Description
Valley Of The Dolls – Music From The Motion Picture Soundtrack – Vinyl Record
Valley of the Dolls – Music From the Motion Picture Soundtrack, released in 1967, is a lush, dramatic, and evocative album that perfectly captures the glamour, tragedy, and emotional excess of the cult classic film Valley of the Dolls. The soundtrack plays an essential role in amplifying the film’s themes of fame, addiction, ambition, and heartbreak, and its music stands as a fascinating reflection of Hollywood’s late-1960s musical sensibilities—where traditional orchestration met the emerging influence of pop and theatrical flair.
The music was composed by André Previn, a highly respected jazz pianist, classical conductor, and film composer, with lyrics by Dory Previn. Together, the Previns created a soundtrack that blends melodramatic orchestral arrangements with melancholic torch songs, perfectly suiting the story’s mood of glamorous unraveling. While the score includes instrumental cues that underscore the film’s emotional arcs, it is the title song, “Theme from Valley of the Dolls,” performed by Dionne Warwick, that steals the show.
Standout Track:
“(Theme from) Valley of the Dolls” – Dionne Warwick: This song became an unexpected hit and is one of the most haunting and iconic pieces in Warwick’s catalog. Her performance conveys vulnerability and exhaustion beneath a poised exterior, capturing the emotional essence of the film’s female protagonists. With its minor-key melody, soaring strings, and aching lyrics (“Gotta get off, gonna get / Have to get off from this ride…”), the song became a symbol of the price of fame—and remains a cult classic in its own right.
Other vocal highlights on the soundtrack include songs performed on behalf of the characters (some dubbed), like “I’ll Plant My Own Tree”, which was sung in the film by Susan Hayward’s character but actually voiced by Margaret Whiting. These pieces play out like mini-dramas, full of theatrical vibrato, defiant lyrics, and late-night cocktail lounge moods.
The soundtrack reflects the grandiosity of mid-century Hollywood scoring, drawing heavily from Broadway, cocktail jazz, and easy listening traditions, but it also hints at the emotional wreckage beneath the glamorous surface. It mirrors the film’s tonal blend of camp and genuine tragedy, which has helped both movie and soundtrack achieve enduring cult status, particularly among fans of classic Hollywood, queer culture, and vintage fashion and aesthetics.
While critics were often dismissive at the time of its release—both the film and soundtrack were seen as overwrought—the music has since been re-evaluated for its craftsmanship, emotional honesty, and stylistic boldness. It has inspired later generations of artists and filmmakers who are drawn to its mood of melodramatic decadence.
The Valley of the Dolls soundtrack is a time capsule of 1960s Hollywood melancholia, drenched in satin and shadows. It’s essential listening for fans of vintage film scores, Dionne Warwick’s iconic voice, or anyone fascinated by the emotional highs and lows of showbiz storytelling. Behind the orchestral swells and glossy production lies a poignant exploration of fame’s toll on the human spirit.
Brand new, never played and still sealed in the factory plastic
Track Listing
Theme From Valley Of The Dolls (Vocal)
It’s Impossible (Vocal)
Ann At Lawrenceville
Chance Meeting
Neely’s Career Montage
ACome Live With Me (Vocal)
I’ll Plant My Own Tree (Vocal)
The Gillian Girl Commercial
Jennifer’s French Movie
Give A Little More (Vocal)
Jennifer’s Recollection
Theme From Valley Of The Dolls Reprise (Vocal)
