"Be Kind Rewind" Soundtrack Lyrics

"Be Kind Rewind" Soundtrack Description

Questions and Answers

Is there an official soundtrack album for the film?

Yes. Lakeshore Records released the official album on January 29, 2008; an EU edition followed via Naïve in late February 2008. (according to Lakeshore/FilmMusic.com and AllMusic)

Who composed the original score?

Jean-Michel Bernard composed and performed the score, with several cues woven around Fats Waller–styled material central to the film’s plot. (as listed by AllMusic)

Does the album feature the actors?

It does — Mos Def (Yasiin Bey) and Jack Black appear on several tracks, alongside Michel Gondry and the Passaic High School Marching Band on specific numbers. (as shown on official album listings)

Which vintage artists show up?

Selections include Billy Preston and Booker T. & The MGs, plus classic Fats Waller cuts anchoring the film’s hometown legend thread. (as stated in label notes)

Is there a separate score-only release?

No dedicated score-only album was issued at the time; the official soundtrack mixes Bernard’s score cues with songs and cast performances.

Who handled music supervision?

Music supervision credit includes Linda Cohen; additional supervision work is also associated with Madelyn Colon. (according to the film’s credited listings)

Notes & Trivia

• Release particulars: Lakeshore Records (U.S.) streeted the album January 29, 2008; Naïve handled a European edition in February. (according to AllMusic)
• Runtime hovers around 72 minutes across editions, with 28 tracks mixing songs and score. (per AllMusic and Apple Music)
• Fats Waller is the film’s spiritual patron; multiple tracks are Waller songs performed by Mos Def with Jean-Michel Bernard.
• Booker T. Jones, Steve Cropper, and Donald “Duck” Dunn appear on a swaggering “Lulu’s Back in Town” cut with Michel Gondry on drums.
• A Passaic High School Marching Band feature nods to the film’s community finale vibe.

Overview

How do you score a movie about remaking movies with cardboard and chutzpah? You hybridize. The Be Kind Rewind soundtrack splices Jean-Michel Bernard’s nimble, Waller-inflected score with crate-dug soul and purpose-built cast performances. It’s part jukebox, part underscoring: piano stride and brushed drums for neighborhood warmth, then quick comic stingers for “sweded” chaos. (as detailed by AllMusic and the label’s release notes)

Because the plot prizes DIY, the album never hides its seams. You hear room noise, live-band grin, even marching-band brass in places — all folded around Bernard’s cues. The effect is sly: the music keeps the film’s Fats Waller mythology alive while giving the comedy real groove to dance on. (as reflected in FilmMusic.com’s track notes)

Genres & Themes

• Stride jazz & small-combo swing ↔ Neighborhood myth-making: Piano-first writing frames Passaic’s Fats Waller lore as lived memory.
• Memphis soul & R&B ↔ Collective hustle: Muscle-shoals grit (Booker T. & the MGs) = store-saving momentum.
• Comedy score miniatures ↔ Hand-made cinema: Short cues, quick setups, a wink — like jump-cuts for the ear.
• Cast-led covers ↔ Community authorship: When the actors sing, it says “the town made this,” not just the filmmakers.

Key Tracks & Scenes

“Your Feets Too Big” — Mos Def & Jean-Michel Bernard
Where it plays: Early in the film’s Waller thread, establishing the legend’s comic warmth (diegetic performance feel).
Why it matters: Sets the house style: playful stride piano, vocals with a wink, and a community-first tone.

“Nothing from Nothing” — Billy Preston
Where it plays: Store-day bustle and montage rhythms (non-diegetic needle-drop).
Why it matters: A cheerful groove that underlines “make something from nothing,” i.e., the movie’s thesis.

“Lulu’s Back in Town” — Booker T. Jones, Steve Cropper, Donald “Duck” Dunn & Michel Gondry
Where it plays: Late-film momentum burst (non-diegetic).
Why it matters: Organ swagger meets drum-kit looseness — pure propulsion for the neighborhood project coming together.

“Ain’t Misbehavin’” — Mos Def & Jean-Michel Bernard
Where it plays: Community-minded sequence near the denouement (diegetic leaning).
Why it matters: Turns a standard into a benediction; the town claims its own history without museum glass.

“I Ain’t Got Nobody (Trio & Cast version)” — Jean-Michel Bernard, Mos Def & Michel Gondry
Where it plays: In-story music-making beat tied to the sweding spree (diegetic).
Why it matters: Blurs rehearsal, performance, and plot — exactly the movie’s point.

Track–Moment Index (compact)

Music–Story Links (characters & plot beats as connected to songs)

• Each Waller tune acts like civic glue — when locals sing together, the film swaps “intellectual property” for “shared memory.”
• Preston’s sunny groove covers the duct-tape phase of the plot; the music sells possibility faster than the plan does.
• When the project scales up, Memphis-soul muscle makes the community feel like a band — rhythm section first, heroes second.

How It Was Made (supervision, score, behind-the-scenes)

Michel Gondry tapped frequent collaborator Jean-Michel Bernard for a score steeped in Fats Waller vocabulary — stride piano, lightly comic voicings, and small-combo swing — then intercut it with source songs and live-off-the-floor cast performances. Lakeshore’s album sequencing mirrors that hybrid: cue–song–cue. (as stated by AllMusic and FilmMusic.com)

Music supervision is credited to Linda Cohen, with additional supervision work tied to Madelyn Colon in some listings. Recording credits include Hector Castillo among engineering leads, reflecting an earthy, performance-forward sound rather than glossy studio polish. (as reflected in credited listings and Metacritic’s credit roll)

Reception & Quotes

Reception to the film was mixed, but the soundtrack drew steady affection from score/soundtrack watchers for its community-band feel and for letting the cast step into the music. AllMusic highlights Bernard’s central role and pegs the EU issue on Naïve for February 2008, while U.S. coverage centered on Lakeshore’s January street date. (as stated by AllMusic and label summaries)

“For the music Gondry turned to his regular collaborator… imbued with a definite jazz element.” MovieMusicUK review

“Soundtrack features Mos Def, Jack Black, Fats Waller, Billy Preston, Booker T., & Jean-Michel Bernard score; due January 22.” The Playlist news item (2007)

Technical Info

• Title: Be Kind Rewind (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
• Year: 2008
• Type: Movie soundtrack (songs + score)
• Composer/Performer: Jean-Michel Bernard
• Label(s): Lakeshore Records (U.S.; cat. no. LKS 339692); Naïve (EU)
• Release notes: U.S. release January 29, 2008; EU release February 2008; ~72 minutes / 28 tracks. (as stated by AllMusic and FilmMusic.com)
• Key inclusions: “Your Feets Too Big” (Mos Def & Jean-Michel Bernard), “Nothing from Nothing” (Billy Preston), “Lulu’s Back in Town” (Booker T. Jones/Steve Cropper/Donald “Duck” Dunn & Michel Gondry), “Ain’t Misbehavin’” (Mos Def & Jean-Michel Bernard), classic Fats Waller cut(s).
• Music supervision: Linda Cohen; additional supervision associated with Madelyn Colon.
• Album availability: Streaming (Apple Music/Spotify/Bandcamp) and CD reissues. (according to Apple Music and Bandcamp)

Canonical Entities & Relations

Sources: AllMusic; Lakeshore Records / FilmMusic.com; Apple Music; Spotify; Discogs; IMDb credits; The Playlist; MovieMusicUK.

October, 23rd 2025