West Side Story (1961 soundtrack)
West Side Story | |
---|---|
Film soundtrack | |
Length | 75:42 |
Label | Columbia Masterworks |
Producer | Didier Deutsch |
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
West Side Story is the
Though the album was released just a few years after the release of the original broadway cast recording, it is according to musical theater historian Ethan Mordden preferred by some to the earlier version both sentimentally, as the film succeeded in establishing the musical as a "popular masterpiece", and musically, as it contains "beefier orchestration".[5]
Dubbing
In her autobiography, I Could Have Sung All Night,
Final determination of which voices would be used and to what extent for the film's songs was left to producer Saul Chaplin, who at various times told Nixon that her voice would be used to supplement or extend that of actress Natalie Wood or to replace it altogether.[6] According to various sources, Wood was assured throughout the recording and filming process that her vocals would be used for most of Maria's singing in the film, with Nixon's voice dubbed in only for the higher, more challenging vocal sections, and Wood did lip sync to her own pre-recorded tracks of the songs during filming. But after filming was complete, Nixon post-dubbed or "looped" all of Maria's songs while watching film loops. Nixon also dubbed several lines for Moreno in the latter part of the "Tonight" ensemble, because the range of that section was too high for both Moreno and Betty Wand. Although it was not industry standard at the time, Nixon arranged to receive a small percentage of the royalties for sales of the soundtrack, which, as she did not receive credit for her performance on the album, she indicates helped "salve any wounds".[7]
While the film was released by United Artists, the soundtrack album was produced and released by Columbia Masterworks Records as part of rights it acquired in producing the Broadway cast album.[8]
Track listing
All music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Vocal performers listed parenthetically after song title.
CD version
- "Overture" – 4:39
- "Prologue" – 6:37
- "Jet Song" (Tucker Smith, Jets) – 2:06
- "Something's Coming" (Jim Bryant) – 2:32
- "Dance at the Gym" (Blues, Promenade, Mambo, Cha-cha, film dialogue, and Jump) – 9:24[9]
- "Maria" (Bryant) – 2:34
- "America" (Rita Moreno, George Chakiris, Sharks & Girls) – 4:59
- "Tonight" (Jim Bryant, Marni Nixon) – 6:43
- "Gee, Officer Krupke" (Russ Tamblyn, Jets) – 4:14
- "Intermission" – 1:30[10]
- "I Feel Pretty" (Nixon, Yvonne Wilder credited as Yvonne Othon, Suzie Kaye) – 3:35
- "One Hand, One Heart" (Bryant, Nixon) – 3:02
- "Tonight Quintet" (Bryant, Nixon, Moreno, Jets, Sharks; the counterpoint section of Anita's vocals are performed here by Nixon) – 3:22
- "The Rumble" – 2:39
- "Somewhere" (Bryant, Nixon) – 2:03
- "Cool" (Tucker Smith, Jets) – 4:21
- "A Boy Like That/I Have a Love" (Betty Wand, Nixon) – 4:28
- "Finale" (Natalie Wood, Nixon, Richard Beymer) – 4:20
- "End Credits" (Instrumental) – 5:09
Original LP version
Side 1
- "Prologue" - 5:39
- "Jet Song" - 2:11
- "Something's Coming" - 2:38
- "Dance at the Gym" (Blues, Promenade, and Jump) - 3:37
- "Maria" - 2:40
- "America" - 5:05
- "Tonight" - 3:35
Side 2
- "Gee, Officer Krupke" – 4:14
- "I Feel Pretty" – 3:35
- "One Hand, One Heart" – 3:02
- "Tonight Quintet" – 3:22
- "The Rumble" – 2:39
- "Cool" – 4:21
- "A Boy Like That/I Have a Love" – 4:28
- "Somewhere (Finale)" – 2:03
Film (1961) soundtrack song start times
Act I
|
Act II
|
Chart positions
Year | Label & number | Chart | Position |
---|---|---|---|
1962 | Columbia OL 5670 (Mono) / OS 2070 (Stereo) | Billboard Pop Albums (Billboard 200) (mono and stereo) | 1 |
UK Albums Chart[12] | |||
1963 | Columbia OL 5670 (Mono) / OS 2070 (Stereo) | Billboard Pop Albums (Billboard 200) (mono and stereo) | |
UK Albums Chart[12] |
Personnel
Performance
- Richard Beymer – performer (Tony)
- Jim Bryant – performer (voice double for Richard Beymer)
- George Chakiris – performer (Bernardo)
- The Jets – performers
- Suzie Kaye – performer (Rosalia)
- Jo Anne Miya – performer (Francisca)
- Rita Moreno – performer (Anita)
- Marni Nixon – performer (voice double for Natalie Wood)
- Yvonne Wilder credited as Yvonne Othon – performer (Consuelo)
- Sharks – performers
- Tucker Smith – performer (Ice; voice double for Russ Tamblyn on "Jet Song")
- Russ Tamblyn – performer (Riff)
- Betty Wand – performer (voice double for Rita Moreno on "A Boy Like That/I Have A Love")
- Natalie Wood – performer (Maria)
Production
- Mark Cetts – engineer
- producer
- Didier C. Deutsch – producer
- conductor, musical director
- Roy Hemming – liner notes
- Bill Ivie – engineer
- Irwin Kostal – musical director, orchestrator
- Ernest Lehman – screenplay
- Boris Leven – production design
- Sid Ramin – musical director, orchestrator
- Jerome Robbins – director, choreographer
- Robert Wise – director
Certifications and sales
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Austria (IFPI Austria)[13] | Platinum | 50,000* |
France ( SNEP)[14]
|
Platinum | 300,000* |
Germany (BVMI)[15] | Gold | 250,000^ |
Netherlands (NVPI)[16] | Gold | 50,000^ |
Norway | — | 7,000[17] |
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[18] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[19] Original Soundtrack: 2012-2013 sales |
Gold | 100,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[20] Studio Cast Recording: 1985-1986 sales |
2× Platinum | 600,000^ |
United States (RIAA)[21] | 3× Platinum | 3,000,000^ |
United States (RIAA)[23] Original Cast |
Gold | 4,030,000[22] |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
References
- ^ AllMusic review
- AllMusic
- ISBN 0-600-61557-X.
- ISBN 1-84353-229-8.
- ISBN 0-19-505425-3.
- ^ ISBN 0-8230-8365-9..
- ^ Nixon, 137.
- ISBN 0-8230-7728-4.
- ^ This song was released in a shorter three-part version on original lp pressings, omitting the "Mambo" and "Pas de Deux"; the complete five-part version was added for cd releases.
- ^ This song was not present on original LP pressings, but was added for the 2004 CD re-release.
- ^ All times from the 1961 film.
- ^ a b "The Official Charts Company - Original Soundtrack - West Side Story". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
- ^ "Austrian album certifications – Soundtrack – West Side Story" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
- Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved May 6, 2019.
- ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (O.S.T. - Various; 'Westside-Story')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
- ^ "Dutch album certifications – Soundtrack – West Side Story" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved May 6, 2019. Enter West Side Story in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1998 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
- Billboard. Vol. 75, no. 21. p. 46. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
- ISBN 8480486392.
- ^ "British album certifications – Original Soundtrack – West Side Story". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
- ^ "British album certifications – Studio Cast Recording – West Side Story - (Studio)". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
- ^ "American album certifications – Soundtrack – West Side Story". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved May 6, 2019.
- ^ "Columbia Chart(er) Member". Billboard. May 15, 1965. p. 6. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
- ^ "American album certifications – Soundtrack – West Side Story". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved November 20, 2020.