Ishtar, the notorious 1987 flop starring Warren Beatty and Dustin Hoffman as bumbling songwriters, had one undeniably redeeming feature. The tunes sprinkled throughout the picture—"Portable Picnic," "Wardrobe of Love," "That a Lawnmower Can Do All That"—are a daffy delight.
Consummate pop craftsman Paul Williams wrote most of them, and he made sure they sounded competent for the first couple of bars. Then they hit a brick wall. For instance:
A soundtrack album was promised in the closing credits, but release was canceled after the movie did a face-plant. "If I live to be 100, maybe the world will embrace it," Williams says.
http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/08/ff_lost_basementtapes/2/
Consummate pop craftsman Paul Williams wrote most of them, and he made sure they sounded competent for the first couple of bars. Then they hit a brick wall. For instance:
"Telling the truth can be dangerous business. / Honest and popular don't go hand in hand.
If you admit you can play the accordion / No one will hire you in a rock-and-roll band."
A soundtrack album was promised in the closing credits, but release was canceled after the movie did a face-plant. "If I live to be 100, maybe the world will embrace it," Williams says.
http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/08/ff_lost_basementtapes/2/
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