Without a Paddle

Film released by Paramount (2004)

"This might be our last chance to do something incredibly stupid together."

"You were a boy scout weren't you?" "No, but I ate a brownie once."

"You got shot!" "Ohhh, coool!"

No score soundtrack available.

Music clip one, 1'03" (1.2Mb) [160kbps]
[music heard during the fight in the hole, ca.1:24'30"]
Music clip two, 1'38" (1.86Mb) [from end credits] [160kbps]
Bonus clip, 0'07" (60Kb) [Bathing scene, 64kbps]

BRIEF REVIEW

Goonies for the Goonies generation, from a director who appears to have missed every single iconic '80s film judged to be referenced by the movie.. including the Goonies. Fun and frollicks in the trees.

The most audible of Chris Beck's score wouldn't be out of place in a jungle-based Predator or Anaconda sequal. Some cues are alive with percussive energy and rhythm, often emphasizing the minor key, keeping alive the situation the leads find themselves in. The art of scoring comedies with serious scores (in the tradition of Airplane!) is certainly not yet dead, although not everything here is completely po-faced as one might imagine from the DVD menu music. Actually......

Without a Paddle marks one of Beck's most lavish orchestral scores to date. Warring as it does with a bevy of contemporary and dated pop songs, on this occasion the composer wins the battle, delivering on all filmic levels from delicate reposeful underscore to percussion-intensive, full orchestra action music. It doesn't appear to be the case at first since there is practically no score until the appearance of the bear half an hour into the film, but from this point he piles on the charm, from cheesy lullaby (maternal bear) to banjo/manic fiddle/harmonica/yodeller Southern twang to synth chorus (vision of dead friend), to slasher high clustered strings (hiding under water), to military-Matrix (snare drums and Don Davisesque brass as the baddies break out the heavy artillery), to guitar-based underscore (pals talk about their problems etc.), to duduk(?) exotica (first sighting of Flower and Butterfly), to piano/harp sweetness (Flower and Dr Mott), with recorder/whistle, ethnic drums added for good measure..., and an evil brass march (meeting Del Knox).

Of all his recent film projects this is deserving of a CD release, if only for its ambition. Hence the better quality sound clips included for this score.

Webmaster's additional:

Having spent much of his time talking about his fortunate in song choices in the DVD 'director's commentary', Steven Brill gets round to CB about 50 minutes into the film:

"Christophe Beck is the composer, and he and I (I thought) had a really great relationship. He did all the work and I listened and nodded. I thought that was a good way to go... no, he's really good, that Christophe Beck guy, jeeze. I thought he nailed everything and he was able to bring in a sort of acoustic element. Not a Southern country element. to the proceedings here but a... the music was... I wanted it to be traditional in many ways but have a tinge of banjo or country, and not go over the top, and be very grand also, and I thought he did an amazing job. A really talented guy."

Film music credits

**Opening credits**

Music by Christophe Beck
Music supervisor: Julianne Jordan

**End credits**

Music Editors: Fernand Bos, Richard Ziegler

Featured musicians:

Guitars and banjos: George Doering
Harmonica: Tommy Morgan
Fiddle: Gabe Witcher
Percussion: Wade Culbreath, Mike Fisher
Yodelers: Kerry Christensen, Randy Crenshaw

Orchestra conducted by Michal Nowak
Orchestrations by Kevin Kilesch
Additional orchestrations by Andrew Kaiser
Orchestra contractor: Sandy De Crescent
Music preparation: Bob Bornstein
Music recorded and mixed by Casey Stone
Music recordist: Paul Wetheimer
Music technical engineer: Norm Diugatch
Music floor person: Dominic Gonzales
Music recorded at Paramount Pictures Scoring Stage M
Music coordinator: Jojo Villanueva

**Songs**

"Ooh la la"
Written by Ronald David Wood and Ron Lane
Performed by Faces
Published by WB Music Corp (ASCAP)
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Records Inc.

"The corn rocket"
Written by Rick Miller
Performed by Southern Culture on the skids
Published by Monkey Dog Music (BMI)
Courtesy of TVT Records

"When I grow up (to be a man)"
Written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love
Performed by The Beach Boys
Published by Irving Music, Inc. (BMI)
Courtesy of Capitol Records

"Let it flow"
Written by Ali Theodore, Vincent Alfieri and Zach Danziger
Performed by Classic
Published by Spirit One Music
Courtesy of Spirit Music Group

"Invisible"
Written by Christopher Kenneth Braide, Andreas Carisson and Desmond Child
Performed by Clay Aiken
Published by Warner / Chappell Music Ltd. (PRS) et al
Courtesy of 19 Recordings / RCA Records

"Pop song"
Written by David Aguilera, Brandon Fogle, Scott Gottlieb and Keith Thompson
Performed by Bleed The Dream
Published by Peermusic III Ltd. et al
Courtesy of Noize Pollution Records

"Do you really want to hurt me"
Written by George O'Dowd, Jon Moss, Michael Craig and Roy Hay
Performed by Rick Ziegler
Published by EMI Virgin Music inc. (ASCAP)

"No rain"
Written by Glen Graham, et al
Performed by Blind Melon
Published by EMI April Music Inc. (ASCAP)
Courtesy of Capitol Records

"Jimmy Mathis"
Written by Warren Anderson Mathis, et al
Performed by Bubba Sparxxx
Published by Virginia Beach Music (ASCAP) et al
Courtesy of Interscope Records
Contains excerpts from "Stone Fox Chase"
Written by Kenneth Buttrey and Charlie McCoy
Performed by Area Code 615
Courtesy of Universal Records

"Hold on loosely"
Written by Jim Peterik, Jeff Carlisi and Don Barnes
Performed by .38 Special
Published by Easy Action Music (ASCAP)
Courtesy of A&M Records

"City of Silver & Gold"
Written and performed by Tommy Conners
Published by Peer Music III. Ltd (BMI)
Courtesy of Peer-Sourthern Productions, Inc.

"Nuthin' but a "G" thang"
Written by Cordozar Broadus, Leon Haywood and Frederick Knight
Published by Suge Publishing (ASCAP)

"Deliverance"
Written by Warren Anderson Mathis, Timothy Z Mosley and Jimmy Douglass
Performed by Bubba Sparxxx
Published by Virginia Beach Music (ASCAP)
Courtesy of Interscope Records

"What a wonderful world"
Written by Bob Thiele and George David Weiss
Performed by Joey Ramone
Published by Range Road Music, Inc. et al
Courtesy of Sanctuary Records Group

"Raiders march"
Written by John Williams
Published by Ensign Music Corporation (BMI)

"Do you really want to hurt me"
Written by George O'Dowd, Jon Moss, Michael Craig and Roy Hay
Performed by Culture Club
Published by EMI Virgin Music Inc. (ASCAP)
Courtesy of Virgin Records

"Chasing the dream #2"
Written and performed by Jeff Pilson
Published by Hop Sing Music Publishing (ASCAP)
Courtesy of Bonanza Music

"Throw away"
Written by Mike Hornak, et al
Performed by Stigma
Published by Mike Hornak Publishing (ASCAP)
Courtesy of Mike Hornak

"Can't you hear me knocking"
Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards
Performed by the "Rolling Stones"
Published by ABKCO Music, Inc. (BMI)
Courtesy of Promotone B.V. and Virgin Records

"Serving time in the middle of nowhere"
Written by Michael Williams, Jim Bower and Joseph LaCaze
Performed by Eyegategod
Published by Magic Arts Publishing (ASCAP)
Courtesy of Century Media Records

"You gotta move"
Written by Gary Davis and Fred McDowell
Published by Bug Music , Inc.

"She tried"
Written by Warren Anderson Mathis, Timothy Z Mosley and Ryan Tedder
Performed by Bubba Sparxxx, Ryan Tedder
Published by Virginia Beach Music (ASCAP)
Courtesy of Interscope Records

"Beans and grits"
Written by Ali Theodore and Zach Danziger
Performed by AD
Published by Spirit One Music
Courtesy of Deetown Productions

"Black Betty"
Written by Huddie Ledbetter
Spiderbait
Published by Folkways Music Publishers, Inc.
Courtesy of Interscope Records

"Bump n' grind"
Written and performed by R. Kelly
Published by R. Kelly Publishing Inc., Zomba Songs, Inc. (BMI)
Courtesy of Jive Records