Four million other blogs have already covered the music of Wes Anderson at some point, but with “The Darjeeling Limited” only a few short weeks (and the entire tracklist just revealed) away we thought we’d join the fray – but also try and bring something a little different (as we’re wont to do) by featuring the music that actually never made it to the soundtrack CD of Anderson’s movies (with the odd contextual exception, of course).
As time went by and Anderson’s films became progressively more popular, acquiring songs licenses for both film and CD became easier, but not every track could possibly make the disc for one reason or another (space also being an issue). Here’s an example: Wes has used the Rolling Stones in all his films save one (‘Life Aquatic’) and not one Stones track had ever appeared on any of his official soundtrack discs until ‘Darjeeling.’
Bottle Rocket
Liner Notes: When Anderson first met composer Mark Mothersbaugh he was “wearing glasses that looked to be made of magnesium or titanium” and just after a disastrous ‘Rocket’ test screening, but the quirky Devo composer saw beyond the test audiences’ negative reaction and was excited to work on the project nonetheless. As for the yellow-jumpsuit connection? Anderson said the coincidence was “pure luck.”
Bob Mapplethorpe, potential get-away driver: go! The Synopsis You Already Know: Three inept friends make for inept criminals. “We like to write about characters who have a dream,” Owen Wilson told Rolling Stone in 1998. “Even if it’s a totally wrong dream, it’s admirable that they pursue it.”
On The Run From Johnny Law… Ain’t No Trip to Cleveland – The Music And How Its Used: Anthony (Luke Wilson) and Dignan (Owen Wilson) rob the formers parents home (to Love’s “Seven and Seven Is”), steal a car that turns out to be a Lemon (to the Proclaimers’ “Over and Done With”) and go on the lam with a fireworks/bottle rocket splurge to the very excellent “Zorro Is Back” by Oliver Onions (from the 1975 film “Zorro,”; utilized in a montage sequence that would soon become an Anderson hallmark.*It’s actually on the Bottle Rocket soundtrack disc, but most it’s generally under-appreciated or unknown in many cases). Mothersbaugh’s score generally skews to the jazzier side of things with some Latin flavors thrown in to underscore the South American housecleaning crew.
You Told Your Friend Bernice I’m Some Kind Of Jet Pilot? – Movie Music Only: The moment Anthony instantly falls for the beautiful Paraguayan housekeeper Inez (“Water For Chocolate”‘s Lumi Cavazos) the Spanish rumba strums of Paraguayan afro-cantador (nice touch, Wes) Alberdo Vazquez’s “Préndeme La Vela” can be heard brewing in the background. Later, having just received the approval from Dignan to enjoy his budding romance, Anthony rushes to see Inez and makes love for her for the first time, what’s played? Love of course. The ’60s psych band’s classic and Spanish-horn influenced, “Alone Or Again,” is used for both comic immediacy and sweet effect as the camera tracks the hurried Wilson brother racing off to find his gal.
The World Needs Dreamers – Extra Credit: Wes Anderson’s fascination with Jacques Cousteau is present in almost all his films, if you look closely at the party scene where Mr. Henry (James Caan) and Dignan are on the couch talking, you can see a black and white photo of Cousteau hanging on the wall above their heads.
“They’ll never catch me cause I’m innocent” – In a moment that crystallized Martin Scorsese’s love for this film and his famous testimonial, labeling it one of of the best movies of the ’90s, Dignan is fatefully chased by the police to the Rolling Stone’s “2000 man” (from Their Satanic Majesties Request).
The Rolling Stones “2000 Man” (file here)
Oliver Onions – “Zorro Is Back”
Love – “Seven and Seven Is”
Love – “Alone or Again”
Mark Mothersbaugh – “Rocky”
Abelardo Vásquez – “Préndeme La Vela”
Bottle Rock (The original 13 minute black and white short)
Never seen it? A shitty copy has been floating around on YouTube almost since the site’s existence. A slightly better copy can be found and downloaded over the Wilson Brother’s fansite.
The music in this one again leans towards Anderson’s jazz proclivities (later evinced in Rushmore and in moments of the eventual feature-length “Bottle Rocket” Mothersbaugh score). For longtime fans, it extends deeper into Anderson’s long fascination with Peanuts Christmas composer Vincent Guaraldi (the wonderful “Happiness Is” and “Skating” are used). The short includes lively tracks by Sonny Rollins, Chet Baker, Duke Ellington and ends with Zoot Sims (one of Anderson’s bossa favorites; later to be used again in “Rushmore”).
“You don’t intimidate people with guns, you shoot people with guns.”: The short starts off atypically for Wes: Anthony and Dignan riff on dated, Starsky and Hutch/ Huggy-Bear pop culture references that were in vogue in the early ’90s, but now seem out of place in the anachronistic Anderson milieu. Aside from their noticeable vulgarity – mostly absent in the feature-length version – the short film follows the same pathetic robbery-planning trajectory of the eventual full-blown movie.
Vince Guaraldi – “Happiness Is”
Vince Guaraldi – “Skating”
Sonny Rollins – “Old Devil Moon”
Chet Baker – “The Route”
Zoot Sims -“Jane-O”
Duke Ellington – “Stevie”
Watch: Bottle Rocket (Original 13 minute short)
Watch: Original Trailer
Download The Bottle Rocket short and EPK for your Ipod.
Watch: Abridged Bottle Rocket EPK
The Criterion Edition, Finally?
As long as their has been Internet fan sites, there’s been an online petition to have a better version of “Bottle Rocket” on DVD. According to a recent New York Times podcast, Luke Wilson was asked about the film’s expanded DVD hopes and his response sounds extremely positive. “We just heard last week that I think they’re going to do one of those Criterion versions of it. I don’t know if that’s true, but we did hear that,” he said on the podcast. If this indeed turns out to be the case, expect the short to be made available on this edition (which was allegedly a big part of the deluxe edition hold-out and acquiring those music licenses).
Note: The Old Sony Pictures website from the late ’90s had an excellent and in-depth making-of/historical piece on “Bottle Rocket” that disappeared after the Sony site redesigned itself in the early aughts. After much searching, we’ve found the piece, and for “Bottle Rocket”/Anderson fans, it’s a must read.
All this week we’ll feature Anderson film music not released on the soundtracks. Tomorrow… “Rushmore.”
(PS did Owen Wilson really try commit suicide? He’s been hospitalized and that’s the speculation. If so, that’s pretty sad.).