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BubbaTUNESday - bub138 Times Square Soundtrack

If Tim Curry was a theme he would have to this year's Bubbatunes theme cause it seems he just keeps popping up. Last year we did his two albums Fearless and Simplicity and just last week we did his first album Read My Lips. Well this week's brand new Bubbatune doesn't feature Tim Curry in music it does have a little something to do with him.

bub138 TIMES SQUARE SOUNDTRACK
(1980; June 8, 2009)

Our brand new bubbatune is a real gem I picked up very cheap and it's still kind of rare. The soundtrack to the 1980 new wave/punk rock film Times Square about two juvenile delingquents actually featured Tim Curry in the film but not on the soundtrack. Oh well that's okay cause we have plenty of music on here.

Produced by Robert Stigwood, the head behind RSO Records, this is jam packed with both originals written for the film (or exclusive to the film) and mixed with a sprinkling of super cool new wave/underground/ punk/ pop from the likes of the Pretenders, Talking Heads, Joe Jackson and so much more.

The lead off track was the first single - Suzi Quatro's "Rock Hard" which didn't do any chart action here but did do some stuff on the UK side of things. The second single actually charted in the US as it was a duet with Robin Gibb and Marcy Levy called "Help Me!" which somehow doesn't stick out as much as you might expect a Gibb brother tune to stick out when its in between the likes of Gary Numan and XTC.

Speaking of XTC also seeemingly exclusive to the soundtrack is their song "Take This Town" a super cool power pop chord busting track that was also released as a single (and once again didn't chart). Some other people probably more known for behind the scenes show up with Desmond Child (Uber pop/rock songwriter of the 80s) with his band Rogue and their late night disco/rock song "The Night Was Not." Also here is DL Byron who isn't known to many people but he did write that little ditty "Shadows Of The Night" my girl Pat Benatar ended up recording.

Power punk and fun come from the Ramones "I Wanna Be Sedated", the Ruts' "Babylon's Burning" and the Leivas' favorite "Pretty Boys" by Joe Jackson. Originals "Damn Dog" and "Your Daughter Is One" are sung (and/or co-sung) by the films star Robin Johnson who is pretty fierce in her takes. She also sings with David Johansen on "Flowers In The City" another uber cool punky new wavey track.

Patti Smith's "Pissing In The River", The Cure's "Grinding Halt" and the Pretenders "Talk of the Town", the Talking Heads' "Life During Wartime" add more angst to the mix, while the cool sounds of Lou Reed's "Walk On The Wildside", Gary Numan's "Down In The Park" and Roxy Music's "Same Old Scene" add more layers to the fun to be had.

The film was released on DVD for a short while but is now super hard to find under $50 but I am dying to add it to my collection as it seems right up my alley. For now I'm more than happy to have this classic soundtrack added to the Bubbatunes list of soundtracks (Xanadu Mount Olympus Mix, The Pirate Movie Soundtrack, Roller Boogie Soundtrack and Valley Girl - the Ultimate Collection).


bub138 Various Artists - TIMES SQUARE SOUNDTRACK
Track List: 01. Rock Hard (Suzi Quatro) 02. Talk of The Town (The Pretenders) 03. Same Old Scene (Roxy Music) 04. Down In The Park (Gary Numan) 05. Help Me! (Marcy Levy & Robin Gibb) 06. Life During Wartime (Talking Heads) 07. Pretty Boys (Joe Jackson) 08. Take This Town (XTC) 09. I Wanna Be Sedated (The Ramones) 10. Damn Dog (Robin Johnson) 11. Your Daughter Is One (Robin Johnson & Trini Alvardo) 12. Babylon's Burning (The Ruts) 13. You Can't Hurry Love (DL Byron) 14. Walk On The Wild Side (Lou Reed) 15. The Night Was One (Desmond Child & Rogue) 16. Innocent Not Guilty (Garland Jeffries) 17. Grinding Halt (The Cure) 18. Pissing In The River (Patti Smith Group) 19. Flowers In The City (David Johansen & Robin Johnson) 20. Damn Dog - Reprise - The Cleo Club (Robin Johnson)

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Labels: bub138 Times Square Soundtrack, Bubbatunes, BubbaTUNESday

posted by swivek @ 7:42 AM