The Sounds of Commerce [Paperback]

Jeff Smith (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 023110863X | ISBN-13: 978-0231108638 | Publication Date: November 15, 1998 0

The Sounds of Commerce is the first book to present a detailed historical analysis of popular music in American film, from the era of sheet music sales, to that of orchestrated pop records by Henry Mancini and Ennio Morricone in the 1960• to the MTV-ready pop songs that occupy soundtrack CDs of today. Jeff Smith's landmark exploration of film and music cross-promotion investigates the combination of historical, economic, and aesthetic factors that brought about the rise of popular music in the movies.Smith employs a sophisticated yet accessible fusion of musicology, film theory, and social history. In one chapter, a musicological unpacking of the theme song from Goldfinger is used to show how the repeated refrain developed massive cultural appeal, leading to huge singles sales and a ubiquitous tune that most Americans can recognize several decades after the film's release. Other chapters look at how the film and music industries became so heavily intertwined, how soundtrack music progressed from orchestral score to pop song, and how certain soundtracks today become chart successes while their accompanying films generate scant box-office interest.Throughout the text, Smith persuasively argues that the popular film score has been as successful as its classical predecessor at enhancing emotions and moods, cueing characters and settings, and signifying psychological states and points of view. With The Sounds of Commerce, he challenges film music scholarship to recognize the significance of popular music in modern film.

Editorial Reviews

Review

[A] fascinating exploration of Hollywood film music since the 1960s.

(R. D. Cohen, Indiana University Northwest Choice )

Review

Those who might wonder what 'magically'led to the movie-theme rush around 1960 with such hits as Exodus, Never on Sunday, Zorba the Greek, and Breakfast at Tiffany's, and those seeking a lucid and comprehensive picture of what pop song compilations are doing in contemporary movies, need to read Jeff Smith's The Sounds of Commerce. Casting a wide net and drawing it tight around industrial, economic, and stylistic considerations, this book combines smart thinking and impeccable research to serve up a rich feast of discoveries. Smith sets an altogether new paradigm for thinking about film music. His deceptively unassuming and readable work will inspire new ways of thinking in cultural studies, popular music studies, and film and film music studies.

(Claudia Gorbman, University of Washington )

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Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Columbia University Press (November 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 023110863X
• ISBN-13: 978-0231108638
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #842,515 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Seems good, January 31, 2007

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Sensei (USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Sounds of Commerce (Paperback)

Seems like a well written book so far. Worth the price for a good library addition