SOUNDTRACKS
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
Soundtracks are a lot more than movie music...
...or so I'm ready to argue as a 30 year devotee of this sorely under appreciated genre. So, in an effort to do my part, each week
I'll be making recommendations of soundtracks current and vintage, make a fuss over long awaited soundtrack scores finally getting
a well deserved release, and in general, make some noise about this often overlooked category. Beyond my long experience as a
listener and as a pianist and songwriter, both of which I've put to use in writing a quarterly soundtrack column for the Chicago
Tribune, I can only offer my recommendations. You'll discern my taste soon enough and upfront I'd like to make it clear that I'll
focus most heavily on SCORE soundtracks. In the end, all criticism is subjective but if I can point a listener toward a little heard
soundtrack or strongly advise you to either ORDER IMMEDIATELY or SKIP ALTOGETHER, all the better.
...or so I'm ready to argue as a 30 year devotee of this sorely under appreciated genre. So, in an effort to do my part, each week
I'll be making recommendations of soundtracks current and vintage, make a fuss over long awaited soundtrack scores finally getting
a well deserved release, and in general, make some noise about this often overlooked category. Beyond my long experience as a
listener and as a pianist and songwriter, both of which I've put to use in writing a quarterly soundtrack column for the Chicago
Tribune, I can only offer my recommendations. You'll discern my taste soon enough and upfront I'd like to make it clear that I'll
focus most heavily on SCORE soundtracks. In the end, all criticism is subjective but if I can point a listener toward a little heard
soundtrack or strongly advise you to either ORDER IMMEDIATELY or SKIP ALTOGETHER, all the better.
All right you caught me – there really is NO soundtrack for a movie called
Dracula Has Risen From The Turntable. But if there should be, I have
imagined the music – all from Halloween flavored creepfests – that it
would contain. I have all these tracks in my private collection and made
this collection nine years ago this Halloween. But it never fails that
someone will ask for a copy of it (two so far this year) and I offer the
track listing as a handy dandy, horrible, chilling guide to your own
compilation efforts. My list will fill a standard 80 minute disc. I admit
that many of the tracks I’ve listed are not readily available but that
shouldn’t stop you from substituting your own music of the season. Enjoy!
1. "I'm speaking to the person inside of
Regan . . ." (dialogue from The Exorcist)
2. Halloween (John Carpenter)
3. Experiment In Terror (Henry Mancini)
4. This Is Halloween (from Nightmare Before Christmas)
(Danny Elfman/Cast)
5. Whatever Happened To Aunt Alice? (Gerald Fried)
6. Vertigo (Prelude) (Bernard Herrmann)
7. The Outer Limits Theme (Dominic Frontiere)
8. Suspiria (excerpt) (Goblin)
9. Sighs (excerpt) (from Suspiria) (Goblin)
10. The Other (Jerry Goldsmith)
11. Psycho (Bernard Herrmann)
12. The Shower Murder (from Psycho) (Bernard Herrmann)
13. Grim Grinning Ghosts (Disney's Haunted Mansion)
14. (Don't Fear) The Reaper (Blue Oyster Cult)
15. Dark Shadows (Robert Cobert Orchestra)
16. Collinwood (from Dark Shadows) (Robert Cobert Orchestra)
17. For The Last Time We'll Pray (from Carrie) (Pino Donaggio)
18. Nightbreed (main title excerpt) (Danny Elfman)
19. Tubular Bells (from The Exorcist) (Mike Oldfield)
20. Killer Confession (from Klute) (Michael Small)
21. Sarah's Theme (& dialogue) (from Hocus Pocus) (Sarah Jessica Parker)
22. I Put A Spell On You (& dialogue) (from Hocus Pocus) (Bette Midler)
23. Night Gallery (Gil Melle)
24. Sleepwalkers (Nicholas Pike)
25. Bride Of Frankenstein (Franz Waxman)
26. Libera Me (from Interview With The Vampire) (Elliot Goldenthal)
27. What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? (DeVol)
28. Lullaby from Rosemary's Baby (Hugo Montenegro)
29. Mina's Photo (from Bram Stoker's Dracula) (Wojciech Kilar)
30. Dracula & Nursie (dialogue/piano music from House Of Dracula)
31. Crowhaven Farm (Robert Drasnin)
32. Tales From The Darkside (Rubenstein Lindsay)
33. Halloween 1963 (from Halloween) (John Carpenter)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Don't forget to check out previous soundtrack recommendations by
visiting the ARCHIVES
Next Recommendation: TBA
Dracula Has Risen From The Turntable. But if there should be, I have
imagined the music – all from Halloween flavored creepfests – that it
would contain. I have all these tracks in my private collection and made
this collection nine years ago this Halloween. But it never fails that
someone will ask for a copy of it (two so far this year) and I offer the
track listing as a handy dandy, horrible, chilling guide to your own
compilation efforts. My list will fill a standard 80 minute disc. I admit
that many of the tracks I’ve listed are not readily available but that
shouldn’t stop you from substituting your own music of the season. Enjoy!
1. "I'm speaking to the person inside of
Regan . . ." (dialogue from The Exorcist)
2. Halloween (John Carpenter)
3. Experiment In Terror (Henry Mancini)
4. This Is Halloween (from Nightmare Before Christmas)
(Danny Elfman/Cast)
5. Whatever Happened To Aunt Alice? (Gerald Fried)
6. Vertigo (Prelude) (Bernard Herrmann)
7. The Outer Limits Theme (Dominic Frontiere)
8. Suspiria (excerpt) (Goblin)
9. Sighs (excerpt) (from Suspiria) (Goblin)
10. The Other (Jerry Goldsmith)
11. Psycho (Bernard Herrmann)
12. The Shower Murder (from Psycho) (Bernard Herrmann)
13. Grim Grinning Ghosts (Disney's Haunted Mansion)
14. (Don't Fear) The Reaper (Blue Oyster Cult)
15. Dark Shadows (Robert Cobert Orchestra)
16. Collinwood (from Dark Shadows) (Robert Cobert Orchestra)
17. For The Last Time We'll Pray (from Carrie) (Pino Donaggio)
18. Nightbreed (main title excerpt) (Danny Elfman)
19. Tubular Bells (from The Exorcist) (Mike Oldfield)
20. Killer Confession (from Klute) (Michael Small)
21. Sarah's Theme (& dialogue) (from Hocus Pocus) (Sarah Jessica Parker)
22. I Put A Spell On You (& dialogue) (from Hocus Pocus) (Bette Midler)
23. Night Gallery (Gil Melle)
24. Sleepwalkers (Nicholas Pike)
25. Bride Of Frankenstein (Franz Waxman)
26. Libera Me (from Interview With The Vampire) (Elliot Goldenthal)
27. What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? (DeVol)
28. Lullaby from Rosemary's Baby (Hugo Montenegro)
29. Mina's Photo (from Bram Stoker's Dracula) (Wojciech Kilar)
30. Dracula & Nursie (dialogue/piano music from House Of Dracula)
31. Crowhaven Farm (Robert Drasnin)
32. Tales From The Darkside (Rubenstein Lindsay)
33. Halloween 1963 (from Halloween) (John Carpenter)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Don't forget to check out previous soundtrack recommendations by
visiting the ARCHIVES
Next Recommendation: TBA
| Sample cover art from my own, and very popular, Halloween music compilation |
