Friday, December 22, 2023

Track Of The Day: Roy Budd - Get Carter - Main Theme (Carter Takes a Train) (Odeon)


We’ve reached that point in the year when, if you’re lucky enough to be able to take a few days off, everything blends together and you lose track of time. And so this popped into my head this morning. One of the most memorable pieces of music from, arguably, the best British gangster film (there are a few contenders). This composition exudes both cool and claustrophobia, putting into concise perspective what it might be like to lead such a fugitive existence which is both simultaneously attractive and deadly. Roy Budd, the composer, was a self-taught child prodigy and ‘Get Carter’ became his best-known piece of work. The film's budget reputedly allowed only £450 for the score, but he overcame this restriction by using only three musicians, including himself playing electric piano and harpsichord simultaneously. In 1981 The Human League covered the film's theme on their album 'Dare’.”

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