Asteroid City (Original Soundtrack) is the compilation soundtrack album for the 2023 film Asteroid City, by Wes Anderson. It was digitally published by ABKCO Records on June 23, 2023,[1][2] the same day as the film's theatrical release in the United States.
| Asteroid City (Original Soundtrack) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Soundtrack album by various artists | ||||
| Released | June 23, 2023 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 69:39 | |||
| Label | ABKCO | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Wes Anderson film soundtrack chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Asteroid City (Original Soundtrack) | ||||
| ||||
Composition
editAsteroid City takes place in an Arizona desert town in 1955, and its soundtrack contains 17 country and western songs that were originally recorded and released during that time period.[3] Music supervisor Randall Poster stated that "Wes [Anderson] and I had so much fun putting the film's music together... For Asteroid City, we had been 'hunting and gathering' for a year before shooting began."[4][5]
The soundtrack also includes six original songs by Alexandre Desplat and two original songs by Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker—both of whom had previously been featured on the soundtrack of Anderson's The French Dispatch[6]—and Richard Hawley.[4][5]
Release
editOn June 20, 2023, three days before the soundtrack's release, Cocker released his original song for the film, "Dear Alien (Who Art in Heaven)",[7] which was co-written with Hawley and Anderson.[8][9] On June 22, Cocker and Hawley performed at an Asteroid City immersive exhibition in London, playing "Dear Alien" and a second song they wrote for the film, "You Can't Wake Up If You Don't Fall Asleep".[10][11] A special vinyl edition of the soundtrack was made available exclusively at the exhibition, limited to 1,000 copies.[12]
A two-disc vinyl edition of the soundtrack was released on November 24, 2023.[13][14]
Accolades
edit| Award | Year[a] | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hollywood Music in Media Awards | 2023 | Best Original Score in a Sci-Fi/Fantasy Film | Nominated | [15] |
In December 2023, the song "Dear Alien (Who Art in Heaven)" was shortlisted for Best Original Song at the 96th Academy Awards.[16][17]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Performer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "WXYZ-TV Channel 8" | Alexandre Desplat | Alexandre Desplat | 2:36 |
| 2. | "Last Train to San Fernando" |
| Johnny Duncan and the Blue Grass Boys | 2:27 |
| 3. | "Island of Dreams" | Tom Springfield | The Springfields | 2:29 |
| 4. | "April in Portugal" |
| Les Baxter | 2:43 |
| 5. | "Ida Red" | Bob Wills | Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys | 2:38 |
| 6. | "Pachelbel: Canon and Gigue in D Major – I.Canon" | Johann Pachelbel | 3:09 | |
| 7. | "Opening Ceremony with Awards Presentation (Keynote Speaker: General Grif Gibson)" | Alexandre Desplat | Alexandre Desplat | 2:36 |
| 8. | "Jingle Jangle Jingle" | Tex Ritter | 2:48 | |
| 9. | "Orange Blossom Special" | Ervin T. Rouse |
| 2:33 |
| 10. | "High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me)" | Tex Ritter | 3:01 | |
| 11. | "Cowboy's Lament" | Traditional | Burl Ives | 2:38 |
| 12. | "Viewing of the Astronomical Ellipses (Opening Comments: Dr. Hickenlooper)" | Alexandre Desplat | Alexandre Desplat | 3:48 |
| 13. | "Rose Marie" |
| Slim Whitman | 2:21 |
| 14. | "Indian Love Call – 1944 Version" |
| Slim Whitman | 3:08 |
| 15. | "Sixteen Tons" | Merle Travis | Tennessee Ernie Ford | 2:38 |
| 16. | "The Cattle Call" | Tex Owens | Eddy Arnold | 2:32 |
| 17. | "Special Seminar at the Playwright's Request (Saltzburg Keitel's Classroom)" | Alexandre Desplat | Alexandre Desplat | 3:09 |
| 18. | "Dear Alien (Who Art in Heaven)" |
| 1:20 | |
| 19. | "Kaw-Liga" | Johnny Duncan and the Blue Grass Boys | 2:54 | |
| 20. | "Emergency Assembly" | Alexandre Desplat | Alexandre Desplat | 1:05 |
| 21. | "A Bewildering and Bedazzling Celestial Mystery" | Alexandre Desplat | Alexandre Desplat | 5:41 |
| 22. | "How High the Moon" | Les Paul and Mary Ford | 2:05 | |
| 23. | "The Streets of Laredo" | Traditional | Bing Crosby | 2:52 |
| 24. | "Freight Train" | Elizabeth Cotten | 2:59 | |
| 25. | "You Can't Wake Up If You Don't Fall Asleep" |
| Jarvis Cocker | 3:29 |
| Total length: | 69:39 | |||
- Notes
- Initially, both Apple Music[1] and Spotify[2] mistakenly named track 3 as "Indian Love Call". The song that actually plays is "Island of Dreams", as listed in the Focus Features press release.[4]
Release history
edit| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | June 23, 2023 | ABKCO Records | [4] | |
| United States | November 24, 2023 | Vinyl | [13][14] |
Notes
edit- ^ Indicates the year of ceremony. Each year is linked to the article about the awards held that year, wherever possible.
References
edit- ^ a b "Asteroid City (Original Soundtrack) by Various Artists". Apple Music. June 23, 2023. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
- ^ a b "Asteroid City (Original Soundtrack)". Spotify. June 23, 2023. Archived from the original on June 24, 2023. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
- ^ "How Wes Anderson and Randall Poster Immerse Audiences in the Folk-Western World of 'Asteroid City'". Spotify. June 19, 2023. Archived from the original on June 23, 2023. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e "Wes Anderson's Asteroid City Soundtrack Out from ABKCO Digitally Today". Focus Features. June 23, 2023. Archived from the original on June 23, 2023. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
- ^ a b "Asteroid City Soundtrack Out Digitally June 23; "Dear Alien (Who Art in Heaven)" Released Today As Lead Single". ABKCO Music & Records, Inc. June 20, 2023. Archived from the original on June 23, 2023. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
- ^ Burlingame, Jon (October 23, 2021). "'French Dispatch' Music: Alexandre Desplat and Randall Poster on a Soundtrack Ranging from Classical Piano to Jarvis Cocker". Variety. Archived from the original on October 23, 2021. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
- ^ "Dear Alien (Who Art in Heaven)". Spotify. June 20, 2023. Archived from the original on June 23, 2023. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
- ^ Strauss, Matthew (June 20, 2023). "Listen to Jarvis Cocker and Seu Jorge's New Song for Wes Anderson's Asteroid City". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on June 23, 2023. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
- ^ Mottram, James (June 23, 2023). "Wes Anderson: "Seu Jorge reinvented David Bowie songs he didn't know – I didn't realise until I was shooting the movie!"". NME. Archived from the original on June 24, 2023. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
- ^ Richards, Will (June 22, 2023). "Jarvis Cocker and Richard Hawley play tiny immersive London gig to celebrate Wes Anderson's 'Asteroid City'". NME. Archived from the original on June 23, 2023. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
- ^ @RichardHawley (June 22, 2023). "Well that was ace! Jean-Yves Lozac'h, Pere Mallén, Jarvis and I played the songs we performed in Asteroid City, the new film by Wes Anderson last night at 180 The Strand. Go see the film if you can, it's great! pic.twitter.com/UEhXKMySGS" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "Wes Anderson's Asteroid City at 180 Studios extended until July 30". The Vinyl Factory. July 4, 2023. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
- ^ a b "Asteroid City Soundtrack Available on Vinyl for First Time on Record Store Day Black Friday 2023". ABKCO Records. October 2, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
- ^ a b "RSDBF '23 Special Release: Various Artists – Asteroid City (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". Record Store Day. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
- ^ "2023 HMMA winners and nominees". Hollywood Music In Media Awards. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
- ^ Bergeson, Samantha (December 21, 2023). "2024 Oscar Shortlists Unveiled: 'Barbie', 'Poor Things', 'Maestro', and 'The Zone of Interest' Make the Cut". IndieWire. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
- ^ Davis, Clayton (December 21, 2023). "Oscar Shortlists Announced for 10 Categories: 'Barbie' Leads the Way". Variety. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
