American Gangster (soundtrack)

Last updated

American Gangster (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
American Gangster (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack).jpg
Soundtrack album by
various artists
ReleasedOctober 23, 2007 (digital)
October 30, 2007 (physical)
Genre
Length45:34
Label
Producer Marc Streitenfeld
Singles from American Gangster (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
  1. "Do You Feel Me"
    Released: October 2, 2007

American Gangster (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack to the Ridley Scott-directed 2007 film American Gangster. It consisted of fourteen tracks from blues and soul musicians such as such as Bobby Womack, The Staple Singers, Sam & Dave, and John Lee Hooker. The soundtrack was described as an introduction to the visual and sonic world that "contained entity of the 1970s". It also includes two cues from the film score Marc Streitenfeld, who also produced the soundtrack. It was released by Island Records and Def Jam Recordings digitally on October 23, 2007, and followed a physical release, the week later.

Contents

Background

In 2006, Greg Calloway was approached by Brian Grazer and Ron Howard (the producers) to produce a soundtrack for the film, who presented this idea to Atlantic Records chairman Craig Kallman. However, since Universal Pictures owned the rights of the film, the company refused to give the soundtrack rights to Warner Music Group which was Atlantic's parent company, ultimately abandoning his recruitment. Thus, Scott brought in composer Marc Streitenfeld to score music for the film as well as producing the soundtrack. Streitenfeld was introduced by Scott as a film composer for his 2006 film A Good Year . When he read the script, he described the standout of the film, were the strong characters, mostly that of Denzel Washington whose character had an "intense personality". He was invited by Scott in the edit room to share the cues he wrote down based on the script and resonated well with the film. However, Streitenfeld changed some of the cues during the edit. [1]

Drawing inspiration from the 1970s musician, an original song "Do You Feel Me" was written by Diane Warren and performed by Anthony Hamilton, released as a single on October 2, 2007. After viewing an early screening of the film, Def Jam's president and rapper Jay-Z, who was "deeply moved" by Washington's performance as Frank Lucas, inspired to create an album drawing his past experiences as an hustler and drug dealer, parallel to the criminal's life. The album which was titled after the film, released on the same date as the film's premiere. [2]

Track listing

No.TitleArtist(s)Length
1."Do You Feel Me" Anthony Hamilton 3:56
2."Why Don't We Do It in the Road?" Lowell Fulson 3:46
3."No Shoes" John Lee Hooker 2:25
4."Across 110th Street" Bobby Womack 3:47
5."Stone Cold"Anthony Hamilton4:06
6."Hold On, I'm Comin'"Sam & Dave2:32
7."I'll Take You There" The Staple Singers 4:35
8."Can't Truss It" Public Enemy 4:39
9."Checkin' Up on My Baby" Hank Shocklee 2:12
10."Club Jam"Hank Shocklee3:11
11."Railroad"Hank Shocklee2:21
12."Nicky Barnes"Hank Shocklee3:11
13."Hundred Percent Pure" Marc Streitenfeld 2:13
14."Frank Lucas"Marc Streitenfeld2:40
Total length:45:34

Charts

Chart (2007)Peak
position
US Billboard 200 [3] 5
US Top Soundtracks ( Billboard ) [4] 1

Original score

American Gangster (Original Motion Picture Score)
Soundtrack album by
ReleasedFebruary 19, 2008
RecordedApril–May 2007
VenueSony Scoring Stage, Culver City, California
Genre Film score
Length45:34
Label Varèse Sarabande
Producer Marc Streitenfeld
Singles from American Gangster (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
  1. "Do You Feel Me"
    Released: October 2, 2007

Streitenfeld recorded the score during April and May 2007, with an 80-piece orchestra from the Hollywood Studio Symphony led by orchestrator Bruce Fowler and conductor Mike Nowak, recorded the score at Sony Scoring Stage in Culver City, California. Streitenfeld also pre-recorded acoustic materials whilst additional score has been composed and recorded by Hank Shocklee. [1] The score was not released in conjunction with the film as Streitenfeld intended for additional mixes and mastering and instead was published by Varèse Sarabande on February 19, 2008. The album consisted 39 minutes of the score, while the film has over 100 minutes of music being used. [5]

Streitenfeld's score met with positive response. AllMusic 's James Leonard wrote "Streitenfeld doesn't quote from the popular music of 1970s Harlem, but through biting themes, insidious harmonies, and bass-driven rhythms he succeeds in evoking its atmosphere". [6] Filmtracks.com wrote "a very effective score overall, one that presents challenges on album because of its distinctive attitude, but you can't help but admire how Streitenfeld handled this assignment". [7]

Track listing
No.TitleArtist(s)Length
1."The Process" 2:13
2."Frank Lucas" 2:40
3."Hundred Percent Pure" 2:11
4."Fire" 1:54
5."The Arrival" 1:03
6."Suspects" 2:01
7."Caskets" 2:41
8."Kill No Cop" 2:20
9."Shakedown" 1:24
10."Turkeys" 1:49
11."The Fight" 3:16
12."Headlights" 2:19
13."The Raid" 3:16
14."The Morgue" 1:29
15."Chinchilla Coat" 2:42
16."Afro Beat" (bonus)Hank Shocklee1:45
17."Back to Bangkok Blues" (bonus)Harry Garfield2:08
18."Hallway" (bonus)Hank Shocklee1:42
Total length:38:53

Accolades

AwardCategoryRecipientResult
BAFTA Awards [8] Best Music Marc Streitenfeld Nominated
Satellite Awards [9] Best Original Song Anthony Hamilton and Diane Warren

For the song "Do You Feel Me"

Nominated
World Soundtrack Awards [10] Best Original Song Written Directly for a Film Anthony Hamilton and Diane Warren

For the song "Do You Feel Me"

Nominated
Discovery of the Year Marc Streitenfeld Won

Related Research Articles

<i>Dune</i> (1984 soundtrack) 1984 soundtrack album by Toto

Dune is an original soundtrack album for the 1984 film Dune. Most of the album was composed by the rock band Toto—their first and only film score—but one track was contributed by Brian Eno, Roger Eno and Daniel Lanois. The soundtrack album was first released in November 1984. An extended version with an altered track listing was released in 1997. Both versions are currently out of print on traditional media such as CD but with the increasing popularity of download and streaming services, have gained improved exposure through such channels as iTunes and Spotify.

<i>Blade Runner</i> (soundtrack) Soundtrack album by Vangelis

Blade Runner: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack for Ridley Scott's 1982 science-fiction noir film Blade Runner, composed by Greek electronic musician Vangelis. It has received acclaim as an influential work in the history of electronic music and one of Vangelis's best works. It was nominated in 1983 for a BAFTA and Golden Globe for best original score. The score evokes the film's bleak futurism with an emotive synthesizer-based sound, drawing on the jazz scores of classic film noir as well as Middle Eastern texture and neo-classical elements.

<i>American Gangster</i> (film) 2007 film by Ridley Scott

American Gangster is a 2007 American biographical crime film directed and produced by Ridley Scott and written by Steven Zaillian. The film is loosely based on the criminal career of Frank Lucas, a gangster from La Grange, North Carolina who smuggled heroin into the United States on American service planes returning from the Vietnam War, before being detained by a task force led by Newark Detective Richie Roberts. The film stars Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe, with co-stars Ted Levine, John Ortiz, Josh Brolin, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Ruby Dee, Lymari Nadal and Cuba Gooding Jr.

<i>The Polar Express</i> (soundtrack) 2004 soundtrack album by Various Artists

The Polar Express: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack to the animated film of the same name, released on November 2, 2004 by Warner Sunset Records and Reprise Records.

<i>Spider-Man</i> (soundtrack) 2002 soundtrack album by various artists

Music from and Inspired by Spider-Man is a 2002 soundtrack album for the film Spider-Man. Although it contains a portion of the film score by Danny Elfman, a more complete album of Elfman's work was released as Spider-Man: Original Motion Picture Score.

<i>300 Original Motion Picture Soundtrack</i> 2007 soundtrack album by Tyler Bates

300: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack to the 2007 film of the same name by Tyler Bates. The album was released by Warner Bros. Records on March 6, 2007, three days before the film opened for public viewing.

<i>Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix</i> (soundtrack) 2007 film score by Nicholas Hooper

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack to the 2007 film of the same name, based on the book by J. K. Rowling. Nicholas Hooper composed the film's score, following John Williams, who scored the first three films, and Patrick Doyle, who did the fourth. Though new to the series, Hooper had worked with director David Yates before. The soundtrack was released 10 July 2007, the day before the film's release.

<i>The Dark Knight</i> (soundtrack) 2008 soundtrack album by Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard

The Dark Knight: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack album to the 2008 film of the same name, which is a sequel to Christopher Nolan's 2005 film Batman Begins. The soundtrack was released on July 15, 2008, in three editions: CD, limited edition CD digipak, and digital download. The 2-CD Special Edition was released on December 9, along with the DVD. A limited edition 180-gram vinyl LP was released on August 12. The soundtrack was composed by Batman Begins collaborators Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard and recorded in April.

Marc Streitenfeld is a German composer of film scores. He has frequently collaborated with director Ridley Scott. Streitenfeld has composed the music for many high-profile Hollywood features as well as critically acclaimed independent films, including American Gangster, Body of Lies, The Grey, Prometheus, Poltergeist and All I See Is You.

<i>Body of Lies</i> (soundtrack) 2008 soundtrack album by Marc Streitenfeld

Body of Lies is the soundtrack of the film of the same name. It was released on October 14, 2008 by Varèse Sarabande. German-born film composer Marc Streitenfeld reunited with director Ridley Scott to score the film, marking his third score in a row and eighth consecutive music collaboration with Scott.

<i>Prometheus</i> (soundtrack) 2012 film score by Marc Streitenfeld

Prometheus: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is an original motion picture soundtrack album for the 2012 science fiction film, Prometheus. Written by German composer Marc Streitenfeld, the soundtrack also features two supplemental pieces by English composer Harry Gregson-Williams, and it was conducted by Ben Foster.

<i>The Amazing Spider-Man 2</i> (soundtrack) 2014 soundtrack album by Hans Zimmer

The Amazing Spider-Man 2: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the official soundtrack from the 2014 film of the same name composed by Hans Zimmer and a supergroup called The Magnificent Six, consisting of Pharrell Williams, Mike Einziger, Junkie XL, Johnny Marr, Andrew Kawczynski, and Steve Mazzaro. It was released on April 18, 2014, through Columbia Records and Madison Gate Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goh Nakamura</span> Musical artist

Goh Nakamura is a singer, songwriter, musician, composer and actor. His music has been featured in films directed by Ridley Scott such as A Good Year, American Gangster and Body of Lies. His track "Daylight Savings" also appears in the film Feast of Love. Nakamura made his acting debut in Dave Boyle's award-winning film, Surrogate Valentine, where he played a fictionalized version of himself. The film screened at a number of festivals including the SXSW Film Festival and Nakamura won a Special Jury Prize for Acting from the Dallas International Film Festival for his performance in it. Nakamura is of Japanese American descent.

<i>Alien: Covenant</i> (soundtrack) 2017 soundtrack album by Jed Kurzel

Alien: Covenant is a soundtrack album for the 2017 science fiction film, Alien: Covenant, composed by Jed Kurzel. It was released on May 19, 2017, by Milan Records. A vinyl pressing of the soundtrack was released on July 7, 2017.

<i>Solo: A Star Wars Story</i> (soundtrack) 2018 soundtrack album by John Powell and John Williams

Solo: A Star Wars Story is the soundtrack album to the 2018 film of the same name directed by Ron Howard, which is the second instalment in the Star Wars anthology series. The score is composed by John Powell, with the Han Solo's theme conducted and composed by John Williams, whom he had collaborated for several Star Wars films, was included in the album. Williams further composed several demos, that were not included in the soundtrack but was released in the deluxe edition. Besides composing the original themes, Powell also incorporated Williams' music from Star Wars films.

<i>Big Hero 6</i> (soundtrack) 2014 soundtrack album by Henry Jackman

Big Hero 6 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack album to Disney's 2014 animated superhero film Big Hero 6. The album was released by Walt Disney Records digitally on November 4, 2014, and through physical formats on November 25. It featured 19 tracks, from the background score composed by Henry Jackman, and an original song titled "Immortals" written and recorded by American rock band Fall Out Boy. The track was released as a single on October 14, 2014. The score consisted of electronic and orchestral music, to balance with the film's emotional depth and heroic themes.

The Martian is the 2015 science fiction film based on Andy Weir's 2011 novel of the same name directed by Ridley Scott. Two soundtrack albums for the film were released by Columbia Records on October 2, 2015. The first album titled The Martian: Original Motion Picture Score, features instrumental tracks from the original score composed by Harry Gregson-Williams, and the latter, featured incorporated songs used in the film, that was released as a separate album under the title Songs from The Martian. The music served as a "comic relief" to provide sarcasm where most of the songs are chosen and performed ironically.

<i>Treasure Planet</i> (soundtrack) 2002 soundtrack album by James Newton Howard

Treasure Planet (An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack) is the soundtrack album to the 2002 animated science fiction action-adventure film Treasure Planet. The album features seventeen tracks – fifteen tracks from the score composed by James Newton Howard, and also featured two pop singles: "I'm Still Here" and "Always Know Where You Are". Walt Disney Records released the film's soundtrack album on November 19, 2002. The film's score received positive critical reception, with praise directed on Howard's composition.

<i>Die Hard</i> (soundtrack) 2002 film score by Michael Kamen

Die Hard: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack for John McTiernan's 1988 action film Die Hard starring Bruce Willis, that features an original score composed by Michael Kamen and incorporates diegetic music pieces. It has been critically acclaimed and assessed as one of Kamen's best works in film music and won him a BMI TV/Film Music Award for his work on the score.

<i>Napoleon</i> (soundtrack) 2023 film score by Martin Phipps

Napoleon (Soundtrack from the Apple Original Film) is the soundtrack to the 2023 historical drama film Napoleon directed by Ridley Scott. Based on the life of Napoleon Bonaparte, the film stars Joaquin Phoenix as the titular character and featured musical score written and composed by Martin Phipps. It was released by Milan Records on November 24, 2023, two days after the film's release.

References

  1. 1 2 Goldwasser, Dan (May 15, 2007). "Marc Streitenfeld scores Ridley Scott's American Gangster". ScoringSessions.com. Archived from the original on November 1, 2016. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  2. Halbinger, David M.; Leeds, Jeff (September 20, 2007). "For Jay-Z, Inspiration Arrives in a Movie". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 7, 2012. Retrieved November 3, 2007.
  3. "Billboard 200: Week of November 24, 2007". Billboard . November 24, 2007. Archived from the original on November 18, 2015. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  4. "Soundtracks: Week of November 24, 2007". Billboard . November 24, 2007. Archived from the original on March 30, 2018. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  5. Gwin, Scott (November 21, 2007). "INTERVIEW - Marc Streitenfeld". CinemaBlend. Archived from the original on January 5, 2008. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  6. Leonard, James. "Review: American Gangster [Original Motion Picture Score]". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Archived from the original on April 9, 2023. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  7. "Filmtracks: American Gangster (Marc Streitenfeld)". Filmtracks.com. Archived from the original on August 25, 2013. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  8. "Film Nominations 2007". British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
  9. "2007 12th Annual Satellite Awards". International Press Academy. Archived from the original on December 4, 2007. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
  10. "Awards". World Soundtrack Awards. Archived from the original on July 21, 2021. Retrieved July 25, 2023.