The Moviegoer

Scott Walker
Released: October, 1972. Label: Philips

The Moviegoer is the seventh solo studio album by Scott Walker. A different version of the album, titled The Impossible Dream (The Moviegoer), was released in Japan, which reordered the tracklist, and replaced Easy Come Easy Go with Walker’s version of Andy Williams’ The Impossible Dream.

The Moviegoer features cover versions of theme songs from some of Walker’s recent favourite films. He included songs from recent historical dramas: John Barry and Don Black’s This Way Mary from Mary Queen of Scots, starring Vanessa Redgrave and Glenda Jackson, and Nino Rota’s Speak Softly Love, the theme from The Godfather. Songs from political films also feature, including Joe Hill, from the 1971 biopic of the same name about the Swedish-American songwriter and labour activist, and Glory Road from Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward’s 1970 film WUSA, about the threat of white supremacy.

Walker also includes themes from film adaptations of novels, including That Night from 1967’s The Fox, adapted from the DH Lawrence novella, while Easy Come, Easy Go came from Sydney Pollack’s 1969 adaptation of Horace McCoy’s novel, They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?

The Moviegoer was produced by Johnny Franz, engineered by Peter J.Olliff, and featured orchestral arrangements by jazz arranger, producer and pianist Robert Cornford.

It did not chart, and no singles were issued from the album. One track, This Way Mary, later appeared as the B-side to Walker’s 1973 single, The Me I Never Knew.

Track Listing

1. This Way Mary
   (Theme from Mary, Queen of Scots) 2:30

2. Speak Softly Love
   (Love theme from The Godfather) 3:50

3. Glory Road
   (Theme from W.U.S.A.) 3:32

4. That Night
   (Theme from The Fox) 2:50

5. The Summer Knows
   (Theme from Summer of '42) 3:30

6. The Ballad of Sacco and Vanzetti (Here's to You)
   (Theme from Sacco and Vanzetti) 3:32

7. A Face in the Crowd
   (Theme from Le Mans) 3:22

8. Joe Hill
   (Theme from The Ballad of Joe Hill) 2:22

9. Loss of Love
   (Theme from Sunflower) 3:07

10. All His Children
    (Theme from Never Give an Inch) 2:51

11. Come Saturday Morning
    (Theme from Pookie) 3:34

12. Easy Come Easy Go
    (Theme from They Shoot Horses, Don't They?) 3:00