WARNER MUSIC GROUP CELEBRATES THE POWER OF MUSIC IN FILM WITH ITS UPCOMING VINYL SERIES

In September, 2021, the Warner Music Group will be releasing the soundtracks from nine memorable movies in a vinyl format. Yes, that's right, I said 'vinyl', as in, not CD, digital, or cassette, and will include some really thumping tunes from the likes of Alice Cooper, ZZ Top, Seal, David Bowie, Hans Zimmer, Ennio Morricone, and many, many more. Want to know more? Then please have a look at this...

Batman Forever (Various Artists)

Format: 2-LP on 140-gram blue/silver vinyl / Number of copies available: 10,500 copies / Initial year of release: 1995

This Golden Globe nominated soundtrack contains several hit singles from Joel Schumacher's comic book adventure, 'Batman Forever', including, 'Kiss from a Rose' by Seal plus a number of other songs from musicians like, The Flaming Lips, The Offspring, Nick Cave, Michael Hutchence, PJ Harvey, U2, and Massive Attack.

Dazed and Confused (Various Artists)
Format: 2-LP purple translucent vinyl / Number of copies available: 10,000 copies / Initial year of release: 1993

In retrospect, Richard Linklater's high school comedy, 'Dazed and Confused', is generally known for three different things. Its silly sense of humor, its great cast of characters, and its 70s rock-themed soundtrack, which contains songs by Alice Cooper, War, ZZ Top, and Black Sabbath.

Welcome to My Nightmare (Alice Cooper)

Format: 1-LP on clear vinyl / Number of copies available: 11,500 copies / Initial year of release: 1975

Talking about Alice Cooper, did you know that his 1975 concept album, 'Welcome to My Nightmare', was originally a stage show that featured a large variety of Grand Guignol theatrics? Like a bunch of boa constrictors, for instance, or several well-placed guillotines! Well, if not, don't worry, because neither did I! As I only knew it for its hard, loud, rock, ranging from 'Cold Ethyl' all the way to 'The Black Widow'.

Jackie Brown (Various Artists)

Format: 1-LP on blue vinyl / Number of copies available: 12,000 copies / Initial year of release: 1997

The director, Quentin Tarantino, is a well-respected cinephile who just loves inserting nostalgic pieces of music into each film he makes. Films like, 'Jackie Brown', for instance, which features dialogue from his movie as well as several amazing hits, such as, 'Who Is He (And What Is He to You)?' by Bill Withers, 'Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)' by The Delfonics, and 'Inside My Love' by Minnie Riperton.

Space Jam (Various Artists)

Format: 2-LP on red and black vinyl / Number of copies available: 11,000 copies / Initial year of release: 1996

At face value, 'Space Jam' comes across as a live-action animated adventure that stars a collection of colorful cartoon characters and a selection of sporting greats. But upon closer inspection, you'll come to realize that it's also a rather rhythmical film, as it showcases some stellar songs sung by Seal, Coolio, B-Real, Busta Rhymes, LL Cool J, and Method Man.

Goodfellas (Various Artists)

Format: 1-LP on dark blue vinyl / Number of copies available: 15,000 copies / Initial year of release: 1990

Similar to 'Space Jam', Martin Scorsese's crime classic, 'Goodfellas', is a film that works on two different levels. On one level, it's a morality tale that chronicles the rise and fall of a known gangster. While on another level, it's a great way of showcasing a variety of vintage tunes performed by many different artists, such as Tony Bennett, Aretha Franklin, and The Shangri-Las, to name but a few.

The Dark Knight (Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard)

Format: 2-LP on neon green and violet splattered vinyl / Number of copies available: 14,500 copies / Initial year of release: 2008

The soundtrack for Christopher Nolan's sequel to 'Batman Begins', 'The Dark Knight', won a variety of different awards upon its initial release. This includes a Grammy® Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media, a Saturn Award for Best Music, and a Brit Award for Best Soundtrack. It also received a nomination at the BAFTAs for Best Film Music and charted at #20 in the US Billboard 200.

Death Proof (Various Artists)

Format: 1-LP on clear, black, and red vinyl / Number of copies available: 13,000 copies / Initial year of release: 2007

If truth be told, I'm not a big fan of Quentin Tarantino's 'Death Proof' because its storyline is somewhat superficial and its construction is fairly messy. Come to think of it, I'd rather listen to its accompanying soundtrack as it features great music from the 50s, 60s, and beyond, including, 'It's So Easy' by Willy DeVille, 'Down in Mexico' by The Coasters, and 'Chick Habit' by April March.

Inglourious Basterds (Various Artists)

Format: 1-LP on blood-red translucent vinyl / Number of copies available: 10,500 copies / Initial year of release: 2009

Now, unlike 'Death Proof', I actually enjoy watching Quentin Tarantino's wartime epic, 'Inglourious Basterds', because it tells a really great story and incorporates a number of really great songs, songs composed or performed by people like Ennio Morricone, David Bowie, Billy Preston, and Lalo Schifrin. In fact, these songs are so great - collectively, at least - that they were nominated for a Grammy® Award.

For further information, please feel free to check out the Warner Music Group on their official Website, Facebook, and Twitter pages.