Journey song at end of Sopranos- tracks that remind you of particular scenes etc

tech77

OK never really paid much attention to that Journey song "Don't stop believing" before it became associated with the ending scene in the Sopranos recently.
Since then however, for me it is indelibly associated with the scene in my mind and It seems to have lent it extra meaning or something. I now actually think it's kinda good in a cheesy way.

Another obvious one for me is Stealer's Wheel's "Stuck in the Middle With You" being forever associated with the Reservoir Dogs' cop torture scene with Michael Madsen.

Just wondering has anyone else here any other tracks that always remind them of a particular movie scene etc and maybe appreciated it more because of that.

Mossy Monk

tech77 wrote:

I now actually think it's kinda good in a cheesy way

It was always good. Even before The Sopranos.

Dudess

Yeah, a lot of the time people will become fans of ludicrous songs in a quirky, ironic, retro, oh-so-postmodern way, but Don't Stop Believin' by Journey is actually a brilliant song, and in receipt of kudos from highly respectable musical quarters for MANY years now - long, long before The Sopranos. I loved it from when I first became aware of it about three years ago and I don't tend to like cheese.
Other eighties "power anthems" that advise you to believe in yourself, never give up etc like St Elmo's Fire/Man in Motion and The Best Around from Karate Kid are shít but yes, enjoyable in a cheesy way.

But Don't Stop Believin' is a genuinely great song.

As for the other part of the question, there are so many films that make great use of songs (and I presume we're not talking about soundtracks specifically written for the film in question, but films that actually use previously existing songs). I think the use of songs in Goodfellas is remarkable - especially the piano part of Layla by Derek and the Dominoes. I also love the way innocent, sweet fifties songs are juxtaposed with scenes of horrible violence. That's such an interesting approach.
David Lynch does something similar in Blue Velvet - that scene with Dean Stockwell lip-synching to Roy Orbison's In Dreams will be etched in my brain forever.

slipss

Yeah I know what you mean about Don't Stop Believin', I always liked the song in anyways but it has taken on a different kind of feel for me since its been used in the Sopranos and I can't hear it now without thinking of that scene.

Another in the same vein would be,

Trainspotting - Perfect Day - Lou Reed - The overdose scene

For me that is probably the best example, in the same way that Dudess was talking about inappropriate sweet fifties song used over murder scenes ect in Goodfellas. Its such a gentle sweet song called perfect day, it seems so out of place initally, but at the same time lyrically it obviously is anything but inappropriate "You just keep me hanging on.........your gonna reap just what you sow" and again although I liked it before I saw the film, now I can't hear the song without thinking of that scene.

tech77

Dudess wrote:

Yeah, a lot of the time people will become fans of ludicrous songs in a quirky, ironic, retro, oh-so-postmodern way, but Don't Stop Believin' by Journey is actually a brilliant song, and in receipt of kudos from highly respectable musical quarters for MANY years now - long, long before The Sopranos. I loved it from when I first became aware of it about three years ago and I don't tend to like cheese.
Other eighties "power anthems" that advise you to believe in yourself, never give up etc like St Elmo's Fire/Man in Motion and The Best Around from Karate Kid are shÃ*t but yes, enjoyable in a cheesy way.

But Don't Stop Believin' is a genuinely great song.

As for the other part of the question, there are so many films that make great use of songs (and I presume we're not talking about soundtracks specifically written for the film in question, but films that actually use previously existing songs). I think the use of songs in Goodfellas is remarkable - especially the piano part of Layla by Derek and the Dominoes. I love the way those innocent, sweet fifties songs are juxtaposed with scenes of horrible violence. That's such an interesting approach.
David Lynch does something similar in Blue Velvet - that scene with Dean Stockwell lip-synching to Roy Orbison's In Dreams will be etched in my brain forever.

Layla piano bit in Goodfellas- great example Dudess.
Good explanation of it's use in the film as well.

Always think of Goodfellas when
i hear it and gives the song's piano ending more poignancy i think.

Maybe i was a bit hard on the Journey song. I do like it. Both lyrically and musically.

tech77

Just remembered another one.
Elliott Smith, Miss Misery. Good Will Hunting.

Captures the bleakness and humdrum nature of their lives' well and also the uncertainty of Will's future well i think.

Dudess

Well actually Layla is from the early eighties - and used to great effect in a later part of the film. Sorry, I should have made it clear that the fifties songs I'm talking about are by people like Bobby Darin, The Shangri-Las, The Ronettes etc - used early in the film.

Howard the Duck

Elliott Smith again... Needle in the hay from the royal Tennenbaums the suicide scene.

grumpytrousers

Dudess wrote:

Well actually Layla is from the early eighties....

A pedant writes...it's from 1970, http://www.connollyco.com/discography/derek_dominos/index.html and (fact fans) the piano bit was written by the drummer of Derek and the Dominos as a completely different song. What in the name of God persuaded them to splice the two together is anybodys guess, but it was certainly inspired.

agree fully with the sentiments expressed by Dudess, mind...the dead bodies in the meat packing van and so on.

Gimme shelter by the Stones is used to devestating effect as well in Goodfellas, right about when the business is beginning to spiral out of control...

JohnnyStones

"Apocalypse Now" with The Door's "The End" think its the helicopter scene

tuxy

"The end" was played at the very start of Apoc now. The helicopter scene is classical music, the name of which escapes me atm .

The_g-man

Wagners "Ride Of The Valkryies".

Take an old song like "Singin' In The Rain" and some people never listen to it the same way afterwards.

Dudess

grumpytrousers wrote:

A pedant writes...it's from 1970

Not pedantic - that's a difference of over ten years! My mistake - there was a vid for it on TOTP 2 recently from 1982 but it was actually re-released then. I knew 1982 seemed a bit late for it.

Latchy

The classical piece (sure it will come to me ) during the slow motion boxing scene in Raging Bull ,were jake la motta (Rob de Niro ) is beating the crap out of some guy .......


The whos ' wont get fooled again ' at the beginning to Miami csi

Dudess

Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana by Mascagni. Also used in The Godfather III and remember a Kleenex ad from the 80s set in rural Italy, with the little boy and the old woman? Somehow I don't think you can disassociate that piece of music with Italians!

Latchy

Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana by Mascagni.

Thats the one , perfectly suited for that slow scene to .....:)

Dudess

Martin Scorsese has such a knack for picking great music for a scene.

JohnnyStones

Back to the Future 1 at the start when Marty's on the skateboard and The Power Of Love by Huey Lewis And The News is playing.

Always think of that movie when i hear that song.

JohnnyStones

tuxy wrote: »

"The end" was played at the very start of Apoc now. The helicopter scene is classical music, the name of which escapes me atm .

It was played over "The End" credits as well, i think?

Sinfonia

The Blue Danube playing over Homer eating floating potato chips in a space shuttle

tech77

The Ennio Morricone score for Cinema Paradiso is fairly memorable as well. Especially the piece of music in the last scene.

giddyup

JohnnyStones wrote: »

It was played over "The End" credits as well, i think?:D

Great thread.

Where it's used most effectivley in the film is when Martin Sheen is killing Brando - when he rises out of the swamp etc. Whenever I hear The End I think of that shot of Martin Sheen.

Re Goodfellas - just before the Layla music( I think) they use Sunshine of your Love when DeNiro is standing at the bar realising he's going to have to kill everyone coz they are can't stop spending their loot. One of my favourite movies/actors/songs in one great moment.

Others
Tracks of My Tears - Platoon
Barbers Adagio for Strings - Platoon
Strauss / Zarathustra - 2001 a blah blah (holy sh1t)

jaysus I could be here all night..

rossie1977

actually Scrubs has been responsible for raising awareness of many songs over the years.

Journeys Don't stop believing was played at the end of the episode "My Journey" which aired on October 9, 2003 (long before the final Sapranos). It featured Elliot on her way to Seaworld in San Diego.

The episode "My old lady" featured an amazing final scene with Hallelujah by John Cale playing in the background from October 16, 2001

i could go on all night with Scrubs because it is such a fantastic show

Obviously Celine Dion's my heart will go on will forever be linked to Titantic

tech77

When you mentioned scrubs it brought to mind that Erasure song "Respect". I think it's Erasure anyway.

Admittedly not in the same league as other tracks mentioned here but enjoyable in a postmodern, ironic way (as Dudess might say).
Used well in Scrubs though.

HorseRadish

"In Too Deep" by Phil Collins in American Psycho. Top stuff:D

Blisterman

Tiny Dancer by Elton John in Almost Famous.

shane86

Dudess wrote: »

Other eighties "power anthems" that advise you to believe in yourself, never give up etc like St Elmo's Fire/Man in Motion and The Best Around from Karate Kid are shít but yes, enjoyable in a cheesy way.

(

Indeed, The Best Around always reminds me of that South Park Rocky pisstake episode

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKyLgRzOTsY

Cracker from The Departed.

That Hendrix song All Along the Watchtower always gives you a generic picture of choppers flying over nam from various films. Sweet Home Alabama reminds me of Con Air.

As for the Journey song, really cant see the appeal, its awful cheese in my view. Is it just me or since the episode has the song been everywhere? Just noticed over the last few weeks, Ive heard it in a local pub, the pool hall, shops and used as the clearing out time type end in 21s nightclub (awful tune to end on, if you are into injury time in the night and still have`nt scored, a bit of Prodigy or Underworld to get you back on the floor is needed for the final roll of the dice, not this cheese )

Why cant they play the Departed tune in my pub, now that is proper drunken dancing

Mushy

SumGuy wrote: »

The Blue Danube playing over Homer eating floating potato chips in a space shuttle

Haha, brilliant, so true!

As for Journey, that song will forever remind me of the scene in Family Guy when they do the karaoke. Specially when the undertakers drop the coffin to run off, then the woman says "Hey, that is journey" then runs off herself.

Schools Out by Alice Cooper will forever be associated with Dazed & Confused, the film. And Beat on the Brat by the Ramones with Billy Madison.

Dave147

Ennio Morricone's score for Cinema Paradiso has been the most meaningful to me. Studied it in school, but have watched it numerous times since, met an italian girl last year, fell head over heels for her, gave her the dvd before she went back to italy and whenever I listen to the soundtrack I think of her, evokes alot of emotion. Beautiful film with beautiful music.

tech77

Dave147 wrote: »

Ennio Morricone's score for Cinema Paradiso has been the most meaningful to me. Studied it in school, but have watched it numerous times since, met an italian girl last year, fell head over heels for her, gave her the dvd before she went back to italy and whenever I listen to the soundtrack I think of her, evokes alot of emotion. Beautiful film with beautiful music.

The way that score is used in that movie is very evocative alright.
A real tear-jerker.