Fans of John Schlesinger‘s Oscar-winning Midnight Cowboy would do well to check out this piece When You Awake laid down last year discussing the “what could have been” in relation to the film’s official soundtrack. Both scored and supervised by composer John Barry, the film had lined up a number of potential tracks that, for varying reasons, were ultimately abandoned or didn’t make the final cut. Barry, for example, commissioned Bob Dylan to pen “Lay Lady Lay,” but the track wasn’t finished by the production deadline. Harry Nilsson’s “I Guess the Lord Must Be in New York City,” was originally written for the film to replace Nilsson’s own cover of Fred Neil’s “Everybody’s Talkin‘” — a track the director had been using as placeholder as an example of what he was looking for — only deciding not to replace it at the last minute.
Also on the table was The Millennium’s “I Just Don’t Know To Say Goodbye,” a piece of pop perfection very much in line with the aural aesthetic of the film.
MP3: The Millennium :: I Just Don’t Know How To Say Goodbye
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this is great—interesting they would cut it.
Why is John Schlesinger wearing Frankenstein boots??
This song invokes the same feel as Pink Floyd’s “Fearless” for me.
Exciting!
Their album BEGIN rules
Surprised to discover this film was scored by John Barry. Many of the James Bond films were also scored by him. I’ve always wondered why his song “We Have All The Time In the World” (from “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”) has never been covered by any other singers. It’s one of the best film songs that few people are aware of.
I knew Nilsson at the time and he told me that at least two other songs were commissioned for the film – Randy Newman’s “Cowboy” and Laura Nyro’s “New York Tendaberry.”
This nook is positively a stroll-by for all the break you wished about this once more didn’t know who to ask.