The Great Gatsby Soundtrack review

I am, along with many others, eagerly awaiting the release of Baz Luhrmann's 'The Great Gatsby'.  One of my favourite books adapted by a director that has proven he can film a visually rich and sumptuous movie, looks set to be one of the highlights of the Hollywood calendar.  One aspect of the production that may prove to be slightly more questionable, is the soundtrack.  With Jay Z as executive producer, it was never going to be a straightforward reproduction of popular 1920s standards (for that, see the Boardwalk Empire soundtrack which is absolutely superb).  Rather than incorporating jazz-age music, considered daringly modern at the time of the novel's release, it has been replaced with the contemporary equivalent; that is replacing jazz with hip hop.

 

The opener, '100$ Bill' from Jay-Z, (who was also executive producer on the film) sets the somewhat anachronistic tone for the rest of the album.  The track does sample dialogue from the film, but not in any meaningful way.

Following '100$ Bill' is 'Back to Black' by Beyoncé and André 3000.  Originally by Amy Winehouse, the song is quite jarring - especially Beyoncé singing 'I love blow and you love puff'.  I don't think the style or lyrics are relevant to The Great Gatsby and it just seems like a reason to have Jay Z's wife on the album.  Another cover, the evocative and despair-filled 'Love is Blindness' from Jack White (originally by U2), brings an emotional depth that seems to be lacking from some of the more morose tracks.

 

'Bang Bang' seems one of the more promising tracks, sampling the ubiquitous 'Charleston'.  Will.i.am produces a song more in line with what I was expecting from the album, combining his signature style with hints at early 20th century popular music.  At times, he employs a style reminiscent of a barber shop quartet as well as a few bars of scatting. On multiple listens, the track does tend to improve and seems to fulfil the brief of combining what was considered daring and new in the '20s, and what is contemporary and modern now.

A second appearance by a Black Eyed Peas alumnus is 'A Little Party Never Killed Nobody (All We Got)' from Fergie (feat Q-tip & GoonRock).  A typical electroswing track, with a few horns thrown over the top of a classic club tune.

Lana Del Rey's 'Young and Beautiful' is the point at which the soundtrack takes an increasingly dark turn.  It was written to accompany a specific scene in the film, as was Florence + the Machine's characteristic alternating-between-haunting-and-powerful ballad 'Over the Love'.  They are both the dramatic trailer fare and they can be easily imagined scoring a poignant montage in many a film.  Sounding as though it was written for the same scene as 'Young and Beautiful' and 'Over the Love' (or perhaps hinting that a large proportion of the film will be of a pensive and brooding nature) 'Together' by The xx continues the mood with its lush orchestral sections, but doesn't say anything new.

 

With the tinkling piano backing, 'Where the Wind Blows' by Coco O of Danish duo Quadron has a vaudevillian feel, but in no way sounds dated. One of the few uplifting songs on the soundtrack.  'Hearts a Mess' (Gotye), 'Into the Past' (Nero) and 'Kill and Run' (Sia) are all very low key, ambient tracks, with the latter two again featuring quite majestic strings.  Sia's vocals on the last track in particular, are well suited to the opulent look of the film.

 

'Love is the Drug' will be familiar to anyone that listened to the Bryan Ferry Orchestra's debut released last year, although this version also features the vocals of Mr Ferry himself.   One of the most 'authentic' tracks on the album, it goes some way to capture the essence of the jazz age portrayed in the film and can verge of sleazy - but definitely in a good way.  The second helping from the Bryan Ferry Orchestra this time features Emeli Sandé on vocals, in a reimagining of Beyoncé's 'Crazy in Love'.  Although good to hear another jazz-fuelled track, Sandé's vocals don't quite come up to scratch,  exacerbated by the fact that Beyoncé features as a reminder elsewhere on the album.

 

It would have been more fitting to hear some 1920s songs among the covers, perhaps some that are mentioned in the novel itself.  I understand the theory behind Luhrmann's remark that, as the audience is living in the 'hip-hop age' as opposed to the jazz-age, they "want [their] viewers to feel the impact of modern-day music the way Fitzgerald did for the readers of his novel at the time of its publication" however I don't think it has quite hit the mark and may prove distracting.  It will be interesting to see the context into which each track is placed, and whether the soundtrack accurately reflects a rather bleak film.

The soundtrack is released on the 6th of May on Interscope Records with a deluxe version featuring three additional tracks.

  

Have you heard any of the songs from the soundtrack?  What did you think of them?  Are you looking forward to seeing The Great Gatsby?

Betsy and Clyde

Sorry I've been a bit quiet on here (I hadn't realised it had been almost a month since I posted about Clara Bow).

Anyway, a couple of months ago, we lent out Betsy (and Kieren) for a Bonnie and Clyde styled photoshoot.  The shoot was a collaboration between the amazing model, Bethan Moyse and the equally brilliant photographer, MichelleGeorge.  

 

Some of you may recognise Bethan as she graced the cover of issue 64 of the Chap magazine

 

. The photos were taken in Brighton, near Duke's Mound and Marine Parade. A couple of them even ended up on the Vogue Italia website, although not the one featuring Kieren (he has still appeared in Playboy twice though - no, I'm not joking).

Al photographs © Michelle George

 

I'd love to hear what you think, of the photos, and I can pass on your comments to Bethan and Michelle.

 *For those of you new to the blog (hello) I should clarify that Betsy is the car!
 

Clara Bow - The Hottest Jazz Baby in Films

After a recent documentary shown on the Beeb (which spoke as if no-one born after 1932 had ever heard of her), I was compelled to write about Clara Bow, the frivolous ingénue of the silent screen.  As she is such an interesting, and somewhat tragic character, I thought it right to redress the balance and write about the girl who was the personification of 'It'.



 

The first film of Clara's that I saw was her defining role in 'It' (1927) in which she plays a shop girl out to snare her employer.  Apart from it being an important piece of film history, I also found it really funny (it's definitely worth seeking out).  Clara perfectly depicts the girl-next-door who aspires for a better life and is determined to get it - but without having to give up her principles (she's not quite the floozy her boss thinks she is).   The concept of 'It' was defined by Elinor Glyn (said to have coined the term) as 'a strange magnetism which attracts both sexes', but can be more easily described as good old-fashioned sex appeal!

Clara with Madame Glyn

The film crystallised a new type of woman emerging both in film and society - the flapper.  These were newly emancipated young women, with the right to vote, money they'd earned themselves and trying to break free from the strict, corseted life previously laid out for them.

But Bow's carefree image onscreen belied a turbulent (to put it lightly) home life.  Born into poverty in a Brooklyn tenement to Sarah and Robert Bow in 1905, her childhood was marked by an absentee father and a mother with serious mental health problems.  One night when Clara was 16, she woke to find her mother standing with a butcher's knife to her throat, which led to Sarah being committed to a hospital where she died in 1923.

 

Clara's first break was winning an acting competition in 1921, after she astounded the judges with her ability to express such a range of emotions, even at the age of just 16.  A few minor film roles followed, and she soon began to steal any scene she was in.  Her first co-starring role came in 1923 in 'Black Oxen' which quickly led to starring roles, often as some variation of a flapper.

With Fredric March in 'The Wild Party' (1929)

Clara Bow was the epitome of the 'jazz-baby' that filmmakers were clamouring to put in their pictures and audiences couldn't wait to rush out to be immersed in her world of local-girl-done-good (after being a little bit bad of course).  She was phenomenally popular in her heyday, with reports of her receiving up to 45,000 letters from her 'fan-friends' in just one month in 1929.  A film star that ordinary women could identify with, her red hair (dyed with henna) was copied by many hoping to emulate the look of their favourite star.

From the lost film 'Red Hair'(1928)

It is often reported that Clara sank from stardom at the advent of the 'talkies' due to her thick Brooklyn accent, but she actually had some very successful speaking roles (such as 1929's 'The Wild Party').  Her accent in no way hampered her popularity, it actually endeared audiences to her as she was always seen as 'one of them'.  When the talkies arrived, Clara took on more mature roles including 'Call her Savage' (1932) and 'Hoopla' (1933). 

'Call Her Savage'(1932)

However, the tide was turning in regards to her popularity, fuelled by numerous scandals relating to her sex life, spending and drug-taking.  This, combined with the fact that  she really disliked rehearsing and learning her lines - she said they 'sapped her pep', really started to undermine her place at the top of Hollywood.  Her family history of mental and emotional problems, as well as chronic insomnia, were also beginning to take their toll.  Tellingly, she once said 'Being a sex symbol is a heavy load to carry, especially when one is tired, hurt and bewildered'.

 From 'Hoopla'(1933)

The final blow to her image was the seemingly endless bad press she received (much of it wildly exaggerated if not completely fabricated).  What had been seen as fun and exciting in the 1920s was seen as disgusting and wasteful during the depression of the 1930s.  Nobody wanted to see a flapper going to endless parties and running up a $14,000 debt at a casino (which Clara reportedly did in 1931) when they could hardly afford food.  A highly scandalous court case between Clara and her former secretary, Daisy de Voe (Clara sued de Voe for embezzlement) ended with Bow's reputation in tatters, after large amounts of evidence of her predilection for drink, drugs and gigolos came to light.  Her popularity declined rapidly and she was subsequently dropped from her contract with Paramount in 1931.

With Monroe Owsley in 'Call Her Savage' (1932)

Despite numerous offers of multi-picture contracts (including one from Howard Hughes), Bow retired to a Nevada ranch with her husband Rex Bell in 1933.  Their marriage started off very happily, but over the next decade she withdrew more from public life.  Her psychological wellbeing was also declining and this led to her attempted suicide in 1944, as she said couldn't cope with the thought of living in the public eye as a result of her husband's political aspirations.  The couple grew apart and in 1965 she died of a heart attack in Los Angeles.

From 'Call Her Savage' (1932)

In just 12 years she made an incredible impact on the film industry, and I imagine on the lives of young women on the 1920s as well.  Many of her films are thought to be lost, but a few have turned up in recent years (her most famous film 'It' was only unearthed during the 1960s).  Hopefully, all of her films will eventually be restored and more people will come to be entranced by 'the hottest jazz baby in films'.

 

I love this quote from Carl Sandberg and think it is a fitting ending to this post: "there are only about five actresses who give me a real thrill on the screen — and Clara is nearly five of them".

Competition time!

As I imagine you all know by now, I work for the Vintage News and this week we are running a competition to win a rather fabulous new album.  What could be better just before Christmas?

If you’ve read our review of The Jazz Age by The Bryan Ferry Orchestra, we’re sure you’re all eager to hear it.  Well, you are in luck!  We have one copy to give away to subscribers of our website.  Not already subscribed? Just click here and fill in the form.

After you’ve subscribed, to be in with a chance of winning just answer the following question:

Which 1927 collection of illustrations is the album artwork taken from?

hint: it might be worth taking another peek at the review ;)

Email your answer to newsdesk@vintagenews.tv with ‘The Jazz Age Competition’ as the subject

The competition ends midnight, Friday 21^st December and the winner will be announced before Christmas – good luck!

"The Jazz Age" or why I started watching Roxy Music on youtube

I can’t admit to be overly familiar with Bryan Ferry’s oeuvre, apart from a few songs (notably, ‘Love is the Drug’, ‘Virginia Plain’ and ‘Let’s Stick Together’) as well as a beautifully haunting version of ‘The Only Face’ on one of Jools Holland’s albums.  So when I heard that he was releasing a new album, it didn’t stir much excitement within me.  When I heard that all of the songs were covers of 11 of his hits from the last 40 years, re-recorded in the style of a 1920s dance band, I was suddenly interested.

In what I think is quite a brave step, Bryan Ferry’s distinctive vocals are absent from this album, as all of the songs are instrumentals.  The remarkable change in style may also leave some of his more die-hard fans a little disappointed.  However, they should put their reservations aside and listen to what has immediately become my favourite album of the year!

After hearing the songs of ‘The Jazz Age’, I must say I did go through my mum’s record collection and listen to some of the originals, which really enhanced my appreciation of the reworked tracks.

Produced by Ferry and long-time collaborator Rhett Davies, The Jazz Age truly is a love letter to the music of the 1920s, not a half-hearted attempt to jump on the vintage bandwagon.  Bryan Ferry said “I loved the way the great soloists would pick up a tune and shake it up - go somewhere completely different...”, a statement which is played out to great effect on the record.

Highlights are the joyously upbeat ‘This is Tomorrow’, the lovely lilting refrain on ‘Avalon’ and ‘The Only Face’ – in which I half expected Cab Calloway to start singing about a tragic woman’s demise! 

The album’s artwork is taken from the 1927 collection of illustrations ‘Le Tumulte Noir’ by the French artist, Paul Colin.  These illustrations were inspired by La Revue Nègre, which included among its stars, Josephine Baker (Colin’s muse and lover). 

I for one would love to see this album performed live, although I’m not sure how the show would work as Bryan Ferry wouldn’t be singing and of course, they would have to play in venues with an ample dance floor, not the stadiums I’m sure he normally commands!

The album was released on 26^th November 2012 with the 10” vinyl folio set for release on 3^rd December (hint, if anyone fancies buying one of the folios for me, I dare say I wouldn’t refuse it!)

 Keep an eye out on The Vintage News facebook and twitter as we will be announcing a competition to win a copy of The Jazz Age next week*.

*should point out that the competition ran in December 2012

...But gentlemen marry brunettes

We were thrilled when we were asked to film Sarina and Jonathan’s wedding.  Not only was the ceremony to take place in Eltham Palace, a delectable Art Deco masterpiece in Greenwich, but the dress code was 1920s and ‘30s.  We were in for quite a treat! 

Rather than ramble on about what a wonderful day it was, how beautiful the bride looked and what a fantastic time we had, I will just put up some pictures of the day so you can see for yourself.

I should mention, many of the dresses the guests were wearing came from Sarina’s own clothing company which you can find here. 

One of Sarina's designs

Again, a big thank you to Sarina and Jonathan for asking us to be part of their special day.

White Mink's Triumphant Return to Brighton

At the Vintage News, we've long been fans of the Brighton club night White Mink.  What started out as a compilation cd has spawned brilliant nights in both Brighton and London as well as many copycat nights all round the country.  The Vintage News filmed at one of the last White Mink nights in Brighton before they went gallivanting round the country over the summer.

 

Nick Hollywood on the decks

 



White Mink: Black Cotton, the cd that kick-started a more mainstream knowledge of electroswing, brought together the finest of the then emerging genre and the original tunes from the '30s and '40s that inspired the contemporary artists. I've been to White Mink in various venues around Brighton, but I think my favourite was the opening of the Brighton Festival a few years ago when the Correspondents played and I was one of a few dancers that did a little display beforehand.
 

Interviewing Nick Hollywood

Anyway, that's enough background, onto White Mink's homecoming to the Brighton Ballroom.  To those of you familiar with the Brighton Ballroom (especially dancers) it was a pleasant surprise that the supper club that usually precedes club nights had been scrapped - I think owing to the popularity of White Mink.

 

We were fortunate enough to be able to interview all of the performers as well as the director of Freshly Squeezed records and head honcho of White Mink, Nick Hollywood.  Oh and did I mention he's a brilliant DJ too?

As we entered the Brighton Ballroom, the self-proclaimed World's tallest DJ Will, was on the decks.  He later joined us for an interview - when I say 'us' I mean Kieren, because I couldn't fit in the same camera shot as Will!



 



We were immediately drawn to Bart and Baker - well they were both in tailcoats and top hats (white and red respectively).  They are a producer/DJ duo from France and seemed very excited to be back in Brighton (in the balmy summers of the mid-90s, Bart studied at Sussex University).

  

Swingrowers performing

We conducted our first ever interview in Italian (via Giulio the translator) with the duo Swingrowers. All three of our Italian interviewees were rather excitable as you can see in the footage.

 



 

 I was wearing my fail-safe '20s style black lace dress that seems to be making an appearance more and more.  Prohibition Speakeasies are all well and good, but I really don't have enough 1920s dresses!  I have one original flapper dress, but it's pale pink with cream lace and very delicate - more for reclining on a chaise longue than dancing! 

 

I didn't have time to wave my hair, so I went for a strange structural, exaggerated kiss-curl style.  Also, apologies for the picture - it wasn't posed for, I just turned round and Les took my picture!

We had a really good time, especially with the quality of the acts that appeared that night.  We'll definitely be back to White Mink and hopefully we'll be interviewing Nick Hollywood in the near future. 

Blind Pig Returns

We stopped off for a quick drink (at the Bristol Arms if you're interested) before heading on to Blind Pig at the Proud Ballroom in Brighton.



The chaps doing all of the necessary technical checks

The night was organised by Carolyn Watt, an established aerial performer and fashion student.  The Blind Pig started out as a fundraiser for her end of year show, organised with her fellow students.  This was the first time it was solely under her leadership and we were interested to see how it went.

During our interview Carolyn Watt, the organiser

Ethan

The night's entertainment came thick and fast, which meant a fair amount of dashing about the place by us with a plethora of cameras (and our fancy new mobile light).  As we arrived, Ethan (the first male pole dancer I've seen) was performing a very athletic routine.  Seeing a man pole dancin,g somehow highlights how strong you have to be to accomplish some of the moves. 

Next came a traditional burlesque fan dance from Cherry Bella.  I was particularly impressed with her outfit, a very nice mix of pastel pink and blue satin.

Cherry Bella's first performance of the evening

Burlesque nowadays is often solely associated with well dressed ladies becoming rather less-dressed, but it has a fine tradition/association with comedy too, (Mae West started out as a comic performing in between the striptease acts).  With this in mind, came the first double act of the night; the Big Brad Wolf and Acacia Blue performed a rather amusing burlesque centreing around a robbery - gun included!  It's always refreshing to see people trying something new in burlesque.

Miss Bombshell was up next, performing another pole routine to the evocative 'El Tango de Roxanne' from Moulin Rouge.



Lexi Allure

Miss Bombshell

Lexi Allure, who I believe made her own costume, was another traditional burlesque dancer.

Ethan & Miss Steel

Ethan appeared again, but this time in a two person pole routine.  Joined by Miss Steel, what followed was quite an innovative display of strength and athleticism.

A second appearance from Cherry Bella rounded off the burlesque performances of the evening.  In an intricate black outfit, she lit up the stage with her fire breathing act (sorry, that was awful) .

Cherry Bella 'lighting up' the stage - get it?

As promised, there was a live band in the form of This is Laura, whose music perfectly suited the mood of the evening.  Kieren interviewed some of the band later on, but you can see that when we release the footage.

Jennie, a lady known by many names

After all the live performers had appeared, DJ Arthur Shillin' (oh, I do love a good pun), who had been playing in between acts, continued with the rest of the night's entertainment.  He played almost exclusively electroswing, but did include some swing music from between the wars.  I did also manage to get a couple of dances with fellow blogger Jennie (of Fancy Dresscapades fame).  She too was there taking the odd snap and being interviewed by professional media types (well, me).

Normally I'm more comfortable wearing clothes from (or styled as though they were from) the 1940s and '50s.  However, as this was a Speakeasy, it would be churlish to not go for full flapper finery.  I'm slightly limited when it comes to 1920s clothes (I've got a black lace '80s-does-'20s number or a very fragile original peach silk and lace frock, but that wouldn't really do for dancing).  In the end I went for a modern dress in a vaguely '20s casual day style (replete with obligatory sequins).  I had great fun waving my hair and pinning up the curls at the back, in order to simulate the shorter styles so in vogue at the time. 

 

I'll soon have a post on how to do said hairstyle, but for now that is all from me.