Quirky T’s Favorite Movie Soundtracks

To continue on The Guitar Train for Movie Soundtrack Month, this stop looks at Quirky T’s favorite movie soundtracks. At the last stop, I explored movie soundtracks by my favorite musicians – The Beatles, Gloria Estefan, Phil Collins, Huey Lewis and the News, and Jon Secada. This stop lists my favorite movie songs by musicians other than my favorites.

 

1. “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” – The Proclaimers
2. “Walking on Sunshine” – Katrina and the Waves
3. “Sweet Freedom” – Michael McDonald
4. “Say You, Say Me” – Lionel Ritchie
5. “Footloose” – Kenny Loggins

 

I’ve already posted about my love of the 1993 movie “Benny and Joon” which contains the fun, upbeat song “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” by The Proclaimers. https://guitartrain.wordpress.com/2013/05/30/the-guitar-train-looks-at-the-20th-anniversary-of-benny-and-joon/  This song works perfectly in the fun movie starring my favorite actor, Aidan Quinn, and Johnny Depp.

I’ve also already posted about another fun, upbeat song, “Walking on Sunshine.” https://guitartrain.wordpress.com/2014/11/20/do-i-want-to-hear-more-katrina-and-the-waves/   This song has been used in several movies but the one I identify it with is 1989’s “Look Who’s Talking” starring John Travolta, Kirstie Alley, and the voice of Bruce Willis.

 

Before the days of digital music and songs being available instantly for listening, I had to tape “Sweet Freedom” off of the radio so I could listen to it any time I wanted. I really liked this song and still do.   The 1986 movie it appears in “Running Scared” is a great, fun movie starring Billy Crystal and the late Gregory Hines.

 

My favorite Lionel Richie song is also one of my favorite movie soundtrack songs. “Say You, Say Me” is in the 1985 movie “White Nights” starring Mikhail Baryshnikov and the late Gregory Hines. Interesting how two of my favorite movie songs come from movies starring the great Gregory Hines. “White Nights” also contains a song by one of my favorite musicians, Phil Collins. He duets with Marilyn Martin on the bitter song “Separate Lives.” Both songs were nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song with the Lionel Richie song winning the award.

 

Kenny Loggins is known for contributing songs to several movies. My favorite of his movie songs is “Footloose” from the original 1984 movie of the same name. The song is fun, upbeat and makes me want to dance so it is perfect for the movie.

 

Guitar Train passengers, what are your favorite songs from movies?

Do I Want to Hear More? – Katrina and the Waves

Guitar Train Stop #2 in the new feature “Do I Want to Hear More?” listens to Katrina and the Waves. Similarly to the last stop about The Proclaimers, (https://guitartrain.wordpress.com/2014/11/06/do-i-want-to-hear-more-the-proclaimers/) I could only find one album by this group in the local library system and it was, also like The Proclaimers, only available on cassette tape. For both groups, the only songs I had heard were fast, catchy romantic songs that involve walking. Both The Proclaimers’ “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” and Katrina and the Waves’ “Walking on Sunshine” were on movie soundtracks. I first heard the Katrina and the Waves song in the 1989 movie, “Look Who’s Talking” starring John Travolta, Kirstie Alley, and the voice of Bruce Willis.

Despite my liking both songs after hearing them in movies, I was not at the time interested in hearing more music from these bands. So while having the songs included in hit movies brought publicity and high music chart positions for the songs, in my case, they didn’t lead me to buy any of their music. The movie placements also did not bring career long success for these bands in the U.S. (Although, Wikipedia estimates that the royalties for “Walking On Sunshine” from use in several other movies and commercials has earned the band $1 million per year from 2000-2010. Not bad for one song!)

The Katrina and the Waves cassette tape I listened to (and yes I still have the equipment to play cassette tapes. In fact, I still have a dual deck stereo, a Walkman, and a portable radio with a cassette deck) was the band’s self-titled 1985 release. I really like it. The songs are fast, high energy just like “Walking on Sunshine” which is on the tape I listened to. I don’t understand the song “Going Down to Liverpool”. If I was going to Liverpool, I wouldn’t be doing nothing like Katrina sings in the song. I would definitely be going to all The Beatles sites including the Cavern and Penny Lane. Also, I wouldn’t be going “down” to Liverpool; it would be more like “Going Across the Ocean to Liverpool” (not as catchy). Despite that nitpicking, I definitely want to hear more of Katrina and the Waves.

 

Next month on The Guitar Train is Movie Soundtrack Month. Hop aboard to find out more of Quirky T’s favorite songs from movies.

Do I Want to Hear More? – The Proclaimers

This month on The Guitar Train, Quirky T stops to ask the musical question, “Do I Want to Hear More?” There are several musicians who have made one song I have really liked. Now I’m wondering why I never took the time to listen to more of their songs to find out if I would like more of their music. Or are they just one hit wonders on my favorites playlist?

 

For this first stop, I listened to The Proclaimers. The only song by the Scottish twins, Charlie and Craig Reid, I had heard was “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)”. I first heard it over 20 years ago in 1993 when it was part of the soundtrack of one of my all time favorite films, “Benny and Joon”. I wrote about this great movie starring Aidan Quinn (one of my favorite actors) and Johnny Depp in The Guitar Train stop, “The Guitar Train Looks at the 20^th Anniversary of Benny and Joon”. https://guitartrain.wordpress.com/2013/05/30/the-guitar-train-looks-at-the-20th-anniversary-of-benny-and-joon/

So to further my musical knowledge of The Proclaimers, I went to my local library’s website to find more albums by this band. (I’m not going to pay money to buy a CD that I will possibly not like and not listen to enough to justify the money spent on it). Interestingly, the only item available for check out was a cassette tape of their first release, “This is the Story”, from 1987. The fact that in a large library system, this was the only item available from this group who has released nine albums from 1987 to 2012 says something about their popularity in the United States. They are more popular in the United Kingdom where they still perform.

 

Benny and Joon CD

My first reaction when listening to this tape was “Are they singing in English?” I had trouble understanding the lyrics because of their Scottish accents. I don’t know how the actress Mary Stuart Masterson who played Joon in “Benny and Joon” understood them enough to recommend using their song in the movie. The songs are short and vary between slow and fast. I found the songs interesting. So yes, I do want to hear more. I also want to understand more.

In researching this stop, I discovered that The Proclaimers’ song, “I’m On My Way” was included in the 2001 movie, “Shrek”. I had seen the movie years ago but I didn’t remember the song so I watched the video on You Tube. And a revolutionary event occurred on The Guitar Train – I liked a song the moment I listened to it! It’s a catchy, fun tune with a cute dismembered video.

 

So not only have I listened to one complete cassette tape and another hit single from The Proclaimers, I want to hear even more. So I will actually be buying their 1988 CD “Sunshine on Leith” which includes “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)”. I’ll provide an update in a future Guitar Train stop as to whether I liked (and understood) that CD or not. For any Guitar Train passengers who want more information on this band, check out their website http://www.TheProclaimers.co.uk

 

At The Guitar Train’s next stop, Quirky T asks “Do I Want to Hear More?” about another group who also had a hit song which deals with walking and romance. Hop aboard The Guitar Train to find out who this group is and if I want to hear more.

Songs That Make Quirky T Happy

To continue Happy Month in October, the Guitar Train is stopping at songs that make Quirky T happy. No matter how I am feeling, as soon as I hear these songs, I am happy.
1. “Gimme Some Lovin’” – The Spencer Davis Group
2. “Walking On Sunshine” – Katrina and the Waves  http://youtu.be/iPUmE-tne5U
3. “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” – Wham!  http://youtu.be/pIgZ7gMze7A
4. “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” – The Proclaimers  http://youtu.be/tbNlMtqrYS0

 

Steve Winwood ticket stub

Steve Winwood wrote the very energetic “Gimme Some Lovin’”. It was one of the four songs I hoped he would play at his concert in New Jersey on February 13, 2010 which I attended. Being one of his best songs, he did perform it and it was great to hear it live.

 

 

 

I first heard “Walking On Sunshine” in the 1989 John Travolta and Kirstie Alley movie “Look Who’s Talking”. It’s such a fun, upbeat song that it makes me want to dance (although I can’t dance as well as John Travolta).

 

 

Wham! Make It Big

I still have Wham!’s 1984 cassette tape, “Make It Big”, which contains “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go”. In the 80’s, I practically wore out the tape playing this song, my favorite of theirs. My friends and I even made up our own dance to go with the song.

 

 

Benny and Joon CD

In my May 30, 2013 post, “The Guitar Train Looks at the 20th Anniversary of “Benny and Joon”,

https://guitartrain.wordpress.com/2013/05/30/the-guitar-train-looks-at-the-20th-anniversary-of-benny-and-joon/

I wrote about The Proclaimers and this song from one of my favorite movies, “Benny and Joon”. It took me awhile to understand what The Proclaimers are singing. Even after I learned what the words are; I didn’t know what one of them, “haver”, meant. This song is just a good, fun, happy song. I wouldn’t mind a cute guy wanting to do all the things for and with me (although I might draw the line at havering).

 

 
Guitar Train passengers, what songs make you happy every time you hear them?