Music by association

[floppybootstomp]

This morning I had a wander round part of Greenwich market and picked me's up a few vinyl goodies. Amongst them was the Clockwork Orange soundtrack, in good nick for three quid guvnor.

Second track in is Rossinni's The Thieving Magpie which I really enjoyed listening to and liked the way it brought my full range 4" speakers to life. Thing is, I'm no big fan of classical music and ordinarily I don't think The Thieving Magpie would appeal to me.

But one of the first times I heard the piece was way back in '72 or so whilst watching A Clockwork Orange at a Leicester Square cinema and of course Rossini's piece supplies the background music for the encounter between the Droogs and the Greasers in the disused theatre. Ultra violence, as they used to say.

As a consequence each time I hear the Thieving Magpie I immediately think of Malcolm McDowell, white boiler suits and much rucko. This makes the musical piece enjoyable to me, which I'm not so sure is a good thing or not.

Music by association.

Similarly, my daughter was asking what a piece of music was, giving me clues, until I eventually identified it as Joan Armatrading's The Weakness In Me. She liked the song and apparently she'd heard it as the soundtrack to a girlie flick she'd just seen. It's my belief that had she heard the song on the radio for the first time she wouldn't have given it a second thought but heard in the setting of a romantic encounter in a film, the song had significance for her.

Music by association.

This isn't really relevant to the subject but side two of the Clockwork Orange OST opens with Elgar's Pomp & Circumstance March No 1, better known as Land Of Hope & Glory. Hearing this always make me think of Winston Churchill, handlebar moustached RAF officers addressing their pilots saying something like 'Ok chaps, Algernon, Wodney, some of you may not return but go over there and give it to those Hun blighters - for England' Makes me laugh, lol

Of course the other association with our Elgar's ditty is loads of Hoorays with full wallets and empty space between their ears waving Union Jacks and getting jolly excited at The Royal Albert Hall during the Last Night Of The Proms.

So, there we have it, Music by Association, do you have any examples of where this may apply to your good self?

 

[EvanDavis]

Sarah McLachlan - Arms of an angel.

Had I not seen the movie City of Angels I doubt I would have ever heard her music. Now I am quite a big fan of hers

 

[crazylegs]

Yep some months ago I was watching an american drama series called "Rescue me" and in one particularly poignant scene where the lead character Tommy and his wife had just realised there young son had just been knocked down by a car and killed.
The haunting soundtrack had me searching the internet for the name of the artist and the song itself, when I found it on youtube it seems I wasn't the only one who had associated the song with that particular episode..
Had it not been for that episode I would never have seeked out Ray LaMontagne..
For those of you interested heres the ending scene and track!

 

[Becky]

I've always liked Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture, but now whenever I hear it I'm always reminded of the bit in V For Vendetta where the Houses of Parliament blow up

Music by association is a great thing, I love it when you listen to a track and it takes you right back to a particular time or place

 

[floppybootstomp]

Goddamn it crazylegs, that clip brought me down lower than a submarine's karzi And I didn't even watch it all, no parent should ever have to lose a kid. Yes, I know it happens but hell, I don't like that.

And the music? Dunno, didn't even notice what with all that drama going on but I'll check him out, anybody who's been likened to Tim Buckley, Van Morrison and The Band will probably be ok in my book.

Becky: I only saw V For Vendetta for the first time about 6 months ago, excellent film, and the scene you mentioned is memorable. There's a lot of truth in that film, much of it unspoken, and I think after centuries of being led and fed lies the British public may just be waking up to what really goes down. A possible eye-opener for many.

 

[Quadophile]

I will never forget the incident that occurred almost 17-18 years ago. I was playing the music of Simon and Garfunkel and my 1-1/2-2 year old daughter was sitting on the floor in front of the speakers in the living room where I had my setup. I went to my bedroom to get something and when I came back, I herad my daughter singing along to "Mrs Robinson", what she actually was singing along was not here's to you Mrs Robinson....... but from her mouth were the words "Mrs Rabbitson". I think prior to that she was watching the telly and was enjoying Bugs Bunny.

 

[Becky]

Becky: I only saw V For Vendetta for the first time about 6 months ago, excellent film, and the scene you mentioned is memorable. There's a lot of truth in that film, much of it unspoken, and I think after centuries of being led and fed lies the British public may just be waking up to what really goes down. A possible eye-opener for many.

Ain't that the truth! It's a brilliant film, I could watch it over and over

 

[bootneck02]

Brought to many memories back, had to stop watching