The Last Unicorn (album)

Last updated

The Last Unicorn
Last unicorn cover art.jpg
Film score by
ReleasedNovember 19, 1982
Recorded1982
Genre Soundtrack
Length38:19
Label Virgin Records
Producer Jimmy Webb
America chronology
View from the Ground
(1982)
The Last Unicorn
(1982)
Your Move
(1983)

The Last Unicorn is a 1982 soundtrack album composed and arranged by Jimmy Webb and performed by America with the London Symphony Orchestra. [1] The album contains the film score for the 1982 film The Last Unicorn , based on the novel of the same name by Peter S. Beagle. The title track got some airplay in Germany, where it was in the Top 100 hit for seven weeks, peaking at number 38.

Contents

Production

The Last Unicorn soundtrack was recorded at De Lane Lea Studios in Wembley, England in 1982. [1] It was released in Germany in 1982 by Virgin Records, [1] but has not been released in the United States; it includes the film score's symphonic pieces. Studio singer Katie Irving is the singing voice in the film for Mia Farrow, though Jeff Bridges does his own singing.

Composition

The title song is performed jointly by America and the London Symphony Orchestra, and plays in the film's opening credits against scenes based on The Unicorn Tapestries . The song serves as a leitmotif for other portions of the film score.

Critical reception

In his review for AllMusic, James Christopher Monger gave the album 4/5 stars, writing:

"The score itself, an appropriately somber and sentimental blend of fairy tale motifs and dark, Wagnerian cues, reflects the story's achingly beautiful tale of a unicorn who attempts to overthrow a maniacal king determined to rid the world of the magical creatures, while the songs are far more creative, daring, and eloquent than all of the cookie-cutter balladry that would eventually replace their type in future animated films. Like Watership Down, The Hobbit, and even Robert Altman's live action, Harry Nilsson-scored Popeye, this hard to find soundtrack is a gem from another age."

James Christopher Monger [2]

Kyle Anderson of the website Nerdist wrote that Jimmy Webb and America were among the "many great people [who] were involved" with the 1982 film, and that the album's "songs work pretty well". [3]

Singer Dan Avidan has stated on numerous occasions that the story was his favorite as a child. [4]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Jimmy Webb [1]

No.TitlePerformer(s)Length
1."The Last Unicorn" America  
2."Man's Road" America  
3."In the Sea" America  
4."Now That I'm a Woman"Katie Irving 
5."That's All I've Got to Say" Jeff Bridges & Katie Irving 
6."The Last Unicorn Part 2"  
7."Forest Awakens"  
8."Red Soup"  
9."Red Bull Attacks"  
10."The Cat"  
11."The Tree"  
12."Haggard's Unicorns"  
13."Bull-Unicorn-Woman"  
14."Unicorns in the Sea"  
15."Unicorn and Lír"  

Personnel

Covers

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Webb</span> American songwriter, composer, and singer

Jimmy Layne Webb is an American songwriter, composer, and singer. He achieved success at an early age, winning the Grammy Award for Song of the Year at the age of 21. During his career, he established himself as one of America's most successful and honored songwriter/composers.

The 11th Annual Grammy Awards were held on March 12, 1969. They recognized accomplishments of musicians for the year 1968.

<i>The Last Unicorn</i> (film) 1982 American animated fantasy film

The Last Unicorn is a 1982 American animated fantasy film directed and produced by Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass, from a script by Peter S. Beagle adapted from his 1968 novel of the same title. The plot concerns a unicorn who, upon learning that she is the last of her species on Earth, goes on a quest to find out what has happened to others of her kind. It was produced by Rankin/Bass Productions for ITC Entertainment and animated by Topcraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael McDonald (musician)</span> American musician, singer, and keyboardist

Michael H. McDonald is an American singer, keyboardist and songwriter known for his distinctive, soulful voice and as a member of Steely Dan (1973–1974), and the Doobie Brothers. McDonald wrote and sang several hit singles with the Doobie Brothers, including "What a Fool Believes", "Minute by Minute", and "Takin' It to the Streets." McDonald has also performed as a prominent backing vocalist on numerous recordings by artists including Steely Dan, Christopher Cross, and Kenny Loggins.

<i>Film Noir</i> (album) 1997 studio album by Carly Simon

Film Noir is the 17th studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Arista Records, on September 16, 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wonderful World (Sam Cooke song)</span> 1960 single by Sam Cooke

"Wonderful World" is a song by American singer-songwriter Sam Cooke. Released on April 14, 1960, by Keen Records, it had been recorded during an impromptu session the previous year in March 1959, at Sam Cooke's last recording session at Keen. He signed with RCA Victor in 1960 and "Wonderful World", then unreleased, was issued as a single in competition. The song was mainly composed by songwriting team Lou Adler and Herb Alpert, but Cooke revised the lyrics to mention the subject of education more.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dean Parks</span> American guitarist and record producer

Weldon Dean Parks is an American session guitarist and record producer from Fort Worth, Texas. Parks has one Grammy nomination.

<i>Celebrate Me Home</i> 1977 studio album by Kenny Loggins

Celebrate Me Home is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins. It was released on April 13, 1977, by Columbia Records. The album was Loggins' first since splitting from Loggins and Messina, represents a slight move away from the folk-rock leanings of his previous recordings towards a more polished, soft rock sound.

<i>WWII</i> (album) 1982 album by Waylon Jennings

WWII is a duet album by Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson, released on RCA Victor in 1982.

<i>Return to Pooh Corner</i> 1994 studio album by Kenny Loggins

Return to Pooh Corner is the eighth studio and first children's album by American singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins. The title is a reference to A.A. Milne's 1928 book The House at Pooh Corner. Released in 1994, it features songs written by John Lennon, Rickie Lee Jones, Paul Simon and Jimmy Webb, along with several other traditional children's songs. The songs are described as "music for parents and children to enjoy together". It was a successful album for Loggins, selling over 500,000 copies, and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Musical Album for Children. Guest appearances are made by David Crosby and Graham Nash on "All the Pretty Little Ponies", Patti Austin on the "Neverland Medley" and Amy Grant and Gary Chapman on the title track. Loggins returned to Pooh Corner several years later with 2000's More Songs from Pooh Corner.

<i>Jim Webb Sings Jim Webb</i> 1968 studio album by Jimmy Webb

Jim Webb Sings Jim Webb is the debut album by American singer-songwriter Jimmy Webb, released in 1968 on Epic Records.

<i>Can You Hear Me Now</i> 2002 studio album by Sawyer Brown

Can You Hear Me Now is the fourteenth studio album by the American country music band Sawyer Brown. It was released in 2002 on Curb Records. The album's singles all failed to make Top 40 on the Hot Country Songs charts: "Circles" reached #45, the title track peaked at #47, and "I Need a Girlfriend" failed to chart. After the release of this album, the band recorded three new tracks for a religious-themed compilation, then left Curb for Lyric Street Records, where they released the #48-peaking "I'll Be Around" but no album. They would return to Curb in 2005 for the release of their fifteenth album, 2005's Mission Temple Fireworks Stand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gonna Give Her All the Love I've Got</span>

"Gonna Give Her All the Love I've Got" is a 1967 Soul song, originally recorded and made a hit by Jimmy Ruffin on Motown's Soul Label imprint. Ruffin's 1967 original version, from his album Jimmy Ruffin Sings Top Ten, reached the Pop Top 30, peaking at #29, and was a Top 20 R&B Hit as well, peaking at #14. It was also a hit in Britain, reaching #26 on the UK Singles Chart. The song has a social context: it depicts a man anticipating his release from prison on the morrow, when he'll return home on a train to "the girl that I left behind," promising himself that he will reward her steadfast love for him by "giv[ing] her all the love [he's] got." The song was written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong and produced by Whitfield.

American country music singer Glen Campbell released fifteen video albums and was featured in twenty-one music videos in his lifetime. His first two music videos, "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" and "Wichita Lineman", were directed by Gene Weed in 1967 and 1968 respectively. Campbell released his final music video, "I'm Not Gonna Miss You", in 2014 to coincide with the release of the documentary Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me.

<i>Scissors Cut</i> 1981 studio album by Art Garfunkel

Scissors Cut is the fifth solo studio album by Art Garfunkel. It was released in August 1981 on Columbia Records; it was his second album to miss the US Billboard top 40 and his second album to contain no US top 40 singles. In the month following its release, Garfunkel reunited with former partner Paul Simon for their famous 1981 Concert in Central Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All I Know</span> 1973 single by Art Garfunkel

"All I Know" is a song written by American songwriter Jimmy Webb, first recorded by Art Garfunkel on his 1973 debut solo album, Angel Clare, released by Columbia Records. Instrumental backing was provided by members of the Wrecking Crew, L.A. session musicians. Garfunkel's version is the best known and highest-charting version, peaking at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Easy Listening chart for four weeks in October 1973. Garfunkel's version begins with a solo piano, before he begins to sing. When the orchestration is beginning to fade out, the solo piano takes over, playing melodic passages to the song's end.

<i>The Animals Christmas</i> 1986 studio album by Art Garfunkel and Amy Grant

The Animals' Christmas is the sixth solo studio album and the first Christmas album by vocalist Art Garfunkel, and is a collaborative album with Amy Grant, released in October 1986 by Columbia Records. The album was written by Jimmy Webb and features vocals by Garfunkel, Grant, and Wimbledon King's College Choir. The Animals' Christmas tells the story of the Nativity of Jesus from the perspective of the animals present. The album received positive reviews, with one writer calling it "one of the best Christmas albums of the '80s." The album failed to chart.

<i>Tunesmith: The Songs of Jimmy Webb</i> 2003 compilation album by Jimmy Webb

Tunesmith: The Songs of Jimmy Webb is a compilation album of songs written by Jimmy Webb and performed by various artists. Released in November 2003 by Raven Records, this two-disc compilation covers most of Webb's songwriting career, including some of his earliest recordings from the 1960s.

Tim Timebomb is a music project by Tim Armstrong, best known as a member of the punk rock band Rancid. Armstrong has recorded a large number of songs – a mixture of cover versions, including Rancid covers, and original songs, including some tracks from his musical film project RocknNRoll Theater – with a variety of supporting musicians.

The Last Unicorn is a fantasy novel written by Peter S. Beagle.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "The Last Unicorn". Discogs. 29 August 1983. Retrieved 28 October 2012.
  2. Monger, James Christopher. "The Last Unicorn". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 October 2012.
  3. Anderson, Kyle (9 June 2015). "Review: The Last Unicorn is Alive on Blu-ray". Nerdist. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
  4. "The Last Unicorn (Cover) - Dan Avidan and Brian Wecht". YouTube . Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  5. "Art Garfunkel Official Site". www.artgarfunkel.com. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
  6. The Last Unicorn by Kenny Loggins - Topic on YouTube
  7. The Last Unicorn by Ninja Sex Party on YouTube
  8. Leighton Meester - That's All I've Got To Say , retrieved 17 September 2022
  9. That's All I've Got To Say , retrieved 17 September 2022