Back to the Future Musical Sources and Notes

Musical Notes and Sources!

Back To The Future: Music From The Motion Picture Soundtrack

For whatever reason (probably copyright royalties or economic reasons), some songs from Back to the Future are not on the Soundtrack CD.

I have tracked down the Artists and found links to those CD's, for those of you who just absolutley have to have them for your collection. If you want to know more about one of the artists, click on the artist's name. If you want the CD, click on the CD title. If you are like me, you have a cassette or MD or other recording you have made of your favorite BTTF music and sounds that you can play in your Walkman or your car stereo. Here are the links.

"Mr Sandman" (Performed by The Four Aces as Marty walks into downtown Hill Valley) is included in the following collection.
The Four Aces' Greatest Hits (MCA)

"Ballad of Davy Crockett" (Performed by Fess Parker as Marty enters Lou's Cafe) is from the following CD.
Great American Heroes - Fess Parker

"Pledging My Love" (by Johnny Ace playing on the radio as Lorraine kisses Marty in the car) is on the following CD.
Memorial Album - Johnny Ace

Here's the CD to get for the soundtrack. I don't like the trilogy CD. The performances are not up to my expectations. The pacing isn't the same, and the cues from the movie aren't in the same places. If you buy the above CD's and this soundtrack, you will have all the songs from the movie.
In Association with Amazon.com Back To The Future: Music From The Motion Picture Soundtrack

Have you noticed all the clues in the movie that Doc and Marty share an interest in music? In 1985, Doc has a Seeberg jukebox in his garage. And Doc has the coolest amplifier and speaker for an electric guitar that you could dream of.

The small yellow guitar that Marty plays (for one chord before being blown backwards into the shelves) is a Chiquita travel guitar. They are good guitars, but smaller than normal, and usually owned by someone who travels frequently and can't stand to be away from his guitar on trips. If there is a Chiquita in the house, there is usually a full size guitar somewhere, too. Does Doc Play guitar? Why did he disappear for a week and not take his Chiquita? Did he know he was going on a dangerous trip (to meet the Libyans and con them out of the plutonium) and didn't want to risk his guitar? Or is it Marty's Chiquita, and he keeps it at Doc's to jam along with Doc's record collection?

Doc must have at least 100 45 RPM records to fill the Seeberg jukebox.

In 1985, Doc's saxophone is visible laying on the table in the background right after Marty says "I'm late for school!" and hangs up the phone. It is assembled and ready to play, as if Doc leaves it out all the time.
In 1955, Doc's Saxophone is clearly visible hanging on the wall, assembled and ready to play. If he plays so often that he doesn't put it in the case, he may rival Marty as a music Junkie.

Did you notice Marty sleeps with his guitar next to him in bed? Look again. His Ibanez guitar is next to him in bed when Doc's phone call wakes him from sleep, and again at the end of the movie when the clock radio wakes him from sleep.

His amplifier is so close to the bed you can turn it on and off with leaving the bed. I can Identify with this.

Tuning discrepancies:
Marty is shown playing Earth Angel in the key of 'A' (he plays A, F#m, D, and E, which are the correct chords for this song in the key of A). However, any of you musicians who care to jam along with the video will find that the song is being performed in the key of F (use, F, Dm, B flat, and C) which is a much friendlier key for the saxophone.
And although Marty calls the key of 'B' to the band, and indeed is shown playing Johhny B. Goode in the key of 'B', any of you musicians who jam along will find the song is performed in the key of B flat, which is again a much better key for the sax player, and for blues pianists who like to roll off the black keys. If you are a guitarist who tunes a half-step flat ala Stevie Ray Vaughn ( Guitar Method: In the Style of Stevie...) , then play the song with the same fingerings Marty uses and you will be in tune with the video. Perhaps Marty was tuned a half-step flat for this song, which would be understandable considering how heavy guitar strings were back in the fifties.

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