Atheists Don't Have No Songs, Syria, Turkey

Desert-Loving English?

 

In one of the opening scenes of “Lawrence of Arabia”, (1962) when T E Lawrence was introduced to King Hussein, the king asked him, “Please don’t tell you are one of those desert-loving English”.

Mike Batt wrote and orchestrated most of the music found here, largely from the film “Caravans” in the 1978 film, based on the 1963 James Michener novel.

Mike Batt’s “Ride to Agadir” expressed what the film “Battle of Algiers” I wrote about a few years ago, was asking of Americans: Who are the worst, French or Arabs? Since the Crusades the Arabs have believed the French to be worse. “Battle of Algiers” was banned in France, as the French in Algeria were trying to impose all sorts of French symbols of “civilization”, such as prostitution, on the Algerians. Most Americans would side with the Arabs on that count. That’s why I lead here with “Ride to Agadir”, which appeared in no film, but some hard lyrics, which a couple of decades Americans would have found disgusting, but today would be a little more sympathetic and introspective about.

This is the entire score, approx 40 min, incl the vocal by Barbara Dickson. But it does prove that Mike Batt is a “desert-loving English”.

 

Lawrence of Arabia theme by Maurice Jarre

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