Major Motion Picture by the Ventures (1991)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Major Motion Picture by the Ventures was released in 1991.

 

On this album the Ventures play instrumental versions of famous movie themes.

 

There are 12 tracks, and the total running time is about 44 minutes.

 

Here is some background information about some of the tracks:

 

# 1: Unchained Melody is the theme song from the 1955 movie Unchained starring Elroy “Crazy Legs” Hirsch.

 

The song is written by Alex North (music) and Hy Zaret (music). Todd Duncan (1903-1998) sings the song on the soundtrack.

 

# 2: Axel F / Miami Vice is a mix of two instrumental themes.

 

Axel F is the theme from the 1984 movie Beverly Hills Cop starring Eddie Murphy as Axel Foley (hence the title of the theme).

 

The theme is written by the German musician Harold Faltermeyer.

 

Miami Vice is the theme from the US crime show Miami Vice starring Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas, which ran on US television 1984-1990.

 

The theme is written by Jan Hammer, who was born in Prague in 1948 in what was then Czechoslovakia.

 

# 4: St. Elmo’s Fire is the theme song from the 1985 movie St. Elmo’s Fire starring Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Demi Moore and many others.

 

The song was originally written by the Canadian composer David Foster and the British musician John Parr for the Canadian athlete Rick Hansen who was at the time going round the world in a wheelchair. The song was a hit for Parr in 1985.

 

# 5: Ghostbusters (written and performed by Ray Parker) is the theme song from the 1984 movie Ghostbusters starring Dan Aykroyd.

 

# 6: What a Wonderful World (written by Bob Thiele and George David Weiss) was recorded by Louis Armstrong in 1968.

 

It is featured in the 1987 movie Good Morning, Vietnam starring Robin Williams.

 

# 7: Oh, Pretty Woman (written by Roy Orbison and Bill Dees) is featured in the 1990 movie Pretty Woman starring Richard Gere and Julia Roberts.

 

This song was a hit for Roy Orbison in 1964. The Ventures did a cover version of the song on their album The Ventures Knock Me Out from 1965.

 

They did a new version of the song for this album Major Motion Picture.

 

# 10: Never Ending Story is the theme song from the US version of the 1984 German-American movie Never Ending Story based on a novel by Michael Ende.

 

The song is written by Giorgio Moroder and Keith Forsey and was performed by Limahl (born Christopher Hamill) and Beth Anderson.

 

# 11: Chariots of Fire is the theme of the 1981 movie Chariots of Fire about the 1924 Olympics.

 

The theme is written by the Greek composer Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou, whose artist name is Vangelis.

 

# 12: Arthur’s Theme (Best that You Can Do) is the theme song of the 1981 movie Arthur starring Liza Minelli and Dudley Moore.

 

This song is written by four persons: Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager, Peter Allen, and Christopher Cross.

 

It was a hit for American singer and songwriter Christopher Cross in 1981.

 

The Ventures have been described as the world’s best cover band, and with good reason.

 

When they decide to do a cover version of a song, the result is usually great (sometimes the cover version is even better than the original).

 

This album is no exception. The themes are well chosen, and the Ventures play them very well.

 

Fifteen years later (in 2006) the band released another album with the same topic:

 

Your Hit Parade II: Featuring Screen Hits

 

On the album from 2006 there are 16 tracks plus two bonus tracks, a total of 18 tracks. There is no overlapping between the two albums.

 

Both are great.

 

Both are highly recommended.

 

*****

Your Hit Parade II

Featuring Screen Hits

by the Ventures

(Released on a CD in 2006)

 

*****