Mancini had an innate sense of the music that could identify the character that it was associated with. A skill that is lacking in todays film composers. Try to imgine The Pink Panther, with different music... You can't, because the music perfectly underscores the farce that follows it.

When discussing his pop music over his dramatic scoring it is important to remember two things...
1. Mancini was under exclusive contract to RCA records. Part of his contract stated that he must produce no less than FIVE LP's a year, whether he wrote a score or not. This explains why we had so many easy listening records like "Mancini Goes Hawaiian". An actual LP, mind you.

2. Composers nowadays enjoy far more control over the work they do, though still not enough. In Mancini's day it was standard to re-record the score before an LP release, which was why so much of his music was arranged for the pop music charts of the time.In fact in his excellent auto-biography
"Did They Mention The Music?", Mancini expressed regret over some of the choices he made, stating that his favourite version of "Moon River" was the one that Audrey Hepburn sang in the film. But the studio wouldn't pay for the Mega-Star to re-record it and the option of the chorus was the next best thing. Not a bad comprimise really, though I agree with Mr.Mancini about the performance by the charming Ms. Hepburn.

Henry Mancini did write some wonderfully engaging dramatic music like that in Lifeforce (a simply awful movie) and Wait Until Dark, (the studio wanted someone else, but Audrey Hepburn insisted that Mancini write the score). But I would just be greatful for any amount of Hank Mancini's music to show up on CD. Truth be told, Mancini at his worst is still better than 95% of the s--t Hollywood passes off as film music now!

So let's raise our glasses and say... Hank, we miss you!

All together now...

Moon River,
Wider than a mile.
I'm crossing you in style,
Someday.

Oh, Dream Maker
You Heartbreaker.
Wherever you're goin'
I'm goin' your way.

Two Drifters
Off to see the World
There's such a lot of World
To See.

We're after the same
Rainbow's end
Waitin' round the bend
My Huckleberry Friend
Moon River, and Me.

Henry Mancini said that he wrote Moon River especially for Ms. Hepburn. Her range was very narrow so he was careful to craft a song that fell within in.

The chorus is nice, but nothing is more poignant than hearing her sing that song now that both Henry Mancini and Audrey Hepburn are gone. Breakfast at Tiffany’s is one of my favorite movies with Mancini music despite Holly’s profession, her essential innocence is utterly charming.

I've been thinking of buying "Charade," but just by looking at the track listings, it looks like I would only be listening to one track, the main theme. I was hoping it would have that chase music that was also mentioned earlier.

quote:

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Originally posted by Gae:
I bought a Spanish Import version of "Arabesque" years back and the music on the album seems to be a different recording to what actually appears in the film. Can anyone confirm this please?

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I'd love a complete Charade (the final chase suspense music is marvellous), but I guess I'm going to have to make to with Lifeforce and the upcoming Silver Streak....