"Book Club" Soundtrack Lyrics

"Book Club: The Next Chapter (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)" Soundtrack Description

Questions and Answers

Is there an official soundtrack album?

Yes. Book Club: The Next Chapter (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) features Tom Howe’s score—22 tracks released May 12, 2023 by Back Lot Music (as listed on Apple Music).

Who composed the score?

Tom Howe composed the film’s original score, blending breezy Mediterranean colors with warm comedy-romance writing (per album credits).

What song plays over the end credits?

“Anywhere With You,” written by Mary Steenburgen with Caitlyn Smith and Troy Verges and performed by Steenburgen with Jane Fonda, Diane Keaton, Candice Bergen, and Erin Simms—created as a love letter to her co-stars (Entertainment Weekly reported this in a release-day feature).

Are there recognizable needle-drops in the film itself?

Yes. Expect classic and Italian pop moments such as Tom Petty’s “American Girl,” Bette Midler’s rendition of “Mambo Italiano,” and Umberto Tozzi’s “Gloria” (ScreenRant’s scene guide; IMDb Soundtrack).

Who handled music supervision?

Frankie Pine is credited as music supervisor on the film (FilmMusic.com credits; Metacritic credits listing).

Can I stream the album & the single?

Yes. The score album is on major platforms (Spotify/Apple Music). The end-credits single “Anywhere With You” released May 9, 2023 is also on major services (Apple Music single page).

Notes & Trivia

• The official score album (22 cues; ~55 minutes) dropped May 12, 2023 via Back Lot Music, the same day as the U.S. theatrical release (Apple Music lists label and date).
• Mary Steenburgen penned “Anywhere With You” for the end credits and recorded it with her co-stars; producers included Harvey Mason Jr. and Tim Lauer (as reported by Film Music Reporter; Rolling Stone previewed the track).
• Music supervision is by Frankie Pine, whose credits span Sylvie’s Love and Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. (FilmMusic.com and trade profiles).
• Score cue titles map directly to comic beats—e.g., “Zoom Call,” “Bridal Sash & Dress Shops,” “Cooking on a Boat”—a handy shorthand for scene-spotters (album track list).
• Expect Italy-forward source picks—“Mambo Italiano,” “Gloria”—woven around the score’s travel sparkle (ScreenRant’s when-each-song-plays guide).

Overview

What does friendship at full speed sound like? In Book Club: The Next Chapter, Tom Howe’s score keeps the motor humming—plucked strings, playful woodwinds, and postcard-bright motifs—while a few well-aimed needle-drops flip the scrapbook pages. It’s a travel diary in cues, with the end credits sealing the trip in ink via Mary Steenburgen’s cast-sung “Anywhere With You.” (as reported by Entertainment Weekly)

The strategy is restraint: score does the narrative lifting; songs pop in as souvenirs—an American classic for momentum, Italian pop for place, and a bespoke original for farewell. That balance lets the film stay fizzy without turning into wall-to-wall jukebox. (as noted by Film Music Reporter)

Genres & Themes

• Light orchestral / comedic romance (Tom Howe) → gliding strings, pizzicato motion; friendship buoyancy.
• Classic rock & Americana → road-energy and confidence beats (“American Girl”).
• Italian pop standards → sense-of-place sparkle and party montage fuel (“Mambo Italiano,” “Gloria”).
• Original cast-performance ballad → communal closure and gratitude (“Anywhere With You”).

Key Tracks & Scenes

“Anywhere With You” — Mary Steenburgen, Candice Bergen, Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda & Erin Simms
Where it plays: End credits, non-diegetic single (released May 9, 2023).
Why it matters: Written by Steenburgen as a tribute to her co-stars; the cast sings together, turning curtain call into coda (according to Rolling Stone and EW).

“American Girl” — Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Where it plays: Early energy hit to launch the new chapter; non-diegetic (ScreenRant timing guide).
Why it matters: Sets a confident, on-the-move tone before the Italian detour.

“Mambo Italiano” — Bette Midler
Where it plays: Fashion/party montage space during the Rome wedding-dress escapades; non-diegetic (ScreenRant cites the placement).
Why it matters: On-the-nose fun that winks at the film’s culture-clash comedy.

“Gloria” — Umberto Tozzi
Where it plays: Italian setting pep-up; non-diegetic (ScreenRant guide corroborates).
Why it matters: Chic Italo-pop sheen that stamps the trip’s locale.

“Book Club Reunion” — Tom Howe
Where it plays: Early score cue reuniting the quartet after their Zoom-era hiatus; non-diegetic (album track).
Why it matters: Howe’s theme sketches warmth without syrup—friendship as rhythm.

Track–Moment Index (approximate)

Music–Story Links

Howe’s cues do the emotional steering: meeting themes bloom into travel motifs as the quartet swaps book talk for boarding passes. When “Mambo Italiano” barges in, it’s not subtle—and that’s the joke, the soundtrack elbow-nudging the dress-up romp. Later, “Anywhere With You” reframes the movie in first-person plural: after passports and prosecco, the real destination is togetherness.

Even the classic-rock bounce of “American Girl” preps us for self-redefinition. These women aren’t escaping life; they’re editing it. The needle-drops say it out loud while the score whispers the subtext.

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

Composer: Tom Howe recorded a light, melodic score released by Back Lot Music on May 12, 2023 (album pages on Apple/Spotify confirm date, label, and running time). Music Supervision: Frankie Pine (FilmMusic.com; Metacritic credits). Pine’s brief shows in the mix: a few high-impact source cues to brand the trip, surrounded by a cohesive score bed. (as stated in FilmMusic.com’s credits page)

Original Song: “Anywhere With You” was written by Mary Steenburgen with Caitlyn Smith and Troy Verges; produced by Harvey Mason Jr. & Tim Lauer; and—delightfully—performed by Steenburgen with Fonda, Keaton, Bergen, and Erin Simms (according to Film Music Reporter; Rolling Stone ran an early listen; Entertainment Weekly profiled the how/why). It plays like the film’s thesis sung aloud.

Reception & Quotes

Reaction clustered around the feel-good end-credits moment and the score’s easy, postcard glow. The single earned human-interest coverage beyond the usual soundtrack circles (as stated in Entertainment Weekly’s feature and Rolling Stone’s exclusive preview).

“A cast-sung end-credits anthem that doubles as a friendship vow.” Rolling Stone coverage

“Howe’s cues keep the trip buoyant without getting sugary.” Critic-roundup summary

Availability: the 22-track score album streams widely; the “Anywhere With You” single arrived May 9, 2023, ahead of opening weekend (per Film Music Reporter and Apple Music).

Technical Info

• Title: Book Club: The Next Chapter (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
• Year / Type: 2023 — movie
• Composer: Tom Howe
• Music Supervision: Frankie Pine
• Label: Back Lot Music
• Album makeup: Score album (22 cues; ~55 min); separate original end-credits single “Anywhere With You.”
• Selected notable placements: “American Girl” (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers); “Mambo Italiano” (Bette Midler); “Gloria” (Umberto Tozzi); “Anywhere With You” (cast performance, end credits).
• Release context: U.S. theatrical May 12, 2023; score album same date; single released May 9, 2023.
• Availability: Streaming (Apple Music/Spotify/Amazon); regional variations possible.

Canonical Entities & Relations

Sources: Apple Music; Spotify; Film Music Reporter; Rolling Stone; Entertainment Weekly; ScreenRant; IMDb Soundtrack; FilmMusic.com; Metacritic credits; Focus Features/Universal trailer uploads.

October, 25th 2025