Sumer Is A-Cumen In

Paul Giovanni & Magnet - Gently Johnny
Paul Giovanni & Magnet - Willow's Song
Paul Giovanni & Magnet - Maypole Song

The Wicker Man is a glorious British suspense film made in 1973 starring Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee and Britt Ekland. It's the story of a devout policeman who travels to a remote Scottish isle to investigate reports of a missing girl, only to discover a community devoted to pagan ritual. Music features prominently in the film and from the amazing original score comes today's three mp3s.

American Paul Giovanni was an actor, playwright and theatre director as well as a singer and guitarist when he was chosen by film director Robin Hardy to compose the music for The Wicker Man. He recruited Gary Carpenter, a recent graduate of London's Royal Collage of Music, who in turn enlisted into the project some of his fellow students and members of his folk/rock group. They named the collective Magnet.

Giovanni himself played in a folk outfit called Sideshow. He was obviously well versed in the traditions of folk music as the soundtrack makes many such references. 'Gently Johnny' is a traditional song of arousal and seduction. As a young man touches a woman she tells him how much she enjoys it and hints at where she'd like to be touched next. It's used in a suitably saucy scene in the director's cut of the film (but edited from shorter versions). Giovanni's reassuring but haunting vocals float over a hypnotic beat and lulling instrumentation. The song ends in a soft climax of harmonies.

'Willow's Song' is used in an alluring scene where Britt Ekland attempts to seduce, corrupt or torment the visiting policeman by dancing naked outside his room while provocatively slapping the walls and singing. Some of the lyrics can be attributed to 16th Century British poet, George Peele. It is sung here beautifully by Lesley Mackie who, like the all the musicians, also appeared in the film.

The recording of the 'Maypole Song' that I've posted today is heard in the film rather that on the soundtrack (there's only subtle differences but I prefer this one). It starts with the mad bouncy twanging of a Jews harp which on first listen might decoy the listener into thinking that this was a novelty tune. Upon further listens one finds that the lyrics, sang with progressively increasing tempo and urgency, tell a story of the cycle of life that hints at paganism by not including any reference to God. The song is led by the schoolmaster, Walter Carr, with high pitched voices (young boys dancing around a maypole in the film, but actually sung by women) following in tow. Again it ends in waves of harmony with cascading high voices frantically repeating the name of their island, Summerisle.

The Wicker Man has been remade with Nicholas Cage playing the cop role and is due for release later this year. I don't really know what to think about that, but the chances of its soundtrack being even a patch on the original are slim to none.

The Wicker Man soundtrack