What’s up, dudes? Merry Christmas 2!! “Santa Claus: The Movie” is a fantastic origin story, made better by Henry Mancini’s score and a killer song of Sheena Easton. Thus, Robert Nicholas from Behind the Bells joins me to really dig into a particular cue from the “Santa Claus: The Movie” score and dish about the Christmas carol medley of it all as well.
First, we get into the nostalgic synths with “It’s Christmas All Over the World”. Played during the end credits, the mid-tempo song set the stage for the emotions of Christmas, washing over the audience like a warm blanket. Written originally with Freddie Mercury in mind, the song eventually was recorded by Sheena Easton. Likewise, the film also features a track by Aled Jones of “The Snowman” fame.
Mancini purposely chose to score and arrange the orchestra as traditionally as possible. Subsequently, his score evoked a sense of wistfulness and comfort, harking back to days of yore. According to an interview with Randall D Larson for CinemaScore in 1987, Mancini stated:
“One thing we had to satisfy was that you can’t have picture about Christmas or Santa Claus and not touch on the traditional. I decided that it would be a good idea to get all of those numbers in one place, rather than spotting them here and there throughout the film. So on Santa’s first flight I used them in a piece by itself, and it all worked out well because the montage was well conceived and it made sense. But from there on we went to original music.”
Of course, the piece he was speaking of was “Christmas Rhapsody.” The cue begins with a triumphant rendition of Deck the Halls before segueing into Joy to the World. A melodic and intimate version of Hark! The Herald Angels Sing follows, succeeded by The 12 Days of Christmas, God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen, and O Tannenbaum. Finally, the cue ends with majesty and serenity with The First Noel and Silent Night.
Tchaikovsky-esque instrumentation? Check. Catchy Santa Claus theme? Got it. Synthesizer? Yes, but only if a pop star is singing! So grab your celesta, join the orchestra, and play along to this episode all about the “Santa Claus: The Movie” score and soundtrack!
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