The Cast and Crew

The last thing you hear in the movie is the credits - it is therefore the first track on the album!  At least this track has gone down in history as a one-of-a-kind.  It is wittily sung and certainly had audiences staying in their seats long after the 'action' had ended.  Hence Harry's joke "Your seat's on fire!" near the end.  Of course, some might say, "If they'd stayed that long..."

I Will Take You There (LP version)

There are several versions of this song now available.  The first version available on CD was the single version which appears on the 'Personal Best' compilation.  This (LP) version is slightly slower and has a baroque feel about it due to the harpsichord and flute prominence in the backing.  There are also some lovely harmonies here.  This song would have fitted in well near the end of Aerial Ballet but, perhaps, even better on the 'Harry' album, showing once again how Harry's song-writing could mature a lot in a short space of time.

Skidoo/Commercials

A brief instrumental version oif the theme is followed by full versions of some of the commercials from the channel hopping start to the movie.  One advert is for deodorant, strange only because Harry really did record an advert for Ban Deodorant.

Goodnight Mr Banks

Let's Get The Hardware

Murder in the Car Wash

These are instrumental excerpts from the soundtrack - each has a strong Nilssonian (or Tiptonian) flavour.

Angie's Suite

Angie, played by Frankie Avalon, had a wonderful apartment in the film in which everything worked by remote control.  The seductive theme is reminiscent of Without Her.  Fine trombone solo work in this track in a segment which strongly recalls 'Donna, I Understand'. 

The Tree

The Tree was the name given to the 'mob' in question, with God at the top.  This regal theme presents the esteem with which we are supposed to hold The Tree.  Almost like a National Anthem!  With a false fade and an 'amen' at the end!

Garbage Can Ballet

This is a fine and funny nonsense song.  This is back to the old Nilsson 'signature' style as epitomised by 'Good Old Desk', 'Together' and the 'Ban' commercial.  Rhyming 'asparagus' with 'marry us' is one thing, describing a conversation between ham and lettuce quite another.  As there's no other legal way to own this track it makes the soundtrack album worth buying!

Tony's Trip

Much of the world outside of pop circles associated LSD with the Beatles (with considerable reason, of course!)

So Harry is clever here in using tablas and sitar to give a mystical, Beatle-ish aura to this instrumental.  There is not a tune as such here just a series of random(-ish...again) noises.  It works, nevertheless.

Escape Impossible

Green Bay Packers March

Two more instrumentals.  I wonder how much input Harry had into the instrumentation used on these?  Lots of musical interest, particularly in the varied percussion parts.  Bits of it almost sound like Varese!  The Green Bay Packers were hallucinated by Harry's co-tower guard complete with shoulder pads and helmets but no pants!  I wonder if they've ever played the march at their matches?

Man Wasn't Meant to Fly

Another silly ditty - with vocals at the start.  The 'hallelujahs' are from when the escapees get airborne.  Quite an extended sequence.

Escape: Possible

There are times when this instrumental really wants to break into 'The Great Escape' theme.

Skidoo

Goodnight Mr Banks

Carol Channing's voice has always grated on me.  Like Eartha Kitt on speed!  The song is silly - what does skidoo mean anyway?  So, if we all 'skidoo' the world will be a better place for us?  Thanks for that!  Good grief!  Had this woman ever sung before?  'The only thing that matters is with who?'  What's it all about?  As a song this has to be among Harry's worst ever, regardless of who sang it!  "Between one and three there is a two?"  For crying out loud!  Enough already!

The latter is a quick, instrumental reprise of 'I Will Take You There' - maybe to remind us that Harry could write a good tune after all!

BONUS TRACK:

Girlfriend

This is a re-working of 'Best Friend', the theme to TV series 'The Courtship Of Eddie's Father'.  Although recorded at the same time it was not released until the 'Personal Best' anthology.  It is another of the 'signature' recordings, as I call them, featuring George Tipton's brass-based arranging.  The intention must have been to release this as a single to 'cash-in' on the TV series' success.  I had presumed that copyright or publishing problems prevented this happening, but...according to Roger's site the recording date of this song was June 1968.  As he also has the date for 'Best Friend' as 1969 I have begun to wonder of this song might have been re-written for the TV series rather than the other way round???