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.
Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte, The Flight
of the Phoenix, the Brady Bunch Theme
Song,
and What Ever Happened to Baby
Jane?
all have doll head Frank DeVol
as their music composer.  Anyone
else remember him as Happy Kyme,
the wacky bandleader on the short
lived Martin Mull parody talk show,
"Fernwood 2-Night"?
Good news: Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte, one of my favorite scores has been released on
CD! (About time, the film came out in 1964!)

Bad news: it doesn't contain Bette Davis' single version of the title song (a camp classic).

Good news: It does contain ALL the beauty, drama, and eerie sound effects of Frank
DeVol's overlooked score (and one that did produce a hit song to boot).

Bad news: Intrada, the small but mighty soundtrack label that released it reports that it's
run of 1,200 copies has SOLD OUT!

Good news (maybe): perhaps this will lead Intrada to run off another batch.

Bad news (possibly): probably not.  Usually these special collector editions are just that
and once they're gone, they're gone.

Good news (hopefully): perhaps this may lead Intrada to secure the rights to another
fabulous DeVol score (an even better one) for yet another Bette Davis vehicle:
What Ever
Happened to Baby Jane?

Good news (definitely): there's always E-Bay.

Bad news (also definitely): get ready to pay through the nose.  Those sellers KNOW how
much you want these CDs.  And don't think you're getting mine, either.

Until you can get your mitts on a copy, read all about it
HERE

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Don't forget to check out previous soundtrack recommendations by visiting the
ARCHIVES


Next Week:  Thoughts on this year's Oscar nominated scores and THOSE THAT SHOULD
HAVE BEEN!