Project 15: Awesome Songs from Movies
This time, we covered songs featured in famous movie scene.
The Assignment: Pick a song from a scene in a movie in which the pairing of song to scene is particularly special and memorable.
Obvious example being the torture scene in Reservoir Dogs featuring “Stuck in the Middle with You” by Stealers Wheel.
Last day to submit songs was March 6th, give or take a day or two.
Jacob Sharff covers In Heaven Everything is Fine
Featured in Eraserhead
"In Heaven everything is fine.
You've got your good things, and I've got mine..."
Grant Eull covers Moving In Stereo by The Cars
Featured in Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Well that was a blast. After much research and many discussions of this idea with friends I finally decided on a song. Again the options were plenty to choose from but I decided to go with Fast Times at Ridgemont High as it's is a classic movie with an excellent soundtrack. There is no song that sticks a scene in my head as much as The Cars Moving In Stereo. My version again is trying to play close attention to the original tones and mix …doing my best mimic. To complete this I had over 10 different VST synths running including 2 Jupiter 8s, 4 OBx-As, 6 Mini MOOGs, and 2 CS-80s, as well as an extensive amount of Reverbs and Neutron EQ plug ins. It crashed my CPU a couple times and I need to bounce a mix down to complete the song. It’s far from perfect, and certainly not note for note… but I am happy with it and I hope you all enjoy it.
Noah covers We’ll Meet Again
Featured in Dr. Strangelove
I had been thinking of doing this cover long before the invasion of Ukraine. This song has always been spooky to me. I believe I first heard it when I saw the ending to Dr. Strangelove, which is wonderful because I got to experience it with Kubrick's ironic stank all over it. I feel lucky that, in my lifetime, Kubrick and Weird Al Yankovic got to me first. "I lost on Jeopardy" will always play over Greg Kihn Band's "Jeopardy" in my head.
Only comment I can say about the cover is that I found a synth called "Learner's Piano" that I really liked. It sounds identical to the piano loop used in Lizzo's "Truth Hurts".
I added a nice easter egg at the end of the video, because I just couldn't help myself.
CLICK ON THE PICTURE OF THE MUSHROOM CLOUD TO SEE NOAH’S AMAZING VIDEO OF HIS COVER!
Jeff Kearns covers the Theme from Valley of the Dolls
So not exactly to theme but this song bit me. Came out as I came into the world. Can't help but feel the sentiment. Blown out octaves and a lone uke. Warwick/Bacharach version was the template. Patty Duke's performance in the movie the inspiration.
Eric “Czahr” Scott covers Where Is My Mind by the Pixies
Featured in Fight Club
If you’ve seen Fight Club, you know the scene. Towards the end of the film, The Narrator (Ed Norton), having just been shot in the face, tells Marla (Helena Bonham Carter) “You met me at a very strange time in my life…” as Where is My Mind quietly begins playing in the background. Suddenly the music switches to full volume as Joey Santiago’s intro riff kicks in and buildings outside the window behind The Narrator and Marla explode. The scene gave me goosebumps when I first saw it, not just as a Pixies fan, but for its absolute perfect pairing with the scene. I don’t even like Fight Club that much, as a book, a film or a concept (it’s fine, and enjoyable, just doesn’t especially resonate with me) but that scene is one of my all-time favorite scenes in any movie, specifically for the use of the song. I watched a clip of it before recording my cover and it STILL gives me goosebumps. I love it.
For my version, well, you guys know how I roll by now. I don’t have great gear, I have precious little time and privacy to create, so I bang out what I can – usually very quickly. It’s just guitar, vocals and a cardboard box for percussion. I did a relatively straight cover. Pixies have been with me since high school and are kind of sacred, and as such aren’t something I want to reinterpret. Upon reviewing the vocals, I feel like I sound like someone trying to do Jack White trying to do Frank Black, which wasn’t the intention, but I’m satisfied with it.
I love the idea of putting our covers with the original film clips, but doing that is way beyond my film editing abilities, which are nonexistent. I’ll be surprised if I’m the only one who picked this song.
Bill Fricke covers In Dreams by Roy Orbison
Featured in Blue Velvet
My first choice was “Deep Blue Day” by Brian Eno used in Trainspotting for the scene where Ewan McGregor goes diving down the toilet for his drugs. I did work on that for a bit. Then, I remembered the eerie Dean Stockwell in Blue Velvet doing the Roy Orbison song, In Dreams. That is so iconic and creepy. And I love Roy Orbison, almost as much as Brian Eno.
I started with a fairly faithful depiction and was pleased, but, as fate would have it, Rocket 2 U by the Jets came on my Sirius radio and I started singing In Dreams along to it. And voila, it gave me an idea.
So, this is an 80’s funk/dance inspired cover of Roy Orbison. Enjoy.
Colby Heston covers Laura Palmer’s Theme
Featured in Twin Peaks
Recorded this to GarageBand using only the touch pad screen on my iPad. No "real" instruments were used. I highly recommend headphones when listening to this.
The recorded version of this song on the soundtrack is significantly longer but it basically just repeats the three main parts, so I consolidated it down.
Here is a link to the scene where they discover Laura Palmer's body by the lake.
Neil Fasen covers Needle In The Hay by Elliot Smith
Featured in the Royal Tenenbaums
I love Wes Anderson movies, and for a long time The Royal Tenenbaums was my absolute favorite. It’s still among my all time most beloved films. As far as Elliot Smith goes, I’ve never been a fan. I respect the shit out of the man, but his music just never hit me at the right time, except for this song probably because of this movie.
I had to really rush this cover due to time management issues and puked it out very quickly this weekend. I pretty much just banged out the parts on my acoustic, went back and overdubbed some baritone ukulele and sliced up the acoustic track a bit, sang it through a few times, and then quickly added some atmospheric stuff. It’s not my most methodical submission, but I rationalize it by thinking this kind of song should be a bit raw.
Tal Tahir covers Maniac
Featured in Flashdance
Welcome Tal Tahir to Basement Sketches!
Tom Stromsodt covers 9 to 5 and Danger Zone
Featured in 9 to 5 and Top Gun respectively
Sooooo. I got a new analog synthesizer. I also watched a Shangri La episode where they did a live album recording with a bunch of electronic instruments. I felt I could at least do the synth track as one continuous knob-twister performance. You know, it was a lot harder than I thought to remember what to do when but I got it. Anyways. Typical fodder from this old man. Jay, inspired by my King Coffey solo in Danger Zone, came in and brought things closer to edge, increasing the temperature of the intensity at the end. I also made some videos.
Love - T.
TOM CREATED VIDEOS FOR EACH. SEE THEM INLINE BELOW!