GIOVANNI PAUL & MAGNET
THE WICKER MAN SOUNDTRACK
Original Issue: 1998 Trunk (BARKED 4P)
Reissue: 2002 Silva Screen (FILMCD330)
Margot-meter: 5 moons / 5
To celebrate the Vernal Equinox I post the two existing versions of one the most controversial cult movies of all times..."The Wicker Man" by Robin Hardy.
Personally I prefer the Trunk version, but the inclusion of "Gently Johnny" in the Silva Screen release is worth the price alone.
Paul Giovanni had intended to release an LP of Magnet songs from The Wicker Man in the 1970s. However, this project was shelved.
The first release of a soundtrack album didn't arrive until the 1990s when Trunk Records issued a CD of music sourced from a music-and-effects reel for the short version of the film. Such reels are created in order that non-English speaking countries can create their own dialog and yet retain the original film's score and sound effects.
Although this album was welcomed by fans, it was far from ideal due to the source from which the music had been lifted. Finally in 2002, Silva Screen Records released the recently located studio versions of the songs that were originally intended for Giovanni's aborted 1970s album. The Silva Screen issue is by far the better of the two releases. Completists are also interested to obtain the earlier Trunk release as it does have some incidental music which is unique to this issue.
16 comments:
MANY MANY THANKS FOR THIS & HAVE A NICE ST-PATRICK!!!NIKO
Made me want to watch the film, I must admit!
Very intriguing music + sounds.
On a very different kind of note, I also recommend the soundtrack to The Hired Hand by Bruce Langhorn. Timeless stuff.
Thanks a lot, Margot for uploading this all the more so as a friend of mine recommended that I should listen to it just a few days ago !
Best wishes,
Francois
thanks margot! killer pic, edward woodward, chris lee .. music's pretty neat, too.. thanks for the tides of waving strangeness.. anthony
One of my favourite OST. I have the Silva Screen one. Never saw the movie but after knowing the plot of story folk music gains new & strange meanings ...
Josef
Thanks Margot for another great post.
one of my favorites!
seek out the film, anyone who hasn't seen it...but for god's sake, skip the remake!
Ben,
I suggest to have a look also to the remake (which, of course, is NOTHING compared to the original).
I loiked the idea of an island in which only women are in power ;-)
Margot,
Thank you for posting this, I've never heard the Trunk version before so I look forward to this.
I understand that there are more subtle differences besides the inclusion if Gently Johnny (In Gowan Ring do a great version of this song!) ... verses missing, and a different vocalist in Willows Song as well; that sort of thing. I guess I'll find out soon enough though. Thanks again.
Urdhr
Oh! and a fun little thing for those who care.
Ian Cutler (the fiddle player in The Wicker Man movie/recordings and of Slaughterhouse) is on tour with Dave Cousins at the moment. I saw them a couple of weeks ago. A fantastic show!!! Not to be missed, they played many old Cousins and Strawbs songs arranged for fiddle and acoustic guitar very seldomly heard ... including The Hangman and the Papist.
If they are in your area in the States or UK check them out.
Urdhr
Margot
A classic. I'm with you on the Trunk version - it is far superior. The Silva screen version feels sterile and lacks the atmosphere and claustrophobia of the film.
Another brilliant post
I also like the Trunk release better. Main reason: the beautifully creepy incidental music from throughout the film...Thanks so much for this Margot!!
thanks for these!
i have the vinyl, now they are on my ipod too.
Great Post One of my all time favourite horror films with great soundtrack.If you like this try Trunks new release [Blood on Satans Claw] released by Trunk recently.
Thanks Margot Great Blog..
One of my favorites, too. I had dreams about this film after i first seen it. Reason being the plot is kind of believable in that you could stumble across a town where people had some strange beliefs and everyone's in on it except you. At the time i'd never heard anything like the soundtrack, which is 100% in harmony with the film. Beautiful haunting songs about beliefs you never knew existed.
Many thanks
I bought both versions on their day of release - the Silva Screen one just for 'Gently Johnny', which is my favourite song in the long version of the film.
Lovely to have a digital version of the Trunk version at last. The Silva Screen version of 'Willow's Song' is, as suggested, a different vocalist to the one used in the film.
I'm sure I read somewhere that Pentangle were approached to do the soundtrack first - hard to see how they could have topped what Paul Giovanni and crew achieved. I love the unlikely fact these songs were adapted or written by a 1970s New Yorker - he really looks the part in the film, too.
Great game to play with drunk house guests: sit in a circle and improvise your own version of 'Gently Johnny'. One person supplies the 'feed' line, the person to their right sings a resolution made up on the spot, then the next 'feed', and so on (if you catch my drift). We used to play this a lot 'round ours - inevitably, the song gets increasingly rude as it progresses, but very much in the spirit of 'The Wicker Man'.
Thanks, Margot!
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