What’s up, dudes? “Gremlins” is a classic holiday horror, made better by Jerry Goldsmith’s score and the killer hits of Michael Sembello and Peter Gabriel. Thus, Kevin Williams from ‘Tis the Soundtrack joins me to really dig into a couple of cues from the “Gremlins” score and dish about music theory of it all as well.
Synopsis
First, we get into the mega madness with the Sembello track. Played during the bar scene, the uptempo dance song set the stage for the “Maniac”-like antics of the dancing green creature. Likewise, the film also features a track by Quarterflash and Darlene Love’s epically classic “Christmas.”
Goldsmith’s penchant for atonality shines forth in the frantic cue ‘No Santa Claus.’ The Stravinsky-esque eighths are composed of dueling tritones E-Bb and D-Ab and immediately transition to alternating bars of 5/8 and 7/8. Subsequently, all this segues quite nicely into held sonorities overlaid with “Silent Night” as Kate begins her tale of holiday woe. Talk about harmonization!
Altered mystic chord? Check. Catchy mogwai theme? Got it. Synthesizer? Yes, but only if there’s 7 different types! So grab your Roland Jupiter-6, join the orchestra, and play along to this episode all about the “Gremlins” score and soundtrack!
‘Tis the Soundtrack
YouTube: @TisTheSoundtrack
IG: @tisthesoundtrack
Nicolas Delage solving the mystery of Gizmo’s voice!
Be sure to check out the brilliant publication of Goldsmith’s work by Chris Siddall, which made this analysis possible.
