Hey kids, I've got a long player I know you're gonna love. All the groovy kids are playing it and it's where all the cool chicks are at. Unfortunately, I've not seen enough 60's films to keep up lingo like that, so we'll return to the usual tediously dull analysis I bring to every film score. Well, possibly.
I'm bound to say that Vic Mizzy was the composer of the famous Addams Family theme, but also wrote plenty of other TV and film scores and themes in his career, although in fairness, none have not quite reached the same level of instant recognition. Don't Make Waves (Make Love) was apparently a fairly mediocre comedy, but Mizzy's evidently still had great fun penning the music. The album starts with the title song, not penned by Mizzy and performed by the Byrds, who I think I've heard of, but sound like a kind of wannabe Beach Boys, which isn't helped by the distant miking of the vocals. A definite period piece, but enjoyable in every respect. Daybreak at Malibu sets the tone of swinging jazz and Malibu turns its attentions to a more laid back and lusty sound. While it never really approaches anything that could be deemed symphonic, the orchestra does get enough of an airing, even if (unsurprisingly I guess) a lot of it tends toward sitcom music, but never quite that crass.
Yes, Penelope is by John "Johnny" Williams, you know, the Oscar winning one who's scored some of the highest grossing films of all time. To show how far he's come, Penelope doesn't even appear in my Time Out film review guide. This release contains the original album's liner notes which mention his recent successes with Irwin Allen TV shows and films such as How to Steal a Million and Not with my Wife You Don't - classics all, I'm sure. This album includes another brief note from the reissue producer Amy Rosen who expresses the exact same thrill of reading about John Williams in the context of such an unfamiliar collection of scores.
Like many of the films Williams scored in the 60's, Penelope is a swinging comedy and the music is mainly jazz, often seemingly part improvised. There's not much of his well known style to recognise here. From the bouncy title song (which evidently Williams wrote) which almost epitomises a 60's beat combo to the quite silly Girl Chase, this is music with probably no cultural merit, but fab fun. The only moment when a glimmer of future style sneaks through is the Love Theme, containing several idiomatic harmonies, which is enough to link the score through his style evolution. There are plenty of humorous touches and plenty of silly instruments, particularly the final Mad Professor which turns into something approaching Williams' psychotic theme for Land of the Giants.
It's amazing to think how far Williams has come - the comparison with John Barry, another composer who has gone on to almost equal success, but who made his original mark writing and playing music that is almost unrecognisable to his current fans. Both scores are very inconsequential, but similar films these days would likely be just filled with crappy teeny pop and a completely forgettable score. At least the underscore reflected the pop culture at the time and I'd certainly prefer it any day to the drivel they serve up these days. Recommended mainly on nostalgia, the "they don't make 'em like they used to" and fun factor which is more than enough for me.
Rating ~ Penelope (Johnny Williams)
Total Time ~ 61:53
Don't Make Waves (Vic Mizzy)
Performed by the Byrds - Composed by Jim McGuinn & Chris Hillman
Performed by the Pennypipers
Performed by Natalie Wood