Bedazzled [1967] [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]

Dudley Moore's score to the 1968 cult classic Bedazzled is a delightful jazz romp. Moore composed, arranged, and produced the music for his trio: Moore on piano, Pete McGurk on bass, and Chris Karan on drums. Moore keeps things light and airy, and also consistently cool, as he and his jazz cronies jam with precision. His fingers twinkle across the piano, portraying the comedy, tension, and emotion of the onscreen action to a tee. Saxophones, flutes, violins, and assorted horns chime in to express sadness or to take the music down truly whimsical side avenues. The three vocal songs are glorious, and it helps that they underscore the film's highlights. The pleasant choir musings of "The Leaping Nuns' Chorus" immediately brings to mind those religious figures on trampolines. Moore's pitch-perfect vocals on "Love Me" add a witty sneer to the song's bombastic undercurrent. It's impossible not to smile when he sings, "I'm on my knees/Won't you please come and love me." Peter Cook's droll, stoic voice on "Bedazzled" would be the score's standout feature if his longtime partner, Moore, wasn't such an accomplished pianist and such an intelligent jazz arranger. Who can resist Cook's dismissals of, "I don't love you, leave me alone/I'm self-contained/You fill me with inertia," as Moore implores backing vocalists to drown him in adoration? The "Main Title"'s melody makes appearances throughout the soundtrack, and Moore repeatedly twists and turns it into something new and fascinating. Filled with energy, sparklingly beautiful jazz passages, and an expert balance of classical motifs and hilarious vocals, Bedazzled is a timeless reminder of Dudley Moore's genius. ~ Tim DiGravina