MusicFrank Strangio

(Cast)Mouldey Fygge Jazz BandWILD BILL MURPHY’S BACK STREET STUMBLERS

Music Recording Engineer Doug BradyMusic Recording Co-ordinator Spiro Fousetakis

"Land of Lonely Hearts"By Frank StrangioLyrics by Steve WadePerformed by Steve Wade

"So Far Away"By Frank StrangioLyrics by Eve DembowskiPerformed by Susie Ahern

"Hotter Than Fire"By John StrangioLyrics by John StrangioPerformed by Steve Wade

"Rescue Me"By Frank StrangioLyrics by Martin PullanPerformed by Nikki Bennett

"Making My Own Way"By Frank StrangioLyrics by Martin PullanPerformed by Nikki Bennett

"Ballad of Gilligan's Island"By S. Schwartz/G. WyleCBS Unart Catalogue Inc.

"Daydream"By John SebastianEMI Music Publishing

"Happy Birthday To You"By Hill/HillEMI Music Publishing

"Magic Moments"(David/Bacharach)Performed by Perry ComoCasa David Music/Famous MusicAdministered byWarner Chappell MusicMCA Music Australia Pty LtdChris Gilbey Pty Ltd

"Feels Like Rain"Written and Performed by John Hiatt1988 Lillibilly MusicAdministered by the Bug Music GroupProduced by Glyn JohnsCourtesy ofA & M Records International L.A.Through Polygram Pty Limited

"Out Of The Night"By Frank StrangioLyrics by Seth ProkopPerformed by Steve Wade

Soundtrack Available through 10BA Records

Music Recorded at Gotham Audio Melbourne

Music in the film:

Amongst the music that runs up in the film (for example, the key cast sing some of the TV show’s Gilligan’s Island ballad theme), a live band appears at the moment that Lex manages to get his bike run over in the street as he tries to attract Dai’s attention by pretending to have had an accident. Presumably this is the “Back Street Stumblers” mentioned in the credits:

CD:

The music from the film was released as a CD, using the cheeky credit of “10BA Records” (a reference to the personal investment tax break which was the basis for much film investment in the 1980s, which was much rorted by producers and financiers).

CD 10BA Records 72947391 1994 Includes dialogue from the filmAll other music composed by Frank StrangioRecorded and mixed by Doug Brady* Recorded by Martin Pullan with additional recording by Doug BradyProduced by Frank StrangioCD compiled by Mike SlaterThanks to John Bromell

Ever Wondered * (0’07”)Making My Own Way * (4’21”) Vocals: Nikki Bennett, Music: Frank Strangio, Lyrics: Martin Pullan, Background vocals: Nikki Bennett, Guitar solo: Brian Holloway, Publishers: Warner Chappell/Mushroom.Wake Up! (1’21”)Hotter Than Fire (3’34”) Vocals: Steve Wade, Music: John Strangio, Lyrics: John Strangio, Background vocals: Mick Pealing, Steve Wade, Guitar Solo: Mark Domoney, Publisher: Warner ChappellIt’s Jamie! (2’34”)So Far Away (4’45”) Vocals: Suzie Ahern, Music: Frank Strangio, Lyrics: Eve Dembowski, Background vocals: Mick Pealing, Nikki Bennett, Steve Wade, Guitar solo: Mark Domoney, Publisher: Warner ChappellDai (2’45”)Land Of Lonely Hearts (4’08”) Vocals: Steve Wade, Music: Frank Strangio. Lyrics: Steve Wade. Background Vocals: Steve Wade, Mick Pealing, Nikki Bennett,

Publisher: Warner Chappell/Steve Wade MusicCity Lights - Country Drive (5’15”)Out Of The Night (3’58”) Vocals: Steve Wade, Music: Frank Strangio, Lyrics: Seth Prokop, Background vocals: Steve Wade, Mick Pealing, Nikki Bennett, Sax solo: John Barrett, Publisher: Warner ChappellSuicide (4’09”)Lex To The Rescue (3’55”)Rescue Me * (3’51”)Vocals: Nikki Bennett, Music: Frank Strangio, Lyrics: Martin Pullan, Background vocals: Nikki Bennett, Piano solo: Frank Strangio, Publisher: Warner Chappell/MushroomJack Says “Hotter Than Fire” (3’52”)

Lyrics:

There are two songs at the end of the movie. The first runs over Lex and Rory, and newfound girlfriends in Lex’s Porsche, which he’s now found the courage to drive (his brother had killed himself in a car crash). The song runs over the car driving through the countryside and across a bridge:

Seems like it’s foreverIt’s now or neverDo or dieTime to make my mind upNo time to find outReasons whyIt’s a funny thingIt’s hard to break awayWhen there’s nothing wrongIt makes me realiseIt’s harder to disguiseWhere the love has goneMaking my own way Living my lifeMaking my own wayDoing it right

It used to be so easy Isn’t it a pityI don’t knowNo use being sad nowI’ve got to let those Memories goDoing what I canI got a master plan For a better time

Jamie interrupts the song with a “Hey wait a minute”, and the end credits, which

have begun to roll, screech to a halt and go into reverse. Jamie then goes into silent movie mode and beats his three tormenting bullies with a ’snap, crackle and pop’, and then a song runs over the tail credits …

(langorous saxophone intro)

There have been timesAll by myselfIt’s been so lonelyLove, love all aroundTouching the edge and dreaming throughSearching for somebody like youNeeding the things that you can doOoh you make it so rightHolding me tightOut of the nightOut, out of the darkInto your armsInto the lightOut of the coldInto your heartInto your loveOut of the night

Now there are timesDays we can share‘Cause we’re together loveLove that we’ve foundMaking my life begin anewKnowing my dreams have all come trueNow that I’ve found someone like youOooh we, we have the rightTurn off the lightOut of the night

Out, out of the darkInto your armsInto the lightOut of the coldInto your heartInto your loveOut of the nightAnd I will always love youThroughout space and timeYou are the light in darknessClearing all the shadowsOut of my mind …

(short saxophone solo and ‘wooh who’)

Out, out of the darkInto your arms Into the lightOut of the coldInto your heart …(the song fades out as the roller reaches the copyright notice)

Composer Frank Strangio:

At time of writing, Strangio still had a personal website here. It contained this biography:

Italian born Frank Strangio was raised in the United States and migrated to Australia as a teenager. He attended the Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music and is a graduate of the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston. While living in Boston Frank studied Composition privately with composer Michael Gibbs and piano with Madame Margaret Chaloff and Ray Santisi.Upon his return to Australia, Strangio began composing music for myriad projects, from Corporate films and presentations to Commercials for TV and Radio. His first feature film score was forDusty, by director John Richardson, and was the winner of the Best Music Award at the 28th Asian Pacific Film Festival. Dusty was an orchestral score featuring members of the MSO.This was followed by cult classics BMX Bandits, (Nicole Kidman's first film) and Dead End Drive-in, both directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith. It is said that Dead End Drive-In is Quentin Tarantino's favorite Trenchard-Smith flick. Following this, Frank composed the music for the Craig Lahiff film Fever, featuring the late Bill Hunter and Gary Sweet, and received an AFI Nomination for Best Film Score.Strangio has gone on to compose many other film scores including Paradise Found (directed by Mario Andreacchio) starring Kiefer Sutherland and Nastassja Kinski. The score was recorded at Angel Studios in London with the Philharmonia Orchestra and at Waveband Studio in Melbourne. The score was nominated for Best Soundtrack Album at the Australian Screen Composer Guild awards.Strangio composed the orchestral score to Andreacchio's The Dragon Pearl starring Sam Neil. This was the first official Australia China co-production and was filmed at Hengdian World Studios in China. The score was recorded by the Slovak National Orchestra.Frank has also composed for many documentaries and television series including the inimitable 'Round The Twist, which was awarded an AFI Award for Best Children's Program for the episode "The Whirling Dervish". The episode "Little Squirt" won the Le Prix Jeunesse and was nominated for an Emmy Award.The series Mortified scooped several awards as well:Gold Medal winner at 2007 New York Festival of Int'l TV Programming and Promotion Youth ProgramsGrand Award winner for Best Youth ProgramNomination for Banff World TV Awards2007 International Emmy Nomination

2006 First Prize at Chicago Int'l Children's Festival2006 AFI winner for Best Children's TV SeriesMore recently, Frank composed the dark, electronic score to Leigh Sheehan's teen thriller, Six Plots.

Strangio was a synth man for many years and provided a note on this aspect of his work:

In a bid to expand his musical horizons and compositional technique, Strangio invested in the legendary Synclavier Digital Music System.The Synclavier was, undoubtedly, the most advanced music technology of its time and was championed by such musical luminaries as Sting, Frank Zappa, Quincy Jones, Mark Knoefler and film composers Danny Elfman, Alan Silvestri, Howard Shore and too many others to list here.Strangio states that "the beauty of the Synclavier is not only its unique sonoric qualities, but its human interfaceability", thus enabling him to compose intuitively, efficiently and quickly." the beauty of the Synclavier is not only its unique sonoric qualities, but its human interfaceability."

AWARDS & NOMINATIONS2007 New York Festival of Int'l TV Programming and Promotion Gold Medal Winner for Best Youth Program - Mortified2007 New York Festival of Int'l TV Programming and Promotion Grand Award Winner for Best Youth Program - Mortified2007 Banff World TV Awards Nomination - Mortified2007 International Emmy Nomination - Mortified2006 First Prize at Chicago Int'l Children's Festival- Mortified2006 AFI Award Winner for Best Children's TV Series - Mortified2006 Australian Guild of Screen Composers Nomination for Best Original Song for the Screen (with Joe Creighton)2000 AFI Award Winner for Best Children’s Program - Round The Twist1993 Emmy Award Nomination for Best Children's Program - Round The Twist (series 2)Winner of Le Prix Jeunesse for Best Children's Program - Round The Twist (series 2)1986 Penguin Award for Best Music - The Lancaster Miller Affair1988 AFI Award Nomination for Best Music - Fever

28th Asian Pacific Film Festival Award for Best Music - Dusty

The site also provided this filmography:

Feature Films:

Six Plots (2012)The Dragon Pearl (2011)Under a Red Moon (2008)Elephant Tales (2006)Paradise Found (2003)Dalkeith (2002)Young Blades (2001)Muggers (2000)Dags (1998)Under The Gun (1995)Iron FistSex is A Four Letter Word (1995)Lex & Rory (1994)Get Away, Get Away (1993)Voyage Into Fear (1993)Strangers (1991)Bony (1990)A Kink In The Picasso (1990)Fever (1988)The Dreaming (1988)Living Forever (1987)Coda: A Symphony of Evil (1987)Contagion (1987)Dead-End Drive In (1986)The Blue Lightning (1986)BMX Bandits (1983)Dusty (1983)

Television Series & Mini-Series

Mortified (2006/2007)Power Rangers Ninja Storm (2003)Round the Twist (1993-2001)The Genie from Down Under (1998)The Genie from Down Under (1996)Glad Rags (1995)Snowy River (1994)Under The Skin (1993)Bay City (1993)Songs of Innocence (1992)Lift Off (1992)

Bony (1992)Flair (1990)The Lancaster Miller Affair (1986)The Harold Holt Mystery (1985)Glass Babies (1985) Television Movies

Strangers (1991)Bony (1990)Living Forever (1987)The Blue Lightning (1986)

Documentaries

P.S. I Love YouPeru - The Land of the Llama ReunionThe World's Greatest CommercialsThe Tree Kangaroo: Forest RecluseThe Beast that Man ForgotThe Adventures of the Quest seriesThe Wild Yak of Tibet The Destroyers 100 Years of Australian FootballRex Hunt Fishing AdventuresThe Worlds Greatest CommercialsThe Australian Football Program Rex Hunt's Fishing World Monuments To Man A Walk In The Sea The Researchers EscapeThe Dream Merchants of AsiaCrocodiles: The Deadly Survivors The Enterprise Wildcat & Pipedreams On The Line Living Forever The Brisbane LineJerusalem of Heaven & Earth      Australia's Hidden WealthJourney to Hainan Triumph of the NomadsThe PintubiThe Mississippi ChallengeThe Wharfie

(Below: Frank Strangio)

While a prolific composer, Strangio thought enough of his work for Lex and Rory to make a 6’55” summary of the music the lead track in his CD compilation of his work, and then used another 5’55” excerpt as the closing track: