THE 20 Best Songs From 1960's Films EVER...
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- DirectorJohn SchlesingerStarsDustin HoffmanJon VoightSylvia MilesA naive hustler travels from Texas to New York City to seek personal fortune, finding a new friend in the process."Everybody's Talkin'" by Harry Nilsson from Midnight Cowboy (1969)
"Everybody's Talkin'" is a folk rock song released by Fred Neil in 1966 that became a global success for Harry Nilsson in 1969, reaching #2 and #6 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart and Pop Singles chart respectively and winning a Grammy after it was featured on the soundtrack for the film Midnight Cowboy. The song, which describes the speaker's desire to retreat from other people to the ocean, is among the most famous works of both artists. It has become a standard, covered by many notable artists.The song was first released on Neil's second album, 1966's self-titled Fred Neil. It was composed towards the end of the session, after Neil had become anxious to wrap the album so he could return to his home in Miami, Florida.[1] Manager Herb Cohen promised that if Neil wrote and recorded a final track, he could go. "Everybody's Talkin'", recorded in one take, was the result.
Toby Creswell of 1001 Songs noted that the song had parallels to Neil's later life - like the hero of the Midnight Cowboy, he looked "for fame to match his talents, discover[ed] that success in his profession isn't all its cracked up to be" and wanted to retreat.Five years later, Neil permanently fulfilled the promise of the speaker in the song, rejecting fame to live the rest of his life in relative obscurity "where the sun keeps shining / Thru' the pouring rain" in his home in Coconut Grove.Nilsson was searching for a potentially successful song when Rick Jarrard played the track for him, and he decided to release it on his 1968 album Aerial Ballet.When Derek Taylor recommended Nilsson for the Midnight Cowboy soundtrack to director John Schlesinger, Schlesinger selected "Everybody's Talkin'",[2] preferring the cover to the song Nilsson proposed, "I Guess the Lord Must Be in New York City".
The song was used as the theme song for the movie and became closely identified with it;Nilsson's cover is also known as "Everybody's Talkin' (Theme from Midnight Cowboy)".William J. Mann in his biography of Schlesinger noted that "one cannot imagine Midnight Cowboy now without 'Everybody's Talkin''." - DirectorBlake EdwardsStarsAudrey HepburnGeorge PeppardPatricia NealA young New York socialite becomes interested in a young man who has moved into her apartment building, but her past threatens to get in the way."Moon River" by Audrey Hepburn from Breakfast At Tiffany's (1961)
"Moon River" is a song composed by Johnny Mercer (lyrics) and Henry Mancini (music) in 1961, for whom it won that year's Academy Award for Best Original Song. It was originally sung in the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's by Audrey Hepburn, although it has been covered by many other artists.The song's most famous line, "...my huckleberry friend...", was not a reference to Mark Twain's Huck Finn. Rather, Mercer had originally titled the song "Blue River" (changing it only after recalling another song with the same title), and the initial lyrics contained many references to that colour. Although Mercer dropped most of the blue references in his revised lyrics, he kept the huckleberry in simply because he liked how it sounded.Mercer and Mancini wrote the song for Audrey Hepburn to fit her vocal range. Initially, the lyrics started, "I'm Holly, like I want to be / like Holly on a tree back home ..."; however, they were later changed to fit the theme of the film Breakfast at Tiffany's.
Although an instrumental version is played over the film's opening titles, the lyrics are first heard in a scene where Paul "Fred" Varjak (George Peppard) discovers Holly Golightly (Hepburn) singing them, accompanied by her guitar, on the fire escape outside their apartments.
There was an eruption of much behind-the-scenes consternation when a Paramount Pictures executive suggested deleting the song from the film immediately after a very successful San Francisco preview. Hepburn's reaction was described by Mancini and others in degrees varying from her saying "over my dead body" to her using somewhat more colourful language to make the same point.
Hepburn's version was not included in the original movie soundtrack. Instead, an album version recorded by Mancini and his chorus was released as a single and became a number 11 hit. In different versions, Joel Whitburn's "Top Adult (Contemporary) Songs" reported the song as a #3 or #1 easy listening hit, due to unpublished charts in Billboard. Only months after Hepburn's death in 1993 her version was released on an album entitled Music from the Films of Audrey Hepburn. - DirectorMike NicholsStarsDustin HoffmanAnne BancroftKatharine RossA disillusioned college graduate finds himself torn between his older lover and her daughter."Mrs. Robinson" by Simon & Garfunkel from The Graduate (1967)
"Mrs. Robinson" is a song written by Paul Simon and first performed by Simon and Garfunkel. When released as a single in 1968, it hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US, for their second chart-topping hit after "The Sounds of Silence". An early version of the song appeared in the motion picture The Graduate (1967) and its subsequent soundtrack, while the complete song debuted on their album Bookends (1968).The song earned the duo a Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 1969.In the film The Graduate, listless recent college graduate Benjamin Braddock has an affair with an older married woman, Mrs. Robinson. The song as it appears in the film is different from the familiar hit single version, as only the chorus of the song appears multiple times throughout the second half of the film. It was only later on that Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel re-recorded the song by employing additional lyrics to form the hit single.
According to a Variety article by Peter Bart in the May 15, 2005 issue, director Mike Nichols had become obsessed with Simon & Garfunkel's music while shooting the film. Larry Turman, his producer, made a deal for Simon to write three new songs for the movie. By the time they were nearly finished editing the film, Simon had only written one new song. Nichols begged him for more but Simon, who was touring constantly, told him he didn't have the time. He did play him a few notes of a new song he had been working on; "It's not for the movie... it's a song about times past — about Mrs. Roosevelt and Joe DiMaggio and stuff." Nichols advised Simon, "It's now about Mrs. Robinson, not Mrs. Roosevelt."References in the last verse to Joe DiMaggio are perhaps the most discussed. Paul Simon, a fan of Mickey Mantle, was asked during an intermission on The Dick Cavett Show why Mantle wasn’t mentioned in the song instead of DiMaggio. Simon replied, "It's about syllables, Dick. It's about how many beats there are."For himself, DiMaggio initially complained that he had not gone anywhere, but soon dropped his complaints after a cordial meeting with Paul Simon when he explained what the lines meant. In a New York Times op-ed in March 1999, shortly after DiMaggio's death, Simon discussed this meeting and explained that the line was meant as a sincere tribute to DiMaggio's unpretentious heroic stature, in a time when popular culture magnifies and distorts how we perceive our heroes. He further reflected: "In these days of Presidential transgressions and apologies and prime-time interviews about private sexual matters, we grieve for Joe DiMaggio and mourn the loss of his grace and dignity, his fierce sense of privacy, his fidelity to the memory of his wife and the power of his silence." Simon subsequently performed "Mrs. Robinson" at Yankee Stadium in DiMaggio's honor in April of the same year. - DirectorGeorge Roy HillStarsPaul NewmanRobert RedfordKatharine RossIn 1890s Wyoming, Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid lead a band of outlaws. When a train robbery goes wrong, they find themselves on the run with a posse hard on their heels. After considering their options, they escape to South America."Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" by B.J. Thomas from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
"Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" is a song written by Hal David and Burt Bacharach for the 1969 film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, winning an Academy Award for Best Original Song. David and Bacharach also won Best Original Score. The version by B. J. Thomas was number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States in January 1970 for four weeks and the first number-one single of the 1970s. It also spent seven weeks atop the U.S. adult contemporary chart.
The song was recorded in seven takes, after Bacharach expressed dissatisfaction with the first six.
Ray Stevens had been first offered the opportunity to record the song for the motion picture, but turned it down. He chose instead to record "Sunday Morning Coming Down," which was written by Kris Kristofferson. Bob Dylan is also supposed to have been approached for the song, but he too reportedly turned down the offer.
The song is featured in the Leslie Nielsen movie Spy Hard, which parodies the scene in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid where the song plays. It also is featured on the soundtracks of Forrest Gump and the superhero film, Spider-Man 2, in the latter accentuating Peter Parker's blissful mood after abandoning his Spider-Man identity and its responsibilities. Most recently it was used in the Kevin Smith film Clerks II. It was also sung in The Simpsons episode, "Duffless". Also, the first episode of the second season from Grey's Anatomy is named after the song.
B.J. Thomas's version was listed at #85 on The Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs. - DirectorRobert StevensonStarsJulie AndrewsDick Van DykeDavid TomlinsonIn turn of the century London, a magical nanny employs music and adventure to help two neglected children become closer to their father."Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" by Julie Andrews from Mary Poppins
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (pronounced /ˌsuːpərˌkælɪˌfrædʒəlˌɪstɪkˌɛkspiːˌælɪˈdoʊʃəs/) is an English word, with 34 letters, that was in the song with the same title in the Disney musical film Mary Poppins. The song was written by the Sherman Brothers, and sung by Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke. It also appears in the stage show version of Mary Poppins.
Since Mary Poppins was a period piece set in 1910, period sounding songs were wanted. "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" sounds like contemporary music hall songs "Boiled Beef and Carrots" and "Any Old Iron".According to Richard M. Sherman, co-writer of the song with his brother, Robert, the word was created by them in two weeks, mostly out of double-talk.
The roots of the word have been defined as follows: super- "above", cali- "beauty", fragilistic- "delicate", expiali- "to atone", and docious- "educable", with the sum of these parts signifying roughly "Atoning for educability through delicate beauty." Although the word contains recognizable English morphemes, it does not follow the rules of English morphology as a whole. The morpheme -istic is a suffix in English, whereas the morpheme ex- is typically a prefix; so following normal English morphological rules, it would represent two words: supercalifragilistic and expialidocious. The pronunciation also leans towards it being two words since, the letter c doesn't normally sound like a k when followed by an e, an i or a y.
According to the 1964 Walt Disney film, it is defined as "something to say when you have nothing to say"The song occurs in the chalk drawing outing animated sequence, just after Mary Poppins wins a horse race. Flush with her victory, she is immediately surrounded by reporters who pepper her with leading questions and they comment that she probably is at a loss for words. Mary disagrees, suggesting that at least one word is appropriate for the situation and begins the song. - DirectorJerome RobbinsRobert WiseStarsNatalie WoodGeorge ChakirisRichard BeymerTwo youngsters from rival New York City gangs fall in love, but tensions between their respective friends build toward tragedy."Tonight" by Jim Bryant & Marni Nixon from West Side Story (1961)
"Tonight" is a popular song with music written by Leonard Bernstein and the lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, published in 1956.
It was introduced in the Broadway musical, West Side Story. The song was revived in 1961 on single records in versions by Ferrante and Teicher (#8 pop, #2 easy listening), and Eddie Fisher, whose version narrowly missed the Top 40.
Many of the pieces in "West Side Story" experiment with different melodic tricks. This song is notable for its prominent perfect fourth intervals, and a theme that starts on a pentatonic scale but develops into a western key.
Jenna Ushkowitz sang the song on Glee, on the episode Preggers. The song also was a plot device in the episode. When Tina (Ushkowitz) gets the part, Rachel (Lea Michele) says that she thought all West Side Story material goes to herself, also with both her and Natalie Wood being Jewish. - DirectorJerome RobbinsRobert WiseStarsNatalie WoodGeorge ChakirisRichard BeymerTwo youngsters from rival New York City gangs fall in love, but tensions between their respective friends build toward tragedy."Somewhere" by Jim Bryant & Marni Nixon from West Side Story (1961)
"Somewhere" is a song from the 1957 Broadway musical West Side Story and the 1961 film. The music was composed by Leonard Bernstein with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and takes a phrase from the slow movement of Beethoven's 'Emperor' Piano Concerto, which forms the start of the melody.The song occurs at a pivotal point, after the rumble in which former Jets leader Tony (Richard Beymer) has stabbed his girlfriend's brother, Bernardo (George Chakiris). Having nowhere else to go, Tony runs to his girlfriend, Maria (Natalie Wood). Maria has just been told of her brother's death, and who killed him. When Tony comes to her room through the balcony window, Maria, in shock, pounds against his chest.
Realizing in spite of her anger that she still loves Tony, Maria begs him to hold her. After Maria cries out, "It's not us...it's everything around us, Tony says "Then I'll take you away, where nothing can get to us." and begins singing 'Somewhere' to her. His comforting voice draws her in, and it becomes a duet of hope that their love will survive "somehow, someday, somewhere."
As in the stage show, Maria sings the first few lines of the song as Tony dies in her arms.
"Somewhere" is the only track that is out of sequence on the original soundtrack album as it is the last track on Side 2. This is rectified on the CD as "Somewhere" is correctly placed in sequence to the film, between "The Rumble" and "Cool". - DirectorStanley KubrickStarsKeir DulleaGary LockwoodWilliam SylvesterAfter uncovering a mysterious artifact buried beneath the Lunar surface, a spacecraft is sent to Jupiter to find its origins: a spacecraft manned by two men and the supercomputer HAL 9000."Sprach Zarathustra" by Richard Strauss from 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
2001: A Space Odyssey (often referred to simply as 2001) is a 1968 epic science fiction film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, and co-written by Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke. The film deals with thematic elements of human evolution, technology, artificial intelligence, and extraterrestrial life, and is notable for its scientific realism, pioneering special effects, ambiguous imagery that is open-ended to a point approaching surrealism, sound in place of traditional narrative techniques, and minimal use of dialogue.
The film has a memorable soundtrack—the result of the association that Kubrick made between the spinning motion of the satellites and the dancers of waltzes, which led him to use The Blue Danube waltz by Johann Strauss II,and the famous symphonic poem Also sprach Zarathustra by Richard Strauss, to portray the philosophical evolution of Man theorized in Nietzsche's work of the same name.
Despite initially receiving mixed reviews, 2001: A Space Odyssey is today recognized by many critics and audiences as one of the greatest films ever made; the 2002 Sight & Sound poll of critics ranked it among the top ten films of all time.It was nominated for four Academy Awards, and received one for visual effects. In 1991, it was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry. On 25 June 2010 a version specially remastered by Warner Bros. without the music soundtrack opened the 350th anniversary celebrations of the Royal Society at Southbank Centre in co-operation with BFI, with the score played live by the Philharmonia Orchestra and Choir.2001 is particularly remembered for using Johann Strauss II's best-known waltz, An der schönen blauen Donau (On the Beautiful Blue Danube), during the extended space-station docking and lunar landing sequences, and the use of the opening from Richard Strauss's Also sprach Zarathustra ("Thus Spake Zarathustra"), which has now become firmly associated with the film and its themes. The film also introduced the modernistic composer György Ligeti to a wide public.
The Richard and Johann Strauss pieces and Ligeti’s Requiem (the Kyrie section) act as recurring leitmotifs in the film’s storyline. Richard Strauss' Also Sprach Zarathustra is first heard in the opening title which juxtaposes the sun, earth, and moon. It is subsequently heard when an ape first learns to use a tool, and when Bowman is transformed into the Star-Child at the end of the film. Zarathustra thus acts as a bookend for the beginning and end of the film, and as a motif signifying evolutionary transformations, first from ape to man, then from man to Star-Child. This piece was originally inspired by the philosopher Nietzsche’s book of the same name which alludes briefly to the relationship of ape to man and man to Superman. The Blue Danube appears in two intricate and extended space travel sequences as well as the closing credits. The first of these is the particularly famous sequence of the PanAm space plane docking at Space Station V. Ligeti’s Requiem is heard three times, all of them during appearances of the monolith. The first is its encounter with apes just before the Zarathustra-accompanied ape discovery of the tool. The second is the monolith's discovery on the Moon, and the third is Bowman's approach to it around Jupiter just before he enters the Star Gate. This last sequence with the Requiem has much more movement in it than the first two, and it transitions directly into the music from Ligeti’s Atmosphères which is heard when Bowman actually enters the Star Gate. No music is heard during the monolith's much briefer final appearance in Dave Bowman’s celestial bedroom which immediately precedes the Zarathustra-accompanied transformation of Bowman into the Star-Child. A shorter excerpt from Atmospheres is heard during the pre-credits prelude and film intermission, which are not in all copies of the film. Gayane's Adagio from Aram Khachaturian's Gayaneh ballet suite is heard during the sections that introduce Bowman and Poole aboard the Discovery conveying a somewhat lonely and mournful quality. Other music used is Ligeti’s Lux Aeterna and an electronically altered form of his Aventures, the last of which was so used without Ligeti's permission.
Since the film, Also sprach Zarathustra has been used in many other contexts, in particular by the BBC and by CTV in Canada as the introductory theme music for their television coverage of the Apollo space missions, as well as stage entrance music for multiple acts including Elvis Presley late in his career. Jazz and rock variants of the theme have also been composed, the most well known being the one by Eumir Deodato in the film Being There. - DirectorAlvin GanzerStarsConnie FrancisHarve PresnellPeter NooneYoung heir Danny Churchill tries to help Ginger, an attractive postal worker in rural Nevada, save her father's ranch from closing due to being heavily in debt with some Reno gangster-types for her father's compulsive gambling. With his college friends' help, Danny turns Ginger's father's ranch into a motel for impending divorcees to get out of debt, while Danny courts Ginger, but tries to keep his past reputation a secret when his former girlfriend Tess, a spiteful gold-digger, relentlessly pursues him and his wealth."Monkey See, Monkey Do" by Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs from When The Boys Meet The Girls
When the Boys Meet the Girls is a 1965 American musical film, directed by Alvin Ganzer and starring Connie Francis and Harve Presnell. Guy Bolton and Jack McGowan were both uncredited in their roles as the writers for the play the film is based on.The song slips in nicely to an already glorious soundtrack which included Connie Francis, Louis Armstrong and Herman & The Hermits. - DirectorTerence YoungStarsSean ConneryUrsula AndressBernard LeeA resourceful British government agent seeks answers in a case involving the disappearance of a colleague and the disruption of the American space program."James Bond Theme" by Monty Norman from Dr. No (1962)
Monty Norman has been credited with writing the "James Bond Theme", and has received royalties since 1962. For Dr. No, the tune was arranged by John Barry who would later go on to compose the soundtracks for eleven James Bond films. Courts have ruled twice that the theme was written by Monty Norman despite claims and testimony by Barry that he had actually written the theme. Norman has consequently won two libel actions against publishers for claiming that Barry wrote the theme, most recently against The Sunday Times in 2001. It is generally acknowledged that Barry came up with the arrangement used in Dr. No.[citation needed]
Norman describes the distinctive rhythm of the guitar in the first few bars of the "James Bond Theme" as "Dum di-di dum dum". He claims that it was inspired by the song "Good Sign Bad Sign" sung by Indian characters in A House for Mr Biswas, a musical he composed based on a novel by V.S. Naipaul set in the Indian community in Trinidad. Norman showed his manuscript music from A House for Mr Biswas in a filmed interview and sang its lyrics. In 2005, Norman released an album called Completing the Circle that features "Good Sign Bad Sign", the "James Bond Theme," and a similar sounding song titled "Dum Di-Di Dum Dum." For these songs Norman added lyrics that explain the origin and history of the "James Bond Theme".
Though the "James Bond Theme" is identified with John Barry's jazz arrangement, parts of it are heard throughout Monty Norman's score for Dr. No in non-jazzy guises. Barry's arrangement is repeated ("tracked") in various scenes of the first Bond film. This is consistent with the account given by some of the film makers themselves and Barry contained in supplementary material on the DVD release of Dr. No. Barry was called in to make an arrangement of Norman's motif after Norman had completed the score. There is no information about the distinctive ostinati, countermelodies, and bridges introduced by Barry that are juxtaposed with Norman's motif in order to flesh out the arrangement. These added musical figures have become as recognizable to listeners as Norman's motif itself, which is probably responsible for the controversy over the authorship of the "James Bond Theme" as listeners have come to know it.
The "James Bond Theme" was recorded on 21 June 1962.The guitar riff heard in the original recording of the theme was played by Vic Flick, who would later play guitar on the original recording of Ron Grainer's theme music from the 1967 television series The Prisoner. Vic was paid a one-off fee of £6 for recording the famous James Bond Theme riff. John Scott played the saxophone. - DirectorDavid LeanStarsOmar SharifJulie ChristieGeraldine ChaplinThe life of a Russian physician and poet who, although married to another, falls in love with a political activist's wife and experiences hardship during World War I and then the October Revolution."Lara's Theme" from Dr. Zhivago (1965)
"Lara's Theme" is the generic name given to a leitmotif written for the film Doctor Zhivago (1965) by composer Maurice Jarre. Soon afterward, it became the basis of the song "Somewhere My Love."While working on the soundtrack for Doctor Zhivago, Maurice Jarre was asked by director David Lean to come up with a theme for the character of Lara, played by Julie Christie. Initially Lean had desired to use a well-known Russian song but could not locate the rights to it, and delegated responsibility to Jarre. After several unsuccessful attempts at writing it, Lean suggested to Jarre that he go to the mountains with his girlfriend and write a piece of music for her. Jarre says that the resultant piece was "Lara's Theme", and Lean liked it well enough to use it in numerous tracks for the film. In editing Zhivago, Lean and producer Carlo Ponti reduced or outright deleted many of the themes composed by Jarre; Jarre was angry because he felt that an over-reliance on "Lara's Theme" would ruin the soundtrack.
Jarre's esthetic fears proved unfounded commercially, however, as the theme became an instant success and gained fame throughout the world. By special request of Connie Francis, Paul Francis Webster later took the theme and added lyrics to it to create "Somewhere My Love". Francis, however, retired from the project when the lyrics were presented to her because she thought of them as too "corny". A few weeks later, Francis reconsidered her position and recorded the song nonetheless, but by then Ray Conniff had also recorded a version of his own, reaching #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1966. Conniff's version of the song also topped the "Easy listening" chart in the U.S. for four weeks. Despite Conniff's success, Francis also had her version released as a single, and although it failed to chart in the US, it became one of her biggest successes internationally, becoming one of the "Top 5" in territories such as Scandinavia and Asia. In Italy, her Italian version of the song, "Dove non so", became her last # 1 success.
Various other versions of it have since been released. "Lara's Theme" remains to this day one of the most recognizable movie themes ever written. - DirectorRobert WiseStarsJulie AndrewsChristopher PlummerEleanor ParkerA young novice is sent by her convent in 1930s Austria to become a governess to the seven children of a widowed naval officer."My Favorite Things" by Julie Andrews from The Sound of Music (1965)
The song was first introduced by Mary Martin in the original Broadway production, and sung by Julie Andrews in the 1965 film adaptation.
In the musical, the lyrics to the song are a reference to things Maria loves, such as 'raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens'. These are the things she selects to fill her mind with when times are bad.
The original Broadway musical places this song in the Mother Abbess's office, just before she sends Maria to serve Captain von Trapp's family as governess to his seven children. However, Ernest Lehman, the screenwriter for the film adaptation, repositioned this song so that Maria would sing it with the children during the thunderstorm scene in her bedroom, replacing "The Lonely Goatherd", which had originally been sung at this point. Many stage productions also make this change, shifting "The Lonely Goatherd" to another scene.
The first section of the melody has the distinctive property of using only the notes 1, 2, and 5 (Do, Re, and Sol) of the scale. Rodgers then harmonized this same section of the melody differently in different stanzas, using a series of minor triads one time and major triads the next.
The song ends with a borrowed line of lyric and notes from Rodgers' earlier composition with Lorenz Hart, "Glad to Be Unhappy," a standard about finding peace in the midst of unrequited love. Using the same two notes for the phrasing of "so sad" in the original song, Rodgers brings the gloom of my "Favorite Things" to a similar upbeat ending – "and then I don't feel so bad."
[edit] Cover versions
The song has been recorded literally hundreds of times. Jazz artist John Coltrane did an extended, close to fourteen-minute version on his 1961 album taken from the title of the song. It became a jazz classic and a signature for Coltrane in concert, also apppearing on New Thing at Newport and Live at the Half Note: One Down, One Up in 1965, and Live at the Village Vanguard Again! in 1966.
While it was never conceived as a Christmas song, the wintertime imagery of some of the lyrics has made "My Favorite Things" a popular selection during the holiday season, and it often appears on seasonal albums and compilations. For example, Barbra Streisand recorded the song for A Christmas Album in 1967, as did Tony Bennett on his seasonal album the following year. Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass had a #45 Billboard 100 hit single with the song in 1969, taken off their Christmas Album. Country music singer Lorrie Morgan covered the song on her 1993 Christmas album Merry Christmas from London. This version received Christmas airplay in 1994 and again in 1999, bringing it to #64 and #69, respectively, on the Hot Country Songs charts in those years. Barry Manilow recorded the song for his album A Christmas Gift of Love in 2002.
The Animaniacs episode "The Sound of Warners", a parody of The Sound of Music, has a similar song called "That's What I Ponder When I Am Afraid", sung by Prunella Flundergust when she thinks Yakko, Wakko, and Dot are afraid of the lighting.
A filk version of the song with lyrics revolving around old age, first seen on the Usenet newsgroup alt.idiots in June 2001, has become attached to an urban legend claiming that it was sung by Julie Andrews herself at a benefit concert for AARP. - DirectorNorman JewisonSam PeckinpahStarsSteve McQueenAnn-MargretEdward G. RobinsonAn up-and-coming poker player tries to prove himself in a high-stakes match against a long-time master of the game."The Cincinnati Kid" by Ray Charles from The Cincinnati Kid
The Cincinnati Kid is a 1965 film. It tells the story of Eric "The Kid" Stoner, a young Depression-era poker player, as he seeks to establish his reputation as the best. This quest leads him to challenge Lancey "The Man" Howard, an older player widely considered to be the best, culminating in a climactic final poker hand between the two.
The script, adapted from Richard Jessup's novel, was written by Ring Lardner Jr. and Terry Southern; it was Lardner's first major studio work since his 1947 blacklisting as one of The Hollywood Ten.[1] The film was directed by Norman Jewison and stars Steve McQueen in the title role and Edward G. Robinson as Howard. Jewison, who replaced original director Sam Peckinpah shortly after filming began,[1] describes The Cincinnati Kid as his "ugly duckling" film. He considers it the film that allowed him to transition from the lighter comedic films he had previously been making and take on more serious films and subjects.[2]
The film garnered mixed reviews from critics on its initial release; supporting actors Robinson and Joan Blondell earned award nominations for their performances.The song just adds coolness to yet another McQueen classic. - DirectorLewis GilbertStarsSean ConneryAkiko WakabayashiMie HamaJames Bond and the Japanese Secret Service must find and stop the true culprit of a series of space hijackings, before war is provoked between Russia and the United States."You Only Live Twice" by Nancy Sinatra from You Only Live Twice (1967)
"You Only Live Twice" was the title song from the film of the same name and was sung by Nancy Sinatra, with music by John Barry and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse. The song is widely recognised for its striking opening bars, featuring a simple 2-bar theme in the high octaves of the violins and lush harmonies from French horns.
There are two very different recordings of the song. The version featured in the film and on the single is in the key of C and features multiple vocal tracks. The version on the soundtrack LP is in the key of B and has a single vocal track. The backing instrumentation also differs greatly between the two versions. There is also an earlier attempt at a theme for the film labeled as a "demo" version on CD releases. The song has some lyrical similarities to the final theme but features a completely different tune. This version was sung by Julie Rogers. - DirectorPeter TewksburyStarsRod TaylorJane FondaCliff RobertsonOn a Sunday, Eileen Tyler, still a virgin, leaves Albany to visit her airline pilot brother in New York but a chance encounter with a man on a city bus threatens to derail her upcoming marriage to boyfriend Russ."Sunday in New York" by Mel Torme from Sunday In New York (1963)
Sunday in New York (1963), filmed in Metrocolor, is an American comedy film directed by Peter Tewksbury and starring Cliff Robertson, Jane Fonda, and Rod Taylor. The screenplay by Norman Krasna was adapted from his play which had been produced on Broadway the previous year. It was one of Fonda's earliest films, and she was called "the loveliest and most gifted of all our new young actresses" by Newsday. The soundtrack score was composed and performed by Peter Nero.
[edit] Plot
Eileen Tyler (Fonda) is twenty-two years old and is suffering from her breakup with Russ (Robert Culp). She comes to New York City to visit her brother Adam (Robertson), who is an airline pilot. Eileen confides to her brother that she thinks she may be the only 22-year-old virgin left in the world. Adam assures her that sex is not what all men look for and insists he hasn't slept around. Of course, Adam is lying and is in hot pursuit of a tryst with his occasional girlfriend Mona. However, Adam's date with Mona has a series of job related interruptions. Meanwhile, Eileen decides to see if she can have some fun for herself in New York, and seems to find the perfect candidate in Mike (Taylor), a man she meets on the bus. But things get complicated when Russ pops in with a proposal and a mistaken assumption.Mel Torme does a fine job to make sure the title song is a memorable one. - DirectorVincente MinnelliStarsElizabeth TaylorRichard BurtonEva Marie SaintA free-spirited single mother forms a connection with the married headmaster of an Episcopalian boarding school in Monterey, California."The Shadow Of Your Smile" from The Sandpiper
"The Shadow of Your Smile", also known as "Love Theme from The Sandpiper," is a popular song. The music was written by Johnny Mandel, the lyrics by Paul Francis Webster. The song was introduced in the 1965 movie The Sandpiper with a trumpet solo by Jack Sheldon and later became a minor hit for Tony Bennett (Johnny Mandel arranged and conducted his version as well). It won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year and the Academy Award for Best Original Song. - DirectorNorman TaurogStarsElvis PresleyJuliet ProwseRobert IversTulsa, a soldier with dreams of running his own nightclub, places a bet with his friend Dynamite that he can win the heart of an untouchable dancer...but when Dynamite is transferred, Tulsa must replace him in the bet."G I Blues" by Elvis Presley (1960)
G.I. Blues is a 1960 Elvis Presley musical motion picture played as a romantic comedy. It was filmed at Paramount's Hollywood studios, with some pre-production scenery shot on location in Germany before Presley's release from the army.U.S. Army Specialist 5 (SP5) Tulsa McLean (Elvis Presley) is a tank crewman with a singing career. Serving with the 3rd Armored "Spearhead" Division in West Germany, McLean dreams of running his own nightclub when he leaves the army, but such dreams don't come cheap. Tulsa and his buddies have formed a band and perform in various German "Gasthauses", night clubs, and on an Armed Forced stage. In one bar, he even discovers the record "Blue Suede Shoes" sung by someone named Elvis on a jukebox.
To raise money, Tulsa places a bet on his friend Dynamite (Edward Stroll), that he can spend the night with a club dancer named Lili (Juliet Prowse), who is rumored to be hard to get. She turned down one other G.I. operator, Turk (Jeremy Slate). Dynamite and Turk have vied for women before when the two were stationed in Hawaii. When Dynamite gets transferred to Alaska, Tulsa is brought in to take his place. He is not looking forward to it, but in order to keep his money, he must go through with it. McLean uses his Southern charm and calls Lili, "Ma'am." She at first sees Tulsa as another Occupation Duty GI. Then after a day on the Rhine, Lili begins to fall for McLean. Tulsa's friend Cookie falls in love, with Lili's roommate, Tina (Letícia Román) from Italy. In the end, Rick and Marla's baby son Tiger helps Tulsa win the bet for the outfit—and Lili's heart. - DirectorNorman TaurogStarsElvis PresleyJoan BlackmanAngela LansburyAfter arriving back in Hawaii from the Army, Chad Gates (Elvis Presley) defies his parents' wishes for him to work at the family business and instead goes to work as a tour guide at his girlfriend's agency."Can't Help Falling In Love" by Elvis Presley (1961)
"Can't Help Falling in Love", by George Weiss, Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore, is a pop song based on "Plaisir d'amour" by Jean Paul Egide Martini. It was adapted for inclusion in the 1961 film Blue Hawaii, starring Elvis Presley.Presley's version of the song, which topped the British charts in 1962, has appeared in numerous other films, including Coyote Ugly and Walt Disney's Lilo and Stitch. According to the RIAA, the single is certified Platinum, for US sales in excess of one million copies. In the United States, the Elvis Presley version of the song peaked at number two on the pop chart and went to number one on the Easy Listening chart for six weeks.
During Presley's late sixties and 1970s live performances, the song was performed as the show's finale. Most notably, it was also sung in the live segment of his 1968 NBC television special, and as the closer for his 1973 Global telecast, "Aloha from Hawaii". - DirectorMichelangelo AntonioniStarsDavid HemmingsVanessa RedgraveSarah MilesA fashion photographer unknowingly captures a death on film after following two lovers in a park."Bring Down The Birds" by Herbie Hancock from Blow-Up
Blow-Up is a soundtrack album by Herbie Hancock featuring music composed for Michelangelo Antonioni's film Blow-Up released in 1966 on MGM Records. The album features performances by Hancock, Freddie Hubbard, Joe Newman, Phil Woods, Joe Henderson, Jim Hall, Ron Carter, and Jack DeJohnette. Although Jimmy Smith is credited with playing organ on the album some sources claim it was Paul Griffin that was present at the recording sessions.[1]
The album also includes "Stroll On", a rewrite of Tiny Bradshaw's "Train Kept A-Rollin'", by the Yardbirds featuring Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. The liner notes to a 2000s CD release indicate that Hancock first recorded his score in London with British musicians, but rejected the results and re-recorded the music in New York with American jazz musicians.[2] The bassline to "Bring Down the Birds" was sampled by Deee-Lite for their 1990 single "Groove is in the Heart."[1]
A mono mix of this album (MGM E4447ST) features slightly longer versions of several songs. The CD of this soundtrack currently in print includes along with Hancock's material, two Lovin' Spoonful songs recorded by British musicians which are used as incidental music in the film and two songs recorded by British rock act Tomorrow which were originally intended for use in the film. This CD also features an alternate take of "Bring Down the Birds." - DirectorJerome RobbinsRobert WiseStarsNatalie WoodGeorge ChakirisRichard BeymerTwo youngsters from rival New York City gangs fall in love, but tensions between their respective friends build toward tragedy."America" by Rita Moreno from West Side Story (1961)
"America" is a well-known song from the musical West Side Story. Leonard Bernstein composed the music; Stephen Sondheim wrote the song's lyrics. It is well known for using a mixed meter.In the original stage version of the musical, Anita (the girlfriend of the leader of the Sharks, and the musical's most important female character besides Maria) literally sings the praises of the United States of America, while a fellow Puerto Rican immigrant, Rosalia, sings in favor of Puerto Rico. This version of the song arguably provides an unfavorable caricature of the island, while only highlighting positive qualities of the United States ("I'll drive a Buick through San Juan," "if there's a road you can drive on").
In the 1961 film version of the musical, Anita (played by Rita Moreno) still sings in favor of the United States, while Bernardo responds to her praises with corresponding criticisms satirizing latent racism in American society, especially towards Puerto Ricans ("Life is all right in America," "If you're all white in America"). Most of the song's original disparaging elements towards Puerto Rico have been removed.
From a technical standpoint, the alternating of 3/4 (three quarter notes) with 6/8 (two groups of three eighth-notes), while the value of the eight-note remains constant, is a distinctive characteristic of the song. This rhythm has been called both a hemiola and a habanera, although it is not really either. The "two" and "three" bars alternate, but they are not superposed, as in a hemiola. The alternating two and three is similar to the aria "Habanera" from Carmen, but "America" lacks the distinctive characteristic underlying rhythm of the habanera form. The composer's tempo instruction is "Tempo di Huapango".