This site was conceived as a side project by a "tekkie" friend of mine who suggested I use my journalistic experience to write about something I love. We bandied about some ideas before settling on this one - largely because I had collected movie soundtracks for much of my life and thought I could write about them. We wanted the site to be user friendly, well-written and reliable.
Over time, I hope to attract other writers keen to contribute to the site, who don't mind foregoing the financial benefits they may be used to in the short-term for something that may, or may not, be profitable further down the line.
The gradual demise of the cd format, re-emergence of vinyl, along with the expansion of blu-ray dvd and downloads translate to an ever-changing market place; despite this, most of us still buy cd's and dvd's and I hope that you will use the Amazon links on this site to buy online.
We have also included mini YouTube video links that accompany the reviews, so that you can listen to your favourite theme music while watching a related trailer or clip from the movie; because film is a visual medium, there seems no better way of presenting it.
Finally, a note on the type of soundtracks featured. Though purists generally view albums such as "Top Gun", "Flashdance" and others like them, as unworthy of coverage on a film soundtrack site, preferring instead to focus on orchestral scores, we have taken the view that these albums have earned their place based on their continued saleability and affection with a large section of cinema-goers. We wanted to reach as broad an audience as possible and have developed the site with this in mind, without forgetting those fans for whom composers such as Bernard Herrmann and Jerry Goldsmith, among many others, are considered on a par with the master composers. We hope you can find your best movie soundtracks on this site.
CHiPs Television Soundtrack Volume One.
1978-79, MGM.
Alan Silvestri/John Parker.
FSM, CD, 2006, FSM VOL 9, NO 10. Rating:
This American cop show about the California Highway Patrol was struggling to make the ratings before new producer Cy Chermak turned it into Baywatch for cycle cops, slapping on the gloss and giving John Parker’s main theme a disco spin; in fact this is essentially a disco album, depending on how purist you are about the genre, with cues including ‘Ponch’s Disco’ being one of many obvious examples. This first volume of the score covers season two to coincide with the show’s reboot, which also contains a single episode (only one of two eps assigned to composers other than Silvestri in five seasons) scored by Bruce Broughton, hired for his ability to write dramatic scores; after seeing the episode however, Broughton decided that disco was still the only way to go, which pretty much sums up this enjoyable album. Excellent liner notes include interviews with Cy Chermak and Silvestri. CHiPs Television Soundtrack Volume One. Review: Tim Mowbray.
Track Listing:
1. Main Title (John Parker).
2. Peaks & Valleys.
3. Family Crisis.
4. Disaster Squad.
5. Neighborhood Watch.
6. High Flyer.
7. Trick Or Treat (Bruce Broughton).
8. The Grudge.
9. The Sheik.
10. Return Of The Turks.
11. Supercycle.
12. High Explosive.
13. Down Time.
14. Repo Man.
15. Mait Team.
16. Pressure Point.
17. Rally ‘Round The Bank.
18. Matchmakers.
19. Ponch’s Disco (From ‘Peaks & Valleys’).
20. End Credits (Parker, arr. Silvestri).
Car Wash.
1976, Universal.
Norman Whitfield/Various.
MCA, CD, 1996, MCD 11502. Rating:
Set in a downtown L.A. car wash, Joel Schumacher’s lively screenplay is largely a device used to link musical numbers, in this comedy populated by a disparate group of engaging oddballs. The director broke with cinematic convention by recording the soundtrack before filming in order to ensure visual continuity, while R&B songwriter and Producer, Norman Whitfield who penned ‘I Heard It Through The Grapevine’ for Marvin Gaye, formed the band ‘Rose Royce’ specifically for the film; the band perform the songs, including the well known title tune, with its infectious opening guitar riffs and ‘I Wanna Get Next To You’, both of which reached number one in the Billboard Top 100 in 1976. Re-issued in 1996, the soundtrack is a fond reminder of just how a good tune and a few laughs can make something good into something special; the songs may not be as impressive as those recorded by some of Whitfield’s roster of Motown stars including Stevie Wonder, Glady’s Knight and The Temptations but they stand up well away from the parameters of the story. However, it is the clutch of instrumental tracks, ‘Yo Yo’, ‘Sunrise’ and ‘Righteous Rhythm’, towards the end of the album with their atmospheric, multi-layered grooves that lift ‘Car Wash’ out of the disco and onto a more sophisticated level. Dialogue from the film performed by Richard Pryor as ‘Daddy Rich’ adds a touch of social commentary to what is essentially a good R&B/disco album that hints at greatness. Car Wash Movie Soundtrack. Review: Tim Mowbray.
Track Listing:
1. Car Wash.
2. 6 O’Clock DJ (Let’s Rock).
3. I Wanna Get Next To You.
4. Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.
5. Zig Zag.
6. You’re On My Mind.
7. Mid Day DJ Theme.
8. Born To Love You.
9. Daddy Rich.
10. Richard Pryor Dialogue/Rich Reprise.
11. You Gotta Believe.
12. I’m Going Down.
13. Yo Yo.
14. Sunrise.
15. Righteous Rhythm.
16. Water.
17. Crying.
18. Doin’ What Comes Naturally.
19. Keep On Keepin’ On.
The Deep.
1977, Columbia/EMI.
John Barry/ Various.
Casablanca. LP, 1977, CAL 2018. Rating:
This glossy adaptation of Peter (‘Jaws’) Benchley’s bestseller about a couple (played by Jacueline Bisset and Nick Nolte) who stumble across a drugs haul while diving for treasure in the Bahamas, is visually lush but lacks the bite of its predecessor. John Barry’s score effectively harnesses the beauty of the Caribbean locations to good effect with a swaying melodic main theme, ‘Deep, Down Inside’, underpinned by a gentle disco beat. While his twenty four minute ballet based on the score provides a slightly more substantial element, three versions of the main theme, two performed by Donna Summer, who also wrote the lyrics, make this seem more like a marketing exercise aimed at DJs than a score; not very flattering for a composer of Barry’s standing. The Deep Movie Review. Review: Tim Mowbray.
Track Listing:
Side One:
1. Return To The Sea – 2033 A.D.
Side Two:
1. Theme From ‘The Deep’ (Down, Deep Inside) (Donna Summer).
2. Theme From ‘The Deep’ (John Barry).
3. Disco Calypso (Beckett).
4. Theme From ‘The Deep’ (Down, Deep Inside) (Donna Summer) (A Love Song).
