Unsung is a feature in which I take a look at a pop culture phenomenon (be it music, TV, literary, whatever) that has been forgotten or underappreciated. In this installment, I look at the soundtrack for the 1970 film Performance.
Movies and music have gone together well since the earliest days of film. There's the score, which is typically instrumental music written for the film that sets the tone for the individual scenes. And then there's the soundtrack, which can consist of specific songs chosen for inclusion in the movie. These can be originals, previously recorded songs or big hits that reflect the time period portrayed in the film.
Some songs have become indelibly tied to certain films. One of those is "Memo from Turner," which Mick Jagger recorded for the soundtrack of the 1970 movie Performance, in which he co-starred as a reclusive rock star.
The movie had a crazy back story. Co-director Donald Cammell originally planned it as a lighthearted '60s romp, with Marlon Brando in the role of the gangster Chas. Later, British actor James Fox took over the gangster role and the story turned into a darker tale filled with graphic violence, sex and drug use. Fox's character is an ambitious London gangster who goes into hiding at the home of Turner (Jagger).
Warner Bros., which was bankrolling the film, assumed it was going to be the Rolling Stones' version of A Hard Day's Night; they were in for a big surprise. Although it was filmed in 1968, the movie wasn't released until 1970 because of the studio's concerns over the sex and violence. Reportedly the wife of a Warners exec vomited in shock at a test screening. When the movie was released in the U.S., the voices of several key actors were dubbed because the studio thought Americans wouldn't be able to understand their Cockney accents. Critics gave the film mixed reviews upon its release; noted critic Richard Schickel of Life called it "the most disgusting, the most completely worthless film I have seen since I began reviewing." Tell us how you really feel, Dick.
The Stones were originally supposed to write the soundtrack, but there were issues that arose. Jagger's character was involved with one played by Anita Pallenberg, an actress and model who just happened to be the real-life girlfriend of Keith Richards (who stole her away from fellow Stone Brian Jones). Richards was concerned that about rumors that Jagger and Pallenberg had real sex during filming, which was apparently confirmed by Stones pianist Ian Stewart, who was on set during the sex scene. After that, Richards did not want to be involved in the soundtrack, so other musicians were recruited.
The soundtrack was produced by Jack Nitzsche, who was well known for his work with the Stones and Neil Young, among many others. Other major contributors were a young Randy Newman, who sang a rocking version of the song "Gone Dead Train" and slide guitarist extraordinaire Ry Cooder, who contributed some instrumentals as well as the ripping slide on "Memo from Turner."
The song itself has an interesting history. Jagger and Richards wrote the song and the Stones recorded a version in September 1968, featuring Brian Jones on guitar; it was eventually released on the 1975 odds and sods compilation Metamorphosis. After their falling out over Pallenberg, Richards stopped working on the soundtrack and Jagger brought in Steve Winwood and Jim Capaldi of Traffic to help out with "Memo." Winwood played bass and Capaldi drums, and then Winwood added guitar, piano and organ. That slower version is below. A few months later, Nitzsche replaced Winwood's guitar with Cooder on slide and Russ Titelman on additional guitar; the organ was removed and the piano parts redone by Randy Newman. This was the version that ended up on the soundtrack and is the best, in my opinion, thanks to Cooder's wicked slide work.
The song was released as a solo single by Jagger in 1970, hitting #32 on the U.K. singles chart. It's a dark, gritty song that fit in well with the "Sympathy for the Devil" era of the Stones.
"Didn't I see you down in San Antone/On a hot and dusty night?/You were eating eggs in Sammy's/When the black man there drew his knife/Oh, you drowned that Jew in Rampton/As he washed his sleeveless shirt/You know, that Spanish-speaking gentleman/The one we all called Kurt?/Come now, gentlemen/I know there's some mistake/How forgetful I'm becoming/Now you've fixed your business straight."
Two decades later, the song re-emerged after Martin Scorsese used it in 1990's Goodfellas in the scene where a coked-out Ray Liotta thinks helicopters are following him. Although it was miscredited as the Stones' version, it's actually the solo Jagger one. A year later, it was covered by the alt-rock band Dramarama, who did a nice version with Mick Taylor on lead guitar, and then in 1993, Debbie Harry of Blondie covered the song on her Debravation tour.
I was in DC over the weekend and picked up a used copy of the Performance soundtrack from a cool little record shop called Art Sound Language. It had been a long time since I'd heard "Memo from Turner," but it's still great.
As for the movie, I haven't actually seen it, other than a few clips, but it developed a cult following in the '70s and '80s and is now considered a classic British gangster film. Quentin Tarantino called Performance "one of the best rock movies of all time." It's available to rent online at a number of different streaming outlets including Amazon Prime and Apple+.
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