Back to the Future: Music from the Motion Picture Soundtrack

Back to the Future: Music From the Motion Picture Soundtrack cover.

Back to the Future: Music From the Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack to the hit 1985 film Back to the Future. The album included two tracks culled from Alan Silvestri's compositions for the film, two tracks from Huey Lewis and The News, two songs played by Marvin Berry and The Starlighters, one played by Marty McFly and The Starlighters, and two pop songs that are only very briefly heard in the background of the film.

Track listing

1. "The Power of Love" – Huey Lewis and The News (3:58)
2. "Time Bomb Town" – Lindsey Buckingham (2:48)
3. "Back to the Future" – The Outatime Orchestra (3:20)
4. "Heaven Is One Step Away" – Eric Clapton (4:13)
5. "Back in Time" – Huey Lewis and The News (4:22)
6. "Back to the Future Overture" - The Outatime Orchestra (8:19)
7. "The Wallflower (Dance with Me Henry)" – Etta James (2:45)
8. "Night Train" – Marvin Berry and The Starlighters (2:17)
9. "Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine)" – Marvin Berry and The Starlighters (3:02)
10. "Johnny B. Goode" – Marty McFly and the Starlighters (3:06)

Songs not included on the soundtrack album:

• "Mr. Sandman" - Performed by The Four Aces
• "The Ballad of Davy Crockett" - Performed by Fess Parker
• "Pledging My Love" - Performed by Johnny Ace

To put the tracks in the chronological order they first appear in the film, the listing would be as such: 1, 2, 7, the first 90 seconds of 6, 8, 9, 10, the remainder of 6, 4, 5 and 3. Note: the "Back to the Future Overture" on the original album is made up of the following cues as released on the subsequent score album:

1. Marty's Letter
2. Clocktower (:50 - 5:35)
3. '85 Lone Pine Mall (1:41 - end)

A 1999 CD release entitled The Back to the Future Trilogy featured additional compositions by Silvestri from the first film. However, these were re-recordings by the Scottish National Orchestra and not Silvestri's original recordings.

"Johnny B. Goode"

The musical material ostensibly performed by the characters Marty McFly, Marvin Berry and the Starlighters in the film, was recorded by Harry Waters, Jr. as 'Marvin Berry' and Mark Campbell as 'Marty McFly', and the guitar solo by Tim May. (Campbell and May received a "Special Thanks" acknowledgment in the film's end credits, with the recording credit going to the fictional characters.) Berry's group also plays the song "Night Train", first recorded by Jimmy Forrest in 1951.

Miscellaneous

The film's musical score was by Alan Silvestri, who later wrote music for Forrest Gump and numerous other films, many of them directed by Robert Zemeckis. The memorable themes in his "Back to the Future Overture" have since been heard in the film's sequels (also scored by Silvestri), in Back to the Future: The Ride, and as ambient music at the Universal Studios theme parks. A remix of the main theme was heard in the opening sequence for MCA-Universal Home Video from 1990 to 1997. The upbeat soundtrack, featuring two new songs by Huey Lewis and the News, also contributed to the film's popularity. "The Power of Love" became the band's first song to hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and was nominated for an Academy Award. Huey Lewis portrayed the high-school band audition judge who rejects Marty McFly's band, the Pinheads, as they perform the short instrumental hard-rock version of "The Power of Love".

There is also another album version of the soundtrack, with only the original score by Silvestri. This is called the "DeLorean" version, so rare that most fans only have it in bootleg.

Score Album

In November 2009, Intrada released an official 2-CD album containing Silvestri's complete score. The first disc contained the complete orchestral score as recorded for the finished film, along with two source cues that Silvestri wrote. The second disc consisted of alternate approaches that Silvestri took with a large portion of the score, with a darker, more serious tone.

None of the songs from the first album are included in this score-only album, and for moments in the film where Silvestri's score was replaced by, or edited with songs or source music (i.e. the first half of "55 Town Square", "Tension; The Kiss" and "Doc Returns"), the full score cue is presented as originally recorded.

The set was a limited edition of 10,000 units and sold nearly 6,000 by the end of January 2010. As of May 2011, the set is still available from Intrada.

CD 1 Track Listing: Complete Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

1. Logo (:20) [unused cue]
2. DeLorean Reveal (:46)
3. Einstein Disintegrated (1:22)
4. ’85 Twin Pines Mall (4:43)
5. Peabody Barn; Marty Ditches DeLorean (3:09)
6. ’55 Town Square (1:18)
7. Lorraine’s Bedroom (:47)
8. Retrieve DeLorean (1:15)
9. 1.21 Jigowatts (1:37)
10. The Picture (1:09) [unused cue]
11. Picture Fades (:17)
12. Skateboard Chase (1:39)
13. Marty’s Letter (1:20)
14. George To The Rescue – Pt. 1 (:50)
15. Marvin Be-Bop (2:25)
16. George To The Rescue – Pt. 2 (2:34)
17. Tension; The Kiss (1:33)
18. Goodnight Marty (1:31)
19. It’s Been Educational; Clocktower (10:30)
20. Helicopter (:19)
21. ’85 Lone Pine Mall (3:46)
22. 4 x 4 (:40)
23. Doc Returns (1:14)
24. Back To The Future (End Credits) (3:16)

CD 2 Track Listing: The Creation of a Classic... Alternate Early Sessions

1. DeLorean Reveal (:40)
2. Einstein Disintegrated (1:25)
3. Peabody Barn (2:17)
4. Marty Ditches DeLorean (1:56)
5. ’55 Town Square #1 (Trumpet Open) (1:35)
6. ’55 Town Square #2 (Trumpet Mute) (1:35)
7. Retrieve DeLorean (1:16)
8. 1.21 Jigowatts (1:36)
9. The Picture (1:08)
10. Skateboard Chase (1:40)
11. George to the Rescue (4:13)
12. Tension; The Kiss (1:42)
13. Clocktower (11:02)
14. ’85 Lone Pine Mall (3:50)
15. Doc Returns (1:19)
16. Bonus Track: Unused Source Cue from the Scoring Sessions Ling Ting Ring (2:01)

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External links

• www.alan-silvestri.com MCA official soundtrack album
• www.alan-silvestri.com DeLorean bootleg score album

v - e - d

Media Films: Back to the Future • Back to the Future Part II • Back to the Future Part III • Back in Time Music: Back to the Future • Back to the Future Part III • The Back to the Future Trilogy (soundtrack) Video games: Back to the Future (1985 computer game) • Back to the Future (video game) • Back to the Future Part II • Back to the Future Part III • Back to the Future Part II & III • Universal Studios Theme Park Adventure • Back to the Future: The Game • LEGO Dimensions Other media: Back to the Future: The Ride • Back to the Future: The Animated Series • Back to the Future (musical) • Back to the Future: The Pinball Characters Marty McFly • Emmett Brown • Biff Tannen Universe DeLorean time machine • Hill Valley • Hoverboard • Nike MAG