Category Archives: Soundtracks

Feb5

New Story Songlist

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When I am working on a current story- which will already have its own playlist, I start amassing a new series of songs- just by what pops in my head or what appeals to me as I listen to Sirius Radio- as you can tell, I’m a fan of the 60s, 70s, and 80s.

Anyway as I collect songs, I jot them down and then when I finish my current WIP, I make a playlist for my next WIP on my iPad and immerse myself in the songs as I work my day job. I find that plot ideas come to me based on the songs my subconscious was attracted to as I worked on the prior story. It’s kind of like magic as I start with no clue how these songs will come together and blend in my head but I do know this: It’ll happen.

Here’s the newest list I made on Monday. I’m immersing now and when I get the new story done, I’ll do another post on how these songs gelled for me.

Love is like oxygen 1978 by Sweet
I want a love I can see. Temptations – this was their first recorded song, I believe.
Hey baby by Bruce Channel- 1962
Tighten up. Black keys
You never can tell. Chuck Berry 1964
Incense and peppermints by Strawberry alarm clock 1967
You got to me. Neil diamond 1967
I’m gonna make you mine. Lou Christie 1964?
Automatic by the Pointer Sisters 1984?
Power of Love. Huey Lewis
In my room. Beach boys. 1963-64
Have I the right. Honeycombs 1964
Only Women Bleed. Alice cooper
Don’t Tell Me Goodnight. Lobo
Living on a Prayer. Bon Jovi
Ain’t She Sweet. Beatles
Liar liar – The Castaways

Feb2

Trans-Siberian Orchestra

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I adore Trans-Siberian Orchestra.  I go to see them every year for their Christmas shows. This year, FINALLY, they are having a spring tour performing their rock opera called Beethoven’s Last Night.  It’s an awesome soundtrack and I’m sure the show will be spectacular.  They are actually coming to PENSACOLA!!!!  I’m thrilled. I’m a member of the fan club and tickets went on sale today. While I was busy in court, my paralegal was ordering six tickets. I’m treating my staff, my fan club president and my sister to the concert. We are on the 3rd row on the floor AND, best of all, I got the coveted aisle seat. Being claustrophobic, this is a big coup! 

Al Pitrelli, Music director, TSO

Nov14

Interesting New Songs I Like

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I went with one of my friends that is a ballroom dancer to her showcase last night. It’s where the dancers show their moves in an exhibition arena. It’s always fun and she does a wonderful job.  I have found that my favorite two dances are the Bolero and the Cha Cha.  I love to watch a sexy tango and Emmy certainly did one last night but the cha cha is such a happy step and the bolero is just so beautiful, I think they are my favorites at this moment.

One of the Boleros that Emmy danced to was a song called Moonshine Child. It is sung by Robben Ford and it’s an awesome blues song. It’s gonna be on the next sound track I do. I always prepare a playlist of songs that fit the current WIP.  This song is a tale of love lost so it’ll fit a romance novel- no matter what I decide to write since there is always the “Black Moment” when all seems lost.  One of the phrases in the song is if I could make you want me again..   So it would definitely fit.

The other song I heard that I loved is by Bitter:Sweet and is called The Mating Game.  They played it twice and I think one of the dances was a swing and the other was a samba. I could be dead wrong, but I enjoyed both the song and the dances.  

You can listen to snippets of both on Amazon.com or can order each at I-Tunes for 99 cents. They’re great.  Enjoy!

Jun23

Million Dollar Quartet

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My great grandmother was a Phillips by birth. Her brother had a son named Sam Phillips.  Sam grew up to found Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee.  He discovered Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis.  I am proud to call him a distant cousin.  There was a day in December, 1956, that all four of  his best selling artists were in the studio and had an impromptu session.  Here is a iconic picture of that day.

This day has now been memorialized in a Broadway show that I had the privilege to see a week ago today.  It was great.  Lots of wonderful music and the actors played and sang it all themselves.  The Elvis character had the mannerisms down cold.  He was good.  Johnny Cash was spot on as well.  The guy that played Carl Perkins was the best guitarist of the group.  BUT I have to say, the guy that played Jerry Lee Lewis stole the whole show. He was fantastic.  His piano playing was amazing even upside down!  He won a Tony Award for best new comer and it was very deserved.  His name is Levi Kries.  I see great things in his future. 

The only female in the cast had a fabulous singing voice.  As for the guy that played my cousin, Sam, he was good, too and better looking than the real Sam. 

I have never been disappointed with any show I have seen on Broadway (except one that I won’t name) and this was another treat.  Highly recommended.  AND get the soundtrack,  you’ll love it.

Check it out: http://www.milliondollarquartetlive.com/index.html

Jan8

Soundtrack again

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I’m ready, I think,  to make the Soundtrack  CD for my newest WIP.  This is a story about a lawyer and an Interpol Agent- who is not exactly what he seems.   Here are the songs I’ve chosen.  Couldn’t resist the Interpol one called NYC  as the story takes place in New York City (or starts there, anyway).

Howard Jones : Things Can Only Get Better; Alan Parsons Project: Eye in the Sky; 10CC: I’m Not in Love; Pink: Do What You Do; Pink: Waiting For Love; Stevie Wonder: Boogie on Reggae Woman; Dan Hall: Never Thought; Pete Townshend: Let My Love Open the Door; Yardbirds: For Your Love; Turtles: Happy Together; Blood, Sweat and Tears: You Made Me So Very Happy; Walter Egan: Magnet and Steel; Dell Shannon: Runaway; Steely Dan: Rikki Don’t Lose That Number; Interpol: NYC

Just for fun, here is a picture from one of my trips to NYC

The subway had a fire as we sat in Juniors eating lunch – we got to see all the action- AND some pretty cute firemen.  Why is it that all firemen are handsome?

Jan5

SoundTracks: The Third Installment

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This is the song list for the manuscript Solo Honeymoon.  Finding a title for this one just about kicked my butt.  It was called The Italian Novel in my head for months til I landed on the real title.   The heroine finds her fiance in the middle of the floor in flagrante with one of her bridesmaids.   Rather than stay home and face the shame, she flees on  her honeymoon trip with her best friend instead of the fiance.  She falls for a sexy Italian dude.   And then the fiance follows her to Italy and eventually to New York City for the denouement.  Here are the songs:

Gloria Gaynor: I Will Survive;  Dean Martin: Mambo Italiano and That’s Amore;  Bonnie Tyler:  Holding Out For a Hero;  Weather Girls: Its’s Raining Men; Arsenium: Love Me, Love Me;  INXS: Need You Tonight; Pink: Oh My God; Texas: In Demand; Daughtry: It’s Not Over; Aerosmith: I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing;  Secondhand Serenade: It’s Not Over.

I DO know I have two songs called It’s Not Over but they both fit the mood of the manuscript.    Here is my inspiration for the hero, Dario:

His name is Edoardo Costa.  Very Nice, Hey?

Jan4

Soundtracks: Part Deux

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As promised, here is the soundtrack for my book called Redemption for the Devil:  This is a story of an Irish Republican Army bomber, (Protestant- yeah- I know most of them were Catholic but he rebelled against his family), masquerading as a bartender, that falls in love with a nice Catholic girl. They are  on the ship, the Mauretania, in late 1919.  He is supposed to  blow it up but has a hard time doing it because he will kill this Irish lass he has fallen for.  What a dilemma.   She is the singer on board in the first class lounge so some of the music is pretty old.

so, here are the songs:   Three Dog Night: One;  Paul Anka: Lonely Boy; Nat King Cole: Stardust (and yeah- I was gonna have her sing it but it was written after my time period- dang!);  Harry Connick, Jr.:  Danny Boy;  John McCormack: Wild Irish Rose;  Chris Isaak: Yellow Bird; Tom Jones: She’s a lady; Billy Joel:  Always a Woman, The Stranger, and Only the Good Die Young; Back Street Boys: Bad Boy and Don’t Wanna Lose you; George Michael: Kissing a Fool and One More Try;  Soundtrack from Poseidon Advanture: Morning After;  and Pink: Stop Falling.

So, a bit eclectic this one, huh?   Anyway, I found this picture on the net and it seemed appropriate as Liam is a bartender and Peg is the lounge singer.

 

Dec31

Soundtracks

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Does anyone else make a soundtrack for their work in progress?  I do.  One of the things I like to do is brain storm songs that would fit my story line and make a cd to listen to get me in the mood to write.  I know, I could be spending that time to actually write but I think it helps me make the story come alive.   I’m gonna share three soundtracks with the old blog over three posts.  The first one is for the novel Doctor, Lover, Baronet: 

1. John Parr:  St. Elmo’s Fire;  2.  Kool and the Gang: Celebration;  3.  Club Nouveau: Lean on Me;  4.  Cyndi Lauper: Girls Wanna Have Fun;  5.  Billy Idol: White Wedding;  6.  Duran Duran: Is There Something I Should Know;  7.  Dionne Warwick: That’s What Friends Are For;  8.  The Cars: Shake it Up;  9.   Journey: Open Arms;  10.  Madonna: Open Your Heart; 11.  Robert Palmer: Simply Irresistible;  12.  George Harrison: I’ve Got My Mind Set On You;  13.  OMD: If You Leave;  14.  Prince: When Doves Cry;  15.  Fine Young Cannibals: She Drives Me Crazy;  16.  The Human League: Don’t You Want Me;  17.  Modern English: I Melt With You.

So, there you have it.  The soundtrack to Doctor, Lover, Baronet.   I chose 1980s songs for it as the hero is a pop culture fanatic and quotes lots of 1970s and 1980s pop culture references.   #2 son asked me if I was going to sell cds with my books and my response was that I need to find a book publisher first and not worry about the music so much!  

  one of the scenes in this novel takes place on the grounds of Rockingham Castle.  Lovely spot.  Dickens even wrote some of Bleak House there.  So, it is a writer’s place, after all.