11 Times D’Angelo Improved a Film with His Music | Tributes

Like so many contemporary R&B fans, I was gutted when it was announced that Michael Eugene Archer, best known as groundbreaking neo-soul artist D’Angelo, died Tuesday at the too-young age of 51, after a long, private battle with pancreatic cancer.

The man was an elusive enigma, having released only three studio albums –Brown sugar (1995), Voodoo (2000) and Black Messiah (2014) – which nevertheless became influential masterpieces. But he spent those years between albums recording songs for movie soundtracks. In the good old days, when every movie came with a soundtrack full of bangers, D’Angelo was a regular presence. You could literally make a playlist out of the secret heaters he recorded for the movies, and that’s what I did.

“You will know” “Jason’s Words” (1994)

D’Angelo was just 19 when he co-wrote and co-produced this all-star single, which also serves as the theme song to the 1994 drama starring Allen Payne as a man torn between being there for his self-destructive ex-brother (Bokeem Woodbine) and falling in love with a beguiling waitress (a pre-Will Smith Jada Pinkett). Many of the biggest male R&B singers of the era, including co-producer Brian McKnight, Gerald Levert, R. Kelly, Boyz II Men, Tevin Campbell, Keith Sweat and Usher, joined forces to form a proud black choir, practically outdoing each other in the vocal department, as they sang encouraging words for all struggling brothers.

“Girl, You Need a Change of Mind” from “Get on the bus” (1996)

In the first of many classic songs he would remake for movie soundtracks, D’Angelo teamed up with veteran producer and Miles Davis collaborator James Mtume and recorded a cover of ex-Temptation Eddie Kendricks’ 1973 proto-disco single, which saluted all the lovely ladies fighting for equal rights at the time. D’Angelo and Mtume only amplify the righteous, already defiant, gospel-inspired soul that Kendricks and producer Frank Wilson have already established. This fits very well into the soundtrack of the Spike Lee-directed comedy-drama, where a bus full of black men (including Ossie Davis, Andre Braugher and comedian Bernie Mac) travels on their way to the Million Man March.

“Your Precious Love” by “High School High School” (1996)

D’Angelo collaborated with fellow neo-soul pioneer Erykah Badu and producer Bob Power for an old-school take on the great Motown duet of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, originally written by beloved singer-songwriter duo Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson. While the cover made an appearance on the soundtrack of the forgotten high school movie parody, starring “SNL” alumnus Jon Lovitz as a white teacher performing his Dangerous Minds at an inner-city school, it was also included in Marvin is 60 years olda tribute album to Marvin Gaye, in 1999.

“I found my smile” by “Space Jam” (1996)

The 6x platinum soundtrack to the live-action animated sports comedy starring Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny contained a slew of singles, from the bass-heavy title track from Quad City DJs to R. Kelly’s Grammy-winning anthem “I Believe I Can Fly” to Seal’s rendition of “Fly Like an Eagle.” by Steve Miller. Buried in the collection is D’Angelo’s seductive and enthusiastic piece. D opens the melody by nimbly sparkling the ivories of his electric piano, then sliding into an emotional ode to that special someone who brings out the rose in a brother’s cheekbones. (“I haven’t felt this way in a while/Girl. I want to thank you for helping me get my smile back.”) Although the original is not available for streaming, a re-recorded and radio-edited version can be found on his 2008 release. The best so far… compilation.

“The ‘Notic’ of “The Men in Black” (1997)

“Men in Black” infamously boasted a soundtrack in which, aside from star Will Smith’s hit theme song, most of the songs did not appear in the film. Still, that didn’t stop D’Angelo and hip-hop group The Roots (with drummer and frequent D’Angelo collaborator Questlove) from making a jazzy remake of “The Hypnotic,” from The Roots’ 1996 album. Half-life of Illadelph. In addition to adding improvisations and keyboard tickles, D’Angelo deliciously reuses the chorus of “Shining Star” from Earth, Wind and Fire. Erykah Badu can also be heard playing some background vocals.

“She’s Still in My Hair” from “Scream 2” (1997)

D’Angelo got the chance to cover Prince, one of his most obvious influences, when he remade the B-side to 1984’s Purple One for the sequel to Wes Craven’s hit meta-slasher film. The first song you hear in the film (a wise choice, as it begins with a young black couple, played by Jada Pinkett and Omar Epps, unfortunately becoming this episode’s first victims), D lends a dark, hard rock edge to Prince’s spacey, synth-funk sparseness. An invigorating change of pace from the gentle neo-soul he was already known for, the cover hints at the musical experiments he would later make. Voodoo.

“The Devil’s Pie” from “Belly” (1998)

Music video director Hype Williams’ directorial debut — essentially an urban version of “Mean Streets” featuring rap icons Nas and DMX as partners in crime — is best known for its ultra-stylish opening credits, a slow-motion club sequence set to an acapella version of Soul II Soul’s “Back to Life.” But the movie also gave us this unofficial theme song by D’Angelo and legendary hip-hop producer DJ Premier (best known as one half of the East Coast rap duo Gang Starr). With Premier sampling a bass line from Teddy Pendergrass’ “And If I Had” and adding scratches and cut lines from other rappers, D’Angelo sings about the dangers of succumbing to greed and materialism, serving as perfect background music for a montage where Nas and DMX’s drug dealers begin to crack on about their operation. The song would also end on Voodoo.

“Heaven must be like this” by “At the bottom of the Delta” (1998) and “Can’t Hide Love” from “Dancing in September” (2001)

Here are two more covers, both of which appeared on D’Angelo’s once-rare 1998 live album. Live at Jazz Café, London. Her rosy rendition of the Ohio Players’ sweet “Heaven Must Be Like This” — a bonus track that only appeared on the Japanese release of the album — does not appear on “Delta,” which marked the directorial debut of revered poet Maya Angelou. But it ended up on the soundtrack album. As for Reggie Rock’s TV satire Bythewood, which obviously takes its name from a line in Earth, Wind and Fire’s hit “September,” D’s version of the band’s “Can’t Hide Love” (originally recorded by Los Angeles soul band Creative Source) slyly plays over the end credits.

“Talk About Shit 2 Ya” by “Baby boy” (2001)

D’Angelo’s contributions to the soundtrack, much like D’Angelo himself, became rare after the success of Voodoo. A year after the album’s release, he abandoned that track for John Singleton’s oft-repeated BET drama, in which Singleton returns to South Central to tell the story of a rogue child (Tyrese Gibson). D mostly takes a back seat on this track, providing the G-funk melody (which includes a groovy bass loop sampled from Curtis Mayfield’s “Mother’s Son”) and low-pitched background vocals while rapper Marlon C is front and center with his rhymes.

“I Want You Forever” by “The Book of Clarence” (2024)

D’Angelo’s last appearance on the soundtrack was on the soundtrack of director Jeymes Samuel’s satirical take on the story of Jesus, starring LaKeith Stanfield as a troubled Jerusalem man who claims to be the new Messiah. D teams up with Samuel (who also composed the score) and Jay-Z for this explosive, bombastic jam session of a song, mostly adding a sprawling chorus to this de facto love theme for Clarence and his love interest Varinia (Anna Diop).

Bonus: “Unshaken” from “Red Dead Redemption 2” (2019)

OK, so this is from a video game. But when D’Angelo, a fan of “Red Dead Redemption,” discovered a sequel was in the works, he contacted Rockstar Games about adding a song to the soundtrack. He teamed up with Grammy-winning producer Daniel Lanois (best known for co-producing U2’s most essential albums) and recorded a brooding, outlaw country number for a nighttime sequence known for giving goosebumps to streaming gamers. Listening to it again only makes me sad that the man was never able to compose a western.