Sorry to disappoint you, but I think the majority of the album is a rerecording and only the "Finale" is from the soundtrack (it can be heard on the D.V.D.).
Courtesy of CinemaTreasures, here's the display at one of our major cities in the UK, the then Essoldo in city centre Newcastle-upon-Tyne
I spent many a happy hour in that cinema in the 1970s, as the Essoldo and the ABC. It split into two screens at some stage. Films I recall seeing there include When Eight Bells Toll, Earthquake and Caravan to Vaccares.
It wasn't my favourite cinema in town though - that was the ABC on the Haymarket, where I saw countless films, often in "my own" seat, when I got there early enough to nab it.
Back on topic, I borrowed the Paint Your Wagon LP from the library and played it to death. I liked all the songs and the arrangements, and I think I had it on cassette at one point to play in the car a few years later. When I finally saw it on the telly, I quite enjoyed it but it seemed to go on and on, and I haven't repeated the experience.
I remember seeing this at the Cinerama Dome (not in Cinerama) at it's opening roadshow engagement, with souvenir booklet in hand. After the fantastic overture and opening titles the film slowly eroded as it went along, nailing the coffin on my assessment of Joshua Logan and musicals. And it wasn't JUST the filters in SOUTH PACIFIC, the close-ups in CAMELOT or the non-singer casting in PAINT YOUR WAGON. It was the myriad ways Logan showed he couldn't shake his theater roots and did not understand cinematic storytelling. Indeed there are a number of wonderful magical moments in all 3 films. But you have to wait for them and I mean wait. More scenes just sit there than succeed. Possibly the best way to see them is on video where you can distract yourself. But the musical arrangements in all 3 made for 3 really nice albums.
As a young man I did see the movie in one of the big cinema's in Copenhagen (now closed) on a big curved screen in stereo. I think the movie was 70mm Panavision. I have the gatefold soundtrack LP and the CD album with same tracks + the DVD. Sadly not all the instrumental music from the movie is on the albums. I still love the music and the movie.
Watched this again on dvd recently. What an awful film. the script was so changed from Paddy Chayevskys original. It plays like a script written by a bunch of drunk frat boys. Most of the new songs are truly terrible, except for " A Million Miles Away. When I worked at Pioneer Laserdisc, we had a contract with Paramount to release films. I got to listen to some raw recording sessions for this film. One of them was Wandrin Star. Let me tell you that the voice I heard as Lee Marvins, is NOT the voice in the film. It has long been rumored that Josh Logans voice was used to dub Marvin in that song.
My parents took a trip to Catalina many years ago and saw Paint Your Wagon while on their trip. They immediately bought the gatefold LP and it got a lot of play in our household. We got to know the songs pretty well.
Anita Gordon did the singing voice for Jean Seberg in the movie. As far as I know Lee Marvin did his own "Singing" voice in the movie, rejecting the idea of miming to another singer's voice.
One of them was Wandrin Star. Let me tell you that the voice I heard as Lee Marvins, is NOT the voice in the film. It has long been rumored that Josh Logans voice was used to dub Marvin in that song.
This cannot possibly be true. The voice is so clearly and obviously Lee Marvin's that the only way this is true is that Josh Logan was the world's greatest Lee Marvin impersonator. Or that the "raw" recordings you heard were not used in the film. Also, what would be the point of dubbing Marvin if the performance still sounded exactly like Marvin's Tom Waits-like croak?
Anyway, I also have a soft spot for this film and score. Is it uneven and maybe a little long? Sure. But the high points are truly high and some of it hilarious. Marvin, Eastwood, and Seberg are all wonderful. As a couple have already mentioned, Harve Presnell's rendition of "Mariah" is the best ever recorded, bar none. And despite the unpolished performances, maybe even because of them, I loved Lee Marvin's "Wandrin' Star" and Clint Eastwood's "I Talk to the Trees". Great songs on their own, but well-served in the performance, musical arrangement, and filming.
Oh WOW. Paint Your Wagon. A movie musical I have always loved since it first came out when a teenager in New Zealand. I remember being blown away by the film, the Overture and opening Main Title, and adored the medley end title. What a musical blast. I knew the theatre owner and was able to get hold of a copy of the film poster that adorned my wall for many teenage years. The 1960's and early 70's were full of musicals but this one I adored, particularly the orchestration by nelson Riddle, to the songs and the new added songs not included in the Original Cast. Particularly, A Million Miles Away Miles Behind The Door ( which I adore) and the catchy Gold Fever. I am a fan of musical orchestrations, the lush music, as an aside, and best being John Williams for Tom Sawyer and the gorgeous Goodbye Mr Chips, also in that musical era of film musicals. What an amazing decade for musical growing up kids. Never leaves you. Cheers from New Zealand. A folly reflection with little substance other than sharing a memory.
I forgot to mention . . . producer Alan Jay Lerner gave himself a very brief cameo in the picture. He can be glimpsed during the "There's a Coach Comin' In" number, as part of a singing quartet, at about 1:46. He's third from the left. You might have to freeze the frame and blow it up to recognize him.
I'm still trying to figure this out ;
What an awful film. the script was so changed from Paddy Chayevskys original.
Joe, did you perhaps mistakenly assume that Chayefsky had something to do with writing the Broadway musical?
Paddy Chayevsky was a good friend of a friend of mine. Alan Jay Lerner was on the set constantly, rewriting, changing Josh Logans direction,and generally interfering with the procuductin of the film. Chayevsky tried to get his name removed from the credits.
Anyway, when listening at raw recording sessions for Paint Your Wagon, One of the things I heard was several take for Wandrin Star marke Lee Marvin, vocalist. And those takes sure did NOT sound like the voice that is in the film. Marvin could not quite keep with the melody. I have heard from many sources that Marvin was dubbed, only on this vocal, by director Josh Logan.
