Wonka
Score by Joby Talbot
Songs by Neil Hannon
Music & Songs Arranged by Joby Talbot, Jeremy Holland-Smith
Orchestrations by Jeremy Holland-Smith, Dave Foster, Harry Brokensha
Conducted by Jeremy Holland-Smith
Original Willy Wonka songs by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley
Score recorded at Abbey Road Studios, AIR Studios, Angel Studios
Total album running time: 56 minutes
Available on WaterTower Music
I'll let you in on a secret - Wonka is a musical. Interestingly enough, all the versions of the Roald Dahl book have some kind of musical moment. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971) had the delightful songs by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse, while Tim Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) incorporated Dahl's poems into the strange Oompa Loompa songs.
Here we have the marketing department hiding the musical-ness of the film. The songs and singers were a delightful surprise - written by Neil Hannon (known for his band The Divine Comedy). Not only do characters sing throughout the film, the music is so carefully interwoven into the film's score by Joby Talbot. Not even Disney has done this level of melody usage recently! Wonka's motif stems from "A Hatful of Dreams", the mean Scrubbit theme from "Scrub Scrub", and "Sweet Tooth" identifies with the Chocolate Cartel. Thankfully, the score and songs are orchestrated and arranged to match beautifully. I find myself singing the catchy songs that really add a lot to the film's style.
The album isn't quite in chronological order, but here's a rundown.
As the Warner Bros and Roald Dahl logo appear, we first hear Pure Imagination (Opening Titles Version), a lovely simple arrangement of the melody on piano with magical orchestral touches. The film begins right away with the whistle introduction of "A Hatful of Dreams". Timothée Chalamet as Wonka enters the town, transitioning into the catchy "I want" song. Welcome to Scrubbit's features pizzicato strings, celeste before balalaika and flute introduces the melody of "Scrub Scrub". The melody continues to grow with interesting instrumentation. The introductions of "Hatful" and snippet of "World of Your Own" blend together to end the cue.
For Wonka's first chocolate demonstration, we hear "You've Never Had Chocolate Like This (Hoverchocs)". Another catchy tune with delightful rhymes and neat instrumentation. The chocolate causes the Chocolate Cartel members to levitate in Flying Chocolatiers - the melody of the previous song continues. The rest of the trapped workers sing "Scrub Scrub", laundering to the beat of the song. The strong minor key vamp give it the feel of a Kander & Ebb song. Wonka's Case continues with strings and celeste with the melody of "World of Your Own" in a music box arrangement. The music gives the several flashbacks a sentimental mood.
The Chocolate Cartel members bribe the police chief in "Sweet Tooth", with a tango-esque feel. The song builds to big Broadway finish. Willy and Noodle at the Zoo follows their break in with twinkling instruments and chorus and we hear bits of "Never Had Chocolate". Strings and piano introduce the melody of the following song "For a Moment" as Noodle and Willy bond. The piano continues into "For a Moment" as Noodle sings her ballad. The duet continues with Wonka's rhyming counterpart. He helps give her hope while lifting her spirits with a flight out of the zoo on a bundle of balloons.
The Letter 'A' starts on marimba with mandolin continuing the melody of "For a Moment" with some lighter instrumentation, very Desplat-eque. Clock Tower beings with the chime of the "Hatful of Dreams" introduction and the lilting melody of "Never Had Chocolate". The reprise of "You've Never Had Chocolate Like This" sees Wonka using his secret operation to sell his chocolate concoctions to townspeople. We also get a bit of Noodle teaching Wonka to read and the Cartel trying his sweets.
Wonka finally catches the 'little orange man', Lofty the Oompa Loompa. The song "Oompa Loompa" begins with Lofty playing the pipe notes from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. With new lyrics, he sings about being kicked out of town and tracking Wonka down. New lyrics by Neil Herron, original song by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley. The arrangement makes it fit with the other songs, but it is weird hearing the familiar song with different lyrics.
As Wonka finally opens his magical shop, he sings "A World of Your Own", which grows into a jazzy 60's pop number with his compatriots adding in background vocals. After getting pushed out, Wonka sings the short piano ballad "Sorry, Noodle". Mamma's Secret is a gentle version of the intro and melody from "A World of Your Own" on piano. This sentimental version works great in the scene.
Pure Imagination (the classic Newley/Bricusse song from 1971) appears in a slower version with some updated lyrics. As more instruments add their own counter line, the tempo picks up to a bigger finish. In the end credits we hear "Oompa Loompa (Reprise)" with Lofty following up with the whereabouts of characters.
Here we find the longer score tracks placed at the end of the album. The "Hatful" introduction expands in 500 Monks, 1 Giraffe. The tension builds with bits of "Sweet Tooth" brought in before the tempo increases. The monk choir adds chants of 'giraffe' while the brushed snare drum helps keep the momentum. Death By Chocolate adds more drama with ticking, brass growling and muted trumpets on the "Sweet Tooth" melody. Even "Oompa Loompa" has a moment in the mix before the swirling and rising orchestra takes over. We hear more "Hatful" and "Sweet Tooth" before the piano takes over with a brief statement of "For a Moment". The Oompa Loompa to the Rescue is fun orchestral take on the "Oompa Loompa" melody with some heroics mixed with "Hatful" and the comically dissonant "Sweet Tooth". Noodle Gives Affable the Ledger starts with the "Sweet Tooth" melody in woodwinds and later muted trumpets. It transitions to the comic sound used earlier in the flying sequence. Chocolate Fountain rises and leads to the main melody of "Never Had Chocolate", expanding with choir and chimes to the final notes.
You can imagine a film based on Roald Dahl's book is going to have whimsy, magic and a little sinister fun. Not only does Wonka have that, Talbot and Hannon collaborated on one the most cohesive musical scores on film recently.
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