Sound + Vision

I was really excited about this theme when Erin proposed it to me — we both love music and film, and we talk about both all the time (yes, she was the one who introduced me to the charms of “Scotty Doesn’t Know”), so this was her perfect storm of an idea, and I had lots of fun thinking about the movies and tunes that are completely inseparable in my mind.

Because this is such a wide open challenge, right off the bat, like Matt, I eliminated a couple of things to shrink the pool of available songs: no Tarantino (his soundtrack work is absolutely stellar, but it felt almost too easy because of his ubiquity), no Scorsese (I could have put together a list of just Rolling Stones songs he’s used), and no songs written specifically for a film (just ’cause). I also did some YouTube research & tracked down the scenes in which these songs were used so you can see what I’m a-talkin’ about. Enjoy!

1. Pee Wee Herman, “Surfin’ Bird” from Back To The Beach
The highlight of Back To The Beach, the seriously silly neo-beach-blanket-bingo flick that paired Frankie Avalon & Annette Funicello again on the big screen, was Pee-Wee Herman’s near-surreal performance of “Surfin’ Bird” at a big beach party — in the confines of the film, it seemed perfectly normal, which made it all the more insanely funny. I can’t hear this song without thinking of Pee-Wee, either, making the Ramones’ version even sillier (I had to research the bejebus out of this one, because the album is loooong out of print, so please do partake and enjoy):

2. The Pixies, “Where Is My Mind?” from Fight Club
I didn’t know the Pixies from the tooth fairy until I saw David Fincher’s Fight Club, and this apocalyptic tune was the soundtrack to the film’s apocalyptic ending (perfectly paired, too). Afterwards I had to track the song down, and my brother was only too happy to educate me on Frank Black & co. An excellent introduction, to say the least:

3. Sam Cooke, “Wonderful World” from Witness
The 1986 thriller Witness is a generally taut, thrilling affair, full of suspense, action, and Danny Glover (before he got too old for this sh*t), but the moment that made the movie for me is a sweet, romantic one where Harrison Ford’s undercover cop dances with amish Kelly McGillis to this song. The version in the film is sung by, I believe, Greg Chapman, but we all know that Cooke’s version is the definitive one:

4. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, “American Girl” from Silence of the Lambs
Poor Catherine Martin, singing along to this Tom Petty classic in her car, tapping the steering wheel in time, just before she meets Buffalo Bill. Apparently, it’s a short trip from “Take it easy baby/Make it last all night” to “It put the lotion on its skin or else it gets the hose again.” (Sorry, no clip available)

5. Gipsy Kings, “Hotel California” from The Big Lebowski
Eight year olds, dude.

Seriously, I can’t even hear the Eagles’ original without thinking ‘pederast’ — that’s just how good the marriage between John Turturro’s over-the-top Jesus and the Gipsy Kings’ ridiculous cover of this song is:

6. Underworld, “Born Slippy” from Trainspotting
As Ewan McGregor’s Renton frees himself from the insanity of the life he’s been living with his strung out crew, walking off into the sunset and declaring a fresh start, Underworld’s epic slowly builds on the soundtrack into an absolute frenzy of drums and club rhythms, punctuated by hopeful dashes of synth. It’s the perfect way to end the movie, and is its defining moment:

Alright, enough with the clips — here are the tunes!

Download: Pee Wee Herman, “Surfin’ Bird” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: The Pixies, “Where Is My Mind?” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Sam Cooke, “Wonderful World” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, “American Girl” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Gipsy Kings, “Hotel California” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Underworld, “Born Slippy” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Uncle Sam’s “Sound + Vision” (XML Playlist)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

You can grab the whole thing in a single ZIP file, too:

Download: “Sound + Vision” (ZIP)
(Click here for download instructions)