The first Barry Adamson solo single was a cover of The Man With The Golden Arm, composed by Elmer Bernstein for the 1955 film of the same name, starring Frank Sinatra.
As a statement of intent for Moss Side Story, the debut album also released in 1988, it was perfect. The quick time tempo of the original is slowed right down to a brooding, rumbling, menacing tune, so that when the dramatic stabs come in, it hits.
The Man With The Golden Arm is placed at the end of Moss Side Story's flowing narrative of (mostly) imaginary soundtracks and theme tunes, but I recorded the song from my copy of the 12" single as the opening track of several mixtapes over the years. It works every way.
I've rarely if ever seen the video, and whilst it was no surprise to see the film noir story unfold with Barry in the titular role, the remaining cast and crew were. Barry's paramour is played by 18-year old Minnie Driver, in what must have been one of her first professional acting roles, whilst the striptease artist is none other than Marcia Schofield, better known (to me at least) as keyboard player with The Fall.
The video is directed by Angela Conway, a fellow Mute recording artist as A.C. Marias, and who went on to direct videos for The Smashing Pumpkins, Bryan Ferry, Nitzer Ebb, Maria McKee and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, to name a few.
I think I saw The Man With The Golden Arm not long after. Maybe it was included in the Alex Cox-curated Moviedrome series on BBC2 but I also watched it on the big screen at the Watershed in Bristol and, in the early 1990s, bought the film as a budget-price VHS cassette.
Both the VHS tape and player are long gone and I haven't seen the film in years but, along with The Manchurian Candidate, ranks as one of Frank Sinatra's finest moments on celluloid.
Here's the trailer, with a snippet of Elmer Bernstein's original score.
