Milan 73138 35874-2 - 1999

Music Composed and Produced By Marc Shaiman.

Conducted By Pete Anthony.
Orchestrated By Jeff Atmajian, Brad Dechter, Patrick Russ, Frank Bennett and Pete Anthony.
Recorded and Mixed By Dennis Sands.

"When I first heard about The Out-Of-Towners, I wondered if swing music might fit within the film. Once the movie was edited together, and we began to consider what music might be appropriate, I was happy to learn that the kind of stylish New York movie music was what the director, Sam Weisman, was looking for. I had one of the best writing experiences that I've ever had working on this movie; I so enjoyed waking up every day while working on this picture, knowing that what Iw as doing was pleasing both the director and myself - that doesn't always happen.
Though I'd remembered loving the original, I didn't watch the first movie (directed by Arthur Hiller in 1970) before I began work on the film's music. After I finished the movie, by chance I caught the original on TV. Quincy Jones scored the first version of The Out-Of-Towners, and it was a thrill for me to realize I was following in Quincy Jones' footsteps.
The new filming of The Out-Of-Towners is quite different from the first version; it's more romantic, which presents a nice opportunity for me as a composer. The music plays a much larger part in this movie. To describe my work for the new film, like so many things that I score, it's only a step away from being a musical. If I put lyrics to all the themes that I wrote and added a couple of songs, you could put it onstage! I was encouraged to cut loose on this score. Working with [director] Sam Weisman and [producer] Teri Schwartz was just phenomenal.
There's one moment in the movie where [Steve Martin & Goldie Hawn] are penniles, but then they realize that their luggage, containing travellers' cheques, has returned to the hotel. The obvious move would have been to score this as a frantic moment, as they made their way back to the hotel, but I chose to write in a romantic mode; even though the characters are running and bickering, the romantic music heard during the sequence underscores the fact that this couple had been together for a long time, and that they love each other in spite of their arguing. That was a nice moment; I got to highlight a feeling that might otherwise have been swept under the carpet by a different choice of music. The score points up the frantic nature of the couple's New York visit often enough during the the rest of the film, so I enjoyed taking a breather during that part and writing something romantic. The Out-Of-Towners made much use of a swing rhythm section, lending a big-band feeling to the score; luckily for myself, many of the projects that I work on require this sound. The players here in Los Angeles are simply the greatest, not only because they can play my charts right away, but they can nail any period style that I'm after perfectly. I just can't say enough good things about these musicians. They're like family to me and they just make everything work". - Marc Shaiman