Thursday, December 12, 2013

Sixteen Candles soundtrack (1984)

I put this list together back in 2004.  I've shared it with several people/websites/blogs but never published it myself until today.


If you ever found a vinyl or cassette copy of the original soundtrack to this movie, you'd be disappointed. Just five songs and one of those is incidental music:



As far as I can tell, the tracks on side one were only available on the original soundtrack release. Original vinyl copies are currently selling at around $100 on secondary markets.  Why Rhino hasn't put together a CD soundtrack compilation like they did for Valley Girl is beyond my understanding. (Homemade bootleg copies abound, however.)  Due to rights issues, the music included in the film varied from version to version (original release, VHS, DVD, TV).  This list is based on my DVD version.  In the order the music appeared in the film:
  1. First scene at the house: "Snowballed" by AC/DC, found on For Those About to Rock We Salute You (1981)
  2. Sam's room, Sam on phone: "Love of the Common People" by Paul Young, found on No Parlez (1983)
  3. Opening credits: "Kajagoogoo" by Kajagoogoo, found on White Feathers (1983)
  4. School, sitting in independent study: "Happy Birthday" by Altered Images, found on Happy Birthday (1981)
  5. On the bus: "Kazooed on Klassics" by the Temple City Kazoo Orchestra (1978)
  6. Farmer Ted makes his move on the bus: "Dragnet" TV theme by Ray Anthony and His Orchestra (1951)
  7. Sam walking upstairs to find grandparents in her room: "Twilight Zone" TV theme (1959)
  8. Mike listening to walkman in the kitchen: "Rumours in the Air" by Night Ranger, found on Midnight Madness (1983)
  9. Sam and Ginny talking in Ginny's room: "Today I Met the Boy I'm Gonna Marry" by Darlene Love, single only release (1962)
  10. At the dance, geeks along the wall: "Peter Gunn" TV theme (1958)
  11. At the dance: "True" by Spandau Ballet, found on True (1983)
  12. At the dance: "Wild Sex (In the Working Class)" by Oingo Boingo, found on Nothing to Fear (1982)
  13. At the dance: "Little Bitch" by The Specials, found on Specials (1979)
  14. At the dance: "Growing Pains" by Tim Finn, found on Escapade (1983)
  15. At the dance: "When It Started to Begin" by Nick Heyward, found on North of a Miracle (1983)
  16. Ted and Sam in the auto shop: "Lenny" by Stevie Ray Vaughan, found on Texas Flood (1983)
  17. At the dance: "Whistle Down the Wind" by Nick Heyward, found on North of a Miracle (1983)
  18. Sam and Jake at the coat check: "Ring Me Up" by the Divinyls, found on Desperate (1983)
  19. Restaurant, Bakers and Rizchecks at dinner: "Love Theme from The Godfather" by Nino Rota, found on The Godfather soundtrack (1972)
  20. Marlene and Dong dropping off Sam at the house: "Turning Japanese" by The Vapors, found on New Clear Days (1980)
  21. At the party: "Rev-Up" by The Revillos, found on Rev Up (1980)
  22. At the party: "Farmer John" by The Premiers, found on Farmer John Live (1964)
  23. At the party, Jake on the phone: "Hang Up the Phone" by Annie Golden, found on the original soundtrack (1984)
  24. At the party, Carolyn's hair caught in door: "Gloria" by Patti Smith, found on Horses (1975) and the original soundtrack (1984)
  25. After party, in kitchen: "Theme from New York, New York" by Frank Sinatra, found on Trilogy: Past Present Future (1980)
  26. Ted pulling Rolls out of garage: "Young Guns (Go for It)" by Wham, found on Fantastic (1983)
  27. Ted driving the Rolls Royce: "Rebel Yell" by Billy Idol, found on Rebel Yell (1983)
  28. Loading cars for wedding: "Young Americans" by David Bowie, found on Young Americans (1975)
  29. After wedding, Sam and Jake in front of church: "If You Were Here" by Thompson Twins, found on Quick Step and Side Kick (1983) and the original soundtrack (1984)
  30. End credits: "Sixteen Candles" by The Stray Cats, found on the original soundtrack (1984)



If I had been given the job of putting together the official soundtrack (and publishing rights and money weren't an issue), I probably would have put together something like this:

Side One Side Two
Rebel Yell
Hang Up The Phone
Whistle Down The Wind
Kajagoogoo
Sixteen Candles
Gloria
Little Bitch
True
Growing Pains
If You Were Here

1 comment :

  1. No rating this time out? I immediately scorlled down expecting to see something in the A family but no.

    Were you just auditing this class?

    Hard to beleive Sixteen Candles will be celebrating its 30th Anniversary next May. If it comes back to the big screen, I'll be there. This year I saw Citizen Kane, Blazing Saddles, Risky Business and, just last weekend, Christmas Vacation on the big screen at the mall cineplex.

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