Well, dear readers, I am sitting here like so much fish, listening to David Shire’s amazing noir score for Farewell, My Lovely, the best adaptation of a Raymond Chandler in my opinion – wonderful performance by Robert Mitchum, as well as Charlotte Rampling channeling Lauren Bacall and John Ireland. Great period sets and really captures the feeling of LA back in the day. Shire’s score is a marvel and if you’ve never heard it, you really need to. Mr. Shire really is the real deal and has never gotten his due as a film composer, and yet he’s written several iconic scores that are completely unique to his musical voice, including this one, The Conversation, Return to Oz, All the President’s Men, Monkey Shines, Old Boyfriends, the brilliant The Taking of Pelham 1,2,3, surely one of the greatest main title cues ever written, Norma Rae, The Promise and on and on. And his theater music is also great. He also happens to be whip-smart, wickedly funny, and a great guy. I became friends with him when we put out Return to Oz on CD in the Bay Cities era. We did a Shire film music CD called David Shire at the Movies, too, and those recording sessions were so much fun. We reissued that one on Kritzerland and I hope everyone here has it, and then we put out his bouncy, fun score to Paternity. And married to the lovely Didi Conn. All hail the Shire. I didn’t really watch a motion picture last night because Maigret, directed by Patrice Leconte, promised for delivery yesterday is now not arriving until the eleventh. Annoying. I did save a bunch of movies just released to Prime, including several Preston Sturges things. So, not much to say about last evening other than I was too lazy to really do anything. Otherwise, yesterday also had its irritants left over from the day before. The refund from our host has STILL not shown up. It was processed by their bank on Thursday so not sure why it’s taking this long to hit PayPal, nor does PayPal understand the delay. In fact, the gal I spoke to yesterday recommended we open a case/dispute, which we did. I was able to provide them with the e-mail with the refund transaction details, so they have that. Hopefully, this will get solved sooner than later because it is really irritating me large. And from now on, they can’t charge the card until I’ve seen and approved the invoices when they come in – safer that way. Very frustrating, too. I only got six hours of sleep, got up, answered e-mails, and ordered a chicken salad sandwich for food, with some onion rings. The sandwich wasn’t as good as the last time and the onion rings were soggy. And the jernt is just too expensive, even with twenty percent off.
I did go to the ATM to deposit a little check and came right home. I worked at the piano and am getting used to the songs in my fingers, but my voice is still week so I’m not singing out, Louise for now. I am kind of hungry right now, but I don’t think I’ll order anything, unless it’s some California Roll, the best kind of evening snack there is. We shall see. And here we are.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll do whatever needs doing, there IS a book fair at Union Station but I’m not driving downtown under any circumstances, much as I’d like to go. There might be a couple of auctions to follow. I’ll eat something fun, I’m not really expecting anything from the mail place, so mostly I’ll just watch movies, work at the piano, listen to music, and relax.
Tomorrow is more of the same, and then this week I’ll really begin choosing the songs for the holiday show so I can get the singers their music.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up when I’m up, do whatever needs doing, not attend a book fair, eat, work at the piano, and watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite film scores of David Shire, and your favorite Maltby and Shire songs? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, whilst I admire the Shire scores.