September 15, 2024 - Keep Your Ears Peeled for Jr. Walker, Troggs, Young-Holt, Como and Two Movies with Funky Joints by James Brown
The Killer's Game, an unusual action comedy currently in theaters, has a mixed bag of music on its soundtrack; classic tunes include "Shotgun" by Jr. Walker and the All Stars, "Wild Thing" by The Troggs and '70s funk tracks by Syl Johnson and James Brown. Blink Twice director Zoë Kravitz hand-picked the music for her wild island-set thriller, which includes "Somebody Made For Me," a 1970 solo effort by Emitt Rhodes of late-'60s band The Merry-Go-Round, in addition to early '70s hits by Candi Staton and the band Chakachas, plus several by "Godfather" James Brown from his "blaxploitation" film soundtrack phase.
On TV, people partake to the strains of the instrumental smash "Soulful Strut" by Young-Holt Unlimited in an ad for Michelob Ultra, while a commercial for Pfizer gets sentimentally cute with Hal David and Burt Bacharach's "Magic Moments," a hit in 1958 for Perry Como.
August 17, 2024 - Barrett, the Beatles and Lalo Lead Movie and TV Oldies Exposure
"Money (That's What I Want)," Barrett Strong's 1960 classic with ties to both Motown and Chess Records, is reaching mass audiences thanks to its inclusion in the romantic drama It Ends With Us starring Blake Lively, currently riding high at the cinema box office. On the home screen, Etsy (a website after our own vintage-appreciation hearts) has for some time now been running a series of commercials that prominently feature the famous "Mission: Impossible" theme by Oscar- and Grammy-winning composer Lalo Schifrin, while an Uber spot is using The Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand," the band's third U.K. chart topper and the smash that served provided America with its first taste of Beatlemania 60 and one-half years ago.
July 29, 2024 - Deadpool & Wolverine: the Music Makes the Difference
Deadpool & Wolverine, starring Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman and durable actress Leslie Uggams (still bringin' the heat in her eighth decade in showbiz!), the third film in Marvel's Deadpool franchise and umpteenth in the X-Men series, has set off a 200-million-plus firestorm at number one in the North American box office. The film's score, composed by Rob Simonsen, is offset throughout with a clever mix of old, not-so-old and new pop culture selections; among that earliest category, The Platters kick things off with their 1955 smash "Only You (And You Alone)." Merrilee Rush and the Turnabouts briefly change the tone with the 1968 hit "Angel of the Morning." "You Belong to Me" could find itself moving near the forefront of Patsy Cline's discography. "I'll Be Seeing You," a slice of Jimmy Durante's Way of Life..., brings sentiment to the hard-hitting, humorous proceedings. Lady Soul Aretha Franklin's version of "You're All I Need to Get By" comes as the climax approaches. The Marvel Universe has reversed its downturn.
July 23, 2024 - Fly Me to the Moon is Propelled by Choice '60s Picks
NASA in the '60s is the setting for Fly Me to the Moon, a rom-com starring Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum. Music from the era is heard throughout; some big hits ("Sweet Soul Music" by Arthur Conley, "Slip Away" by Clarence Carter, "To Love Somebody" by The Bee Gees and "Nothing Can Change This Love" by Sam Cooke) are mixed in with other well-known tunes ("People Sure Act Funny" by Conley, Chuck Jackson and Maxine Brown's duet version of "Hold On I'm Comin'" and Etta James' take on the Otis Redding gem "Security"), in addition to deeper tracks by Eddie Floyd, Ann Peebles, Aretha Franklin, Jackie Wilson and Motown's "blonde bombshell" Chris Clark. Top it off with Bobby Womack's cool soul cover of the classic "Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words)" and you've got a good time at your local theater, at least as far as the entertaining music selection goes.
Nina Simone's now-famous rendition of Roar of the Greasepaint centerpiece "Feeling Good" comes at the end of A Quiet Place: Day One, the third installment in John Krasinski's popular "alien invasion" sci-fi movie series. The Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot is an inspirational film set in the small Texas town of the title. Some great gospel songs are contained within, including two from the 1950s: "Glory, Glory" by Odetta and "Ninety-Nine and a Half" by Dorothy Love Coates and the Original Gospel Harmonettes. On the small screen, Shirley Ellis's 1965 brain-teaser "The Puzzle Song" has been getting a lot of exposure in a commercial for Meta Quest.
