Paul Hertzog


Paul Hertzog is an American film composer. In his brief career in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Hertzog composed the soundtracks for two Jean-Claude Van Damme movies, Kickboxer and Bloodsport, as well as the scores for Breathing Fire and My Chauffeur. Previously, Hertzog worked as a teacher at Hart High School in Santa Clarita, California, where he taught English and Music Theory.
After a nearly twenty-year hiatus, Hertzog released a CD titled Freeing the Waters in 2009. It consisted of previously unreleased tracks written during his years as a film composer.
Early in 2015, Hertzog released a CD of new music, reminiscent of his work in "Bloodsport" and "Kickboxer," titled "Waking the Dragon." He composed, performed and recorded this latest CD.

Film scores

Soundtrack CDs for both Kickboxer and Bloodsport were created in limited quantity. Because of this, they are considered collectors items by many, and are usually very hard to find.
Hertzog worked with Stan Bush on both scores.

''Bloodsport'' track list

  1. Fight to Survive – performed by Paul Delph
  2. Kumite
  3. Father and Son / Training
  4. The Tree and the Sword / In Hong Kong / The Walled City / Ceremony
  5. Chong Li kills
  6. On My Own - Alone – performed by Paul Delph
  7. The Second Day
  8. The Morning After
  9. Preparation
  10. Dim Mak
  11. Powder
  12. Triumph
  13. I love Connor
On June 26, 2007, a limited edition re-release of the soundtrack on CD by record label Perseverance Records was created. This release is considered by fans of the soundtrack as a vast improvement over all previous releases as the CD contains for the first time, the original versions of the tracks performed by Stan Bush as heard in the motion picture. The track listing for this limited edition version is as follows:
  1. "Steal the Night" – performed by Michael Bishop
  2. Kumite
  3. Captain
  4. Flashback/Martial Science/Father & Son/Training/Tree & Sword
  5. In Hong Kong
  6. The Walled City
  7. Dim Mak
  8. Police
  9. First Day: Ceremony/ First Fight/Good, Bad, Ugly/Dux vs Arab
  10. "Fight to Survive" – performed by Stan Bush
  11. Morning After
  12. Second Day
  13. Samoan Balls
  14. Jackson Falls
  15. "On My Own – Alone" – performed by Stan Bush
  16. Here for the Final?/Inspector, No!
  17. Paco vs Dux
  18. Chong Li Kills
  19. Preparation
  20. Finals/Powder/Triumph
  21. "Fight to Survive" – performed by Stan Bush
  22. "Steal the Night"

    ''Kickboxer'' track list

Similarly to Bloodsport, the soundtrack to Kickboxer was remastered in 2006 and released by Perseverance Records. The track listing for the 2006 full score CD is as follows:
  1. To the Hospital / We'll See
  2. Groceries
  3. Very Stupid
  4. Tai Chi
  5. First Kiss
  6. Stone City
  7. Second Stone
  8. Hospital
  9. Palm Tree
  10. Advanced Training
  11. Ancient Voices
  12. Mylee Is the Way
  13. Warriors
  14. Buddha's Eagle
  15. Kidnap
  16. You've Done It Before
  17. Downstairs
  18. Round One
  19. Round Two
  20. The Hook
  21. Round Three
  22. The Eagle Lands

    ''Freeing the Waters'' track list

  23. The Violet Hour
  24. April Fools' Day
  25. Walk on Wide Water
  26. A Wicked Plot
  27. Kyoto Forest
  28. Sue Across the Sea
  29. Black Pearls
  30. Love in a Labyrinth
  31. Freeing the Waters