Kick Off the Summer with the Breezy That Thing You Do! Soundtrack

When I think of great summery bands, the Beach Boys tend to come to mind first, but not far behind them are the Wonders, the fictional quartet at the heart of the bubbly Tom Hanks film That Thing You Do! It’s not just the Wonders, actually; just about every song in that movie evokes a breezy, innocent feeling of sun-dappled days when even Erie, PA, my notoriously snowy hometown, is as bright and cheery as the California coastline. Because the Wonders are based in Erie, I can’t help feeling a surge of civic pride whenever I think of the movie, and when I hear the songs on its soundtrack, I make like Guy Patterson, the film’s central character, and start drumming on any object within my reach. That Thing You Do! inspires that kind of exuberance, and I have a feeling I’ll be listening to it a lot this summer.

Lovin’ You Lots and Lots - Performed by a phony group billed as the Norm Wooster Singers, this bouncy not-quite-two-minutes-long ditty was penned by Hanks himself. I’m especially fond of it in the movie because it accompanies the montage that introduces downtown Erie of the 1960s, but it’s a lot of fun on its own and sounds very much like an authentic song of the era. Hanks wanted to create a song that reflected the bubblegum flavor of so many early 60s hits, and from the string of cheesy metaphors and the repetitive chorus to the whistling and the innocuous instrumental accompaniment, I would say he succeeded. “You are the stars in the nighttime sky.  You are my girl, and I'm your guy.  You got me all tied up in knots, and I’m lovin’ you lots and lots, I’m just lovin’ you lots and lots, I’m lovin’ you lots and lots…”

That Thing You Do - This Adam Schlesinger-penned tune is the title song, the one that rockets the Wonders from Erie obscurity to nationwide fame as they hurtle their way to the West Coast on a tour of State Fairs. In the movie, we hear it in its original form, and it’s morose and whiny, but with the tempo dramatically sped up, it becomes an irresistible dance number. The phenomenon of depressing lyrics with a catchy beat is widespread throughout early pop-rock, so this song fits right in. The percussion makes all the difference here, and the voices scrambling to keep up with the beat can’t help catching the energy. Infectious rhymes, a snappy melody and just a twinge of lovelorn angst make this a surefire hit. “You doin’ that thing you do, breakin’ my heart into a million pieces like you always do. And you don’t mean to be cruel. You never even knew about the heartache I’ve been goin’ through…”

Little Wild One - Another very teeny-bopperish tune, this one written by David Gibbs, Steve Hurley, Phil Hurley and Fred Elringham. It’s a little funny to hear this immediately after That Thing You Do! Here, he seems to be doing the same thing that he’s accusing his girlfriend of in the previous song, and there’s certainly nothing remorseful in his tone. He just assumes that she will welcome him back with open arms when he gets tired of straying. Another song with a strong percussive base and some nice harmonies, and while the members of the Wonders are well past high school, it definitely captures the flavor of teenage melodrama. “With them, I feel like I’m wastin’ my time, while you make me feel like I’m losin’ my mind. Little wild one…”

Dance With Me Tonight - Written by Scott Rogness and Rick Elias, this song amuses me because Music and Lyrics, another fun film that pays peppy tribute to a musical era with instant retro classics, also has a song by this title. They sound completely different, of course, as that movie’s focus is the 1980s, but it makes me smile. The Wonders version is reminiscent of Twist and Shout and other songs in that vein. Pure innocuous get-your-feet-moving fun. “Tell your mama that you’re leavin’. Tell your daddy that we’re gone. Tell everyone in Philadelphia there’s a party goin’ on.”

All My Only Dreams - This mellow Wonders song, also by Rogness and Elias, is more of a solo showcase than a group effort, with the minimal harmonizing restricted mostly to the title line. The plaintive tone is just a shade shy of maudlin; this is a guy who cannot be with the woman he loves. While the precise reasons are unclear, great distances seem to separate them, judging by the imagery that reminds me of James Horner’s Somewhere Out There, the touching duet from An American Tail. A nice slow dance kind of song. “So every night I pray I’ll have you here one day. I’ll count the stars tonight and hope with all my might. And when I close my eyes, you’ll be right by my side.”

I Need You (That Thing You Do) - This mid-tempo Wonders song, written by Rogness and Elias with Linda Elias, plays over the credits and makes a nice sort of bookend to the main song. Again, there’s a bit of a pleading tone, though I’m not sure if we’re supposed to think it’s the same relationship being discussed. Either way, a nice track. “I could search around the world, only to find the only thing I need is you, right by my side.”

She Knows It - This electric-tinged song comes courtesy of The Heardsmen, the band formed by lead singer-songwriter Jimmy after the Wonders break up. I’m not sure when the song is supposed to have been released, but it sounds a bit more recent than the rest, perhaps late 1960s. Another one written by Rogness and Elias, it doesn’t appear in the movie. Enjoyable but not all that memorable. “It’s true, it might take a little while; I’ll be the one that makes her smile.”

Mr. Downtown - Sung by the invented Freddy Frederickson, a singer who is supposed to be past his prime at the time the Wonders are embarking upon their tour, this song was written by Hanks, Gary Goetzman and Mike Piccirillo. This brass-heavy song has a smarmy lounge quality to it and almost sounds like it could be the theme of a corny 50s spy show. Quite different from anything else on the soundtrack. “Under the waning moon is danger to be found for the man with the badge in the night, the man with the badge in the night. What's his name? Mr. Downtown…”

Hold My Hand, Hold My Heart - The Chantrillenes, a Supremes-like group who mingle with the Wonders during their tour, provide the only group song on the album featuring only female vocalists. This one is also written by Hanks, Goetzman and Piccirillo, and it’s my favorite of the non-Wonders songs, partly because whenever I hear it I picture the unnamed bass player, the quietest member of the Wonders, standing off to the side mimicking the ladies’ goofy hand motions. While the mental image the title line produces is a tad macabre, I find this peppy song charming. “I want you to say you’re thinkin’ of me those nights when we’re apart. I want you to know when you hold my hand, you hold my heart.”

Voyage Around the Moon - This song by the fictional band The Saturn 5 – the name of which is one of many homages in the movie to the space program, with which Hanks, fresh off of Apollo 13, was deeply preoccupied at the time – is a purely instrumental track. Written by Hanks, Goetzman and Piccirillo, it sounds to me like a cross between beach music and a James Bond theme song.

My World Is Over - Piccirillo has solo writer’s credit on my least favorite track on the album. Diane Dane, like Freddy Frederickson, is a lounge singer type teetering on obsolescence, and she has no qualms about hitting on young singers like Jimmy who are half her age. Simultaneously sultry and sulky, this brass-drenched torch song is repetitive and snoozy. Like the other songs on the album, it absolutely feels like it could have been a hit during its day, but my era is the 60s, and her style just isn’t my cup of tea. “Your love is gone, so for me, my world is over…”

Drive Faster - This is a curious song because it’s by the Vicksburgs, a band that only gets a passing mention a couple of times in the movie. Written by Rogness and Elias, it captures the fascination with fast cars that permeates so many summery songs of the 60s. Musically, the guitar-heavy song makes me think of Johnny B. Goode, while the subject matter reminds me of several Beach Boys songs. A bit of an oddity, but fun. “And let's drive drive drive til we get enough. We're gonna ride ride ride ‘til the sun comes up. Gotta feel that wind blowin' in her hair, and she's mine when I drive faster…”

Shrimp Shack - Written by Piccirillo, this song features the Wonders as Cap’n Geech and the Shrimp Shack Shooters, a ridiculous band in a cheesy Frankie and Annette-style beach movie. Pure frothy instrumental fun with percussion, keyboard and brass, it’s a get-up-and-toss-a-beach-ball-around kind of song that sounds almost as silly as it looks.

Time to Blow - Steve Tyrell and Robert F. Mann share writing credits on this jazzy piano and drums number attributed to Del Paxton, Guy’s personal hero. It’s the longest song on the album by more than a minute, which is rather funny since it’s so far removed from its predominant style. Still, it’s a nice nod to the way that musicians from different genres inspire each other. I’m not that much of a jazz aficionado, but it’s a pleasant song to listen to.

That Thing You Do! (live) - Time for the title song again, this time the version that the Wonders perform on The Hollywood Television Showcase, basically a fictionalized version of The Ed Sullivan Show that’s located in Los Angeles instead of New York. Pretty similar to the first version, but with lots of screeching from the crowds and an overall sense that everyone is overwhelmed by exuberance. The ideal way to end the album. “I know all the games you play, and I’m gonna find a way to let you know that you’ll be mine someday. ‘Cause we could be happy, can’t you see, if you’d only let me be the one to hold you and keep you here with me…”

Yes, this is an album consisting entirely of music from bands and singers who never existed. Yes, if these had been actual hits, it would have been 40-some years ago, not today. Yes, virtually every track is a sappy love song with an extra squirt of cheese. Does any of that bother me? Nope. That Thing You Do! is a perfect album to get my summer off to a chipper start, and the fact that I’m from the same city as the Wonders is just icing on the cake. Tom Hanks, I offer you my hearty thanks.