I'm exploring the late 1960s into the 1970s funk sound in film scores. Composers who excelled at it include:
Roy Budd Dave Grusin Quincy Jones Lalo Schifrin
It's certainly something that the jazz-based composers did well. And greats like Jerry Goldsmith, Elmer Bernstein, and John Williams showed they could get funky too when needed.
There are also, of course, the many blaxploitation films of the early 1970s (which includes not only the Shafts, Super Flys, and the Cleopatra Joneses, but James Bond's Live and Let Die as well.)
So I'm thinking of scores like Magnum Force, The Friends of Eddie Coyle, the "groovy" parts of Cinderella Liberty, Enter the Dragon, The Stone Killer, etc. But I know there's a lot more out there (TV movies and themes too.)
(Not sure if I want to venture out to composers like Piccioni and Morricone; I'd rather stay close to the American jazz/funk sound.)
I'm having a hard time trying to articulate the type of film music I'm looking for, but if anyone can think of any other composers of this era who "got groovy" in their film score - much appreciated!
You should try Galt MacDermot's COTTON COMES TO HARLEM (1970), as well as the same composer's Broadway musical Hair. (With the latter I'm recommending the 1968 original-cast album, not the 1979 film-version soundtrack.)
You should try Galt MacDermot's COTTON COMES TO HARLEM (1970), as well as the same composer's Broadway musical Hair. (With the latter I'm recommending the 1968 original-cast album, not the 1979 film-version soundtrack.)
True. I forget that MacDermot did some film work. Amusingly, my favorite stage work of his is not his funky stuff like Hair and Two Gentlemen of Verona, but his 1980s Americana score for The Human Comedy.
And you'd be doing yourself a great disservice by ignoring the Italians, who in my opinion improved on the American formula (especially Micalizzi, Cipriani and Bixio-Frizzi-Tempera).
And you'd be doing yourself a great disservice by ignoring the Italians, who in my opinion improved on the American formula (especially Micalizzi, Cipriani and Bixio-Frizzi-Tempera).
That's the second time Cipriani's name has been brought to my attention during this weekend Search For Funk of mine. I need to try to hear his work.
I should note that Piccioni's 10th Victim music I first heard earlier this month was probably the catalyst for this thread.
And you'd be doing yourself a great disservice by ignoring the Italians, who in my opinion improved on the American formula (especially Micalizzi, Cipriani and Bixio-Frizzi-Tempera).
That's the second time Cipriani's name has been brought to my attention during this weekend Search For Funk of mine. I need to try to hear his work.
I should note that Piccioni's 10th Victim music I first heard earlier this month was probably the catalyst for this thread.
Don't forget Stanley Myers Sitting Target and Dominic Frontiere Hammersmith is Out.
I had forgotten about Frontiere, and I haven't heard enough Myers to associate him with groovy sounds. All I think of for him is the "Cavatina" in The Deer Hunter which was actually first used in a previous movie. (The Walking Stick, I think.)
