Suicide Is Painless
"Theme from M*A*S*H (Suicide Is Painless)" | |
---|---|
Single by The Mash | |
from the album M*A*S*H (Original Soundtrack Recording) | |
B-side | "The M*A*S*H March" |
Released | 1970 |
Format | 7" vinyl |
Recorded | 1969 |
Genre | Folk |
Length | 2:53 |
Label | Columbia/CBS |
Writer(s) |
Johnny Mandel (music) Mike Altman (lyrics) |
Producer(s) | Thomas Z. Shepard |
“Suicide Is Painless” is a song written by Johnny Mandel (music) and Mike Altman (lyrics), which is best known for having been featured as the theme song for both the movie and TV series M*A*S*H. The actual title is "Song from M*A*S*H (Suicide Is Painless)". Mike Altman is the son of the original film’s director, Robert Altman, and was 14 years old when he wrote the song’s lyrics. During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in the 1980s, Robert Altman said that his son had earned more than a million US dollars for having co-written the song while he only made US$70,000 for having directed the movie.
The song was written specifically for Ken Prymus (the actor playing Private Seidman), who sang it during the faux suicide of Walter Waldowski (John Schuck) in the film's "Last Supper" scene.[1][2] Robert Altman had two stipulations about the song for Mandel; first, it had to be called "Suicide Is Painless", secondly, it had to be the "stupidest song ever written".[3] Altman tried to write the lyrics himself, but found that it was too difficult for his 45-year-old brain to write "stupid enough".[4] Instead he gave the task to his 14-year-old-son, Michael, who apparently wrote the lyrics in five minutes.[5][6]
Altman later decided that the song worked so well, he would use it as the film's main theme, despite Mandel's initial objections.[7] This version was sung by uncredited session singers John Bahler, Tom Bahler, Ron Hicklin and Ian Freebairn-Smith (the vocals are sometimes misattributed to Johnny Mandel, due to his being the only name officially credited for the song).[citation needed]
Several instrumental versions of the song were used as the theme for the TV series. Credited to "The Mash" when it appeared on the film's soundtrack album on Columbia/CBS Records in 1970,[8] it belatedly became a number one hit in the UK in 1980 after being championed by BBC Radio 1 DJ Noel Edmonds.[citation needed]
The song was ranked #66 on AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs.
Track listing
- 7" vinyl
- Germany: CBS / 5009
- UK: CBS / S CBS 8536
- US: Columbia / JZSS 153321 [Promo only]
- US: Columbia / ZSS 153321 [original release]
A-side | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Artist | Length | ||||||
1. | "Theme from M*A*S*H (Suicide Is Painless)" | Johnny Mandel, Mike Altman | The Mash | 2:53 |
B-side | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Artist | Length | ||||||
1. | "The M*A*S*H March" | Mandel | Johnny Mandel | 1:19 |
Chart performance
Chart (1970) | Peak position |
---|---|
Dutch GfK chart[9] | 3 |
Dutch Top 40[10] | 4 |
Chart (1980) | Peak position |
UK Singles Chart[11] | 1 |
Irish Singles Chart | 1 |
Preceded by "What's Another Year" by Johnny Logan |
UK number one single 31 May 1980 – 14 June 1980 |
Succeeded by "Crying" by Don McLean |
Manic Street Preachers version
"Theme from M.A.S.H. (Suicide Is Painless)" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Manic Street Preachers | ||||
from the album Ruby Trax | ||||
B-side |
"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" (by The Fatima Mansions) "Sleeping with the NME" "Spectators of Suicide" "Star Lover" "Never Want Again" "Dead Yankee Drawl" "Ain't Goin' Down" | |||
Released | 1992 | |||
Format | 7" vinyl, 12" vinyl, CD | |||
Genre | Alternative rock, glam punk, hard rock | |||
Length | 3:43 | |||
Label | Columbia | |||
Writer(s) |
Johnny Mandel (music) Mike Altman (lyrics) | |||
Producer(s) | Manic Street Preachers | |||
Manic Street Preachers singles chronology | ||||
|
Manic Street Preachers released a cover version of "Suicide Is Painless" in 1992. In the UK it was a double A-side charity single (to help The Spastics Society), with The Fatima Mansions' take on Bryan Adams' "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" as the other A-side. The 12" and CD versions of the UK single included "Sleeping with the NME" – an excerpt from a radio documentary recorded in the offices of the NME, capturing staff's reaction to photographs of guitarist Richey Edwards's self-mutilation. The single peaked at #7 in the UK Singles Chart[12] spending three weeks in the Top Ten. In other countries it was released as a Manic Street Preachers single, with different B-sides.
Track listings
- 7" vinyl
- UK: Columbia / 658382 7
Side one | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Artist | Length | ||||||
1. | "Theme from M.A.S.H. (Suicide Is Painless)" | Johnny Mandel, Mike Altman | Manic Street Preachers | 3:40 |
Side two | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Artist | Length | ||||||
1. | "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" | Bryan Adams, Michael Kamen, Robert John "Mutt" Lange | The Fatima Mansions | 6:26 |
- Netherlands: Columbia / COL 658385 7
Side one | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length | |||||||
1. | "Theme from M.A.S.H. (Suicide Is Painless)" | Mandel, Altman |
Side two | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length | |||||||
1. | "Spectators of Suicide" | James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Sean Moore, Richey James Edwards |
- 12" vinyl
- UK: Columbia / 658382 6
Side one | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Artist | Length | ||||||
1. | "Theme from M.A.S.H. (Suicide Is Painless)" | Mandel, Altman | Manic Street Preachers |
Side two | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Artist | Length | ||||||
1. | "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" | Adams, Kamen, Lange | The Fatima Mansions | |||||||
2. | "Sleeping with the N.M.E." | Manic Street Preachers |
- CD
- UK: Columbia / 658382 2
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Artist | Length | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Theme from M.A.S.H. (Suicide Is Painless)" | Mandel, Altman | Manic Street Preachers | ||
2. | "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" | Adams, Kamen, Lange | The Fatima Mansions | ||
3. | "Sleeping with the N.M.E." | Manic Street Preachers |
- Europe: Columbia / 658385 2
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Theme from M.A.S.H. (Suicide Is Painless)" | Mandel, Altman | ||
2. | "Spectators of Suicide" | Bradfield, Wire, Moore, Edwards | ||
3. | "Star Lover" | Bradfield, Wire, Moore, Edwards |
- Japan: Epic/Sony / ESCA 5668
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Theme from M.A.S.H. (Suicide Is Painless)" | Mandel, Altman | 3:43 | |
2. | "Never Want Again" | 3:39 | ||
3. | "Dead Yankee Drawl" | 3:46 | ||
4. | "Ain't Goin' Down" | 3:08 |
Chart performance
Chart (1992) | Peak position |
---|---|
UK Singles Chart [12] | 7 |
Irish Singles Chart [13] | 12 |
Swedish Singles Chart [14] | 21 |
Other versions
- Grady Tate recorded a soul-jazz version of the song in April 1970 that appears on his second album, After the Long Drive Home (Skye).
- Al De Lory recorded a jazz piano version of the tune (as "Song from MASH") that peaked at #7 on the adult contemporary chart during the summer of 1970.[15]
- Henry Mancini recorded an easy listening version of the song for his 1970 album Mancini Plays the Theme from Love Story.
- Fung Bo Bo recorded a female-vocal version (in English) on a Malaysian EP (MMI Top 21006) in 1970.
- Ahmad Jamal recorded an instrumental jazz-funk version of the song (as "Theme from M*A*S*H") on his 1974 release Jamalca. This version was included on some re-releases of the soundtrack album. Jamal recorded another version of the tune for his 1985 album Digital Works.
- Roy Ayers recorded an instrumental version of the theme for his 1974 album Change Up the Groove.
- Paul Desmond recorded an instrumental version on his 1974 album Pure Desmond.
- 101 Strings recorded an easy listening version on their 1975 album T.V. Themes.
- Kerstin Forslund and the Small Town Singers released a version in 1975.[16] The single peaked at 17th position in Sweden,[17] Top 100 chart in Australia.
- Ray Conniff recorded an easy listening version on his 1976 album Theme from S.W.A.T. and Other TV Themes.
- Bill Evans recorded a jazz piano trio version of the song for You Must Believe in Spring, an album posthumously released in 1980, having made it a staple of his live sets for some years. Evans' version modulates through 4 keys. The song is also recorded in a jazz piano trio version on the CD Bill Evans Trio, recorded live in Buenos Aires in 1979.
- Cal Tjader recorded a version on his 1981 album The Shining Sea.
- Jimmy Smith recorded a version on his 1982 album Off the Top.
- Art Of Noise perform a short instrumental interpolation on their 1984 track "A Time for Fear (Who's Afraid)", featured on both Who's Afraid of the Art of Noise? and Daft.
- Sue Raney recorded a vocal version for her 1988 album Quietly There.
- Royal Trux recorded a version for the BBC John Peel radio show in 1993. It was released in 1997 on a Royal Trux compilation called Singles, Live, Unreleased. On the compilation the song is titled "Theme from M.A.S.H."
- Killarmy sampled the music for their 1997 track "5 Stars" from the Silent Weapons for Quiet Wars album.
- Edgar Cruz recorded an instrumental cover of the song for his 1997 album Reminiscence titled "M*A*S*H Theme".
- Jay-Jay Johanson performed a version of this song on France Inter in 1997, later released on a promotional CD. In 2011 it appeared on his CD Spellbound.
- Marilyn Manson did a version for the soundtrack of Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 in 2000.
- Barði Jóhannsson and Keren Ann recorded a version on their album Lady and Bird (2003).
- Stewie Griffin (voiced by Seth MacFarlane) sang a part of it in Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story in 2005.
- Matt Costa, singer-songwriter from Huntington Beach, California, USA covered the song on his six-track The Elasmosaurus EP in 2005.
- Kelis does her own interpretation of the song in her single "Lil Star" (with Cee-Lo), released in 2007.
- The Drones performed an acoustic version in 2008 on Triple J in Australia.
- Ania Dąbrowska recorded a version of this song on her album Ania Movie (2010).
- Amanda Lear recorded an acoustic and a dance version of this song on her 2009's cd Brief Encounters.
- Tripod did a short acoustic rendition of the theme in the song "Lingering Dad". Additionally, portions of the theme were later used in the song "Theme from Mash Guy" – a comedic song about a fictionalised writer of the song in an existentialist crisis over being known only as "the theme from M*A*S*H guy".
- The Crackling has a cover on their 2012 EP "Ashen".
References
- ↑ "Interview with Johnny Mandel". JazzWax.com. October 24, 2008. "Bob said to me, 'You know, I need a song for the film. It’s that Last Supper scene, after the guy says he’d going to do himself with a pill because his life is over, because couldn’t get it up with the WAC the night before.'"
- ↑ Michael L. LaBlanc. "Gale Musician Profiles: Johnny Mandel". The Gale Group. "The Theme for M*A*S*H (Suicide Is Painless) wasn’t intended to be the theme of the motion picture. It was written in 1970 for the "Last Supper" scene and was actually intended to be played by one of the actors. It had to be written before the movie was actually shot."
- ↑ "Interview with Johnny Mandel". JazzWax.com. October 24, 2008. "Bob also said the song had to be called 'Suicide Is Painless'. 'Since [Capt.] Painless commits suicide with a pill, that would be a good title,' he said. Then he said, 'It’s got to be the stupidest song ever written.'"
- ↑ "Interview with Johnny Mandel". JazzWax.com. October 24, 2008. "Bob was going to take a shot at the lyrics. But he came back two days later and said, 'I’m sorry but there’s just too much stuff in this 45-year-old brain. I can’t write anything nearly as stupid as what we need.'"
- ↑ "Interview with Johnny Mandel". JazzWax.com. October 24, 2008. "Bob said, "All is not lost. I’ve got a 15-year-old kid who’s a total idiot." So Michael Altman, at age 15, wrote the lyrics, and then I wrote the music to them."
- ↑ Michael L. LaBlanc. "Gale Musician Profiles: Johnny Mandel". The Gale Group. "His 14-year-old son, Mike Altman, was enlisted and wrote the lyrics in five minutes to which Mandel later added the melody."
- ↑ Michael L. LaBlanc. "Gale Musician Profiles: Johnny Mandel". The Gale Group. "Later when the movie was being edited, Mandel heard the song being played over the film’s title in the helicopter scene and protested, saying, "It was the stupidest thing I have ever seen," and angrily walked out insisting it didn’t fit. The studio ignored his protest."
- ↑ "Mash, The – Theme from M*A*S*H (Suicide Is Painless) (7", Single) at Discogs". Retrieved 27 July 2009.
- ↑ "dutchcharts.nl – M*A*S*H – Suicide Is Painless (Theme from M*A*S*H)". Retrieved 27 July 2009. (Dutch)
- ↑ "De Nederlandse Top 40: week 39, 1970". Retrieved 27 July 2009. (Dutch)
- ↑ "Chart Stats – MASH – Theme from 'M*A*S*H' (Suicide Is Painless)". Retrieved 27 July 2009.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Chart Stats – Manic Street Preachers/Fatima Mansions – Theme from M*A*S*H/(Everything I Do) I Do It For You". Retrieved 27 July 2009.
- ↑ "irishcharts.ie search results". Retrieved 27 July 2009.
- ↑ "swedishcharts.com – Manic Street Preachers – Suicide Is Painless (Theme from M.A.S.H)". Retrieved 27 July 2009.
- ↑ Adult Contemporary: Jul 04, 1970
- ↑ "Suicide Is Painless" (in Swedish). Svensk mediedatabas. 1975. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
- ↑ "Suicide Is Painless" (in Swedish). Hitparad. 1975. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
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