Rod McKuen

When I was finishing high school in the summer of 1968 I took an English class that was taught by a lady who had just finished her degree. She was very, very taken with the poems of Rod McKuen and read several of them to her class. I fear we did not appreciate these to the degree she did, and I found it rather amusing how much she idolized him. However, a year later I was the assistant manager of a theater in which "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" opened. I remember being pleasantly surprised by the score provided by McKuen and consciously thought that my teacher of the year before was somewhat vindicated in my mind.

He wrote some really good cues for the film and the score is rather varied in my opinion. As you have noted "Edinburgh Morning" is used nicely for the opening credits along with an instrumental version of "Jean"...I have had the LP since 1969. There is a song that featured in the film as a number played from a record during a dance, "Somebody's Crying" that remained in my memory and although I have not seen the film in many years comes to mind every now and then. It seemed to fit the era to me.

I am sorry to hear of Rod's recent passing. This score probably impressed me more than any of Rod McKuen's work that I have encountered.

Oh Lord, you gave them eyes but they cannot see...