May 1, 2010

GROOVE WEEK: LALO SCHIFRIN

GROOVE WEEK: LALO SCHIFRIN
When it comes to jazzy grooves for spies, it's hard to top the soundtrack music Lalo Schifrin wrote for Mission Impossible. I'm sure I'm not the only one who finds himself humming the theme song when embarking on some new challenge or errand. Years ago I picked up the Mission Impossible Anthology (One Way Records/1994). Schifrin's cues are amazing and immediately evoke memories of various characters and moments from the show. There is something akin to illustration in this music, for it seems to tell a large part of the story aurally. But the track that sticks with me as most groovy is Mission Blues. I don't see it listed on the Best Of CD that is currently available, so I suggest Spy Vibers track down the CD or Vinyl release of the Anthology or the original 1969 More Mission Impossible record to get the full-range experience of the tune. The interplay between the bass and brass is funky and Spy Vibe cool!


3 comments:

  1. I find myself humming Benny Golson's funky riff that originated in the fifth season episode "Flip Side" and recycled many times afterwards.

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  2. I am not ashamed to say that as a composer Lalo Schifrin is one of my all time favourites.

    Bruce Geller, in his liner notes for ‘Music From Mission: Impossible’ had this to say about Schifrin’s involvement:

    ‘... Lalo looked at a cut of the first picture and its many sequences without dialogue and said in his soft, Latin flavored voice “I have some ideas.” And what ideas! So integral to the show did Lalo’s themes become, that when the main title of MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE was made, it was built around the music, not scored afterwards. Many times since then whole sequences of film have been handled the same way – the music dictating the editing.’

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  3. awesome! thanks for sharing geller's notes. people made a big fuss about the music in miami vice driving imagery of that show in the 80s, but certainly schifrin and other composers had such an effect on editing long before. reminds of something i love about mission impossible- so much is expressed through eye contact and lack of dialog (and lack of shoot-outs) set to the musical cues.

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