Caddyshack (1980)

I’m Alright / Make the Move / Mr. Night

We’ve had a few days now of incredibly warm weather in the beautiful Garden State and that ultimately makes me think of sports for some reason. And since I barely follow sports that leads me to think of sports movies. It’s no secret that we love Caddyshack—one of the funniest movies ever created—but even at an earlier age the comedy classic always felt like a harbinger of summer to me. I find it funny that I just now called Caddyshack a classic while I referred to it in the past tense. I’ve been watching it since I was a wee lad (my dad was a fan of it, especially as a golfer himself) and it was only a few years old by the time I declared it comedy gold; a bona fide classic. Anyways, a few years later, when I watched it one time around early summer I actually remember making a mental note that this is one perfect movie to welcome summertime. And thanks to global warming essentially eroding the transitional months of Spring and Autumn away I can make a post about how Caddyshack welcomes summer in March. I can certainly take that artistic liberty.

But besides the incredibly memorable and genius comedy that every single actor displays in this movie (yes even the Irish girl Maggie is funny in this!) the soundtrack is one of the best as well. Thank you 80s soundtrack maestro Kenneth Clark Loggins. You can’t deny how awesome Kenny’s tunes are in the multitude of great 80s flicks he’s had songs for. Yes, even the super-sappy “Meet Me Half Way” from Over the Top has a soft spot in the cockles of my heart. But “I’m Alright” is his best song with or without being a soundtrack written tune. It’s easily one of my personal favorites and is more or less and inspirational song for me. When I finally got a Kenny Loggins greatest hits in high school I was a tad disappointed that the song from the movie was different from the one on the CD I got. I wanted that slow ambient/chanting/breathing intro that opened the movie and when the gopher pops out with the titles, then the chorus of “I’m Alright” should start. But I just figured it was only that way for the movie and the song just always opened with the chorus. And then about a decade ago when I decided to get the actual Caddyshack soundtrack I figured maybe the song was different and had the intro and I was disappointed yet again. Then fellow schlocker, my buddy Jim, pointed out to me after I complained of my “I’m Alight” woes, told me that the intro chant part was actually the intro to the other Loggin’s song, “Make the Move.” Hot Damn! “Make the Move” is just as good as “I’m Alright” musically and lyrically. It’s essentially a jam session for “I’m Alright”—a more or less sibling song to it. So now I have two awesome songs to listen to that make me feel awesome. Now if you go on youtube you can listen to both songs mixed together and that’s great too. And since we’re on the subject of Loggin’s songs for Caddyshack, I’ve included the great “Mr. Night” as well.

“…And while I got you in the mood, Listen to your 
Own heart beatin’
Own heart beatin’
Own heart beatin’
Own heart beatin'”