Music From The Motion Picture Pulp Fiction is the soundtrack to Quentin Tarantino's 1994 film, released on 27 September 1994 by MCA Records. No traditional film score was commissioned. In its place Tarantino assembled an eclectic run of American rock and roll, surf, pop and soul recordings, cut together with spoken dialogue lifted straight from the film.
The Music
The album is built from nine songs taken from the film, four tracks that pair a snippet of dialogue with a song, and three tracks of dialogue alone. Dick Dale & His Del-Tones open with "Misirlou", the surf instrumental used over the opening credits. Tarantino chose surf music for the film's basic score because, in his words, "it just seems like rock 'n' roll Ennio Morricone music, rock 'n' roll spaghetti Western music". Around it sit Kool & The Gang's "Jungle Boogie", Al Green's "Let's Stay Together", Dusty Springfield's "Son Of A Preacher Man", Chuck Berry's "You Never Can Tell", The Statler Brothers' "Flowers On The Wall" and The Tornadoes' 1962 instrumental "Bustin' Surfboards". Urge Overkill's cover of the Neil Diamond song "Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon" reached number 59 on the Billboard Hot 100 and carried the band into the mainstream. Several songs were suggested to Tarantino by Chuck Kelley and Laura Lovelace, both credited as music consultants, and Karyn Rachtman served as music supervisor.
Dialogue
Three tracks carry dialogue on its own, among them Jules' "Ezekiel 25:17" speech and the "Royale With Cheese" exchange between Jules and Vincent. A further four pair a short exchange with the song that follows it. The sleeve carries a Parental Advisory mark for explicit content.
Reception
The soundtrack reached number 21 on the Billboard 200. It had sold more than 1.6 million copies in the United States by September 1995 and passed two million by April 1996, and it was certified platinum in Canada by the CRIA. Its effect on surf music was immediate: in 1997 the Philadelphia Inquirer credited the record with reinvigorating surf rock, helped by two Del-Fi recordings it returned to circulation, "Bullwinkle Part II" by The Centurions and "Surf Rider" by The Lively Ones.
The Pressing
A single LP on MCA Records under catalogue number 0008811110314, running about 41 minutes. Sixteen indexed tracks are split eight to a side, the front sleeve carries the film's Uma Thurman artwork and the reverse prints the full tracklist and credits. Mastering is credited to Steve Hall.
Tracklist
Side A
- Pumpkin And Honey Bunny (dialogue) / Misirlou - Dick Dale & His Del-Tones
- Royale With Cheese (dialogue)
- Jungle Boogie - Kool & The Gang
- Let's Stay Together - Al Green
- Bustin' Surfboards - The Tornadoes
- Lonesome Town - Ricky Nelson
- Son Of A Preacher Man - Dusty Springfield
- Zed's Dead, Baby (dialogue) / Bullwinkle Part II - The Centurions
Side B
- Jack Rabbit Slims Twist Contest (dialogue) / You Never Can Tell - Chuck Berry
- Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon - Urge Overkill
- If Love Is A Red Dress (Hang Me In Rags) - Maria McKee
- Bring Out The Gimp (dialogue) / Comanche - The Revels
- Flowers On The Wall - The Statler Brothers
- Personality Goes A Long Way (dialogue)
- Surf Rider - The Lively Ones
- Ezekiel 25:17 (dialogue)