Publicity Agents Music Series: Rumble Fish's Soundtrack, "Don't Box Me I
The Anatomy of I.R.S. Records
Part Deux
Steward Copeland and Stan Ridgway Box In Single For "Rumble Fish" Soundtrack
If there's is one thing that Stan Ridgway and Stewart Copeland revealed during their collaboration for the 1983 song "Don't Box Me In" is that sound produced by the latter member of the Police was his signature. Not the lead singer Sting's.
Don't Box Me is a song from the soundtrack Rumble Fish, which is also the title of the drama film directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The movie, in its black-and-white setting, is based on the novel by S.E. Hinton. The soundtrack was released by AM Records.
It was the second installment Coppola made, the first being the classic "The Outsiders." Rumble Fish did poorly at the box office, despite the star power of actors Matt Dillon, Diane Lane and Mickey Rourke. But Don't Box Me In does keep the spirt of the flick alive. It is considered a cult classic by today's standard.
Rusty James (Matt Dillon) and Motorcycle Boy (Mickey Rourke)
Photo courtsey of Universal Pictures
Copeland practically plays all the musical instruments from the guitar, keyboards, bass, and his main production of the drums. Ridgway's harmonica playing stands out in the crowd as well as his storytelling, erie vocals.
It's also hard to miss the musical sound and how it's orchestrated because it resemble's the Police's "Don't Stand So Close To Me" and "Spirits In A Material World." Sting may have been the gifted songwriter for the Police, though Copeland made it known that he was the genius in the studio.
Ridgway got the call for this music piece through his work with his band, Wall of Voodoo. The Police and Wall of Voodoo were under the imprint of I.R.S. Records, Copeland's brother Miles Copeland record label. Don't Box Me In was definitely a masterpiece by two musicians who really know their range.
The video was done to align with the film, displaying that Film Noir genre practiced in the 1930s, 1940s, and early 1950s. Ridgeway and Copeland are filmed in a studio while certain moving images overlay in the music.
The video itself has a swagger. It played constantly on MTV back in the day as well as other television outlets that catered to the visual-and-music combination.
By T. Ray Harvey | PA Public Information Officer and Photographic Artist
Twitter: Tony Ray Harvey @PublicityAgents
T. Ray (Antonio) Harvey is a Public Information Officer and Photographic Artist for Publicity Agents. Harvey is also the author of The HOMICIDAL HANDYMAN OF OAK PARK: MORRIS SOLOMON JR.
