ONLY YOU
Rating: 
Original Review: In his review on the Filmtracks web site, Christian Clemmensen says that he thinks Only You was the best musical/comedy score of 1994, and should have won the Oscar in its year. I must admit that I was heavily influenced by these sentiments to go out and buy it and, while I wouldn't bestow quite as many accolades as Christian, it does turn out to be a highly entertaining score. Rachel Portman's music is basically split between two elements: an amusing chase theme played on an oboe with a jumpy string accompaniment and a light-hearted violin section (heard in 'I'm Coming With You' and 'Running After Damon'), and the main romantic theme, a gorgeous (if a little repetitive) piece played first on woodwinds and then lush strings (heard in 'Written in the Stars', 'Venice', 'Lost in Tuscany' and during the finale). In addition to the music, Only You also boasts one of the best line-ups in songs and performers I have seen for a while, with people like the legendary Louis Armstrong; Italian tenor Ezio Pinza singing one of my favourite ballads, Some Enchanted Evening from South Pacific; Spanish tenor Jose Carreras performing an aria from Verdi's La Traviata, plus a rendition of O Sole Mio, some music by Bach, and a fabulous ballad from Michael Bolton. One thing I must note however, is that the score sounds a little off key in places and where there are long, sustained notes, they sound a little wobbly. Is this just my copy, or is it supposed to sound like that?
Track Listing:
- Only You (written by B Ram and A Rand, performed by Louis Armstrong) (3:13)
- Written In The Stars (1:16)
- Some Enchanted Evening (written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, performed by Enzo Pinza) (3:02)
- I'm Coming With You (2:22)
- Venice (1:51)
- O Sole Mio (written by E. Di Capua, G. Capurro and A. Mazzucchi, performed by Peter De Sotto with Quartetto Gelato) (3:10)
- Libiamo Ne' Lieti Calici (from La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi, performed by Jose Carreras and Agnes Baltsa with The London Symphony Orchestra and The Tallis Chamber Choir) (2:58)
- Lost in Tuscany (2:29)
- Arriving at Damon's Restaurant (1:40)
- Gypsy Blessing (3:21)
- Positano (1:46)
- Quartet in B-Flat Major: Rondo - Tempo di Minuetto (written by Johann Sebastian Bach, performed by Quartetto Gelato) (4:54)
- Do You Love Him? (3:16)
- Theme from Only You (3:35)
- Once In A Lifetime (written by Michael Bolton, Diane Warren and Walter Afanasieff, performed by Michael Bolton) (5:56)
Running Time: 44 minutes 49 seconds
Columbia 476818-4 (1994)
Music composed by Rachel Portman. Conducted by David Snell. Orchestrated by Rachel Portman. Violin solos performed by Christopher Warren Green. Recorded and mixed by Dick Lewzey. Edited by Bill Abbott. Mastered by David Mitson. Album produced by Rachel Portman.
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These web pages were designed and maintained by Jonathan Broxton copyright 1997. All opinions and views expressed on these pages are my own and are in no way intended to reflect those of my employer, the Trent Institute for Health Services Research, or those of the University of Sheffield.