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King of Comedy
soundtrack album

Warner Bros. 3765
(Released 1983)

1. Back on the Chain Gang
2. T'ain't Nobody's Bizness (If I Do)
3. Swamp
4. King of Comedy
5. Rainbow Sleeves
6. Between Trains
7. Steal the Night
8. Come Rain or Come Shine
9. Finer Things
10. Wonderful Remark

Notes: (from Barney Hoskyns' Across the Great Divide)
Robbie Robertson's soundtrack for The King of Comedy, one of Martin Scorsese's most overlooked films, was a blend of already-recorded tracks or out-takes by Ric Ocasek, the Pretenders, the Talking Heads, and Rickie Lee Jones, and specially-produced contributions from Ray Charles, Van Morrison, David Sanborn, Bob James, and B. B. King. Highlights are B. B. King's "T'Ain't Nobody's Business", Van Morrison's superb "Wonderful Remark", that was used for the closing credit sequence, Ray Charles' version of the Johnny Mercer/Harold Arlen classic "Come Rain Or Come Shine", The Prentenders' then unreleased "Back On The Chain Gang", and Rickie Lee Jones' divine "Rainbow Sleeves", a song by her old beau Tom Waits.

When a Scorsese assistant called "Cowboy" Dan Johnson died suddenly of meningitis, the shock prompted Robbie to write on of the loveliest songs of his career. "Between Trains" was a tribute to Johnson, an eccentric loner who'd made a big impression on Robbie, and it featured both Garth Hudson on synthesizer and Richard Manuel on backing vocals.

Sidemen on "Wonderful Remark":
Van Morrison: vocal, acoustic guitar
Robbie Robertson: electric guitar
David Hayes: bass
Richard Tee: piano
Jim Keltner: drums
Nicky Hopkins: organ and synthesizer