Best John Hughes Soundtrack?
In honor of my ability to reproduce successfully, the mighty Stuck in the '80s franchise is pulling out all the stops for a celebratory She's Having a Baby podcast. We're recording today; the show will launch in a couple of weeks.
The 1988 John Hughes dramedy stars Kevin Bacon and Elizabeth "It's Grouper" McGovern as newlyweds trying to traverse the world of betrothed adulthood. It's funny, it's touching -- it hits really close to home (especially all those writerly frustrations...oh, and the saggy boxer shorts scenario).
She's Having a Baby also has the best soundtrack of any John Hughes-related movie. Just look at these SHAB gems, all thematically packaged: Crazy Love -- Bryan Ferry; Apron Strings -- Everything but the Girl; This Woman's Work -- Kate Bush; Haunted When the Minutes Drag -- Love and Rockets; Happy Families -- XTC.
An incredibly close second is Some Kind of Wonderful, which is pretty spectacular as well.
Anyway, here's the way I see The Top 5 John Hughes Soundtracks breaking down:
5. Vacation (Holiday Road, Dancing Across the USA, Blitzkrieg Bop)
4. Pretty in Pink (If You Leave, Pretty in Pink, Do Wot You Do)
3. Weird Science (Weird Science, Don't Worry Baby, Tubular Bells)
2. Some Kind of Wonderful (Do Anything, I Go Crazy, Miss Amanda Jones, Can't Help Falling in Love)
1. She's Having a Baby
Sean Daly is the pop music critic for the St. Petersburg Times. His CD collection -- from Journey to Dylan, Prince to U2, Public Enemy to Stan Getz -- is much bigger and better than yours.
THIS WEEK'S SHOW: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers rock Tampa Bay. To hear the latest "Stuck in the 80s" episode now, 
Yeah! I adore that movie (She's Having a Baby). This ought to be a weiner of a podcast (pun intended).
Posted by: Marissa | February 15, 2008 at 11:34 AM
Sean? Bueller? Bueller?
Love Missile F1-11 - Sigue Sigue Sputnik
Oh Yeah - Yello
Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want (and) The Edge of Forever - The Dream Academy
Danke Shoen - Wayne Newton
Twist and Shout - Beatles
(Out of deference to our host I will not enter into a discussion of the merits of the 16 Candles soundtrack due to the inclusion of the Spandau Ballet track "True" in said film.)
Posted by: Brad | February 15, 2008 at 12:34 PM
I couldn't agree more. I've loved the "She's Having A Baby" soundtrack since I first saw the flick, and even had my vinyl copy ripped to MP3s so I could listen on my ipod before I was finally able to secure a copy on CD. It's a classic!
Posted by: Dominic | February 15, 2008 at 12:39 PM
Personally, I'd move "Pretty In Pink" up a spot, based simply on my endless love for the title track (and the Psych Furs.) I listen to the soundtrack often -- just this morning, actually.
But that's just me.
Shamefully, I'm not familiar with the "She's Having a Baby" soundtrack, but that's being remedied very quickly...
Posted by: jane | February 15, 2008 at 12:46 PM
I've always felt that both the Weird Science and Pretty in Pink soundtracks are over-rated just because they have eponymous tracks, and it's easier for folks to connect the pop culture dots between the movie and the soundtrack.
Somewhat counterintuitively, a great soundtrack stands on it's own, and does not immediately make you think of the film. Believe me, when I get lost in Tracey Thorn's syrupy-smooth voice on 'Apron Strings', the last thing I'm thinking of is Kevin Bacon's ferrety mug.
Posted by: Jeff in Cuba | February 15, 2008 at 01:08 PM
We're going to bump the recording until next week. So now we can include all your wise comments (except Brad's).
Posted by: Sean Daly | February 15, 2008 at 01:33 PM
By the way, I'm thrilled we're touching on Everything But The Girl. I went through a huge EBTG phase in the late 80's, and still hold them in great fondness.
Of course, these days they are primarily known as the soundtrack to Chris Kattan's 'Mango' sketches on SNL (which thoroughly frosts my flakes!)
Posted by: Jeff in Cuba | February 15, 2008 at 01:58 PM
Well, now I wish I'd been more creative in my comment, Sean.
Posted by: Marissa | February 15, 2008 at 02:05 PM
Gimme some more, Marissa...
Posted by: Sean Daly | February 15, 2008 at 02:12 PM
In fact, I'll also ask this of the group...
WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE SCENE IN "SHE'S HAVING A BABY"?
Posted by: Sean Daly | February 15, 2008 at 02:14 PM
One particular scene that comes to mind immediately is at the hospital when Kristy must have emergency surgery because the baby is breech.
The roller coaster of emotion delivered just puts me over the edge. I always cry.
I seem to recall a scene with Alec Baldwin and his girlfriend. He says to her, "show him what you do, honey" or something like that, and she licks the side of her glass. She's a video vixen, maybe?
Posted by: Marissa | February 15, 2008 at 03:15 PM
I'm with Brad on the Bueller soundtrack - but "Holiday Road" alone should be on top of this list. Talk about a perfect song for its movie...
Posted by: zilla | February 15, 2008 at 04:15 PM
You gotta love the lawn mower ballet.
As a child of the suburbs, that bit always slays me.
Posted by: Jeff in Cuba | February 15, 2008 at 04:21 PM
Oh yeah! I almost forgot that part, Jeff. That is freakin' hysterical.
I'm going to buy this movie tonight. I thought I had it. Yet another item left behind in GA when I moved. ARGH! Gasp!
Posted by: Marissa | February 15, 2008 at 04:24 PM
Well, I am going throw Sixteen Candles into the ring.
Love of the Common People - Paul Young
Snowballed - AC/DC
Little B```` - The Specials
Rumors In The Air - Night Ranger
Kajagoogoo - Kajagoogoo
Happy Birthday - Altered Images
Wild Sex (In The Working Class) - Oingo Boingo
If You Were Here - Thompson Twins
Today I Met The Boy I'm Going to Marry - Darlene Love
Farmer John - The Premiers
Turning Japanese - The Vapors
Young Guns (Go For It) - Wham!
Rebel Yell - Billy Idol
Young Americans - David Bowie
Theme From New York, New York - Frank Sinatra
Peter Gunn Theme - Ray Anthony
Hang Up the Phone - Patti Brooks
Geek Boogie - Ira Newborn
Whistle Down The Wind - Nick Heyward
Kazooed On Classics - Temple City Kazoo Orchestra
Sixteen Candles - The Stray Cats
and yes,
True - Spandau Ballet
Posted by: Bassnote | February 15, 2008 at 08:34 PM
Sean, what have I done now? Why the hostility, bro?
In all seriousness, I was going to ask about the 16 Candles soundtrack but upon reflection realized there isn't much there. The aforementioned song which should not be mentioned, an Oingo Boingo track - Wild Sex (In The Working Class) - and "If You Were Here" by the Thompson Twins playing while Sam and Jake lean over a cake and try to set themselves on fire while kissing and sitting crosslegged on a table.
The Thompson Twins song is one of those songs you think is romantic but really the lyrics aren't about much of anything. I think the Dream Academy song that plays when Ferris is saying goodbye to Sloane is a much better fit to the scene.
Posted by: Brad | February 15, 2008 at 09:01 PM
Apparently Bassnote and I disagree.
Posted by: Brad | February 15, 2008 at 09:03 PM
Because I am a sucker for sappy love-type songs and scenes, I go for Sixteen Candles because of If You Were Here. The music is so lush and the scene so sigh-worthy, it pretty much doesn't matter what the lyrics are besides "if you were here" ...
As much as I like the Pretty In Pink soundtrack, I can't endorse it because of the Nik Kershaw-less Wouldn't It Be Good. I'm usually not a purist, but this version just screams American Idol John Hughes Soundtrack Week.
Posted by: SharonF | February 15, 2008 at 09:32 PM
Just finished watching "Pretty in Pink" on the telly (such serendipity) -- maybe it's just out of decades-held loyalty, but I still think the soundtrack holds up. Faults and all.
Posted by: jane | February 15, 2008 at 09:52 PM
Sharon, the next line is "I could deceive you." Come on! Deceit? Sigh-worthy?
No mix tape for you!
Posted by: Brad | February 16, 2008 at 05:13 PM
Brad, as googily eyed as that whole scene made me 'back in the day,' it lost a lot of meaning when I learned the words to "If you were here."
Now, had they just played the instrumentals of that song, it would work. It's the breathiness that makes us forget the true meaning of the song.
Posted by: Marissa | February 16, 2008 at 06:59 PM
I hear you, Marissa. It certainly has all the sounds of a great romantic song.
I was going to put it on a mix for my wife one Valentine's, though, when I discovered the ugly lyrical truth. Oh well, it's a great first 8 bars.
Posted by: Brad | February 16, 2008 at 09:02 PM
What! No Sixteen Candles? Best musical scene... When Sam's family is leaving for the church, just before they discover a drunken Long Duck Dong in the grass, "Young Americans" is playing. Awesome.
Posted by: Izzy | February 17, 2008 at 09:38 PM
Izzy, something you need to understand about Sean Daly is that he loathes Spandau Ballet's True. He froths at the mouth; spews venomous hatred when he hears even just one note of the song.
"Sixteen Candles" uses the song that shall no longer be mentioned in this comment. I agree that the use of "Young Americans" is absolute perfection, but the soundtrack is disqualified for the above mentioned reasons (I believe).
Posted by: Marissa | February 18, 2008 at 09:26 AM
It is not disqualified because of "the evil Spandau Ballet song". There are plenty of songs that make up for the use of that one. I have a special bias for this soundtrack because three years ago I compiled eveery song used in the movie on to two CDs (I also included all the music from Ferris Bueller). The process took me nearly two months to complete, as I had to order some stuff from Amazon. Sixteen Candles is a great cross section of music from the early 80's.
Posted by: Bassnote | February 18, 2008 at 12:07 PM
This was the featured movie yesterday on my version of Sick Girl Cinema (my cold rendering me uninterested in doing little more that watching a film on my computer screen.)
Loved. It. I either had never seen it before or only seen bits and pieces. Great glimpse of suburbia and young married life and identity crisis (could totally relate to Jake's internal struggles -- much more so than with Kristi, ironically.)
The Lawn Mower musical number was brilliant -- very Busby Berkeley-esque, especially with some of those overhead shots. I squeeled out loud upon seeing Stewart Copeland's name in the credits -- how had I forgotten that he scored this film -- and when he popped up in the end credits.
Posted by: jane | February 19, 2008 at 07:43 AM
Jane, when I saw that Stewart Copeland info on IMDb I immediately thought of you.
I just got confirmation that my SHAB pkg deal is due to arrive Feb 23. Typically my peeps at Amazon don't disappoint me on delivery. This will put them to the test.
Posted by: Marissa | February 19, 2008 at 08:00 AM
I have to go with "Some Kind of Wonderful" at number one. I have a soft spot for both the film and the soundtrack, as that movie was my first date with my favorite high school girlfriend. So it gets the sentimental nod.
My favorite scene in "She's Having a Baby"?? It's been awhile since I've seen it, but I always laugh at the scene when they're having the block party/picnic...with the hose...you know the part I'm talking about.
Posted by: NickWithAnAxe | February 19, 2008 at 08:39 AM
Amazon is pretty good with their delivery estimates, I've found. So you should be good with the 23rd, Miss Riss.
And just so you don't miss Stewart at the end, listen for "Horatio."
Posted by: jane | February 19, 2008 at 09:29 AM
If you want to get the full extended "Sixteen Candles" soundtrack, which I put together, as well as other 80s movie soundtracks, visit my friend's blog at http://theinfernomusiccrypt.blogspot.com/
Posted by: Elak Swindell | March 15, 2008 at 07:49 PM