Jerry Fielding (June 17, 1922 - February 17, 1980) was an American film com… Read Full Bio ↴Jerry Fielding (June 17, 1922 - February 17, 1980) was an American film composer.
Although best remembered for the bold, evocative film scores he composed for tough-guy filmmakers Sam Peckinpah and Clint Eastwood, Jerry Fielding was also a premier arranger of the swing era, later headlining a series of space age pop LPs as well. Born Joshua Feldman in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Fielding was a child prodigy who claimed among his earliest influences Bernard Herrmann 's pioneering scores for the radio dramas of Orson Welles.
A pupil of theatrical conductor Max Atkins, he was regularly writing arrangements for theatrical pit bands while still in high school, and at 18 was hired by guitar great Alvino Rey. When Rey relocated his musical enterprise from New York City to Los Angeles, he brought Fielding with him and by the mid-'40s he was an in-demand freelance arranger, writing charts for swing icons including Tommy Dorsey, Kay Kyser, and Charlie Barnet. Fielding also wrote extensively for radio, including programs hosted by Hoagy Carmichael, Kate Smith, and The Andrews Sisters, and was eventually named musical director of The Jack Paar Show.
By 1952 Fielding helmed his own jazz orchestra, which was the house band on Groucho Marx's popular television game show You Bet Your Life, but as a self-confessed "loudmouthed crusader" who received death threats for hiring African-American musicians, it was inevitable that he would run afoul of Sen. Joseph McCarthy's anti-Communist witch hunts. Called to testify in front of the House Un-American Activities Committee, Fielding took the Fifth Amendment, and his Hollywood career crumbled. Fielding sought refuge in Las Vegas, where he served as musical director for acts including Abbott & Costello and Debbie Reynolds. He also signed a record contract with Decca, cutting a series of jazz-inspired discs including Sweet with a Beat, Swingin' in Hi-Fi, and Fielding's Formula.
The emergence of stereo technology galvanized Fielding's efforts, and later LPs including Magnificence in Brass and Near East Brass remain favorites of exotica collectors. With McCarthy's reign of terror finally at an end, Fielding returned to Hollywood in 1962, and at the recommendation of blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo he was hired to write his first feature score for Otto Preminger's political thriller Advise and Consent. A score rich in atmosphere and melancholy — two emerging signatures of Fielding's work — it was followed by a series of lighthearted television efforts including themes for the series Hogan's Heroes and Run Buddy Run. In 1966, he teamed with two-fisted filmmaker Sam Peckinpah for the telefilm Noon Wine, inaugurating an often contentious creative partnership that won Fielding Academy Award nominations for 1969's The Wild Bunch and 1971's Straw Dogs. Fielding also scored several films for Clint Eastwood, earning a third Oscar nomination for his work on 1976's The Outlaw Josey Wales.
While in Canada scoring the feature Below the Belt, Fielding suffered a fatal heart attack on February 17, 1980. He was just 57 years old.
Although best remembered for the bold, evocative film scores he composed for tough-guy filmmakers Sam Peckinpah and Clint Eastwood, Jerry Fielding was also a premier arranger of the swing era, later headlining a series of space age pop LPs as well. Born Joshua Feldman in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Fielding was a child prodigy who claimed among his earliest influences Bernard Herrmann 's pioneering scores for the radio dramas of Orson Welles.
A pupil of theatrical conductor Max Atkins, he was regularly writing arrangements for theatrical pit bands while still in high school, and at 18 was hired by guitar great Alvino Rey. When Rey relocated his musical enterprise from New York City to Los Angeles, he brought Fielding with him and by the mid-'40s he was an in-demand freelance arranger, writing charts for swing icons including Tommy Dorsey, Kay Kyser, and Charlie Barnet. Fielding also wrote extensively for radio, including programs hosted by Hoagy Carmichael, Kate Smith, and The Andrews Sisters, and was eventually named musical director of The Jack Paar Show.
By 1952 Fielding helmed his own jazz orchestra, which was the house band on Groucho Marx's popular television game show You Bet Your Life, but as a self-confessed "loudmouthed crusader" who received death threats for hiring African-American musicians, it was inevitable that he would run afoul of Sen. Joseph McCarthy's anti-Communist witch hunts. Called to testify in front of the House Un-American Activities Committee, Fielding took the Fifth Amendment, and his Hollywood career crumbled. Fielding sought refuge in Las Vegas, where he served as musical director for acts including Abbott & Costello and Debbie Reynolds. He also signed a record contract with Decca, cutting a series of jazz-inspired discs including Sweet with a Beat, Swingin' in Hi-Fi, and Fielding's Formula.
The emergence of stereo technology galvanized Fielding's efforts, and later LPs including Magnificence in Brass and Near East Brass remain favorites of exotica collectors. With McCarthy's reign of terror finally at an end, Fielding returned to Hollywood in 1962, and at the recommendation of blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo he was hired to write his first feature score for Otto Preminger's political thriller Advise and Consent. A score rich in atmosphere and melancholy — two emerging signatures of Fielding's work — it was followed by a series of lighthearted television efforts including themes for the series Hogan's Heroes and Run Buddy Run. In 1966, he teamed with two-fisted filmmaker Sam Peckinpah for the telefilm Noon Wine, inaugurating an often contentious creative partnership that won Fielding Academy Award nominations for 1969's The Wild Bunch and 1971's Straw Dogs. Fielding also scored several films for Clint Eastwood, earning a third Oscar nomination for his work on 1976's The Outlaw Josey Wales.
While in Canada scoring the feature Below the Belt, Fielding suffered a fatal heart attack on February 17, 1980. He was just 57 years old.
Drinking Song
Jerry Fielding Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'Drinking Song' by these artists:
Alan Hull A rich man drinks only whiskey, a poor man drinks…
Alice Russell I'm gonna take a little sip and drink it down…
Alleycat Scratch Drinking all day at some stinking Bar, and then went out…
Andru Bemis Have another drink, it's on me boys There's plenty in the…
Bob Schneider Sit at my table And drink all my wine And tell me…
Brewer And Chase Friday night we're off again A dollar off for all my…
Constantine Callinicos; Mario Lanza Drink! Drink! Drink! To eyes that are bright as…
Defiance Ohio the first thing we do if we want to get…
Divine Comedy Back at the house a bottle is found And opened in…
Gits I tend to drink too much sometimes I fall a…
Haley Heynderickx There's a light at the end where I know, where culprits…
Hanggai --------English Translation-------------------------- I…
House Phone I might have grown to be a sailor on the…
Jason Webley To the old chrome cassette, Of my mother's voice, I still cr…
Jenny Owen Youngs Everything I touch turns to shit Everyone I try to love…
Jick Munro and the Amazing Laserbeams The finest beers, we all loving them here. Just drink as…
L.Wainwright III Drunk men stagger, drunk men fall Drunk men swear and that's…
Lil Wyte Start this night out right so i don't fall on…
Lil' Wyte Start this night out right so i dont fall on…
Loudon Wainwright III Drunk men stagger, drunk men fall Drunk men swear and that'…
Mario Lanza Drink! Drink! Drink! To eyes that are bright as…
Mellowdrone I swear to god on my brothers lover, I'm telling…
Mock Orange When you saw them, Was it in time to wait? Do you…
Moxy Früvous And the band played on as the helicopters whirred. Drunk on…
Orthodox Celts The clock started noon, I jumped out of bed, I drank…
Rob Dougan I want to weave a musical spell That leaves you unwell…
Selfish Murphy There is my wife here is my soul All I need…
Subb It'll take vodka for tonight, cause the whiskey's out of…
The Cloverhearts I was 11 years of age, just a tyke, could…
The Gits I tend to drink too much sometimes I fall a…
We have lyrics for these tracks by Jerry Fielding:
Main Title I'm wearing second hand shoes Second hand hose All the gir…
Prologue I'm wearing second hand shoes Second hand hose All the gir…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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