We are going to examine the score of Busting, composed by Billy Goldenberg in 1973, by comparing the original recording and the actual music used and heard in the scenes of the film. It’s a music editor exercice of pinpointing the cues in the chronological order and the tools of the trade are: the soundtrack CD (Kritzerland Records, KR 20015-7, 44 minutes, 2010, limited edition: 1000 copies, 21 tracks) and the DVD of the film (MGM Classics, 92 minutes, 1.85 Letterbox, 2012, M.O.D., 10 chapters and a trailer).

≡ THE MUSIC

Composer Billy Goldenberg writes a modernist urban funky score which features a variety of percussions (drum and Latin American instruments like the maraca, the conga) and synthesizers (ARP, Moog) along with a piano, some strings and some brass (a trumpet is distorted with echoplex and reminds jazzman Miles Davis’ 1970 fusion opus Bitches Brew), harp, electric guitar, electric sitar, organ. The instruments are used as short and rough dramatical and atmospheric cues but you also find two dense action-packed tracks: see “The Chase” and “Nailing Rizzo”. The bulk of the score is bleak, furious, wild and even experimental and only three scenes (the dentist, the sex-shop, the restaurants) feature incongruous and extremely soft music and, in the context of the first two scenes, it's like a counterpoint to the sleazy situation. Two tracks are versatile and combine edgy and sweet cues: see "Main Title" as the arch-example but also "Happy Birthday". Some tracks have the distorted trumpet with echo motif in them: see "The Chase", “Tailing Rizzo”, “Rizzo's House/Rizzo's Heart Attack”, “Nailing Rizzo”. The popular song "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" is performed twice during Rizzo's birthday scene: first, by the close friends of Rizzo inside the grand restaurant and, then, by detectives Keneely and Farrel who dance around Rizzo's burning car.

CAUTION: SOME TRACKS ARE HEARD EITHER AS SOURCE MUSIC OR IN THE BACKGROUND AT A LOW LEVEL AND MANY TRACKS ARE EDITED IN SMALL CUES DURING THE FILM WHICH MAY CAUSE CONFUSIONS FOR THE LISTENERS. SPOILERS: THIS BLOG REVEALS KEY SCENES OF THE FILM.

≡ THE PLOTLINE

Los Angeles, California, 1973: two poor Vice Squad detectives named Michael Keneely and Patrick Farrel—earning $200 a week for busting $10 hookers—are trying vainly to corner and indict the respectable “nouveau riche” big shot gangster Carl Rizzo who makes big profits from sex and drug. Unfortunately, things are not that easy because the corruption has plagued the police and the justice departments. Find their diehard attempt to do their duty despite all odds.

≡ THE CHARACTERS

↓ The Police Department

• Detective Michael Keneely (actor Elliott Gould: see MASH) chewing gums
• Detective Patrick Farrel (actor Robert Blake: see In Cold Blood) carrying
an unlit cigarette
• Sergeant Kenefick (actor John Lawrence) smoking Cuban cigars
• The stubborn Desk Sergeant in uniform (actor Richard Slattery)

↓ The Justice Department

• Old Judge Fred R. Simpson (actor Ivor Francis)
• Rich lawyer Mr. Weldman (actor William Sylvester) representing Jackie Faraday,
Carl Rizzo and Marvin
• Long-haired maggot lawyer Mr. Crosby (actor Danny Goldman) representing
a transvestite couple

↓ The Mob

• Arrogant Carl Rizzo aka Mr. Dynamite aka Spanky (actor Allen Garfield)
• Rizzo’s wife (actress Margo Winkler)
• Rizzo’s bouncer (actor Sid Haig)
• Rizzo’s connection (actor Frank Farmer)

↓ The Underworld

• Fancy call girl Jackeline “Jackie” Faraday (actress Cornelia Sharp)
• Libidinous fatso dentist Dr. Berman (actor Logan Ramsey)
• Homo bar customer Stephen (actor Antonio Fargas: see Starsky & Hutch)
• Sex-shop owner Marvin (actor Michael Lerner)
• Junky massage expert Doris (actress Erin O’Reilly)
• The street hooker (actress Kai Hernandez)
• The tall and brutal black hood (actor Carl Eller)

≡ THE FILM

1. In broad day light, call girl Jackie Faraday is crossing the street and is heading to the First Western Bank building → urban funky cue.
2. Jackie enters the elevator of the building when a smiling house painter stares at her → sweet elevator violin cue.
3. Jackie is crossing the maze of tight corridors on the way to the dentist → same sweet cue.
4. Jackie enters the dentist office, waits for her weekly appointment and meets Dr. Berman to offer her special weekly service → same sweet cue.
5. Jackie comes out of the dentist building and bumps into Vice Squad detectives Michael Keneely and Patrick Farrel waiting inside a black car who are later heading to the building → urban funky cue.

In broad day light, detectives Keneely and Farrel enter the dentist office, meet the receptionist, step into the operating room where a female patient is currently taking care of—Keneely offers the patient a piece of gum (sic)—and have a talk with Dr. Berman in the corridor about Jackie’s Tuesday service → sweet muzac cue.

“In, the, chairrrr…”
—Detective Keneely to libidinous Dr. Berman.

The house painter stares at call girl Jackie || Detectives Keneely and Farrel grill the guilty Dr. Berman

At night, detectives Keneely and Farrel are walking down the hot streets of Los Angeles populated by pimps and prostitutes and pass by the Electra club → funky laid-back pimp music dominated by a piano, an organ, percussions and an electric guitar.

At night, detectives Keneely and Farrel pose as a homosexual couple drinking at the counter of the fruit bar called “The Tavern” when a black customer named Stephen bothers them and, later on, in the grip of rage, Stephen bites the calf of Keneely and all the customers savagely attack them when the police bursts in → frenzied funk rock music.

“Dear Mom and Dad, how are you? I am swell, a fag ate my leg. Your son, Mike.”
—Detective Keneely to Farrel at the exit of The Tavern.

Detectives Keneely and Farrel are in the hot streets || Detectives Keneely and Farrel are at The Tavern

After a bad day at the courthouse where he lost the case against Jackie Faraday, detective Keneely returns home: a small crummy apartment. Keneely takes off his jacket, puts on a red bobble hat with yellow stripes, goes to the kitchen to grab a beer and returns in the living-room to install his cheap sofa bed to unwind when the baby of the neighbour cries → intimistic and gloomy synthesizer cue.

1. At night, detective Keneely, posing as a cigar-smoking cowboy, enters a sex-shop and negociates with the owner named Marvin a woman to get a $20 massage → Baroque violin recital cue a la Mozart.
2. A few minutes later, detective Farrel enters the sex-shop → same Baroque violin recital cue.
3. Farrel is reading a book when Marvin smells a rat and invites him to get out of the place → same Baroque violin recital cue.
4. Out of the massage parlor and back to the sex-shop, Keneely gives a little beating to Marvin so that he doesn’t make a phone call and suspects him to provide drugs to his women → same Baroque violin recital cue.

“If you hear any explosion, you know it’s me.”
—Detective Keneely to sex-shop owner Marvin.

Poor detective Keneely feels lonely || Detective Keneely negociates a massage in a sex-shop

1. At night, detectives Keneely and Farrel go searching the apartment of sex-shop owner Marvin without a warrant to find a pack of drug hidden in a baby powder box → gloomy and atmospheric cue dominated by a synthesizer and sudden percussions.
2. Detective Keneely opens up the bedroom door and takes three drug dealers by surprise who run away → hectic gloomy cue.

Detectives Keneely and Farrel chase the three drug dealer fugitives down to the hallway of the building but the chase continues from the street to a popular marketplace → fast-paced funk cue.

In the markerplace, Rizzo’s connection, carrying metal-framed sunglasses, is looking for the two detectives… Farrel avoids a bullet at the last minute… Keneely guns down, at point blank range, one of the drug dealer, lying dead with a bloody face → gloomy cue.

1. Rizzo’s connection takes a female hostage and leaves the marketplace with the other dealer → fast-paced and experimental gloomy cue.
2. Detectives Keneely and Farrel run to pick up the two fugitives and stop at a cutting service building → weird and sudden gloomy cue.
3. Two policemen in uniform arrive in the back entrance to rejoin Keneely and Farrel → weird and sudden maracas cue.

“Hey, we need a warrant. (…) We need a warrant. The girl near has got tracks on both her arms and that fat tub owns a ton of dope.”
—Detective Farrel to the stubborn Desk Sergeant.

Rizzo's connection runs away from the fuzz || Rizzo's connection takes a hostage in the marketplace

1. Detectives Keneely and Farrel enter the main entrance of the building, avoid a sleeping tramp and go up the stairs → fast piano cue.
2. Keneely and Farrel open the first storey door of the sewing shop and explore the dark place → gloomy synthesizer cue.
3. Keneely and Farrel fire at two gunshots when Rizzo’s connection comes out from the backdoor → hectic gloomy cue.
4. Keneely and Farrel see the dead second drug dealer lying on a sewing table with a bloody face → bleak and weird cue.

“I think you’re right. We could be good bad guys, you know. Pays better. Better hours. More cooperations from the police.”
—Detective Keneely to Farrel in the toilet of a park.

Detectives Keneely and Farrel climb the stairs || Detectives Keneely and Farrel walk in the sewing shop

At night, detectives Keneely and Farrel go to the Electra club while a nude dancer performs in front of the drinking mature customers sat at tables. The bald Rizzo’s bouncer warns the detectives to come out: “You’re not supposed to be here”. They decide to check out the cabaret license to bother the gorilla and scare away the customers → abrasive funk rock cue.

Later on, Rizzo comes out of the Electra Club and gets in his car to go home when detectives Keneely and Farrel tail him by car → funky organ and electric sitar cue.

1. Still at night, Rizzo stops his car at home when detectives Keneely and Farrel park their car a mile away for the stake-out → short echo trumpet cue.
2. The morning after, we see a long dolly shot from Rizzo’s Beverly Hills house to the black car of Keneely and Farrel → short echo trumpet cue.

“You’re greedy, man. You want it all. All we want is you.”
—Detective Farrel to gangster Rizzo in the gymnasium.

Rizzo's bouncer is watching the two detectives at The Electra || Witness Rizzo's Beverly Hills house

Still the morning after, Keneely and Farrel go away by car → short echo trumpet cue.

At night, after getting a massage from a black prostitute to indict her, Rizzo’s tall black hood beats detective Keneely slowly on the bed and delivers him a message (“Shazam! Can you dig it?”) from his boss → sudden dramatical cue derived from the end of “Tailing Rizzo”.

A few minutes later, detective Keneely comes out of the prostitute’s apartment with a bloody face, goes down the stairs with great difficulty, goes back to the black car and discovers unconscious Farrel, lying on the wheel with a bloody face, and tries to raise his spirits (“We just gotta stay alive, man”) → gloomy cue.

“It’s gonna happen, spanky! We’re gonna bust your ass!”
—Detective Farrel to gangster Rizzo in the boxing arena.

The tall black hood gives a beating to Keneely from Rizzo || Keneely discovers his unconscious partner

In broad day light and after Sunday’s church, Rizzo and his family go to an average restaurant when they notice the arrival of detectives Keneely and Rizzo in the parking lot → slow syrupy cue.

At night, a waitress, dressed in blue, is inserting one candle on a big cake, crosses the kitchen, enters the main room of the grand restaurant and places it at Rizzo’s table → sweet cue.

Still in the grand restaurant with his wife and close friends, Rizzo blows his single candle, cuts the cake, distributes the pieces and suddenly turns his head to watch the street and gets out in a hurry → sweet cue.

1. The morning after at Rizzo’s house: detectives Keneely and Farrel stop nearby when they see an ambulance going to Rizzo’s backwards → echo trumpet cue.
2. Keneely and Farrel go ring the bell at Rizzo’s → gloomy cue.

“Wouldn't you think the man would’ve at least had the decency to stay for the sermon?”
—Detective Keneely about gangster Rizzo to Farrel.

Gangster Rizzo and his family are noticing the two detectives || Rizzo is enjoying his birthday cake

1. Detectives Keneely and Farrel walk in the fifth floor corridor of the Wilshire Memorial Hospital on their way to the desk nurse → sneaky synthesizer cue.
2. Detectives Keneely and Farrel enter the waiting room to get a coffee when a florist comes out of the elevator to deliver pots of flowers to Rizzo’s room. They notice a heavy traffic of flowers deliveries. The wife of Rizzo heads to her husband’s room → gloomy synthesizer with modernist maracas/strings cue.

1. In the corridor next to the waiting room, detective Farrel makes Keneely notice the pots of flowers and borrows the phone to the desk to get informations at the downstairs flowers shop and imitates the Italian accent of Rizzo → sudden bursts of percussions with piano cue.
2. Keneely and Farrel step into the room of Rizzo to check out the pots of flowers and meet Rizzo’s wife and Rizzo’s Bouncer when the nurse warns them to leave → sudden burst cue.

1. Detective Farrel comes close to the window to check out the pots of flowers and bumps into Rizzo’s connection, disguised as a florist delivery man → short spooky cue.
2. Out of the blue, sick in the heart Rizzo throws out his plasma bottle towards Farrel and gets out when Rizzo’s bouncer threatens to shoot down the nurse → sudden outburst of music derived from “Flowers and Drugs”.
3. In the corridor, Rizzo, Rizzo’s connection and Rizzo’s bouncer with her hostage enter the elevator when Keneely and Farrel run in the corridor to get in the stairs → fast countdown music cue derived from “The Search”.

After detective Keneely gunned down running Rizzo’s connection carrying flowers, the remaining fugitives head to the exit with the two detectives at their tail when they escape by stealing an ambulance. The detectives borrow one too to track them down → fast-paced funky music with echo trumpet.

“Well, that’s not the immediate family. That’s a creep.”
—Detective Keneely to the nurse about Rizzo’s bouncer.

Detective Farrel bumps into Rizzo's connection || Detective Farrel is firing at Rizzo's ambulance

Freeze frame on detective Keneely’s face, flashforward into the future when we hear him explaining his change of job to a police clerk working on a typewriter while the credits rolls from bottom to top: composer Billy Goldenberg has got the first credits → slow gloomy cue.

—Police Clerk: “Why did you leave?”
—Detective Keneely: “I don’t know.”
—Police Clerk: “I’m sorry, can you be more specific?”
—Detective Keneely: “Yeah, hum, more specific, hum. Ohhhh, I needed a change, you know.”

Gangster Rizzo is laughing at detective Keneely || Detective Keneely is powerless and resigns cold

≡ THE LISTENING

Despite some missing tracks and to listen to the soundtrack CD properly, you must program your player in the following order.
Track #1: “Main Title”, Track #11: “Off Beat”, Track #20: “Street Funk”, Track #2: “Busting The Club”, Track #3: “Home Alone”, Track #4: “The Search”, Track #5: “The Chase”, Track #6: “The Market”, Track #7: “The Building”, Track #8: “The Electra”, Track #9: “Outside The Electra”, Track #10: “Tailing Rizzo”, Track #12: “Shazam”, Track #13: “The Restaurant”, Track #21: “Muzak Source”, Track #14: “Happy Birthday”, Track #15: “Rizzo’s House/Rizzo’s Heart Attack”, Track #16: “The Hospital”, Track #17: “Flowers And Drugs”, Track #18: “Nailing Rizzo”, Track #19: “End Title.

Detectives Keneely and Farrel sing "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" for Rizzo's birthday!