Music composed by David Shire for the movie The Taking of Pelham 123 (1974). And this to me is one of the coolest main themes of film music. Funny and upbeat, you just know the movie is going to be an entertaining experience.
Literally sounds like New York circa '74. Dirty, atonal, and pulsating. Amazing theme. Whoever greenlighted the remake should be thrown in front of a moving subway train. At Pelham station.
This is my favorite theme of all movies… Since you have the same affliction as I do, which is a fan of 70s movie themes… Could you please name some others that you like?
Robert Shaw was such a badass. Probably my favorite actor of all time, and such a powerful presence. I love that roughhewn, chiseled English face--they absolutely do not make 'em like him anymore in this age of contrived, talentless manufactured celebrities. At least here across the pond in the USA.
Agreed.Matthau and Shaw with their lugubrious,weatherbeaten faces brought a towering authenticity ruthless charm manly stoicism and world weary intensity to their roles that reminded you just how much the greatness of 70s relied on the unmatched brilliance versatility and star power of these giants of the screen.Talent that we will never see again.
The actor that played the guard Latimer toward the end played the accused in an episode of Matlock in which a murderer was caught because a poorly timed sneeze.
I can hazard two guesses - it’s either because not a single score of his ever got an Oscar nomination (if you can believe that), or it’s because his most well-known scores were confined to the 70s. Either way, it’s completely unjust, and David Shire is unquestionably one of the industry’s most underrated composers.
This is as HOT as theme music can get for cinema... PURE 1970's. PURE NYC and hardcore Jazzy as Hell! A composition that's almost dangerous to listen to. This piece is like Henry Mancini off leash!
+cas447 Some talk glowingly of the "character" of the city at this time, but truth be told it was a complete shithole and financial disaster. Crime was rampant. Hardly a paradise.
gritty as fuck. if time machines ever become real, I believe one of the most popular time tours will be the gritty nyc depicted in films like pelham and french connection.
Growing up in the 70s i remember this movie, it was a hit. The theme music was brilliant but i felt it sounded like music from a 70s american tv action thriller during those times
This song has those great 70's funk drums (sloshy hi hats rule!) and the 'talking drum'. Moreover, I love the compostion of this piece (if you have more musical training, please add or correct my musical terms; I am always seeking to know more about music): 0:00 introduction of the ostinato; 0:12 melody; 0:44 cars and horns blaring (brilliant!); 0:45 Melody leads into 0:52 trombone melody, which becomes part of the ostinato (again, brilliant); 1:08 trombone ostinato becomes electric piano 1:23 The Pelham Theme at 123 takes the piano into the soprano saxophone; so cool how they only sound slightly disimilar.0 1:25 saxophone retrograde (flipping the ostinato upside down) 1:48 fade to end.
The melody also forms a tone row, using each of the 12 tones of the chromatic scale once: A, C, B, B flat, D flat, D, E flat, G flat, G, E, F, A flat. You can go nuts reading about serialism and its proponents if tone rows intrigue you. I think David Shire said he did this to evoke a sense of chaos as the melody doesn't have an obvious tonal center.
@@principals16842 Thanks for your reply. You sound like a music professor(?) I studied 12 tone in school, but I am not sure where David uses it here. Can you give me a time stamp where it starts and ends? Thanks!
As a Roy Budd and Lalo Schifrin fan I'm embarrassed to say I had not heard of David Shire. Having seen the film several times I have no excuse, however. Thanks for posting.
I suspect that many of many fellow old farts who appreciate 70s movie themes will also love the theme from the original Get Carter, by Roy Budd. You can thank me later.
The cool thing about that, is that Mr. Blue shot Mr. Gray himself later on! He didn't have anybody else to that for him. Very nice setup for that moment.
+bigvirgotube I only saw the 2009 remake with J. Travolta and D. Washington. It was atrociously bad. I should have known better: Remakes are often just attempts a milking without any art or originality.
I didn't even bother to see the re-make. How on earth could one re-make this thing when the original has funny banter from Walter Matthau, a cool and calculated performance by the great Robert Shaw, and totally kick ass music by David Shire?
The old wise guy actors like Robert shaw and Walter Mathew laid the foundation back in the day and this tune is so menacing listen to that base get me the fuck out of here that’s what that base tells me faboulous film and tune peace out Daniel
The original movie is so much better than the remake in 2009 the reason better actors better direction better photography more realistic signs of the time
Also there’s a license-free instrumental piece used by a lot of RU-vidrs that sounds almost identical to this, not sure what it’s called. I know EmpLemon has used it in a few of his videos.
Part of me wonders if that unbelievable drum riff was inspired by Elmer Bernstein's equally brash - but not quite as gritty - theme for _McQ_ , released in early 1974. The opening track _In Seattle_ from _McQ_ basically quotes the same riff at 4:07.
Which Scene In The 1953 Oscar Winning Film "From Here To Eternity " Did The Late Director Joseph Sargent Have? Also Did The Author Of The "The Taking Of Pelham 123"John Godey Make An Uncredited Cameo Appearance In This 1974 Version?
