Why popular musicians doing film soundtracks is a great idea

Sept. 13, 2012 - PRLog -- And here’s to you, Mrs. Roosevelt… Well that definitely doesn’t sound right. But unbelievably Simon and Garfunkel’s defining song ‘Mrs. Robinson’ was originally to be very different. However after they were attached to write songs for the seminal 1960’s film The Graduate, director Mike Nichols advised Paul Simon that the song should was, “now about Mrs. Robinson”. And the rest, as they say, is history. And a lot of money, that too.

But what attracts artists to film soundtracks? Well for one there is far more cash and authority in the film industry, and thus they are often provided with better equipment for their work. Daft Punk worked with an 85-piece orchestra for their exhilarating Tron: Legacy soundtrack, a production scale they had never had before. With a film production it is also a very different creative process, one that many musicians find exciting and interesting. Aimee Mann acknowledged that random tracks of hers had been used in soundtracks before but she’d never been “utilized in such an integral way” as when she wrote songs for the Magnolia soundtrack. Film soundtracks can arguably be the ultimate extension of a concept album for an artist, visual representation of the subjects of their songs (this perhaps explains why concept albums like The Who’s ‘Tommy’ can be adapted into a film). This idea is supported by Aimee Mann’s tracks used in Magnolia, two of which were written once the director had given her a copy of the script, and one song (‘Wise Up’) that is literally sung at one point in the film by the entire cast. This is a different creative path for musicians and often works very well within the film.

Doing film soundtracks undeniably boosts the profile of the musicians involved. The Bee Gees were awarded the Grammy for Album of the Year for their Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, becoming the best-selling soundtrack album of all time (this was later surpassed by Whitney Houston’s soundtrack to The Bodyguard). Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor won an Oscar and a Golden Globe with Atticus Ross for the soundtrack to The Social Network, and the soundtrack album to The Graduate even managed to knock The Beatles’ ‘White Album’ off the No.1 spot in the charts in 1968. Having their music in the film is easy promotion for musicians in different media, and with a quality film critical, financial and commercial success is often achieved for the musicians as well.

Another question is why filmmakers hire popular musicians over lauded film composers like John Williams and Hans Zimmer. Often directors use popular tracks in the editing process, such as ‘The Sound Of Silence’ while editing The Graduate, before realising that it worked they may as well try to get Simon and Garfunkel to write a few more tracks. The same happened with Robert Altman while editing McCabe and Mrs Miller, using Leonard Cohen tracks. Being a massive fan (as the directors often are of the musicians they hire), Altman convinced Cohen to compose new songs for the film.

But what is most important, and what many directors realise, is the promotional advantages of having popular musicians linked to the film, broadening appeal and expanding financial profit. Music is another avenue to marketing their films, from releasing singles from their recognisable, popular musicians into the music charts (‘Mrs Robinson’ was a hit single upon its release, and more recently ‘Derezzed’ by Daft Punk was released as a single). Tracks like ‘Stayin’ Alive’ can become popular in their own right, but they will always be synonymous with the movie, always bringing people back to watch Saturday Night Fever. It will depend on the credibility of the band (They wouldn’t have trusted One Direction with The Dark Knight Rises soundtrack!), but it has often proved a useful marketing tool for film producers.

The use of popular musicians to make film soundtracks varies greatly. What was previously taking catchy songs from popular bands, now the musicians are far closer to the production. Guy Manuel de Homem-Christo noted that Tron: Legacy "was cut to the music. Usually, composers come in at the end when everything is done". Musicians are now encouraged not just to compose songs similar to their past work but expand into interesting new directions (such as Trent Reznor with The Social Network and The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and Radiohead’s Johnny Greenwood with There Will Be Blood and the upcoming The Master). Having popular musicians on board helps market the film to wider audiences, and they in turn help promote the musicians whose material can expand their own body of work while also remaining affiliated with the film. In general film soundtracks composed by popular musicians often proves to be a masterstroke from filmmakers, one that benefits everyone involved. Just don’t let Justin Bieber anywhere near the next Bond film.

Ollie Marsh

http://www.muzcentric.com