Chart Hit That Missed The Soundtrack

admin · Post by **admin** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 3:55 am

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance was one of my favourite movies as a child. This 1962 Western was filled with big name artists including James Stewart, John Wayne and Lee Marvin, and directed by John Ford.

I was always amazed that Gene Pitney's "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence" was not in the soundtrack for the movie but would become a hit for him. Pitney had the perfect balance of angst in this song to have made his hit an even bigger one had it appeared in the movie.

Were there any other hit songs like this one that were based on and written for the movie but in which the hit version did not appear on the soundtrack?

kenposurf · Post by **kenposurf** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 4:47 am

Great movie and a great song as well. In the movie Crossroads they cut the "Cutting Heads" guitar duel.

royclough · Post by **royclough** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 8:25 am

Many people take Gene Pitney's recording of "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" to be the theme song from the movie but, as Gene himself reported: "The song 'Liberty Valance' was written for the movie but for some strange reason never was put in the sound track. Because of the prior success with "Town Without Pity" I was paid a bundle to record the song, and Burt Bacharach produced it. He wrote the song with Hal David. There was some screw-up between the publishing company, Famous Music, and the parent company, Paramount Pictures, as to why it never was in the actual film[...] The most bizarre part of the story I found out a few years ago. The actual music used in the film was from a 1938 Henry Fonda film called Young Mr. Lincoln (1939). Go figure that out!"

Another quirky one is High Noon the hit version was by Frankie Laine but it was a version by Tex Ritter that was used on the soundtrack. I am not certain if Laine recorded his version after the film was released though.

Also Roy Orbison recorded a song for the film Zabriskie Point but called it So Young though.

Dawn comes up so young, dreams begin so young
And if you live just for today the day may soon be done
But there's a place where dreams always stay so young

Here's an extract from the lyrics clearly wrote for the movie hence the reference with the lyrics but never used, great song too.

A place to hear the sun go down and fade away
To see the wind just run away with yesterday
Anyplace for those who care zabriskie point is anywhere
Time runs out so fast on love too good to last,so young

admin · Post by **admin** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 8:53 am

Nice work. Thanks for adding these interesting facts here Roy.

admin · Post by **admin** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 8:58 am

Perhaps you recognize this little tune.

Born on a mountain top in Tennessee
Greenest state in the land of the free
Raised in the woods so he knew ev'ry tree
Kilt him a b'ar when he was only three
Davy, Davy Crockett, king of the wild frontier!

In eighteen thirteen the Creeks uprose
Addin' redskin arrows to the country's woes
Now, Injun fightin' is somethin' he knows,
So he shoulders his rifle an' off he goes
Davy, Davy Crockett, the man who don't know fear!

Off through the woods he's a marchin' along
Makin' up yarns an' a singin' a song
Itchin' fer fightin' an' rightin' a wrong
He's ringy as a b'ar an' twict as strong
Davy, Davy Crockett, the buckskin buccaneer!

Andy Jackson is our gen'ral's name
His reg'lar soldiers we'll put to shame
Them redskin varmints us Volunteers'll tame
'cause we got the guns with the sure-fire aim
Davy, Davy Crockett, the champion of us all!~

Headed back to war from the ol' home place
but Red Stick was leadin' a merry chase
Fightin' an' burnin' at a devil's pace
South to the swamps on the Florida Trace
Davy, Davy Crockett, trackin' the redskins down!

Fought single-handed through the Injun War
till the Creeks was whipped an' peace was in store
An' while he was handlin' this risky chore
Made hisself a legend for evermore
Davy, Davy Crockett, king of the wild frontier!

He give his word an' he give his hand
that his Injun friends could keep their land
An' the rest of his life he took the stand
that justice was due every redskin band
Davy, Davy Crockett, holdin' his promise dear!

Home fer the winter with his family
Happy as squirrels in the ol' gum tree
Bein' the father he wanted to be
Close to his boys as the pod an' the pea
Davy, Davy Crockett, holdin' his young'uns dear!

But the ice went out an' the warm winds came
An' the meltin' snow showed tracks of game
An' the flowers of Spring filled the woods with flame
An' all of a sudden life got too tame
Davy, Davy Crockett, headin' on West again!

Off through the woods we're ridin' along
Makin' up yarns an' singin' a song
He's ringy as a b'ar an' twict as strong
An' knows he's right 'cause he ain' often wrong
Davy, Davy Crockett, the man who don't know fear!

Lookin' fer a place where the air smells clean
Where the trees is tall an' the grass is green
Where the fish is fat in an untouched stream
An' the teemin' woods is a hunter's dream
Davy, Davy Crockett, lookin' fer Paradise!

Now he's lost his love an' his grief was gall
In his heart he wanted to leave it all
An' lose himself in the forests tall
but he answered instead his country's call
Davy, Davy Crockett, beginnin' his campaign!

Needin' his help they didn't vote blind
They put in Davy 'cause he was their kind
Sent up to Nashville the best they could find
a fightin' spirit an' a thinkin' mind
Davy, Davy Crockett, choice of the whole frontier!

The votes were counted an' he won hands down
So they sent him off to Washin'ton town
With his best dress suit still his buckskins brown
A livin' legend of growin' renown
Davy, Davy Crockett, the Canebrake Congressman!

He went off to Congress an' served a spell
Fixin' up the Govern'ments an' laws as well
Took over Washin'ton so we heered tell
An' patched up the crack in the Liberty Bell
Davy, Davy Crockett, seein' his duty clear!

Him an' his jokes travelled all through the land
An' his speeches made him friends to beat the band
His politickin' was their favorite brand
An' everyone wanted to shake his hand
Davy, Davy Crockett, helpin' his legend grow!

He knew when he spoke he sounded the knell
of his hopes for White House an' fame as well
But he spoke out strong so hist'ry books tell
An' patched up the crack in the Liberty Bell
Davy, Davy Crockett, seein' his duty clear!

When he come home his politickin' done
The western march had just begun
So he packed his gear an' his trusty gun
An' lit out grinnin' to follow the sun
Davy, Davy Crockett, leadin' the pioneer!

He heard of Houston an' Austin so
To the Texas plains he jest had to go
Where freedom was fightin' another foe
An' they needed him at the Alamo
Davy, Davy Crockett, the man who don't know fear!

His land is biggest an' his land is best
From grassy plains to the mountain crest
He's ahead of us all meetin' the test
Followin' his legend into the West
Davy, Davy Crockett, king of the wild frontier!

I believe that Bill Hayes sung the Ballad Of Davy Crockett in the movie. But as a child I had a 78, yes a 78 rpm record of The Ballad Of Davy Crockett and I am recall that it was sung by Fess Parker. Perhaps Georgie Clough will help out here.

royclough · Post by **royclough** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 11:21 am

There were 3 hit versions of Ballad Of Davy Crockett in the states Haye's version made no 1, Parker's version made no 5 as did a version by "Tennessee" Ernie Ford. Yet another version by Walter Schuman made no 14.

In UK 4 versions were hits but not Parker's Hayes made no 2,Ford no 3, Dick James no 14 and good old Max Bygraves no 20.

I am not sure however that Hayes version was in the film, which was originally a 3 part TV series and I believe it featured in the Tv series.

I may be wrong here but the film was possibly bits of each TV show, originally Buddy Ebsen was to play Davy Crockett till Walt Disney saw Parker in a film and went for him instead.

In the classic film The Alamo of course Crockett was played by John Wayne, but to most of us over 50 Parker was Crockett.

Come on own up who's still got the coonskin hat!.

admin · Post by **admin** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 4:05 am

Alas, my Davy Crockett hat has gone missing Roy. Perhaps we could see a photo of yours.

admin · Post by **admin** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 4:12 am

It would seem that Fess Parker did cut at least one album. My record must have been by Bill Hayes as I cannot locate a single by Fess.

admin · Post by **admin** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 4:26 am

Ok, so I forgot eBay. Here is the 78, so my memory still works occasionally. It seems that I had the TV version.

randyz · Post by **randyz** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 4:49 am

I've always wondered about Cilla Black's hit song 'Alfie'. I assume it was recorded for the hit movie of the same name starring Michael Caine, but it doesn't appear in the movie. In fact, I don't recall any theme music at all. Anybody know the story?

admin · Post by **admin** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 5:00 am

A great question Randy, what's it all about, Alfie?

royclough · Post by **royclough** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 8:14 am

When Alfie which was a British film was originally released as Randy states Cilla's version was not on it, in fact there was no song initially, Cher did a version wich was added to the closing credits when film was released in states. Cilla's version was not recorded for the film I gather.

randyz · Post by **randyz** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 8:26 am

Roy: I didn't know the story, but I thought it odd that Cilla would record a beautiful song that seemed to be written specifically for the film, and have it go unused. I've watched the film in a theater, on TV, on VHS, and DVD and none of these versions contained the song 'Alfie'. Perhaps the filmmakers of the decided that the song didn't really suit the story.

admin · Post by **admin** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 8:37 am

Perhaps the film company and the record company could not see eye to eye on this one.

I quite agree Randy, a waste of a good song, not having it in the movie for which it seems to have been written.

royclough · Post by **royclough** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 8:50 am

As stated Cher recorded a version which was on the US version of the film played over the ebd credits, Cill's version appears to have been recorded a while after the film was released.

"Bacharach and David were not happy with Cher's soundtrack version and wanted Cilla Black (Brian Epstien's other client, besides the Beatles) to sing this, since they liked how she sang an earlier song of their's called "Anyone Who Had A Heart". Her version was a top-10 hit in the U.K. But Warwick's manager urged them to allow Dionne to sing the U.S. version. Ironically, Warwick had also done a version of "Anyone Who Had A Heart" in the U.S.
- Ken, Louisville, KY
Cher actually sang the song "Alfie" in the 1966 movie and is included on the movie soundtrack. Cher's version peaked at #32. When Dionne Warwick released her version about 9 months later, it charted higher and is now considered by many, but of course not all, to be the definitive version."