Soundtracks

Most of you who know me personally know that part of my existence has been the result of a very musical youth. Many have said that I can call a tune for almost any occasion, with lyrics to suit the mood and tone of what is going on. My speciality? R&B.

I love and appreciate music. And I have truly come across some gems over the years because of the movies I've watched. Movie soundtracks are often a treasure trove of music for fans like myself. The music often underscores what is happening on-screen, enriching your viewing experience. In addition to this there are some original songs that are written specifically for use in a movie that you wont find anywhere, sometimes not even on that movie's official soundtrack album. I mention treasure because to find some of these songs has been a akin to a quest for me. I'd like to share four of them with you. None of the four have official music videos, so I've linked each one to the best YouTube renditions I could find.

One of the most complete soundtrack albums ever!

The first one I would like to share with you is Boys and Girls by Tony! Toni! Toné!. It is on the soundtrack album for the movie Soul Food (1997). The jam was one of Tony! Toni! Toné!'s last recordings as a group before Raphael Saddiq left. Boys and Girls is a lively jam, boastfully informing a woman that she needs to leave her current man and come to a much better one. The rest of the soundtrack is quite good, featuring the likes Earth, Wind & Fire; Boyz II Men; Blackstreet; Outkast, Usher & Monica; Puff Daddy and Babyface (who also co-wrote several of the songs on the soundtrack). This album is the first soundtrack album I actually saved up my money and purchased. I consider this album one of the most complete albums ever made, as in there are songs for almost everyone.

Great soundtrack from an underrated Saturday Night Live-based comedy.

The second song I wish to mention is a short one (at just over two minutes): All This Time [Vocal Version] by Lalah Hathaway featuring Marcus Miller, found on the soundtrack for the comedy The Ladies Man (2000). Lalah is the daughter of the late, great soul duet maestro Donny Hathaway. Miller is an extremely talented musician, whose skills are highly sought in the R&B world. There is also a shorter instrumental version of this song on the album. This song is about someone searching far and wide for the person of your dreams when the object of their search is right there in front of them "all this time". The album also features several R&B heavyweights like The Isley Brothers, Al Green, Teddy Pendergrass, Parliament and Stevie Wonder (my favourite artist ever). I bought this album literally just to get this song.

Pharrells' infleunce is all over this soundtrack, to great effect.

The third song is an example of the gems you can miss out on if you don't watch the credits after a movie. During the credits for animated feature Despicable Me (2010), while you watch the shenanigans of The Minions, there is an up-tempo love song called My Life sung by Robin Thicke. Because of the song's theme, it seems slightly out of place in a cartoon aimed at children that had no romantic interests but it is a great song (one that I listen to daily). With the exception of two songs, the soundtrack comprises original compositions written or co-written by Pharrell, who also performs several of them himself (his Fun, Fun, Fun is another infectious hit from this album). I urge you to watch out the credits at the end of this movie; you won't be disappointed at all, musically or comically!

Because of the time period in this film, it features several blast-from-the-past hits!

The fourth song on my list is Broadway Boogie Down by the Beacon Street All Stars. If you're a fan of the disco/funk classics of Earth, Wind & Fire, like me, this song is reminiscent of late 70s EW&F sound (nimble guitar work and horn sections) minus the Maurice White falsettos. The song features during the credits for the comedy Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013) and is listed during the credits. However, the song does not appear on the movie's official soundtrack album. To have heard it, you had to have watched the movie to the very end. This is a great example of a song produced specifically for the movie that you won't find available commercially (and I've tried, really hard!). A shame too, because the song is quite upbeat and infectious, everybody say right on!

I hope that I've entertained you all for a little bit. If you wish, feel free to comment below about songs you know only because you heard them during a movie or TV show.