FUNNY PEOPLE Soundtrack - John Lennon, Wilco, James Taylor, others..

       MUSIC NEWS-  A rare John Lennon acoustic demo of “Watching the Wheels,” (listen below)  the 1981 single released after his death, is one of the highlights from the original motion picture soundtrack to Universal Pictures’ upcoming  Funny People comedy, from writer/director Judd Apatow’s (The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up). The soundtrack, out via Concord Records, on July 28 (order below thru MNN)  features two exclusive new live tracks: James Taylor’s on-camera performance of “Carolina in My Mind” in the film, and Wilco’s “Jesus, etc.,” (listen below)  featuring Andrew Bird on violin, and recorded during their Summer 2008 tour. Funny People, only in theaters nation-wide on Friday, July 31st, see clip below.

     Funny People stars Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen and Leslie Mann in the story of a famous comedian who has a near-death experience and what happens when the other side isn’t at all what you expect. Eric Bana, Jonah Hill and Jason Schwartzman co-star.  Sarah Silverman, Norm MacDonald, Eminem, Andy Dick and many other notables make hilarious cameos as themselves. (James Taylor also makes an unexpectedly uproarious cameo.)

  Funny People – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack features music from three  Beatles, including Lennon’s acoustic version of “Watching the Wheels,” Paul McCartney’s “Great Day” (from his 1997 album Flaming Pie) and Ringo Starr’s “Photograph” (co-written with George Harrison for the 1973 Ringo

album). The film’s theme of mortality runs through several of the selections, including a pair of tracks from Warren Zevon, “Keep Me In Your Heart” and “Numb as a Statue,” from his 2003 album The Wind which was released just two weeks before his own untimely death from cancer. Lennon’s “Watching the Wheels,” from his 1980 Grammy-winning Album of the Year, Double Fantasy with Yoko Ono, came out several months after his tragic murder.

       Funny People star Adam Sandler contributes music to the soundtrack with a pair of songs, including a cover of a 1977 John Lennon song, “Real Love,” and the humorous “George Simmons Soon Must Be Gone.”  Jason Schwartzman’s band, Coconut Records, is also represented with a pair of psychedelic British Invasion-inspired songs in “Wires” and “I Am Young,” while Judd’s daughter Maude, who also appeared in Knocked Up, offers an impressive performance of  “Memory” from Cats.

The album is rounded out with an early Neil Diamond take on “We,” from his 2005, Rick Rubin-produced 12 Songs album, and Robert Plant and the Strange Sensations’ “All The King’s Horses,” from the 2005 Mighty ReArranger album.

John Lennon – Watching The Wheels: WindowsMedia ,   QuickTime

Wilco – Jesus, Etc Live: WindowsMedia , Quick Time