Fifty years ago, Randy Edelman released his third record. Leading off this special album is the song Bluebird. “Prime Cuts” has many standout tracks – a mix of joyous, playful, down tempo and lovelorn tunes – but that one in particular exemplifies how he can pen something that seems simple yet comes across as wildly creative, poignant and timeless. He’s got the tools, he’s got the talent, and a very lovely voice; that’s what you call a triple threat. Randy has seen almost every aspect of the music business and while song writing and composing for films are two completely different animals, he can float back and forth between the…
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Interview…Composer Harry Gregson-Williams on Aardman Animation, Tony & Ridley Scott, and Working with Family
One of the best bits about running GoSeeTalk is getting to know people over time. As consumers, we can watch anyone’s career grow. But from a journalistic standpoint, having conversations about what a particular creative makes, how they do it, and all the steps along the way make for a greater understanding and appreciation of the things we see and hear. So let’s go back to 2013 when we first had the great opportunity to speak to rock star composer Harry Gregson-Williams. We had an interview at length and dove head first into multiple high points on his resume. That was then followed up a couple years later to discuss…
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Interview…Composer Joby Talbot on Paul King, Neil Hannon and ‘Wonka’
When you talk about comfort food, or feel-good movies, I’m sure everyone has their go-to picks, and the range of titles is probably as vast as any horizon. We’ve got a few for sure, but one that constantly offers something new upon repeat viewings is Garth Jennings‘ 2005 adaptation of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. One of the many reasons it works so well is the score from Joby Talbot. In a word, it’s tremendous. Talbot, who began playing music at a very young age, has tried all manner of instrument and musical outfits and made a name for himself as keyboardist and arranger with Neil Hannon’s pop group…
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Interview…Tina Guo on Determination, Being Yourself and Rocking Out
In the sports world there are all sorts of inspirational slogans like “winners aren’t born and they’re made“. You’ve heard them before, seen posters in gyms, yadda, yadda, yadda. But does that translate to the entertainment world, specifically with musicians? Well, if if you look hard enough you might find a few rare instances where it is true, and when it comes to our latest guest, she wasn’t made, she’s more accurately manufactured. Tina Guo is a world-renowned cellist whose talent is nearly eclipsed by her personality. Made in China – this next part is 100% true – and born to musician parents in the communist army, Tina has an…
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Interview…Composer Fernando Velázquez on the Sophistication and Simplicity to ‘Inspector Sun and the Curse of the Black Widow’
I don’t know if anyone else has been keeping track of what’s hit screens in 2023, but we’ll just count down a few extraordinary or otherwise noteworthy releases. We got Barbie, The Flash, a new Ninja Turtles, the next Mission: Impossible, the last Indiana Jones, and before the end of the year, we’ll get a Dune sequel, a Willly Wonka prequel and a…wait for it…a David Fincher film, a Ridley Scott film, a Martin Scorsese film, annnd a Hayao Miyazaki film. Let that sink in as this is just a hint of the callbacks to a year that really and truly had it all. But one kind of film that…
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Interview…John Powell Composing the Score to ‘Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie’
While technically Canadian, Michael J. Fox is one of America’s most beloved actors. Fueled by an inability to be still, he’s been moving since the day he was born. That tenacity propelled him through his childhood and, years later, the difficult and nebulous waters of Hollywood. Rejections would have sent many young hopefuls packing…but not Mike. Perseverance and attitude prevailed and Fox was rewarded with film and TV work that charted an unparalleled course few actors have been able to replicate or even follow. One of the best words that could describe this pint-sized Canuck is “joyful” – his delivery and smile elicits a laugh every single time. Fox may…
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Interview…Composer Nitin Sawhney on ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It?’
We love it when a film serves as a vehicle to say something deep and meaningful. One such story is the latest from Shekhar Kapur. His direction of the story from writer Jemima Khan – about the modernity to arranged marriages in Indian cultures – give What’s Love Got To Do With It? its tangible emotional core. Adding to the success of that is the score from composer/songwriter Nitin Sawhney (who wrote the original score for the film and three original songs). Shazad Latif and Lily James carry the film, yet it is the subtle worldly vibe the music adds to certain story beats which “marries” well with many pivotal…
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Interview…Paul Haslinger on Electronic Soundscapes, Subtext, and Scoring Processes
If you were around in the ’80s, few things defined “cool” like music did. And, film fan or not, the top of that list is most likely going to be Tangerine Dream: the German electronic music outfit who dominated airwaves and theaters with their cutting edge electric sound. One key member of that ensemble pushing the electronic side of the band was young Paul Haslinger who joined up with them after their big hits like Sorcerer and Risky Business. Bringing a younger video game sensibility, he helped change the course of their sound for the better and contributed plenty including scores to Near Dark, Miracle Mile and Three O’Clock High.…
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Interview…Composer Alex Heffes on the Fun, Feverish and Flavorful Score to ‘Mafia Mamma’
Alex Heffes is a Golden Globe, BAFTA and 3 x Ivor Novello nominated composer who has scored over 70 feature films and TV projects. He has worked with many of cinema’s top filmmakers including Kevin Macdonald, Steven Frears, Catherine Hardwicke, Mira Nair, Tim Burton & J J Abrams. His unique ability to collaborate with artists from different cultures has been been a trademark of his style. He collaborated closely with Burton on his screen adaptation of Sweeney Todd and Heffes’ solo album, FACE TO FACE, features collaborations with artists such as the late Ryuichi Sakamoto, Regina Spektor and Yasmin Levy. Notable TV projects include the 2016 award-winning reboot of TV…
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Interview…Composer Randy Edelman on Songs, Scores and Career Retrospective
Most of the time, a film would be nothing without the musical score. We hold the music in higher regard than the narrative itself, and our heroes have always been film composers. Getting to run this site for almost fifteen years, I can admit to just plain geeking out when speaking to people in the film music community. Case in point. Randy Edelman is a legendary singer, songwriter, orchestrator, conductor, and a seasoned music man who has quite literally scored our childhood. Just looking at the impressive list of titles to his credit (Dragonheart, Beethoven, Troop Beverly Hills, The Mask, My Cousin Vinny, Angels in the Outfield, Shanghai Noon, Daylight)…
