The Derailed soundtrack album was released today. Ever since I first saw word of the impending release, I wondered two things: would there be any of Edward Shearmur’s score on it, and (if so) how much of that might I appear on? Today I went to the record store and got my long awaited answer.
The overall album is hip-hop and r&b songs, many of which don’t actually appear in the film. As has been common with film soundtracks for many years, the Derailed CD features music from and “inspired by” the film, as it’s often put (and, indeed, as it appears on the cover of the album.) Not surprising, since the executive producer of the album is the RZA (who did a great job playing Winston in the actual film) and the CD is being released on the Wu Tang Clan’s label.
For me, the best news is that there are indeed two cues from Shearmur’s score on the album, both of which have my fingerprints on them. The first, “Winston’s Theme” (track 4 on the CD, 2:18 in length), is the first cue from the movie, playing over the opening credits and the shots of the prisoners at Attica. I show up on this one mainly as a series of eerie bent harmonics which crop up sporadically in the track; not a center-stage placement, but definitely something I can hear as “me.”
The second cue from the film, titled “Charles’ Theme” on the CD (track 8, 1:29 long), is the cue from the seduction scene in the hotel between Charles and Lucinda (up until LaRoche breaks in), and has my loops much more front and center – aside from some synthesized percussion and long string tones in the background, the Echoplex parts are pretty much the main part of the cue.
So whether it’s “essential” Andre listening is anybody’s guess, but it’s definitely a treat to have these bits released – the cues are amongst my favorites from Derailed, and it’s the first time my Echoplex playing has been utilized as a component of someone else’s music and then made available for release. I worked in a couple of record stores for the first two years I was out of college, so it feels good to finally make it to the other end of the music retail food chain.
And I must say… as mood-setting musical accompaniments to Jennifer Aniston vehicles go, this is a pretty long way from “I’ll Be There For You.”