CD REVIEW - HOUSEBOAT
Houseboat
Music by George Duning
Harkit Records HRKCD 8147 (UK)
17 Tracks 43:13 mins
It's been a long time since I received anything from Harkit Records, but George Duning's music for the 1958 romantic comedy Houseboat, starring Cary Grant and Sophia Loren, just dropped through my door.
Duning is perhaps best known for his "Moonglow" theme, featured in Picnic but, though he never really made it to the A-list of Hollywood composers, he still wrote many a fine score in his time, including Bell, Book & Candle (also available from Harkit) and the original 3:10 To Yuma; and still received three Oscar-nominations for Jolson Sings Again, No Sad Songs for me and From here to Eternity.
Houseboat, originally available as an LP on the Columbia label, is a delightful, melodic album, a mix of score and original source music.
Sophia displays her vocal talents on the somewhat cheesy, but nevertheless catchy, "Bing! Bang! Bong!" and memorable "Love Song from 'Houseboat," the melody of which Duning weaves into his score in arrangements for guitar, trumpet and orchestra. The composer also comes up with a charming theme of his own, initially for harmonica and orchestra, first heard in the "Prelude;" at other times in more romantic mood, as in "Houseboat Haven - Cinzia and Tom." In complete contrast is Duning's dramatic music for the opening of "Lame Brain David - Pig-Headed," though the "Love Song" ends the cue on a happier note. A quirky comedy motif appears in "Cinzia's Gown," though again the "Love Song," at one point with a bluesy refrain, wins out, before giving way to Duning's main theme, which also dominates "Tom and Elizabeth;" the two themes reuniting, with the harmonica making a return in "Love in a Dinghy," before they bring the score to a satisfying conclusion in "Reconciled - End Title."
Duning's scource music is of the big band jazzy variety, popular at the time, and is all very tuneful and enjoyable.
With two such memorable themes as the basis for his score, George Duning produced a winning work for Houseboat, beautifully represented on this fine album, which is accompanied by a synopsis of the film and brief biography of the composer.
Visit www.harkitrecords.com for details of the label's other soundtrack releases.
Houseboat
Music by George Duning
Harkit Records HRKCD 8147 (UK)
17 Tracks 43:13 mins
It's been a long time since I received anything from Harkit Records, but George Duning's music for the 1958 romantic comedy Houseboat, starring Cary Grant and Sophia Loren, just dropped through my door.
Duning is perhaps best known for his "Moonglow" theme, featured in Picnic but, though he never really made it to the A-list of Hollywood composers, he still wrote many a fine score in his time, including Bell, Book & Candle (also available from Harkit) and the original 3:10 To Yuma; and still received three Oscar-nominations for Jolson Sings Again, No Sad Songs for me and From here to Eternity.
Houseboat, originally available as an LP on the Columbia label, is a delightful, melodic album, a mix of score and original source music.
Sophia displays her vocal talents on the somewhat cheesy, but nevertheless catchy, "Bing! Bang! Bong!" and memorable "Love Song from 'Houseboat," the melody of which Duning weaves into his score in arrangements for guitar, trumpet and orchestra. The composer also comes up with a charming theme of his own, initially for harmonica and orchestra, first heard in the "Prelude;" at other times in more romantic mood, as in "Houseboat Haven - Cinzia and Tom." In complete contrast is Duning's dramatic music for the opening of "Lame Brain David - Pig-Headed," though the "Love Song" ends the cue on a happier note. A quirky comedy motif appears in "Cinzia's Gown," though again the "Love Song," at one point with a bluesy refrain, wins out, before giving way to Duning's main theme, which also dominates "Tom and Elizabeth;" the two themes reuniting, with the harmonica making a return in "Love in a Dinghy," before they bring the score to a satisfying conclusion in "Reconciled - End Title."
Duning's scource music is of the big band jazzy variety, popular at the time, and is all very tuneful and enjoyable.
With two such memorable themes as the basis for his score, George Duning produced a winning work for Houseboat, beautifully represented on this fine album, which is accompanied by a synopsis of the film and brief biography of the composer.
Visit www.harkitrecords.com for details of the label's other soundtrack releases.
posted by jeffhall | 1:41 PM
2 Comments:
Tell me how you could review the "Houseboat" soundtrack without mentioning Sam Cooke's "Almost In Your Arms"?!
I wish there had been more of the harmonica theme more evident in the film soundtrack
Tell me how you could review the "Houseboat" soundtrack without mentioning Sam Cooke's "Almost In Your Arms"?!
I wish there had been more of the harmonica theme more evident in the film soundtrack
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