The Wolf of Wall Street (soundtrack)

Last updated

The Wolf of Wall Street: Music from the Motion Picture
The Wolf of Wall Street (soundtrack).jpg
Soundtrack album by
Various artists
ReleasedDecember 17, 2013 (2013-12-17)
Genre
Length56:30
Label Virgin
Producer

The Wolf of Wall Street: Music from the Motion Picture is the soundtrack to the Martin Scorsese-directed 2013 epic biographical black comedy crime film of the same name released on December 17, 2013, for digital download and through physical CDs and vinyl editions on January 7, 2014, distributed by Virgin Records. [1] The album features a roster of mid-century blues tracks from popular artists during the 1950s and 1960s. The music received critical acclaim and received a nomination for Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media, though lost to the soundtrack of Frozen (2013).

Contents

Development

The film featured 60 tracks handpicked by Scorsese's regular collaborator and music supervisor Randall Poster; [2] however, only 16 of them made it onto the official soundtrack release. [3] [4] The film does not feature an original music score, but is underscored by Canadian musician and fellow regular Scorsese collaborator Robbie Robertson, who also helped Poster on selecting the songs as well as serving as executive music producer. [4]

The 2013 single "Black Skinhead" performed by Kanye West was used in the film's trailer for promotions, but was not included anywhere in the film as Poster went for a more "blues, early rock-and-roll motif" for the film. He said that "I think that the people that made the trailer, they were making it before we had a [completed] movie [...] You try to find something that is impactful for the trailer, and I think [Kanye] felt very 'now.' I think that in spite of the movie's period setting, some of the substance of it is contemporary." [4]

Robertson sent Scorsese a few recordings of mid-century blues singles, that included Elmore James' cover of Robert Johnson's "Dust My Broom" (1951) and Howlin' Wolf's "Smokestack Lightning" (1956), [5] as "nobody but Marty and me would have chosen Smokestack Lightning for a movie that takes place in the ’80s and ’90s because it’s got nothing to do with anything except raw amazement [...] This is music that gets under your skin immediately," which attributes that blues-powered numbers attribute to the character development in tune to the epic debauchery that progresses in the film, despite time correctness. [6] Scorsese supervised the film's editing with editor Thelma Schoonmaker, another one of his usual collaborators, for a year, cutting the image and music seamlessly, Robertson said that "For Marty, the music and the picture–it’s the same thing [...] It’s about cinematic power and finding something that goes beautifully counter point, and avoiding the obvious so the music works against the idea." [6]

The independent band 7horse's original song "Meth Lab Zoso Sticker" from their 2011 album Let The 7Horse Run, was used by Scorsese in the film. The bandleader Phil Leavitt said that he received an email from the music clearance for the film, in last July, and added "It came out of the blue, and I still to this day don’t know how Martin Scorsese or his people heard it, or who found it. I dug into it a bit and found out that Scorsese finds a lot of his own music for his movies. Randall Poster and [The Band’s] Robbie Robertson also worked on the music. Maybe they heard it on satellite radio." [7] Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings performed the cover version of the 1964 Shirley Bassey single "Goldfinger" that was used in the film's soundtrack. [8]

Track listing

No.TitleArtist(s)Length
1."Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" Cannonball Adderley 5:11
2."Dust My Broom" Elmore James 2:53
3."Bang! Bang!" Joe Cuba 4:06
4."Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" Billy Joel 3:29
5."C'est si bon" Eartha Kitt 2:58
6."Goldfinger" Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings 2:30
7."Pretty Thing" Bo Diddley 2:49
8."Moonlight in Vermont" (Live at the Pershing Lounge) Ahmad Jamal 3:10
9."Smokestack Lightning" Howlin' Wolf 3:07
10."Hey Leroy, Your Mama's Callin' You" The Jimmy Castor Bunch 2:26
11."Double Dutch" Malcolm McLaren 3:56
12."Never Say Never" Romeo Void 5:54
13."Meth Lab Zoso Sticker" 7horse 3:42
14."Road Runner"Bo Diddley2:46
15."Mrs. Robinson" The Lemonheads 3:44
16."Cast Your Fate to the Wind" Allen Toussaint 3:19
Total length:56:30

Reception

Critical response

Gregory Heaney of AllMusic mentioned that the soundtrack "evokes the off-the-rails feeling of the film with its eclectic mish-mash of genres" and called it as "solid disc that offers many of the film's thrills without all fraud and greed." [9] Paul Taylor of Lemonwire wrote "Martin Scorsese delivers a film with a soundtrack that hits all the right notes without the use of a traditional score. It’s a tall order, but one Scorsese has proven time and time again that he is quite capable of dishing out. It is interesting that, unlike his other period films, in The Wolf of Wall Street, Scorsese draws on more songs that predate the historical setting of the film. It’s a stylistic choice that the film benefits from, as it derives from the need to strike the right tone, rather than the historical accuracy of radio hits." [10]

Analysis

Analysing the film's music, Ryan Leas of Consequence wrote "most of these songs are old and were already old in the era The Wolf of Wall Street depicts. That is not an uncommon quality to the music here. In fact, perhaps the defining characteristic of The Wolf of Wall Street‘s soundtrack is its focus on blues music. There are three Bo Diddley songs and two Howlin’ Wolf songs, with John Lee Hooker and Elmore James rounding it out, and that aforementioned 7Horse song basically being used as if it's one of them, too. There are some classics used here, no doubt, but they make little sense in the world of The Wolf of Wall Street." However, he praised the brilliant use of "Smokestack Lightning" in the film which he said, that "The whole effect is ghostly, haunting, and gets at what I would imagine was the primary reason for using blues music so prominently in the movie. Both thematically and formally, blues music is foundational [...] much of blues music does have the sort of libidinous, desire-driven madness shared by Belfort. There’s a way to parse Scorsese’s use of blues music here as being in touch with something elemental, pulling up specters of Americana to further examine how the corruption of Belfort could be something endemic to the American identity." He mentioned the soundtrack to the film as "diverse as you might expect from Scorsese, but unfortunately, it feels more like a grab bag here than ingenuity" adding that "It’s as sprawling and freewheeling as the movie, sure, but it’s also mostly predictable." [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Band</span> Canadian-American rock band

The Band was a Canadian-American rock band formed in Toronto, Ontario, in 1967. It consisted of Canadians Rick Danko, Garth Hudson, Richard Manuel, Robbie Robertson, and American Levon Helm. The Band combined elements of Americana, folk, rock, jazz, country, influencing musicians such as George Harrison, Elton John, the Grateful Dead, Eric Clapton and Wilco.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Howlin' Wolf</span> American blues musician (1910–1976)

Chester Arthur Burnett, better known by his stage name Howlin' Wolf, was an American blues singer and guitarist. He was at the forefront of transforming acoustic Delta blues into electric Chicago blues, and over a four-decade career, recorded blues, rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and psychedelic rock. He is regarded as one of the most influential blues musicians of all time.

<i>The Color of Money</i> 1986 drama film by Martin Scorsese

The Color of Money is a 1986 American sports drama film directed by Martin Scorsese. It is the sequel to the 1961 film The Hustler. Like the previous film, The Color of Money is based on the novel of the same name by Walter Tevis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robbie Robertson</span> Canadian singer, songwriter and guitarist (1943–2023)

Jaime Royal "Robbie" Robertson was a Canadian musician of Indigenous ancestry. He was lead guitarist for Bob Dylan in the mid-late 1960s and early-mid 1970s, guitarist and songwriter with The Band from their inception until 1978, and a solo artist.

<i>The Last Waltz</i> 1978 concert film directed by Martin Scorsese

The Last Waltz was a concert by the Canadian-American rock group The Band, held on American Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 1976, at Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. The Last Waltz was advertised as The Band's "farewell concert appearance", and the concert had The Band joined by more than a dozen special guests, including their previous employers Ronnie Hawkins and Bob Dylan, as well as Paul Butterfield, Bobby Charles, Eric Clapton, Neil Diamond, Emmylou Harris, Dr. John, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Ringo Starr, Muddy Waters, Ronnie Wood, and Neil Young. The musical director for the concert was The Band's original record producer, John Simon.

<i>Five Live Yardbirds</i> 1964 live album by the Yardbirds

Five Live Yardbirds is the live debut album by the English rock band the Yardbirds. It features the group's interpretations of ten American blues and rhythm and blues songs, including their most popular live number, Howlin' Wolf's "Smokestack Lightning". The album contains some of the earliest recordings with guitarist Eric Clapton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rotary Connection</span> American psychedelic soul band (1966–74)

Rotary Connection was an American psychedelic soul band, formed in Chicago in 1966.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Weight</span> Song by The Band

"The Weight" is a song by the Canadian-American group The Band that was released as a single in 1968 and on the group's debut album Music from Big Pink. It was their first release under this name, after their previous releases as Canadian Squires and Levon and the Hawks. Written by Band member Robbie Robertson, the song is about a visitor's experiences in a town mentioned in the lyric's first line as Nazareth. "The Weight" has significantly influenced American popular music, having been listed as No. 41 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time published in 2004. Pitchfork Media named it the 13th best song of the 1960s, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame named it one of the 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. PBS, which broadcast performances of the song on Ramble at the Ryman (2011), Austin City Limits (2012), and Quick Hits (2012), describes it as "a masterpiece of Biblical allusions, enigmatic lines and iconic characters" and notes its enduring popularity as "an essential part of the American songbook."

<i>Moanin in the Moonlight</i> 1959 compilation album by Howlin Wolf

Moanin' in the Moonlight is a compilation album and the first album by American blues artist Howlin' Wolf, released by Chess Records in 1959. It contains songs previously issued as singles, including one of his best-known, "Smokestack Lightning". Rolling Stone ranked it number 477 on its 2020 list of "the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smokestack Lightning</span> 1956 song by Howlin Wolf

"Smokestack Lightning" is a blues song recorded by Howlin' Wolf in 1956. It became one of his most popular and influential songs. It is based on earlier blues songs, and numerous artists later interpreted it.

<i>Cadillac Records</i> 2008 musical biographical film

Cadillac Records is a 2008 American biographical drama film written and directed by Darnell Martin. The film explores the musical era from the early 1940s to the late 1960s, chronicling the life of the influential Chicago-based record-company executive Leonard Chess, and a few of the musicians who recorded for Chess Records.

<i>Cadillac Records: Music from the Motion Picture</i> 2008 soundtrack album by various artists

Cadillac Records: Music from the Motion Picture is a soundtrack album for the film Cadillac Records. It features covers of classic songs from Chess Records' singers as performed by the film's actors including Beyoncé, Eamonn Walker and Jeffrey Wright. It also features original songs from contemporary artists such as Beyoncé's sister, R&B singer Solange Knowles and rapper Nas. The soundtrack has been released in single and double-disc editions.

<i>The Hangover Part II: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack</i> 2011 soundtrack album by Various Artists

The Hangover Part II: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is a soundtrack to the comedy film of the same name. It was released on May 23, 2011 by WaterTower Music.

<i>The Wolf of Wall Street</i> (2013 film) 2013 film by Martin Scorsese

The Wolf of Wall Street is a 2013 American biographical black comedy film co-produced and directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Terence Winter, based on Jordan Belfort's 2007 memoir of the same name. It recounts Belfort's career as a stockbroker in New York City and how his firm, Stratton Oakmont, engaged in rampant corruption and fraud on Wall Street, leading to his downfall. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Belfort; Jonah Hill as his business partner and friend Donnie Azoff; Margot Robbie as his second wife, Naomi Lapaglia; Matthew McConaughey as his mentor and former boss Mark Hanna; and Kyle Chandler as FBI agent Patrick Denham. It is DiCaprio's fifth collaboration with Scorsese.

7Horse is an American rock and blues duo formed in 2011 most notable for their song "Meth Lab Zoso Sticker" which was featured in Martin Scorsese's film The Wolf of Wall Street, in the second trailer and on the soundtrack. The group consists of Phil Leavitt and Joie Calio. Both are also members of the band dada.

<i>Silence</i> (2016 film) 2016 film directed by Martin Scorsese

Silence is a 2016 epic historical drama film directed by Martin Scorsese from a screenplay by Jay Cocks and Scorsese, based on the 1966 novel of the same name by Shūsaku Endō, marking the third filmed adaptation of the novel. The film stars Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver, Tadanobu Asano, Ciarán Hinds and Liam Neeson. The plot follows two 17th-century Jesuit priests who travel from Portugal to Edo period Japan via Macau to locate their missing mentor and spread Catholic Christianity. The story is set in a time when it was common for the faith's Japanese adherents to hide from the persecution that resulted from the suppression of Christianity in Japan after the Shimabara Rebellion (1637–1638) against the Tokugawa shogunate. These are now called the Kakure Kirishitan, or "hidden Christians".

Nothing but the Blues is a 1995 documentary film about Eric Clapton's musical journey and his love for Blues music. Martin Scorsese was one of the executive producers. It is not to be confused with the 2003 album release Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues: Eric Clapton.

Randall Poster is an American music supervisor and a long-term collaborator with Wes Anderson. He worked on the films Skyfall (2012), The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), and The Irishman (2019), as well as the TV series Vinyl (2016).

<i>The Irishman</i> (soundtrack) 2019 soundtrack album by Various Artists

The Irishman (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack album to the 2019 film The Irishman directed by Martin Scorsese. The film score is written and composed by Scorsese's frequent collaborator Robbie Robertson, who also compiled the soundtrack with music supervisor Randall Poster. It features both original and existing music tracks. Sony Music Entertainment released the soundtrack digitally on November 1, 2019 and through physical formats on November 29. In addition, a vinyl edition album which was specially cut at Abbey Road Studios, London was released on February 7, 2020.

<i>Killers of the Flower Moon</i> (soundtrack) 2023 soundtrack album by Robbie Robertson

Killers of the Flower Moon (Soundtrack from the Apple Original Film) is the soundtrack album composed by Robbie Robertson for the 2023 film Killers of the Flower Moon by Martin Scorsese. It was Robertson's final completed film score before he died in August 2023; the film is dedicated to his memory. For his score, Robertson received a posthumous nomination for the Academy Award for Best Original Score in 2024.

References

  1. ↑ Jagernauth, Kevin (December 11, 2013). "'The Wolf Of Wall Street' Soundtrack Features The Lemonheads, Billy Joel & More Plus 2 New TV Spots And Poster". IndieWire . Archived from the original on March 24, 2021. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  2. ↑ Jagernauth, Kevin. "All The Songs In 'The Wolf Of Wall Street' Including Devo, Cypress Hill, Foo Fighters & More". Indiewire. Archived from the original on April 8, 2015. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
  3. ↑ Appelo, Tim (December 25, 2013). "Scorsese's Music Man on 'Wolf of Wall Street' Soundtrack Album: 'Marty is Fearless'". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on March 24, 2021. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 "'Wolf Of Wall Street' Music Producer Explains How Kanye Ended Up In The Trailer". MTV. Archived from the original on December 28, 2022. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Martin Scorsese used Howlin Wolf in 'Wolf of Wall Street'". faroutmagazine.co.uk. June 10, 2022. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
  6. 1 2 Hart, Hugh (January 6, 2014). "How Robbie Robertson Put the Blues Howl In "The Wolf Of Wall Street" Soundtrack". Fast Company. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
  7. ↑ Suebsaeng, Asawin. "Martin Scorsese asked this band if he could use their song when Leonardo DiCaprio has sex on money". Mother Jones. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
  8. ↑ Harris, Aisha (December 26, 2013). ""Goldfinger" Returns, Courtesy of Sharon Jones and Martin Scorsese". Slate Magazine. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
  9. ↑ Various Artists - The Wolf of Wall Street [Music From the Motion Picture] Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic , retrieved January 7, 2023
  10. ↑ Taylor, Paul (August 1, 2019). "Exploring Soundtracks: The Wolf of Wall Street". LemonWire. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
  11. ↑ "The Wolf of Wall Street's Mixed Bag of a Soundtrack". Consequence. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.