Chitty Chitty Bang Bang [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] [Soundtrack, Special Edition]

Robert B. Sherman (Composer), Richard M. Sherman (Composer), Irwin Kostal (Conductor), Dick Van Dyke (Performer), Sally Ann Howes (Performer), Lionel Jeffries (Performer), Heather Ripley (Performer), Adrian Hall (Performer), Gert Frobe (Performer), Anna Quayle (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Dick Van Dyke, Sally Ann Howes, Lionel Jeffries, Heather Ripley, Adrian Hall, et al.
• Conductor: Irwin Kostal
• Composer: Robert B. Sherman, Richard M. Sherman
• Audio CD (February 24, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack, Special Edition
• Label: Varese Sarabande
• ASIN: B0001DMVXK
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #119,338 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

1964 brought both triumph and ironic tragedy to English spy-turned-author Ian Fleming. The year that saw producer Cubby Broccoli's successful film adaptation of Goldfinger elevate the adventures of British secret agent James Bond into a four-decade-plus global phenomena and the publication of Fleming's most idiosyncratic work, the children's fantasy Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, was also the year the author succumbed to a heart attack. Broccoli (who'd acquired the Chitty rights along with Bond) shrewdly lured the Sherman Brothers away from Disney (where their musical successes included a pair of Oscars for Mary Poppins) to write a collection of songs for Fleming's magical tale of inventor Caractacus Potts (Poppins' star Dick Van Dyke) and the phantasmagorical flying car he and his children soar to adventure in. The Sherman's songs are among their best and most beloved, highlighted by the jaunty rhythmic rhymes of the title track, Van Dyke's energetic cane dance, "Me Ol' Bam-Boo," and his bittersweet children's lullaby, "Hushabye Mountain," all set to the magnificent, 90-piece orchestra arrangements of Irwin Kostal (Mary Poppins, West Side Story). Released in conjunction with MGM's double-disc DVD anniversary release, this new edition restores the album's tracks to their original 1968 format and features a new historical essay on the film that's become an enduring children's classic. --Jerry McCulley

Product Description

Japanese pressing of 1968 soundtrack composed by Irwin Kostal, starring Dick Van Dyke and directed by Ken Hughes. Packaged in a miniature LP sleeve. Varese. 2004 --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic late 60's entertainment, October 27, 2004

By 

Pope (United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] (Audio CD)

One of the best and most celebrated musical films to come from the late 1960s, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang has been a favorite for over 35 years and will remain a favorite for years to come.

The score by the brothers Sherman is wonderful. This is the only score they wrote for a non-Disney film. The score for MARY POPPINS was written by the same duo. This film was actually meant to star Julie Andrews as Truly Scrumptious, but Andrews already felt too typecast from previous films and declined the role. But Sally Ann Howes is perfectly cast here and gives a remarkable performance. Dick van Dyke, as always, is charming. Also loved the casting of the two children. They can really carry a tune.

Ironic trivia: Howes was a replacement for Julie Andrews in the stage version of My Fair Lady.

The ONLY reason I must hold back from giving 5 stars is that the sound quality on this disc, while not terrible, does not allow the music to shine as glorious as it should. There is quite a bit of tape hiss evident throughout, which is distracting, and it does bring down the sonic quality of the performances. Hopefully future releases of this soundtrack will have that problem rectified. But that doesn't mean you should pass this disc up and wait for the next release. It is still wonderful and the score will always remain a favorite of children and adults alike.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars classic soundtrack soars anew!, February 26, 2005

By 

Byron Kolln (the corner where Broadway meets Hollywood) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] (Audio CD)

This re-release of the CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG soundtrack is a great find. The original Rykodisc release was swiftly deleted, but this new reissue from Varese Sarabande is ample compensation. Dick Van Dyke and Sally Ann Howes are delightful in their performances as Caractacus Potts and Truly Scrumptious. Standouts in the strong Sherman Brothers score include "Hushabye Mountain", "The Roses of Success", "Me Ole' Bamboo" and "Toot Sweets".

There are two prime numbers for Miss Howes to show her mettle ("Lovely Lonely Man" and "Doll on a Music Box"). Under-rated British musical star Anna Quayle, as the fearsome Baroness, has the cute "Chu-Chi Face" with Gert Frobe. Not just a children's musical!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A most excellent soundtrack CD for a classic., May 17, 2006

By 

takemehome "Joey" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] (Audio CD)

This new soundtrack release for the 1968 family musical classic, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, contains all of the songs from the movie, albeit some have instrumental parts edited from the tracks. It contains several performances of the title track, as well as classics such as "Toot Sweets," "Hushabye Mountain," and "Doll On A Music Box." The sound is fairly crisp and clear, although sadly, Varese gave into the loudness war crap and turned the volume up so much that there's a bit of distortion in some of the louder portions. It doesn't really take away from my experience, and I barely notice it, but I thought I should mention this.

I took one star off, however, for the simple reason that these 16 tracks don't even add up to 40 minutes of audio, which is why the exclusion of the demos that are included on the 2-Disc DVD baffles me. I made myself a copy of the CD with both the songs from the CD and the demos from the DVD, and it came to just under 70 minutes. It'd be nice if in the future, a new soundtrack was released with the demos, or even just the full songs, including the instrumental breaks. It's about time these record companies started taking advantage of a CD's ability to hold up to 80 minutes of audio.

Despite any flaws, I wholeheartedly recommend this soundtrack to ANY fan of the film. It presents all of the classic songs in a satisfactory presentation, and is wonderfully nostalgic. The songs aren't as good as the songs you'll find in any great Disney classic, but they're still fantastic fun.