Film Favorites: Gary Clark

“Not the first synthesizer score by any means, but the first I remember hearing in a cinema. I still recall how perfectly cold, modern, and street-wise it sounded.”

“Miles Davis improvising to French Film Noire? Yes, please! I feel cooler for just typing that.”

“Keislowski’s films landed at a time when I was spending far too many daylight hours in dark London cinemas watching dark European films. This score is the perfect rainy day music for perfect rainy day films.”

“This is one of those soundtracks that works really well as a late night album.  If Late Night Tales were ever foolish enough to ask me to do one of their chill-out compilations, ‘Grand Central’ from this would most likely open it.”

“Question: Is there a funkier opening sequence song in the history of cinema? (Hint: The answer is ‘No!’)”

“Frank Loesser is one of the greatest, funniest songwriters who ever lived; and therefore, the only human who could’ve captured the fast-talking Broadway world of Damon Runyon’s short stories in song. Genius, I tell you!”

“When theme songs were giant things of epic atmospheric wonder, this was the most epic, atmospheric, and wonderful theme of them all.”

“An instant classic. ‘Happy’ makes the universe a happier place. ‘Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof!'”

“I’m cheating slightly because this is from Modern Love show-runner John Carney’s gorgeous movie Once.  I care not a jot though, because it’s too beautiful to leave off of my list.”