Bargains! PROMOTIONS

Close Notification

Your cart does not contain any items

The Sounds of Commerce

Marketing Popular Film Music

Jeff Smith

$59.95

Paperback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

QTY:

English
Columbia University Press
07 October 1998
The Sounds of Commerce is the first book to present a detailed historical analysis of popular music in American film, from the era of sheet music sales, to that of orchestrated pop records by Henry Mancini and Ennio Morricone in the 1960⁊ to the MTV-ready pop songs that occupy soundtrack CDs of today. Jeff Smith's landmark exploration of film and music cross-promotion investigates the combination of historical, economic, and aesthetic factors that brought about the rise of popular music in the movies.

Smith employs a sophisticated yet accessible fusion of musicology, film theory, and social history. In one chapter, a musicological unpacking of the theme song from Goldfinger is used to show how the repeated refrain developed massive cultural appeal, leading to huge singles sales and a ubiquitous tune that most Americans can recognize several decades after the film's release. Other chapters look at how the film and music industries became so heavily intertwined, how soundtrack music progressed from orchestral score to pop song, and how certain soundtracks today become chart successes while their accompanying films generate scant box-office interest.

Throughout the text, Smith persuasively argues that the popular film score has been as successful as its classical predecessor at enhancing emotions and moods, cueing characters and settings, and signifying psychological states and points of view. With The Sounds of Commerce, he challenges film music scholarship to recognize the significance of popular music in modern film.
By:  
Imprint:   Columbia University Press
Country of Publication:   United States
Dimensions:   Height: 235mm,  Width: 152mm,  Spine: 16mm
Weight:   414g
ISBN:   9780231108638
ISBN 10:   023110863X
Series:   Film and Culture Series
Pages:   304
Publication Date:  
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Undergraduate
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active

Jeff Smith has written articles for publications such as Cinema Journal and Velvet Light Trap.

Reviews for The Sounds of Commerce: Marketing Popular Film Music

[A] fascinating exploration of Hollywood film music since the 1960s. -- R. D. Cohen, Indiana University Northwest Choice


See Also