In the Heat of the Night
Quincy Jones
" The music is certainly worth the effort to seek out "Written by Justin Boggan - Review of the expanded release
In the Heat of the Night opens with a now classic song, sung by Ray Charles. A cool jazzy/bluesy piece with faux gospel vocals, the song is slow-paced but thoroughly enjoyable, much like the excellent film it accompanies. The song itself was re-recorded at least three times for the long-running TV series spawned by the film and itself subsequent sequel. The score is a moody jazz/blues-like work, like scores of that era in the jazzy styling, and much like Quincy Jones' efforts. Electric guitar, breathy woodwinds, southern-style piano sound, percussion, bluesy wordless vocals occasionally playing along.
Stand out tracks include: "Cotton Curtain" with its rambunctious tension-filled light dramatics, and the honky-tonk-like sounding piano playing the "In the Heat of the Night" Jones' theme music, which he did for the song's backing; "Whipping Boy", which like much of his score, seems to capture the southern state of Mississippi which it takes place in, while still maintaining a dramatic feel; "Nitty Gritty Time" and the uneasy tension building with constant tambourine beat and quick blow out ending; "On Your Feet, Boy!" with the slow strumming guitar, wild breathy woodwind bursts; "Mama Caleba's Blue", with its slow blues on piano and the main theme of the score played on it, this time performed -- as credited on the CD -- by
Charles himself.
I want to say, ultimately, any score fan should be able to enjoy a score like this, but in the end some people will simply not enjoy the styling of a by-gone scoring era, or the elements that make the score what it is, but many will appreciate this. The music is certainly worth the effort to seek out.
They Call Me Mister Tibbs! is very much akin to the previous film's music stylings, but drops the bluegrass (but keeps a little blues feel and playing), switching it out instead for a more '70's TV cop scoring vibe, with the Jones touch.Stand out tracks for this score include: "Call Me Mister Tibbs (Main Title)" with it's fast-paced snare drum, cymbol tapping, and marraca and organ, with swinging trumpet bursts on occasion (if you enjoyed that, than track 25 should be up your alley); the moderate jazz tempo of "Blues For Mister Tibbs" and the constant electric fretless guitar counterpoint; the moody soft sax playing the theme in the slow "Why, Daddy?". Track 28 and the final track, are basically exact reprises of the Main Title, so if you enjoyed those, then these should not bother you.
In the end, In the Heat of the Night is the better of the two scores, I would say. I give it four stars as a listen on it's own, not in comparison to any other score.
This RYKO double-header also includes Jones' score for the sequel film, They Call Me Mister Tibbs!, and each score also includes separate dialogue excerpts (want to stress separate -- they are not mixed into any score cue). In the Heat of the Night also contains, aside from the necessary-to-have Ray Charles song, three other songs (all useless), and the sequel is score-only.
As a side note, for those interested, the TV series was primarily scored by well-known TV composers Nan Scharwtz and David Bell, with about two dozen or more episodes scored by various other composers like Shaiman orchestrator Larry Blank, and little known composer Eddie Horst (at least seven credited composers).
Tracklisting
1. In the Heat of the Night: Ray Charles
2. Peep-Freak patrol car
3. Cotton curtain
4. Where Whitey ain't around
5. Whipping boy
6. No you won't
7. Keep cool *
8. Nitty Gritty time
9. It sure is Groovy !: Gil Bernal
10. Bowlegged Polly: Glen Campbell
11. That's enough for me *
12. Shag bag, hounds & Harvey
13. Chief's drive to Mayor
14. Give me until morning
15. The wrong man *
16. On your feet, boy !
17. Blood & Roots
18. Mama Caleba's blues **
19. Foul Owl: Boomer & Travis
20. Mister Tibbs *
21. Call me Mister Tibbs (Main title)
22. "Rev" Logan
23. No secrets *
24. Blues for Mister Tibbs
25. Fat Poppadaddy
26. Anybody could *
27. Soul flower
28. Call me Mister Tibbs (Main title)
29. Black Cherry
30. Do it properly *
31. Family man
32. Side pocket
33. Why, Daddy ?
34. Wasting time *
35. Call me Mister Tibbs (End title)
* Original incidental dialogue from the film
** Piano solo by Ray Charles
Stand out tracks include: "Cotton Curtain" with its rambunctious tension-filled light dramatics, and the honky-tonk-like sounding piano playing the "In the Heat of the Night" Jones' theme music, which he did for the song's backing; "Whipping Boy", which like much of his score, seems to capture the southern state of Mississippi which it takes place in, while still maintaining a dramatic feel; "Nitty Gritty Time" and the uneasy tension building with constant tambourine beat and quick blow out ending; "On Your Feet, Boy!" with the slow strumming guitar, wild breathy woodwind bursts; "Mama Caleba's Blue", with its slow blues on piano and the main theme of the score played on it, this time performed -- as credited on the CD -- by
Charles himself.
I want to say, ultimately, any score fan should be able to enjoy a score like this, but in the end some people will simply not enjoy the styling of a by-gone scoring era, or the elements that make the score what it is, but many will appreciate this. The music is certainly worth the effort to seek out.
They Call Me Mister Tibbs! is very much akin to the previous film's music stylings, but drops the bluegrass (but keeps a little blues feel and playing), switching it out instead for a more '70's TV cop scoring vibe, with the Jones touch.Stand out tracks for this score include: "Call Me Mister Tibbs (Main Title)" with it's fast-paced snare drum, cymbol tapping, and marraca and organ, with swinging trumpet bursts on occasion (if you enjoyed that, than track 25 should be up your alley); the moderate jazz tempo of "Blues For Mister Tibbs" and the constant electric fretless guitar counterpoint; the moody soft sax playing the theme in the slow "Why, Daddy?". Track 28 and the final track, are basically exact reprises of the Main Title, so if you enjoyed those, then these should not bother you.
In the end, In the Heat of the Night is the better of the two scores, I would say. I give it four stars as a listen on it's own, not in comparison to any other score.
This RYKO double-header also includes Jones' score for the sequel film, They Call Me Mister Tibbs!, and each score also includes separate dialogue excerpts (want to stress separate -- they are not mixed into any score cue). In the Heat of the Night also contains, aside from the necessary-to-have Ray Charles song, three other songs (all useless), and the sequel is score-only.
As a side note, for those interested, the TV series was primarily scored by well-known TV composers Nan Scharwtz and David Bell, with about two dozen or more episodes scored by various other composers like Shaiman orchestrator Larry Blank, and little known composer Eddie Horst (at least seven credited composers).
Tracklisting
1. In the Heat of the Night: Ray Charles
2. Peep-Freak patrol car
3. Cotton curtain
4. Where Whitey ain't around
5. Whipping boy
6. No you won't
7. Keep cool *
8. Nitty Gritty time
9. It sure is Groovy !: Gil Bernal
10. Bowlegged Polly: Glen Campbell
11. That's enough for me *
12. Shag bag, hounds & Harvey
13. Chief's drive to Mayor
14. Give me until morning
15. The wrong man *
16. On your feet, boy !
17. Blood & Roots
18. Mama Caleba's blues **
19. Foul Owl: Boomer & Travis
20. Mister Tibbs *
21. Call me Mister Tibbs (Main title)
22. "Rev" Logan
23. No secrets *
24. Blues for Mister Tibbs
25. Fat Poppadaddy
26. Anybody could *
27. Soul flower
28. Call me Mister Tibbs (Main title)
29. Black Cherry
30. Do it properly *
31. Family man
32. Side pocket
33. Why, Daddy ?
34. Wasting time *
35. Call me Mister Tibbs (End title)
* Original incidental dialogue from the film
** Piano solo by Ray Charles