Thankfully, it wasn't in 2001: A Space Odyssey

January 30, 2021 9:47 PM

Not only did Stanley Kubrick reject a commissioned alternative film score for 2001: A Space Odyssey, he also rejected a song he commissioned for the movie. 52 years later, you can now listen to 2001: A Garden of Personal Mirrors
posted by ShooBoo (56 comments total)

Only for about 15 seconds. Yikes!
posted by Windopaene at 9:52 PM on January 30, 2021 [3 favorites]

Wow, that really does not fit the movie at all. I definitely hear the "MacArthur Park" in it though.

...and I really don't have anything against "MacArthur Park", I have a soft spot for that kind of big overdramatic super-earnest stuff, e.g. Jim Steinman--but man that is not the right mood for 2001.
posted by equalpants at 10:33 PM on January 30, 2021 [2 favorites]

I think that his decision to reject that song was a wise one.
posted by coberh at 10:33 PM on January 30, 2021 [4 favorites]

This cake was worth leaving out in the rain.
posted by one for the books at 10:41 PM on January 30, 2021 [4 favorites]

...but, because that's arguably just a drive-by snark comment, I'll expand. I don't care for the song (which feels more Age of Aquarius than MacArthur Park) and I don't think it would have improved 2001, but I feel for the poor composer. Trying to come up with a song to sell such a strange, strange movie is a hugely daunting task, and sure, maybe going in an entirely different direction is one possibility among many to try.
posted by one for the books at 10:53 PM on January 30, 2021 [3 favorites]

Parts of it remind me of a song I genuinely like from the Wings of Desire soundtrack: Minimal Compact, "When I Go."
posted by Wobbuffet at 11:14 PM on January 30, 2021 [1 favorite]

They covered their bases for 2001 pronunciation:

Two thousand one
Two thousand and one
Twenty-oh-one they'll say
Twenty-oh-one they'll say

I actually thought it was catchy and could see it working with a different treatment.

/never been in charge of a movie soundtrack
posted by mefireader at 11:15 PM on January 30, 2021 [1 favorite]

Are they sure this wasn't made after hearing Bill Murray sing the Star Wars theme on SNL?
In terms of movie archaeology, this find makes Grizzly II seem like King Tut's tomb in comparison.
posted by gusottertrout at 11:16 PM on January 30, 2021 [3 favorites]

Now I want to see a Grizzly II cut with this being played at the rock show.
posted by flabdablet at 1:18 AM on January 31, 2021 [2 favorites]

Maybe if it had made the cut, the song's nomenclature of our century would have been a self-fulfilling prophecy. I, for one, would have welcomed the continuity of "twenty-oh-one".
posted by St. Oops at 2:07 AM on January 31, 2021

Huh. Getting big Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris vibes from this song. Which is fine, because I like Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris.

Stanley, ya blew it!
posted by Atom Eyes at 3:00 AM on January 31, 2021

It sounds very odd and dated today, but I think in 1969 it would've been in line with the music movies used back then.

The lyrics, though. Those had to be placeholders, yes? Because they're just silly.
posted by zardoz at 3:01 AM on January 31, 2021 [2 favorites]

The lyrics, though. Those had to be placeholders, yes? Because they're just silly.
posted by zardoz

I'm not sure Zardoz has room to talk about things being silly in a film.
posted by deadaluspark at 3:12 AM on January 31, 2021 [6 favorites]

I wish this guy had written songs, or really just this one, for other movies:

All the president’s men
All the men of the president
The president’s men, they’ll say
The president’s men, they’ll say

Three days of the condor
Days, three, of the condor
Three condor’s days, they’ll say
Three condor’s days, they’ll say
posted by snofoam at 4:02 AM on January 31, 2021 [14 favorites]

Fuck the haters, I love this, and it would have made th film glorious.

Imagine it. You’re Dave Bowman, floating through space on your way to Jupiter’s moons. All your co-astronauts are dead. The ship’s computer narrowly failed to kill you. Each communication with Earth takes an hour to be received, and is anyway irrelevant. You are going to meet an alien presence you don’t and can’t understand. What more appropriate than extremely disturbing pop?
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 4:25 AM on January 31, 2021

Citizen Kaaaaaaane! Yeehaw! *whip crack*
posted by phooky at 4:29 AM on January 31, 2021 [12 favorites]

Mute the top video and decide if it works.
posted by snofoam at 4:41 AM on January 31, 2021 [2 favorites]

No
posted by hal9k at 5:15 AM on January 31, 2021 [4 favorites]

related: 2001 + Space Oddity. Huh, Dave Bowman…David Bowie.
posted by jabah at 5:24 AM on January 31, 2021 [1 favorite]

This sounds like something Irwin would have played on his old Incorrect Music show on WFMU. I mean, wow maximum earnestness.
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 6:15 AM on January 31, 2021 [4 favorites]

Beware of the HAL, it glares
And stares and pings and sings
It reads your lips
Then locks the ship
And terminates your mates
It’s red, you’re dead
Be careful of the HAL
posted by oulipian at 6:47 AM on January 31, 2021 [2 favorites]

I'm afraid I can't do that, stanley.
posted by lalochezia at 6:51 AM on January 31, 2021

maximum earnestness

Sorry, not even close. Not even closest in a science fiction motion picture.
posted by flabdablet at 7:01 AM on January 31, 2021 [4 favorites]

Some comments here (and the OP’s headline, as well) seem to indicate a mistaken impression that this song was something Kubrick had commissioned to function as a theme or part of the soundtrack in the movie itself. The Guardian article, though, indicates that the song was to serve as some sort of additional promotional effort for the film.

From the article:

“The intent was to capture the different responses 2001 was generating from audiences and the media, the many levels of interpretation and appreciation, from its hypnotic visuals to its metaphysical illuminations. We also wanted to instil curiosity among audiences who had not yet seen what was becoming a cultural phenomenon,” Kaplan has explained.

Clearly, the song was commissioned after the movie had already been released.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 7:02 AM on January 31, 2021 [6 favorites]

Extremely cursed.
posted by rodlymight at 7:14 AM on January 31, 2021 [1 favorite]

Listening to Alex North's score is a great imagination exercise in what-could-have-been. Much more explicitly "heroic" and (almost) completely lacking in the sense of isolation and melancholy that Kubrick's choices brought to the film -- critically, in my opinion, because otherwise 2001 would have lacked what I think is an important sense of clinical detachment. North's compositions, even when he tried to evoke a moody sense of foreboding (like in the Tycho crater sequence) just didn't sell the frightening creepiness of the actual situation of being faced with an utterly alien artifact at all.

I believe that 2001 would have been a hugely influential film with either score, but Kubrick's instincts were right. Alex North is talented, but he just simply couldn't match the tracks Kubrick chose to edit with. I'm not even saying that just because I've become used to it, but even the lesser-"regarded" composers like Khatchaturian absolutely knocked the Gayane ballet suite out of the freakin' park. And using anything other than Ligeti for Jupiter and Beyond the Infinite would have been a travesty.

But that song? Not a bad song, in a vacuum (as it were), and maybe a decent fun track for some sort of stage musical in an alternate universe where Arthur C. Clarke collaborated with a Broadway producer, but it's almost utterly disposable.

Excluding North's composition was kind of an unfortunate but smart decision. Dropping this song was just obvious. I almost can't imagine a worse fit, even as a promo piece.
posted by tclark at 7:48 AM on January 31, 2021

Please note that the actual film score included pirated versions of Ligeti’s music who did not know that Kubrick used his music in the film. Ligeti was irked but finally went along with it. And probably for a good reason that we all know of his music from that film.
posted by njohnson23 at 8:36 AM on January 31, 2021 [1 favorite]

Fun fact: the great, great composer György Ligeti, whose pieces were used in key moments in 2001 (and thank goodness!), happened to attend the Vienna premier of the film. He loved the movie, but was perturbed to hear his music in it, which was credited but had not been licensed.

He did go on to license music to Kubrick for two more movies, and apparently admired the director very much.
posted by nosila at 8:40 AM on January 31, 2021 [2 favorites]

Maybe it would have worked if William Shatner had sung it?
posted by MtDewd at 8:58 AM on January 31, 2021 [6 favorites]

Maybe if it had made the cut, the song's nomenclature of our century would have been a self-fulfilling prophecy. I, for one, would have welcomed the continuity of "twenty-oh-one".

If the song was written after the movie as a promotional piece, this may be one reason why it was never used. From what I've read in the past, Kubrick instructed the people marketing the film and producing the press kits and stuff to make sure it was pronounced two-thousand one. It was his specific intention to influence how people would say the year in the coming century
posted by Fukiyama at 9:56 AM on January 31, 2021

Did we actually say "twenty-oh-one?" I don't recall that we did.

Of course our 2001 stank on ice compared to Kubrick's so maybe we should have.

Hell, even Peter Hyams' 2010 was way better than our 2010. We suck at this century.
posted by Naberius at 10:08 AM on January 31, 2021 [1 favorite]

I find it interesting that they were compelled to seriously consider releasing some kind of promotional single. I can see the MGM execs saying,"What the hell is this picture even about? We need to figure out another way to get people in the seats. Maybe some spaceman puppets, or monkey man mimes on a variety show?"

More surprising is that this was the result, after the first number had been rejected, being described as too "downbeat", so it presumably exists somewhere. It would be interesting to hear that one.
posted by 2N2222 at 10:09 AM on January 31, 2021 [1 favorite]

I remember in 1974 when the "Blazing Saddles" song was playing on AM radio. I wasn't old enough to go see it, but I sure was aware of it. Can anyone think of successful promotional singles for movies in the late 60s? All I can think of are the "James Bond" theme songs: "From Russia with Love" 1963; "Goldfinger"- 1964. etc.
posted by acrasis at 10:27 AM on January 31, 2021 [1 favorite]

Star Trek (TOS) theme song with its original lyrics as sung by Jack Black.

The music sung by Will Ferrell.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 10:40 AM on January 31, 2021 [1 favorite]

Can anyone think of successful promotional singles for movies in the late 60s? All I can think of are the "James Bond" theme songs: "From Russia with Love" 1963; "Goldfinger"- 1964. etc.

Not precisely the same thing, I know, but your question brought Meco's dismal Star Wars disco record to mind. It is one of those bits of cultural ephemera that I suspect anyone born later than about 1973 is mercifully unaware of.

Or at least had been until now MUAHAHAHAHA
posted by ricochet biscuit at 10:42 AM on January 31, 2021 [4 favorites]

Hey, remember that scene where the astronauts are standing in front of the monolith, holding their hands over their ears in agony? I do.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 10:58 AM on January 31, 2021 [1 favorite]

Ricochet, dismal? PISTOLS AT DAWN, SIR.
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 11:31 AM on January 31, 2021 [1 favorite]

We used to have a cheap Euro knock-off recording of Meco's Disco Star Wars that was so bad it was almost genius in small doses.
posted by ovvl at 11:33 AM on January 31, 2021

Not precisely the same thing, I know, but your question brought Meco's dismal Star Wars disco record to mind.

Even that's kind of a weird exception, where it kind of seems the movie was was more a promotion for the Meco record, the latter purely riding the coattails of the movie for no other reason than to scrape a few more bucks from the hit movie's aura.

Deodato's funky rock-ish Also Sprach Zarathustra was, afaik, an unofficial tie-in to 2001. It seemed to be tied to the movie in the minds of radio listeners regardless. Unofficial or not, it works better than A Garden of Personal Mirrors, IMO.

Can anyone think of successful promotional singles for movies in the late 60s? All I can think of are the "James Bond" theme songs: "From Russia with Love" 1963; "Goldfinger"- 1964. etc.

It has to have happened previously, but the only instance off the top of my head might be (The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance, performed by Gene Pitney, where Pitney himself seemed to be under the impression the song was at least being made for the movie of the same name, if not in the movie. Which it wasn't. Though the connection to the movie seems a bit thin and possibly unofficial, I'm not aware of any objections from the movie creators. It seems unlikely the studio would have allowed such a recording without being vetted in some way. Anyhow, the song was a hit for Pitney and timely with the movie's release.
posted by 2N2222 at 11:42 AM on January 31, 2021

Not strictly related, but I will seize upon any excuse to mention Stanley Rogers Film score composer.

With regards to 60s film promo records, Goodness Gracious Me by Peter Sellers and Sophia Loren springs to mind.

It was made to promote the film The Millionairess but it was never used in the film itself.
posted by benoliver999 at 11:50 AM on January 31, 2021

What's your favorite way to say "2001"?

1) "Two-thousand-one"? Dial 1-900-HAL-2001
2) "Two-thousand and one"? Dial 1-900-CRM-2001
3) "Twenty-oh-one"? Dial 1-900-POE-2001

$20.01 for the first minute, $0.99 for each additional minute. Make sure you have your mom and dad's permission to call! (That means you, Frank!)
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 12:35 PM on January 31, 2021 [2 favorites]

The Deodato song coincided with a big rerelease of 2001 on its five year anniversary in '73. Whether the studio was aware of the song and helped promote it or just accepted its success as more advertising I can't say, but it was a hit at the time.

Just a sort of quick and somewhat random glance at some movies from the last three years of the sixties should give an indication of how movie music was a big part of promotion and sales for both the films and musicians.

A Time for Us The Romeo and Juliet theme hit #1
Ballad of the Green Berets from The Green Berets
Everybody's Talkin' adapted for Midnight Cowboy
Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
People from Funny Girl (A bit like Oliver, Sound of Music, Hello Dolly and other musicals, but made for the screen by Streisand, something she'd have other hits doing.)
The Odd Couple theme (Instrumental theme songs were able to break out as singles back in the sixties, like, to pick another example, the Theme for the Apartment a few years earlier, and of course Ennio Morricone music from the Leone westerns and other things continues to be played)
Ballad of Easy Rider A minor success, with Born to Be Wild probably the biggest hit song on the Easy Rider soundtrack. (The Graduate likewise had Simon and Garfunkle songs associated with it that fed off the successes of each. Mrs. Robinson, for example, being both tied to the movie and a hit in its own right.)
True Grit theme Another more minor success for Glenn Campbell
In the Heat of the Night was a minor Ray Charles hit from the movie of the same name

There were lots of other movie song hits of varying degrees during the era, some, like To Sir with Love are title songs, while others, like 61's Moon River from Breakfast at Tiffany's, are just part of the soundtrack.
posted by gusottertrout at 1:19 PM on January 31, 2021 [7 favorites]

Live and Let Die
posted by Windopaene at 2:35 PM on January 31, 2021

Deodato's funky rock-ish Also Sprach Zarathustra
It was many years before I found out that this wasn't just something made for Being There.

And probably for a good reason that we all know of his music from that film.
It is where I heard of him. Eventually, I bought a CD of his piano etudes. They shred. So, he got exposure!
posted by thelonius at 3:14 PM on January 31, 2021

Deodato's funky rock-ish Also Sprach Zarathustra
wow, the credits on this:

Eumir Deodato - piano, electric piano
Ron Carter - electric bass, double bass
Stanley Clarke - electric bass
Billy Cobham - drums
John Tropea - electric guitar
Jay Berliner - guitar
Airto Moreira - percussion
Ray Barretto - congas
posted by thelonius at 3:34 PM on January 31, 2021 [1 favorite]

The Pink Panther theme was released as a single and I can personally recall hearing it get some radio play in Australia in the 1960s. I was certainly aware of the theme before being aware of the movie.
posted by flabdablet at 3:35 PM on January 31, 2021 [2 favorites]

Ricochet, dismal? PISTOLS AT DAWN, SIR.

I said GOOD DAY, SIR.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 3:42 PM on January 31, 2021 [1 favorite]

Oh. My. God. That makes my ears bleed.
posted by Oh_Bobloblaw at 4:17 PM on January 31, 2021

Live and Let Die

I watched this recently, it felt like it lasted forever and the longest period they went without including some snippet of this song or its melody was about 4 minutes. Also, the opium poppies were sea grape branches with fake flowers on them.
posted by snofoam at 4:53 PM on January 31, 2021

Meco's dismal Star Wars disco record yt to mind. It is one of those bits of cultural ephemera that I suspect anyone born later than about 1973 is mercifully unaware of.

My vinyl copy of the soundtrack to 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' included a 12" 45 with a disco track based on the five-note 'alien theme.' This might be it, but not 100% sure.
posted by Insert Clever Name Here at 4:56 PM on January 31, 2021 [1 favorite]

Have we talked about the Portsmouth Sinfonia version yet? Because I'm down with it.
posted by phooky at 8:36 PM on January 31, 2021 [2 favorites]

I can see the MGM execs saying,"What the hell is this picture even about? We need to figure out another way to get people in the seats. Maybe some spaceman puppets, or monkey man mimes on a variety show?"

They did have a promo deal with Howard Johnson’s.
posted by Naberius at 9:10 PM on January 31, 2021 [1 favorite]

My vinyl copy of the soundtrack to 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' included a 12" 45 with a disco track based on the five-note 'alien theme.' This might be it, but not 100% sure.

If it's the same vinyl copy I had, you're thinking of this version, which slaps.
posted by Ben Trismegistus at 12:18 PM on February 1, 2021 [1 favorite]

Wow what the fuck? I was definitely not prepared for that. I went into it expecting some kind of avant garde space rock and now my whole everything hurts.

That's so bad it makes it sound like Randy Newman can write more than one song.

I can't help but wonder if Mike Kaplan secretly had a beef with Kubrick or was some kind of musical sadomasochist. Where better songs slap this one flogs without asking and it's not ok.

Yeah, it's an earworm. That's bad. Yeah, somehow it's catchy. So is novel coronavirus.

Will someone please roll down the windows and blast We Built This City or something?
posted by loquacious at 12:52 PM on February 1, 2021 [2 favorites]

Can anyone think of successful promotional singles for movies in the late 60s?

The Windmills of Your Mind, from the 1968 film The Thomas Crown Affair, was a Top 40 hit for Noel Harrison, and a cover version by Dusty Springfield also charted. José Feliciano's cover charted in Holland! Read all about it!

I know there are certainly others, as well. If they come to me I'll post here.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 9:26 PM on February 1, 2021 [1 favorite]

The Windmills of Your Mind, from the 1968 film The Thomas Crown Affair


Ah, thanks for that, that was a song that came to mind for being from a movie, but I couldn't recall which one.

Badfinger's Come and Get it, was written by McCartney for 1969's The Magic Christian, in which Ringo Starred. A case of the song having a much longer shelf life than the film it came from.
posted by gusottertrout at 11:03 PM on February 1, 2021 [1 favorite]