musicology #205

12AngryMen #2 (alternativesoundtrack #3)

(Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers - I’m Not A Juvenile Delinquent)

LISTEN

day two of the 12 Angry Men selection and the ‘action’ begins. 12 jurors, 1 Room, Hottest day of the year…No Air-Con. The jockying has already started as Lee J. Cobb, (Juror #3), lets his feelings known on what he thinks the verdict should be.

themusicologist wasn’t even born in 1957 but from what I have read and heard the ‘Teenager’ had most definately arrived. Music, (Rock and Roll), being an example of this. The way I have understood it, before World War II music was made predominantly by and for ‘grown ups’. Swing had begun to change that but by the time Rock and Roll emerged the writing was well and truly on the wall for who to target…Teenagers.

the slice of, (1956), musicology, (released in early ‘57), is courtesy of 13 year old !! Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers, (Herman Santiago, Joe Negroni, Jimmy Merchant, Sherman Garnes), who epitomised the change as well as anyone. Of note is that the majority of the group members were of Puerto Rican descent, as was the kid charged with murder in the film, and half of the subjects of the original 1957 Broadway production of West Side Story.

musicology #196

teachings of billionaire YenTzu #6

(Marvin Gaye - 'T' Plays It Cool)

LISTEN

Riding The Tiger, (chanelling your energy)

the tiger cub howled as it limped home. 'I am never going to spring and jump again,' he complained to his father.

'But that is what you are naturally good at,' his father consoled, then playfully bowling over the young cub with his immensely powerful paw, added, 'Do you not enjoy it?'

'Not any more! cried the cub. 'I put everything into that last jump and all I get is hurt for my trouble.'

'My son, you are a guardian of all the special strength and power that is contained within you. As guardian you must learn how to channel it, for such energy, when misdirected, will otherwise hurt you. Your energy has no limitations, other than the ones you allow it to have. Just because you have hurt yourself once or twice, in trying, does not mean that you will always do so. You must persevere.

'When you next spring and jump, first contain your energy, becoming aware of just how much you will need and why you are about to use it. As you do, you will feel the energy build up inside you until, when the moment feels just right, you let it go. At that moment you will experience your body, mind and energy flowing as one unit. Then you will no longer be jumping, you will be flying through the air. And the air itself will be with you, riding the tiger.'

musicology #140

theGood,Bad&theUgly #7

(Ennio Morricone - The Good The Bad & The Ugly (main title)

LISTEN

finishing up this tribute to one of themusicologist’s all time favourite films with the final scene….guns drawn for the finale. don’t know how many of you remember the film in detail but this is shot in the centre of the graveyard. Il Buono has written the name on the stone and it’s waiting there for the victor to claim…as a piece of atmospheric cinema it ranks up there with the best of ‘em and even though I have seen it many times it always has the same sense of drama and anticipation. A large part of that is down to Ennio Moricone’s film score and I would like to pay tribute to the man, (who’s film scores are enough for me to watch any film), by including his work here on the last day.

I won’t lie to you it’s been hard work this week searching through the vaults for diverse tunes that try to capture the essence of the film but most definately worth the effort and something I will be looking at doing again. I have a few ideas for alternative soundtracks so look out for them filed under the ’soundtrack’ category.