Vigilante
Roy Budd
(Sanctuary Records)
Reported Sunday, March 21 2004
Courtesy of Jonty_Adderley @ www.skrufff.com
Though Roy Budd was largely unknown outside jazz circles, when he died aged just 46 in 1993, during his short life he'd already created over 50 soundtracks to films including Wild Geese, The Stone Killer and Michael Caine's seminal gangster movie Get Carter and over the last 10 years, his stock has continually risen.
Budd reputedly recorded the entire Get Carter soundtrack for just £450 in 1971(principally by playing many of the musical parts himself) in keeping with a movie career he kicked into action by cobbling together a show reel of obscure tracks from Lalo Schifrin, John Williams and Max Steiner to successfully blag the soundtrack job for his first film Soldier Blue.
Prior to his movie breakthrough via the native Indian epic, Budd had variously been a child prodigy and acclaimed British jazz pianist, though his Soldier Blue soundtrack was so successful he ended up scoring seven more films in 1971. Get Carter (one of the seven) remains his all time best, its tabla based main theme (and album opener here) highlighting his fantastic originality and intuitive ability to create understated music of simultaneously striking effect. Six more tracks from the film pop up on this collection, three are which are narratives (including Coronation Street's now deceased Alf Roberts, taking on Michael Caine in a fist fight).
Whether you're talking Apocalypse Now, Bladerunner or squeal-like-a-pig nightmare movie Deliverance, all the best films have fantastic soundtracks by super-talented artists and Roy Budd is one such creator for whom wider recognition is long overdue.
Cult Film Soundtracks: 1971-1977 is out now.
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