Romeo + Juliet (soundtrack)

William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet: Music from the Motion Picture is the soundtrack to the 1996 film of the same name. The soundtrack contained two separate releases: the first containing popular music from the film and the second containing the score to the film composed by Nellee Hooper, Craig Armstrong and Marius de Vries.

William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet: Music from the Motion Picture
Soundtrack album by
various artists
ReleasedOctober 29, 1996
GenreSoundtrack
LabelCapitol
Singles from William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet: Music from the Motion Picture
  1. "Lovefool"
    Released: September 1996
  2. "Young Hearts Run Free"
    Released: November 1996
  3. "Kissing You (Love Theme from Romeo + Juliet)"
    Released: 24 February 1997
  4. "#1 Crush"
    Released: March 1997
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Entertainment WeeklyC+[2]
Music Week[3]
Slant Magazine[4]
SoundtrackNet[5]

Volume 1

The first soundtrack album to accompany the film was released on the Capitol Records label. It features songs by a number of artists including Garbage, Butthole Surfers and Radiohead (their song "Exit Music (For a Film)", which appears over the end credits, was not included on the soundtrack however, but appeared a year later on Radiohead's album OK Computer).

The soundtrack was a popular and solid seller, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and went triple-platinum sales in the U.S. It was especially successful in Australia, where it was the second-highest selling album in 1997, going five times Platinum in sales.[6] A number of hit singles also resulted from the soundtrack, including "Lovefool" by The Cardigans, the love theme "Kissing You" by Des'ree, and a cover of "Young Hearts Run Free" by Kym Mazelle. Quindon Tarver's choral rendition of Rozalla's "Everybody's Free (To Feel Good)" was later used in Luhrmann's "Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)" single.

The album featured bonus tracks in the 10th Anniversary re-release in 2007.

Track listing

No.TitleArtistLength
1."#1 Crush"Garbage4:47
2."Local God"Everclear3:56
3."Angel"Gavin Friday4:19
4."Pretty Piece of Flesh"One Inch Punch4:53
5."Kissing You" (Love Theme from Romeo + Juliet)Des'ree4:58
6."Whatever (I Had a Dream)"Butthole Surfers4:09
7."Lovefool"The Cardigans3:19
8."Young Hearts Run Free"Kym Mazelle4:16
9."Everybody's Free (To Feel Good)"Quindon Tarver1:43
10."To You I Bestow"Mundy3:59
11."Talk Show Host"Radiohead4:37
12."Little Star"Stina Nordenstam3:40
13."You and Me Song"The Wannadies2:45
10th Anniversary re-release bonus tracks
No.TitleArtistLength
14."Introduction to Romeo" (a)Craig Armstrong2:07
15."Kissing You" (Instrumental a)Craig Armstrong3:33
16."Young Hearts Run Free" (Ballroom Version a)Kym Mazelle featuring Harold Perrineau & Paul Sorvino3:27
17."Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)" ('07 Mix)Baz Luhrmann featuring Quindon Tarver7:10
  • ^1 "Introduction to Romeo", "Kissing You (Love Theme from Romeo + Juliet) Instrumental" and "Young Hearts Run Free (Ballroom Version)" originally appeared on the Volume 2 album.

Volume 2

William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet: Music from the Motion Picture, Volume 2
Soundtrack album by
ReleasedApril 8, 1997
GenreSoundtrack
LabelCapitol

The soundtrack was later followed by a sequel, William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet: Music from the Motion Picture, Volume 2, which featured the film's orchestral score, dialog from the film, and songs not featured on the previous album.

The score to Romeo + Juliet was composed by British music producer Nellee Hooper, Scottish composer Craig Armstrong, and English music composer and producer Marius de Vries. It was arranged, orchestrated, and conducted by Craig Armstrong using the London Session Orchestra and The Metro Voices.

The score fuses bombastic choral sequences produced by The Metro Voices as well as flamboyant orchestral pieces by the London Session Orchestra. It also contains Hooper's favorite trip hop sequences, especially seen in the track "Introduction to Romeo". Some high-beat techno tunes were fused with the chorus and orchestra in the track "Escape from Mantua".

Dialogue from the film was also inserted into several of the tracks. Justin Warfield of One Inch Punch as well the Butthole Surfers and Mundy also contribute vocals to the score. A cover of Prince's "When Doves Cry" by Quindon Tarver features on the album; it became a hit for him in Australia in 1997.[7]

Craig Armstrong's Film Works 1995–2005 solo disc work contained several of these tracks. The score won BAFTA Award for Best Film Music for best film score in 1997. Composer Nellee Hooper was also awarded BAFTA's Anthony Asquith Award for Music for his composition of the score in 1998.

Track listing

All music is composed by Nellee Hooper, Craig Armstrong, and Marius de Vries (except where noted)

No.TitleWriter(s)ArtistLength
1."Prologue"   
2."O Verona"   
3."The Montague Boys" featuring Justin Warfield of One Inch Punch 
4."Gas Station Scene"   
5."O Verona (Reprise)"   
6."Introduction to Romeo"   
7."Queen Mab Interlude"   
8."Young Hearts Run Free (Ballroom Version)" featuring Kym Mazelle, Harold Perrineau, & Paul Sorvino 
9."Kissing You" (Instrumental)   
10."Balcony Scene"   
11."When Dove's Cry[8][9]"PrinceQuindon Tarver 
12."A Challenge"   
13."Tybalt Arrives" featuring Butthole Surfers & The Dust Brothers 
14."Fight Scene"   
15."Mercutio's Death"   
16."Drive of Death"   
17."Slow Movement""Craig Armstrong  
18."Morning Breaks"   
19."Juliet's Requiem"   
20."Mantua"   
21."Escape from Mantua" featuring Mundy 
22."Death Scene"   
23."Liebestod" (from Tristan und Isolde)Richard Wagner  
24."Epilogue"   

Chart positions

Volume 1

Chart (1997)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[10]1
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[11]2
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[12]4
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[13]5
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[14]24
French Albums (SNEP)[15]11
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[16]8
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[17]1
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[18]80
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[19]4
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[20]38
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[21]7
UK Albums (OCC)[22]3

Year-end charts

Chart (1997)Position
German Albums Chart[23]51

Volume 2

Chart (1997)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[24]2
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[25]31
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[26]34
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[27]77
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[28]6

Uses in other media

Certifications

RegionCertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[29]5× Platinum350,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[30]Gold25,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[31]3× Platinum300,000^
France (SNEP)[32]2× Gold200,000*
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong)[33]Gold10,000*
Japan (RIAJ)[34]Gold100,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[35]Platinum15,000^
Norway (IFPI Norway)[36]Gold25,000*
Poland (ZPAV)[37]Gold50,000*
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[38]Platinum100,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[39]Gold25,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[40]Platinum300,000^
United States (RIAA)[42]4× Platinum3,300,000[41]
Summaries
Europe (IFPI)[43]Platinum1,000,000*
Volume 2
United States (RIAA)[44]Gold500,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References