THE LAST PICTURE SHOW-ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK.
THE LAST PICTURE SHOW-ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK.
Like many people, one of the most memorable parts of The Last Picture Show is the soundtrack. For me, it’s not just the music typifies the era, it’s the way director Peter Bogdanovich uses and deploys the music in such an evocative way. During the film, the music wafts out of jukeboxes, radios in houses, cars and trucks and at the town’s Christmas dance. The way the music is used is so effective, adding atmosphere in a way that gets across that here, in a backwater town in Texas, the town is on its knees, dying. It’s almost like everyone has given up hope. Not only does it get across the sense of hopelessness, but the landscape, like the town reflects this desolation and desperation. Much of this is down to the music on the soundtrack to The Last Picture Show. Originally, there were only ten tracks on the soundtrack, but El Records rerelease, which will be released on 28th May 2012, has twenty-eight tracks. Each of these tracks are from the era The Last Picture Show is set in, with tracks from Hank Williams, Pee Wee King, Tony Bennett, Johnny Ray and Frankie Laine. Before I tell you about the music on the Last Picture Show’s soundtrack, I’ll tell you about the background to the film.
Back in 1971, writer, critic and director Peter Bogdanovich released what was his third film, The Last Picture Show. He previously had only two small films to his credit, Target and Voyage To the Journey of Prehistoric Women. How the film came about is an example of how coincidence can play a huge part in someone’s career. Director Peter Bogdanovich happened to see a copy of Larry McMurtry’s semi-autobiographical novel The Last Picture Show whilst waiting in a queue in his local drugstore. Although the title piqued his interest, fter reading the synopsis, he decided the story about teenagers growing-up in Texas wasn’t for him. Then just a few weeks later, Peter’s actor friend Sal Mineo gave him a copy of the book. Sal admitted he’d always wanted to be in a film of the book. Peter gave the book to his then wife, Polly Platt, who enjoyed reading the book, but didn’t know how it could be turned into a film. After this, Peter and author Larry McMurtry set about writing a script. with some people believe ,Polly Platt helping Peter and Larry to write the film script. Steven Friedman, who although he for Columbia Pictures as a lawyer, wanted to become a film producer. He’d bought the film rights to The Last Picture Show, so was hired as producer. The next step was the filming of The Last Picture Show.
After talking with Orson Wells, Peter’s decided to shoot the film in black and white. This proved to be a masterstroke, adding to the effectiveness, evocativeness and aesthetic of the film. Shooting took place in Archer Town, north Texas, which Peter renamed it Aranene. Among the cast of The Last Picture Show were Jeff Bridges, Ben Johnson, Ellen Burstyn, Cloris Leachman and Cybil Shepherd. Once the film was shot, it was edited by Peter in Los Angeles, on a Moviola, allowing him to watch the film he edited it. Modesty, however, prevented Peter being credited as cowriter, director and editor. Instead, he recommended Donn Cambern, whose contribution to the film adds to the film’s impact. Now all that remained, was The Last Picture Show to be released.
On the release of The Last Picture Show in October 1971, Peter Bogdanovich’s career was transformed. Having shot a film on a budget of $1.3 million, it took $29.1 million at the box office. So highly rated was The Last Picture Show, that it was nominated for eight Academy Awards, eventually winning two. Since then, The Last Picture Show has been recognized by the United States Library of Congress, due to either it’s “cultural, historic and aesthetic significance” and chosen to be preserved by the US National Film Registry. That demonstrates the importance of The Last Picture Show in American society and culture. This story of a group of teenagers coming of age in a rural American town, one that’s on its knees, desolate, full of desperation and hopelessness, slowly dying and disappearing struck a nerve, resonating with not just the American public, but audiences worldwide. Key to The Last Picture Show’s success, was the music used in the film, and I’ll now tell you about some of the highlights.
Opening The Last Picture Show soundtrack is Hank Williams 1950 single on M-G-M Why Don’t You Love Me (Like You Used To Do). This is such a poignant and melancholy track, with Hank’s vocal accompanied by drums, piano, fiddles and guitars. His vocal is questioning, tinged with hurt and sadness. Later, when steel guitars and fiddles take their turn to replace his vocal, they add to the sadness and melancholy nature of the track. For fans of Hank Williams, they’ll love the forthcoming release of The Last Picture Show soundtrack, because it has eight of Hank’s songs on the album.
Cold, Cold Heart is another Hank Williams track, released in 1951 on M-G-M. Here, Hank’s vocal full is of heartache and hurt. He’s accompanied by a slow combination of steel guitars, while fiddles and acoustic guitars accompany him. While the steel guitar drifts in and out the track, reflecting the desperation in Hank’s vocal, the rest of his band play gently, allowing his heartbroken, desperate vocal to take centre-stage and shine.
Eddy Arnold’s released Bouquet of Roses in 1949, on RCA Victor and it had the privilege of being the very first 7 inch, 45 R.P.M. single. The original commercial was released in clear green vinyl. Backed by steel guitars, fiddles and acoustic guitars, Eddy delivers his vocal with a heavy heart. He’s heartbroken, with his vocal tinged with pain and suffering. His band reflect his suffering, the steel guitars and fiddles, providing a suitably sympathetic accompaniment.
One of the best known songs on The Last Picture Show will be Hank Williams’ Hey, Good Looking, released in 1951, on M-G-M. Steel guitars open the track, before a quite different Hank Williams enters. His vocal is sassy, joyous even, with the lyrics probably quite risque for 1951. It’s just guitars and fiddles that accompany Hank as he serenades his beau. Later, that all too familiar guitar solo replaces Hank’s vocal, which along with Hank’s almost lustful, desirous vocal makes this such a memorable track.
Of all the tracks on The Last Picture Show, one of my favorites is Hank Snow’s A Fool Such As I. It has a gloriously, melancholy sound, with Hank’s vocal key to this. It’s full of pathos, as if he should’ve known better that get involved. Together strummed acoustic guitars and fiddles add to the sadness of Hank’s vocal. Meanwhile, steel guitars drift in and out, adding a sound that that’s full of heartache and regret. To me, this is the perfect breakup song, one that will reflect resonate with the newly brokenhearted.
Back in the fifties, Johnnie Ray was much more than a singer, he was a musician, songwriter and pioneer of music. His dramatic stage performances paved lead the way for future stars of rock ‘n’ roll. Fusing jazz and R&B, Johnnie had a hugely successful career, delivering some memorable performances. Please, Mr. Sun, released in 1952 on Columbia is a track that personifies just what made Johnnie Ray such a big star. His delivery is impassioned and emotive, delivered like a true crooner, his vocal soaring powerfully and dramatically. Backing vocalists accompany him, while flourishes of harp augment his vocal. However, the track’s success is down to one thing and one thing only, Johnnie’s vocal.
If Johnnie Ray delivered his vocal like a crooner, Tony Bennett takes crooning to another level on Blue Velvet. Released in 1958, on Columbia, this track demonstrates just why Tony Bennett’s career has enjoyed such longevity. While this is one of three Tony Bennett tracks on The Last Picture Soundtrack, this is the best. Strings lush and slow and a piano accompany his heartfelt vocal, which although full of sadness and regret, good memories are present. His delivery is laden with emotion, sadness and totally peerless.
Another of my favorite tracks from The Last Picture Show’s soundtrack is Jo Stafford’s You Belong To Me. It was released in 1952, on Columbia and was the B-side to Pretty Boy (Pretty Girl). Accompanied by vibes, bursts of rasping horns and standup bass, Jo’s vocal is tender, full of sincerity and emotion. She controls her voice perfectly, using her delivery to get across the beauty and sentiment of the lyrics. As the track ends, you can’t help but love a track that although it’s from another era, is both beautiful and heartfelt.
My final choice from The Last Picture Show’s soundtrack is Webb Pierce’s Back Street Affair. Released in 1952, on Decca, its lyrics demonstrate how times change in sixty years. The lyrics deal with the shame of a woman having an affair with a married man. Fiddles and guitar accompany Webb, with his vocal full of regret and sadness at the affair and the effect it’s had on his marriage. He’s caught between loyalty and a loveless marriage, while freedom and true love beckons. The arrangement adds to the heartache and melancholy sound of the track. When combined with Webb’s vocal, this is a deeply moving and hugely sad song.
Although I’ve only reviewed nine of the twenty-eight tracks on the Last Picture Show’s soundtrack, each of these tracks are of the highest quality. These songs are representative of the fifties, a very different and some people would say, a much better, more innocent era. They bring back memories of this very different time, during which The Last Picture Show was set. Director Peter Bogdanovich used the music during The Last Picture so effectively. He used it to evoke emotions and replace dialogue, doing so just as effectively. If a picture paints a thousand words, then the use of music in The Last Picture Show does this just as well. This included tracks from Hank Williams, Hank Snow, Tony Bennett, Eddy Arnold, Johnnie Ray and Jo Stafford. All these track were either from the late-forties, or fifties. Whereas in The Last Picture Show, the music wafts out of jukeboxes, radios in houses, cars and trucks and at the town’s Christmas dance, then El Records rerelease will allow that music to waft out of your speakers. It’ll be released on 28th May 2012, which gives anyone whose yet to watch The Last Picture Show, the chance to watch this, powerful, poignant and classic film. After that, you can enjoy the music from the stunning soundtrack to The Last Picture show. Standout Tracks: Hank Williams Why Don’t You Love Me (Like You Used To Do), Johnnie Ray Please, Mr. Sun, Tony Bennett Blue Velvet and Jo Stafford You Belong To Me.
THE LAST PICTURE SHOW-ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK.
dereksmusicblog
dereksmusicblog 
wonderful review. One thing I discovered is that there were two soundtracks to this movie- one on MGM (el used this coverwork) and one on Columbia Masterworks. The MGM one has all the hank williams. The Columbia one, the rest of the tracks (or at least 10 of them). I was hoping the Columbia release would have snippets of dialogue (as their OSTs were doing around that time) but no such luck. just watched it tonight finally for the first time. Enjoyable!
While I love this music a great deal I find its use here spoils my enjoyment of the film. The acting is great but I never for a minute believe than any of the characters has any relationship to the music. Jukebox, ok. Christmas party, maybe, but not very seasonal. Rather it seems Bogdonavich is manipulating us, trying too hard to persuade the viewer these actors are authentic. The actors do this quite well without it.