Music at the Oscars, Part 4: A Decade Study

This chapter of our Decade Study on music at the Academy Awards will be centered around years 31-40 of the Best Original Song category, which is years 37-46 for the ceremony itself. As a reminder, Best Original Song is presented to the songwriters who have written an original song specifically for a feature film.

1965

The 37th Annual Academy Awards were held April 5th, 1965 in Santa Monica, California. Hosted by comedian Bob Hope, the televised ceremony celebrated film achievements from 1964.

Best Original Song - Chim Chim Cher-ee by Dick Van Dyke, Julie Andrews, Karen Dotrice, & Matthew Garber (written by R. Sherman, R. Sherman)

Chim Chim Cher-ee, with music and lyrics by The Sherman Brothers (Robert & Richard), was one of five nominees for Best Original Song 1965, beating out Dear Heart from Dear Heart; Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte from Hush... Hush Sweet Charlotte; My Kind of Town from Robin and the 7 Hoods; and Where Love Has Gone from Where Love Has Gone. The song was featured in Robert Stevenson's 1964 film Mary Poppins, which is of course Walt Disney's interpretation of P.L. Travers' 1934 book series of the same name. Starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, Best Original Song was one of the film's five Oscar wins that night out of thirteen total nominations (the other wins being for Best Actress (Julie Andrews); Best Film Editing, Best Music Score Substantially Original; and Best Special Visual Effects). Other notable recordings of this song include those by John Coltrane, Bing Crosby, Duke Ellington, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Louis Armstrong, and Mannheim Steamroller. Obviously this is an iconic song from an iconic movie, and I love that Andrews counts this as one of her personal favorite Disney songs of all time.

Chim chiminey, chim chiminey, chim chim cher-ee/A sweep is as lucky as lucky can be/Chim chiminey, chim chiminey, chim chim cher-oo/Good luck will rub off when I shakes 'ands with you/Or blow me a kiss, and that's lucky too/Now as the ladder of life 'as been strung/You may think a sweep’s on the bottommost rung/Though I spends me time in the ashes and smoke/In this 'ole wide world, there's no 'appier bloke

1966

The 38th Annual Academy Awards were held April 18th, 1966 in Santa Monica, California. Hosted by comedian Bob Hope, the televised ceremony celebrated film achievements from 1965.

Best Original Song - The Shadow of Your Smile by Tony Bennett (written by J. Mandel, P. Webster)

The Shadow of Your Smile, with music by Johnny Mandel and lyrics by Paul Francis Webster, was one of five nominees for Best Original Song 1966, beating out The Ballad of Cat Ballou from Cat Ballou; I Will Wait for You from The Umbrellas of Cherbourg; The Sweetheart Tree from The Great Race; and What's New Pussycat? from What's New Pussycat?. The song was featured in Vincente Minnelli's 1965 film The Sandpiper. Starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, Best Original Song was the only nomination and subsequent win for the film. Other notable recordings of this song include those by Astrud Gilberto, Barbra Streisand, Bobby Darrin, Frank Sinatra & Count Basie, Nancy Sinatra, and Stevie Wonder. Though this is a fairly minor hit from Bennett's repertoire, I really like it and think he does a fantastic job performing it.

One day, we walked along the sand, one day in early spring/You held a piper in your hand to mend its broken wing/Now I'll remember many a day and many a lonely mile/The echo of a piper's song, the shadow of a smile/The shadow of your smile when you are gone/Will color all my dreams and light the dawn/Look into my eyes, my love, and see/All the lovely things you are to me

1967

The 39th Annual Academy Awards were held April 10th, 1967 in Santa Monica, California. Hosted by comedian Bob Hope, the televised ceremony celebrated film achievements from 1966.

Best Original Song - Born Free by Matt Monro (written by J. Barry, D. Black)

Born Free, with music by John Barry and lyrics by Don Black, was one of five nominees for Best Original Song 1967, beating out Alfie from Alfie; Georgy Girl from Georgy Girl; My Wishing Doll from Hawaii; and A Time for Love from An American Dream. The song was featured in James Hill's 1966 film Born Free, based on Joy Adamson's 1960 biographical novel of the same name. Starring Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers, Best Original Song was one of two nominations and subsequent wins for the film, with the other being for Best Original Music Score. Other notable recordings of this song include those by Roger Williams and The Mormon Tabernacle Choir. The version I tend to think of when I hear this song is the Mormon Tabernacle cover because it was in Madagascar, but this is a pretty song and I enjoyed listening to Matt Monro's version a lot.

Born free/As free as the wind blows/As free as the grass grows/Born free to follow your heart/Live free/And beauty surrounds you/The world still astounds you/Each time you look at a star

1968

The 40th Annual Academy Awards were held April 10th, 1968 in Santa Monica, California. Hosted by comedian Bob Hope, the televised ceremony celebrated film achievements from 1967.

Best Original Song - Talk to the Animals by Rex Harrison (written by L. Bricusse)

Talk to the Animals, with music and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse, was one of five nominees for Best Original Song 1968, beating out The Bare Necessities from The Jungle Book; The Eyes of Love from Banning; The Look of Love from Casino Royale; and Thoroughly Modern Millie from Thoroughly Modern Millie. The song was featured in Richard Fleischer's 1967 film Doctor Doolittle, based on Hugh Lofting's 1920 book series of the same name. Starring Rex Harrison and Samantha Egger, Best Original Song was one of two wins out of nine total nominations for the film, with the other win being for Best Special Visual Effects. Other notable recordings of this song include those by Sammy Davis Jr., Roger Williams, and Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass. I'm not going to lie, I don't understand even a little bit how this song beat Bare Necessities and Thoroughly Modern Millie, especially since pretty much everyone hated this song at first, but Sammy Davis Jr's version is alright so I will give it that.

Oh, if I could talk to the animals, just imagine it/Chatting with a chimp in chimpanzee/Imagine talking to a tiger, chatting with a cheetah/What a neat achievement it would be/If we could talk to the animals and learn their languages/Maybe take an animal degree/I’d study elephant and eagle, buffalo and beagle/Alligator, guinea pig and flea

1969

The 41st Annual Academy Awards were held April 14th, 1969 in Los Angeles, California. With no official host, the televised ceremony celebrated film achievements from 1968.

Best Original Song - Windmills of Your Mind by Noel Harrison (written by A. Bergman, M. Bergman, M. Legrand)

Windmills of Your Mind, with music by Michael Legrand and lyrics by Alan & Marilyn Bergman, was one of five nominees for Best Original Song 1969, beating out Chitty Chitty Bang Bang from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang; For Love of Ivy from For Love of Ivy; Funny Girl from Funny Girl; and Star! from Star!. The song was featured in Norman Jewison's 1968 film The Thomas Crown Affair. Starring Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway, Best Original Song was the only win out of two total nominations for the film. Other notable recordings of this song include those by Dusty Springfield, José Feliciano, Jimmie Rogers, and Sting. Again, I'm a little surprised this song won when a song like Funny Girl was in the running, but this song I actually enjoyed listening to and it makes a little more sense than Talk to the Animals' win the year before.

Round like a circle in a spiral, like a wheel within a wheel/Never ending or beginning on an ever spinning reel/Like a snowball down a mountain, or a carnival balloon/Like a carousel that’s turning running rings around the moon/Like a clock whose hands are sweeping past the minutes of its face/And the world is like an apple whirling silently in space/Like the circles that you find in the windmills of your mind/Like a tunnel that you follow to a tunnel of its own/Down a hollow to a cavern where the sun has never shone/Like a door that keeps revolving in a half forgotten dream/Or the ripples from a pebble someone tosses in a stream/Like a clock whose hands are sweeping past the minutes of its face/And the world is like an apple whirling silently in space/Like the circles that you find in the windmills of your mind

1970

The 42nd Annual Academy Awards were held April 7th, 1970 in Los Angeles, California. With no official host, the televised ceremony celebrated film achievements from 1969.

Best Original Song - Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head by B.J. Thomas (written by B. Bacharach, H. David)

Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head, with music by Burt Bacharach and lyrics by Hal David, was one of five nominees for Best Original Song 1970, beating out Come Saturday Morning from The Sterile Cuckoo; Jean from The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie; True Grit from True Grit; and What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life? from The Happy Ending. The song was featured in George Roy Hill's 1969 film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford, Best Original Song was one of four wins out of seven total nominations for the film (the other wins including Best Story and Screenplay Based on Material Not Previously Published or Produced; Best Cinematography; and Best Original Score for a Motion Picture (Not a Musical)). Other notable recordings of this song include that by Peggy Lee. This song is absolutely a classic bop, and I definitely listened to it a couple of times when the news of B.J. Thomas's death broke last year.

Raindrops are falling on my head/And just like the guy whose feet are too big for his bed/Nothing seems to fit/Those raindrops are falling on my head, they keep falling/So I just did me some talking to the sun/And I said I didn't like the way he got things done/Sleeping on the job/Those raindrops are falling on my head, they keep falling/But there's one thing I know/The blues they send to meet me/Won't defeat me, it won't be longTill happiness steps up to greet me

1971

The 43rd Annual Academy Awards were held April 15th, 1971 in Los Angeles, California. With no official host, the televised ceremony celebrated film achievements from 1970.

Best Original Song - For All We Know by Larry Meredith (written by J. Griffin, R. Wilson, F. Karlin)

For All We Know, with music by Fred Karlin and lyrics by James Griffin & Robb Wilson, was one of five nominees for Best Original Song 1971, beating out Whistling Away the Dark from Darling Lili; Till Love Touches Your Life from Madron; Pieces of Dreams from Pieces of Dreams; and Thank You Very Much from Scrooge. The song was featured in Cy Howard's 1970 film Lovers and Other Strangers, which was based on Joseph Bologna and Renée Taylor's 1968 play of the same name. Starring Beatrice Arthur and Bonnie Bedelia, Best Original Song was the film's only win out of three total nominations. Other notable recordings of this song include those by The Carpenters, Shirley Bassey, and Nicki French. I actually listened to The Carpenters' cover of this song, and it's definitely a bop like you would expect from them.

For all we know/We may never meet again/Before you go/Make this moment sweet again/We won't say goodnight/Until the last minute/I will hold out my hand/And my heart will be in it/For all we know

1972

The 44th Annual Academy Awards were held April 10th, 1972 in Los Angeles, California. Hosted by actress Helen Hayes, actor Alan King, singer/actor Sammy Davis Jr., and actor Jack Lemmon, the televised ceremony celebrated film achievements from 1971.

Best Original Song - Theme from Shaft by Isaac Hayes (written by I. Hayes)

Theme from Shaft, with music and lyrics by Isaac Hayes, was one of five nominees for Best Original Song 1972, beating out The Age of Not Believing from Bedknobs and Broomsticks; All His Children from Sometimes a Great Notion; Bless the Beasts and Children from Bless the Beasts and Children; and Life Is What You Make It from Kotch. The song was featured in Gordon Parks's 1971 film Shaft, which was based on Ernest Tidyman's 1970 novel of the same name. Starring Richard Roundtree and Moses Gunn, Best Original Song was the film's only win out of two total nominations. Other notable recordings of this song include those by Sammy Davis Jr and Tony Orlando & Dawn. This is a song everybody knows whether they realize it or not, and while I have a soft spot for Age of Not Believing this is a catchy song for sure and has made its mark on popular culture.

Who's the black private dick/That's a sex machine to all the chicks, Shaft/You're damn right/Who is the man that would risk his neck for his brother, man, Shaft/Can ya dig it

1973

The 45th Annual Academy Awards were held March 27th, 1973 in Los Angeles, California. Hosted by actress Carol Burnett, actor Sir Michael Caine, actor Charlton Heston, and actor Rock Hudson, the televised ceremony celebrated film achievements from 1972.

Best Original Song - The Morning After by Maureen McGovern (written by A. Kasha, J. Hirschhorn)

The Morning After, with music by Al Kasha and lyrics by Joel Hirschhorn, was one of five nominees for Best Original Song 1973, beating out Ben from Ben; Come Follow, Follow Me from The Little Ark; Marmalade, Molasses & Honey from The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean; and Strange Are the Ways of Love from The Stepmother. The song was featured in Ronald Neame's 1972 film The Poseidon Adventure, which was based on Paul Gallico's 1969 novel of the same name. Starring Gene Hackman and Ernest Borgnine, Best Original Song was one of two wins out of nine total nominations for the film, with the other win being for Best Visual Effects. This song gave off Bond theme vibes to me... I'm not sure exactly what it is about it but if you've seen any of the Connery or Moore era Bond films you'll probably get it.

There's got to be a morning after/If we can hold on through the night/We have a chance to find the sunshine/Let's keep on looking for the light/Oh, can't you see the morning after/It's waiting right outside the storm/Why don't we cross the bridge together/And find a place that's safe and warm/It's not too late, we should be giving/Only with love can we climb/It's not too late, not while we're living/Let's put our hands out in time

1974

The 46th Annual Academy Awards were held April 2nd, 1974 in Los Angeles, California. Hosted by actor Burt Reynolds, singer/actress Diana Ross, actor John Huston, and actor David Niven, the televised ceremony celebrated film achievements from 1973.

Best Original Song - The Way We Were by Barbra Streisand (written by A. Bergman, M. Bergman, M. Hamlisch)

The Way We Were, with music by Marvin Hamlisch and lyrics by Alan & Marilyn Bergman, was one of five nominees for Best Original Song 1974, beating out All That Love Went to Waste from A Touch of Class; Live and Let Die from Live and Let Die; Love from Robin Hood; and (You're So) Nice to Be Around from Cinderella Liberty. The song was featured in Sydney Pollack's 1973 film The Way We Were, which was based on Arthur Laurents' 1972 novel of the same name. Starring Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford, Best Original Song was one of two wins out of six total nominations for the film, with the other win being for Best Original Dramatic Score. Other notable covers of this song include those by Gladys Knight & The Pips, Andy Williams, Bing Crosby, and Kristin Chenoweth. I've written about this song a ton on this blog because it won literally everything the year it came out, but if you've missed it on the other posts go ahead and check it out now because it is pretty great.

Memories/Light the corners of my mind/Misty watercolor memories/Of the way we were/Scattered pictures/Of the smiles we left behind/Smiles we gave to one another/For the way we were

Whether these songs are old or new news to you, I hope you found some good listening material from this post. Happy listening, and see ya'll next week!