I was raised on the movie The Sandlot. My my dad played baseball through college and my brother has played since he could hold a bat. My mom, sister, and I also played softball when we were little. One could say that we are a “baseball family.” My dad first introduced this movie to me, and I was attracted to it not only because it is a fun film about baseball, but also because it has an entertaining soundtrack. The music fits well with the storyline and makes you feel like you are playing baseball and hanging out with the boys in the sixties. I also was raised listening to this genre of music and more songs from some of these bands. Throughout this paper, I will critique the main songs in The Sandlot that make it popular, as well as give a short biography of each band.
The film begins with the song “Finger Poppin Time” by Hank Ballard and the Midnighters. I believe this is one of the best ever introduction
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songs to a move. In the scene, it shows one of the main characters, “Benny” Rodriquez, in a rundown while playing a baseball game. The song is upbeat with a saxophone, electric guitar, and drums. It has simple lyrics, and when put into this scene, I believe it is saying, “sit down because you’re going to have a ‘finger poppin time’ watching this movie.” Hank Ballard joined the Midnighters when they were still called the Royals, and he eventually worked his way to become the lead singer. In 1960, “Finger Poppin Time” reached number two on R&B chart and number seven on the pop chart. Throughout their career, the Midnighters had fifteen hits on the pop chart and twenty hits on the pop chart. Their most popular song was “Work With Me Annie.” Ballard says that his influence for his music were “gospel groups like the Dixie Hummingbirds and The Sensational Nightingales” (“The Midnighters”). The next song, “Smokie Part 2,” by Bill Black’s Combo, is played when the movie is introducing the main character, Scotty Smalls. He had just moved to town at the beginning of summer and doesn’t know how to play baseball. He goes to “the sandlot,” where some of the boys play every day of the summer. The song is just instrumental but consists of drums, a saxophone, a piano, and Black’s bass guitar. The most prominent instruments are the saxophone and piano which take turns playing the melody. It is an R&B song with a very prominent rhythm and a catchy swing that makes you want to go outside and play or start dancing. Bill Black first started his career by working with Elvis Presley. He was one of the people that helped launch Elvis’ career and the “evolution of rock and roll”. Black left Elvis in 1958 and formed his own group. “Smokie Part 2” along with 18 other hits reached Bilboard’s Hot 100 from 1959 and 1965 (“Bill Black”). After Scotty becomes friends with the rest of the boys and acquires the nickname “Smalls,” he begins to learn more about baseball and “the beast” behind the field. Everyone ends up having a campout in the treehouse one night and this is where “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” is played. It is sung by The Tokens, a group of men who have very diverse ranges from a high soprano to a very low bass. When the lead singer is singing the chorus, the rest of the group is harmonizing or singing the famous “Wimoweh” line. The song is mainly a cappella besides the various percussion instruments keeping the rhythm in the background along with a saxophone during a bridge. During this part of the movie, Smalls is branching out and trying new things and meeting new people. I believe this song is fitting because it gives the impression of adventure and excitement, and Smalls is beginning to build relationships and he is learning new things, resembling his own adventure. This song was recorded in 1961 and today is number 159 in the top 365 records of all time. It was originally a Zulu folk song called “M’bube,” but was rewritten and is now know throughout the world. The Tokens gained a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records in 1998 after singing the National Anthem is every major league ballpark in one season. Then in 2005, they were “inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame” (“Biography”). In the following scene, Squints and Yeah-Yeah are leaving the store after buying a new baseball for the boys to play with. Immediately Squints is awestruck by his crush Wendy Peffercorn as she walks by. Playing in the background is another R&B song called, “There Goes my Baby,” by The Drifters. This is a perfectly fitting song for the scene since Wendy is Squints’ “baby.” In this love song, I hear a violin and a saxophone accompanied by a group of men harmonizing. The rhythm of the song, along with the instruments used and the lyrics make it sound very romantic with a longing feeling, like Squints is longing for Wendy. The Drifters were a group that helped shape R&B music in the 1950’s and 1960’s. They were one of the few groups that used an electric guitar or a violin in their R&B songs. When “There Goes My Baby” was released, it was their biggest hit to date and reached number two on the pop charts (Eder). Once Squints and Yeah-Yeah get back to the field, the rest of the boys decide its too hot that day to play, so instead they decide to go to the community pool. Fortunately for Squints, Wendy is a lifeguard at the pool. And not so unfortunately, Squints also does not know how to swim. That day he decides to jump into the deep end so Wendy has to perform CPR on him. During CPR, he opens his eyes to show the boys that he’s okay right before he grabs Wendy and kisses her. That’s when “This Magic Moment” begins to play. I believe this is to imply that it was a “magic moment” for Squints since he had been waiting to kiss her for so long. The song is another from The Drifters, and it is full of soul and incorporates strings and an acoustic guitar showing the passion behind the love song. Throughout the Drifters’ career, the band split up multiple times and many different groups of the Drifters formed and dispersed throughout the United States and England (Eder). “America the Beautiful” by Ray Charles is appropriately played during the scene of the night of the fourth of July. The song follows the theme of the rest of the movie with the genre R&B. Ray Charles’ voice is very passionate and the swing and riffs in his voice gives the song a unique, catchy, twist. The main instrument is a piano with some percussion to keep the beat. The essence of America is captured in this scene as fireworks are ignited and America’s pastime, baseball, is played all while the song playing in the background. This is my favorite scene in the whole movie, especially when all of the boys are playing the only night game of the year. They all get distracted by the beauty of the fireworks and the baseball game is forgotten about while Ray is singing about the beauty of America and God’s grace. America the Beautiful was originally written as a poem by Katherine Lee Bates and was later created into a song. Charles’ rendition is the most well known and it was even played as an accompaniment to the U.S. ice skaters in the 1976 Winter Olympics. He has performed it at a World Series, a Super Bowl, and all over the world. Charles has won many awards throughout his career, including seventeen Grammys (“America Was Beautiful”). During a game played at the sandlot, a baseball team that the boys clearly dislike rolls up on their nice bikes as the instrumental song “Green Onions,” by Booker T and the MG’s, plays in the background. The song is supposed to capture the feeling of the cool, privileged, and older kids showing off. It is played by an organ, guitar, and drums. The rock and soul sounding song is very playful and unique, helping emphasize the rivalry between the all the boys. It is said that Booker T and his band paved the way for modern soul music. They were a popular group in the 1960’s when their hit single “Green Onions” was released. The group played for Stax Records and backed many artists. In 1992, the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (“Booker T. And the MGS”). Booker T himself is still performing around the world and is currently on tour in London. He has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of fame and Musicians Hall of Fame and received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (“About”). After the sandlot team crushes their rivals, they celebrate by going to the carnival.
Bertram brings some chewing tobacco to share with the rest of the boys. Once the boys run off, the song “Tequila,” by The Champs, begins playing. It is mainly an instrumental song with a Latin feel and the word “tequila” said three times. The saxophone, guitar, bass guitar, drums, and keyboard are played. It is a fun, upbeat song to represent the boys having a good time at the carnival. I think the repetitiveness of the song fits well with the ride they go on which spins them around in circles. Consequently, tobacco and carnival rides do not mix well and they all get sick and vomit all over the ride including everyone else riding as well. This song was the The Champs’ first hit single in 1957 and it “stayed on the charts for nineteen weeks, reached number one, sold more than six million records, and won a Grammy for best R&B record of 1958.” The group released many singles including “El Rancho Rock,” which sold half a million copies in less than three months (“The
Champs”). These songs are not the only ones played throughout the whole movie. Other instrumental music is played at different points to emphasize the emotion of the scene. Subsequently, mixed in with a song an orchestra plays, the last song, “Wipe Out,” by The Surfaris, is played once the beast escapes from his owner’s backyard after the Benny retrieves Smalls’ stepdad’s baseball signed by Babe Ruth. It begins at the point Benny begins running away from the beast and continues as he is being chased through town. However, it cuts off and more intense music begins to play since Benny cannot escape. The Surfaris is an instrumental band of three men that was formed in 1962. Their most famous work is “Wipe Out,” which has been played on the radio over five million times. It has also been featured in other movies such as Dirty Dancing, Meet the Parents, and Surfs Up. The Billboard Magazine and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame have recognized it as one of the the most popular and influential instrumental songs of all time. The Surfaris are still together today and enjoy traveling and playing at various venues (Berryhill). The Sandlot will always be a movie I can watch without it ever getting old. I will always enjoy it and now, I have an even greater appreciation for the film after learning about the soundtrack and the artists behind it. I always knew the songs were popular since I have heard them on the radio and in other movies, however, I did not realize how influential these certain songs were on the world.
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