''Hairspray: Soundtrack to the Motion Picture'' is the soundtrack album for the 2007
New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema is an American film production studio owned by Warner Bros. Discovery and is a film label of Warner Bros. It was founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye as an independent film distribution company; later becoming a film studio after acq ...
musical film
Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, but in some cases, they serve merely as breaks ...
''
Hairspray
Hairspray may refer to:
* Hair spray, a personal grooming product that keeps hair protected from humidity and wind
* ''Hairspray'' (1988 film), a film by John Waters
** ''Hairspray'' (1988 soundtrack), the film's soundtrack album
** ''Hairspray ...
''. The film is an adaptation of the 2002
Broadway musical of the same name, itself adapted from
John Waters
John Samuel Waters Jr. (born April 22, 1946) is an American filmmaker, writer, actor, and artist. He rose to fame in the early 1970s for his Cinema of Transgression, transgressive cult films, including ''Multiple Maniacs'' (1970), ''Pink Flamin ...
's
original 1988 film. It features performances from the film's cast, which includes
John Travolta
John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is an American actor. He came to public attention during the 1970s, appearing on the television sitcom ''Welcome Back, Kotter'' (1975–1979) and starring in the box office successes ''Carrie'' (19 ...
,
Michelle Pfeiffer
Michelle Marie Pfeiffer (; born April 29, 1958) is an American actress and producer. A prolific performer whose List of Michelle Pfeiffer performances, screen work spans over four decades, she became one of Hollywood's most bankable stars and ...
,
Christopher Walken
Christopher Walken (born Ronald Walken; March 31, 1943) is an American actor. Prolific in film, television and on stage, Walken is the recipient of numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Awar ...
,
Amanda Bynes
Amanda Laura Bynes (born April 3, 1986) is an American actress, known for her work in television and film throughout the 1990s and 2000s. Bynes began her career as a child actress, working on the Nickelodeon sketch comedy series ''All That'' ...
,
James Marsden
James Paul Marsden (born September 18, 1973) is an American actor, singer, and former model. Marsden began his acting career guest starring in the television shows '' Saved by the Bell: The New Class'' (1993), '' Touched by an Angel'' (1995), ' ...
,
Queen Latifah
Dana Elaine Owens (born March 18, 1970), known professionally as Queen Latifah, is an American rapper, actress, and singer. Born in Newark, New Jersey, she signed with Tommy Boy Records in 1989 and released her debut album ''All Hail the Que ...
,
Brittany Snow
Brittany Anne Snow (born March 9, 1986) is an American actress. She rose to prominence after appearing in the CBS soap opera ''Guiding Light'' (1998–2001), for which she won a Young Artist Award for Best Young Actress and was nominated for two ...
,
Zac Efron
Zachary David Alexander Efron (; born October 18, 1987) is an American actor. He began acting professionally in the early 2000s and rose to prominence in the late 2000s for his leading role as Troy Bolton in the ''High School Musical'' trilo ...
,
Elijah Kelley
Elijah Kelley (born August 1, 1986) is an American actor, singer, and dancer. He appeared in films such as '' 28 Days'' (2000), ''Take the Lead'' (2006), ''Hairspray'' (2007), ''Red Tails'' (2012), ''Lee Daniels' The Butler'' (2013), NBC's live-m ...
, and
Nikki Blonsky
Nicole Blonsky (born November 9, 1988) is an American actress, singer, dancer, and internet personality. She is known for playing Tracy Turnblad in the film ''Hairspray'' (2007), for which she won two Critics' Choice Awards and received nominati ...
as the lead character of Tracy Turnblad.
The album has sold upwards of 1,200,000 copies in the USA, and has been certified
Platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver".
Platinu ...
by the
RIAA
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
.
Gold & Platinum - Hairspray Soundtrack
RIAA
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
. 12/10/2007
Critical reception
The soundtrack received positive reviews from critics.
Album information
The soundtrack contains nineteen songs from the film written by Marc Shaiman
Marc Shaiman (; born October 22, 1959) is an American composer and lyricist for films, television, and theatre, best known for his collaborations with lyricist and director Scott Wittman. He wrote the music and co-wrote the lyrics for the Broadw ...
and Scott Wittman
Scott Wittman (born November 16, 1954) is an American director, lyricist, composer and writer for Broadway, concerts, and television.
Life and career
Wittman was raised in Nanuet, New York, graduated from Nanuet Senior High School in 1972 and a ...
, three of which were not included in the stage musical version. Shaiman, who produced the original cast album for the Broadway musical, produced the songs for the film musical as well. ''Hairspray's'' music is written and performed to conform to the story's 1962 setting, with influences spanning the genres of rock and roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from Africa ...
, soul
In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being".
Etymology
The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...
, and pop.
"Ladies' Choice", a new song performed by Zac Efron
Zachary David Alexander Efron (; born October 18, 1987) is an American actor. He began acting professionally in the early 2000s and rose to prominence in the late 2000s for his leading role as Troy Bolton in the ''High School Musical'' trilo ...
, was the ''Hairspray'' soundtrack's first single. iTunes
iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
released the single on May 15, 2007. The iTunes version of the album includes bonus features such as the bonus track "I Can Wait" (a song written for the film but cut), the "Ladies' Choice" music video, an instructional dance video for "Ladies' Choice", and a digital version of the album booklet. The soundtrack debuted on the Billboard 200 at number 20 and peaked at number two.
"The New Girl in Town", "Big, Blonde and Beautiful (Reprise)", and "Come So Far (Got So Far to Go)" are the three songs new to this version of ''Hairspray'', although "The New Girl in Town" was originally written for but dropped from the Broadway production. "Come So Far (Got So Far to Go)" is played over the film's end credits
Closing credits or end credits are a list of the cast and crew of a particular motion picture, television program, or video game. Where opening credits appear at the beginning of a work, closing credits appear close to, or at the very end of a ...
, as are renditions of two songs from the stage musical which were not included in the film proper: "Cooties" and "Mama, I'm a Big Girl Now". "Cooties" is performed on the soundtrack in a contemporary pop style by singer Aimee Allen. It was also played (without vocals) while the contestants, for Miss Teenage Hairspray, danced to show off their "moves". "Mama, I'm a Big Girl Now", is performed by each of the three women most famous portraying ''Hairspray's'' main character, Tracy Turnblad: the 1988 film's Ricki Lake
Ricki Pamela Lake (born September 21, 1968) is an American television host and actress. She is known for her lead role as Tracy Turnblad in the 1988 film ''Hairspray'', for which she received a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for B ...
, the Broadway production's Marissa Jaret Winokur
Marissa Jaret Winokur (born February 2, 1973), sometimes credited as Marissa Winokur, is an American actress and singer known for her Tony-winning performance as Tracy Turnblad in the Broadway musical '' Hairspray,'' an adaptation of John Wate ...
, and this film's Nikki Blonsky. Harvey Fierstein
Harvey Forbes Fierstein ( ; born June 6, 1952) is an American actor, playwright and screenwriter. He is best known for his theater work in ''Torch Song Trilogy'' and ''Hairspray'' and movie roles in ''Mrs. Doubtfire'', '' Independence Day'', and ...
, who played Edna in the original Broadway production, also has a vocal cameo at the end of this track.
Several of the songs from the Broadway musical had their lyrics altered and/or verses removed for use in the film version. These songs include "(The Legend of) Miss Baltimore Crabs", "Welcome to the 60s", "Big, Blonde and Beautiful", "Without Love", "(It's) Hairspray", "You Can't Stop the Beat", et cetera.
In 2016, a vinyl edition of the album was released and sold at numerous retailers to coincide with the release of Hairspray Live!
''Hairspray Live!'' is an American television special that aired live on the American television network NBC on December 7, 2016. Produced by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, and hosted by Darren Criss, it is a performance of a new adaptation of the 2 ...
.
Track listing
2-disc Collector's edition
A limited edition two-disc version of the ''Hairspray'' soundtrack was released on November 20, 2007, the same day as the film's DVD/Blu-ray
The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of sto ...
release. The ''2-disc Collector's edition soundtrack'' includes the one-disc soundtrack, as well as a second disc featuring additional songs from the film, deleted songs (among them "I Can Wait"), demo recordings, and karaoke
Karaoke (; ; , clipped compound of Japanese ''kara'' "empty" and ''ōkesutora'' "orchestra") is a type of interactive entertainment usually offered in clubs and bars, where people sing along to recorded music using a microphone. The music is ...
versions of certain songs. The album debuted at number 90 on the ''Billboard'' 200 with sales of at least 20,000 copies sold.
Additional songs
Although included in the movie, "The Nicest Kids in Town (Reprise)" (performed by James Marsden and the Council Members) and "Tied Up in the Knots of Sin" (performed by composer Marc Shaiman and director Adam Shankman) were not included on the motion picture soundtrack.
Vocalists
Main vocalists
* Nikki Blonsky
Nicole Blonsky (born November 9, 1988) is an American actress, singer, dancer, and internet personality. She is known for playing Tracy Turnblad in the film ''Hairspray'' (2007), for which she won two Critics' Choice Awards and received nominati ...
as Tracy Turnblad (also additional voices on 4, 9)
* James Marsden
James Paul Marsden (born September 18, 1973) is an American actor, singer, and former model. Marsden began his acting career guest starring in the television shows '' Saved by the Bell: The New Class'' (1993), '' Touched by an Angel'' (1995), ' ...
as Corny Collins
* Zac Efron
Zachary David Alexander Efron (; born October 18, 1987) is an American actor. He began acting professionally in the early 2000s and rose to prominence in the late 2000s for his leading role as Troy Bolton in the ''High School Musical'' trilo ...
as Link Larkin (also additional voices on 4)
* Michelle Pfeiffer
Michelle Marie Pfeiffer (; born April 29, 1958) is an American actress and producer. A prolific performer whose List of Michelle Pfeiffer performances, screen work spans over four decades, she became one of Hollywood's most bankable stars and ...
as Velma Von Tussle
* Brittany Snow
Brittany Anne Snow (born March 9, 1986) is an American actress. She rose to prominence after appearing in the CBS soap opera ''Guiding Light'' (1998–2001), for which she won a Young Artist Award for Best Young Actress and was nominated for two ...
as Amber Von Tussle (also additional voices on 4)
* John Travolta
John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is an American actor. He came to public attention during the 1970s, appearing on the television sitcom ''Welcome Back, Kotter'' (1975–1979) and starring in the box office successes ''Carrie'' (19 ...
as Edna Turnblad
* Elijah Kelley
Elijah Kelley (born August 1, 1986) is an American actor, singer, and dancer. He appeared in films such as '' 28 Days'' (2000), ''Take the Lead'' (2006), ''Hairspray'' (2007), ''Red Tails'' (2012), ''Lee Daniels' The Butler'' (2013), NBC's live-m ...
as Seaweed J. Stubbs
* Queen Latifah
Dana Elaine Owens (born March 18, 1970), known professionally as Queen Latifah, is an American rapper, actress, and singer. Born in Newark, New Jersey, she signed with Tommy Boy Records in 1989 and released her debut album ''All Hail the Que ...
as Motormouth Maybelle
* Christopher Walken
Christopher Walken (born Ronald Walken; March 31, 1943) is an American actor. Prolific in film, television and on stage, Walken is the recipient of numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Awar ...
as Wilbur Turnblad
* Amanda Bynes
Amanda Laura Bynes (born April 3, 1986) is an American actress, known for her work in television and film throughout the 1990s and 2000s. Bynes began her career as a child actress, working on the Nickelodeon sketch comedy series ''All That'' ...
as Penny Pingleton (also additional voices on 4)
* Hayley Podschun
''Hairspray'' is a 2007 musical romantic comedy film based on the 2002 Broadway musical of the same name, which in turn was based on John Waters's 1988 comedy film of the same name. Produced by Ingenious Media and Zadan/Meron Productions, and ...
as Tammy (also additional voices on 4)
* Sarah Jayne Jensen as Shelley
Cameo vocalists
* Jerry Stiller
Gerald Isaac Stiller (June 8, 1927 – May 11, 2020) was an American actor and comedian. He spent many years as part of the comedy duo Stiller and Meara with his wife, Anne Meara, to whom he was married for over 60 years until her death in 2015 ...
as Mr. Pinky
* Taylor Parks
Taylor, Taylors or Taylor's may refer to:
People
* Taylor (surname)
**List of people with surname Taylor
* Taylor (given name), including Tayla and Taylah
* Taylor sept, a branch of Scottish clan Cameron
* Justice Taylor (disambiguation)
Pl ...
as Little Inez (also additional voices on 4)
* Harvey Fierstein
Harvey Forbes Fierstein ( ; born June 6, 1952) is an American actor, playwright and screenwriter. He is best known for his theater work in ''Torch Song Trilogy'' and ''Hairspray'' and movie roles in ''Mrs. Doubtfire'', '' Independence Day'', and ...
The Dynamites
* Shayna Steele
* Kamilah Marshall
* Terita R. Redd
Background vocals
*Bobbi Page - vocal ensemble, also vocal contractor
*John West - vocal ensemble, also vocal contractor
*Don Taylor - choir director
*New Dimensions - gospel choir vocals
* L.A. Mass Choir - gospel choir vocals
Vocal ensemble members: Marc Shaiman
Marc Shaiman (; born October 22, 1959) is an American composer and lyricist for films, television, and theatre, best known for his collaborations with lyricist and director Scott Wittman. He wrote the music and co-wrote the lyrics for the Broadw ...
, Shoshana Bean
Shoshana E. Bean (born September 1, 1977) is an American singer, songwriter, YouTuber, and stage actress. She has released three records and has appeared on many theater cast recordings and film soundtracks. In 2022, Bean received a nomination fo ...
, Terron Brooks, Jenn Gambatese, Chester Gregory
Chester Gregory, also known as CHΞSS (born December 10, 1972), is an American actor, singer and songwriter from Gary, Indiana. His breakthrough came with his portrayal of Jackie Wilson in ''The Jackie Wilson Story'', which led to his Broadway ...
, Leslie Kritzer
Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer (born May 24, 1977) is an American singer and musical theatre actress.
Life and career
Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer was born in Manhattan and raised in Livingston, New Jersey. Her father is Jewish, and her mother is of Puer ...
, Arnold McCuller
Arnold McCuller (born August 26, 1950) is an American vocalist, songwriter, and record producer, born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. He was active as a solo artist and session musician, but is perhaps best known for his work as a touring back- ...
, Louis Price
Louis Bernhardt Price (born March 29, 1953) is an American R&B, soul singer, and actor notable for being the lead singer of the first post-Dennis Edwards led version of The Temptations from 1977 to 1980.
Price lived in Chicago as a child and att ...
, Sabrina Sloan
The sixth season of ''American Idol'' premiered on the Fox Broadcasting Company as a two-night, four-hour premiere special on January 16 and January 17, and ran until May 23, 2007. Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson returned to judge once ...
, Donna Vivino
Donna Marie Vivino is an American theatre, television, film actress and singer. She is well known for playing Elphaba in the Broadway production of ''Wicked'' and as the original Young Cosette in ''Les Misérables'' on Broadway. She was seen on ...
, Willis White, Lucien Piane, Chyla Anderson, Jonathan Byram, Keith Cotton, Michael Cunio, Carmel Echols, Cliff Frazier, Christopher Johnson, Katharine Leonard, Laura Lively, Michael Mayo, Sophia Pizzulo, Jamison Scott Robinson, Jessica Rotter, Candice Rumph Burrows, Peter Mathew Smith, Leonard Sullivan, Matt Sullivan, Clarke Thorell, Davia Walker, Ayana Williams, Frank Wolf
Instrumentalists
Featured Rhythm Musicians
*Marc Shaiman
Marc Shaiman (; born October 22, 1959) is an American composer and lyricist for films, television, and theatre, best known for his collaborations with lyricist and director Scott Wittman. He wrote the music and co-wrote the lyrics for the Broadw ...
– keyboards
*Peter Calo – guitar
*Francisco Centeno – bass
*Keith Cotton – keyboards
*James “Jim” Cox – keyboards
*George Doering – guitar
*Nathan East
Nathan Harrell East (born December 8, 1955) is an American jazz, R&B, and rock bass player and vocalist. With more than 2,000 recordings, East is one of the most recorded bass players in the history of music. East holds a Bachelor of Arts degr ...
– bass
*Mike Fisher – guitar
* Clint de Ganon – drums, percussion
*Rick Gratton – drums
* Paul Jackson Jr. – guitar
*Dean Parks
Weldon Dean Parks (born December 6, 1946) is an American session guitarist and record producer from Fort Worth, Texas.
Albums
Parks was member of the North Texas State One O'clock Lab Band before moving to Los Angeles to work with Sonny and Cher ...
– guitar
* John Robinson – drums
*Larry Saltzman – guitar
* Steve Schaeffer – percussion
*David Spinozza
David Spinozza is an American guitarist and producer. He worked with former Beatles Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and John Lennon during the 1970s, and had a long collaboration with singer-songwriter James Taylor, producing Taylor's album '' Walkin ...
– guitar
*Neil Stubenhaus
Neil Stubenhaus is an American bass guitarist.
Career
He started his musical training playing drums and switched to bass guitar at the age of 12. He studied at the Berklee College of Music where he graduated in 1975. After graduation, he was rec ...
– bass
* Michael Thompson – guitar
*Michael Valerio – bass
Featured Horn Section
*Saxophones: Dan Higgins
Dan Higgins (born January 28, 1957 in Boston, Massachusetts) is an American saxophone and woodwind player. He has worked with such artists as John Williams, Seth MacFarlane, Aerosmith, Stevie Wonder, Neil Diamond, Al Jarreau, Maroon 5, Kenny Loggin ...
(Main), Larry Williams
Larry Williams (born Lawrence Eugene Williams, a.k.a. Lawrence Edward Williams; May 10, 1935 – January 7, 1980) was an American rhythm and blues and rock and roll singer, songwriter, producer, and pianist from New Orleans, Louisiana. Williams ...
, Joel Peskin & Bill Liston
*Trumpets: Jerry Hey
Jerry Hey (born 1950) is an American trumpeter, flugelhornist, horn arranger, string arranger, orchestrator and session musician who has played on hundreds of commercial recordings, including Michael Jackson's '' Thriller'', ''Rock with You'', ...
(Main), Wayne Bergeron
Wayne Bergeron (born January 16, 1958) is an American jazz trumpeter.
Bergeron rose to prominence as a member of Maynard Ferguson's band in the 1980s. Since then, he has worked on over 400 TV and motion picture soundtracks. As a lead and studio ...
, Gary Grant, Larry Hall & Warren Luening
*Trombones: Charlie Loper (Main), Steve Holtman, Alex Iles
Alexander Iles is an American trombonist who teaches at the California Institute of the Arts, Azusa Pacific University, and California State University, Northridge. He has toured as lead and solo jazz trombonist with Maynard Ferguson, with whom h ...
& Bill Reichenbach
Hollywood Studio Symphony
*Violins: Ralph Morrison, Julie Ann Gigante & 26 others
*Viola: Pamela Goldsmith & 11 others
*Cello: Antony Cooke
Antony Cooke (born 3 August 1948, in Sydney, Australia), is an American cellist, recording artist, former university professor, composer, and author of published books and articles on musicology and astronomy. Cooke's formal music and musicolog ...
& 10 others
*Double Bass: Nico Abondolo & 8 others
*Bassoon (1st): Rose Corrigan
*Additional Bassoon: Allen M. Savedoff
*Clarinets: James Kanter & 4 others
*Flute (1st): Louise Dillon
*Additional Flutes: Geraldine Rotella & Greg Huckins
*Oboe (1st): Thomas Boyd
*Additional Oboe: Phillip Ayling
*Percussion: Alan Estes & 9 others
*Additional Trumpets: Daniel Fornero & Jon Lewis
*Additional Trombones: Andrew Martin & Craig Gosnell
*Additional Horns: James Thatcher James Thatcher may refer to:
* James Thatcher (musician), American hornist
* James Thatcher (MP), English politician
* James W. Thatcher, American computer scientist
See also
* James Thacher
James Thacher (February 14, 1754 – May 26, 1844 ...
Chart performance and awards
;Wins
* Billboard Year End Charts (2007)
** Number 1 Top Independent Album of the Year - "Hairspray"
;Nominations
* 2008 Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
s
** Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media
Certifications
See also
*''Hairspray (2007 film)
''Hairspray'' is a 2007 musical romantic comedy film based on the 2002 Broadway musical of the same name, which in turn was based on John Waters's 1988 comedy film of the same name. Produced by Ingenious Media and Zadan/Meron Productions, and ...
''
*'' Hairspray: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack''
*'' Hairspray: Original Broadway Cast Recording''
References
External links
*
* for the film
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hairspray (2007 Soundtrack)
Musical film soundtracks
2007 soundtrack albums
Albums produced by Lucian Piane