You know how it is, you wait 50 years for a soundtrack to be officially released, then two versions come out at once (and, obviously, I buy them both). I’ve actually been quite happy with an illegitimate mp3 version of the soundtrack album, which I’ve had since, oh, 2014 (iTunes informs me), and played countless times, but I’m a sucker for a nice official release.

The film Harold and Maude was released in 1971*. A “coming-of-age black comedy-drama”, if you will, concerning a death-obsessed teenager’s love affair with a 79-year-old woman (Ruth Gordon, a few years after Rosemary’s Baby), it’s fair to say it was a box office and critical failure. But time has been kind to the film, and it now has cult status, and could be said to have influenced the likes of Wes Anderson (Rushmore – “a coming-of-age comedy” – features a teenage boy falling for his older teacher plus a Cat Stevens song) and at least a handful of whimsical American indie filmmakers of the last forty years.

The film consists entirely of songs by Cat Stevens, mostly from his two successful albums Tea for the Tilerman and Mona Bone Jakon, both released in 1970, plus two songs composed for the film. Apparently Cat Stevens didn’t want the soundtrack released at the time, thinking it was too premature for what he perceived was a Greatest Hits record.

Despite this, a Japanese version was released in 1972, which would have certainly sounded like a Greatest Hits, as it contained songs that weren’t in the film, and not the two songs that were composed especially for the film.

Then there was nothing until 2007, when filmmaker Cameron Crowe released a limited edition version on vinyl of 2,500 copies through his company Vinyl Films Records. This is the definite version, with banjo and previously unreleased versions included, as well as a 30-page booklet about the making of the film and a bonus 7” single. This obviously became rare and expensive.

Anyway, onwards to 2021, when a Record Store Day limited edition vinyl in yellow and orange colours (what are we, eight years old?) was released, with different cover artwork (see above, left). This contains no frills, it’s the basic nine songs, including the two composed for the film.

And now 2022, and yet another limited edition version is out, on CD and vinyl, to celebrate the film’s 50th anniversary. This one is interesting and nice to have as it contains dialogue (though personally I never like dialogue in my movie soundtracks – unless it’s Blade Runner) and other incidental music in the film, and a cool booklet with lyrics and dialogue from the film. But it doesn’t contain all the instrumental versions from the 2012 version. Anyway, three different soundtracks to the same film (my mp3 version was presumably ripped from the 2012 vinyl edition), I’ve probably got enough now.

———-

*The year before the excellent Deep End had been released. Also about a teenage boy discovering love – this time in the form of a young Jane Asher (though he is smothered in the breasts of the much older Diana Dors), it also features a song by Cat Stevens (and German band Can).

Previously on Barnflakes
Top 10 movie soundtracks
Modern Love