Swinging Scores

I'm going to start off with a very recent movie "Mullholand Drive". To me this is the perfect type of score, it sets the mood, unobtrusively yet is powerfully influencial...A delicate balance. Also in this category, "The Sting."
In the second category,vocals are used, and the music is a bit more obtrusive, but great nevertheless. In this category, I go back to the 70's "Blaxploitation" fliks: The Mack-Willie Hutch
Superfly-Curtis Mayfield
Shaft- isaac Hayes
I suppose there's a third category; The movie about a musician, that isn't quite a musical in the usual sense, ("Bird", " 'Round Midnight", "Amadeus") Whaddaya' think Hebba?

I saw and was amazed by Mulholland Drive but I don´t own the soundtrack.I should check it out.
The Sting:fun movie.Not my cup of tea music wise.
Superfly and Shaft:ALL RIGHT now we´re on the right track.All those wah wah guitars and tight vocals:great stuff indeed.
And your 3rd type,I think they are compilations rather than original scores so they don´t really count.
Does Lalo Schifrin mean much to you?

The music from The Gladiator, by Hans Zimmer
& Lisa Gerrard.....so melancholy, achingly longing
for his home, for his family, a great job of music
that is able to create intense mood adding to the
movie immensely, so much feeling.
or are we looking only for very upbeat scores?

Babs,
...Since I'm sort of a co-conspirator on this, I don't believe Hebba will mind me saying, anything as long as you enjoyed it, after all, MD, was not upbeat, and it fits your definition perfectly.
Hebba,
...Lalo Schifrin; wasn't he the "Mission Impossible" Guy? Which allows me to ease in a sub-topic, TV themes. My all-time favorites from the tube, would have to be: MI...Peter Gunn...Barney Miller...& Law And Order. I'm forcing myself to stop here.

What about Frazier singing
his shows own theme song?

Kelsey sounds like a real Jazz singer. I don't turn off that show, or "Just Shoot Me", until the song is finished.

Uh oh.Digressing already here people!
Lalo Schifrin WAS the Mission Impossible guy.The finest title tune EVER in my opinion.
Man From U.N.C.L.E. was another cool theme tune.Hugo Montenegro scored and arranged a couple of albums which are totally crazy with that 60´s international spy feeling.

"Law and Order", and "MI", are my two favorite themes. Let's not forget the funky "Perry Mason " theme. Probably the most dominant composers of all-time, are Mancini, and Quincy Jones. (digresser and digresser we go)

Older TV - the swingy jazz score to "77 Sunset Strip" and, of course, the jazz score by Hank Mancini for "Peter Gunn."

Hah!... I'll show you old. How about the the most familiar, and oft repeated riff inthe history of TV?.....Du-u-un da dunt-dunt, "My name is Friday."..... Or the rousing "William Tell Overture" to signal the Lo-o-ne Ranger. That really quickened the heartbeat.

Lalo Schifrin penned the "Bullitt" score which is very good.He also did "Dirty Harry" and "Enter The Dragon".And dozens more that I can´t think of right now.


The late 50´s saw the emergence of totally Jazz scores.Especially in French "nouvelle vague" movies.
Will come back with some titles Booman.

Ascenseur Pour L´échafaud by Miles Davis is totally cool.



Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers.

The Rain Man My personal favorite.

Elmer Bernstein's swinging, bluesy jazz score for "The Man with the Golden Arm" was his first big success but looks what this man has wrought:

http://us.imdb.com/Name?Bernstein,+Elmer

Mr.Booman.This is one of my all time favourites.
I think some of the folks may be getting a trifle bored reading about it but wow,a great SCORE .

Michel Legrand could really write ´em.

The Thomas Crown Affair soundtrack,Booman.I think it´s fantastic.

"The Italian Job" is another cracker.Fun film too.
Quincy Jones penned the score and good ol´ Mat Monroe sang the title number "On Days Like These".

Ernest Gold's lilting, sensual score for all those aboard Stanley Kramer's Ship of Fools.