I, Tonya (soundtrack)

Last updated • 5 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

I, Tonya (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
I, Tonya (soundtrack).jpg
Soundtrack album by
various artists
Released
  • December 8, 2017 (2017-12-08)
Genre
Length67:07
Label Milan
Producer Susan Jacobs

I, Tonya (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the compilation soundtrack to the 2017 biographical black comedy film I, Tonya , directed by Craig Gillespie. Based on the life of figure skater Tonya Harding and her connection to the 1994 attack on her rival Nancy Kerrigan, the film starred Margot Robbie in the title role. The album featured several popular non-original compositions, and few cues from the incidental underscore composed by Peter Nashel. [1] It was released on December 8, 2017, by Milan Records, the same day coinciding with the film's theatrical release. [2]

Contents

Background

Susan Jacobs, the music supervisor of the film, was hired by Gillespie, for the licensing of several tracks from the album, when the film was in post-production. She compared the film as a cross-over between "the scale of The Big Lebowski (1998), the soundtrack of American Hustle (2013) or any Scorsese film soundtrack", but the film had the heart of Silver Linings Playbook (2012). [lower-alpha 1] [3] The film featured over 25 songs, but only 13 tracks are included in the album. [3] [4]

"Spirit in the Sky" by Norman Greenbaum, a track that was featured in the soundtrack of Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), is also used for this film, it plays when Harding's father leaves the family, leaving her disappointed and from there, the scene transitions from a teenage Harding meets Jeff Gillooly (Sebastian Stan). [3] She earlier licensed the track for Sunshine Cleaning (2008) in the main credits, but later decided to use it again, after watching the film. The song worked as "it gave this energy to the first time we see her as an adult" and comes in there "with a lot of punch and power". [3] "Romeo And Juliet" from Dire Straits which highlighted the burgeoning relationship of Harding and Gillooly, was an integral part of the story, as Craig's wife had given him the song, before the film's shooting began and for her "the lyrics felt like the film's story". [3] However, Dire Straits' founder Mark Knopfler was not willing to license the song for use. Jacobs said to Knopfler about the premise and also let him watch the film, after which Knopler agreed to use the song. Some of the songs of the soundtrack were used in Harding's real routines, such as ZZ Top's "Sleeping Bag". [3]

The track "Dream a Little Dream of Me" performed by Doris Day was not Jacobs' original choice to use in the film. She initially planned to use "Over the Rainbow". However, the decision was made around the time of the Manchester Arena bombing; Ariana Grande performed "Over the Rainbow" at the One Love Manchester benefit concert, and Jacobs felt that the song "took a different meaning" and wanted "to give respect to that [after it became synonymous with healing in the attack's aftermath]". Hence, she replaced it with "Dream a Little Dream of Me" as "the healing song" for the film, which she felt added "a really good contrast to the rest of the soundtrack". [3] Tracks from 1970s such as Fleetwood Mac's "The Chain" or Supertramp's "Goodbye Stranger" came from an era when music was "powerful and full" and "warm." Jacobs felt the "classic rock songs filled the picture without getting in the way of the story." [3]

According to critic Emily Manning of Vice Media's i-D magazine, she wrote that En Vogue's "Free Your Mind" and Heart's "Barracuda", created "an interesting parallel between Tonya's tenacity and ambition." [5] For the ending track – Siouxsie and the Banshees' cover of "The Passenger", [3] Jacobs said that the original version of was "something obviously female and the lyrics [resonated]". [3] Sufijan Stevens' song "Tonya Harding" was rejected by Jacobs and Gillespie for using in the film. [6] [7]

Recording and composition

Peter Nashel, composed the incidental music for the film, after being recommended by Jacobs. [8] This was Nashel's first feature film as he previously scored for documentaries and television shows, and took over three weeks to write the film score. [9] The film score and the incorporated songs did not occupy the entire film, but only two-thirds of the underscore is featured in the film, that "ends up being kind of a melodramatic character that heightens the actions surrounding the incident". [8] The scoring sessions took within a quick pace, as much of the score being written and composed by summer (June–August), before the premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2017. [8]

Nashel focused on a sound initially and it took much time to get the tone right, as the film served as a mockumentary. He created the score with percussion instruments and trashcans, that creates a "slightly more jangled, de-tuned sounds" and do not have a "clean precision of what is expected in contemporary scores". The piano was used as a key instrument in the film, and the score is accompanied by 10-piece string orchestra and a small woodwinds section. The score, at regular intervals, produces odd overtures and sounds. [9]

Reception

Will Hodgkinson of The Times called it as a "broad, borderline cheesy, nostalgic soundtrack featuring big songs that scream of frosted hair and shopping malls". [10] British Film Institute magazine called the soundtrack as "evocative", [11] while Helen O'Hara of Empire called it as "pumping". [12] Connect Savannah's Jim Morekis wrote "A particularly brilliant decision in the film has to do with the soundtrack. Most of the many vintage tunes you hear in the movie aren’t from the late ‘80s and ‘90s at all – when most of the actual plot happens – but from the decade prior when Harding was growing up dirt-poor in Oregon (think Heart’s “Barracuda,” Foreigner’s “Feels Like the First Time,” etc.) Instead of the soundtrack of the era, we hear the soundtrack of Tonya Harding’s own life and girlhood, thus giving us more insight into what made her what she is." [13] Christy Lemire of RogerEbert.com wrote "Great songs, all, but the classic rock needle drops can be distractingly obvious." [14]

Track listing

No.TitleArtistLength
1."Fair to Love Me" Mark Batson 2:08
2."Devil Woman" Cliff Richard 3:34
3."Shooting Star" Bad Company 6:15
4."Romeo and Juliet" Dire Straits 6:01
5."A Fair Shot" Peter Nashel 1:52
6."Free Your Mind" En Vogue 4:53
7."Goodbye Stranger" Supertramp 5:48
8."How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" Chris Stills 4:00
9."The Chain" Fleetwood Mac 4:29
10."The Incident"Peter Nashel2:51
11."Barracuda" Heart 4:22
12."Gloria" Laura Branigan 4:49
13."Gone Daddy Gone" Violent Femmes 3:06
14."Dream a Little Dream of Me" Doris Day 3:43
15."The Passenger" Siouxsie and the Banshees 4:09
16."Tonya Suite"Peter Nashel5:04

Film music not included in the album

Note: Additional songs adapted from film credits

Charts

Chart (2017–2018)Peak

position

UK Soundtrack Albums (OCC) [15] 43
US Billboard 200 [16] 105
US Soundtrack Albums (Billboard) [17] 14

Release history

RegionDateFormat(s)LabelVersion(s)Catalog CodeRef.
United StatesDecember 8, 2017 CD Milan Records Standard399 975-2 [18]
March 30, 2018 Vinyl MLN1-36927 [19]
Autographed [20]
Limited Edition [21]
EuropeDecember 22, 2017CDStandard399 975-2 [22]
March 30, 2018Vinyl399 999-2

Notes

  1. Susan worked as music supervisor on American Hustle and Silver Linings Playbook.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tonya Harding</span> American former sportswoman (born 1970)

Tonya Maxene Price is an American former figure skater, retired boxer and reality television personality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Knopfler</span> British musician (born 1949)

Mark Freuder Knopfler is a British guitarist, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He was the lead guitarist, singer and songwriter of the rock band Dire Straits. He pursued a solo career after the band first dissolved in 1988. Dire Straits reunited in 1990, but dissolved again in 1995. He is now an independent solo artist.

<i>UHF – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack and Other Stuff</i> 1989 studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic

UHF – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack and Other Stuff is the sixth studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic, released on July 18, 1989. The album is the final of Yankovic's to be produced by former McCoys guitarist Rick Derringer. Recorded between December 1988 and May 1989, the album served as the official soundtrack to the 1989 film of the same name, although the original score by John Du Prez is omitted. The album's lead single was the titular "UHF", although it was not a hit and did not chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sufjan Stevens</span> American musician (born 1975)

Sufjan Stevens is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He has released ten solo studio albums and multiple collaborative albums with other artists. Stevens has received Grammy and Academy Award nominations.

<i>Kaleidoscope</i> (Siouxsie and the Banshees album) 1980 studio album by Siouxsie and the Banshees

Kaleidoscope is the third studio album by British rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees, released in 1980 by record label Polydor. With the departure of John McKay and Kenny Morris and their replacement by two new musicians, Budgie on drums and John McGeoch on guitars, the band changed their musical direction and offered an album containing a wide variety of colors. "It was almost a different band", said Siouxsie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sleeping Bag (song)</span> 1985 single by ZZ Top

"Sleeping Bag" is a song performed by the band ZZ Top from their 1985 album Afterburner.

<i>Toy Story 3</i> (soundtrack) 2010 soundtrack album by Randy Newman

Toy Story 3 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack album to Disney/Pixar's 2010 film of the same name. The score was composed by recurrent Pixar composer Randy Newman, who also scored for the previous instalments in the franchise. The score album, featuring an original song "We Belong Together" performed by Newman, and instrumental tracks were released on June 14, 2010 by Walt Disney Records. The track "You've Got a Friend in Me" from the first instalment is also featured in the album, performed by The Gipsy Kings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sufjan Stevens discography</span>

American singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens has released thirteen studio albums, three compilation albums, three soundtracks, two mixtapes, thirteen extended plays (EP), twenty singles, eight promotional singles, and eight music videos. Through his record label Asthmatic Kitty Records, Stevens released his first two albums A Sun Came and Enjoy Your Rabbit in 2000 and 2001, respectively. For his next two releases – Michigan (2003) and Seven Swans (2004) – the singer partnered with Sounds Familyre Records for the distribution of both releases. Seven Swans was supported by Stevens' debut single "The Dress Looks Nice on You". The same album was reissued in 2009 and included the new single "I Went Dancing with My Sister". His fifth album, Illinois, was his first release to enter record charts, where it reached the lower positions in several countries and was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipments of 500,000 copies. The Avalanche, a compilation album consisting of outtakes from Illinois, was released in 2006 and also reached various charts internationally.

<i>Million Dollar Arm</i> (soundtrack) 2014 soundtrack album by A. R. Rahman

Million Dollar Arm (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack album of the American biographical sports film of the same name, directed by Craig Gillespie. A. R. Rahman composed all seven of the original songs as well as the score for the film. Artists Iggy Azalea, KT Tunstall, Wale, Sukhwinder Singh, Raghav Mathur have collaborated with the composer for the soundtrack. Kendrick Lamar also recorded a song that is featured only in the film. The soundtrack album was digitally released by Walt Disney Records on May 13, 2014, followed by a CD release on May 19.

<i>I, Tonya</i> 2017 film directed by Craig Gillespie

I, Tonya is a 2017 American biographical sports mockumentary black comedy film directed by Craig Gillespie and written by Steven Rogers. It follows the life and career of American figure skater Tonya Harding and her connection to the 1994 assault on her rival Nancy Kerrigan. The film states it is based on "contradictory" and "totally true" interviews with Harding and her ex-husband Jeff Gillooly, suggesting they are unreliable narrators. This means the viewer must decide for themselves whether to see the film as the truth or as a version concocted by Harding herself. It features darkly comedic interviews with the characters in mockumentary style, set in the modern day, and breaks the fourth wall. Margot Robbie stars as Harding, Sebastian Stan as Gillooly, and Allison Janney as Harding's mother LaVona Golden. Julianne Nicholson, Caitlin Carver, Paul Walter Hauser, and Bobby Cannavale also star.

<i>Call Me by Your Name: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack</i> 2017 soundtrack album by various artists

Call Me by Your Name: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack to the 2017 romantic drama film, Call Me by Your Name. It features songs by The Psychedelic Furs, Franco Battiato, Loredana Bertè, Bandolero, Giorgio Moroder, Joe Esposito, and F. R. David, with compositions by John Adams, Erik Satie, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Johann Sebastian Bach, and Maurice Ravel. American singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens composed two original songs for the film, and the soundtrack also features a remix of his track "Futile Devices". Stevens's original song "Mystery of Love" was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 2018 ceremony. At the 61st Annual Grammy Awards, "Mystery of Love" received a nomination for Best Song Written for Visual Media and the soundtrack received one for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media.

<i>The Perks of Being a Wallflower</i> (soundtrack) 2012 film soundtrack

The soundtrack to the 2012 coming-of-age drama film The Perks of Being a Wallflower written, directed and based on the 1999 novel of the same name by Stephen Chbosky, features a selection of pop, rock and jazz compilations by various artists, handpicked by Chobsky and music supervisor Alexandra Patsavas. The album was marketed and released by Atlantic Records on September 11, 2012, in digital platforms, CD and vinyl. Michael Brook composed the film's incidental underscore, published by Lakeshore Records on September 25, that featured nine tracks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mystery of Love</span> 2017 single by Sufjan Stevens

"Mystery of Love" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens and produced by Thomas Bartlett. It was self-released digitally, under license to Madison Gate Records and Sony Classical, on 1 December 2017. Luca Guadagnino, director of the 2017 film Call Me by Your Name, approached the singer to contribute to the film as a narrator, but Stevens declined and agreed to record an original song instead. Stevens was granted full creative control during the songwriting process and received inspiration from the film's script and André Aciman's novel of the same name. An acoustic song, the lyrics describe romance and allude to the relationship between film characters Elio and Oliver. They also make several references to the state of Oregon, birds, and Christianity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tonya Harding (song)</span> 2017 single by Sufjan Stevens

"Tonya Harding" is a song written, produced, and recorded by American singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens. It was released digitally through Asthmatic Kitty Records on December 8, 2017. The song's release was intended to coincide with that of the Tonya Harding biopic I, Tonya. Stevens said in an interview he had sent the producers the song for use in the film but they "couldn't find a way to use it". Lyrically, "Tonya Harding" is about Tonya Harding and her role in Nancy Kerrigan's assault.

<i>Deadpool 2</i> (soundtrack)

The soundtrack for the 2018 American superhero film Deadpool 2, based on the Marvel Comics character Deadpool and distributed by 20th Century Fox, consists of an original score composed by Tyler Bates and a series of songs featured in the film. This includes an original single "Ashes", performed by Celine Dion. Bates had worked on all of director David Leitch's previous films before being hired to compose the score for Deadpool 2. In addition to the initial theatrical release of the film, beginning on May 18 in the United States, an extended cut of the film was released on home media on August 21 that featured additional music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Assault of Nancy Kerrigan</span> American competitive figure skating scandal

On January 6, 1994, Nancy Kerrigan, an American figure skater, was struck on the lower right thigh with a telescopic baton by assailant Shane Stant as she walked down a corridor in Cobo Arena in Detroit, Michigan. Kerrigan had been practicing skating on an ice rink in the arena shortly beforehand.

<i>Spirit Untamed</i> (soundtrack) 2021 film score by Amie Doherty

Spirit Untamed (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the score album for the 2021 DreamWorks Animation film Spirit Untamed. A spin-off as well as the stand-alone sequel and reboot of the traditionally animated Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002), it is the second theatrical film of the Spirit franchise and is loosely based on the characters from its Netflix animated spin-off television series Spirit Riding Free (2017–2020).

<i>The Peanuts Movie (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)</i> 2015 soundtrack album by various artists

The Peanuts Movie (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack album to the 2015 animated film The Peanuts Movie, directed by Steve Martino and produced by Blue Sky Studios. Based on Charles M. Schulz's comic strip Peanuts, it is the fifth full-length Peanuts film, and the first in 35 years. The original score is composed by Christophe Beck, with contributions from jazz pianist David Benoit and Meghan Trainor, who performed an original song titled "Better When I'm Dancin', released as a single on October 14, 2015. The soundtrack was digitally released by Epic Records and Fox Music on October 23, 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Nashel</span> American composer

Peter Nashel is an American composer. He has composed scores for a number of films and television series including, I, Tonya, Marco Polo, and Totally Under Control. He is the founder and principal of the music production company, duotone audio group.

References

  1. Camp, Alexa (December 14, 2017). "Exclusive: Go Behind the Scenes of the I, Tonya Soundtrack". Slant Magazine. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  2. "I, Tonya (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". iTunes. Apple. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Rosen, Christopher (December 11, 2017). "Best of 2017 (Behind the Scenes): The stories behind the best songs on the I, Tonya soundtrack". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  4. "The five greatest sports movie soundtracks of all time". Contactmusic.com. July 7, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  5. Manning, Emily (January 17, 2018). "'I, Tonya' sets figure skating to siouxsie & the banshees (and it works)". i-d.vice.com. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  6. Willman, Chris (December 9, 2017). "'I, Tonya' Filmmakers Rejected Indie Rock Darling Sufjan Stevens' 'Tonya Harding' Song". Variety. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  7. Nordine, Michael (December 10, 2017). "Sufjan Stevens Says 'I, Tonya' Didn't Want His Tonya Harding Song, but You Can Listen to It Anyway". IndieWire. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  8. 1 2 3 "High Stakes On Ice Skates - An Interview With "I, Tonya" Composer Peter Nashel". Score It Magazine. February 14, 2018. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  9. 1 2 Long, Kelle (March 1, 2018). "How the I, Tonya Composer Helped Recast an Infamous Villain as a Tragic Character". Motion Picture Association. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  10. Hodgkinson, Will. "Pop review: Original Soundtrack: I, Tonya". The Times . ISSN   0140-0460 . Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  11. "I, Tonya review: a chilling story of thwarted ambition| Sight & Sound". British Film Institute. March 5, 2018. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  12. "I, Tonya". Empire. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  13. Morekis, Jim. "Review: I, Tonya". Connect Savannah. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  14. Lemire, Christy. "I, Tonya movie review & film summary (2017) | Roger Ebert". www.rogerebert.com/. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  15. "Official Soundtrack Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company . Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  16. "Soundtrack Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard . Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  17. "Soundtrack Chart History (Soundtrack Albums)". Billboard . Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  18. "Peter Nashel: I, Tonya - Soundtrack". Milan Records. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  19. "Soundtrack : I, Tonya - Record Shop X". www.recordshopx.com. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  20. "AUCTION - Margot Robbie Signed "I, Tonya Soundtrack" Vinyl Record Album (PSA Hologram)". www.pristineauction.com. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  21. "I, Tonya OST Limited Edition Pearlescent White Vinyl LP SEALED". eBay. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  22. Various (2018), I, Tonya Soundtrack), Milan, retrieved July 11, 2022