The Man Who Fell To Earth (film) - Music

Music

Although Bowie was originally approached to provide the music, contractual wrangles during production caused him to withdraw from this aspect of the project, and the music used in the film was coordinated by John Phillips, former leader of the pop group The Mamas & the Papas, with contributions from Phillips himself and Japanese percussionist-composer Stomu Yamashta, as well as some stock music. The music was recorded at CTS Lansdowne Recording Studios in London, England.

Due to a creative and contractual dispute with Roeg and the studio, no official soundtrack was ever released for the film, even though the 1976 Pan Books paperback edition of the novel (released to tie in with the film) states on the back cover that the soundtrack is available on RCA. According to Bowie in several interviews over the years, there are no plans ever to release a soundtrack album, and he has absolutely no desire to undertake the effort due to the legal entanglements.

Music crew
  • Musical Director: John Phillips
  • Piano/Keyboards: Pete Kelly
  • Guitars: Mick Taylor, Ricky Hitchcock
  • Pedal Steel Guitar: B. J. Cole
  • Bass: Dave Marquee
  • Drums: Henry Spinetti
  • Percussion: Frank Ricotti
Music as listed on end credits

Composed & recorded by Stomu Yamashta:

  • "Poker Dice"
  • "33⅓"
  • "Mandala"
  • "Wind Words"
  • "One Way"
  • "Memory of Hiroshima"

Performed by John Phillips:

  • "Boys From The South"
  • "Rhumba Boogie"
  • "Bluegrass Breakdown"
  • "Hello Mary-Lou" (featuring Mick Taylor)

Other music:

  • "Blueberry Hill" - Louis Armstrong
  • "Enfantillages Pittoresques" - Frank Glazer
  • "A Fool Such As I" - Jim Reeves
  • "Make The World go Away" - Jim Reeves
  • "Try To Remember" - The Kingston Trio
  • "Blue Bayou" - Roy Orbison
  • "Silent Night" - Robert Farnon
  • "Any Major Dude Will Tell You" - Steely Dan
  • "Shades of Scarlett Conquering" - Joni Mitchell
  • "True Love" - Bing Crosby
  • "Love Is Coming Back" - Genevieve Waite
  • "Stardust" - Artie Shaw
  • "Planets Suite, Op. 32: Mars, Bringer Of War & Venus, Bringer Of Peace"
    composed by Gustav Holst and performed by the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra

Special electronic and oceanic effects were done by Desmond Briscoe and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

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