Re-Play Melody Original Soundtrack

One of my favourite films from the 1970s is Melody (also known as SWALK on release in some countries). It stars Mark Lester and Jack Wild from Oliver and Tracy Hyde in her first film role. It tells the story of Daniel Latimer (Lester) who falls in love with Melody Perkins (Hyde), much to the bemusement and dismay of those around them. I got the soundtrack on CD, an import from Argentina, where the film was incredibly popular (as indeed it was in Japan), a number of years ago, but last year I hit the jackpot with a vinyl copy from a record shop in Bexhill, and as you know everything sounds better on vinyl! 😉😉 The soundtrack is absolutely central to the film, more so than usual, because the Bee Gees tracks, originally recorded in the 1960s by the group, informed the storyline and even the name of the titular character. In the film, the songs are as much a part of the charm of this underappreciated gem as the London locations of the 1970s, the authenticity of the grim school environment common at the time, and the acting of the children and adults alike.

Behind the scenes were Waris Hussain, the director, who took charge of the first Doctor Who episode and Henry VIII and his Six Wives amongst many others in a distinguished career, Alan Parker, the writer, who went on to direct Bugsy Malone, Fame, Midnight Express and Mississippi Burning amongst other films and David Puttnam, later the producer of Chariots of Fire, Midnight Express and The Mission. Whilst it was not a box office success in the UK, it gave Parker and Puttnam in particular a real start in the film industry. Wes Anderson, who loved the film as a child, said that Melody was the inspiration for Moonrise Kingdom. So, that’s the background of a film you really should catch if it is shown on TV, but now for the soundtrack.

Side 1

The album follows the film in terms of the running order, so the first song is the Beatles style In the Morning. It’s a gorgeous song that blends a lovely tune with deeply affecting lyrics, reflecting on the way that the days of childhood seem to last forever while your adult life seems to fly by. It is a reminder to make the most of your time. The second track is a rearranged instrumental version of the tune, as heard in the background of the film. Next we hear Melody Fair, the song which gave the film its name. Like the opening track it is a song about childhood and it’s simplicity and complications. It plays as we are introduced to Melody Perkins in a scene which starts the story of the film in earnest as she gets a goldfish which she frees to swim in a metal horse trough by the side of the road. It always makes me think of the restricted lives of so many people who can never really find enough room to stretch themselves. The rather lovely instrumental follows this. Spicks and Specks is a bouncy infectious piece of music that just seems to contain childhood high spirits throughout. Romance Theme in F is a classical style piano piece that makes the central relationship between Daniel and Melody timeless in its own way. It could come from a 1940s movie like Brief Encounter. The final track on Side One is Give Your Best, a song, initially with an old time music hall feel with the lyrics until the chorus which becomes unexpectedly darker. It’s a song that works beautifully within the context of the film, but which sounds a little out of place on this side of the album.

Side 2

At the time of this album, To Love Somebody was the best known of the songs on this soundtrack. It’s a powerful love song that is simply class personified. It proves that the Bee Gees were every bit as adept as Lennon and McCartney at writing a tune that makes you stop in your tracks. Working on it Night and Day is the song that the children dance to at the school disco. Sung by Barry Howard it’s OK but it doesn’t match up to the Bee Gees at their best. Now, my favourite song on the album and one of my favourite songs ever is the tear jerking First of May. Having had a girlfriend at primary school to whom I was devoted, I could really relate strongly to the lyrics. This is particularly true of the line ‘the day I kissed your cheek and you were gone’ as she left the school at the end of our second year together. It is a song for anyone who has ever been in love at any age. Three highly contrasting instrumentals follow, the First of May reprise, Seaside Banjo which plays on Daniel and Melody’s visit to the beach at Weymouth and then the knockabout comedy of Teachers Chase. Finally, the classic sound of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young with the instantly familiar Teach Your Children. It actually makes you realise how good the Bee Gees songs for the soundtrack are, because they are not overshadowed at all. It’s an album that is gorgeous in its own right, but so much more effective if you know the film. If you want a taster then you can find eight of the tracks on the Spotify playlist linked below. Happy listening.

Melody Soundtrack Selections