G.M.O.A.T. Sneak Peek: At the Movies

Every Friday from 1:00-2:00 pm, I host the G.M.O.A.T. radio show on Harper College’s very own radio station, WHCM 88.3 FM. G.M.O.A.T. (pronounced G-MOAT) stands for the Greatest Music of All Time, which is exactly what you’ll hear; songs from the late 60s to the early 90s that share a common theme. (Sometimes, I will go outside of that era, just as long as it still fits the theme.) This Friday, September 20, 2019, I will be playing several of the greatest songs from or featured in movies. In this article, I will list three of the songs you’ll hear on the show, as well as provide insight and trivia about them.

 

1. Mrs. Robinson // Simon and Garfunkel (from The Graduate)

Widely regarded as one of the greatest movies ever made, The Graduate (1967) tells the story of a recent college graduate (portrayed by Dustin Hoffman) who gets seduced by middle-aged Mrs. Robinson (portrayed by Anne Bancroft). But he ultimately falls in love with her daughter (portrayed by Katharine Ross). The movie, based on Charles Webb’s 1963 novel of the same name, was accompanied by a soundtrack provided by Simon and Garfunkel. The soundtrack would go on to become just as iconic as the movie, due in part to the chart-topping hit “Mrs. Robinson.”

 

2. Tiny Dancer // Sir Elton John (featured in Almost Famous)

There are several songs that I have prepared for this week’s playlist that are significantly older than the movies they represent. “Tiny Dancer” is one of them. Written about lyricist Bernie Taupin’s first wife, “Tiny Dancer” first appeared on Sir Elton John’s fourth studio album, Madman Across the Water (1971). At the time of its initial release, it was only moderately successful, peaking at #41 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song wouldn’t become as beloved as it is today until it was featured in Cameron Crowe’s critically acclaimed movie, Almost Famous (2000). Based on Crowe’s own experience as a traveling teenage journalist for Rolling Stone magazine, the scene that features “Tiny Dancer” involves the main cast singing along on fictional band Stillwater’s tour bus. Not only did it boost the song’s popularity, but it would go on to become one of the most iconic movie scenes of all time.

 

3. Battle Without Honor or Humanity // Tomoyasu Hotei (from New Battles Without Honor or Humanity and featured in Kill Bill: Volume 1)

You can’t talk about great movie soundtracks without bringing up Quentin Tarantino’s filmography. Tarantino has quite possibly the best ear for music when it comes to placing songs in movie scenes. For this playlist, I decided to go with a track from Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003) that originally appeared in a Japanese movie called New Battles Without Honor or Humanity (2000). “Battle Without Honor or Humanity” is an instrumental rock piece by the great Japanese guitarist, Tomoyasu Hotei. Hotei also scored and starred in New Battles Without Honor or Humanity. Three years later, the song was introduced to Western audiences when Tarantino used it in Kill Bill: Volume 1. After its inclusion in the movie, the song has since been used in several other Western films, notably Shrek the Third (2007), Team America: World Police (2004) and The Dictator (2012). “Battle Without Honor or Humanity” also appears in the PlayStation 2 game Dance Dance Revolution Supernova (2006). So, in short, if it weren’t for Quentin Tarantino’s impeccable taste in music, this song would probably never have found success in the Western world.

 

Well, there you have it: three of the songs you’ll hear on Friday’s episode of the G.M.O.A.T. radio show. To hear what other movie songs I’ll be playing, tune in to WHCM 88.3 FM on Friday at 1:00 pm. Or, alternatively, you can stream it online at www.harperradio.com. You can also find Harper College radio on Facebook and Instagram @HarperRadioFM, as well as on Twitter @HarperRadio.

If you have any ideas for songs and/or themes you’d like to hear featured on the G.M.O.A.T. show, hit me up on Facebook and/or Twitter @JGanbargRadio. Make sure to use #GMOATRequests so I know where to find you. And while you’re there, give me a like or follow. If you miss any part of the show, I will post a playlist of every song featured in the episode, as well as a bonus playlist of honorable mentions, to my Facebook and Twitter pages. I hope you tune in to my show!