Category: Composers and Film Scores

Bedlam 1946 Val Lewton’s Shadow Play of Madness: A Golden Boy, A Mistress Trapped, and Bars That Will Not Keep.

Directed by Mark Robson, one of Val Lewton’s masterpieces of cinematic impressionism. Anna Lee as Nell Bowen, thrown into Bedlam by the sadistic Master George Sims uncharacteristically portrayed by the great Boris Karloff who usually bears his soul in more sympathetic roles. Bedlam has a sweet justice that is enforced as they say ” the inmates have taken over the asylum” with an ending that is quite powerful.

Here is my song Wash Away from Hunting Down The Ceremony Volume II. Featuring The Cricket Chance in his first vocal performance. ( he sneaked inside the vocal room with me while I was laying down the track for Wash Away. I left him in there, because it seemed relevant and the right thing to do, since he sang in key!)

MonsterGirl (jogabriel)

Jack Arnold’s Existential Sci-Fi Masterpiece The Incredible Shrinking Man 1957

Jack Arnold’s incredible tale of the eternally evolving man starring Grant Williams.

The song “Heavy” appears on my album Fools and Orphans. With a special guest vocal appearance by the late Jeff Ladd. Sadly the world lost Jeff on May 21, 2010

MonsterGirl ( JoGabriel )

Robert Wise’s The Haunting (1963) “Help Eleanor Come Home”

Robert Wise’s cinematic masterpiece adapted from the Shirley Jackson novel The Haunting of Hill House. Starring Julie Harris as Eleanor Lance the queen of the inner monologue.

The-Haunting-1963
Here’s Theodora (Claire Bloom) the stylish sapphic with keen esp & the repressed Eleanor (Julie Harris) who just needs to belong somewhere, even if it’s with the dead!

My song “The Habits of Shadows” appears on my album Fools and Orphans.

With special appearance on backing vocals by the incredible Hannah Fury! Also featuring the stirring performance on upright bass by Mark Urness.

MonsterGirl ( JoGabriel )

The Man Who Laughs 1928 Conrad Veidt’s Gwynplaine and The Eternal Smile

The Man Who Laughs 1928 Directed by Paul Leni and starring the outre emotive Conrad Veidt as the tragic  Gwynplaine and the lovely Mary Philbin as Dea, the blind girl who touches his carved smile with her love.

Gwynplaine is one of my favorite characters in literature, one of Hugo’s more obscure works, Leni captured his soul in  his film with the help of Veidt, perfectly!

Based on Victor Hugo’s novel “L’Homme Qui Rit”

Jo Gabriel’s song “Hold My Breath” appears on my album ISLAND through Kalinkaland Records world wide.

MonsterGirl (JoGabriel)

Elevator To The Gallows (1958): A film by Louis Malle

Starring Jean Moreau. The song Angels In Concrete appears on my album

Hunting Down The Ceremony Volume 1

MashUp includes trumpet by Marty Robinson who did the studio session for me. I left in Miles Davis’ sultry trumpet performance toward the mid to end as a tribute.

The song “Angels In Concrete” was slated to be in indie film maker Steve Balderson’s  Stuck released in 2010 a neo /cult woman in prison film starring Karen Black.

Director Steve Balderson wanted to use this piece for the shower scene. There were several really wonderful candidates for added music. Needless to say, only the musical director /composer’s work wound up in the film.

Most of all, I was truly disappointed that my work didn’t make it in there, so it could be graced with the presence of the great Karen Black.

So here it is inspired by Elevator To The Gallows and Miles Davis’ wandering dream state magic, combined with”Angels In Concrete”

MonsterGirl (jogabriel)

Roger Corman’s Masque of The Red Death(1964): Vincent Price’s Prospero & A Ball to Stave off Death

Roger Corman’s Superb Adaptation of Poe’s story. Vincent Price as always the Master of the Macabre as Prince Prospero.

Jo Gabriel’s song “Masque of The Red Death” appears on my album The Last Drive In

MonsterGirl  (JoGabriel)

The Twilight Zone: The Hitchhiker & “Hello It’s Me”

This is my cover to the iconic song of the 70s Todd Rundgren’s “Hello It’s Me”

I find myself often weepy about the good ole 70s, here’s a tribute to those dreamy hazy days filled with possibility and passion. I might even get myself some eagle feather eye lid paste ons like Todd and sit at the piano and play my heart out live soon!

with sadness in my heart over the great loss too soon, of Inger Stevens…

MonsterGirl( JoGabriel)

Originally recorded at The Luna County Conservatory In NY by Mike Fazio , now remixed by friend and fellow artist Mark Sheppard adding fretless bass and horns and dreamy drifts.

Todd and his awesome eagle feathered brows!

The Monsters’s Gaze: A Tribute To Killer Love

The song Longer appears on my album Hunting Down The Ceremony Vol.1

MonsterGirl (jogabriel)

Bride of Frankenstein (1935)& The Mummy(1932) “We Belong Dead” A video tribute to Boris Karloff

James Whale’s brilliant follow up film and what I consider even better than it’s predecessor Frankenstein,(1931) starring the great Karloff and Elsa Lanchester as The Bride.

And a deliciously campy and fabulous performance by Ernest Thesiger as Doctor Pretorius.

In Karl Freund’s The Mummy Boris plays Imhotep who comes after his immortal beloved played by the fiery sensual Zita Johann.

I have said this so many times, and I never get tired of making the point, I wish Boris Karloff had been my grandfather. I did this music tribute to just 2 of his memorable performances, although there hasn’t been any time that I haven’t been moved by his gentility that comes through even the most notorious characters he’s inhabited.

Here is my song Fable Honey off the album Fools and Orphans. I dedicate this video to Boris and hope that he would be pleased with my treatment of his performances.

MonsterGirl (jogabriel)