The Last Unicorn (album)
Occupation
- Jimmy Webb - Arranger, Composer
- The London Symphony Orchestra - Orchestra Accompaniment
- Gerry Beckley - lead vocals, piano, backing vocals ( song 1, 3, 6, 15)
- Dewey Bunnell - Lead Vocals, Guitar, Backing Vocals ( Song 2 )
- Michael Woods - lead guitar, backing vocals
- Brad Palmer - bass, backing vocals
- Willie Leacox - Drums, Percussion
- Katie Irving - Vocals ( song 4, 5)
- Jeff Bridges - vocal ( song 5)
The Last Unicorn (English: The Last Unicorn ) is a soundtrack album from the 1982 animated film of the same name The Last Unicorn, based on the story The Last Unicorn of the American writer Peter S. Beagle. The music comes from American composer Jimmy Webb and was interpreted by the British- American rock band America and the London Symphony Orchestra. The album, first released on Virgin Records on LP.
Background
The soundtrack of the film has a partly melancholic mixture of fairy tale motifs and dark, reminiscent of the works of Wagner, moods. He paints the painful history of a unicorn in search of his fellows, who were captured by a mad king and driven into the sea. King Haggard is determined to claim these magical creatures alone for themselves. The content of the songs were adapted to the plot and illustrate the feelings of the unicorn, which lived through on his journey.
The title theme underscored in the opening credits of the film, the animated image scenes on tapestries in the background. The soundtrack with all the songs was released in 1982 in Germany; in the United States, there was not this version. Mia Farrow in the film sang two songs that were sung on the album by Katie Irving.
Content
The cover story of The Last Unicorn tells of the legend of a mythical creature that is still Believed to be in the forests of the world and assume that it will still be there when the last eagle and see the remains of the once high mountains. Even if at the beginning of winter seemingly everything begins to die, is in the distance the laughter of the last unicorn heard when it cries, " I'm alive " (I live ). The unicorn learns in the story happen to them, that it seems to be the last of its kind in the world. Disbelief and sad it embarks on the search for the other dogs and tries to fathom their fate. There is where the song Man's Road, which is about the arduous, long way to the unicorn now treading. Tired, hungry and without a clue to the whereabouts of the other - even the stars seem to fade - converts it now anxiously on the paths of men. The song in the Sea illustrates the questions that the unicorn turns out. Is there anyone who could tell him what happened to the other dogs? Know the fish of the sea, the stars in the sky or the birds in the trees, where the unicorns went? In order not to suffer the same fate, the unicorn must take on human form of a woman. What are the problems that entails, is addressed in the song Now That I'm a Woman. You can very soon not remember that she was a unicorn and what she's looking really. Instead, start in her feelings to arise, which it has never known before, love and compassion for people, especially for Prince Lir, the adopted son of King Haggard. Both sing the duet That's All I've Got to Say. The other pieces are instrumental and held until the last song Unicorn and Lear, the circle closes and the title theme is remounted.
James Christopher Monger called the soundtrack in his review as " a gem from another era ", which could not reach even later animated films.
Album and cover versions
- Three tracks on the album were released: the title song The Last Unicorn individually and Man 's Road and In the Sea together on a single. The band America had in the U.S. in the 1970s and early 1980s, numerous achievements, including two number-one hits. Nevertheless, they could gain with this movie songs not place. The soundtrack was not in the charts. In Germany, The Last Unicorn was against the first and biggest success of the trio.
- The German version of the title song, The Last Unicorn was sung by Frank Turba.
- The Last Unicorn also appeared in several cover versions, including Declan, Gregorian ( Last Unicorn ), Groove Coverage, Kenny Loggins, Michael Shepherd and Monika Martin ( When the night is silent tenderly). In-Mood feat. Juliette and Marc van Linden came with their respective versions in 1999 in the German charts.