TunePlay - BLUE CITY (1986) Ry Cooder

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• published: 19 Aug 2014
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One of the "all time most influential novels" is Dashiell Hammett's RED HARVEST (1929) - an excursion into societal and personal corruption masquerading as gumshoe fiction, which has gone on to serve as thematic basis for films such as THE GLASS KEY, YOJIMBO, Leone's "Dollars Trilogy", CHINATOWN, the Coen Brothers' BLOOD SIMPLE (it's title derived from HARVEST), MILLER'S CROSSING, FIVE BROTHERS and numerous works of pulp maestro writer / director Walter Hill (THE DRIVER, LAST MAN STANDING). In literary circles the fiction of Raymond Chandler and Ross Macdonald are surely HARVEST's closest "thematic offspring". And as a life long fan of the mileu, Hill, during his early Hollywood career, was thrilled when tapped by Warners to script 1975's THE DROWNING POOL - based on Macdonald's 1950 novel of the same name. Not pleased with his dark take, the studio parted company with the (at the time) fledgling filmmaker. But years later, after hits such as THE WARRIORS and 48HRS., Hill would return to "Macdonald country" - securing the rights to the author's 1947 noir gem BLUE CITY (also inspired by RED HARVEST) - about a young WW2 vet returning after combat to discover his father has been murdered; and he then seeking answers and vengeance. Serving as screenwriter & producer Hill would update the story to the 1980s - the vet becoming a reformed criminal returned to his former stomping grounds. And the unnamed "Chicago-like" setting would become the mob-ridden underbelly of Florida's touristy / uber visual Key West. In a stunning turn Hill would also hand BLUE CITY's reigns to up and coming filmmaker Michelle Manning - her directorial debut after serving as producer on the John Hughes classics SIXTEEN CANDLES and THE BREAKFAST CLUB. Starring BREAKFAST CLUB alumni Judd Nelson and Ally Sheedy, BLUE CITY was far from a critical or financial darling upon it's 1986 release - tying at that year's "Golden Rasberry Awards" for "Worst Picture" with HOWARD THE DUCK and Prince's UNDER THE CHERRY MOON. Interestingly however, just as with both HOWARD (scored by John Barry) and MOON (with songs by Prince), BLUE CITY's musical contribution would emerge as a bonafied classic apart from the film to which it was attached. Scored (and featuring songs written & produced by) the legendary Ry Cooder (Hill's "go to guy" composer on THE LONG RIDERS, SOUTHERN COMFORT, CROSSROADS, STREETS OF FIRE, JOHNNY HANDSOME, GERONIMO and LAST MAN STANDING), BLUE CITY the soundtrack would become a "turntable gem" as, the film not being a success, it would never receive a CD or otherwise re-release after it's initial 1986 vinyl album debut. Born in March 1947, the accomplishments of Ry Cooder in both popular and film music are too innumerable to catalog. Ranked as #8 on Rolling Stone's listing of "The 100 Greatest Guitarists Of All Time" (he first took up the instrument at age 3), he'd become a legend not only because of his extremely unique "wailing" slide guitar sound, but for his reintroduction into the mainstream of the less mainstream (at the time) beauty of old school "indigenous" music - from down and dirty gut-bucket blues to gospel, southern country rock, urban funk and more years before these mainstays were popular (or even accepted) by the masses. While having collaborated with artists as diverse as Captain Beefheart (whom he credits as helping launch his career), The Rolling Stones, Van Morrison, Eric Clapton, The Chieftains, Doobie Brothers, Randy Newman, Judy Collins and more, he's perhaps now best known to a younger generation of film and music aficionados for his loving tribute to the "back in the day" musicians of Cuba via his triple threat album (1997), Oscar nominated documentary (1999) and worldwide concert touring sensation - THE BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB. CEJ BLUE CITY Personnel: * Vocals (Ry Cooder, Bobby King & Terry Evans - "Pops And Timer") * Guitars (R. Cooder) * Drums (Jim Keltner) * Percussion (Miguel Cruz) * Steel Drums (Robert Greenidge) * Bass (Nathan East, Jorge Calderon) * Keyboards (Jim Dickinson, Bill Cuomo, David Paich, Steve Porcaro) * Organ (Benmont Tench) * Strings Arr. / Cond. (Kirby Johnson) TRACKS: *note* BLUE CITY is taken from an analog source; and as such there may be some mild audio distortion ... 1) Blue City Down - Vocal (0:00 of 14:56) 2) Elevation 13 Ft. - Main Title (3:28 of 14:56) 3) Nice Bike (6:43 of 14:56) 4) Greenhouse (8:14 of 14:56) 5) Billy And Annie (12:14 of 14:57) For more "TunePlay" mini movie music suites go to http://www.gullcottageonline.com/TunePlay-ClarkeApril_12.html "Bear Mann" is a YouTube channel of The GullCottage/Sandlot, a film blog and growing reference library "Celebrating The Art of Cinema, ... And Cinema As Art" Visit us on the web at: http://www.gullcottageonline.com And on FACEBOOK at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-GullCottageSandlot/129683480458380