The Lovin’ Spoonful in Woody Allen’s What’s Up, Tiger Lily?”

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1. Guest says

   April 12, 2013 at 12:00 am

   KAMA SUTRA’s 1966 Motion Picture Soundtrack to WHAT’S UP, TIGER LILY? (KLP/KLSP 8053) opens with Len Maxwell interviewing Woody Allen on a Japanese film he dubbed into English, with very humorous results, sort of the MST3K of his day. Woody stumbles over \\”Death is my bread and danger my butter\\” so he declares, \\”Death and danger are my various breads and various butters.\\”

   Music is by the Lovin’ Spoonful: a great version of \\”Fishin’ Blues,\\” a song John Sebastian often performed in later solo concerts, also the movie’s theme, \\”Pow\\” which has quick-sung nonsense lyrics, \\”Respoken,\\” and several unique instrumentals, most very echoey with lots of added sounds. \\”Pow Revisted\\” is an instrumental version of the title tune written by all four band members, plus Skip Boone. A superior track that has interesting rhythm guitar counterpoint.

   It’s nice hearing John’s electric autoharp solo that opens the End Title reiteration of \\”Fishin’ Blues.\\” He plays harmonica halfway through and sings only the final verse and chorus.\\”Cool Million\\” is bar band blues with good rhythm and a couple of neat pauses. Zal Yanovsky’s lead guitar shines on \\”Respoken,\\” a song that could’ve been released as a single. \\”Speakin’ of Spoken\\” turns this John original into a mysterious instrumental.

   All four get writing credits on \\”Unconscious Minuet,\\” a spacey slow dance with piano, gong and Sebastian’s harmonica. \\”Gray Prison\\” is an instrumental with dominant echo-laden vibraphone and Joe Butler’s heavy drumming. Their quick-tempoed \\”Phil’s Love Theme\\” seems unrelated to the rest of this set. Some peculiar wooden object upon which a few notes can be struck is featured. Guitar licks have \\”wrong\\” notes thrown in. The group’s idea of comic Oriental music, perhaps?

   My fave, \\”Looking to Spy\\” is an non-vocal \\”Coconut Grove\\” again with lots of reverb, mysterious wailing guitar noises and finger cymbals. Occasionally, the engineer noticeably cranks up the volume. That’s my style!

   SIDE ONE
   [2:03] Introduction to Flïck (dialogue by Woody Allen and Len Maxwell)
   [2:28] Pow (Theme from \\”What’s Up, Tiger Lily?\\”)
   [2:15] Gray Prison Blues
   [2:30] Pow Revisited
   [2:05] Unconscious Minuet
   [1:58] Fishin’ Blues

   SIDE TWO
   [1:48] Respoken – vocal: John Sebastian
   [2:20] A Cool Million
   [2:40] Speakin’ of Spoken
   [2:30] Lookin’ to Spy
   [2:15] Phil’s Love Theme
   [4:05] End Title – vocal: John Sebastian

   TOTAL TIME: 28:57style!

   SIDE ONE
   [2:03] Introduction to Flïck (dialogue by Woody Allen and Len Maxwell)
   [2:28] Pow (Theme from \\”What’s Up, Tiger Lily?\\”)
   [2:15] Gray Prison Blues
   [2:30] Pow Revisited
   [2:05] Unconscious Minuet
   [1:58] Fishin’ Blues

   SIDE TWO
   [1:48] Respoken – vocal: John Sebastian
   [2:20] A Cool Million
   [2:40] Speakin’ of Spoken
   [2:30] Lookin’ to Spy
   [2:15] Phil’s Love Theme
   [4:05] End Title – vocal: John Sebastian

   TOTAL TIME: 28:57