Top: Beatles, Wayne Newton. Then Sigue Sigue Sputnik, Yello and Dream Academy.
The late John Hughes not only knew how to make a great movie, he also knew how to use music that could score on the Pop charts. Take, for example, the soundtrack to Ferris Bueller's Day Off, the 1986 film starring Matthew Broderick. The movie was not only a big hit, but it became an iconic part of Pop Culture, with an assortment of things like the phrase "Bueller. Bueller. Bueller," and other memorable moments. Another such moment is when Ferris is in the parade in downtown Chicago, lip synching to a classic old song. When Ferris pops up on the float 'singing' Wayne Newton's Danke Schoen. Here is a clip of Newton singing it in 1968 live. Now, it might be me, but doesn't he look like Justin Bieber?
While still in that parade, Ferris didn't shy away from a bit of rock 'n roll, delivering more lip synch with the Beatles' Twist And Shout.
I am not sure how Hughes discovered a somewhat esoteric Swiss electronica band, but he not only found them, he used them perfectly. Yello, with bandmembers Carlos Perón, Dieter Meier and Boris Blank, supplied a song that is instantly recognizable, although if I asked about the song Oh Yeah, you might draw a blank until you hit play. Here is the video for it.
There were very few bands that were like the New Wave outfit Sigue Sigue Sputnik. The band grew out of the great punk band Generation X, bringing the attitude and tempo with the slick New Wave style. Hughes used the song Love Missile F1-11 in the movie, and here is the video from the band.
While it was used as an instrumental, Hughes also had a cover of a song of The Smiths on the soundtrack. The Dream Academy supplied a gorgeous, mystical and lush version of Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want for the film, and you can watch it here.
That John Hughes, he certainly knew how to score a movie, didn't he?
One of the 1st posts I blogged was on John Hughes (RIP) - his movies had the best music - post punk - so classic. I mean take Breakfast Club - Simple Minds had one of the best songs of the decade and made then a success in the US.
ReplyDeleteFerris was no exception - I heard Love Missile F 1 - 11 by SSS a few months before from the UK Charts and it was great he could put it in that soundtrack.
And Yello - yeah - how did he come across that - he definitely felt great music and he was a definitive part of music from the 80's.
SteveA, So true, he made many a hit for some new names. Simple Minds was one of them, and they made such great music!
ReplyDeleteYes, SSS were great, and Yello - I'd love to know how he got that one. But that was part of the brilliance of the soundtracks!