Overture Into Don't Let It Bother You From 'the Gay Divorcee' Original Soundtrack

Tommy is a soundtrack album by The Who with contributions from numerous artists. The soundtrack was used in the 1975 Tommy film that was based on the original album that was released by The Who in 1969. Pete Townshend oversaw the production of this double-LP recording that returned the music to its rock roots, and on which the unrecorded orchestral arrangements he had envisaged for the original Tommy LP were realised by the extensive use of synthesiser…

During the post-production of Dennis Hopper’s surreal and unjustly-forgotten South American anti-imperialist western, The Last Movie (which would prove disastrous for his career upon release, yet go on to become a cult classic and one of Hopper’s own proudest achievements), the actor and director was the subject of a sort of loose, biographical documentary, filmed around his Taos, New Mexico home as he wandered the desert, got wasted, and philosophized about life (see tag line: “I’d rather die fighting than die getting fat”). American Dreamer would share in the fate of The Last Movie and quickly disappear into obscurity, but among the film’s remains lays a beautiful acoustic soundtrack, featuring original compositions courtesy of Hopper’s personal acquaintances, such as John Buck Wilkin and Chris Sikelianos, as well as better-known performers such as Gene Clark and gonzo-mime-band The Hello People.

PantaSounds has released a soundtrack album for Amazon’s first German original series You Are Wanted. The album features the show’s original score composed by Josef Bach, as well as the songs from the drama by Chester Travis, Tina Pepper, Walking On Cars, Simon Hughes & more. The soundtrack is now available digitally overseas. Visit the German Amazon store to listen to audio samples. You Are Wanted is produced by Matthias Schweighöfer who also stars in the show with Alexandra Maria Lara, Karoline Herfurth and Tom Beck. The 6-parter follows a hotel manager whose life is turned upside down following a mysterious hacking attack, putting him and his family in grave danger. The series premiered this past Friday and is now available to stream on Amazon worldwide.

A return look and listen to this historical and breathtaking collaboration between two of the great figures of modern music should naturally be prefaced by a few key facts. Although this album presents itself as the soundtrack to the film The Hot Spot, like many such releases it bares little relation to the music that was actually used in the film — not that much of this music was actually used. All one really needs to know about the film itself, other than the fact that it was directed by Dennis Hopper, is that it is awful, even by bad film standards. That it was the impetus for this marvelous music to be made is something listeners should be thankful for, particularly fans of either Miles Davis or John Lee Hooker