Skip to content
Elly Roberts reviews
Columbia (Sony Music Soundtrax)
- Released: January 2005
- Rating: 10/10
Leonardo DiCaprio has definitely come of age as a an actor.
His portrayal of the eccentric billionaire in the Aviator, is well worth anOscar. Out now to accompany the bio-flick is this excellent soundtrack. Youcan now grab a piece of the pop music scene from the late 1920s to the mid1940s with a host of popular performers.In addition there are contemporary versions of songs from that era.
Each track drops neatly into the relevant scenes,for example the first trackShake That Thing by Vince Giordannos eleven piece band (who specialisein resurrecting swinging Jazz of the ’20s and ’30s) relates to the scenewhere Hughes tells his employee Johnny to find him some extra cameras for thefilming of Hells Angels. And so it goes on,with some real gems from the period.
Arguably the biggest group of the time was the Inks Spots, originally known asKing, Jack and the Jesters. They actually played the Cocoanut Grove, ParkCentral Hotel New York (Howard Hughes favourite nightclub) for a months runin late January-February 1939 as they supported Chick Webb, Ella Fitzgerald andBoudon Ali so chances are he would have seen them there. It was the only timethey appeared at the venue.
Their August 8, 1940 New York recording of Do I Worry? appears here,with lead vocals by Bill Kenny and talking chorus by OrvilleHoppyJones. Fromthe late 1930s to early 1950s they were one of the most popular and influentialgroups,playing a mix of fast jump tunes and ballads e.g. Whispering Grass.
Other big guns throw their weight behind the soundtrack such as The OriginalMemphis Five, founded 1917 in Coney Island New York. They were the mostprolific early white Jazz bands, lead by vocalist George White with trumpeterPhil Napoleon. Their July 13, 1929 recording of Fireworks is a great match-upas Hughes demands more clouds for his filming. Belgian Jazz guitar maestroDjango Reinhardts 1947, I Cant Give You Anything But Love, with smoothvocals by Freddy Taylor, is sublime, as Katherine Hepburn (Cate Blanchett) getsmoochy.
No soundtrack would be complete without Glenn Millers Moonlight Seranadebeing run for the Hercules party.
Finally,the original rock icon Huddie Ledbetter aka Leadbellys strainedballad Howard Hughes, recorded Washington DC, August 11, 1940 takes youthrough the end credits.
Brilliant collection.
The full list of tracks included are :
1. Shake That Thing – Vince Giordano and his Nighthawks Orchestra
2. I’ll Build A Stairway To Paradise – Rufus Wainwright
3. Somebody Stole My Gal – The Original Memphis Five
4. Fireworks – The Original Memphis Five
5. Yellow Dog Blues – Vince Giordano and his Nighthawks Orchestra
6. Thanks – Bing Crosby with Jimmy Grier & His Orchestra
7. Happy Feet – Manhattan Rhythm Kings
8. After You’ve Gone – Loudon Wainwright III
9. Moonglow – Benny Goodman
10. I Can’t Give You Anything But Love – Django Reinhardt
11. Ain’t Cha Glad – David Johansen
12. Nightmare – Artie Shaw & His Orchestra
13. Stardust – Vince Giordano and his Nighthawks Orchestra
14. Do I Worry? – The Ink Spots
15. I’ll Be Seeing You – Martha Wainwright
16. Back Beat Boogie – Harry James & His Orchestra
17. Moonlight Serenade – Glenn Miller & His Orchestra
18. Howard Hughes – LeadbellyMore info atColumbia Records.com
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.