CHARLES BERNSTEIN’S SCORE FOR CULT-CLASSIC ’80s SLASHER APRIL FOOL’S DAY GETS 2-LP DELUXE EXPANSION
The new edition marks the first availability of the album on vinyl in 35 yearsand features the first-ever release of the film’s original orchestral score Limited-edition pressing on Killer Crimson vinylavailable exclusively at
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| Click here to watch the trailer Click here to pre-order |
Los Angeles, CA (September 26, 2023)–Varèse Sarabande and Craft Recordings are thrilled to announce a Deluxe Edition expansion of Charles Bernstein’s score for the 1986 black comedy classic April Fool’s Day. Available to pre-order now and due out November 3rd, the Deluxe Edition features the synthesized performance of the original score, the first-ever release of the original 23-track orchestral film score, plus five previously unreleased bonus tracks from Charles Bernstein’s own vaults, and new liner notes from award-winning composer Brian Satterwhite. In addition to the previously announced CD release (Varèse Sarabande’s CD Club series), the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack will make its long-awaited return on black vinyl at select-retailers while a Varèse Sarabande Vinyl Club edition (limited to 500 copies and pressed on Killer Crimson splatter vinyl) can be purchased exclusively at VareseSarabande.com.
Thomas F. Wilson ( in his first starring role after his iconic performance as the villainous Bill Tannen in Back to the Future}, Deborah Foreman, Clayton Rohner and other familiar faces from the 1980s star as college friends whose spring break trip to an island mansion unfortunately coincides with April Fool’s Day. Innocent pranks lead to a steadily rising body count as murders decimate the group—with a surprising twist climax. The film received positive responses from film critics, with some commending it for its non-gratuitous violence and plot twists, while others lambasted it for its surprise ending. After a modestly successful theatrical run, the film went on to become a cult-classic after receiving a reappraisal from audiences upon its home video release.
Composer Charles Bernstein was one of the foremost voices of 1980s horror, from the original A Nightmare on Elm Street to The Entity, Stephen King’s Cujo and Deadly Friend. A master of visceral scares, disquieting suspense and moments of emotional grounding, Bernstein received a Daytime Emmy® Award, as well as two Primetime Emmy Award nominations. He found an unusual challenge in April Fool’s Day, which needed to evoke the slasher genre but also have an element of “winking” to its audience. “We’re having fun with the horror genre—but it’s not a horror movie,” he says in the new liner notes by Brian Satterwhite. “My challenge was how to score a movie that wasn’t a horror movie but used horror tropes.”
Click here to pre-order April Fool’s Day Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Tracklist: April Fool’s Day Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
LP 1:
ORCHESTRAL FILM VERSION
Side A:
1. Main Title (Orchestral Film Version)
2. Muffy’s Present (Orchestral Film Version)
3. Pier Pressure Part 2 (Orchestral Film Version)
4. Pier Pressure Part 1 (Orchestral Film Version)
5. Night (Orchestral Film Version)
6. Trick Or Threat / Muffy And The Dolls Alt (Orchestral Film Version)
7. Little Miss Muffy Part 2 (Orchestral Film Version)
8. Little Miss Muffy Part 3 (Orchestral Film Version)
9. First Victim (Orchestral Film Version)
10. Snakes Alive (Orchestral Film Version)
11. All’s Well That Ends (Orchestral Film Version)
12. The House (Version 1) (Orchestral Film Version)
13. Little Miss Muffy Part 1 (Orchestral Film Version)
14. Nightwatch (Orchestral Film Version)
15. Wind / Window (Orchestral Film Version)
Side B:
1. Stab In The Dark (Orchestral Film Version)
2. Hanging Around (Orchestral Film Version)
3. Nan In Danger (Orchestral Film Version)
4. Muffy Attack Part 2 (Orchestral Film Version)
5. Choke And Dagger Parts 1 & 2 (Orchestral Film Version)
6. Getting The Point (Orchestral Film Version)
7. Hack In The Box (Orchestral Film Version)
8. Muffy Attack Part 1 (Orchestral Film Version)
ADDITIONAL MUSIC
9. CB Groove 1 (Alternative Source Cue)
10. CB Groove 2 (Alternative Source Cue)
11. J.S. Bach Violin Concerto No. 1 In A Minor (Orchestral Source Cue)
LP 2:
ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK LP
Side C:
1. Intro (Original Synth Version)
2. Main Title (Original Synth Version)
3. Choke And Dagger (Original Synth Version)
4. Pier Pressure (Original Synth Version)
5. All’s Well That Ends (Original Synth Version)
6. Snakes Alive (Original Synth Version)
7. Stab In The Dark (Original Synth Version)
8. Hanging Around (Original Synth Version)
9. The House (Original Synth Version)
10. Trick Or Threat (Original Synth Version)
11. Nan In Danger (Original Synth Version)
12. Nightwatch (Original Synth Version)
13. Sitting Duck (Original Synth Version)
Side D:
1. Dead Man’s Float (Original Synth Version)
2. Night (Original Synth Version)
3. Getting The Point (Original Synth Version)
4. Little Miss Muffy (Original Synth Version)
5. Muffy Attack (Original Synth Version)
6. First Victim (Original Synth Version)
7. Hack-In-The-Box (Original Synth Version)
ADDITIONAL MUSIC
8. Techno-Loons 1 (Bonus Track From Charles)
9. Music Box & Child Voices (Bonus Track From Charles)
10. Popup Sting Layers (Bonus Track From Charles)
11. Winks, Clock Motifs & Rhythmic Motif (Bonus Track From Charles)
12. Melodic Motif (Bonus Track From Charles)
About Varèse Sarabande:
Varèse Sarabande is one of the leading and most prolific producers of film and television soundtracks. The label was formed as a merger between Varèse International Records (named for composer Edgar Varèse) and Sarabande Records (named after a musical dance form). Initially a classical label, Varèse Sarabande has released thousands of soundtracks and new recordings of classic film scores conducted by celebrated composers with the world’s best-known orchestras since 1977. The label upped the ante for fans by creating the Varèse Sarabande CD Club—releasing exclusive limited-edition deluxe soundtracks featuring rare and long-requested titles. The CD Club ran initially from 1989–92 and was restarted in 2001, and Varèse continues to create Deluxe Editions of cherished scores that might otherwise never see a release. Since joining Concord in 2018, Varèse Sarabande continues its mission to release new scores, high quality vinyl and Deluxe Edition soundtracks.
For more info, visit VareseSarabande.com and follow on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
About Craft Recordings:
Craft Recordings is home to one of the largest and most essential collections of master recordings and compositions in the world. Its storied repertoire includes landmark releases from icons such as Joan Baez, John Coltrane, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Celia Cruz, Miles Davis, Isaac Hayes, John Lee Hooker, Little Richard, R.E.M., Joan Sebastian, and Traveling Wilburys. Plus, the catalog recordings of celebrated contemporary acts including A Day to Remember, Evanescence, Alison Krauss, Nine Inch Nails, Taking Back Sunday and Violent Femmes, to name just a few.
Renowned imprints with catalogs issued under the Craft banner include Fania, Fantasy, Fearless, HITCO, Musart, Nitro, Panart, Prestige, Riverside, Rounder, Specialty, Stax, Vanguard, Varèse Sarabande, Vee-Jay and Victory, among many others. Craft creates thoughtfully curated packages, with a meticulous devotion to quality and a commitment to preservation—ensuring that these recordings endure for new generations to discover. Craft is also home to the Billie Holiday and Tammy Wynette estates which preserve and protect their respective names, likeness and music through day-to-day legacy management of these cultural trailblazers.
Craft Recordings is the catalog label team for Concord. For more info, visit and follow on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Thank you,
Genda, Charlie and David Cates
