Lalo Schifrin: Man On A Swing OST (Expanded Edition)
Author: Kevin Whitlock
View record and artist detailsRecord and Artist Details
Musicians: |
Emil Richards (perc) |
Label: |
WeWantSounds |
Magazine Review Date: |
May/2023 |
Media Format: |
LP |
Catalogue Number: |
WWSLP69 |
RecordDate: |
Rec. 1974 |
Lalo Schifrin is best known for his thrilling TV and movie soundtracks – Mission: Impossible, Dirty Harry, Enter The Dragon and Bullitt chief among them. Now there's another gem to add to the Schifrin catalogue: the classically-trained Argentinian jazzer's soundtrack for Frank Perry's cult movie thriller Man On A Swing (1974) is appearing for the first time on vinyl thanks to the enterprising French label WeWantSounds.
An eclectic mix of jazz, bossa and atmospheric soundscape, the soundtrack, recorded in LA with the Wrecking Crew's Emil Richards, Bud Shank and Howard Roberts plus a full orchestra, consists of 30 short fragments (six of them previously released, the WWS team having found them in Paramount's vaults) fleeting in length but long on invention and impact, particularly when taken together. From the crystalline piano of the opening ‘Maggie's Theme’ via the clarinet-driven easy groove of ‘Parking Lot Shuffle’ and ‘Trip To LA’'s sunny smooth jazz to the monster funk of ‘Radio Source’ and the Chopin-esque miniature ‘Janet's Mazurka’, it's quite some journey. Particularly interesting is Schifrin's extensive use of the waterphone – a stainless steel percussion instrument invented by the American composer Richard Waters (1935–2013) in the 1960s, and based on the Tibetan water drum – to create tension and atmosphere (unfortunately the player here is not credited).
Remastered for vinyl from the original three-track masters by David Hachour at Colorsound Studio in Paris, with liner notes by Jeremy Allen and artwork by Eric Adrian Lee, it's a sumptuous and sparkling-sounding package, one that helps cement Schifrin buffs’ claim that their hero is, with Quincy Jones, the pre-eminent jazz soundtrack composer of the 1960s and 70s.

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