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 Posted:   Apr 23, 2008 - 3:40 AM   
 By:   ZapBrannigan   (Member)

I think the sexiest music Jerry did (that I have, at least) is the slinky and devious BASIC INSTINCT, especially the main titles. That just never gets old.

But I struggle to think of anything really sexy/sensual that Williams has produced. I'm sure there are things that I just haven't bought. Maybe some would say Lacy's theme from SUPERMAN IV (and I did buy the blue box), but Lacy struck me as more of a mild, family-friendly item.

Any picks for Williams After Dark?

 
 
 Posted:   Apr 23, 2008 - 3:48 AM   
 By:   Michael Arlidge   (Member)

You've no idea how much my eyes bulged when I read the subject heading of this thread!big grin

To get back to the topic at hand though, I too can't really think of anything Williams has written that could compete with Goldsmith's Basic Instinct theme. He's definitely written romantic material, but nothing like Basic Instinct. Having said that though, is there any score other than Barry's Body Heat that could compete with Basic Instinct?

 
 
 Posted:   Apr 23, 2008 - 3:59 AM   
 By:   joffa   (Member)

The best example I can think of is probably some of his material for 'Dracula'. Although, come to think of it, the main title from 'The Fury' cycles and builds in quite a sexual fashion.

And ditto the boggling eyes at the thread title!

 
 Posted:   Apr 23, 2008 - 4:04 AM   
 By:   Sehnsuchtshafen   (Member)

...Having said that though, is there any score other than Barry's Body Heat that could compete with Basic Instinct?


Rózsa's love theme from "Eye Of The Needle"
...or many, many pieces of music by Ennio Morricone, especially those written for rather obscure pictures in the late 60's and early 70's

 
 
 Posted:   Apr 23, 2008 - 4:20 AM   
 By:   franz_conrad   (Member)

Presumed Innocent?

 
 Posted:   Apr 23, 2008 - 4:30 AM   
 By:   Jehannum   (Member)

You've no idea how much my eyes bulged when I read the subject heading of this thread!big grin

Yeah, I clicked on this at immense speed in case it got zapped right away!

 
 Posted:   Apr 23, 2008 - 4:34 AM   
 By:   Jehannum   (Member)

I find Alex North's music sexy ... his themes for vampish women ... but that's indoctrinated association for you!

 
 
 Posted:   Apr 23, 2008 - 4:54 AM   
 By:   Oreb   (Member)

"The City Sleeps" from Earthquake has a laid-back, slow and sexy feel to it.

 
 
 Posted:   Apr 23, 2008 - 4:55 AM   
 By:   Zooba   (Member)

I think he likes women.

 
 
 Posted:   Apr 23, 2008 - 6:07 AM   
 By:   Suicide is imminent   (Member)

.

 
 Posted:   Apr 23, 2008 - 6:11 AM   
 By:   Heath   (Member)

Actually, this thread brings up something... hang on. Start again.

Actually this thread hides an interesting question. Can film music be genuinely sexy? Can any music be genuinely sexy? What the hell is genuinely sexy music?

Come to think about it (shaddup), I find most music to be remarkably sexless. Even some of the best stuff. Of course there's the obvious steamy jazzy saxophone stuff that's wheeled out, but really that's just fake Pavlovian button pushing. It, and even most pop songs, actually trade on an intellectual association with sex, but they're not innately sexy at all.

I find the opening of Stravinsky's Rite Of Spring and Debussy's Syrinx to be genuinely sexy music - full of the promise and imagery of real physical sex. But now I'll have to think long and hard (I said shaddup) about any more examples.

Interesting.

 
 Posted:   Apr 23, 2008 - 6:12 AM   
 By:   mastadge   (Member)

Dvorak's New World Symphony.

 
 Posted:   Apr 23, 2008 - 6:18 AM   
 By:   Gunnar   (Member)

Dvorak's New World Symphony.

Oh, that's the reason why I like it so much!?

 
 Posted:   Apr 23, 2008 - 6:21 AM   
 By:   Gunnar   (Member)

Can any music be genuinely sexy?

What about Ravel's Boléro?

 
 Posted:   Apr 23, 2008 - 7:20 AM   
 By:   LeHah   (Member)

Lacy's Theme from Superman IV is pretty darn good. Its romantic though not out and out sexual.

 
 Posted:   Apr 23, 2008 - 7:43 AM   
 By:   calvin69   (Member)

I think John Williams is a male.

 
 
 Posted:   Apr 23, 2008 - 8:02 AM   
 By:   OnyaBirri   (Member)

I’ve always found John Williams’ music to be inherently unsexy, aside from his contributions as a session pianist to Henry Mancini and Robert Drasnin.

 
 
 Posted:   Apr 23, 2008 - 8:04 AM   
 By:   Mikhail   (Member)

Can any music be genuinely sexy?

Well, there is this little tune from Der Rosenkavalier......

 
 
 Posted:   Apr 23, 2008 - 8:33 AM   
 By:   Alex Klein   (Member)

The thread title has to be changed. I couldn't believe it until I knew what it was about.
Anyway, the better question is: how many opportunities has Williams had to write sexy music? People tend to overlook the fact that composers do get more assignments in a given genre than others. Goldsmith for instance, got tons of action movies to score, and people immediately dismiss other great composers in the genre (what if other composers got as many action movies as he did?). Besides the number of 60s comedies, some of which contained sexually explicit material, Williams was not associated with the genre as much as, say, John Barry (who in my opinion has written the most and best sexy music - but of course my words won't be taken seriously). The list is remarkable:

Bond:

- Goldfinger (Pussy Galore's Flying Circus)
- Thunderball (all lounge tracks, traction table, the TITLE song, Bond meeys Domino)
- You Only Live Twice (Helga, main theme)
- OHMSS (the BEST: Bond meets the girls)
- Diamonds Are Forever (the title song, the BEST gay music ever: Mr Wint & Mr Kidd, all the lounge tracks)
- The Man With The Golden Gun (Getting The Bullet)
- Moonraker (main theme, Flight Into Space*)
- The Living Daylights (the music involving Kara)

Non-Bond:

- Beat Girl (strip scenes)
- The Party's Over (if you knew the film's subject i'd be banned)
- The Ipcress File
- The Knack (one of the pinnacles in the genre)
- Passion Flower Hotel
- The Chase (nothing beats Barry's jazz)
- Petulia
- Midnight Cowboy (Fun city)
- King Kong (the love theme performed with a sax at the bar scene)
- The Betsy (the sax line in the main theme is worth releasing the score)
- NIGHT GAMES (A porn flick no less. Barry's use of female choir is the most erotic in his career, and his lesbian tango is a highlight)
- BODY HEAT (so famous there's nothing to say)
- Hammett (the main theme is one of the composer's best)
- Mike's Murder (in the same vein as Body Heat)
- Until September (the sax line in the main theme says it all)
- Cotton Club
- Howard The Duck (Howard's jazzy theme is eroticism itself)
- Masquerade (guilty sex set on music)
- Dances With Wolves (love theme*)
- THE SPECIALIST (really, is there a better jazz theme than Did You Call Me?)
- Across The Sea Of Time (the jazz rendition of the main theme)
- Playing By Heart

Concept albums:

- Americans (most of the album)
- Beyondness Of Things (Nocturnal New York)
- Eternal Echoes (Fred & Cyd)

* Titles in asterisk are controversial, but I find Moonraker's female chorus both beautiful and terribly sexy (the sexiest instrument is the woman's voice). The love theme from Dances With Wolves reminds me of a warm and beautiful sex act.
It all proves that Barry was associated with the genre more than anyone else (and not only in film. I'm a believer on how composers can't avoid signs of their personal lives in their music).

Alex


 
 Posted:   Apr 23, 2008 - 8:40 AM   
 By:   Sehnsuchtshafen   (Member)

...(the sexiest instrument is the woman's voice)...

You're right. That's why she has a name actually, Edda Dell'Orso.

 
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