Wendy Carlos + Singing in the Rain

I guess I'll start with why Singing in the Rain was used in Clockwork Orange. After filming the rape scene, Kubrick decided that it was too "stiff" and asked Malcolm McDowell to sing a song. Since it had to be decided upon on the spot, McDowell choose "Singing in the Rain" because it was the only song he knew all the words, too (sort of). Kubrick apparently liked the effect it had, as it's used in another scene, as well as over the end credits. Rumor has it that Gene Kelly was upset by this decision.

As for the rest of Clockwork Oranges soundtrack, we turn to Ms. Wendy Carlos. Well of course the main thing about "Walter" Carlos is that she now goes by Wendy Carlos. She had sexual reassignment surgery that she prefers not to discuss. She had not yet received the surgery at the time of Clockwork Orange, so she was credited was "Walter Carols."

She has some very interesting takes on soundtrack music. She has a flair for using previously made tracks as a sort of guide for her own music. She makes it more electronic, as she was one of the pioneers of using the Moog synthesiser.

We heard some of her work in Clockwork Orange, such as the scene in which they use the Beethoven song, which becomes a very interesting catalyst for the story. We probably all recognized it has a Beethoven song, but it was now being played on a synthesizer. This gives it a very interesting sound a feel. Old, but new. Familiar, but yet somehow very unfamiliar.

Playing on an instrument that can at times sound incredibly cheesy, Wendy has mastered her craft.