Saturday, May 15, 2010

Favorite Movie Soundtracks

From Doret

Some publishers send advance reader copies or ARCs to the bookstore I work at. There is no reasoning behind what comes, though once in a while we get something really good. A few weeks ago a copy Terry McMillan’s upcoming new release Getting to Happy arrived. Thankfully it was two and not one, otherwise my co-worker would have fought me for that single copy. It could have gotten ugly. Getting to Happy is the sequel to Waiting to Exhale. Fifteen years later, the four friends still make me smile. I love losing myself in characters I never really forget.

Before I started Getting to Happy, I got the brilliant idea to play Waiting to Exhale soundtrack, as backdrop music. This never happened, the song didn’t fit these new stories, but what a soundtrack! All the songs were written and produced by Babyface. When I think about movie soundtracks, I consider Bodyguard and Waiting to Exhale turning points. The powers that be realized it was worth putting a little effort behind soundtracks because they will sell.

Though it was only side A of the Bodyguard soundtrack (had the cassette), that was good. Side A was Whitney Houston, side B was everyone else. Some of my other favorite soundtracks of all time are Dead Presidents, Love Jones, and Jungle Fever. Yes, I have seen movies in this decade, but I simply can’t think of any other soundtracks that I loved.

What are some of your favorites? And yes, musicals count.

6 comments:

MissA said...

I LOVE the Mamma Mia soundtrack and the Chicago soundtrack. And any song on Glee :)

I just watched Brown Sugar and I've heard that sountrack is really good so I'm going to listen to that. The movie with Eminem, 8 mile has a good soundtrack too. I also love the Idlewild soundtrack, Carmen Jones and Grease. I'm a huge musicals fan :)

Zetta said...

ooooh...that was Babyface at his BEST! the Love Jones soundtrack was outstanding, too. Too bad both films were just so-so. One of my fave soundtracks is from the film Once--and now those two actor/musicians have formed their own group and put out another album! An amazing Irish film...

susan said...

The soundtrack from RENT. Girls at the non-profit loved the movie and the music. I mean sing along with the movie kind of love.

susan said...

Zetta,

I wore the soundrack for Once out. I have a couple of songs on my mp3 player now.

I can't remember the name of the movie but the band is The Commitments.

Zetta said...

It's something like The ___ Season. The Commitments--boy, I remember that movie from my college days! Irish folks singing "Mustang Sally"...Ok, they're now called The Swell Season. They're coming to Brooklyn to play in the park this summer!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Swell_Season

LM Preston said...

Okay, I'm going to take it way back. I was listening to my old soundtrack of New Jack City.