Monday, July 1, 2024

Los Angeles Jams

American Gigolo - Openining Titles (Call Me)
Paul Schrader, 1980

Kind of funny that, despite being a band from New York City, Blondie would record a song which is forever associated with the sunny vibe of Los Angeles, thanks to it appearing on the opening titles to Paul Schraeder's thriller American Gigolo (1980). Blondie's official video for Call Me features footage of an overcast N.Y.C. Thus, it doesn't compliment the song as effectively as Richard Gere cruising in his black Mercedes convertible while on his way to satisfy some rich cuckhold's wife.

L.A. home of the body bag... and also a bunch of soundtrack choons which sum up the city that I've never been. Since I already did one of these compiliations for its east cost twin, here's the City of Angels' equivalent:

The Carrie Nations - Find It (1970)

John Carpenter - Assault On Precinct 13 'Main Title' (1976)

Rose Royce - Car Wash (1976)

Vangelis - 'Blade Runner' End Titles (1982)

Jimmy Page - A Shadow in the City (1982) 

Wings Hauser - Neon Slime (1982)

Brad Fiedel - The Terminator 'Main Title' (1984)

Tahnee Cain & The Tryanglz - Burnin' in the Third Degree (1984)

Harold Faltermeyer - Axel F. (1984)

Glenn Frey - The Heat is On (1984)

Ollie & Jerry - Breakin'... There's No Stoppin' Us (1984)

Pino Donaggio - Telescope (1984)

Wang Chung - City of the Angels (1985)

Ice T - Colors (1988)

Tangerine Dream - Truck Scene (1989)

Guns 'N' Roses - You Could Be Mine (1991)

Ice Cube - How to Survive in South Central (1991)

Dr. Dre introducing Snoop Doggy Dogg - Deep Cover (1992)

MC Eiht - Streiht Up Menace (1993)

Dr. Dre - Keep Their Heads Ringin' (1995) 

John Carpenter & Shirley Walker - History of Los Angeles (1996)

Cliff Martinez - Bride of Deluxe (2011)

Rob - Doll (2012)

James Newton Howard - If It Bleeds It Leads (2014)

Jonathan Snipes - Starry Eyes 'End Titles' Film Edit (2014)

Sweet Tempest - Mine (2016) 

A real shame that Josie Cotton's problematic Johnny Are You Queer? predates its soundtrack appearance in Martha Coolidge's teen comedy Valley Girl (1983), as it's my fave choon off the soundtrack.

14 comments:

Kelvin Mack10zie said...

Was hoping you'd do a L.A one. So many of my favourite OST exclusive Rap songs are from movies based there.

LL Cool J - Jack The Ripper
Pete & CL - One In A Million
2Pac - Definition Of A Thug N*gga
Dogg Pound - N*ggas Don't Give A Fuck
Nice & Smooth - Cash In My Hand
Dogg Pound & Nate Dogg - Big Pimpin'
Lady Of Rage ft. Snoop - Afro Puffs
Snoop - Murder Was The Case remix
Dogg Pound - What Would U Do?
2Pac - Never Had A Friend Like Me
Dogg Pound & Nate Dogg - Just Doggin'
Luniz - XO

Also:
Iggy Pop - Repo Man
Circle Jerks - When The Shit Hits The Fan (acoustic)

Repo Man OST also has a killer piece of incidental music which sounds like an instrumental version of the Iggy Pop song but with Surf type guitar. Unfortunately it's not on the soundtrack and it's never been released ☹

Spartan said...

FFS! I forgot about the Murder Was the Case and Above the Rim soundtracks.

Never seen Less Than Zero. Mind blown Going Back to Cali was a originally a song from its soundtrack.

Kelvin Mack10zie said...

🤦‍♂️ Gah, muggins here meant Going Back To Cali. Brainfart moment because Jack The Ripper is the B-side of that single.

I still haven't seen Pearl, but I'm gonna go see MaXXXine this weekend. There'll probably be Easter eggs in MaXXXine which are wasted on me, but fuck it.

Spartan said...

Reviews for MaXXXine seem mixed so far, but I'm looking forward to it. Not sure I'll be able to see it over the weekend, though.

Kelvin Mack10zie said...

Saw a 50th anniversary screening of The Conversation yesterday. Forgot it was set in San Francisco, and was reminded of that piano score which slightly different incarnations of appear throughout the movie. This particular one is my favourite.

Spartan said...

Good tune by David Shire.

Wouldn't have minded catching The Conversation, or any other paranoid seventies thriller, compared to what's currently available at my local cinema.

Kelvin Mack10zie said...

The Inside Out 2/Despicable Me 4 takeover.

My local is on fire right now. Gonna go see the Cymande documentary tonight, Longlegs tomorrow, and then a film club screening of It Follows on Wednesday.

Spartan said...

Maika Monroe in the 2010s should have been what Mia Goth is now. She was great in The Guest and It Follows. She was good in Watcher, too.

Director of Longlegs is Anthony Perkins's son. He directed February which I really liked.

Kelvin Mack10zie said...

I'm cysed for it.

Spartan said...

Gregg gave Longlegs full marks on Letterboxd, which is why I’m in no rush to see it. 😀

Kelvin Mack10zie said...

FFS 😬

Spartan said...

Same as Nope, Barbie and Everything, Everywhere All at Once.

https://letterboxd.com/beebwatchesfilm/films/rated/5/decade/2020s/

Kelvin Mack10zie said...

An unholy trilogy.

Kelvin Mack10zie said...

Sounds interesting, cheers. Not got BFI player currently, but I'll probably get it again some time in the autumn.