Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (soundtrack)
Encyclopedia
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl soundtrack is the official soundtrack album from the homonymous film
. The album was released on July 22, 2003, by Walt Disney Records and contains selections of music from the movie's score. The music of the film and this album are both credited to composer Klaus Badelt
and producer Hans Zimmer
. The score is mostly famous for its quick and mysterious production, as well as its considerable departure from the genre's traditional musical style.
was originally hired to write the score for The Curse of the Black Pearl. However, due to creative differences between him and producer Jerry Bruckheimer
, Silvestri left the project and Gore Verbinski
asked Hans Zimmer
, with whom he had worked on The Ring
, to step in. Zimmer declined to do the bulk of the composing, as he was busy scoring The Last Samurai
, a project during which he claimed he had promised not to take any other assignments. As a result he referred Verbinski to Klaus Badelt
, a relatively new composer who had been a part of Remote Control Productions
(known as Media Ventures at the time) for three years.
Zimmer however ended up collaborating with Badelt to write most of the score's primary themes. Zimmer said he wrote most of the tunes in the space of one night, and then recorded them in an all-synthesized demo credited to him. This demo presents three of the score's themes and motifs, concluding with an early version of "He's A Pirate" which differs from the final cue and includes a development of a melody Zimmer wrote for the score to Drop Zone
.) Since the schedule was very tight and the music was needed for the film in three weeks, seven other composers — Ramin Djawadi
, James Dooley
, Nick Glennie-Smith
, Steve Jablonsky
, Blake Neely
, James McKee Smith, and Geoff Zanelli
— were called upon to help orchestrate the music and write additional cues. The resulting score was recorded with a group of musicians, credited as the Hollywood Studio Symphony
, over the course of four days. The short time frame demanded the use of a different recording studio for each session. The Metro Voices
, a male choir, was recorded in London and added to the finished recordings.
For the soundtrack album, 43 minutes of the music was released with Klaus Badelt credited as the composer. The cues were edited for length, and minor changes to the mix were also made. For unknown reasons, the mixing of several cues are executed with gain levels so high that it causes distortion. This is noticeable particularly during the action cues and the reprise of the love theme in track 14, "One Last Shot". It is also noted that besides the first two cues, the tracks' generic names were unrelated to their contents. According to the official website of composer Geoff Zanelli
, this was because the production "schedule was so short that [they] had to decide on the track names for the album packaging before the score was even written!"
Badelt was credited as the conductor on early batches of the disc, but it was actually conducted by Blake Neely.
is rare; most of the louder music consists of melody, simple harmony, and rhythmic figures in the low brass and low strings. Sampled drum beats including tom-toms
and various cymbal
s are used ubiquitously in such sections. A very low, rumbling bass line was also introduced into the mix to reinforce the cello and double bass
es. Quieter sections tend to rely either on the string section or on sound effects. Pan flute
, possibly synthesized or sampled, and claves
can be heard repeatedly in the eerier cues.
One of the defining characteristics of this score's sound is the use of horn
for melody. Nearly all of the score's louder sections feature the horns on the melody, frequently doubled by various string instruments.
, which features a number of scenes based on the movie, composer Yoko Shimomura
arranged a synthesized "He's a Pirate" to serve as the musical theme for all combat in the Port Royal
world. This arrangement is identical in structure to the original cue, though a number of changes were made to the melody and chords.
gave it one out of a possible five stars, criticizing it's similarities to past Remote Control
scores such as The Rock
and Gladiator
. He also criticized its lack of connections to the "swashbuckling" genre, stating, "The most disgraceful part of the pounding and shouting score for The Curse of the Black Pearl is that there is really nothing swashbuckling about it. If you remove the tepid little thirty-second jig from the start of the opening cue, then this score could easily accompany a movie about alien attacks, police force raids, chases for nuclear weapons, or any other militaristic setting."
Conversely, Andrew Granade of Soundtrack.net gave the score a mostly positive review, giving it 3.5 out of 5 rating and stating, "Pirates of the Caribbean is over the top in both movie and score, yet in a good-natured way. Badelt's work here is pleasing without being too heavy and is fully melded with the onscreen action."
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is a 2003 adventure fantasy film based on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disney theme parks. It was directed by Gore Verbinski and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
. The album was released on July 22, 2003, by Walt Disney Records and contains selections of music from the movie's score. The music of the film and this album are both credited to composer Klaus Badelt
Klaus Badelt
Klaus Badelt is an award-winning German composer, best known for composing film scores.-Life and career:Badelt was born in Frankfurt, Germany. He started his musical career composing for many successful movies and commercials in his homeland...
and producer Hans Zimmer
Hans Zimmer
Hans Florian Zimmer is a German film composer and music producer. He has composed music for over 100 films, including critically acclaimed film scores for The Lion King , Crimson Tide , The Thin Red Line , Gladiator , The Dark Knight and Inception .Zimmer spent the early part of his career in the...
. The score is mostly famous for its quick and mysterious production, as well as its considerable departure from the genre's traditional musical style.
Track listing
Production
Composer Alan SilvestriAlan Silvestri
Alan Anthony Silvestri is an American film composer and conductor.-Career:Silvestri is best known for his collaborations with director Robert Zemeckis, having scored Romancing the Stone , the Back to the Future trilogy , Who Framed Roger Rabbit , Death Becomes Her , Forrest Gump , Contact ,...
was originally hired to write the score for The Curse of the Black Pearl. However, due to creative differences between him and producer Jerry Bruckheimer
Jerry Bruckheimer
Jerome Leon "Jerry" Bruckheimer is an American film and television producer. He has achieved great success in the genres of action, drama, and science fiction. His best known television series are CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, Eleventh Hour, Without a Trace, Cold Case, The...
, Silvestri left the project and Gore Verbinski
Gore Verbinski
Gregor "Gore" Verbinski is an American film director, writer and musician. He is best known for directing the films The Ring, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Rango.-Early life:...
asked Hans Zimmer
Hans Zimmer
Hans Florian Zimmer is a German film composer and music producer. He has composed music for over 100 films, including critically acclaimed film scores for The Lion King , Crimson Tide , The Thin Red Line , Gladiator , The Dark Knight and Inception .Zimmer spent the early part of his career in the...
, with whom he had worked on The Ring
The Ring (2002 film)
The Ring is a 2002 American psychological horror film directed by Gore Verbinski and starring Naomi Watts and Martin Henderson. It is a remake of the 1998 Japanese horror film Ring....
, to step in. Zimmer declined to do the bulk of the composing, as he was busy scoring The Last Samurai
The Last Samurai
The Last Samurai is a 2003 American epic drama film directed and co-produced by Edward Zwick, who also co-wrote the screenplay based on a story by John Logan. The film was inspired by a project developed by writer and director Vincent Ward, who had previously filmed the movie in 1990, starring...
, a project during which he claimed he had promised not to take any other assignments. As a result he referred Verbinski to Klaus Badelt
Klaus Badelt
Klaus Badelt is an award-winning German composer, best known for composing film scores.-Life and career:Badelt was born in Frankfurt, Germany. He started his musical career composing for many successful movies and commercials in his homeland...
, a relatively new composer who had been a part of Remote Control Productions
Remote Control Productions
Remote Control Productions is a film score company run by veteran composer Hans Zimmer. Originally known as "Media Ventures," which was conceived and founded by Jay Rifkin and Hans Zimmer, the company changed its name after the partners both filed lawsuits against each other.Remote Control...
(known as Media Ventures at the time) for three years.
Zimmer however ended up collaborating with Badelt to write most of the score's primary themes. Zimmer said he wrote most of the tunes in the space of one night, and then recorded them in an all-synthesized demo credited to him. This demo presents three of the score's themes and motifs, concluding with an early version of "He's A Pirate" which differs from the final cue and includes a development of a melody Zimmer wrote for the score to Drop Zone
Drop Zone (film)
Drop Zone is a 1994 action movie directed by John Badham. It stars Wesley Snipes, Gary Busey and Yancy Butler.-Plot:Aboard a commercial airliner, U.S...
.) Since the schedule was very tight and the music was needed for the film in three weeks, seven other composers — Ramin Djawadi
Ramin Djawadi
Ramin Djawadi is a German composer of orchestral music for film and television. He was born in Duisburg, Germany to an Iranian father and German mother...
, James Dooley
James Dooley (composer)
James Michael Dooley is a film score composer. Dooley studied music at New York University, majoring in music composition. After finishing the university he moved to Los Angeles, where he studied music with prolific film score composers Christopher Young, Elmer Bernstein and Leonard Rosenman...
, Nick Glennie-Smith
Nick Glennie-Smith
Nick Glennie-Smith is a film composer whose most prominent work is a collaboration with Hans Zimmer on the score to the 1996 action film The Rock as well as work on the 1993 drama Point of No Return...
, Steve Jablonsky
Steve Jablonsky
Steven Jablonsky is an American music composer for film, television and video games. He has been the music director for all the Michael Bay movies produced and directed since The Island...
, Blake Neely
Blake Neely
Blake Neely is an American composer, arranger, orchestrator, conductor, and author. His father was a rancher and his brother Tom Neely is an artist in Los Angeles....
, James McKee Smith, and Geoff Zanelli
Geoff Zanelli
Geoff Zanelli is a composer working primarily in the medium of film music. His early career was notable for scoring additional music on roughly 30 film scores written by Hans Zimmer, Harry Gregson-Williams, John Powell, Klaus Badelt and Steve Jablonsky including several blockbuster films...
— were called upon to help orchestrate the music and write additional cues. The resulting score was recorded with a group of musicians, credited as the Hollywood Studio Symphony
Hollywood Studio Symphony
The Hollywood Studio Symphony is the credited name of the symphony orchestra behind many major soundtracks, including The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Sucker Punch, Jurassic Park 3, Last Samurai, Pirates of the Caribbean, We Are Marshall, Spider-Man 2, Lost and The...
, over the course of four days. The short time frame demanded the use of a different recording studio for each session. The Metro Voices
Metro Voices
Metro Voices is a choir group based in London, England that specialises in performing for the motion pictures. They work closely with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and with acclaimed British composer Craig Armstrong...
, a male choir, was recorded in London and added to the finished recordings.
For the soundtrack album, 43 minutes of the music was released with Klaus Badelt credited as the composer. The cues were edited for length, and minor changes to the mix were also made. For unknown reasons, the mixing of several cues are executed with gain levels so high that it causes distortion. This is noticeable particularly during the action cues and the reprise of the love theme in track 14, "One Last Shot". It is also noted that besides the first two cues, the tracks' generic names were unrelated to their contents. According to the official website of composer Geoff Zanelli
Geoff Zanelli
Geoff Zanelli is a composer working primarily in the medium of film music. His early career was notable for scoring additional music on roughly 30 film scores written by Hans Zimmer, Harry Gregson-Williams, John Powell, Klaus Badelt and Steve Jablonsky including several blockbuster films...
, this was because the production "schedule was so short that [they] had to decide on the track names for the album packaging before the score was even written!"
Badelt was credited as the conductor on early batches of the disc, but it was actually conducted by Blake Neely.
Orchestration
For the most part, The Curse of the Black Pearl features simple orchestration. CounterpointCounterpoint
In music, counterpoint is the relationship between two or more voices that are independent in contour and rhythm and are harmonically interdependent . It has been most commonly identified in classical music, developing strongly during the Renaissance and in much of the common practice period,...
is rare; most of the louder music consists of melody, simple harmony, and rhythmic figures in the low brass and low strings. Sampled drum beats including tom-toms
Tom-tom drum
A tom-tom drum is a cylindrical drum with no snare.Although "tom-tom" is the British term for a child's toy drum, the name came originally from the Anglo-Indian and Sinhala; the tom-tom itself comes from Asian or Native American cultures...
and various cymbal
Cymbal
Cymbals are a common percussion instrument. Cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys; see cymbal making for a discussion of their manufacture. The greater majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs sound a...
s are used ubiquitously in such sections. A very low, rumbling bass line was also introduced into the mix to reinforce the cello and double bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
es. Quieter sections tend to rely either on the string section or on sound effects. Pan flute
Pan flute
The pan flute or pan pipe is an ancient musical instrument based on the principle of the closed tube, consisting usually of five or more pipes of gradually increasing length...
, possibly synthesized or sampled, and claves
Claves
Claves are a percussion instrument , consisting of a pair of short Claves (Anglicized pronunciation: clah-vays, IPA:[ˈklαves]) are a percussion instrument (idiophone), consisting of a pair of short Claves (Anglicized pronunciation: clah-vays, IPA:[ˈklαves]) are a percussion instrument (idiophone),...
can be heard repeatedly in the eerier cues.
One of the defining characteristics of this score's sound is the use of horn
Horn (instrument)
The horn is a brass instrument consisting of about of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. A musician who plays the horn is called a horn player ....
for melody. Nearly all of the score's louder sections feature the horns on the melody, frequently doubled by various string instruments.
Kingdom Hearts II
For the video game Kingdom Hearts IIKingdom Hearts II
is an action role-playing game developed by Square Enix and published by Buena Vista Games and Square Enix in 2005 for the Sony PlayStation 2 video game console...
, which features a number of scenes based on the movie, composer Yoko Shimomura
Yoko Shimomura
is a Japanese video game composer. She has been described as "the most famous female video game music composer in the world". She has worked in the video game music industry since graduating from Osaka College of Music in 1988...
arranged a synthesized "He's a Pirate" to serve as the musical theme for all combat in the Port Royal
Port Royal
Port Royal was a city located at the end of the Palisadoes at the mouth of the Kingston Harbour, in southeastern Jamaica. Founded in 1518, it was the centre of shipping commerce in the Caribbean Sea during the latter half of the 17th century...
world. This arrangement is identical in structure to the original cue, though a number of changes were made to the melody and chords.
Reception
The score received mixed reviews from critics. Christian Clemmensen of Filmtracks.comFilmtracks.com
Filmtracks.com is a leading modern film score review website created and maintained out of Missoula, Montana by its sole reviewer, Christian Clemmensen...
gave it one out of a possible five stars, criticizing it's similarities to past Remote Control
Remote Control Productions
Remote Control Productions is a film score company run by veteran composer Hans Zimmer. Originally known as "Media Ventures," which was conceived and founded by Jay Rifkin and Hans Zimmer, the company changed its name after the partners both filed lawsuits against each other.Remote Control...
scores such as The Rock
The Rock (film)
The Rock is a 1996 action film that primarily takes place on Alcatraz Island and in the San Francisco Bay area. It was directed by Michael Bay and stars Sean Connery, Nicolas Cage and Ed Harris. It was produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer and released through Hollywood Pictures. The film...
and Gladiator
Gladiator (2000 film)
Gladiator is a 2000 historical epic film directed by Ridley Scott, starring Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Ralf Möller, Oliver Reed, Djimon Hounsou, Derek Jacobi, John Shrapnel and Richard Harris. Crowe portrays the loyal Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius, who is betrayed...
. He also criticized its lack of connections to the "swashbuckling" genre, stating, "The most disgraceful part of the pounding and shouting score for The Curse of the Black Pearl is that there is really nothing swashbuckling about it. If you remove the tepid little thirty-second jig from the start of the opening cue, then this score could easily accompany a movie about alien attacks, police force raids, chases for nuclear weapons, or any other militaristic setting."
Conversely, Andrew Granade of Soundtrack.net gave the score a mostly positive review, giving it 3.5 out of 5 rating and stating, "Pirates of the Caribbean is over the top in both movie and score, yet in a good-natured way. Badelt's work here is pleasing without being too heavy and is fully melded with the onscreen action."