Saturday, February 26, 2011

Times Square OST (1980)


Quite the soundtrack here for this cult punxploitation film from 1980. It's said that the guiding hand of RSO Records chief Robert Stigwood, who wanted Times Square to be the next Saturday Night Fever, forced the inclusion of some of dreckier tunes herein. As for the rest of it, it's a great cross-section of English and American punk/new wave/proto-punk et al.





Side one
1. Suzi Quatro: "Rock Hard" (Mike Chapman, Nicky Chinn) – 3:18
2. The Pretenders: "Talk of the Town" (Chrissie Hynde) – 3:16
3. Roxy Music: "Same Old Scene" (Bryan Ferry) – 3:54
4. Gary Numan: "Down in the Park" (Gary Numan) – 4:20
5. Robin Gibb and Marcy Levy: "Help Me!" (Robin Gibb, Blue Weaver) – 3:37

Side two
1. Talking Heads: "Life During Wartime" (David Byrne, Jerry Harrison, Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz) – 3:40
2. Joe Jackson: "Pretty Boys" (Joe Jackson) – 3:27
3. XTC: "Take This Town" (Andy Partridge) – 4:08
4. Ramones: "I Wanna Be Sedated" (Joey Ramone) – 2:29
5. Robin Johnson: "Damn Dog" (Billy Mernit, Jacob Brackman) – 2:40

Side three
1. Robin Johnson and Trini Alvarado: "Your Daughter Is One" (Mernit, Norman Ross, Brackman) – 2:10
2. The Ruts: "Babylon's Burning" (John Jennings, Dave Ruffy, Malcolm Owen, Paul Fox) – 2:34
3. D.L. Byron: "You Can't Hurry Love" (Edward Holland, Jr., Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland)– 3:04
4. Lou Reed: "Walk on the Wild Side" (Lou Reed) – 4:12
5. Desmond Child and Rouge: "The Night Was Not" (Desmond Child) – 3:08

Side four
1. Garland Jeffreys: "Innocent, Not Guilty" (Garland Jeffreys) – 2:13
2. The Cure: "Grinding Halt" (Robert Smith, Michael Dempsey, Lol Tolhurst) – 2:49
3. Patti Smith Group: "Pissing in the River" (Patti Smith, Ivan Kral) – 4:41
4. David Johansen and Robin Johnson: "Flowers of the City" (David Johansen, Ronnie Guy) – 3:58
5. Robin Johnson: "Damn Dog" (Reprise - The Cleo Club) (Mernot, Brackman) – 2:40



Leave us some words on this OST, and it's strange mix of artists.

Speaking of COMMENTS, that's where you'll find the Times Square link

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For more Pretenders go here, for more Talking Heads go here, for more Joe Jackson go here, for more Ramones go here, for more of Ruts go here, for more Lou Reed go here for more Patti Smith go here.


Basically, everything to do with this film and it's soundtrack is so far out of print that even the damn cassette pictured above goes for $50.00 on Amazon!

18 comments:

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    Let us know what you think of this fascinating song list, won't you?



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    http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?6rn3ubbl3em2aee

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  2. i really like this soundtrack, i have it on vinyl.
    'damn dog' is great.
    nice blog btw

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  3. I have been looking for this, thanks

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  4. I remember seeing this album hundreds (thousands) of times in the record racks. Was curious about the movie when it was released but it had a short run and I missed it.

    Never bought the LP and looking at the tracklist, I can see why. it looks like he rounded up everyone on the roster. Bee Gees and Talking Heads. Desmond Child and Patti Smith. I was too freakin' uneven. Some decent punk/new wave mixed with some of the good-to-fair old style rock that we new wavers were trying to leave behind. Lots of unrecognizable names then and now.

    I'll be honest. The only reason I ever gave it a second glance was because the color scheme made it look like The Clash's 'Give 'Em Enough Rope' and each time I realized it wasn't, I was intrigued by the two cuties on the cover.

    Way back when, I'm sure that I also rejected it because Robert Stigwood's name was prominently on the cover and he's the dolt that gave us The Bee gees and the disco that I was so frantically trying to wipe out.

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  5. I had this one, too. ..but it's been so long since it even crossed my memory that I was taken aback to see the cover as it popped up in my reader. This would be about the time I was DJ 6-7 nights a week, working in TWO records stores and playing music. Not a good time to keep track of things.
    I'd have to agree with Don's take on it. The better known cuts, I already had in other forms. The only thing that makes me get it NOW, is the Robin Gibb cut, as I'm a Bee Gees fanatic and this is an odd cut I didn't have anywhere else.
    Yes, thank you for that and for illuminating a dark corner of time for me.

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  6. I'm another that has this on vinyl & although some of the music sounds strange next to other tunes I like this soundtrack.

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  7. Maybe this was before my time, but I have never heard of this one nor recall ever seeing it in the bins...

    Was the film only released in major centres?

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  8. A rolling stone gathers no moss...

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  9. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  10. the Times Square vinyl is valuable? I have it!

    PS- As a kid who grew up in NYC during this era, I can attest that this movie 100% exactly represents EVERYTHING accurately. It could be a freaking documentary. The glamour, the squalor, the band, the quick success...

    of course, I did a lot of drugs back in the 80's and I might have this completely mixed up with a dream I once had.

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  11. I love this - and also have the vinyl! My friend Michelle & I of course were the Sleaze Sisters for halloween that year... your daughter is one.... ;-)

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  12. Funny. I mentioned this soundtrack in a comment on the Ruts Peel sessions. Didn't know this posting was here! Honest!! I agree about Damn Dog. I thought that was a pretty good cut. For me, the key was being introduced to the Ruts.

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  13. Sydelic
    True.
    Thanks

    Dwayne
    Found!

    Don
    Some real crap here but some sweet, if obvious, choices too.

    Duncan
    "Illuminating dark corners" oughta be on the blog header here!

    BarrieB
    Agreed

    matta
    yup

    bio
    It bombed pretty quick, I believe.

    Nazz
    Thanks for making me laugh!

    Holly
    I should like to see pictures of that!!

    Bob
    Yup this reminded me to post more RUTS!

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  14. oh hell yeah, this was terrible and great all at once. still have the vinyl - this and the electric chairs first album were the first records i saw in my ex's record collection that i saw that we both had, and it was obvious that the date was going to go well.

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  15. remember seeing this at the drive in when it first came out! Which was a big deal for me in country town south australia... had the soundtrack on cassette and vinyl so i could listen to it in the car and at home! sure there was some drek but hell it introduced me to the ruts!! thats enough for me to still love the album

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  16. kami
    If only Stigwod had got the world to love The Ruts instead of the Bee Gees.

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  17. Please does someone have this. Been looking for this forever. Need a re-up please :)

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