Notablog

Song of the Day: The Big Lebowski (“Lujon” aka “Slow Hot Wind”), music by Henry Mancini, lyrics by Norman Gimbel, was originally included on Mancini‘s album, “Mr. Lucky Goes Latin,” though it had nothing to do with that television series. The music showed up later in several films, including “The…

Song of the Day: Gorky Park (“Irina’s Theme”) [YouTube link], composed by James Horner, is one of the musical highlights to this 1983 mystery, starring William Hurt, Lee Marvin, Ian Bannen, Brian Dennehy, and Joanna Pacula as Irina. The film is based on the 1981 novel by Martin Cruz Smith.…

Song of the Day: Rear Window (“Lisa”) [YouTube link], composed by Franz Waxman, is an original cue from the wide-ranging soundtrack to this voyeuristic, suspenseful 1954 thriller (one of my all-time Hitchcock favorites). The film stars James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Raymond Burr, and the always hilarious Thelma Ritter. The soundtrack…

Song of the Day: Ben-Hur (“Balthasar”) [YouTube link], composed by the great Miklos Rozsa, has been praised for being the “gorgeous multi-thematic cue” that it is. Rozsa won the Academy Award for Best Original Score for a soundtrack that remains his crowning achievement and a cinematic milestone. The 1959 film…

Song of the Day: Foul Play (“Ready to Take a Chance Again”), music by Charles Fox, lyrics by Norman Gimbel, is sung by Barry Manilow in this 1978 rom-com thriller. The cast includes Goldie Hawn, Chevy Chase, Dudley Moore, Burgess Meredith, and Brian Dennehy. This Oscar-nominated “Best Original Song” is…

Song of the Day: Craving Greatness (“Write On”), composed by my friend Michael Gordon Shapiro, is a paean to the creative process. As Mike puts it, “the mood of the [2021] film is of reflective gratitude and joy”—and this piece, written for two pianos, captures that spirit eloquently.