The Cotton Club

1984

LP: Geffen GHS 24062
CD: Geffen CDGEF 70260 (GEFD-24062 reissue with different cover art)

13. Dixie Kidnaps Vera
14. The Depression Hits/Best Beats Sandman

The Movie

This was going to be one of those big epics that Coppola was known for, like Apocalypse Now and the Godfather films. It should have been a tv miniseries of several parts, when you had the time to really explore the world of gangsters, speakeasies, and the beginning of big band jazz. But you're stuck within the time limits of a feature-length movie--be it too long (Austin Powers) or too short (Cotton Club). It's part musical show, part gangster story, part place. And it didn't have the time to do any of it well.

The Music

Only two tracks have Barry's incidental music, but they must have been the right ones since Barry won a Grammy for it. He acted as musical supervisor for the film, but Bob Wilbur was responsible for the Duke Ellington sound.

Release Notes

The LP came out at the time of the film. I remember the CD coming out years later but I could be mistaken. Barry won a grammy so it's fairly easy to find (particularly the album).