Obviously a man of impecable taste, regular STS-er Cap’n King kindly directs those of you with an X Factor obsession toward some real music- strap on your cans for some great pieces of relatively obscure movie music that you might have not noticed, never even heard before or just need reminding of – all with spotify track URLs, so you have no excuse not to sing along!
Das Boot – Konvoi (spotify: 7qdtbyggsomXg7YHtXdW0K)
The first time I saw Das Boot it was a late showing on one of the more obscure BBC channels. The director’s cut started at 1am, and I settled in on the sofa, alone in the darkness. I emerged, four hours later, bleary eyed and blinking in the harsh morning light. Hungry, thirsty and exhausted, I felt I had lived every depth charge along with the poor crew of the ill-fated U96. The film’s score nicely echoes the tense, frantic and claustrophobic feeling of the film itself, and it also has a distinctly 80s feel to it which I personally find delightful. Synthesised horns, orchestra hits, and a lots and lots of big drums really make this track.
Con Air – Battle in the Boneyard (spotify: 1XLUtez6LTfdBDJ2dEUs4r)
OK – Con Air obviously is not a very good film. But it is ridiculous, and a guilty pleasure of mine. It takes me back to a time (1997) when action films had evolved beyond the classic 80s formula, but hadn’t yet gone all high-tech and shaky-cam. This tune is all menace and soaring guitars. You will feel as if a sweaty, mulleted Nicholas Cage is groping your face and calling you his hummingbird. It’s some kind of horrible nu-metal, redneck, jingoistic masterpiece.
Back to the Future 3 – End Credits (spotify: 6KX3z2IrtPC8gYKh9uJy16)
Alright fine; Back to the Future isn’t exactly obscure, but I’ll wager when you recall the famous theme tune you don’t remember the fantastic, overlooked western-style version from the third film. It starts with some red-blooded pomp and circumstance yankee stuff, and finishes with the kind of musical climax that the series deserves (And there’s a very nice flute bit in the middle).
Once Upon a Time in Mexico – Church Shootout (spotify: 0gME5kV1cf9dg6ZjajkGS9)
I think I mentioned in a previous post how cool I think this film is, and this short piece from the soundtrack captures the movie’s flavour perfectly. It has all the melodrama you’d expect, and of course a distinctly latin flavour, with some nice spanish guitar and that ‘clanging bell’ sound you hear all the time in films – some kind of reminder that it’s high-noon and there’s killing to be done I guess.
Star Wars – Force Theme
Again, you’ll have heard this before, but this fantastic piece of John Williams-composing doesn’t enjoy the same iconic status as the main theme or the Imperial March and that’s just not fair. That bit in A New Hope when the strings build up as Luke stands, windswept, gazing intently out at the setting twin suns of Tatooine, always sends a shiver up my young spine.
That’s enough for now, and hopefully plenty to remind us that past the blockbuster movie themes we all know and love, a great deal of hard work and passion is expended in making music that brings even the most insignificant scenes to life. (apart from Con-Air, obviously)
