| 41 Original Hits from the Soundtrack of American Graffiti | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Soundtrack album from American Graffiti by Various Artists | |
| Released | August 1973 (LP) June 22, 1993 (CD) |
| Recorded | 1953–1964, 1973 |
| Genre | Rock and roll, doo-wop, R&B |
| Length | 102:09 |
| Label | MCA 8001 |
| Producer | Gil Rodin (soundtrack producer) |
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  |
41 Original Hits from the Soundtrack of American Graffiti is the official 1973 soundtrack album of the film American Graffiti. It has been certified triple platinum in the U.S., where it peaked at #10 on the Billboard 200 album chart.
Included in the film, but not on the soundtrack, are "Gee" by the Crows, "Louie Louie" by Flash Cadillac & the Continental Kids, and Harrison Ford's in-character a cappella rendition of "Some Enchanted Evening" (though the reason for the latter two's exclusion is due to the fact that those sequences weren't added to the film until the 1978 re-release, they were absent in the original 1973 released version)
A second compilation, titled More American Graffiti (MCA 8007) (and not to be confused with the 1979 film sequel of that name) was issued by MCA in early 1975 with George Lucas's approval. It features more rock and doo-wop hits from the late 1950s and early 1960s (only one of which, the Crows' "Gee", was featured in the film), along with additional Wolfman Jack dialogue. A third and final oldies compilation, titled American Graffiti Vol. III (MCA 8008) was also issued by MCA in early 1976. All three albums were released as 2-record sets, or as a double-length tape and are now entirely out of print.
All songs on the soundtrack album are presented in the order they appeared in the film.
The UK version of the soundtrack album is slightly reordered and omits three tracks; both Beach Boys songs and "Teen Angel" by Mark Dinning. The album is thus retitled "38 Original Hits from the Sound Track of American Graffiti".
Wolfman Jack appears on seven tracks: "That'll Be The Day", "Fannie Mae", "Barbara Ann", "The Book of Love", "To the Aisle", "Green Onions", and "Only You (And You Alone)".
Differences between vinyl and CD releases
Fats Domino's "Ain't That a Shame": On the original vinyl release of the soundtrack, an alternate version including an overdubbed female chorus (created for Domino's 1963 LP Let's Dance with Domino) is used. The CD issue uses the original hit single recording.
"Love Potion No. 9" by the Clovers: The vinyl release features the LP version which concludes with the lyrics "I had so much fun that I'm going back again. I wonder what will happen with Love Potion No. 10." The CD features the single version of the song which concludes by repeating the verse "But when I kissed the cop at 34th and Vine, he broke my little bottle of Love Potion No. 9."
"Party Doll" by Buddy Knox: fades out earlier than the original version during the final chorus.
Track listing
LP
| No. | Title | Original Artist and year | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Rock Around the Clock" | Bill Haley & the Comets 1954 | 2:13 |
| 2. | "16 Candles" | The Crests 1958 | 2:55 |
| 3. | "Runaway" | Del Shannon 1961 | 2:22 |
| 4. | "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" | Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers 1956 | 2:22 |
| 5. | "That'll Be the Day" | Buddy Holly & The Crickets 1957 | 2:21 |
| 6. | "Fannie Mae" | Buster Brown 1959 | 2:59 |
| 7. | "At the Hop" | Flash Cadillac & the Continental Kids 1973 | 2:31 |
| 8. | "She's So Fine" | Flash Cadillac & the Continental Kids 1973 | 2:23 |
| 9. | "The Stroll" | The Diamonds 1957 | 2:31 |
| 10. | "See You in September" | The Tempos 1959 | 2:11 |
| Total length: | 24:48 | ||
| No. | Title | Original Artist and year | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Surfin' Safari" | The Beach Boys 1962 | 2:09 |
| 2. | "(He's) The Great Imposter" | The Fleetwoods 1961 | 2:14 |
| 3. | "Almost Grown" | Chuck Berry 1959 | 2:22 |
| 4. | "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" | The Platters 1958 | 2:40 |
| 5. | "Little Darlin'" | The Diamonds 1957 | 2:09 |
| 6. | "Peppermint Twist – Part 1" | Joey Dee and the Starlighters 1961 | 2:02 |
| 7. | "Barbara Ann" | The Regents 1961 | 2:15 |
| 8. | "The Book of Love" | The Monotones 1958 | 2:22 |
| 9. | "Maybe Baby" | Buddy Holly 1957 | 2:06 |
| 10. | "Ya Ya" | Lee Dorsey 1961 | 2:26 |
| 11. | "The Great Pretender" | The Platters 1955 | 2:40 |
| Total length: | 25:25 | ||
| No. | Title | Original Artist and year | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ain't That a Shame" | Fats Domino 1955 | 2:32 |
| 2. | "Johnny B. Goode" | Chuck Berry 1958 | 2:43 |
| 3. | "I Only Have Eyes for You" | The Flamingos 1959 | 3:29 |
| 4. | "Get a Job" | The Silhouettes 1958 | 2:48 |
| 5. | "To the Aisle" | The Five Satins 1957 | 2:46 |
| 6. | "Do You Want to Dance" | Bobby Freeman 1958 | 2:46 |
| 7. | "Party Doll" | Buddy Knox 1957 | 2:16 |
| 8. | "Come Go with Me" | The Del-Vikings 1956 | 2:44 |
| 9. | "You're Sixteen" | Johnny Burnette 1960 | 2:04 |
| 10. | "Love Potion No. 9" | The Clovers 1959 | 1:56 |
| Total length: | 26:04 | ||
| No. | Title | Original Artist and year | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Since I Don't Have You" | The Skyliners 1958 | 2:41 |
| 2. | "Chantilly Lace" | The Big Bopper 1958 | 2:23 |
| 3. | "Teen Angel" | Mark Dinning 1959 | 2:48 |
| 4. | "Crying in the Chapel" | Sonny Till & the Orioles 1953 | 3:10 |
| 5. | "A Thousand Miles Away" | The Heartbeats 1957 | 2:28 |
| 6. | "Heart and Soul" | The Cleftones 1961 | 1:55 |
| 7. | "Green Onions" | Booker T. & the M.G.'s 1962 | 2:32 |
| 8. | "Only You (And You Alone)" | The Platters 1955 | 2:47 |
| 9. | "Goodnight, Well it's Time to Go" | The Spaniels 1954 | 2:53 |
| 10. | "All Summer Long" | The Beach Boys 1964 | 2:15 |
| Total length: | 25:52 | ||
CD
| No. | Title | Original Artist and year | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ain't That a Shame" | Fats Domino 1955 | 2:32 |
| 2. | "Johnny B. Goode" | Chuck Berry 1958 | 2:43 |
| 3. | "I Only Have Eyes for You" | The Flamingos 1959 | 3:29 |
| 4. | "Get a Job" | The Silhouettes 1958 | 2:48 |
| 5. | "To the Aisle" | The Five Satins 1957 | 2:46 |
| 6. | "Do You Want to Dance" | Bobby Freeman 1958 | 2:46 |
| 7. | "Party Doll" | Buddy Knox 1957 | 2:16 |
| 8. | "Come Go with Me" | The Del-Vikings 1957 | 2:44 |
| 9. | "You're Sixteen" (written by Bob & Dick Sherman) | Johnny Burnette 1960 | 2:04 |
| 10. | "Love Potion No. 9" | The Clovers 1959 | 1:56 |
| 11. | "Since I Don't Have You" | The Skyliners 1958 | 2:41 |
| 12. | "Chantilly Lace" | The Big Bopper 1958 | 2:23 |
| 13. | "Teen Angel" | Mark Dinning 1960 | 2:48 |
| 14. | "Crying in the Chapel" | Sonny Till & the Orioles 1953 | 3:10 |
| 15. | "A Thousand Miles Away" | The Heartbeats 1957 | 2:28 |
| 16. | "Heart and Soul" | The Cleftones 1961 | 1:55 |
| 17. | "Green Onions" | Booker T. & the M.G.'s 1962 | 2:32 |
| 18. | "Only You (And You Alone)" | The Platters 1954 | 2:47 |
| 19. | "Goodnite, Sweetheart, Goodnite" | The Spaniels 1953 | 2:53 |
| 20. | "All Summer Long" | The Beach Boys 1964 | 2:15 |
| Total length: | 51:56 | ||
Charts
| Chart (1973) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report) | 12 |
| US Top LPs & Tape (Billboard) | 10 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI) | Silver | 60,000 |
| United States (RIAA) | 3× Platinum | 3,000,000 |
|
Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
- Unterberger, Richie. American Graffiti Original Soundtrack review allmusic.com. Retrieved on 2011-08-09.
- "American Graffiti - Original Cut Restoration (Mechanical Assistance/Telecine Experts Needed!) (* unfinished project *) - lots of information... - Original Trilogy". originaltrilogy.com. Retrieved 2022-09-05.
- Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 320. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- "British album certifications – Soundtrack – American Graffiti". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
- "American album certifications – Soundtrack – American Graffiti". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved October 31, 2021.