Soundtrack: Something Wild

Something Wild was a different sort of movie staring Melanie Griffith and Jeff Daniels.  The movie was a bit off beat but the soundtrack what basically the who’s who of music of the mid-’80s.  I mean we’re talking David Byrne, Fine Young Cannibals, UB40, Oingo Boingo, New Order, Sister Carol just to name a few… or half.  The soundtrack outshone the movie to me.  Being a Talking Heads fan I of course loved Loco De Amor by David Byrne.  I also listened to a lot of Fine Young Cannibals and New Order in my day.  It was great listening to these tracks again.  Several of them did that whole thing where a song can bring you back to a time.  I would say that happened to me 3 times during this album.

I remember the movie being a bit kookie but a bit edgy.  I’m sure if i watched the film again, my perception would be pure cheese and totally ’80’s.

Anyway, favorite tracks where from the aforementioned bands above.  Great retro album.  Listening to the Fine Young Cannibals track “Ever Fallen in Love” has made me go back and rummage through my music collection and find those albums.  I may be more of a fan of the Fine Young Cannibals than previously thought.

Soundtrack:  Something Wild

1986 – MCA Records

Side One

1. Loco De Amor
2. Ever Fallen In Love
3. Zero, Zero Seven Charlie
4. Not My Slave
5. You Don’t Have To Cry

Side Two

1. With You Or Without You
2. Highlife
3. Man With A Gun
4. Temptation
5. Wild Thing

Neil Diamond ‎– The Jazz Singer (Original Songs From The Motion Picture)

Well keep this one short and sweet.  I’m not a fan of Neil Diamond but my mom loved this movie.  Neil does have a great voice but I just never like his style of music.  I do have to say that this album does sound great on vinyl.  A medium that suits him well I guess.  I did listen to the entire album so I should get some credit for that.

Neil Diamond ‎– The Jazz Singer (Original Songs From The Motion Picture)

November 10, 1980 – Capitol

Side One

1. America
2. Adon Olom
3. You Baby
4. Love on the Rocks
5. Amazed and Confused
6. On the Robert E. Lee

Summerlove

1. Side Two
2. Hello Again
3. Acapulco
4. Hey Louise
5. songs of Life
6. Jerusalem
7. Kil Nidre/My Name Is Yussel
8. America (Reprise)

Cocktail (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

So here’s a dated ’80s spin.  Cocktail with good ol’ Tom Cruise as Brian Flanagan.  Ha.  I don’t know what it was about me and soundtracks but I seemed to have liked them considering I have several.  This is for sure a dated one as I’m sure the movie is too.

There are a few top tracks though.  Bobby Mgferrin’s “Don’t worry, Be Happy” sounds absolutely fantastic on vinyl.  So warm.  And the Georgia Satellites’ “Hippy Hippy Shake” was a nice surprise as well.  I think I remember cherishing the majority of these tracks back in the day, but today the two mentioned above are the only strong tracks.

John Cougar Mellencamp, as I guess he was known as when this album was released, was a surprise.  I don’t really remember him as part of the soundtrack.  I guess a surprise?

Cocktail (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

August 2, 1988 – Elektra Records

Side One

1. Wild Again – Starship
2. Power Stuff – The Fabulous Thunderbirds
3. Since When – Robbie Nevil
4. Don’t Worry, Be Happy – Bobby McFerrin
5. Hippy Hippy Shake – The Georgia Satellites

Side Two

1. Kokomo – The Beach Boys
2. Rave On – John Cougar Mellencamp
3. All Shook Up – Ry Cooder
4. Oh, I love You So – Preston Smith
5. Tutti Frutti – Little Richard

Miami Vice Soundtrack

Yes, I at one time spent my hard earned cash on this album.  It’s not in the best condition, again with a lot of snaps and pops.  I wish I would have cared for some of these albums a bit better in my earlier days.

It begins with the Miami Vice theme song which was fun to listen to again and then Glenn Frey’s “Smuggler’s Blues” was a quality listen.  But track 3 is Chaka Kahn’s “Own the Night” which would be very skippable if I was on mp3.  And then comes the super cheese, totally ’80s, sax intro and drum backing to “You Belong to the City”.  It doesn’t get much more ’80s than this.

But then the coup de grâce, Phil Collins “In the Air Tonight”.  This song alone pays for the album.  Yes, it might be an over played classic but do you remember the video to this song?  And the drum bridge?  Epic.  I just wish that this album was in better condition for this one track alone.

Side two begins with the Miami Vice Theme song in it’s… instrumental version?  Wasn’t the non-instrumental version an instrumental version?  Without playing them back to back they sound exactly the same to me.  There’s enough of Jan Hammer’s instrumental on side two to pop this album under the broiler.  But side two does contain Grandmaster Melle Mel’s “Vice” which kind of kicked some ass.  Best song on side two… unfortunately.

Damn, it looks like this album spent around 10 weeks as the #1 album on the Billboard 200 chart in late ’85 into ’86.  What were we thinking?

Miami Vice Soundtrack

1985 – MCA Records

Side One

1. The Original Miami Vice Theme – Jan Hammer
2. Smuggler’s Blues – Glenn Frey
3. Own The Night – Chaka Khan
4. You Belong To the City – Glenn Frey
5. In The Air Tonight – Phil Collins

Side Two

1. Miami Vice (Instrumental) – Jan Hammer
2. Vice – Grandmaster Melle Mel
3. Better Be Good To Me – Tina Turner
4. Flashback (Instrumental) – Jan Hammer
5. Chase (Instrumental) – Jan Hammer
6. Evan (Instrumental) – Jan Hammer