Some people say P`s music didnt match the dark tone in the movie, and i understand what they meen, but i view it like this:

Batman =Danny Elfman

The Joker =Prince

If you think like that the contrast between the two characters becomes greater.
The Prince-music dont match the Batman-character, but it fits The Joker, at least Partyman and Trust.
I actually wanted to post this in general discusion, but allways when you post something whit the least Prince in it it gets moved.
[Edited 8/1/08 2:03am]

No it didn't fit the film at all...a pure cynical marketing exercise.

I believe that the music matched the movie...Songs that describe "Batman.." are going to be versatile...and "Batman," is mysterious anyway...

I don't believe there will ever be some kind of narrative song that sounds like "Batman's," autobiography.

Although...If Prince was going to do another "Batman," soundtrack...there are plenty of songs throughout his collection that could be used to illuminate certain scenes...with or without the lyrics..."Live 4 Love"...for one..."Arrogance..." even "Chaos and Disorder..."

Several years after the movie came out,the director,Tim Burton,claimed that Warners "pressured" him to use the Prince songs in the film.Apparently,he only wanted two Prince songs to be used,but Prince came up with a whole album and Warners insisted that most of the songs be used.

I think it's a shame the way they treated Prince's music.We hear "The Future" for only a few seconds! "Electric Chair" and "Vicki Waiting" are used as instrumental background music

Prince's songs are hardly in the movie so I think that says it all.

LinnLM1 said:

But the scene with The Joker crashing the museum to "partyman" is wonderfull!

To me the songs just seemed crowbar'd in to the movie. They didn't fit at all. Most embarassing for me was the use of Trust. They should have kept Baby I'm A Star, as they'd used in the original filming of that scene, that would have fit better.

I like to think of it in terms of a backstory for the world in which it was set - in other words, that The Joker wanted to use music for certain things he was doing, and he had so much money that he commissioned Prince to write some. Prince obliged and provided his client with a few cartoony songs in a couple of days - nothing classic, but exactly what The Joker wanted. Jack Nicholson's Joker was all about creating art (unlike Heath Ledger's anarchic version), so it actually fits pretty well with the story...

In other words, the music used in the film itself as foreground music was what The Joker wanted, not what Prince fans would want.

Of course, this is all nonsense, but it's a fun way to think about the music.

I've always thought the music was ill-used/under-utilized in the movie.

As for it fitting into the movie...because of my aforementions thought, overall I'd say no...because IMHO, they just threw it in there.

Nothinbutjoy said:

this is one of the risks of having someone associated with a soundtrack film ..music is ALWAYS giving the back seat

L4OATheOriginal said:

O.GGGGG!!!!!

Especially if the business relationships of those involved are not so great!

Nothinbutjoy said:

NBJ!!!!

i remember danny elfman wasn't happy either with his score being relagated 2 the back in terms of promotion where prince's was being highly publicized ..

Everything's relative. I personally liked the 'quirkiness' Prince's music brought to the film, and enjoyed the duality of the music (certain songs representing Batman, others representing Joker).

slapper said:

I enjoyed the duality between the Elman score and P score.

prince music add more 2 the joker character and this new joker is lackin that no theme music no jokey character 2 damn dark and it sucked ass jack rules as the joker and prince rules wit batman related music honey

Gimmesomehorns said:

Definitely. Elfman's score was brilliant!

kaptainkrunk said:

i'm with u ..heath was good but he's no jack

Um, Heath DESTROYED Jack's version of The Joker. Jack's version was just him playing himself in clown make-up.

(I say this as a HUGE, HUGE Nicholson fan. Fantastic actor. I'm sure if he was given the same materials to work with as Ledger was, he would have done as good of a job)

yes the music fits.
musically yes, the choice of scales, etc
instrument choice yes, fits perfect

I recently saw the Dark knight and i thought heaths Joker was great, but P´s music woulndt fit with him like Jacks version.
If Heath should have his own partyman scene it should sound more like this

i think it fit perfect best batman movie ever. i think the new batman movies have ruined the franchise even if there settting records the storylines arent as good. i wish burton had keep doing all of them. leger is good as joker but i dont like bale or any of the other charthers really. i wish they had keep it how it was. instead of dumping the whole storyline. prince was very good at composing for the joker.
~joshua

Prince's music doesn't even fit in Prince movies

Rico said:

+1 on the crowbar'd part. I was thinking more like shoe-horned LOL! I really liked Danny Elfman's score. As much as I like Prince's music during this period I felt that it contributed to the campier elements of the film. It stuck out like a really big sore thumb. While Nicholson's Joker was fine for it's time. Heath Ledgers Joker for me was the perfect realization of that character. The Joker is a really sick bastard!

Gimmesomehorns said:

That could work
As long as you don't look at the video that is

obsessed said:

, it was an impulse i got, how aggresive and crasy this song is.
The vid has nothing to do with the actuall song, the industry band ministry made it.

no.

The scenes in which his music was actually played seemed forced.

scandoulas fits perfect, I think its when Bruce is carrying a drunk vicki vale up the stairs.....dont u think

I´ve seen it a long time ago and I don´t remember it very well.

But i love the Batman soundtrack.

Gimmesomehorns said:

I think we need lyrics to go with this

Show Me Your Spine

Condition yourself
A condition red
Alert yourself
When you shake the deck
Like you shake my soul
Ah, show yourself
Ah, give me your spine
Take it all in
And I'll take it all in 'til you hurt me

See yourself
Are you dead or alive?
You can feel my flesh
'Cause I'll rip my spine
And I'll show you my innocence
One more game
Won't you play that game for me?
'Cause no one's watching
And no one cares
About your indifference

Ha! Ha!
Ha! Haa!
Ha! Ha!
Ah, show yourself to me
Huh!

Ha! Ha!
Ha! Haa!
Ha! Ha!
Ah, show yourself to me
Huh!
Ahh, show yourself
Unmask yourself
Expose yourself
Show your spine to me
TO ME!

Perfect for the Joker

obsessed said:

I didnt listen to the lyrics much, more the mood of the sound, but now that you mention it yeah!