The Thomas Crown Affair: Original MGM Motion Picture Soundtrack

Product Review

One of the tricks in utilizing a contemporary form like jazz in scoring a film is to avoid the idiom's passing fads and clichés, which have severely dated many lesser projects. Paris-born composer Michel Legrand was classically trained in Europe and worked as an arranger and film scorer there, but also had the good fortune to work with jazz greats such as John Coltrane and Miles Davis in America.

This background helped elevate his "symphonic jazz" score to director Norman Jewison's romantic caper The Thomas Crown Affair beyond the excesses of much late '60s "contemporary" film music--with the exception of Noel Harrison's Rod McKuenesque rendering "The Windmills of Your Mind." Harrison may have gotten the Oscar for it, but Dusty Springfield made the song a classic.

One minor fault: Ryko's generous interspersing of film dialogue between the cuts of its reissues occasionally distracts from Legrand's symphonic intent, but these cuts can easily be programmed out. --Jerry McCulley

Title Tracks for The Thomas Crown Affair: Original MGM Motion Picture Soundtrack [Enhanced CD]

1. Theme From The Thomas Crown Affair (The Windmills Of Your Mind) - Noel Harrison
2. Whose Head Are You After? - Film Dialogue
3. Room Service
4. Think You'll Get Me? - Film Dialogue
5. A Man's Castle
6. Chess - Film Dialogue
7. The Chess Game
8. Cash And Carry
9. His Eyes, Her Eyes
10. Playing The Field
11. Something Else - Film Dialogue
12. Moments Of Love
13. The Boston Wrangler
14. Doubting Thomas
15. Please Come With The Money - Film Dialogue
16. The Crowning Touch
17. Theme From The Thomas Crown Affair (The Windmills Of Your Mind)
18. His Eyes, Her Eyes

Customer Reviews

Average Customer Review

(11 customer reviews)

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

You will enter the very film itself!, July 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Thomas Crown Affair: Original MGM Motion Picture Soundtrack [Enhanced CD] (Audio CD)

I'm a huge Steve McQueen fan, so I thought what better way to satisfy my McQueen fix than with the soundtrack to one of my all time favorite films! Man, I'm so happy that I did. The music is fabulous! I can't help but feel I AM Mr. Crown, about to get the girl, fool the Feds, and pull off the greatest heist!Excellent music, excellent movie! Can't wait for the remake

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

The sublime Monsieur Legrand at his very best!, August 24, 2000

Music Lover (United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Thomas Crown Affair: Original MGM Motion Picture Soundtrack [Enhanced CD] (Audio CD)

It's incredible to think that a whole generation of moviegoers think that 'Windmills Of Your Mind' was written for Sting's contribution to the 1999 hit remake of 'Thomas Crown'. Some 32 years earlier the young Noel Harrison was whispering his way through this captivating melody, with lyrics from the incomparable Alan & Marilyn Bergman, as Steve McQueen slipped his way through the traps set by the elegant and sexy Faye Dunaway. Michel Legrand's remarkable score embraces his jazz upbringing, providing the perfect catalyst for an ultra cool blend of high romance and 60's 'caper' action. As love songs go, Michel Legrand's own vocal interpretation of the beautiful 'His Eyes, Her Eyes' also has to be about as good as it gets. The other jazz cues fare just as well away from the split screen frames that characterised Norman Jewison's memorable film. 'The Thomas Crown Affair'is one of the sublime M.Legrand's musical milestones, in partnership with the best of 1960's American filmmaking.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

One of the best sound tracks of a movie., September 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Thomas Crown Affair: Original MGM Motion Picture Soundtrack [Enhanced CD] (Audio CD)

I saw the movie in 1968 and recently bought it to add to a small collection. It was great seeing it again and the music is superb. I play it almost constantly.