Folk Songs In Movie Soundtracks

Subject: RE: Folk Songs In Movie Soundtracks
From: GUEST,The HITMAN-SID
Date: 02 Dec 06 - 12:11 AM

Erland van Lidth song "Birmingham Jail" in the movie Stir Crazy. Although he died in a few years after that movie was released. He is the same guy that played "Dynamo" in the movie "The Running Man".

Subject: RE: Folk Songs In Movie Soundtracks
From: GUEST,The HITMAN-SID
Date: 02 Dec 06 - 12:01 AM

Erland van Lidth song "Birmingham Jail" in the movie Stir Crazy. Although he died in a few years after that movie was released. He is the same guy that played "Dynamo" in the movie "The Running Man".

Subject: RE: Folk Songs In Movie Soundtracks
From: GUEST,Northerner
Date: 01 Dec 06 - 11:30 AM

"I know where I'm going" in the film of the same name.   Surely there are also one or two songs in "Whisky Galore?"

Subject: RE: Folk Songs In Movie Soundtracks
From: GUEST,Murray on Saltspring
Date: 30 Nov 06 - 08:01 PM

- And who can forget the singing of Humphrey Bogart in "The African Queen"? - The song was "The Bold Fisherman", who sailed out of Pimlico; and the film ends with the couple swimming away singing the song. [Which is in the DT.]

Subject: RE: Folk Songs In Movie Soundtracks
From: GUEST,Murray on Saltspring
Date: 30 Nov 06 - 06:42 PM

If I mind correctly, there's a great scene in "The Waking of Ned Devine" where a woman [real folk??] gives a good rendition of "Down by the Zoological Gardens".

Subject: RE: Folk Songs In Movie Soundtracks
From: Joe_F
Date: 29 Nov 06 - 08:47 PM

"I Know Where I'm Going" was sung, uninspiringly and pointlessly, in the movie of that name. The heroine of the movie could not have been less like the lady in the song.

Subject: RE: Folk Songs In Movie Soundtracks
From: tubeman
Date: 29 Nov 06 - 06:45 PM

What about the Mel Gibson film When We Were Soldiers Sergeant Mckenzie by Clann An Drumma

Subject: RE: Folk Songs In Movie Soundtracks
From: tubeman
Date: 29 Nov 06 - 06:40 PM

Subject: RE: Folk Songs In Movie Soundtracks
From: EBarnacle
Date: 29 Nov 06 - 12:25 PM

Amazing, No one has mentioned Shendoah yet. It is featured in Across the Wide Missouri and several other films.
One of my favorite pseudo folk songs occurs in Taras Bulba as a drinking song: We are the Cossacks.... The song makes the movie.

Subject: RE: Folk Songs In Movie Soundtracks
From: Scoville
Date: 29 Nov 06 - 11:42 AM

Matewan is full of gospel songs (sung by Hazel Dickens, no less).

Subject: RE: Folk Songs In Movie Soundtracks
From: GUEST,wolfie
Date: 29 Nov 06 - 11:06 AM

1969\movie -
The Thomas Crown Affair (original)
song:
The Circle Game
Artist:
Joni Mitchell

A luvly background sung to a glider (sailplane) that Steve McQueen is piloting.
Given his penchent for speed, danger and mobiles of all sorts, I'd say he actually is.
The tune is wonderfully descriptive of the motion of that plane.

But actually: My vote goes to:
1969 / Alice's Restaurant /
song:
Songs to Aging Children Come
artist: Joni again

The scene in the movie where the young confused somewhat druggie dude has somehow managed to self-destruct, and they are having a bit of a funereal spot of sober reflection o'er his remains, and a young somewhat anonymous woman sings a heartbreakingly fine and simple version of this song, accompanied by her own guitar, and astonishingly chilled by the outdoor post-Thanksgiving weather, complete with real snowflakes and frosted breath.

Here's a question for all beleivers...
Was there any actual died in the wool folk in the movie, "Grapes of Wrath" ? (the original - with Henry Fonda) - can't remember.
I would say if there were - this would probably be one of the earliest movies it shows up in, wouldn't you say?

cheers,

Subject: RE: Folk Songs In Movie Soundtracks
From: number 6
Date: 28 Nov 06 - 11:07 PM

Ok ... not quite folk music ... but I think it's worth mentioning here in this thread ...

W.C. Handy's "Long Gone" in the movie The Defiant Ones.

biLL

Subject: RE: Folk Songs In Movie Soundtracks
From: GUEST,Trubrit
Date: 28 Nov 06 - 10:35 PM

Not folk songs per se, but McCabe and Mrs. Miller had the most wonderful soundtrack of Leonard Cohen songs (sung by the man himself) - some of these songs might be now argued to have achieved folk status (Sisters of Mercy?)

Subject: RE: Folk Songs In Movie Soundtracks
From: GUEST,Peter Taylor
Date: 28 Nov 06 - 07:53 AM

I am told that Clint Eastwood recites 'Sam Hall' in 'Two mules for Sister Sara', while the song was featured in the 1956 western 'Star in the Dust', in which Clint also appeared, as an unnamed ranch-hand.

Subject: RE: Folk Songs In Movie Soundtracks
From: The Walrus
Date: 28 Nov 06 - 06:32 AM

No one seems to have mentioned the version of "Garryowen" in Errol Flynn's "They Died With Their Boots On".

W

Subject: RE: Folk Songs In Movie Soundtracks
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 27 Nov 06 - 08:13 PM

O.k., so it's not a feature film, but given the poor sound quality, it was fun to spot the tune popularized by Patrick Street in the background of this spot: Monkeys.

~ Becky in Tucson

Subject: RE: Folk Songs In Movie Soundtracks
From: sciencegeek
Date: 27 Mar 06 - 07:50 PM

Speaking of the old black & white films, Spencer Tracy did some singing in the 1930's film "Captains Courageous".   I'll think of more around the middle of the night when I should be sleeping....LOL.

Subject: RE: Folk Songs In Movie Soundtracks
From: kytrad (Jean Ritchie)
Date: 27 Mar 06 - 06:24 PM

The girl's voice singing the songs in, "Far From the Madding Crowd" was that of Isla Cameron. Of Scottish extraction I think, but lived in London when we knew her in the 1950s.

Subject: RE: Folk Songs In Movie Soundtracks
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Mar 06 - 11:35 PM

There's a few sets and songs in the newest addition to the Ned Kelly films- the one with heath Ledger and Orlando Bloom in it- There's one song in it, while they're all in the local pub, and I REALLY wish I could figure out what the name is!

I know it's pretty obvious, but the Ron Maxwell movies, Gettysburg and Gods and Generals both have tons of the irish and mid-nineteenth century American music in them. Paddy Moloney of the Chieftains plays pipes when Mullholland's Yankee irish lads face off with the Georgian irish Confederates at... i believe... Fredericksburg. David Kincaid is an absolutely awesome musician/singer/Civil War reenactor and he even has an appearance playing 'Bonnie Blue Flag' (the tune of which is the 'Irish Jaunting Car') as well as John Whelan (who does alot of work with David)

Last of the Mohicans mainly had that really repetetive fiddle thing... a nice little jig, but I think they should have had a few other themes throughout.

Thomasina has alot of trad music in it, too.

But yeah, if anyone knows what that song in "Ned Kelly" is, let me know? [e-mail]

Thanks
Jamie

Subject: RE: Folk Songs In Movie Soundtracks
From: Weasel Books
Date: 02 Feb 05 - 05:04 AM

Black Hawk Down, the closing scene where they all sing the Minstrel Boy.
The Sharpe series of TV films use lots of folk songs, especially Over the Hills (Words tailored to fit the Peninsular War). John Tams played one of the main characters, so no surprises. In Rifles, Daragh O'Malley plays the Salamanca on a tin whistle, pretty sure the tune is later, but it's lovely.
Song Catcher was a lousy film, but great songs.
Didn't the McGann brothers film, the one in 1840s(?) Ireland, have some songs in it?
In the Name of the Father has Lizzy's Whiskey in the Jar.

Subject: RE: Folk Songs In Movie Soundtracks
From: rich-joy
Date: 02 Feb 05 - 04:58 AM

Does anyone have any inside knowledge about the 1967 "Far From the Madding Crowd" (Julie Christie et al) being released on DVD sometime????

I love Hardy's books and their movies - I can source the 1998 version of "FFTMC" on DVD easily enough, but hanker after that early version from my teenage years!!!


Anyone???


Cheers! R-J

Subject: RE: Folk Songs In Movie Soundtracks
From: GUEST,Bob Coltman
Date: 01 Feb 05 - 06:39 PM

"The Humour Is On Me Now" in Quiet Man. See discussion thread, which includes lyrics...though the song itself isn't in the archive.

Meanwhile, note "Alaska Mike's Songs in the Movies" thread. Bgolly the man is getting ready to add to the list!

Bob

Subject: RE: Folk Songs In Movie Soundtracks
From: GUEST,Bob Coltman
Date: 01 Feb 05 - 06:31 PM

"Shame and Scandal" ("Harlem Man") in Val Lewton's film (title escapes me: I Walked With a Zombie?). Sung by a pretty good, very serious singer, not the Duke of Iron...Lord Invader? Or just an actor?
Any number of Gene Autry films of course, with songs mostly in an early-country music vein.

I know more will come to me as soon as I send this off (perversity of memory).

Subject: RE: Folk Songs In Movie Soundtracks
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Feb 05 - 05:12 AM

I know that members of The New Scorpion Band have contributed to many film scores - Tim Laycock's concertina playing features strongly in The Shipping News; Bob White plays pipes on Lord of the Rings and several of them were involved with the soundtrack for Gangs of New York. They also acted as the Casterbridge Town Band in the most recent version of Mayor of Casterbridge with Ciaran Hinds.

Subject: RE: Folk Songs In Movie Soundtracks
From: Teresa
Date: 01 Feb 05 - 04:17 AM

Well, for me, it's not just a question of the music, but the context. I seem to really like John Sayles' movies. _Matewan_, _Secret of Roan Inish_, _Limbo_ (which has a wonderful rendition of "Dimming of the Day"; not traditional, but love that song).

Also, I loved _Salmonberries, with k.d. lang.

teresa

Subject: RE: Folk Songs In Movie Soundtracks
From: Kaleea
Date: 01 Feb 05 - 03:27 AM

The older black & white films from Hollywood--especially the Westerns--are filled with American folk songs, from America & wherever American immigrants came from. Even before there were "soundtrack albums" for every   movie. The Musical Directors often used appropriate geographical folk Music for period movies which were not musicals. If you take note of the Musical Director for a particular movie in which you find lots of folk songs, you will likely find more folk Music in other films in which that person was Musical Director. Likewise some were composers & trying to get theirMusic, or the Music of some other composer, popularized.

Subject: RE: Folk Songs In Movie Soundtracks
From: GUEST,Shane Thans
Date: 31 Jan 05 - 07:27 AM

Hiya!
I have been trying for some time now to loacte the original song from the movie "Stir Crazy", the song is "Birmingham Jail" and was sung by ? I have the original artist version (slim whitman) but am searching for the version sung in the movie,.
Any help would be apreciated!

Thanks in advance.
Shane

Subject: RE: Folk Songs In Movie Soundtracks
From: Tracey Dragonsfriend
Date: 22 Nov 04 - 08:00 AM

Surprisingly, "Green Sally Up" is over the start of the new version of "Gone in 60 Seconds". A peculiar choice, but good...

Tracey Dragonsfriend
www.scorchpyro.co.uk

Subject: RE: Folk Songs In Movie Soundtracks
From: Splott Man
Date: 22 Nov 04 - 07:43 AM

The Fiddlers' Green that I know was written by John Connolly who is still very much about and performing

Subject: RE: Folk Songs In Movie Soundtracks
From: Nerd
Date: 21 Nov 04 - 02:14 AM

Breaker Morant has a brief sequence with a scotsman singing an old lament...

La Bamba has La Bamba, which is a folksong.

Subject: RE: Folk Songs In Movie Soundtracks
From: Nerd
Date: 21 Nov 04 - 01:47 AM

Yes, Guy, Roger Miller as the singing minstrel/rooster is a highlight of that version of Robin Hood.

There are a couple of songs in the recent Master and Commander; one ballad is sung by the sailing master, several by the crew, one by the lieutenant with authority issues, and I'm pretty sure Jack himself gets a line of something in.

They also have a guy playing Uillean pipes aboard; VERY unlikely in that era aboard a British man o' war, but there you have it...that's Hollywood.

Subject: RE: Folk Songs In Movie Soundtracks
From: Guy Wolff
Date: 20 Nov 04 - 10:17 PM

How about "Long Black Vale " That must be in some movie ??? <><<>><> Ahhh "I gave my love an Apple" was in "Animal House" .I knew I would get one. They did break the guitar half way through but its in there !!
                Also there was a very good movie about the early years of the VietNAm era called "Dog Fight " That had a ton of early folk things. There must have been at least seven good ones in there all true folk songs. Ah redemption !! .
               Anything in "Last Of the Mohicans" ???
               Though this dose not count in one way , I think they showed how folk songs come about in the kids movie " Robin Hood" Making up songs as the story unfolds was a great lesson in how songs get written. . The guy that sang "Dang Me" , Roger Miller made them up . Very playfull .
        In its a Wonderful Life Jimmy Stewart sings to his Girl friend in the bushs . Is that one a folk song??
        I will go looking to get the answers to these inportant questions all . !!! All the best , guy

Subject: RE: Folk Songs In Movie Soundtracks
From: Guy Wolff
Date: 20 Nov 04 - 10:17 PM

I really loved the song " Back in the saddle again" as Tom Hanks dials the phone to try to get a date in Sleepless in Seattle. "Back in the saddle again" HUMM ... is country western if we are splitting hairs ... Lets see . How many times has Amazing Grace been song at a grave site in a movie ?? Thats not folk in a certain light either. .... Well no one has mentioned all the great work (is it Jon Tames ) did in the Sharps Rifles searies .. Wait thats not a movie ..Im really striking out here .
                I do think Rye Cooder's work in the Long Riders is masterful musicianship at its finast !!

Subject: RE: Folk Songs In Movie Soundtracks
From: Guy Wolff
Date: 20 Nov 04 - 09:51 PM

I really loved the song " Back in the saddle again" as Tom Hanks dials the phone to try to get a date in Sleepless in Seattle. "Back in the saddle again" HUMM ... is country western if we are splitting hairs ... Lets see . How many times has Amazing Grace been song at a grave site in a movie ?? Thats not folk in a certain light either. .... Well no one has mentioned all the great work (is it Jon Tames ) did in the Sharps Rifles searies .. Wait thats not a movie ..Im really striking out here .
                I do think Rye Cooder's work in the Long Riders is masterful musicianship at its finast !!

Subject: RE: Folk Songs In Movie Soundtracks
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Nov 04 - 08:13 PM

Don't forget Simon & Garfunkel's Mrs. Robinson in "The Graduate".

                                                       Sol Zeller

Subject: RE: Folk Songs In Movie Soundtracks
From: Lighter
Date: 20 Nov 04 - 07:08 PM

Twas Capercaillie's Karen Matheson singing in "Braveheart."

Listen closely for a stanza of "Sally Brown" in the A&E movie "The Crossing."

And did you know that when the Confederate submarine snuck up on that Yankee ship during the Civil War, the crew could hear the Yankees singing "Fiddler's Green," an "old Irish" ditty that somebody's mom used to croon to him years before? You can watch it happen in TNT's "The Hunley" (1999).

Subject: RE: Folk Songs In Movie Soundtracks
From: Lighter
Date: 20 Nov 04 - 07:01 PM

Mick Jagger sings "The Wild Colonial Boy" to TWO DIFFERENT TUNES in "Ned Kelly." It gave me new respect for the man.

Subject: RE: Folk Songs In Movie Soundtracks
From: Nerd
Date: 20 Nov 04 - 06:54 PM

eliza,

actually, almost all of the Shape-note singing in Cold Mountain was done by Shape-note singers, not by the actors. In one scene you can vaguely hear some of the actors' real voices; they used a shotgun mic during the filming in Romania, and then mixed that into the sacred harp sings they recorded in Alabama, so you hear 1 actor and 65 Sacred harp singers in each shot! Tim told me he mostly taught them to look like they were singing it!

Of course, Tim was Brendan Gleeson's singing voice as well.

Subject: RE: Folk Songs In Movie Soundtracks
From: Tannywheeler
Date: 20 Nov 04 - 05:05 PM

Guest, I remember a Greensleeves tune with the "...build me a home in the meadow" line in How The West Was Won -- Debbie Reynolds' character doing the singing.

Sometime in the 1930s or '40s Tyrone Power was in a movie about West Point Academy, with Maureen O'Hara. She sang a lullaby I had only heard done by Clancy Bros./Tommy Makem -- The October Winds. That is, I first heard it in the late '50s-early '60s by CB/TM, then, in the last 5 yrs ran into the movie on late-night tv and heard the song there.    Tw

Subject: RE: Folk Songs In Movie Soundtracks
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Nov 04 - 04:51 PM

I can't add very much that is specific, but presumably the film about Woody Guthrie starring David Carradine as Woody Guthrie (was it called "Bound for Glory"?) featured a few of Guthrie's songs.

Oh and I remember first hearing "Down in the Valley" on "Stir Crazy"), a comedy film set mainly in prison starring Gene Wilder and Richard Prior, in which the song was sung by one prisoner in the jail and joined in by others. Mind you it was several years before I discovered the name of the song (I thought it might be called "Birmingham Jail", and eventually recognised the tune on musical CD-ROM available from www.traditionalmusic.co.uk). I think I have heard it called Birmingham Jail.

Among the worst singing I have heard in films are (a) John Wayne singing "Streets of Laredo" (b) An actress (perhaps Shirley Jones, later of the Partridge Family?) singing a song to the tune of Greensleeves but to different words (the only bit I can remember, mercifully is "And build me a home in the meadow" or similar.

Come to think of it, it is remarkable how few folk songs, even on the more liberal interpretation, have been suggested so far as occurring in films. Either people's memory is poor, or as I suspect, relatively few folk songs have been used in films. Presumably as films cost millions to make, there is no point in saving a few hundred or thousand on royalties by using traditional and hence non-copyright material. I suppose it makes sense to pay someone to write an appropriate song or songs for the type of film, which may sound like a traditional song even if it is not.

I suppose one could extend the scope of this thread a little bit by listing folk songs or tunes used in TV or radio programs. One of my favourite TV programs (of the 1970s) was "When the Boat Comes In", a drama set mainly in the North-east of England from about the early 20th century (before the 1st world war) and ending at the Spanish Civil War (1936-39) with the death of the main character, Jack Ford (played by that very versatile actor, James Bolam). As you might expect, the theme song was "When the Boat Comes in", sung I think by Alex Glasgow.

Subject: RE: Folk Songs In Movie Soundtracks
From: GUEST,Nick
Date: 13 Nov 04 - 07:40 PM

The Shipping News Has several Great Big Sea Renditions of tunes, some must be folk/trad, but I forget which and they are quite a bit in the background during the diner scenes. There are probably more tunes in that movie that I don't recognise.

I have the feeling there must be some in the early part of "Coal Miners Daughter" ... musn't there?

Whack Fall The Day
Nick

Subject: RE: Folk Songs In Movie Soundtracks
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 13 Nov 04 - 06:00 PM

The Dead did have Frank Patterson singing a parlor type version of Lord Gregory/Mary on the wild Moor.

Subject: RE: Folk Songs In Movie Soundtracks
From: *Laura*
Date: 13 Nov 04 - 05:20 PM

It's not actually a film, but in Thomas Hardy's 'Tess' there is a version of Lenady/Lemady (never quite sure which it is)

Subject: RE: Folk Songs In Movie Soundtracks
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Nov 04 - 03:48 PM

I'm an idiot. "The Dead" was John Huston's brilliant last film. What was I thinking, comparing Ford to Huston?

Subject: RE: Folk Songs In Movie Soundtracks
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Nov 04 - 03:33 PM

I loved Sinead's rendition of "She Moves Through the Fair" in Michael Collins. Excellent example of matching music to the film.

Another I thought of: "Bamboozled" the Spike Lee film. Now, all those songs, AFAIK, were written by contemporary musicians, but I thought they were a freakin' brilliant scathing satire of the minstrel tradition.

And jumping around in time a bit, didn't the film "How Green Was My Valley" have some traditional music in it? As I think back on the era of melodramas like that, I also think of "Ryan's Daughter" which had traditional music, though I can't recall if there was any traditional songs in it.

Also, thinking of John Ford films, there was the beautifully crafted "The Dead" which had mostly drawing room music, and I'm wracking my brain now to recall if it had any traditional music or singing in it.

I do wish imdb.com included information on the film soundtracks. Does anyone know of a website that pays serious attention to the art of film scoring AND includes a database of films and their soundtracks?

Subject: RE: Folk Songs In Movie Soundtracks
From: Ima Gittin'
Date: 13 Nov 04 - 03:19 PM

Also the movie "Babe".......when farmer Hoggitt sang to Babe to make him eat....not even mention the xmas tunes...

Subject: RE: Folk Songs In Movie Soundtracks
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Nov 04 - 02:16 PM

Surely the most famous instance of folk song in the movies is Robert Shaw singing " Farewell and Adieu, You Sweet Spanish Ladies " in the blockbuster movie " Jaws ".

Subject: RE: Folk Songs In Movie Soundtracks
From: GUEST,eliza c
Date: 13 Nov 04 - 01:37 PM

Just watched Cold Mountain last night, noticing not just Riley B but the beautifuls Tim Eriksen and Dirk Powell making major contributions as well, not least teaching a load of actors how to sing shape note style. Good on them. Barry Dransfield crops up in some films too, can't remember which ones. I thought that "ain true love" thing with Alison Krauss was dreadful though.
xe

Subject: RE: Folk Songs In Movie Soundtracks
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 13 Nov 04 - 01:27 PM

Ken Russell's "Lair of the White Worm" has an up-beat version of "The Lambton Worm"

Nigel

Subject: RE: Folk Songs In Movie Soundtracks
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 12 Nov 04 - 08:19 PM

Outlaw Josey Wales has bits of Rose of Alabama and Sweet Betsy from Pike.