‘Ghostbusters’ ‘to ‘Pineapple’: Novelty numbers or songs with legs?
By Todd Martens, Times Staff Writer
The big rock n roll movie theme is a bit of a lost art. Or is it an art at all?
Huey Lewis has recorded the theme for
Lewis himself has been drafted for the role before, having recorded The Power of Love and Back in Time for 1985s Back to the Future. And his hiring for Pineapple Express came with distinct orders. Lewis told The Times, They said, We want a track called Pineapple Express. I said, Ooh. Thats going to be tough. They said, Its a kind of marijuana. I said, Like Panama Red? No problem.
Songs that overtly make reference to the film theyre in are increasingly becoming a rarity, save for the odd Snakes on a Plane. But while theres no denying the catchiness of a song such as Ghostbusters, does it have a life outside the film, or is it little more than a novelty number? Not counting any James Bond films, here’s a look back at some self-referential rock n roll movie songs, to try to find an answer. (Darren Michaels / Associated Press)
Song:
A life without the film? Pineapple Express has already shown it has the ability to power a song up the charts, as it has done with M.I.A.s Paper Planes,” looped in the film’s trailer. But Lewis Pineapple Express probably wont be so lucky, or at least it shouldnt, as the film title punctuates the end of the chorus with all the finesse of a pineapple to the head, and soul keys and horns mark the song as pure lounge. (Karen Tapia / Los Angeles Times)
Song: 9 to 5,
A life without the film? There was a film? OK, of course there was, but Dollys song has such an across-the-board, mutli-generational appeal that it fully stands on its own. Its a song thats as fit for a show tune (the musical opens this fall in
Song: Weird Science, Oingo Boingo
A life without the film? No offense to
Song: Against All Odds (Take A Look at Me Now),
A life without the film? A solo breakout hit for Collins, and a Grammy-winning song from the 1984
Song: Bring It! (Snakes on a Plane), Cobra Starship
A life without the film? Snakes on a Plane hasnt exactly become the camp classic the world hoped it would be, and thats probably part of the reason this song falls a little flat. While it has A-level mall-punk guitars, and some PG-13 come-ons from striking blond vocalist Maja Ivarsson, it reeks of a hyped-movie craze that just wasnt meant to be. (Bryan Bedder / Getty Images)