Get Carter

There is no more memorable a main film theme than the one featured in Get Carter. Written by a 23 year old Roy Budd, the evocative and haunting tune sits perfectly in the space it was intended at the beginning of the film. The soundtrack album, unreleased in major markets for 30 years, is a mixed bag, with pop songs mixed in with chilling and moody instrumental pieces. Budd, who had limited experience working in soundtracks before this commission, was paid only £450 to write and record the soundtrack. This led to him using only two additional musicians, adding to the sparse feel. The pop songs, though sounding dated now, had lyrics contributed by Budd’s collaborator Jack Fishman. Voted as one of MOJO’s greatest ever soundtracks, it really is worth a listen outside of the context of the film.The majority of the music in the film was composed by Roy Budd, a jazz pianist and composer, who had previously worked on soundtracks for Soldier Blue and Flight of the Doves. Budd composed 13 distinct pieces for the film, including three songs, Looking For Someone, Love Is A Four Letter Word (with lyrics by Jack Fishman) and Hallucinations. The theme, (otherwise known as Carter Takes a Train) which is the best-known music from the film, was played by Budd and the other members of his jazz trio, Jeff Clyne (double bass) and Chris Karan (percussion). The musicians recorded the soundtrack live, direct to picture, playing along with the film. To save time and money Budd did not use overdubs, simultaneously playing a real harpsichord, a Wurlitzer electric piano and a grand piano. Budd described the experience as “uncomfortable, but it sounded pleasant”. The theme tune features the sounds of the character’s train journey from London to Newcastle.This edition of Get Carter offers three CDs of music from Roy Budd – the first two devoted to the film’s soundtrack and the third to the best of Roy Budd’s other scores. Disc 1 represents the original Japanese soundtrack, with the addition of ‘Hallucinations’ (which graced the soundtrack but not the LP). Disc 2 combines other incidental music from the film with single mixes and remixes and other rarities. Disc 3 contains highlights from Roy Budd’s other soundtracks including Diamonds, Fear Is The Key, The Stone Killer and The Black Windmill.