Retro Reviews & More

Welcome to the fourth and final post in a series on film music. It began with Famous Instrumental Themes of John Williams , proceeded to Famous Instrumental Themes (Various) , and last time, Famous Soundtrack Songs . Like Famous Movie & TV Cars  before them, there is no theory, no review, and no trivia (or maybe a little). Famous Soundtrack Songs (Repurposed) Continuing on the other side of movie music, there is also another side of soundtrack songs. Sometimes a song already exists that fits a scene well. Sometimes it carries its own connotations. Sometimes it's to subvert expectations. That is today's subject, songs that already existed and were repurposed for use in a film. It is important to define parameters for what I mean by repurposed, as it might be supposed that I inadvertently included " As Time Goes By " in Famous Soundtrack Songs . To be repurposed for this objective, the song must have been significant in previous release. Significance can be due to e...

This is the third in a four-part series of posts on the music featured in films. It will be much like Famous Vehicles from Film and Television , in that it is not theory, not review, and not trivia. The past two have been instrumental themes, first on those by John Williams and then by various composers . Famous Soundtrack Songs The other side of film music from instrumental scores are the soundtrack albums that contain songs typically meant to be radio-friendly, typically by multiple artists, typically in genres and styles contemporary to the film's release. For clarity, this post is devoted to songs written specifically for a film (and not a musical). They are like a cool uncle who breezes into town, disrupts life for a bit in a good way before breezing right back out. In this metaphor, the film score is the steady parent, always there when needed, and probably not fully appreciated until one matures. That is not to say the cool uncle cannot mature, too, and also be appreciated ...