My Favorite Theme - From the Cold Dirt Press Files

As a film geek, I've seen countless movies but I only rank two as absolute favorites. The Magic Christian directed by Joe McGrath, based on Terry Southern's book and starring Peter Sellers and Ringo Starr holds the number two spot. The slice of cinema history that I can watch endlessly and love no matter what condition the print is Carol Reed's The Third Man with Joseph Cotton and Alida Valli. Yes, Orson Welles is in it but Joe and Alida make me salivate. 

The musical theme and the soundtrack throughout is by Anton Karas playing the zither with innovation and mastery making modern ears think it's electronic gimmickry. Love the movie, love the theme, and so did many others as the variety of renditions spanning genres and generations proves.

As my anniversary offering to Cold Dirt Press, I have gathered some of my favorite versions of The Third Man Theme a.k.a. The Harry Lime Theme. First up are the iconic opening credits of the film with vibrating strings.

 Here is Anton playing live!

Carney*Hild*Kramer - "Clown"

Clowns are scary fun! Here is a killer clown track from the Blind Faith of the alternative music pantheon, Carney Hild Kramer.

Carney*Hild*Kramer - "Clown" from Krystyna Olsiewicz on Vimeo.

Carney*Hild*Kramer - "Javalena"

Here's a little ditty about porcine love done by the alternative supergroup of Carney*Hild*Kramer: Ralph Carney, Daved Hild and Kramer from their 1987 LP "Happiness Finally Came to Them" in Shimmy Disc.

Carney*Hild*Kramer - "javalena" from Krystyna Olsiewicz on Vimeo.

Krystyna Olsiewicz - "Dancing in the Mirror"

This recording was done over 15 years ago. It seems like another lifetime.

B.A.L.L. Reunion at Bowery Electric 5/25/13

On May 25th, 2013, the alt-supergroup B.A.L.L. reunited for one show at Bowery Electric in NYC. I was lucky to capture the entire gig. Messrs. Kramer, Don Fleming, Bob Bert, and Jay Spiegel gave a mind-blowing performance, and here 'tis.

The Girls - "Jeffrey I Hear You"

Here's my video for "Jeffrey I Hear You" (Hearpen HR106) by the seminal late 1970s Boho-art punk band from Boston with Daved Hild, George Condo, Mark Dagley, and Robin Amos. It was produced by David Thomas and recorded at Suma Studios on 2/10/79.

Video Experiment in Terror

My Father, the Harmonica Whiz

Dad was a born entertainer who loved making people laugh and dance. His harmonica playing was stunning for the speed and expertise as well as a deep repertoire of old Polish tunes. He also loved to make up new songd. Here is a recording that he made for me on cassette in 1985, after having surgery to remove a lung. I featured it on my radio show on WFMU from time to time. He strove for a professional sound in his own way and even threw in some station IDs. I miss him every day, but his love of music remains an enormous part of who I am, and I thank him.

Kramer and Daved Hild - "The Veronica Building"

Here is a video that I made recently for the plaintively beautiful song "The Veronica Building" by Kramer and Daved Hild from their album "Rubber Hair." It uses home movies of someone's trip to Disneyland in the 1950s and a Police Athletic League promo from the early 1960s.

Krystyna Josephine Olsiewicz - "Edison"

Back in 1991, some of the djs at WFMU participated in a tribute album to Thomas Alva Edison devised by staff member and improv master, Jim Price that was available as a fundraising marathon premium to support the radio station. This was my contribution, a cover of the Bee Gees song "Edison" from their 1969 album "Odessa." It was an abbreviated version of the song, and my full name was longer than the song itself. Last year I decided to make a video for the song and used footage from the Prelinger Archive, my favorite source for industrial and ephemeral films in the public domain.

Here is the Bee Gees' original version.

Carney Hild Kramer - "Hands"

To inaugurate this blog of my musical favorites, I am posting a video that I created for the song "Hands" by Carney Hild Kramer: Ralph Carney, Daved Hild and Kramer from their 1987 Shimmy Disc album, "Happiness Finally Came to Them." This was a song that I played on my radio show at the time on WFMU. Hope you enjoy the frenetic energy as much as I did and still do.