''Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'' is the soundtrack from the 2019 film, ''
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
''Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'' is a 2019 comedy-drama film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. Produced by Columbia Pictures, Bona Film Group, Heyday Films, and Visiona Romantica and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing, it is a ...
'', written and directed by
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American film director, writer, producer, and actor. His films are characterized by stylized violence, extended dialogue, profanity, Black comedy, dark humor, Nonlinear narrative, non-lin ...
. The film also contains numerous songs and scores not included on the soundtrack.
Background
Tarantino and his music supervisor, Mary Ramos listened to 14 hours of original 1969
KHJ-AM
KHJ (930 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station that is licensed to Los Angeles, California. Owned and operated by Relevant Radio, Inc., the station broadcasts Roman Catholic religious programming as an affiliate of the Relevant Radio network.
...
soundchecks to help create the soundtrack. It includes original
Boss Radio
Boss Radio was the name of two radio programming formats, both launched in the early 1960s: One in the United States, and one in the United Kingdom. Although the names were the same, the formats were quite different.
The word "boss" was early 196 ...
jingles by
Johnny Mann
John Russell Mann (August 30, 1928June 18, 2014) was an American arranger, composer, conductor, entertainer, singer, and recording artist.
Career
Johnny Mann's began his music career in the late 1940s in his hometown of Baltimore before serving ...
and commercials, as well as the voices of Boss Radio DJs including
Don Steele
Don Steele (born Donald Steele Revert; April 1, 1936 – August 5, 1997) was one of the most popular disc jockeys in the United States from the middle of the 1960s until his retirement (for health reasons) in May 1997. He was better known as ...
and
Charlie Tuna, also featured in the film. Ramos and Tarantino selected the songs in his home by going through his vinyl collection. They were approached by some name acts to record covers and by
Lana Del Rey
Elizabeth Woolridge Grant (born June 21, 1985), known professionally as Lana Del Rey, is an American singer-songwriter. Her music is noted for its cinematic quality and exploration of tragic romance, glamour, and melancholia, with frequent ...
to record original material but Tarantino insisted he only wanted to use music recorded before 1970.
Tarantino stated he was influenced by the
soundtrack
A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack o ...
for ''
American Graffiti
''American Graffiti'' is a 1973 American coming-of-age comedy-drama film directed by George Lucas, produced by Francis Ford Coppola, written by Willard Huyck, Gloria Katz and Lucas, and starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard (billed as Ronn ...
''. He said he "went nuts for
t and "It had
Wolfman Jack
Robert Weston Smith (January 21, 1938July 1, 1995), known as Wolfman Jack, was an American disc jockey active from 1960 till his death in 1995. Famous for his gravelly voice, he credited it for his success, saying, "It's kept meat and potatoes ...
DJ stuff filtered through. That was probably my first soundtrack album." When it came to using
Neil Diamond
Neil Leslie Diamond (born January 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. He has sold more than 130 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling musicians of all time. He has had ten No. 1 singles on the Hot 100 and Adul ...
's "
Brother Love's Travelling Salvation Show
''Brother Love's Travelling Salvation Show'' is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Neil Diamond, released in 1969. Four months after the title cut became a #22 hit, Diamond recorded and released a new single, " Sweet Caroline", ...
" Tarantino stated, "Brother Love sounds a bit like
Charles Manson
Charles Milles Manson (; November 12, 1934November 19, 2017) was an American criminal and musician who led the Manson Family, a cult based in California, in the late 1960s. Some of the members committed a series of nine murders at four loca ...
" and "I have a connection to Neil that goes back to the
Urge Overkill
Urge Overkill is an American alternative rock band, formed in Chicago, Illinois, United States, consisting of Nathan Kaatrud, who took the stage name Nash Kato (vocals/guitar), and Eddie "King" Roeser (vocals/guitar/bass guitar). They are widely ...
song
iamond's_"Girl,_You'll_Be_a_Woman_Soon".html" ;"title="Girl,_You'll_Be_a_Woman_Soon.html" ;"title="iamond's "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon">iamond's "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon"">Girl,_You'll_Be_a_Woman_Soon.html" ;"title="iamond's "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon">iamond's "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon"in ''Pulp Fiction''." "I think this might be [my] best [soundtrack] yet."
Mark Lindsay, lead singer of
Paul Revere & the Raiders
Paul Revere & the Raiders (also known as Raiders) were an American rock band formed in Boise, Idaho, in 1958. They saw considerable U.S. mainstream success in the second half of the 1960s and early 1970s. The band was known for including Revolu ...
, whose music is featured in the film, once lived at 10050 Cielo Drive, the address of the
Tate murders
Tate is an institution that houses, in a network of four art galleries, the United Kingdom's national collection of British art, and international modern and contemporary art. It is not a government institution, but its main sponsor is the U ...
. He wrote the song "Good Thing" which appears on the soundtrack, at the residence.
The Mamas & the Papas
The Mamas & the Papas were a folk rock vocal group formed in Los Angeles, California, which recorded and performed from 1965 to 1968. The group was a defining force in the music scene of the counterculture of the 1960s. The group consisted of Am ...
song "Straight Shooter" appears in the film and its trailer. The
sheet music
Sheet music is a handwritten or printed form of musical notation that uses List of musical symbols, musical symbols to indicate the pitches, rhythms, or chord (music), chords of a song or instrumental Musical composition, musical piece. Like ...
for the song was found on the piano inside
Sharon Tate
Sharon Marie Tate Polanski (January 24, 1943 – August 9, 1969) was an American actress and model. During the 1960s, she played small television roles before appearing in films and was regularly featured in fashion magazines as a model and cover ...
's residence during the investigation of her murder. Members of the group
Cass Elliot
Ellen Naomi Cohen (September 19, 1941 – July 29, 1974), known professionally as Mama Cass and later on as Cass Elliot, was an American singer and voice actress. She was a member of the singing group the Mamas & the Papas. After the group brok ...
and
Michelle Phillips
Michelle may refer to:
People
*Michelle (name), a given name and surname, the feminine form of Michael
* Michelle Courtens, Dutch singer, performing as "Michelle"
* Michelle (German singer)
* Michelle (Scottish singer) (born 1980), Scottish wi ...
are portrayed in the movie.
[
" The Green Door" is sung in the film by Leonardo DiCaprio as ]Rick Dalton
Rick may refer to:
People
*Rick (given name), a list of people with the given name
*Alan Rick (born 1976), Brazilian politician, journalist, pastor and television personality
*Johannes Rick (1869–1946), Austrian-born Brazilian priest and mycol ...
on '' Hullabaloo''. The song was cited as a reference to a portal to hell by a late 1960s Charles Manson-like cult
In modern English, ''cult'' is usually a pejorative term for a social group that is defined by its unusual religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals, or its common interest in a particular personality, object, or goal. This ...
leader, David Berg
David Brandt Berg (February 18, 1919 – October 1, 1994), also known as King David, Mo, Moses David, Father David, Dad, or Grandpa to followers, was the founder and leader of the new religious movement currently known as The Family Internationa ...
in letters regarding his group " The Family".[ Another ''Hullabaloo'' scene was shot featuring DiCaprio singing " Don't Fence Me In" by ]Cole Porter
Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter. Many of his songs became standards noted for their witty, urbane lyrics, and many of his scores found success on Broadway and in film.
Born to ...
and Robert Fletcher but it was not included in the final cut of the film.
Tarantino stated he had an idea for the film that he abandoned which would help to illustrate how the movie was a fairy tale
A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic (paranormal), magic, incantation, enchantments, and mythical ...
. He thought of using songs from the fictional band, The Carrie Nations from the film ''Beyond the Valley of the Dolls
''Beyond the Valley of the Dolls'' is a 1970 American satirical musical melodrama film starring Dolly Read, Cynthia Myers, Marcia McBroom, Phyllis Davis, John LaZar, Michael Blodgett, and David Gurian. The film was directed by Russ Meyer and scr ...
'', as though they were real. Tarantino went on to say that ''Beyond the Valley of the Dolls'' is connected to the Manson Family through both the character "Z-Man and with Phil Spector
Harvey Phillip Spector (born Harvey Philip Spector; December 26, 1939January 16, 2021) was an American record producer and songwriter, best known for his innovative recording practices and entrepreneurship in the 1960s, followed decades later by ...
, for many reasons." He would have included them on KHJ. The Playboy Mansion
The Playboy Mansion, also known as the Playboy Mansion West, is the former home of ''Playboy'' magazine founder Hugh Hefner who lived there from 1974 until his death in 2017. Barbi Benton convinced Hefner to buy the home located in Holmby Hills ...
scene was originally scored to Bobby Jameson
Robert Parker Jameson (April 20, 1945 – May 12, 2015) was an American singer-songwriter who was briefly promoted as a major star in the early 1960s and later attracted a cult following with his 1965 album ''Songs of Protest and Anti-Protest (alb ...
's song "Vietnam" from ''Mondo Hollywood
''Mondo Hollywood'' is a documentary " mondo movie" by Robert Carl Cohen, released in 1967. Filmed over the preceding two years, it was described by ''Variety'' as a "flippy, trippy psychedelic guide to Hollywood".
Description
The film starts ...
'', before being changed to "Son of a Lovin' Man." Tarantino also said he really wanted to use the song "California Girl (And the Tennessee Square)" by Tompall & the Glaser Brothers
Tompall & the Glaser Brothers were an American country music group composed of three brothers: Chuck (February 27, 1936 – June 10, 2019), Jim (December 16, 1937 – April 6, 2019), and Tompall (September 3, 1933 – August 13, 2013) Glaser. The ...
in the film but was unable to.
Reception
Critical response
Jonah Bromwich of ''Pitchfork'' said the music was "a highlight" and an "oft-disquieting mixtape of golden-age rock n' roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm an ...
, radio DJ patter, and period-specific commercials." Ben Allen of ''Radio Times
''Radio Times'' (currently styled as ''RadioTimes'') is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in May 1923 by J ...
'' commented, "Tarantino knows exactly how effective music can be in enhancing key scenes in his films. This is evident throughout ''Once Upon a Time in Hollywood''." Michael Roffman of ''Consequence'' opined, "The collection is chock full of 60's selections that look strange on paper, but work effortlessly together on screen."[ ]Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, occ ...
of AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
wrote, "Listening to Once Upon a Time brings that world to life. It's like switching the AM radio on to a 1960s that never faded away."[ It was nominated for the best compilation soundtrack album for visual media at the ]62nd Annual Grammy Awards
The 62nd Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held on January 26, 2020, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. It recognized the best recordings, compositions, and artists of the eligibility year, running from October 1, 2018, to August 31, 2019. Al ...
.
Analysis
Jon Drawbaugh analyzed the way in which ''Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'' used its music thematically. He noted that Paul Revere & the Raiders
Paul Revere & the Raiders (also known as Raiders) were an American rock band formed in Boise, Idaho, in 1958. They saw considerable U.S. mainstream success in the second half of the 1960s and early 1970s. The band was known for including Revolu ...
' "Hungry
Hunger is a sense, sensation that motivates the consumption of food. The sensation of hunger typically manifests after only a few hours without eating and is generally considered to be unpleasant. Satiety occurs between 5 and 20 minutes after ea ...
" is used when Manson shows up to look for Terry Melcher
Terrence Paul Melcher (born Terrence Paul Jorden; February 8, 1942 – November 19, 2004) was an American record producer, singer, and songwriter who was instrumental in shaping the mid-to-late 1960s California Sound and folk rock movements. His ...
at the Tate/Polanski residence where Melcher once lived with one of the band's members, whom Melcher produced. Drawbaugh also pointed out how the use of " Out of Time" by The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...
coincides as "the story is coming to its finale," and "darkness is falling upon Hollywood." He referred to Joan Didion
Joan Didion (; December 5, 1934 – December 23, 2021) was an American writer. Along with Tom Wolfe, Hunter S. Thompson and Gay Talese, she is considered one of the pioneers of New Journalism. Didion's career began in the 1950s after she won an ...
's ''The White Album
''The Beatles'', also referred to colloquially as the White Album, is the ninth studio album and only double album by the English Rock music, rock band the Beatles, released on 22 November 1968. Featuring a plain white sleeve, the cover conta ...
'' and how it illustrated how the Tate murders marked a transition from idealism and "the free spirit hippie vibe" into something "darker and more sinister." Drawbaugh said even the use of the ads was used in step with the film. When Helena Rubinstein
Helena Rubinstein (born Chaja Rubinstein; December 25, 1870 – April 1, 1965) was a Polish and American businesswoman, art collector, and philanthropist. A cosmetics entrepreneur, she was the founder and eponym of Helena Rubinstein Incorporate ...
's Heaven Sent ad is heard during a scene in which Cliff Booth talks to "Pussycat," the line "A little bit naughty, but heavenly" is heard, which Drawbaugh saw as a hint to what Booth thought about her. Drawbaugh also stated that the use of the ads was to provide an immersive radio experience, as Tarantino had done with K-Billy (Steven Wright
Steven Alexander Wright (born December 6, 1955) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and film producer. He is known for his distinctly lethargic voice and slow, deadpan delivery of ironic, philosophical and sometimes nonsensical jok ...
) in ''Reservoir Dogs
''Reservoir Dogs'' is a 1992 American crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino in his feature-length debut. It stars Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Chris Penn, Steve Buscemi, Lawrence Tierney, Michael Madsen, Tarantino, and Edward Bunke ...
''.
Justin Martell noted that The Mamas & the Papas' "Twelve Thirty (Young Girls Are Coming to the Canyon)
"Twelve Thirty" a.k.a. "Twelve-Thirty (Young Girls Are Coming to the Canyon)", is a song by The Mamas & the Papas.
After the release of the group's third album—''Deliver (The Mamas & The Papas album), Deliver''—and their appearance as the clo ...
" evokes "Manson-vibes" and is used as " Manson Family members recreeping up Cielo Drive n_Benedict_Canyon.html" ;"title="Benedict_Canyon.html" ;"title="n Benedict Canyon">n Benedict Canyon">Benedict_Canyon.html" ;"title="n Benedict Canyon">n Benedict Canyonin their 1959 Ford." Martell states that this is a "perfect use of this song." Jason Gorber of ''/Film'' wrote how Simon & Garfunkel's Mrs. Robinson is used to foreshadow "an illicit connection soon to come" by evoking another film, Mike Nichols' 1967 ''The Graduate'', which it was originally written for. "The song plays as Cliff ooth(Brad Pitt
William Bradley Pitt (born December 18, 1963) is an American actor and film producer. He is the recipient of various accolades, including two Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award. ...
) spots the (much younger) Pussycat (Margaret Qualley
Sarah Margaret Qualley (born October 23, 1994) is an American actress and model. A daughter of actress Andie MacDowell, she trained as a ballerina in her youth. She made her acting debut with a minor role in the 2013 drama film ''Palo Alto'', a ...
)," using its connection with ''The Graduate'', in which Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft
Anne Bancroft (born Anna Maria Louisa Italiano; September 17, 1931 – June 6, 2005) was an American actress. Respected for her acting prowess and versatility, Bancroft received an Academy Award, three BAFTA Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, tw ...
) seduces the much younger Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker. As one of the key actors in the formation of New Hollywood, Hoffman is known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and emotionally vulnerable characters. He is th ...
).[
Ethan Warren analyzed in detail the film's use of the radio ad for ]Jack Smight
John Ronald Smight (March 9, 1925 – September 1, 2003) was an American theatre and film director. His film credits include ''Harper'' (1966), '' No Way to Treat a Lady'' (1968), ''Airport 1975'' (1974), '' Midway'' (1976), and ''Fast Break'' ...
's ''The Illustrated Man
''The Illustrated Man'' is a 1951 collection of 18 science fiction short stories by American writer Ray Bradbury. A recurring theme throughout the stories is the conflict of the cold mechanics of technology and the psychology of people. It was nom ...
'', which appears on the soundtrack. It appears at the beginning of ''Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood'' and Warren writes that it is used to foreshadow the rest of the film. ''The Illustrated Man'', like Tarantino's film examines the fear of younger generations by older ones. Warren notes The two films are also about three connected stories. Where ''The Illustrated Man'' and its stories are overshadowed by the title character, ''Once Upon a Times shadow is Charles Manson
Charles Milles Manson (; November 12, 1934November 19, 2017) was an American criminal and musician who led the Manson Family, a cult based in California, in the late 1960s. Some of the members committed a series of nine murders at four loca ...
(Damon Herriman
Damon Herriman is an Australian actor. He is known for his film and television work in Australia and the United States. He is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Dewey Crowe in ''Justified (TV series), Justified''. In 2019, he portrayed the c ...
). When the radio ad says "Don't dare stare," Warren sees that as a comment about Manson. Warren states that Manson has become America's ideal bogeyman
The Bogeyman (; also spelled boogeyman, bogyman, bogieman, boogie monster, boogieman, or boogie woogie) is a type of mythic creature used by adults to frighten children into good behavior. Bogeymen have no specific appearance and conceptions var ...
. He believes Tarantino takes that away in his film by not only erasing his legacy but also by not making him a threat on Spahn Ranch
Spahn Ranch, also known as the Spahn Movie Ranch, was a 55-acre (22.3 ha) movie ranch in Los Angeles, California. For a period it was used as a ranch, dairy farm and later movie set during the era of westerns. After a decline in use for filming b ...
or in the film's finale. And so, Warren concludes that a "price is to be paid for being intrigued by a villain," and just as we should not stare at the Illustrated Man, neither should we "stare" at Manson. Warren also comments on the story " The Veldt" from ''The Illustrated Man'' and how it is about children who turn into killers based on the media they consume, and " Sadie"'s (Mikey Madison
Mikey Madison (born March 25, 1999) is an American actress. She is best known for her starring role as Max Fox on the FX comedy-drama series ''Better Things'' (2016–22), Manson Family follower Susan "Sadie" Atkins in Quentin Tarantino's fil ...
) justification in ''Once Upon a Time'' that because Rick Dalton pretends to kill people on TV he has taught her and others to kill, and so deserves to be murdered himself.
Author Ron Wilson wrote about the use of the "Lillie Langtry Theme" from John Huston
John Marcellus Huston ( ; August 5, 1906 – August 28, 1987) was an American film director, screenwriter, actor and visual artist. He wrote the screenplays for most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered ...
's ''The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
''. The song starts playing at the end of ''Once Upon a Time'' when "the camera cranes above the gates as we watch Rick being greeted by Sharon." ''Roy Bean'' is a fantasy and myth
Myth is a folklore genre consisting of Narrative, narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or Origin myth, origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not Objectivity (philosophy), ...
of the Old West
The American frontier, also known as the Old West or the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that began with European colonial ...
. It is about a time of transition in the West and was made at a time when Hollywood was transitioning away from Westerns, as Wilson sees Tarantino correlating with ''Once Upon a Time'' and it being about Hollywood transitioning away from Westerns and into a new era. Wilson says both films romanticize innocence and are shrine
A shrine ( la, scrinium "case or chest for books or papers"; Old French: ''escrin'' "box or case") is a sacred or holy sacred space, space dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor worship, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, Daemon (mythology), daem ...
s to a world that never existed. He states they are both symbolized by actresses. In the case of ''Roy Bean'', by Lillie Langtry
Emilie Charlotte, Lady de Bathe (née Le Breton, formerly Langtry; 13 October 1853 – 12 February 1929), known as Lillie (or Lily) Langtry and nicknamed "The Jersey Lily", was a British socialite, stage actress and producer.
Born on the isl ...
(Ava Gardner
Ava Lavinia Gardner (December 24, 1922 – January 25, 1990) was an American actress. She first signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1941 and appeared mainly in small roles until she drew critics' attention in 1946 with her perform ...
) and in the case of ''Once Upon a Time'', Sharon Tate
Sharon Marie Tate Polanski (January 24, 1943 – August 9, 1969) was an American actress and model. During the 1960s, she played small television roles before appearing in films and was regularly featured in fashion magazines as a model and cover ...
(Margot Robbie
Margot Elise Robbie (; born 2 July 1990) is an Australian actress and producer. Known for her work in both blockbuster and independent films, she has received several accolades, including nominations for two Academy Awards, four Golden Glob ...
). Kim Newman
Kim James Newman (born 31 July 1959) is an English journalist, film critic and fiction writer. Recurring interests visible in his work include film history and horror fiction—both of which he attributes to seeing Tod Browning's ''Dracula (1931 ...
pointed out how both films share a fantasy revenge element as well. In ''Roy Bean'' the title character (Paul Newman
Paul Leonard Newman (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008) was an American actor, film director, race car driver, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. He was the recipient of numerous awards, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, three ...
) lives much longer than the historical Roy Bean
Phantly Roy Bean Jr. (c. 1825 – March 16, 1903) was an American saloon-keeper and Justice of the Peace in Val Verde County, Texas, who called himself "The Only Law West of the Pecos". According to legend, he held court in his saloon along th ...
and exacts revenge against the oil companies that changed America and the Old West.
Soundtrack
Charts
Additional music
Novel
A novelization
A novelization (or novelisation) is a derivative novel that adapts the story of a work created for another medium, such as a film, TV series, stage play, comic book or video game. Film novelizations were particularly popular before the advent of ...
of the film written by Tarantino was published in 2021. It contained printed lyrics of five songs not heard in the film with the permission of Hal Leonard LLC
Hal Leonard LLC (formerly Hal Leonard Corporation) is an American music publishing and distribution company founded in Winona, Minnesota, by Harold "Hal" Edstrom, his brother, Everett "Leonard" Edstrom, and fellow musician Roger Busdicker. Curre ...
.
References
{{Reflist
Quentin Tarantino
2019 soundtrack albums