Body Heat

Original Soundtrack

cover art for Body Heat OST

(1981)
LP: Label X LXSE 1-002
CD: SCSE CD-1

  1. Ladd Company Logo [by John Williams]
    and Main Title (3:39)
  2. I'm Weak (3:15)
  3. Chapeau Gratis (1:12)
  4. Heather (1:58)
  5. I'm Frightened (2:33)
  6. Kill for Pussy (2:48)
  7. Us and Oscar (1:18)
  8. Surprise; explosion (2:30)
  9. Heather and Roz (1:36)
  10. Glasses (:46)
  11. Better Get Him (6:05)
  12. Matty was Mary Ann (4:16)

Re-Recording

cover art for Body Heat Rerecord

CD: Varese Sarabande McNeely VSD-5951
Performed by the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Joel McNeely

  1. Main Title (3:51)
  2. Ned (1:04)
  3. Matty's Place (1:35)
  4. I'm Weak (3:22)
  5. I'm Burning Up (1:18)
  6. Chapeau Gratis (1:25)
  7. Heather (2:11)
  8. Kill For Pussy (2:53)
  9. I'm Frightened (2:42)
  10. Surprise And Explosion (2:31)
  11. Heather And Roz (1:20)
  12. Gus And Oscar (1:22)
  13. Glasses (:52)
  14. Better Get Him (7:05)
  15. Matty was Mary Ann (4:19)

Original Soundtrack

CD: Film Score Monthly FSM1504

Track Listing

Disc 1

  1. Main Title (3:20)
  2. Searching for Matty (1:11)
  3. Agreement (1:19)
  4. I'm Weak (3:25)
  5. She Tries (1:00)
  6. 3M3/3M4 (1:42)
  7. Hey Lady (1:18)
  8. What I Want (1:10)
  9. Chapeau Gratis (1:17)
  10. Busted (2:04)
  11. Head/The Breakers (1:25)
  12. Kill for Pussy (2:53)
  13. I'm Frightened (2:39)
  14. Surprise (1:43)
  15. He's Dead/Basement (2:11)
  16. Explosion (0:58)
  17. Problem (1:09)
  18. Nothing We Can Do/Heather and Roz (2:12)
  19. Us and Oscar/Oscar (2:04)
  20. See Ya/11M1 (1:00)
  21. Watch Your Step (0:53)
  22. Glasses (0:52)
  23. Better Get Him (6:10)
  24. Matty Was Mary Ann (4:19)

    25. Bonus Tracks

  25. Searching for Matty/Agreement (film edit) (1:23)
  26. She Tries (alternate) (0:55)

    27. Source Music

  27. That Old Feeling (Lew Brown& Sammy Fain) (3:14)
  28. A la Harry James (3:26)
  29. 1M2 (1:43)
  30. 4M3 (3:11)
  31. 5M3 (1:03)
  32. 5M4 (1:47)
  33. 9M1 (0:55)
  34. 9M1a (1:05)
  35. Cocktail Hour (3:09)
  36. Pantyhose/Maidenform (Michael Lang) (3:52)
  37. Tonight's Romance/Tomorrow's Romance(Michael Lang) (4:32)

    38. Total Disc Time: 78:28

Track Listing

Disc 2

  1. Main Title (3:21)
  2. I'm Weak (3:25)
  3. Chapeau Gratis (1:17)
  4. Hey Lady (1:17)
  5. Busted (2:04
  6. Kill for Pussy (2:21)
  7. I'm Frightened (2:39)
  8. Surprise (1:46)
  9. Us and Oscar (0:55)
  10. Oscar (2:06)
  11. Problem (3:48)
  12. Better Get Him (6:12)
  13. Matty was Mary Ann (4:190)

    14. Demo Recordings

  14. Theme Demo 1 (2:47)
  15. Theme Demo 2 (3:21)
  16. Theme Demo 3 (2:43)
  17. Theme Demo 4 (2:45)
  18. Theme Demo 5 (2:51)
  19. Theme Demo 6 (2:08)
  20. Theme Demo 6A (2:08)
  21. Theme Demo 7 (2:06)
  22. Theme Demo 8 (2:29)
  23. Theme Demo 9 (2:19)

Total Disc Time 61:07

The Movie

James M. Cain was one of the pioneers and masters of the hardboiled fiction genre. He wrote two of the classics: The Postman Always Rings Twice and Double Indemnity. Both are about men who fall in love with dangerous women—men who become so blinded by lust that they would do anything to have her—including killing the woman's husband.

And that's the plot of Body Heat. William Hurt is a lawyer who's scratching out a living on the Florida coast when he meets and falls hard for beautiful Kathleen Turner, only to find out that she's married to a shady character (Dick Crenna). If you've read any of Cain's novels or seen the films, you know what happens. You know the ending, but writer/director Lawrence Kasdan did it right—it's a great ride.

This movie was my generation's Basic Instinct—a movie about steamy sex and murder, and it made Kathleen Turner a star.

 

The Music

This always struck me as Mike Hammer private eye music—the kind of saxophone heavy, lonely thing you associate with guys in snap-brim fedoras and trenchcoats and Colt 45's under their arms. The heavy sax gives it a distinction among Barry scores—I don't think this sounds like anything else he's done, with the possible exception of The Specialist. You get the feeling that everyone knew they were making a modern film noir—a retelling of The Postman Always Rings Twice, and rather than fight it they revelled in it. Barry's score works beautifully.

 

Release Notes

The original soundtrack was released in both LP and CD media on the Southern Cross label, and both went out of print. It quickly became a highly sought-after collectors item: John Williams fans also wanted it because it Williams's fanfare for the Ladd Company on it. For reasons I never understood, it didn't get much bootleg activity.

Film Score Monthly released a 2-CD set in 2012 as part of their Silver Age line. The extensive track listing, including bonus cues and demos, is listed above. I do not yet have this CD set; I will write about it when I get it.

Joel McNeely rerecorded the music in 1998.. A piece of the score is also available on Barry's Moviola, and it also appears on a compilation called Body Heat: Jazz at the Movies.

Return to the main page