So anyway, a rare moment it is when I use my blog for anything other than an obscure celebrity obit or a forum for venting my thoughts on sex, drugs, and all that, but...here you go. I, The Pikey, have an actual thought about...
...dare I say...
(dare, dare)
...music. Specifically, film music. Ok, first of all someone call Brad and make sure his heart didn't just stop. Everyone ok? Good, let's continue. I had an interesting (to me anyway) observation yesterday that I wanted to share. I was listening to The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, specifically, the track titled "The Soldier's Story" (I don't feel like looking up the Italian right now so bugger off). If you don't have the CD, firstly, why NOT?!?! It's brilliant and should be in any film music fan's collection. Anyway, for those that don't have the CD, the track accompanies the scene in the film where Angel Eyes has his goon hand Tuco his own ass at the Union P.O.W. camp. Wait, what...you...you haven't seen the movie either? Really?! JESUS CHRIST MAN, what does a guy have to do, lend you his copy of the DVD so you can keep it for TWO FUCKING YEARS and still not watch it?!?!?!
Ahem...
Ok, so if you still haven't seen the film, try to follow along anyway. No, no...on second thought, go watch it. Now. Right now. We'll wait. What? You don't have the DVD, and it's not on AMC right now...no way?!!! Fine, I'll continue...just watch the fucking thing when we're done for christsakes, OK?!!! Jesus it's a fucking classic! How could you not have seen it, you call yourself a film buff - this is practically required fucking reading (so to speak)!!!
Fine, so there's a Union Army camp full of Confederate P.O.W.'s. Angel Eyes (the Bad) has a goon beat some info out of Tuco (the Ugly) all accompanied by a Confederate prisoner chorus and band. So essentially, the track is a source cue, albeit one that is way too orchestrationally thick for the members on hand in the scene. Details...anyway, I always thought the male chorus was particularly sullen, but it wasn't until I heard it through the headphones yesterday that I made my little discovery ("I've just had an apostrophe...lightnin' just struck me brain!"). Sure the men in the camp are tired, defeated, broken, beaten...pick your own adjective. But that's not why they're singing the way they are...at least not on this day. Today they sing as they do because they're recording in some studio somewhere in Italy, and they're all trying to hide their accents because more than likely, being that this is 1968, they probably don't speak more that 10 words of English between them.
If you're able, and you'd like a good chuckle, listen closely. Those "r's" are a little too rolled, and the vowels a touch stronger that your average Southern gent would belt them out. So what's the point; why all the fuss? Well, my question is this:
Would it have been so difficult to hire a dozen men who speak (and sing) English as their primary language for this scene?
Sure, this is all conjecture. I don't know the story behind the recording of this score, but I know what I'm hearing. And I'm hearing Italians. They're not quiet because they're sad, they're quiet because if they sing any louder, you'll be able to tell where they're from...and it doesn't do much good (to the film anyway) to have a group of guys who are supposed to be slave trading, good-ol' boys that sound like they'd be more likely to bake you a dish of Ziti than pick on your banjo. In the event that I do still get an occasional random passer-by to my personal web-hell, let me point out that I'm not trying to push some bullshit anti-immigration, "pro-America/anti-everything else" hot button. I just found the situation funny, and thought I'd share with two or three others. I mean really, couldn't you just imagine some off-the-wall Family Guy-esque manatee moment? Where they all just stop singing, and get into some kind of insane machismo-fueled, pizza-throwing, obscenity spewing argument over something stupid like, "the violino, he's-a playina flat!" "Hey fucka you, maybe-a youza singin-a sharp!" "You-a momma is-a leetle-a sharp!" "Shuduppa you face!" "You shuddupa you face!" "No you shuduppa you face!" etc, etc, etc...
...and, scene!
10 comments:
Yeah, I can imagine that scene happening in 'Family Guy', too. The problem is that it would probably come off like that post-sing discussion in Cannibal: The Musical where they basically have a protracted music theory discussion after the song goes all to hell.
Oh, and the fact that you noticed they were singing in Italian does not a musical thought make.
It just means that, for once, you were paying attention!
BTW, I have watched the damned movie! I'll try to remember to bring it to with me on our next playdate!
Besides, I haven't seen my godson in forever and I know you've got new CDs for me to pirate!
They weren't singing in Italian...just English with thick Italian accents.
It counts ok...(fucker).
Would you feel better if I find a dead guy to post about?!
You had your chance when Isaac Hayes went to planet whatever the Hell it is that Scientologists return to after being liberated from their Earthly bonds.
Too late now!
Wait for it...
Jesus Christ, the one day I don't check the pikey's blog... "Ah, I'm sure there's nothing new. There never is, but I check it all the time anyway..." then there's 7 comments. It's like a night-shift security guard whose ONLY OBJECTIVE is to not let someone infiltrate the compound, and he nods off for ONE MINUTE, and that's when it all goes down. I have failed...
Anyway, I have the score but have never seen the movie. I saw the very end in a film music class, but that's it. Now I prostrate myself before you, begging for whatever mercy you will give me.
But Herr is right: it's not really a musical thought, now is it? Not to be a devil's advocate or anything (Brad doesn't need advocates). So next is post #100? Hmmm........
"E boopa di bappi!"
So, new look. Does that mean you're going to post more often?
Of course not.
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