A CHRISTMAS STORY SOUNDTRACK DEBUTS
Rhino Presents A Collection Of Previously Unreleased Music
Composed And Arranged For The Classic Holiday Comedy
Available November 10 From Rhino
LOS ANGELES – Released in 1983 by MGM, A Christmas Story became a true holiday classic thanks to its impeccable comedic performances, triple-dog dares, and countless cable marathons. One aspect often overlooked is the music composed for the film by Carl Zittrer and Paul Zaza. Their musical contributions, unreleased until now, capture the film’s nostalgic charm and transport viewers to an age of innocence. A CHRISTMAS STORY: MUSIC FROM THE MOTION PICTURE will be available November 10 from Rhino at all retail outlets, including www.rhino.com, for a suggested list price of $18.98 (physical) and $11.99 (digital).
Zittrer and Zaza first began working with director Bob Clark in 1979, earning a Genie Award for their score to Clark’s Murder By Decree. A few years later, they joined up with Clark again for A Christmas Story. During the sessions, Zittrer says the music fell into place quickly. “Oftentimes scoring a film means trying out lots of music to see if it fits. By an incredible coincidence, the test pieces we selected were natural fits. For instance, we used themes from Peter And The Wolf in several scenes featuring the bully. It instantly conveys the bully’s villainy, but it also works on a deeper level because the young boys in the film most certainly would have known this music and understood its menacing connotation.”
Also featured prominently in the film is Zittrer and Zaza’s arrangement of “Grand Canyon Suite,” which can be heard playing during a fantasy sequence where young Ralphie Parker repels an attack on his backyard by Black Bart and his cronies. “It is the quintessential Western music,” Zittrer says. “All you need to hear are those first two notes and you’re on a dusty trail somewhere.”
A Christmas Story is based on several short stories written by Jean Shepherd, who is also the film’s narrator. Set during the ’40s, it is the story of nine-year-old Ralphie Parker’s (Peter Billingsley) Christmas quest for an official Red Ryder BB gun. While not an instant hit during its 1983 theatrical run, the film has become one of the most beloved holiday films of all time and a pop culture icon. With an annual 24-hour marathon on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day on TBS (and previously TNT), a museum at the house where the movie was filmed in Cleveland, and a yearly fan convention, the legend of A Christmas Story continues to grow.
A CHRISTMAS STORY: MUSIC FROM THE MOTION PICTURE
Track Listing
1. “Bob’s Major Award”
2. “Jogging To School”
3. “Black Bart Bites The Dust”
4. “Meeting Of The Minds”
5. “And They’re Off!”
6. “Truth Or (Triple Dog) Dare”
7. “Jingle Bells”
8. “He Had Yellow Eyes”
9. “A Chip Off The Old Block”
10. “When Things Seem Hopeless…”
11. “Feet, Do Your Stuff!”
12. “Ralphie’s Brilliant Idea”
13. “Ming The Merciless”
14. “Don’t Look Back!”
15. “Sleigh Bells”
16. “Ralphie’s Revenge” & “The “F” Word”
17. “Joy To The World” & “Silent Night”
18. “The Bumpus Hounds Make Their Rounds”
19. “Glorious, Beautiful Christmas”
20. “Silent Night” – The Mormon Tabernacle Choir
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