Memorable Movie Music - Diana Ross : Theme From Mahogany

In 1975, Diana Ross, ex-lead singer of The Supremes and arguably one of Motown's most popular female artistes, starred in Mahogany. In the romantic drama, Ross starred as a poor African-American woman who rose to become a big-time fashion designer but found that "success is nothing without someone you love to share it with".

The film also starred Billy Dee Williams (of Dynasty) and Anthony Perkins (of Psycho) as Ross' love interests. 

The film was not critically acclaimed but was a box-office hit.

Ross also sang the theme song for the film sub-titled "Do You Know Where You're Going To".

The song written by Michael Masser (who wrote hits like Whitney Houston's Saving All My Love For You  and Tonight I Celebrate My Love For You) by Roberta Flack & Peabo Bryson and Gerry Goffin (one half of the songwriting team of Carole King & Gerry Goffin responsible for hits like The Loco-Motion (a huge hit for Kylie) and Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow) was a huge hit ... topping the charts in the States and reaching No. 5 in the UK. The song was also nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song in 1975.

The song lost out to "I'm Easy" from the movie Nashville. I honestly don't know ... perhaps the movie was bigger than the song.

This song has been covered by the likes of Mariah Carey and Jennifer Lopez. JLo's version has a Latino flavour with flamenco guitars added in while Mimi's overblown (in my opinion) version has her doing her trademark runs and improvisations and ends with her signature screech.

Feel free to compare the 3 version. My opinion - Diana's version is still the best.



ABBA : Dancing Queen

Once in a while a song comes along that not only defines its artiste but also an era. Dancing Queen is one such hit.

 

ABBA had been the darlings of the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974 when they so triumphantly won it (for the first time) for Sweden. However the group was dismissed by some circles as a one-hit wonder. As ABBA's Bjorn Ulvaeus said once in an interview people expected ABBA to be a one-hit wonder because they were perceived as a "Eurovision group" and that's what usually happens to "Eurovision groups" ... they have one huge hit and they go away.

 

 

 

As it happened, ABBA was to prove the critics wrong as they went on to have hit after hit and ABBA became Sweden's hottest pop export and, arguably, one of the biggest groups of the 1970s and early 1980s.

 

 

Dancing Queen was released in August

1976 and included on the album Arrival.

 

 

Upon its

release this monster hit went on to top the charts of more than 15 countries. It is easily ABBA's most recognised hit. It is also one of the songs to define the disco era and once topped a most popular disco hits poll on British telly - this despite ABBA not actually being a disco group.

 

 

The song has been covered by many artistes as diverse as U2, Donna Summer, The Sex Pistols and Kylie Minogue who performed it at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. In fact, Dancing Queen was to be the inspiration for what was later to become Kylie's showgirl persona.

 

 

As a special treat I also feature ABBA singing Dancing Queen in Swedish costumes specially for the royal wedding of King Carl XVI Gustav of Sweden to Silvia Sommerlath (who would soon be Sweden's own Dancing Queen). Enjoy ...

 

 

 



Celine Dion : Only One Road

Before Celine Dion hit it big with My Heart Will Go On (Theme from Titanic) she had a huge hit with Think Twice. Ironically, the song, while not a major hit in the States, is her second biggest selling hit in the UK.

Think Twice established Celine as a major star in the UK. Despite having minor hits like Beauty & The Beast, The Power Of Love and If You Asked Me To, up till then Celine was best known as the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 1988 representing Switzerland with the song Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi ("Don't Leave Without Me").

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=8pEYw8PcBas



The eagerly anticipated follow-up to Think Twice was the low-key but equally brilliant Only One Road taken off the album The Colour Of My Love. Again, the song was not a huge hit in the States, only reaching No. 93 in the Billboard Hot 100. In the UK, it fared much better, peaking at No. 8 although methinks it should have charted higher.

The song is one of my favourites. Celine's vocals rings clearly throughout the song and quivers with emotion. The arrangement, though much simpler than its predecessor, is amazing in its simplicity and the melody ... j'adore.

Check out the video below :-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=przJ8xNAJ1Y

Battle Of The Covers - Nazareth v Cher : Love Hurts

Love Hurts rates as one of the best-loved rock anthems of all times but did you know that the song actually started life in the 1960s? 

In fact, Roy Orbison was one of the first to record Love Hurts in 1961 where it was a No.5 hit in Australia as a Double A-Side

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=AX7azR2SaNE

Of course it's Nazareth's anthemic version which many rock enthusiasts will remember and love best. Formed in 1968 in Dumfermline in Scotland, the group was named after the town of Nazareth in Pennsylvania.

They had their first hit in 1973 with Broken Down Angel, a UK No. 9 hit, but I will wager that I'm not wrong to say that they will be best remembered and loved for their rendition of Love Hurts. Even though it was not their biggest UK hit (only reaching No. 15) but it was their biggest American hit, reaching No. 8 in the States and No. 1 in Canada and South Africa and certainly their most finest moment.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZhNW_jKrQY&feature=player_embedded

Pop Diva Cher re-recorded the song in 1991 and it became a minor hit in the UK (No. 43). It was a bigger hit in Norway where it reached No. 2. While not as big as the Nazareth, I feel that Cher managed to put her own spin on the song. Have a look at her version and see how that compares to Nazareth.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKnePn-CbNA&feature=player_embedded

Olivia Newton-John : Physical

Once in a while there comes a song which works on all fronts. And with Physical everything seems to fall into place. From the music to the slightly raunchy lyrics juxtaposed with Livvy's sweet and innocent vocals everything is just right.

 Up till then, Olivia Newton-John had been known as the sweet girl-next-door.

The image had been further cemented by her role in Grease. However, much like her Grease alter- ego, she was about to undergo a metamorphosis, courtesy of Physical.

It was inevitable that Physical would shoot to the top of the charts and Livvy was even nicknamed Olivia Neutron-Bomb for her new raunchy image.

The video was fun and funny and pokes fun at the (then) emerging gym culture and even implies that the fit hot men who frequent the gyms are of the persuasion of the love that dare not speaketh its name. In fact, the only straight guy left at the end of the video is the fat guy whom Livvy quickly bags before he gets away.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWz9VN40nCA&feature=player_embedded

The very sexy Kylie Minogue did a cover of the song but much as we love the divine Ms. M the original still rawwks it for me. Now, where did I put my leg-warmers?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWQS6E7W3DY&feature=player_embedded

James Bond Special : You Only Live Twice (1967)

In You Only Live Twice, Bond is sent to Japan to investigate the disappearance of American and Soviet spacecraft. As ever, SPECTRE is the culprit behind the incident which was carried out to provoke a war between the superpowers. The screenplay was written by author Roald Dahl and marks the first time that the film is only loosely based on the novel.

The distinctly Asian flavour is reflected in the two Bond girls.

Aki, an agent with the Japanese SIS, was played by Akiko Wakabayashi. Unfortunately, Aki meets her doom ... as she slept with Bond, drops of poison are dripped down a thin cord ... meant for Bond but instead enters Aki's lips.

Naturally, Bond wastes no time in finding a replacement for Aki upon her demise in the form of the equally delectable Kissy Suzuki, an Ama diving girl. Kissy was played by Mie Hama.

It is also notable to mention the appearance of German actress Karin Dor as SPECTRE assassin, Helga Brandt. Unfortunately, after a failed attempt on Bond's life, Helga was fed to the piranhas.

The title song was sung by Nancy Sinatra, daughter of Frank Sinatra. The single, too, had an oriental flavour and made No.11 in the UK.

Of course, the year before, Nancy Sinatra had hit the top of the charts with her worldwide smash, These Boots Are Made For Walkin', and she got the gig off the back of her hit single, beating Aretha Franklin to it.

James Bond Special : Thunderball (1965)

Thunderball was the fourth instalment in the Bond franchise and supposedly the most successful financially taking inflation into account. The film has Connery's Bond searching for two NATO atomic bombs stolen by SPECTRE who asked for £100 million in diamonds for ransom in exchange for not blowing up Miami. Much of the action in the film takes place underwater.

In the film, Bond is assisted by Domino, the mistress of SPECTRE's Number Two, Emilio Largo. Several actresses were considered for the role including Julie Christie, Raquel Welch and Faye Dunaway but finally the role was given to Miss France and First Runner-Up in Miss World 1958, Claudine Auger. The name of the character was changed from Dominetta Palazzi to Dominique Derval to reflect Auger's nationality but her voice was still dubbed.

The three actresses who were considered for the role of Domino :-

Julie Christie

Raquel Welch

Faye Dunaway

The other notable Bond girl in the film was Luciana Paluzzi who played SPECTRE assassin Fiona Volpe. In Never Say Never Again (the re-make of Thunderball) her name was changed to Fatima Blush and she was played by Barbara Carrera.

I must admit that I have not actually watched Thunderball but I do remember the theme song by Tom Jones. Initially a song called Mr. Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang was written as the theme (recorded by Shirley Bassey but re-recorded by Dionne Warwick) but the producers wanted the title of the film in the theme song. Country singer Johnny Cash submitted a song entitled "Thunderball" to Eon Productions incorporating the plot of the film but the song was never used. Instead John Barry and Don Black hurriedly wrote a song which was recorded by Tom Jones.

 

It seems that during recording Jones fainted when singing the last note of the song. What a big girl's blouse, Tom ol' chap.