MovieChat Forums > Squirm (1976) Discussion > The score and song.

The score and song.

posted 19 years ago by nsavage3-1
14 replies | jump to latest

The music score in this movie was very good. It had just enough eerie-ness to it. Plus, the haunting "singing child voice" was a nice effect.

On an interesting note, there is a song that is played over the credits at the end of the movie. It is a love song, and is does'nt closely relate to the movie, except that maybe it pertains to the relationship between Mick and Jerri. Its not a bad song at all, actually quite pleasant. It can also be heard playing on a radio in the backround in an early scene in the movie. Also, quite interestingly, the tune of this song can be heard in various parts of the score, throughout the movie. So when this song plays during the credits, it does'nt seem quite so out of place, as the tune of this song has already been subliminaly implanted in our head throughout the movie.

I would be interested to know just who wrote the song, who sang it, and if the lyrics were an afterthought to go with the tune, or was the song written first, then added to the score? Either way, I thought it worked well.

[–] beadlockers 19 years ago

I watched Squirm last night w/ my husband Chris, who plays drums for Gein and The Graverobbers, a horror-metal-punk-surf band out of Boston, MA. We thoroughly enjoy creepy music, and gave each other this 'Oh my God!' look when the opening song began to play, w/ the traffic lights swinging and the town being all hicky and grainy...the song got stuck in our heads and has been freaking me out all day!

Anyhoo, I went to Bob Prince's website but cannot email him b/c of the mail-browser-thingy (sorry!) that Chris' Mac has (I'm not too familiar w/ Macs, so please bear w/ me...) and also looked up Hal Hackady as the lyricist for the music, and found severals books and CD's w/ his work, but no mention of 'Squirm'.

I'm sure this is not what you wanted to hear, but I was psyched to see that someone else loved the score and was interested in it enough to post. 'Bob Prince' as 'composer' and 'Hal Hackady' as 'lyricist' is all I could find.

If YOU find out anything else about the score for Squirm, could you please email me? I'm obsessed w/ those songs now!

Thanks:)

PS: If you enjoy dark and creepy music w/ very unorthodox timings, check out Gein and the Graverobbers. They're a little Dick Dale, Iron Maiden, Misfits (Danzig years) and The Ramones put in a blender:)

[–] nsavage3-1 19 years ago

Yes, I think the score on this movie is fantastic and grossly under-rated. My friend and I liked it so much when the movie came out in the 70's, we snuck a cassette recorder in the theater and taped the music!

Incidently, if you liked the song with the child vocal ("I can hear the dark...Coming up the stairs"), go back to the Squirm home page and look in the reviews section. The actual person who did the vocal for that song posted a review and his E-mail address is posted. He might be able to provide some information for you as well.

[–] beadlockers 19 years ago

Great; thanks so much! I'm definitely going to check it out:)

[–] beadlockers 19 years ago

I just tried going to the Review section but I can't find it...how do I get to it?

[–] nsavage3-1 19 years ago

That is so strange! I am positive I read it about two years ago. At that time, the review was a few years old. I E-mailed him, but got no response, so the address was probably bad by then.

I wonder if IMDB deleats reviews after a few years, to make more memory room. Maybe the person in question will check in to this message board at some point (Jeff Lieberman did!).

[–] tenfour 19 years ago

Hi there... Jeff Lieberman here. I haven't checked this board in quite a while but you bring up an interesting point. First off, I have no idea the of the young lad who sang that song. I do know he was British because the entire score was recorded in London-- with the London philharmonic I might add! So, he would be around 40-45 years old by now, maybe older. Bob Prince definately did the melody but as far as the lyrics go, I seam to recall working on that together with him. I know it was my idea to have a choir boy sounding single voice, and the idea behind it, but "I can hear the darkness, crawling up the stairs" is definately NOT mine. For all I know, Bob wrote all the lyrics, it's been too long. The end credit song was a catalogue song already recorded and on the shelf and to this day I ask, 'what does that have to do with the movie we just saw?' Amazing that people are still talking about this little film I did in my (25 year old) Yoot. Be well all!

[–] nsavage3-1 19 years ago

Jeff-
Thanks so much for taking the time to respond to these threads! While I have out-grown most of these Sci-Fi/"B" type of movies, certain movies, such as Squirm, is an overlooked gem, and one I still enjoy watching to this day.

About the "closing credits" song-

At first glance, this song has all the characteristics of a stock or generic music library song. But, through studying the film a little more carefully, the exact tune of the song is played as part of the score in numerous parts of the movie. I guess the only way to explain this is that the song must have been chosen before the score was completed, and maybe the composers wanted to borrow from the tune of the song to tie it in better. It does give the song a little more integrity as part of the movie too.

Thanks again for your input Jeff.

[–] AlbertTheFlasher 19 years ago

Hey Mr. Lieberman, I'm curious as to why you were a no-show at the Festival Of Fear horror convention in Toronto in late August. You were scheduled to appear, but I was told by a Rue Morgue magazine rep that you couldn't make it. That's a shame, I was hoping to drop by and say hello.

Oh well.

[–] tenfour 19 years ago

Hi there... yeah, I really wanted to make that Toronto festival-- I love that city but have never attended the festival. But at the last minute I found out that I had to be in Germany for a film festival that was hooked into the distribution of my new film Satan's Little Helper. Sorry, maybe next year.

best Jeff Lieberman

[–] Nightman85 19 years ago

The score for Squirm is an awesome one! Very creepy and full of atmosphere, I love it. I fully agree, the score and the film itself is terribily underated.

Oh and Jeff, your movies are awesome. Old school horror never dies.

-Bruce Boyd

[–] nvasapper 14 years ago

Dear Mr. Lieberman:
Hi. I just wanted to let you know that I am very enamored of this little film of yours. I think it's a masterpiece. It's just perfect on so many levels. I've watched it numerous times and the appeal has never worn off. It really works well and it has definitely stood the test of time. A cult classic if ever there was one. Just proves that you don't need to go spend 200 million dollars on some high-tech Hollywood extravaganza with big name stars and beaucoup special effects which will probably flop at the box office. I simply love it when David slays Goliath- David in this case being a great little film made on a modest budget with a cast of relative unknowns and it winds up kicking butt. May God bless you and yours and grant you good health and a long life.
Your loyal fan,
Steve Danko

P.S. I love that scene right at the beginning when Mick is getting off the bus in the middle of the swamp and he asks the driver if there's a bathroom around there! The driver looks at him like he can't believe what he heard and closes the door in his face. Priceless.

[–] nsavage3-1 14 years ago

Yes I agree NVASAPPER.

Its one of those movies that's easy to dismiss because its a "B" horror film from the 70's. But, when you actually take the time to watch it, you find out that it stands above the other movies of its time and genre.

And I might add, there was nothing more fun than watching this at my local theater in 1977 (it was the "second-bonus feature). The audience reaction to the whole movie was priceless. The bus scene you mentioned, and many others worked very well with the large audience. And the shock scenes worked just as well. I think the strong audience reactions enhanced my life-long obsession with this movie!

James.

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