Why Are They Labeled Soundtracks?

[goldenstate5]

Posted: 10/10/06 at 11:57pm

Does anybody find it quite ironic that Broadway fans are very much aganist the naming of cast recordings as "soundtracks" when they are labeled as soundtracks by the recording companies? (or at least the distributor)

Whenever I get a new cast recording bought or imported onto iTunes, I get the same genre: Soundtrack. (or "Classical" in the case of the new Chours Line CD [what's up with that?!]) So, I really don't get it, because I understand the difference, but if it's so important, than why aren't our cast recordings being labeled correctly by the official sources themselves?...

[PARISinNYC]

Posted: 10/11/06 at 12:00am

I've thought about this before. It never really bothered me when somebody said soundtrack instead of cast recording. It's really not that big of a deal.

Just my opinion. :]

[PJ]

Posted: 10/11/06 at 12:06am

They're generally referred to as soundtracks to avoid confusion. At work, we just call them soundtracks because 95% of the population is unaware of what a cast recording is.

[Kringas]

Posted: 10/11/06 at 12:09am

but if it's so important, than why aren't our cast recordings being labeled correctly by the official sources themselves?...

Because it's not so important. It's not important at all.

[thevolleyballer]

Posted: 10/11/06 at 12:11am

Borders categorizes them under "Original Cast" or "Shows." Good enough for me. :)

[Kitzarina]

Posted: 10/11/06 at 12:18am

My Borders has them in the "Soundtracks" section with all of the movie/tv soundtracks.

Gets very annoying.

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 10/11/06 at 1:56am

Great question, and one that really should be directed to the I-tunes or DL service. You will note that recent "cast recordings" are correctly identified as such on the CD and booklet, J-card. You CAN educate people about the correct terms, and frankly I do not understand why people would purposely want to use the wrong names. After all, our society knows the difference between VHS and DVD, Cassettes, Lps, and CDs. Surely one additional term is not beyond their grasp. Do people call Compact Discs "records?" No!

While film soundtracks can also be called "cast albums" (meaning that you are hearing the film cast version of RENT or PRODUCERS or DREAMGIRLS), it is incorrect to call cast albums soundtracks.

I would like to see the term "Soundtrack" eliminated all together, because very few film soundtracks are actual soundtrack recordings now

Back in the 1940s and 1950s M-g-M records (and some other labels) started making records "recorded directly from the soundtrack" of the films. The problem was that soundtracks for films are made with a very dry, flat sound. The reason for this is that in large movie theatres the sound bounces and this compensates for that. When they started transcribing songs off the films onto records the albums had a flat "boxy" sound. Warner Bros soundtrack albums suffer the most: Listen to the movie soundtrack recording of MUSIC MAN as an example. Columbia records added tons of reverb but that didn't really help.

Capitol came up with a solution when they made the so-called "soundtrack albums" of OKLAHOMA!, CAROUSEL and KING AND I: They had the cast record the scores for album release. (You will notice the songs on the original albums do not sound exactly like the performances on film. Of course the recent CD re-releases mix in additional material taken from the films, but the cuts that were on the original Lp's are studio made recordings.

In record catalogues (like The Schwann which was published monthly and listed all available recordings) the movie & show section would is the code ST (soundtrack) and OC (Original cast) along with other terms to differentiate various cast versions.A sample listing from a 1967 SCHWANN:

CAROUSEL [OC] Decca DL 79020
[ST] Capitol SW 690
Lincoln Ctr. RCA Vic LSO 1114
Drake, Turner, etc. Command RS 843

If you went into your local record store and ordered the "soundtrack" of CAROUSEL, the clerk would order the Capitol album with Gordon MacRae. But if you wanted the original version with John Raitt and Jan Clayton you had to specify the "original cast" recording.

Today if you order the "soundtrack" of DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS you would get the CD of the music from the Steve Martin (non-musical) film. So, the differentiation is helpful in ensuring people got what they want. If you order the “soundtrack” of PHANTOM OF THE OPERA you get Gerald Butler. If you order the “original cast” you get Michael Crawford.

It can make a difference!

Record stores and music distributors should just use the generic term "Shows" and let it go at that, IF we must have one category. I'd prefer two categries: Musicals (meaning a movie, stage or TV musical production) andf Film scores (for non-musicals.)

[HumATune]

Posted: 10/11/06 at 2:03am

I never got the big deal either. Sure it would be nice to call things by their proper names, but I don't get the anger that some people express over it. Really there are more important things in life to get mad about.

[PARISinNYC]

Posted: 10/11/06 at 2:18am

"I never got the big deal either. Sure it would be nice to call things by their proper names, but I don't get the anger that some people express over it. Really there are more important things in life to get mad about."

Amen.

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 10/11/06 at 2:55am

Well, since we all agree it is "nice to call things by their proper names" then why can't we just do it?

I don't expect to change the stocking categories at every CD store across the nation, but I do make a point of letting staff at stores where cast albums/musicals are separated from "soundtracks" know that I appreciate it and that because they make the effort I make a point to do much of my shopping there.

It's the little attention to details that count, and divide the true theatre fans from those with a more casual interest in the genre.

[ChiChi]

Posted: 10/11/06 at 2:58am

ugh...wasted energy. As long as I can find it and buy the ones I want to buy then I don't care if they put them in a section called "crap". We know what they are, we know how important they are and no classification can change that.

[TristezzaBella27]

Posted: 10/11/06 at 2:59am

what about the term "showtunes" whats the thoughts on that?

[AJ1985]

Posted: 10/11/06 at 3:02am

As usual, Frontrow offers sound advice.I have no problem using the right terms.Not sure why others resist it of deliberately use the wrong ones.I think they just do it to bug others.

[Julian2]

Posted: 10/11/06 at 3:08am

I'm fine with showtunes as a category title.

Ok, I understand the whole as long as we can buy them, who cares?, live and let live approach, But at the same time when interest in musical theatre is so low, its makes sense to care about what little their is to care about when it comes to technicalities like this. If we don't have a base interest in little things, big things will float off and chip away at the artform. See what i'm saying here?

[ChiChi]

Posted: 10/11/06 at 3:11am

But very few people know the difference, and those that do are in the minority. I hardly think properly categorizing Cast Recordings is going to have an earth shattering effect because in the grand scheme of things it's a minor detail.

[BroadwayRandy0711]

Posted: 10/11/06 at 3:30am

This maybe off-topic, but I have bought some recordings on iTunes with the performers names spelled incorrectly or the wrong name altogether. For example, on all of "The Drowsy Chaperone" iTunes has Troy Britton Johnson as Tony instead.
Has anyone else noticed this?
And I agree with everyone about how frustrating it can be when trying to locate a cast recording with all of the soundtracks.

[Julian2]

Posted: 10/11/06 at 3:48am

Exactly, very few people know the difference. The whole point is that there's a lack of knowledge. It just seems a shame to let that go unchecked, esp. when people know nothing else about the genre! To use an analagy, if a child is healthy, its a minor detail to give him his vitamin now and disrupt his playtime, but if he's had a cold, go ahead and give it to him, every little bit helps.

[MusicAndPassion]

Posted: 10/11/06 at 6:49am

I accept the term soundtracks, because the albums are simple tracks of sound that accompany a piece of theatre.

It's quite simple. I refer to them as cast recordings but it's not a big deal. It's just an album.

[ashley0139]

Posted: 10/11/06 at 8:26am

divide the true theatre fans from those with a more casual interest in the genre.

That's funny, because I do that too. Maybe I'm being a theatre snob, but when someone says they love theatre and then refers to the soundtrack of a show, I snicker inside. I actually get quite annoyed when people say soundtrack as opposed to cast recording, but that's just me.

And I went to Virgin Megastore yesterday and they were labeled under Broaday.

[algy]

Posted: 10/11/06 at 9:35am

I don't get angry about it, but it is a peeve when people come along and ask about "soundtracks" to shows. To me a soundtrack is the music that plays in movies, it implies no participation from the cast. But it's not worth getting your knickers in a twist about - its one of those things where you can just sit there safe in the knowledge that you're right and they're wrong. Unless of course it's some muppet in a store ordering me the wrong CD...

[best12bars]

Posted: 10/11/06 at 9:43am

Your average buyers of music don't give a rat's ass about this "pet peeve." They couldn't care less.

I suggest you get over it.

[HumATune]

Posted: 10/11/06 at 9:44am

It's the little attention to details that count, and divide the true theatre fans from those with a more casual interest in the genre.

I’m also an English major who doesn’t care if someone misses a semi-colon on this board. (When I tutor, that’s a different story.) I guess I’m only a “causal” fan of English grammar as well—although I’ve been known to study it during my free time.

I pick my battles. That’s all there is to it. Sure, I’ll politely correct someone if they say “soundtrack”, but if they keep saying it, I’m not going to get bent out of shape about it.

Updated On: 10/11/06 at 09:44 AM

[CJR]

Posted: 10/11/06 at 10:09am

This has always been a big pet peeve of mine. Especially last night after work when I went into Best Buy looking for the ACL Revival Cast Recording and the guy in the CD section told me to "check soundtracks"

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 10/11/06 at 10:39am

I've always been somewhat bemused by the outrage on this subject. It's so completely unimportant - who the hell cares?

[Calvin]

Posted: 10/11/06 at 10:42am

No kidding. Mainstream music stores have a very limited number of genres, and that ain't gonna change. Ever notice the hodge-podge of things filed under the "pop/rock" section? And pity the person who tries to buy jazz albums there.