Ghostbusters - Original Soundtrack

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Average
Lyrics	Standard
Quality and consistency of tracks	Mixed
Value for Money	Satisfactory

Advantages:	All the music featured in the film
Disadvantages:	You might be hard pushed to recognise some of them from the film

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

This is the soundtrack album to the highly successful Ghostbusters movie from 1984 which contains the following songs. (I have also listed the bonus tracks available on other releases of the album, also certain Amazon listings give incorrect artist details so I have cleared up the confusion here. The IMDB.com soundtrack listing does not list either of the Elmer Bernstein tracks)

01 - Ray Parker Jr - Ghostbusters (4:07)
This song was a huge hit spending time at #1 in the US and reaching #2 in the UK, Ray Parker Jr was eventually sued by Huey Lewis for plagiarism of his song "I want a new drug" which was the musical basis for this tune. Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac was also approached to write a theme song for Ghostbusters but turned the offer down.

02 - Bus Boys - Cleanin' Up The Town (3:00).
Used twice in the movie 1stly just using the piano hook after the Ghostbusters run out of the library and also used behind the Ghostbusters 1st journey to their 1st proper bust (the "We got one" scene). Certain listings attribute this track to Kevin ONeal.

03 - Alessi - Savin' The Day (3:24)
Used behind the Ghostbusters big entrance to Spook Central, this is another one that most people don't realise isn't an instrumental as the only section used was the electro style middle section. A song very much of its time written to appeal to the electro & breakdance markets. Certain listings attribute this track to Bobby Alessi.

04 - The Thompson Twins - In The Name Of Love (3:20)
Used very briefly in a scene with Ray & Winston in Ecto 1. This had already been a hit 2 years earlier and also featured on the soundtrack of Valley Girl. It was also the title of The Thompson Twins 1st album to be released in the US. Certain listings attribute this track to Tom Bailey (who is the lead singer and main writer for The Thompson Twins).

05 - Air Supply - I Can Wait Forever (5:10)
Very much of the time, a lot like "Glory Of Love" by Peter Cetera or "Your the inspiration" by Chicago (co-written by Peter Cetera funnily enough), a great soft rock ballad of the time. Certain listings attribute this track to Graham Russell.

06 - Laura Branigan - Hot Night (3:22)
Used when Louis Tulley meets Dana outside his house party. Brannigan was probably better known for "Self Control" or "Gloria" but this great song (with an excellent guitar break) deserves to be better known. Certain listings attribute this track to Diane Warren who did co-write the track with Steve Angelica (referred to as "The Doctor" on the IMDB.com listing).

07 - Mick Smiley - Magic (4:22)
A very Genesis style keyboard backed track, i think this was used behind scenes after all the ghosts are released and just before Louis Tully & Dana are gotten by the dogs over images of the New York skyline.

08 - Elmer Bernstein - Main Title Theme (3:01)
Possibly one of my favourite tracks on the soundtrack, a great upbeat piano backed brass track that is played after the main credits fairly near the start). It's very reminiscent of tracks from musicals like Chicago or Cabaret and is probably one of Elmer Bernsteins best pieces of work only equalled by "Joining The Army" from another Bill Murray movie - Stripes.

09 - Elmer Bernstein - Dana's Theme (3:33)
If you own the standard version of the album this is the final track, another nice calm Bernstein penned piece featuring a very quiet orchestra. This is used when Venkman goes to give Dana an update after her rehearsal.

10 - Ray Parker Jr - Ghostbusters (Instrumental Version) (4:49)
A bonus track if you own one of the longer versions of the album, just a slighter longer instrumental only version of the Ray Parker Jr song. This was included in some versions of the release as a standard track.

11 - The Trammps - Disco Inferno (Bonus Track) (10:58)
Another bonus track if you own one of the longer versions of this, and the longest track on the album. This one seems to go on forever. It's used (very briefly) in the movie when Louis Tulley asks one of his clients to dance to stop her leaving his party.

12 - Ray Parker Jr. - Ghostbusters (12 inch Single Remix) (Bonus Track) (6:04)
Another bonus track giving you the 12 inch remix of the Ray Parker Jr track.

The only real minus against this album is you might be hard to pushed to recognise the full versions of these tracks from the snippets you hear of them as featured in the movie as quite a lot of them are used as intrumental backing behind various scenes.