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Music to their eyesMusic and TV stage a boob-tune revolution
By Donna Freydkin Web posted on: Friday, April 23, 1999 4:11:01 PM EDT (CNN) - Joey, Chandler and Rachel kick it the Rembrandts. Julia, Bailey and Claudia are in with the BoDeans. Those frisky teens on "Dawson's Creek" have smooched and battled to the tunes of Stretch Princess, Natalie Merchant and Sixpence None The Richer. Ally McBeal, of course, steps out to crooner Vonda Shepard. And the aging California hipsters of "Beverly Hills 90210", have partied with everyone from Color Me Badd to the swingin' Brian Setzer Orchestra. Call it the boob-tune revolution. A marriage of hip television shows and popular music is certainly, by all counts, a relationship made in marketing heaven, as Paul Stupin, executive producer of WB's "Dawson's Creek," will tell you. "Music is tremendously important for our show," says Stupin. "The series is partially defined in the audience's eyes as a wonderful vehicle for incredible music."
Music has long played a vital role in films, especially in soundtracks. But except for those endlessly revisited theme songs of the past, specially written for their shows ("Gilligan's Island," "The Brady Bunch," "I Love Lucy"), its role as an aesthetic component has been less vocal on the small screen. Now, that seems to be changing, thanks to producers like John McCullough, one of Hollywood's most respected music supervisors. He's the mastermind who suggested the BoDeans' "Closer to Free" as the theme song for "Party of Five" and turned it into a major hit. Stupin of "Dawson's Creek" knows that finding the right number is not just whistling "Dixie." "I pull my hair out to find the right song for the right scene," he says. "We look for the right piece of music that emotionally echoes the intent of the scene where it's going to be placed. And we look for all different kinds of music that echoes all different emotions and attitudes." Hip, not cannedWith a compilation soundtrack out later this month, "Dawson's Creek" has more than validated itself as a vehicle for hot bands, both established and evolving. It, along with "Party of Five," "Homicide" and "Felicity," have discarded the canned, cheesy music found in TV shows of yore for cool tunes at the top of the charts. "From the pilot on, we wanted our sound to be young and hip and contemporary, and we wanted it to underscore the intense emotions being shown on the screen," says Stupin. "We like to regard our show as hip and want that reflected in every element you see and hear on the screen." So it makes sense that -- like the "Beverly Hills 90210" college-years soundtrack out in 1992 and the "Friends" soundtrack released in 1995 -- the "Dawson's Creek" production team packaged the most memorable songs into their own compilation. "Songs From Dawson's Creek" (releasing April 27) features music both from previous and upcoming episodes, including Sophie B. Hawkins' "Lose Your Way," Shawn Mullins' softy-hit "Shimmer" and, of course, Paula Cole's anthem "I Don't Want To Wait," the show's theme. And although "Dawson's Creek" may be one of the best shows at blending music and mood, it ain't the only one by far.
Vonda and Tracy and Nancy -- oh my!"Ally McBeal" crooner Vonda Shepard shares the spotlight with the neurotic, mini-skirt wearing attorney of the show's title. Shepard's work is an integral part of every episode. And each usually closes with Ally and her cohorts dancing to Shepard's tunes. "New York Undercover" has artists like Tracy Chapman, Ray Charles and Nancy Wilson perform in a club featured in every episode of the series. Even the once-determinedly anti-mainstream R.E.M. taped an appearance for an upcoming episode of Fox's "Party of Five." And last November, Beck's single "Tropicalia" was played during an episode of the short-lived ABC show "Cupid." It covered a montage in which the star of the show met an attractive young woman. On NBC's "Homicide," now in its seventh season, the music is touted as part of the rhythm of the streets. Recent episodes have included "One More Murder" from alterna-rockers Better Than Ezra and "Iris" from the popster Goo Goo Dolls. "The song was featured in 'Homicide,' and that was great for us, because it was a really good fit, both theme-wise and mood-wise," says Better Than Ezra bass player Tom Drummond. "The song is introspective and quiet and really evoked the mood of the show." But it isn't always easy to match music and television. To cut costs, networks like to create their own background music because it's cheaper. Sometimes the artists don't want their music on TV, or disapprove of a particular program. And TV shows typically don't want to shell out for the standard song-licensing rates.
Music has viewers singingNevertheless, "Dawson's Creek" from the start has embraced popular music as part of its way into teen hearts and libidos. The show has a library of music, which includes song samplers sent by record labels. Stupin says the staff brainstorms about matching scenes with songs. When the right mix is found, the payoff is worth the effort. A tremendous number of viewers call in after each episode to ask about the music and where they can buy it. And that's all too appealing for label executives who want to introduce their artists to young consumers. Wind-Up Records' lesser-known band Stretch Princess, for example, made its small-screen debut in a February episode of "Felicity," when the song "Nice Thing" aired at the end of the program. "The show provides a vehicle to reach an extremely targeted audience, perfect for Stretch Princess," says Wind-Up Records president Steven Lerner. "Close to two minutes of the song was featured in a montage, and at the end of the show they replayed some of the song and showed the album cover. So if the viewer liked the music, they know who the artist is. It becomes a mini-commercial." And sometimes, the exposure translates into big sales. "For Stretch [Princess], we saw a large sales increase, beginning the week immediately following the airing," Lerner says. When it does work, it can be lucrative. A television producer generally pays a licensing fee to a song's publisher, and the writer receives royalties each time it's played. That income is replicated if an episode is rerun a lot and goes into syndication. But all talk of money aside, Stupin of "Dawson's Creek" says he mostly just gets a kick out of having his viewers respond to the music they heard on the show. "I love the thought of our audience watching the show and wondering about a song they heard," says Stupin. "And I like putting in songs that are getting some radio exposure, because that adds a contemporary quality." RELATED STORIES: Shepard success reaches from overnight to prime time RELATED SITES: Songs from "Dawson's Creek"
MORE MUSIC NEWS: Mick doesn't want world to know what he makes
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