And I am not just including this because it is from Rosemary's Baby, my very favourite film of all time. Well, maybe I am a little - the opening credits where Polanski guides us over the rooftops of the Bramford while Mia murmurs her "la la la"s sets up perfectly the movie heaven that is to come.
Actors usually make a hash of singing (and, of course, vice versa - Bjork is great in Dancer In The Dark but that's all I can come up with), although I've heard that Cybil Shepherd makes a decent stab. But Mia can't fail to impress with her innocent singing voice, keeping in the character of Rosemary even though she doesn't speak a word in this song. Komeda maintains his usual atmospheric wonder, with the sort of piano based joy that gave such a fruitful relationship with Polanski's films.
Lots of others have had a pop at this, usually with some degree of success as the melody is so strong (discounting a dodgy metal version of it by some chancers whose name escapes me). My favourites are Hugo Montenegro's (on Good Vibrations) and Claudine Longet's lyric-added version, Sleep Safe And Warm.
from Rosemary's Baby (Dot DLP 25875), available on CD (Tsunami)
03 Dec 05 ·Swinging London: I love this too! It seems to pull the whole movie into a class of it's own.
I've been trying to find the Claudine Longet version for years!
The film "Candy" was recently released on DVD, and as soon as I saw it, I had to get the soundtrack. The reason is this track, which plays over the final scene in the movie. There are great elements of late-60s film music all over the place here...sitars, wordless vocals, terrific rock breakbeats, you name it. A fantastic song, and one that I can listen to several times through, in spite of it's five-minute length (I usually have the attention span of a meth-addled fruit fly).
06 Dec 05 ·Swinging London: That is one very, very groovy track. I'm going to get it as fast as time will let me.
Thank you for introducing it to me.
(I've always heard that the actual movie is lame & not worth tracking down).
In the meantime I'm going to click the soundbite a few more times. 16 Dec 05 ·tinks: the movie is ok, a little bit too long, but mildly entertaining. lots of cameos by big stars like marlon brando & ringo starr. 25 May 08 ·Lala: I was all over this track the first time I heard it, and was at first delighted to find it on itunes, then despondent that the track was not available individually (one of the few NOT available individually on the Ocean's Twelve soundtrack). I console myself by singing it annoyingly at the top of my lungs.
Does anyone know where else I might find it?
Thanks.
The Teutonic funky drummer? Herr Thomas and his inimitable Sound Orchester turn in this terrific theme song to some long-lost detective show from German television. Shows that Thomas was as great a tv/film composer as Schifrin, Mancini, Barry, Budd or Jones.
available on CD - Moonflowers & Mini-Skirts (Marina)
06 Dec 05 ·Swinging London: That's another WILD track recommended by 'tinks'.
I'm SPINNING!
This song has a very tender vocal, which I believe is by either Carl or Dennis, a super-cool reverb-laden piano and sweet handclaps that cue up organ and trumpets. As fully-realized a piece as anything on "Pet Sounds".
from Wild Honey (Capitol) available on CD - Wild Honey/Smiley Smile (Capitol)
06 Dec 05 ·Swinging London: I LOVE this song. From my favourite (under-rated) Beach Boys album, 'Wild Honey' (1967)
There's also a live version available on a Beach Boys 'Live' album, which I believe was recorded in London in 1968...they fluff the lyrics, which, actually, adds to the charm.
Anyway, thank you for reminding me of this little gem.
Beautiful summery easy-bossa arrangement of this Villa-Lobos orchestral piece. The tempo floats along at a lazy pace, augmented by gorgeous piano and flute solos, then comes to an abrupt end with a very cool bass riff. Apparently, Schifrin recorded another version of this song in 1996 on the "Gillespiana" album, and that features Karlheinz Stockhausen's son Markus playing trumpet!
