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Songs adapted from original film scores


chuck

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I was wondering what are some original film scores that have lyrics written on them (outside of musicals)?

Now I need to make a clear distinction on this: These are film scores with which the composer did not originally intend to have lyrics written on it but was otherwise been convinced by the directors, producers, etc., to make a pop version out of it, e.g. And We Were Lovers (Love Theme from The Sand Pebbles); in contrast to film scores with lyrics written in from the very start (e.g. any songs written by Alan Menken and Sherman brothers for Disney).

Are there any? I've already given one example above:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSlrxODLo_c

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Wow, I didn't know Gabriel's Oboe had had lyrics!!! Twas my favorite score.

Though I prefer someone of Sarah Brightman's caliber to sing that songs. Her voice doesn't seem to fit well with the high note of the oboe.

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Star Trek theme by Alexander Courage:

Oh yeah, I remember this one: Gene Roddenberry wanted some of this score's royalties so he wrote the lyrics on this one. Sandy was irked on that.

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I'm not sure when Menken/Schwartz/Disney decided to put lyrics to an instrumental theme from Hunchback, but the result was "Someday."

There's also a vocal version of Camille Saint-Saen's Organ Symphony:

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This one is from the article I posted here:

The lyrics were commissioned by Brightman when she saw the film and asked Disney if she could perform it with the London Symphony for an upcoming concert. Disney lyricist David Zipple (Mulan, Hercules) wrote the words.

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Perhaps the most famous example would be Alex North's theme from Unchained adapted into the song Unchained Melody, one of the ultimate love songs!

I'm not sure that one counts, Joe, if I have understood Chuckster's OP correctly, because Unchained Melody always had lyrics. It was sung briefly in the original 1955 movie by Todd Duncan and you can hear the original here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zU7vQh7BFPQ

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I'm not sure if this fits your bill or not because I don't know the history of the song, I just know that it's not on the soundtrack. Japanese singer AI singing a song based on Joe Hisaishi's theme from Departures:

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Perhaps the most famous example would be Alex North's theme from Unchained adapted into the song Unchained Melody, one of the ultimate love songs!

I'm not sure that one counts, Joe, if I have understood Chuckster's OP correctly, because Unchained Melody always had lyrics. It was sung briefly in the original 1955 movie by Todd Duncan and you can hear the original here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zU7vQh7BFPQ

So does that mean Alex North adapted his score from that song? Or was it Maurice Jarre? I don't know which one's which.

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So does that mean Alex North adapted his score from that song? Or was it Maurice Jarre? I don't know which one's which.

No. Alex North wrote the song himself with lyricist Hy Zaret for the obscure 1955 film Unchained, in which it was sung by Todd Duncan. North also wrote the score for that movie. The song was nominated for an Oscar but only achieved its popularity through later cover versions.

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There's an instrumental theme heard in Menken's Beauty and the Beast (heard especially in "Prologue"). Throughout the entire film it stays instrumental, but when it was incorporated into a new song written for the stage musical ("If I Can Love Her") there's a short segment that puts lyrics to that theme.

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