Luhrmann on Moulin Rouge, Gavin, Bono

9 Aug 2001
Australian director Baz Luhrmann, whose hit film Moulin Rouge features a Bono/Gavin Friday/Maurice Seezer T-Rex cover, has been talking about putting together the soundtrack.

Moulin Rouge, starring Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor, boasts one of the hottest soundtracks of the year. Luhrmann explains that he wanted to reinvent the movie musical, to come up with a musical where the songs told a story. He met up with Elton John, knew Bono, wrote to Paul McCartney, met Dolly Parton. 'If it was the '40's, someone like Bono would be writing for movie musicals.'

The soundtrack features a clutch of star performances from which the big hit has been the cover of Patti LaBelle's "Lady Marmalade," featuring Mya, Pink, Lil' Kim, Christina Aguilera, and co-produced by Missy Elliott. Other contributions include Fatboy Slim's can-can 'Because We Can,' Valeria's cover of the 1985 Debarge hit 'Rhythm of the Night,' and 'Complainte de la Butte' by Rufus Wainwright. Beck and hip-hop producer Timbaland cover David Bowie's 'Diamond Dogs,' while Bowie's 'Heroes' is featured in the 'Elephant Love Medley' and he also collaborates with Massive Attack on 'Nature Boy.'

Luhrmann invited Bono, Gavin Friday and Maurice Seezer to record a version of T-Rex's Children of the Revolution.

'The film's about the Bohemian revolution,' explains Luhrmann to HITS magazine. 'It was about identifying popular songs that can unite all of by telling a story. And it's that simple. 'Marc Bolan is hugely underrated in America. Bono is such a great supporter of my films, he asked, 'Anything I can do to help out with Moulin Rouge ?' Maybe make a cup of tea.' 'So he went in with Gavin who worked with us on Romeo and Juliet and Maurice and he recorded that track in about a week. But he was very passionate, as only Bono can be. You're a lucky person if you get to work with him.'

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