I am
seriously stoked at this news, Joe. I check in on here every month or two to see if there's any new info about Don Peake's work or the Knight Rider scores. I wish I had checked in back in September when you first posted this topic! But it sounds like things are still a work in progress, so if I may, I'd love to offer my suggestions too, in case Don's still looking for opinions.
By the way, I feel the digital download route is a great way for Don to release the classic scores from his archives because there are no costs associated with mastering, printing and distributing discs. The only concern is the potential loss of quality, but if tracks are made available using high-quality encoding (or better yet, lossless encoding via use of the FLAC codec or similar) then I have no reason to worry. But as others in this thread have said, I'm happy to have Don's Knight Rider scores any way I can get them! I've been a humongous fan of his work on Knight Rider for the vast majority of my lifetime.
Having recently been listening to the audio track of many original KR episodes, I have found myself gaining a whole new appreciation for the scores from season 4. I feel that this season has been underrepresented in the scores that have been released thus far -- we've gotten a whole disc of season 3 scores (HMR Vol. 3), a mix of suites from all four seasons (HMR Vol. 1), and two complete scores from season 1 (HMR Vol. 2), all of which are great. But the more I listen to episodes from the show's last season, the more I am loving the cool percussion, the slap bass and synth sounds, and so my input here is going to be fourth season-centric. Each season of KR really has a sound all its own.
Of the episodes you mentioned that Don has found in storage, here are the top 5 that I'd most like to hear scores from:
Killer K.I.T.T.
Fright Knight
Burial Ground
Sky Knight
Knight of the Juggernaut
Below, I've identified some of my favorite cues from those episodes using time indexes from the episode DVDs. I realize this probably doesn't help Don that much given that his scores are likely identified by take/cue number (M-14-104 for example) but it might help Joe and the other members here if they want to cue these up and hear for themselves.
Killer K.I.T.T.Honestly, I could likely die happy if I had this entire episode's score available to listen to. My favorite cues, though, are:
- 5:15-6:35 -- The chase on the docks.
- 9:15-10:30 -- The theme and suspense music that plays as Michael & KITT leave the semi and head over to investigate 317 Cloverfield Avenue.
- 18:10-20:52 -- Suspense music as Bonnie tries to gain remote access to KITT, then Berio finally gets control and sends KITT recklessly hurtling off into traffic.
- 21:29-23:22 -- KITT tries to kill Michael; Michael jumps on the hood; hot dog stand crash; act break.
- 26:46-28:40 -- Michael rides RC's bike over to the warehouse.
- 35:50-39:01 -- The chase sequence beginning where Michael intercepts KITT on the move, ending where KITT crashes into the convention center.
- 42:03-43:32 -- Knight Rider theme score as Michael and RC go chasing after Berio's mobile lab.
- 44:34-46:23 -- The final fight scene, leading up to the last act break. I absolutely love, love the FLAG fanfare that plays at the very end as KITT says "And that's just for computer lovers everywhere!"
Fright KnightGreat suspense cues and a really good action cue later that I've been obsessing over recently.
- 15:00-17:17 -- The suspense theme that plays as Michael first investigates Stage 28 and is then attacked by the Phantom. This was teased for release on the old Hi-Tech Records second disc of scores before that project ended badly.
- 39:57-40:53 -- The slap bass-heavy action theme that plays while Michael and Liz shoot the dangerous take for the production of Raging Sky II, including the part where the Phantom pulls a gun on them and KITT comes to the rescue.
Burial GroundI've remembered this episode for years because of its haunting and suspenseful cues.
- 16:08-16:57 -- Michael and Susan Christopher return to the reservation after their snake encounter.
- 25:05-26:42 -- Always loved this bit. It's where Simpson knocks out Thorne and drives his kamikaze Camaro toward KITT on the narrow slope road, leading up to the act break when the bomb goes off. I like how the score bounces back and forth between KITT's slap bass theme and the suspense cues that serve as the theme for Simpson's Camaro, increasingly so as the two cars get closer.
- 35:15-38:54 -- One of my favorite examples of Don's work in the entire fourth season. It's the suspense music beneath Michael's nighttime infiltration of Oakes' compound.
- 41:55-42:15 -- KITT comes online to bring in a little "posse to the rescue". I love the theme fanfare as KITT smashes through the gate -- the almost total lack of percussion here is unusual but gives KITT's entrance a more heroic tone.
Sky Knight- 15:18-6:30 -- "It's a bomb! Code Red!" This opening chase, up to where KITT foils the escape of the bad guys in the van, makes for good listening. I originally found this cue unusual because it takes Stu Phillip's Knight Rider theme fanfare up an octave on the last note at 6:03; nice touch.
- 14:35-15:30 -- Michael and KITT go to the movies.
- 16:30-17:15 -- Zurich's contacts at the drive-in attempt to terminate KITT and Michael...and fail.
- 24:17-25:15 -- After investigating the town in the middle of nowhere, Michael heads south. Nice musical driving sequence.
- 26:35-27:10 -- Michael encounters, and disposes of, the military hardware back in town.
Knight of the Juggernaut- 1:48-2:20 -- The opening cue, the first time we hear Knight Rider's "Chicago Theme."
- 8:34-9:55 -- Michael and KITT come to the aid of the Street Avenger.
- 43:21-46:05 -- Another one of my favorite scores from the entire series. It's the suspenseful, hi-hat heavy theme that plays when Michael goes to rendezvous with Marta, KITT gets sprayed with the chemical that kills his molecular bonded shell, and culminates as the Juggernaut bursts out of the abandoned buildings.
- 66:22-68:55 -- I like the whole bit from the chase at the patio restaurant through to the suspense theme where Michael goes looking for evidence of the real Devon Miles.
- 70:30-71:38 -- Michael talks to KITT while he's under construction (and KITT talks like a cowboy). Nice little sentimental cue.
- 85:50-87:00 -- Michael rushes to defuse the bomb before it blows up and kills Devon and Jennifer.
- 92:45-94:00 -- The last scene on the airstrip when the bad guys make a final attempt to escape, leading up to the epilogue at the fountain.
It probably seems like I've gone a bit off the deep end with the level of detail here, but I'm incredibly obsessive over Knight Rider's score -- have been since I was six years old. There's just something magical about it, something that never gets old and that I'm sure I'll never tire of.
From the days of old cassette tapes that I made of the sound blaring from my TV's mono speaker, to today when I can extract audio digitally from my DVDs, I've listened to the music of Knight Rider any way I can get it. I'm such a fan of Don's work that whatever he may decide to release from his archives, whether it's on my list or not, I'm sure I'll find nothing but absolute joy in listening to time and again.
Joe -- thanks again for posting this topic, and if you get a chance to talk to Don again soon, give him my best -- and my sincerest thanks for being an integral part of Knight Rider, one of the happiest memories I have of my childhood. On my list of people I'd like to meet, he's at the top. I hope someday that I'll be able to make it to one of the Knight Cons to say thank you to Don in person.
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In general, the second season style is my absolute favourite, especially from the episodes I mentioned already. Glad to hear the scores from Goliath & Goliath Returns are planned to be released too, they are great 
