Song of the Day: Ice Station Zebra (“Soundtrack Suite”) [YouTube link] was composed by the late, great Michel Legrand, who was born on this date in 1932. The score to this 1968 espionage film was orchestrated and conducted by Legrand himself with a 75-piece orchestra. It has been described as a brilliant “Cold War ballet.”
Song of the Day #1854
Song of the Day: Black Panther (“A New Day”) [YouTube link], was composed by Ludwig Goransson, for this 2019 superhero film, based on the Marvel-ous collaboration of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, starring the late Chadwick Boseman. With its predominantly black cast and black director, this trailblazing, absorbing film broke many box office records. The orchestral score embraces a global sound, while also incorporating original songs by Kendrick Lamar.
Song of the Day #1853
Song of the Day: Lady Usher (“A Few Kind Words”) [site link], composed by my friend, Michael Gordon Shapiro, is from a 2020 adaptation [YouTube link] of the Edgar Allan Poe short story, “The Fall of the House of Usher.” The soundtrack to this film won Best Original Score from the New York Cinematography Awards (congratulations, Mike!). As described by the composer, this tender cue offers “a moment of respite before the film’s macabre mood arrives in full force.”
Song of the Day #1852
Song of the Day: Never Let Me Go (“The Pier”) [YouTube link], composed by Rachel Portman, echoes the tragic tones of this 2010 film based on the dystopian novel of the same name by Kazuo Ishiguro. The San Diego Film Critics Society awarded the soundtrack with best score honors that year.
Song of the Day #1851
Song of the Day: Barefoot in the Park (“Main Title”), music by Neil Hefti, lyrics by Johnny Mercer, opens this hilarious 1967 comedy starring Robert Redford and Jane Fonda. On this date in 1919, my mother was born; this was one of her favorite films. She’d become convulsed with laughter especially in scenes featuring Best Supporting Actress Oscar nominee, Mildred Natwick, as Fonda’s mother, Ethel Banks. Natwick (who, like Redford, appeared in the original 1963 Neil Simon Broadway production) delivers some of the best lines in the film—after climbing umpteen flights of stairs to reach her daughter and son-in-law’s quintessential New York apartment [see Robert Osborne’s intro on YouTube]: “I had to park the car three blocks away. Then it started to rain so I ran the last two blocks. Then my heel got caught in a subway grating. When I pulled my foot out, I stepped in a puddle. Then a cab went by and splashed my stockings. If the hardware store downstairs was open, I was going to buy a knife and kill myself.” Or: “I feel like we’ve died and gone to heaven—only we had to climb up” [YouTube link]. Or this one [YouTube link], where the climb nearly brings mother Banks to her knees. Or this one where she goes down the stairs [YouTube link]. Mom has been gone since April 1995. But her memorable, uproarious laughter was so infectious that it brought as many laughs to her family as did the things that tickled her. Check out the opening theme to this comedy classic [YouTube link].
Song of the Day #1850
Song of the Day: The Watermelon Woman (“Another Day”) [YouTube link] features the words and music of Ed Baden Powell, Kwame Kwaten, Sarah Webb, Steve Marston, and Kathy Sledge, who delivers this R&B track with gusto on the soundtrack to this 1996 landmark film in New Queer Cinema. Sledge, the youngest and founding member of Sister Sledge, can also be heard in this house-inflected Hands in the Air Remix of the song (not to be confused with the classic Stevie Wonder track, which Sledge has covered [YouTube links].)
Song of the Day #1849
Song of the Day: The Good Son (“Opening Credits”) [YouTube link], composed by Elmer Bernstein, is from the Ian McEwan-penned 1993 thriller starring Elijah Wood and Macaulay Culkin (not the relatively innocent “Home Alone” kid here!). The film harks back to a 1956 film, “The Bad Seed,” with a different ending, for sure. The score is among the best aspects of the movie!
Song of the Day #1848
Song of the Day: Ben-Hur (“Conflict”) [YouTube link], composed by Oscar-winner Miklos Rozsa for the 1959 Best Picture, which won a record 11 Academy Awards, highlights the confrontation between the Jewish Prince Judah Ben-Hur (played by Oscar-winner Charlton Heston) and his Roman boyhood friend Messala (played by Golden Globe-winner Stephen Boyd), a conflict that reaches its apex in an epic chariot race for the cinematic ages (check out an excerpt here—spoiler alert! [YouTube link]). It’s a tradition of sorts to post a cue from my favorite score from my favorite movie on this date. And today, the Prime #17th Annual Film Music February Meets The Prime #17th of February! I was actually born on this day (Wednesday), on this date, back in 1960. Since it’s not yet 4:27 pm ET (the time of my birth), call me 61*. Either way, I’ll always be younger than this film!
Song of the Day #1847
Song of the Day: Mickey One (“Mickey’s Theme”) [YouTube link] is from the soundtrack to this 1965 neo noir crime drama, composed by Eddie Sauter and Stan Getz. The score reunited these two giants, who gave us the sublime 1961 jazz orchestral masterpiece, “Focus” [YouTube link]. Just breathtaking …
Song of the Day #1846
Song of the Day: Soul (“Born to Play”) [YouTube link], composed by Jon Batiste, is just one of the many swinging tracks from this 2020 Disney-Pixar animated film. The original motion picture soundtrack features ambient, new age selections by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross of Nine Inch Nails fame. “Music From and Inspired by Soul,” on which this piece can be found, was released on vinyl, with jazz compositions and arrangements by Batiste. It’s a fun film with a kaleidoscope of musical sounds.
