7 Film Scores That Feature Steelpan Effectively

We all remember the first time we heard steelpan. For some of us, that first time was during a movie. For me, it was during the film, 48 Hours, which I saw when I was about 7 years old. As a tribute to some of the music that inspired me and many others to play steelpan, here is a list of seven film scores that feature the steelpan effectively. To be clear, this list does not include films with synthesized versions of pan, but REAL steelpan being performed by a REAL pan player or players. This list also does not include source music, meaning a radio playing steelpan music or a random band a character passes. The music needs to be part of the score that the composer wrote specifically for the film.

1. Star Wars (1977)

The granddaddy of them all, written by the legendary film composer John Williams, not only re-established the classical orchestral scores last heard during the Golden Age of Hollywood, but introduced audiences to an instrument that, to many of them, was totally foreign at the time. Steelpan can be heard in two tracks on the score, “Cantina Band” and “Cantina Band #2”. The score was recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra, and rumor has it that one of the players was asked by Williams himself if he knew any local steelpan players that could track the pieces he had written. He did, in fact, know someone, and the rest is history! We at Pan Magazine hope he brings pan back to one of the new films in the series before he calls it quits as a composer.

2. 48 Hours (1982)

This film anchored the buddy action genre of the 1980s thanks to great acting performances from Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte. Its superb score, written by James Horner (Avatar, Titanic, Aliens, Braveheart), was equally important to its success. With pan features by Jeff and Andy Narell in the main theme, including solos by Andy, the comedy gains a driving, urban edge that some might not have previously associated with steelpan at the time. Moreover, the pan is accompanied by a legato-style saxophone part played by Ernie Watts that haunts the score and pairs well to round out the mix.

3. Commando (1985)

More fitting to the surroundings based on its Caribbean origins, James Horner follows up 48 Hours with a similar score for this Arnold Schwarzenegger-led action flick about a retired special forces soldier who has to rescue his daughter from an island of drug cartel baddies. While the film starts in a forest region and moves through a mall, hotel, and city streets, the music sets up the destination where the final battle takes place. According to an inside source, the pan parts for this and 48 Hours were recorded by noted pannists Andy Narell and Robbie Greenidge.

4. Club Paradise (1986)

This movie tells the story of a Chicago fireman, played by Robin Williams, who leaves behind city life to find serenity as the co-owner of an island resort. He partners with a local reggae artist (Jimmy Cliff) to embark on an entertaining adventure. Naturally, hilarity ensues when guests arrive and everything falls apart. The score, written by David Mansfield (The Apostle) and Van Dyke Parks (The Two Jakes), features steelpan heavily to both create the island feel and add to the goofball antics onscreen with a subtle flavor of its own.    

5. Captain Ron (1992)

Scored by Nicholas Pike (Sleepwalkers, Tales From the Crypt), the film was a bit of a departure for someone known primarily for his writing in the Horror genre. Although essentially formulaic, you would not want much more in this cheesy family comedy, which was mainly watchable thanks to the great performance by Kurt Russell as the title character. The steelpan usage, however, was effective in conveying the locations the characters visited, with the main theme using pan as its anchor. In this piece, pan was performed by Andy Narell, a seasoned percussionist who has performed in over 20 Hollywood film scores.  

6. Cool Runnings (1993)

Hans Zimmer (Batman Begins, Gladiator) scores this delightful score, which supports the mostly true story of the first Jamaican bobsled team and its struggles to join the Olympic ranks. For the most part, it is fairly stock music when it comes to following steelpan music stereotypes. Yet, it succeeds in its scarcity and timing, never overstaying its welcome throughout the film and appropriately abstaining during emotional moments. That is not to say that pan would not work in emotional scenes, but considering how its use in other parts of the film, it was a wise decision by the composer in this case.  

7. Along Came Polly (2004)

This laugh-riot implemented a very effective use of pan in its opening and closing scenes when Ben Stiller was on vacation with his past and future love interests. The music, scored by Theodore Shapiro (Tropic Thunder, The Intern), is more than just stereotypical island fare as it sets up the comedy with a mixture of island pop and a heartfelt feel, amplifying sympathy for the main character.

Honorable Mention: Brother From Another Planet (1984)

 This obscure Sci-Fi film, starring Joe Morton (Miles Dyson from Terminator 2), features pan played by Denzil Botus in multiple genres, including rock, funk, and reggae. The music, written by Mason Daring (Lone Star, Where the Heart Is), is catchy and fits well with the subject matter, that of an alien on the run from his home planet’s agents while making friends in Harlem.

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