Beyond the Wurlitzer

Ever since the first displays of movies as entertainment, the soundtrack has played an important role. Back in the days of silent movies, that often meant that the emotion of the movie was carried by a talented organist at the helm of a massive Wurlitzer.

Since the “talkies” arrived on the scene in the 1920s, the art of the soundtrack has expanded greatly. The heyday of MGM Studios was marked by their incredible musical movies, and throughout the 1930s, 40s and 50s, musical movies (sometimes based on Broadway plays, other times not) set a standard for lush soundtracks and songs written to help carry plot and character development.

But in the 1960s, everything changed. Pop songs, usually performed by artists other than the actors in the film, often featured prominently in film. In addition to providing a new flexibility for directors, the songs also could also assume a new life, outside of the pop music scene. Movies also allowed classical pieces that were never composed with the intent of scoring a film (many were composed before the advent of films) to assume a new identity: who can separate the image of the black monolith or the alignment of the planets from the sounds of Richard Strauss’ “Also Sprach Zarathustra” from 2001: A Space Odyssey?

So I present a small selection of songs from films that always bring back the imagery from the movies in which they appear.

1. “A Hard Day’s Night” by The Beatles (from A Hard Day’s Night)
   To me, this is the opening song to beat them all. It’s impossible to divorce this song from the image of the Fab Four, sprinting down Boston Place, next to the Marylebone train station, evading the mob of screaming fans. George Harrison even injured himself in the mess, his fall being captured in the film to perfect effect. The Fadd9 opening chord, simultaneously hit on both an acoustic six-string guitar and a Rickenbacker electric 12-string (as well as a piano, played by George Martin), is so incredibly perfect as an opening salvo, and it just gets better from there.
   
   
2. “Mrs. Robinson” by Simon & Garfunkel (from The Graduate)
   When Mike Nichols first conceived of The Graduate, he had two artists in mind for the soundtrack duties: Paul Simon and Dave Grusin. While the latter composed the incidental instrumentals in the film, the former was chosen because his lyrics often matched the angst and conflict that defined the film. To this end, Simon presented a work-in-progress tune, “Mrs. Roosevelt.” When Nichols heard this, he suggested that the title be switched to “Mrs. Robinson” to match the character in the film. And with that, history was made. When I hear this song, I can’t help but picture Benjamin Braddock driving around in his Alfa-Romeo Spider, trying to exorcise his demons: the manic guitar strumming gets the adrenaline flowing, and slows down as Ben (or his car) runs out of gas. This version of the song is the one used in the film, which is markedly different (and much shorter) than the retooled version that featured prominently on Simon & Garfunkel’s Bookends album.
   
   
3. “Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head” by B.J. Thomas (from Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid)
   When I hear this song, I can’t help but picture Butch & Sundance on their bikes, playing around like there isn’t a care in the world, even though they know that the end will come with time. It’s one of many brilliant scenes in the film - watch it and enjoy!
   
   
4. “Porpoise Song (Theme from “Head”)” by The Monkees (from Head)
   Ever wonder what would happen if you took The Monkees, had them act in a movie scripted by Jack Nicholson, with appearances by Annette Funicello, Frank Zappa, Teri Garr and Victor Mature? The result is one of the most confusing, yet enduring, movies ever made. Head was the movie that broke the public’s image of the group as a bunch of go-lucky young folk, instead presenting them as a more introspective, hip group. While the movie was a rank flop in its initial release, it attained cult status over the years, and is now seen as one of the high points of psychedelic cinema.
   
   
5. “The Blue Danube (excerpt)” by Johann Strauss (from 2001: A Space Odyssey)
   The waltz king’s music sets the mood for the rather sexual docking of spacecraft and space station in Kubrick’s masterwork. I love how the scene plays out: the coldness of space, the solitude of the Pan-Am spaceship, and the grandeur of the space station are perfectly matched to the ebb and flow of Strauss’ music. And the imagery is loaded with sex (think of the whole slot-shaped motif with the landing area of the station, the circular/target shape of things…. you get the drill) - another depiction of the primal urges explored in the film.
   
   
6. “Adagio for Strings (Opus 11)” by Samuel Barber (from Platoon)
   You can sum up both the movie and this piece of music in one word: sadness. And that’s exactly why Oliver Stone chose this haunting Barber piece as the oft-revisited background music to his ultra-violent portrayal of the Vietnam War. The whole movie shows the utter senselessness of the war, and the confused morality of the setting, the soldiers and their actions, at the end leaving the viewer incredibly spent and sad. The swelling strings in this piece are tense and edgy, accurately portraying the feelings depicted by Private Taylor and Staff Sgt. Barnes. This montage video neatly sums up the movie vis a vis Barber’s music:
   
   

If you haven’t seen any of the movies mentioned here, you owe it to yourself to visit your local library, video store, or Netflix to catch up.

Download: “A Hard Day’s Night” - The Beatles (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Mrs. Robinson” - Simon & Garfunkel (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head” - B.J. Thomas (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Porpoise Song (Theme from “Head”)” - The Monkees (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “The Blue Danube (excerpt)” - Johann Strauss (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Adagio for Strings, Opus 11″ - Samuel Barber (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Onkel Rudi’s “Beyond the Wurlitzer” (XML Playlist)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

The whole thing is available as a single ZIP file for those who lose count of such things:

Download: “Beyond the Wurlitzer” (ZIP)
(Click here for download instructions)