Aug 012008
This week, AMC says they had so many inquiries about the music in For Those Who Think Young that they devoted a blog post to it.
Thus Spake Drake, which has been in our blogroll since we started Basket of Kisses, is your go-to guy for Mad Men music and lots and lots of other music on TV and in the movies. He posted about FTWTY here.
23 Responses to “For Those Who Think Musically”
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Weiner was an executive producer and writer on the Sopranos from seasons 3-7, and has often cited David Chase as a huge influence.
I loved the Twist Again opening. It had the effect of, "welcome back…Nice to see you again…Settle down and let's get started."
Maybe an earlier commenter already mentioned this, but it seems that "For Those Who Think Young" is available for viewing on Hulu.com.
Whoah, did not know that about hulu.com! Maybe they'll give us all of S2… that would be wonderful.
There was something else about 'Let's Twist Again' that really evoked 'season opener'.
Traditionally, American television viewers have waited until September for their (our) new tv seasons. It has only been through cable that seasons have been allowed to take on their own shape, not needing to conform to September opening, November sweeps, kind of lax in-and-out new episodes during the holidays, coming back strong in time for February sweeps, leading up to the big season finale for May sweeps. And then summer repeats.
Which exactly coincides with the life cycle of a school year.
So when I hear, Let's Twist Again, like we did last summer, it feels like back-to-school. Which feels a lot like my-show-is-back.
And I don't think that's a coincidence. Because February is not the end of summer, and I'm pretty sure that Matt Weiner, who does make the occasional calendar glitch, knows that too.
Kay, I agree. I think the musical choices have generally been spot on. My favorite is the use of "Do the Twist" in The Hobo Code, which fits the emotion of the scene in a perfect but non-obvious way.
I loved the use of Manhattan at the end of New Amsterdam. Pete looks out at the great view and feels trapped while the song is about a poorer, newly married couple enjoying the simple pleasures of the city.
During the opening sequence “Twist Again” video montage I was struck by something familiar.
During the Season 2 opening of The Sopranos, David Chase did the same thing using “It Was A Very Good Year” by Frank Sinatra. It was very effective for reintroducing you to the characters.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scxNmQR5AVk (video is choppy but only I could find online)
My favorite season opening was Season 6 Sopranos using a video Montage to “Seven Souls” by William S Burroughs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzNB_Y9cXi4. I spent forever trying to get that song for my MP3 player. It is very haunting. Made me think of Dante’s Inferno.
I know Matt was a Sopranos writer, so that must be the connection. I think it is an excellent way to begin a season. Music is such an essential part to these stories.
MD, that's another great one; that final shot always gives me chills.
Mrr. Darkly, that's what I got too. That song in the opening montage felt just like a little Valentine — to us.
The funny thing is, I kind of knew the first season would start like that. I pictured a Motown song playing over a montage of the women getting ready to go to work — because as important as the men's work is, how the women look sets the visual tone of every episode. I just thought they'd go with, I don't know: a female voice. The Shirelles: "Shop Around". Even Amy Winehouse again, maybe.
I would have loved the series to start with her belting out "Me and Mr. Jones": as slurry and profane as that song is, it also just really swings, in a nice early-60's kind of way.
But I can not argue with that final choice. Weiner and company have the best of the best working on this program, and it shows.
The Amy Winehouse CD "Back To Black" is filled with songs that could be used for the show. "Me and Mr. Jones" is a good track. Another good song could be "Love Is A Losing Game."
Part of me hates talking up the music of a crackhead like Amy but the CD was good….
I play Back to Black over and over. Me and Mr. Jones is too profane to ever work on AMC; "fuckery" is practically its theme, but there are several tracks that will work.
The use of Ella's "I'll Take Manhattan" annoyed me, because it's in many movies. In fact, it's on the soundtrack of one of my favorites, Kissing Jessica Stein, in which Jon Hamm briefly appears. There are lots of less-heard versions of the song. What the hell would be wrong with Rosemary Clooney's for a change?
I know; I do too. I bought "Back to Black" about six weeks before Amy hit her downward spiral — when it was still a surprise to me that she was white.
Poor Amy, with the husband and the crack. It's a shame. But she did make some good music, and I have the proof.
Now, Sharon Jones: Check her out, if you haven't already. Same band, a real body, and (far as I know) she's sober.
They used Clooney in another episode, I think… Botch-a-mi… might be spelling it wrong.
Yeah, I know what you mean about it being overused, but I think it was worked well enough here, was too perfect not to use, doubly so because the singer probably wouldn't be allowed to live in the same building as the Campbells.
Deb, I love that movie (Kissing Jessica Stein) too.
Did you know that the lead actress in that film (Jon Hamm's girlfriend) also co-wrote it?
I liked her long before I knew who the hell he was. This just about kills me.
"Let's Twist Again" was great for so many reasons … upbeat ("We're back!"), and the added benefit of "… like we did last summer," which is a great reference to AMC and being new in July. Sounds great over a montage as well – enjoyed seeing the Sopranos clip as well. Almost forgot about that.
It was definitely a Chase/Sopranos season opening, but highly effective and never stale.
Plus for us fans, a superb callback to the use of the original "Twist" in S1 … like everything on the show, both surprising and inevitable.
I totally love Amy Winehouses music, even bought her earlier album. But I feel tragedy is in store for her and it saddens me to see such a wonderful talent go to waste to drugs.
For those Amy Winehouse fans, there is a new singer on the front named Adele. She is also English, crack-free and slowing reaching her way over to the States. Same kinda voice and retro sound. Some samples of her music. She has a new album out now.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LovrWgDxXXU&fe…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCBlFBOxRKo&fe…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nL49yZNE4yk&fe…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8hWNyb0bNM&fe…
Hey Guys! Don and Betty are on the cover of TV Guide today. Excellent cover!
Adele, Sharon Jones, Duffy, even Lily Allen—it's definitely THE British musical trend.
Ellelque; more than 3 links land you in the spam queue. I rescued.
Mad Men is well-written and well-acted, but the music selection is so essential to the show as well.
S.Tarzan….Thanks for the info about Hulu having the show available!
Thanks Sister Lipp, will know for the future.
When I first heard Amy Winehouse, my first thought was "here's an English girl who obviously spent her entire childhood listening to Ronnie Spector." Which I guess is why AMC used her in the original promo. To me, the Phil Spector girl-groups are the soundtrack of the early 1960's.
Anne B., KSJ was co-written by the two women; it was originally a one-act play they did together, that ended with them getting together. Which is why the stuff about their relationship once they’re living together seems kind of tacked-on—it is.
The commentary has Jennifer pointing to Hamm in his one brief scene and saying “That’s my real-life boyfriend,” so when I started watching Mad Men and his relationship was mentioned I popped in the DVD to that scene, and sure enough!
He’s the guy who is invited to the dinner party as Jessica’s date, only he doesn’t know it’s a set up, and he starts talking about the amazing woman he just met.
I always thought that the Winehouse song was perfect because it sounded like then and it sounded like now. Sort of like the opening credits look, and sound. And sort of like the show. With all its authenticity, Mad Men is absolutely flavored and informed by the fact of its viewership. (No one under 25 drinks coffee… that's funny, to us.)