A Taste:

Paula Cole, Colin Hay, Sweet Talk Radio, Joni Mitchell

As her directorial debut, You is a milestone for Melora Hardin. It’s also the start of something very beautiful.

The film remains poignant, powerful and passionate, exploring love and loss through searing drama and some flourishes of heartfelt comedy. You tells the story of a widower who continues to keep his wife’s memory alive in his imagination while raising his daughter alone. It’s a truly enigmatic piece of cinema that illuminates Melora’s talents on and behind the camera.

Music is an extremely important part of You, so Melora decided to give us a tour of the soundtrack and some personal playlist selections.

Check out her playlist below and visit Youthefilm.com to purchase Melora’s first masterpiece!

Melora Hardin’s Playlist:

1. Paula Cole — “You (Once Tomorrow, Now Yesterday)”

Paula is one of my best friends, and she wrote “You” as the title track for the film. It’s a beautiful song. As of right now, the only way to hear it is to purchase You from our web site, or download it from iTunes or Amazon. However, you don’t get all the DVD extras from iTunes and Amazon, which includes “the making of documentary” and a bit with and about Paula. If you’re a fan you might want the full DVD!

2. Sweet Talk Radio — “My Hallelujah”

This song is featured prominently in You. Tim Burlingame scored You and, his wife, Kathrin Schorr’s beautiful voice is all over the soundtrack. They make beautiful music together and you really should visit their web site to hear more!

3. Colin Hay — “Waiting for My Real Life to Begin”

Colin has been a friend of mine for a very long time, and he graced us with his distinctive and beautiful voice on a cover of “What a Wonderful World” for our film soundtrack. I love his songs, and he is an amazing live performer too! Colin has had a really great solo career! He was in Men At Work. I have to recommend some of his solo stuff. I love “Waiting for My Real Life to Begin.”

4. Dan MacKenzie — “Rocking Chair”

Dan and I have known each other since college, and he’s always been an amazing songwriter. I was so happy we could use his wonderful song for the montage sequence in You. He has songs on Joss Stone’s new release and is emerging as one of our great songwriters!

5. Melora Hardin — “A Boy and His Cat”

It may be obnoxious to include myself on a playlist, but this song always makes me laugh and that can’t be all bad, right?! I’m in the process of making a new live record right now so more to come soon! When I say live, that means we’re going into the studio and recording the songs all together with all of the instruments at the same time with me singing. We just recorded 15 songs, and I’d say most of them were completely full takes with no fixes. Maybe there were two with overdubs—so that was pretty amazing. I did Les Miserables at the Hollywood Bowl last summer. I did Chicago on Broadway. I have a big voice. I can sing belt-y but I also have a high soprano if I want to. My instrument is really my voice. I was never that inspired to practice enough to really get good at an instrument.

6. The Beatles

When I was about 8-years-old, I discovered The Beatles, and I thought they were pretty amazing. I also discovered The Bay City Rollers at that time [Laughs]. They were pretty great too.

7. Fleetwood Mac

I was obsessed with Fleetwood Mac as a kid. I know all of their songs! Paula took me to a gig that they did at The Wiltern Theater, and I got to meet Stevie Nicks, which was really cool. She used to take ballet with me when the Rumors album came out. She was taking ballet where I was taking ballet. I mentioned it to her! I was like nine at the time. I still listen to Stevie Nicks.

8. Led Zeppelin

I was sort of slow catching up! Everyone was into Led Zeppelin when I was in high school, but I didn’t really get them until I went to college.

9. Joni Mitchell

She’s always on my playlist.

10. Styx — Return to Paradise

My first concert was Styx. I found Return to Paradise and pulled it out recently. It’s such a great record!

11. KT Tunstall

I really like her. Her music is something I always go to.

12. Billy Ray Cyrus — “Back to Tennessee”

I love “Back to Tennessee.” It’s the song the song that Billy Ray Cyrus wrote for Hannah Montana: The Movie. It’s a really good song.

13. Rascal Flatts

I discovered them while on Hannah Montana, and they’re awesome. They have great voices.

—Rick Florino
06.08.09