From Twin Peaks to Mulholland Drive — Remembering Angelo Badalamenti and his creative partnership with David Lynch
After Angelo Badalementi’s death was confirmed by his niece Frances Badalamenti to the Hollywood Reporter, tributes poured out to the composer. Having worked with the likes of David Bowie, Pet Shop Boys, Marianne Faithful, The Cranberries and Paul McCartney, Baladmenti is remembered by many for his influence on music, but most importantly, his talent in film composition — especially in regards to Lynch. The renowned collaborators were most known for the work on Twin Peaks and Blue Velvet, which sought to expose the haunting underbelly of the American Dream.
Here, HUNGER takes a look back at Badalementi’s best scores, as we remember the profound impact of his work on the soundscapes of Lynch’s film.
‘Twin Peaks’ theme song
Lynch once told Badalemnti: “You just wrote 75 per cent of the score. It’s the mood of the whole piece. It is Twin Peaks.” Without having seen any footage, Badalemnti had created nearly the entire score on his old Fender Rhodes. The descending guitar chords and melody of Balademnti’s Twin Peaks theme hailed the haunting and otherworldly Northwestern Mountains before they were even constructed, and cemented the working partnership of the two creative greats.
Dorothy Valens singing ‘Blue Velvet’ with Badalamenti on piano
In a more jazz noir version of ‘Blue Velvet’, Dorothy Valens, played by Isabella Rossellini, sings a reimagined version of the song that hails pure lounge club and saxophone sleaze. Badalamenti sits on stage with her as he plays the keys and goes into the twinkly ‘Blue Star’. Written by Lynch, it sings of pure love and doomscape romance, encompassing Twin Peaks in all its glory.
The Brooklyn Academy of Music ‘Industrial Symphony No. 1: The Dream of the Broken Hearted’
During the New Music America Festival, Lynch was directing a set of composed soundscaped by Badalemnti, which were to be sung by the breathy vocals of Julee Cruise, who often found herself the addition to their creations. ‘I Float Alone’, ‘Floating in the Night and ‘Industrial Symphony’ were all performed on the night as part of Lynch’s project in 1990, and gave the heavenly trio a reason to carry on their working partnerships for the sake of music and film alike.
Badalamenti and Jimmy Scott
Badalemnti and Lynch reached their own peak of musical masterfulness in this orchestra piece for ‘Sycamore Trees’. Jimmy Scott sang the soundtrack to Lynch’s film Fire Walk with Me in one of his lowest-ever octaves, penning a dramatic rendition of his composition, and revelling in the mournful jazzy ballad.
Mulholland Drive
With Badalementi’s cameo as gangster Luigi Castigliane in Mulholland Drive, the soundtrack details an unforgettable opening theme, from ‘Jitterbug’ to ‘Rita Walks’. All the tracks are dark and broody, a signature of the creative duo, and included the City of Prague Orchestra to add a theatrical element for the Hollywood hopefuls in all their twisted adventures through dreams and reality.
The Thought Gang Project
The Thought Gang project was started by both Baladmenti and Lynch, and filmed in 8mm for this pseudo jazz band to release ‘A Real Indication’ in 2018. However, the friends originally penned the project nearly 20 years before release, with Lynch telling the LA Times in 1990 that “some of the happiest moments I’ve ever had have been working with Angelo. He’s got a big heart, and he allowed me to come into his world and get involved with music.”
