In Asbury Park near border with Ocean Grove, looking south. August 2012. Paul Goldfinger photo. Click once
JOHN CAFFERTY AND THE BEAVER BROWN BAND. “Boardwalk Angel” (From Eddie and the Cruisers)
Archive for the ‘Music from the movies’ Category
Boardwalk—Asbury Park Casino: August, 2012.
Posted in Jersey Shore gallery, Music from the movies, tagged John Cafferty--Boardwalk Angel, Tonight's the night for a brand new start on January 30, 2026|
The Bible journeys to Hollywood in “Jack Goes Boating”. It’s “The Rivers of Babylon.”
Posted in Blogfinger News, Music from the movies, tagged Bible goes to Hollywood, Jack Goes Boating soundtrack, Phillip Seymour Hoffman on January 9, 2026|
Paul Goldfinger, Editor.
Phillip Seymour Hoffman* was a great actor, although he sometimes made weird movies. In 2010 he directed his first film called “Jack Goes Boating.” It’s supposed to be a romantic comedy, but the four characters are depressing. I forced myself to watch it for the sake of the soundtrack, but I couldn’t get past the first half.
The music, on the other hand, is varied and interesting. We recently posted one of the songs on BF — a re-do of “Blue Moon,” which is quite wonderful. Here is the link:
The song which opens the film, however, is “The Rivers of Babylon” by a reggae style (“rock steady”) Jamaican group from the 1960’s and 1970’s called the Melodians who had embarked on some Rastafarian themes in their work, resulting in an international hit called “The Rivers of Babylon” recorded in 1969.
The song was chosen to open the movie, and I really liked it. Then I listened carefully to the lyrics (I’m always first attracted to the music — then the lyrics.)
It turns out that the Melodians were using parables taken from Psalm 137 which tells the story of the invasion of the ancient kingdom of Judah in 586 BCE. This Jewish nation was destroyed by the Babylonians who, after demolishing the first holy Temple, carted off most of the Israelites as slaves to Babylon (now Iraq).
The rivers in the song title refer to the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. What does this Bible story have to do with the movie? — I ‘m not sure.
The middle east around 586 BCE.
But here is “The Rivers of Babylon” from Jack Goes Boating. — (*Phillip Seymour Hoffman passed in 2014.)
Old news department —2013: Ocean Grove makes the front page of the NY Times Style Section.
Posted in Feature article, Music from the movies, tagged A new lawyer shows up on our beach, OG makes the New York Times Style section on December 11, 2025|
Brittany Primavera on the OG beach. Photo by Marc Steiner for the New York Times
In an article dated July 17, 2013, New York Times reporter Alex Williams caught up with recent law school graduate Brittany Primavera, who was studying for the bar exam in a sand chair in Ocean Grove.
Evidently, it is not unusual for new grads (Brittany is from Seton Hall University School of Law) to go somewhere peaceful to cram for the test without surrounding themselves with anxiety, such as is found in the University Library which is located in the concrete jungle of Newark, near Penn Station.
So Brittany rented a house in the Grove and spends her days on the beach, getting tan and cramming for the test.
Note: 2021. Brittany is now Senior Consul for a New York law firm. )
Note: 2025 Brittany is now a “Super Lawyer”—a partner in the NYC office of the GRSM Law Firm—a national practice.
RANI ARBO AND DAISY MAHEM from the 2010 album “Ranky Tanky.” (This is a 1970 Cat Stevens song from the film “Harold and Maude.”)
Thanks to Dennis Caren for alerting us to this stylish development. It is the sort of information sharing that we hope for on Blogfinger.
—Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger
The Double Concerto in D Minor for two violins and strings. Bach on Blogfinger
Posted in Blogfinger Presents, Classical Music on Blogfinger, Music from the movies, tagged Double concerto by Bach on Blogfinge on November 4, 2025|
Lenox, Mass. By Paul Goldfinger. © Amazing fret technique, bow control and sternocleidomastoid. This violinist (name unknown) is from the Tanglewood Music School, playing at the Brook Farm Inn; a breakfast will be her reward .
YEHUDI MENUHIN (sitting next to her) and some other musicians:
Echoes of 1926 China: “The Sand Pebbles”
Posted in Music from the movies, Photography by Paul Goldfinger, Photography: Black and White gallery, tagged Echoes of China 1926 on October 18, 2025| 1 Comment »
Paul Goldfinger. Naples, Florida Click once to enlarge.
MATT MONRO “And We Were Lovers” Theme music from the 1966 film “The Sand Pebbles” with Steve McQueen which was nominated for best picture. It was about the US Navy in a turbulent China, 1926.
Cinema in Ocean Grove: Blogfinger Film Festival #2. 2013.
Posted in Music from the movies, tagged Cinema in the Grove, Woody Allen's Stardust Memories on October 18, 2025| 3 Comments »
Participants: Josh Pomponio (L) Wm. Paterson U.; Katherine Picariello, NYU; Marlee Roberts, NYU; Scott Schuler, NYU; Stephanie Wong, Rutgers; George Itzhak, NYU (missing from the photo: Lindsay Rassmann, Montclair State; Charlie Redd, NYU; Nicole Rosen, Drexel U;) click image for full view. The NYU contingent was from the Tisch School of the Arts. Paul Goldfinger photo Blogfinger.net.
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor, Blogfinger.net. Note comments below:
On Sunday May 5, 2013 we had nine short films screened at the 2nd Annual Blogfinger Film Festival.
Paul introduces the Festival program. 5/5/2013. The NYU hat is to honor professional film makers from that school who made movies in the Grove: Woody Allen, David Chase, and Marlee Roberts. Also the Sopranos and others filmed in OG. Eileen Goldfinger photo.
And given the anticipation of the Festival, how could we not recall the making of a famous movie in the Grove over thirty years ago? It was then that Woody Allen included Ocean Grove in his film “Stardust Memories.” He said that “Stardust” is one of his favorites among his many triumphs.
From Woody Allen—Music From His Movies, Vol 2, here is the Glenn Miller Orchestra (from Stardust Memories) with “Moonlight Serenade.”
Grey Skies in Bradley Beach…
Posted in Jersey Shore gallery, Music from the movies, New Jersey events and photographs, tagged Grey skies in Bradley Beach on September 28, 2025| 1 Comment »
The other side of Bradley Beach. Along Memorial Drive. November 2013. By Paul Goldfinger. © Click to enlarge
Residential project going up in Bradley Beach A similar building is behind this one. Paul Goldfinger photo. And there will be others. Bradley is coming alive, and living near the train station will be a big deal for commuters to New York. September 22, 2025. Click once to enlarge.
Bradley Beach is coming alive with residential construction along the tracks. Above is such a project on Memorial Drive at 9th Avenue. A similar building is under construction behind the one about. Paul Goldfinger photo:
LES PAUL AND MARY FORD. “The Moon of Manakoora” from the soundtrack of Silver Linings Playbook.
Eileen: A portrait.
Posted in Music from the movies, Photographic Gallery, tagged Eileen: A Portrait on September 24, 2025| 1 Comment »
Eileen. By Paul Goldfinger
ED NORTON. “Just You, Just Me” From Everyone Says I Love You.
Asbury Avenue, Ocean Grove
Posted in Music from the movies, Photographic Gallery, Black and White, Photographic Gallery: Ocean Grove, tagged Asbury Avenue, Ocean Grove on September 24, 2025| 1 Comment »
Christ Church. Shrewsbury, New Jersey. Founded 1702.
Posted in Blogfinger Presents, Jersey Shore gallery, Music from the movies, tagged Christ Church in Shewsbury on September 18, 2025|
Winter. 2006. By Paul Goldfinger. ©
ALTENBURG BOYS CHOIR. Mozart’s “Ave Verum K618” From the movie Lorenzo’s Oil.
Will he see you in September? Or will he just find somebody else?
Posted in Music from the movies, tagged See you in September on September 4, 2025| 3 Comments »
From American Graffiti
THE HAPPENINGS had the biggest hit with this song in 1966, but the first version in 1959 was by The Tempos, and it is their version that was in American Graffiti. Below are the Happenings because their recording is better.
Modern OG history—2014. Dogs at the beach—nothing new in Ocean Grove.
Posted in Music from the movies, Ocean Grove history by Rich Amole, tagged Dog park in Ocean Grove, Dogs at the OG beach on August 29, 2025|
Linen postcard submitted by Rich Amole. Blogfinger staff and Ocean Grove historian.
Paul:
An example of a “Linen” post card is this young lad and his dog enjoying some time at the beach. Linen post cards cards were popular from 1930-1944.
A dog park would be an appropriate year-long place for doggies and their owners to get together; maybe even taking that next post card for all to see in years to come.
This post card could be mailed for two cents postage way back when.
Rich
THE MOUND CITY BLUE BLOWERS 1935-1936. “Thanks a Million” is from a 1935 movie of the same name. Dick Powell starred.
River Seine
Posted in Blogfinger Presents, Music from the movies, tagged Boats on the Seine in Paris, Stardust Memories filmed in Ocean Grove on August 29, 2025|
Boats parked on the River Seine. Paris. By Paul Goldfinger. Click once to enlarge.
DJANGO REINHARDT with “I’ll See You in my Dreams.” From the Woody Allen movie, partly filmed in Ocean Grove, Stardust Memories.