earlier or discontinued lines, including Intrada FMT, Intrada RVF, and Intrada VJF. One of the label's distinctive initiatives was The Excalibur Collection. This series concentrated on world-premiere re-recordings of film scores, with reconstructed music performed by professional orchestras. Such projects offered a way to preserve and circulate important scores when original recording sessions were incomplete, unavailable, or technically unsuitable for a modern commercial release. Fake supervised approximately a dozen re-recordings of classic film music, including Bernard Herrmann's music for Alfred Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much and Miklós Rózsa's scores for Ivanhoe, Julius Caesar, and Spellbound. Intrada also developed a direct retail function. In addition to publishing its own releases, the company sold soundtrack products from other labels, making it a specialist shop as well as a record imprint. This dual role connected production, archival curation, and distribution within a single operation and helped the label serve collectors seeking limited and historically detailed editions. Douglass Fake died in July 2024 following an extended illness. The business continued to operate after his death, with the retail store managed by long-time associate Jeff Johnson. Intrada's continuing identity is therefore rooted in the model established by Fake: a focused soundtrack enterprise combining archival restoration, historically informed reissues, new orchestral recordings, limited editions, and specialist retail.

• 2024

  Douglass Fake dies

  [1]Intrada Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  The founder and owner dies in July after an extended illness; Intrada continues operating afterward.

• 2000

  Operations move to Oakland

  [1]Intrada Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Around the turn of the millennium, Intrada relocates from San Francisco to Oakland and expands its operating capacity and release activity.

• 1985

  Intrada is founded in San Francisco

  [1]Intrada Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Douglass Fake establishes Intrada as an independent company specializing in film and television soundtrack music.

• The Excalibur Collection is developed

  [1]Intrada Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Intrada introduces a series of world-premiere re-recordings in which reconstructed film scores are performed by professional orchestras.

A specialist archival and collector-oriented soundtrack label emphasizing restoration, expanded editions, historical documentation, composer-led repertoire, and premium limited releases.

• Limited-edition soundtrack releases

  Intrada Special Collection Series

  A collector-oriented line presenting film and television scores in specialist editions. The series is associated with archival, expanded, restored, or historically significant soundtrack material, often aimed at listeners seeking music beyond the versions available through standard commercial albums.

• Orchestral film-score re-recordings

  The Excalibur Collection

  A series of world-premiere re-recordings created from reconstructed film scores and performed by professional orchestras. It provides new performances of important music when original recordings are unavailable, incomplete, or impractical to issue, while preserving the structure and identity of the underlying compositions.

• Specialist soundtrack editions

  Intrada Signature Editions

  A branded Intrada release line for selected soundtrack projects. The available reference material identifies the line as part of the label's catalogue structure but does not provide a complete description of its editorial scope or release chronology.

• Studio soundtrack series

  Disney/Intrada Series

  A soundtrack line produced through the Intrada and Disney relationship. It forms part of Intrada's catalogue of studio-connected releases, although the supplied material does not specify the complete title list or operating dates.

1. 1Intrada Recordsen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Intrada Records publishing catalog at MusicBrainzmusicbrainz.org