Stephen King - The Jazz Years
My Mixtape’s A Masterpiece is a weekly feature in which a guest compiles a playlist around some theme. This week, Kiley Fox assembles 12 Stephen King movies reimagined as jazz songs. Read Kiley’s thoughts on each song and listen along to the Spotify playlist on top and/or the YouTube playlist at the bottom of the post.
I love that Stephen King stories and movies carry the spirit of Rock ‘n' Roll. Music plays such a big role in his storytelling to set a mood. His love of music comes through in his writing as well as film. As my editor pointed out when I proposed a jazz playlist, “Sure, but isn't Stephen King a Rock ‘n' Roll guy?”
Absolutely.
It only takes watching his lone directorial feature MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE to see that the man has 666 in his blood and devil horns in his heart. I still say the soundtrack to that film, AC/DC's Who Made Who, is the band’s best album. (Editor’s Note: I explicitly said “rock ‘n’ roll” and not rock because King is clearly all about that particular era of Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly, and the like. Also, isn’t it wild I can just put these notes in wherever I want? It’s like the pettiest superpower. - RD)
Stephen King knows what he's doing when it comes to his taste in music. Nevertheless, my heart often leads to jazz when watching or reading his works. The jazz genre has so much range that it can really camouflage itself into any feeling and any situation. Jazz also has this ability to give this effortless feeling of “cool” to whatever art or environment the music is accompanying. Taking into consideration that Stephen King is kind of uplifted as the ultimate awkward nerd, there are few people cooler. Jazz and Stephen King go together like Maine and supernatural phenomena. So, I present to you: Stephen King movies reimagined through jazz songs.
1. “It’s Lonely At The Top” by Randy Newman (for THE SHINING)
I would absolutely love to see this song set to a montage of Jack going slowly insane. The dissonance of Jack's terrifying spiral into madness from Wendy's point of view set against Randy Newman's lullaby of self-imposed loneliness played out in a jaunty adventure of narcissism feels just right for what you can imagine is playing in Jack's head.
This movie gets an honorable mention song, because I couldn't resist": “Axman Jazz (Don't Scare me Papa)” by Squirrel Nut Zippers
2. “She's Here” by Les McCann (for CHRISTINE)
This song is a tribute to Christine in her glory and her intoxicating aura.. Behind the evil and violence, I still see an unrelentingly gorgeous girl that captivates all my excitement and senses. That's how the bad girls suck you in. Christine is the girl we aspire to be in our darkest dreams.
3. “Creep” by Vintage Postmodern Jukebox ft. Haley Reinhart (for PET SEMATARY)
I love how haunting this is while still being passionate and full of desire. Sometimes the things we want so badly are not the things that are good for us.
4. “Rise” by Herb Alpert (for MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE)
This song has a great rising intensity and feeling of strutting that feels badass. Those semi trucks just got a new lease on life, and they will simultaneously try to steal your girl while running you over. About 3.5 minutes in, I can picture this song set against all the trucks driving down the highway. This is the song the monster trucks would ride out into the sunset to.
5. “St. James Infirmary” by Allen Toussaint (for THE GREEN MILE)
There's something about this one that feels like waiting out the endless repetition of being in jail in the 1930s. Which works because Louis Armstrong made “St. James Infirmary” popular in 1928. It was composed by Don Redman. THE GREEN MILE is my favorite Stephen King. I had initially thought about picking a piece that felt sad and magical. I liked instead thinking about the inmates and guards spending their time in between all the magic potentially listening to this song. When this plays, I can close my eyes and see myself there.
6. “My Favorite Things” by John Coltrane (for THE LANGOLIERS)
Some versions of this come out to almost 15 minutes, so that's neat. I appreciate that this song is celebrating small things that matter, but with a sense of sadness and reflection. This is the second time this song has made a mixtape playlist of mine, but it really is that good. I still don't know how I feel about THE LANGOLIERS. It's definitely a movie/miniseries that requires settling in for a journey much like this song…but I think it's worth it.
7. “Smile, Darn Ya, Smile” by Billy Cotton & his Band (for MISERY)
Annie Wilkes is her own special breed of psychopath. She seems like a lady who could bake the best tasting County Fair blue ribbon apple pie that had your eyeballs in it and no one would know. What's more is that Annie doesn't like having to hurt you. It's for your own good. So in the most passive aggressive way ever, “Smile, Darn ya, Smile!” playing in her house is always a threat.
8. “Little Trip to Heaven (On the Wings of Your Love)” by Tom Waits (for STAND BY ME)
Tom Waits is a mood. No one captures melancholy, nostalgia, romance, and angst all at once better than Tom. STAND BY ME is about a formative fleeting moment stuck in time. It's bittersweet and beautiful. Just like this song.
9. “Mars” by John Coltrane (for IT)
Coltrane's album Interstellar Space is an outstanding moment in jazz. It's experimental, strange, chaotic, a little bit crazy, and iconic. Aside from THE SHINING, I consider IT to be King's most recognizable work.
I won't lie: I also chose this because of the connection to Pennywise being an ancient interstellar creature.
Even if I weren't assembling this thematic playlist, for experimental jazz, I recommend Coltrane's Interstellar Space album as a starting point.
10. “Here Comes the Boogeyman” by Henry Hall (for THE DARK HALF)
Yes, it's on the nose. I love the line, “He isn't there. He will vanish into thin air.” If only we could wish our dark halves away by being in denial. Unfortunately, we have to face our demons in order to fight them, and this song does make an attempt at how to do that.
11. “Feels So Good” by Chuck Mangione (for THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION)
Remember that scene when Andy plays because on the prison speakers to remind the prisoners that their souls can still be free? I can imagine Andy Dufresne listening to this song in that scene as well if it fit the time period. And, if not in the prison scene, then I can definitely imagine him listening to it on his boat after he escapes. It's a celebration of the simple and powerful emotion of feeling good.
12. “(How Much is) That Doggie in the Window” by Ron Cyger & Brent Butterworth (for CUJO)
I picked this, because it's a funny way to end this playlist. It also happens to be a great cover that is cute and whimsical. Imagine if CUJO was done in a TOY STORY-style, this is the non-Randy Newman song that would play.
