The unplayable vinyl record that Martin Scorsese treasures
Cinema may be Martin Scorsese’s first and greatest love, but music just might be a close second. The New York-born director has honed an illustrious career in movie-making over the last 50 years, helming some of the most widely acclaimed and adored films of all time. He has also allowed his interest in music to bleed into his work, inputting perfect needle drops and even linking up with iconic artists on documentaries and concert films.
Music has always found a place in Scorsese’s filmography. The final moments of Mean Streets feature the sounds of Cream’s ‘Steppin’ Out’, while Goodfellas gave Harry Nilsson’s ‘Jump into the Fire’ a second life. The sleaze and sordidness of The Wolf of Wall Street was intensified by its soundtrack, earning a Grammy nomination in the process, while Killers of the Flower Moon featured accompaniment provided by The Band’s Robbie Robertson.
Outside of his fictional films, Scorsese has also followed his love for music. His ventures into the world of documentary filmmaking have almost always focused on great artists, from his 2005 portrait of folk songwriter Bob Dylan, No Direction Home, to his recent producer role on Beatles ‘64. The director’s love for music has consistently shone through his work, so it follows that Scorsese has an impressive record collection.
During a conversation with The Vinyl Factory, Scorsese spoke about his habit of collecting vinyl. His collection spans everything from titles he picked up as a kid to songs he has used in his movies, but there is one piece of vinyl that the director particularly treasures: a copy of the Cream track ‘Sunshine of Your Love’ which was given to him by guitarist Eric Clapton.
Released in 1967, ‘Sunshine of Your Love’ features an inimitably cool bassline, while singer Jack Bruce sings, “It’s getting near dawn, when lights close their tired eyes, I’ll soon be with you my love…” Scorsese used the iconic track in his equally iconic 1990 crime film Goodfellas, alongside a slew of other great tracks by the likes of Aretha Franklin and Muddy Waters.
‘Sunshine of Your Love’ has been frequented by music supervisors in film and television, in fact, appearing on the soundtracks for a number of shows and movies throughout the years. But few have been more important or more iconic than Scorsese’s use of the track.
“I love the sound of those 45s,” Scorsese shared. “Every scratch. I also have a very special record. Eric Clapton sent it to me. ‘I found this in my closet and I thought you might like to have it’,” he said. Scorsese clearly adores the Cream track, so it makes sense that he considers it one of his most treasured pieces of physical music. However, his copy is completely unplayable.
Clapton hadn’t just gifted him any old copy of ‘Sunshine of Your Love’. He had given Scorsese a gold copy of the track. “It was the gold record for ‘Sunshine of Your Love,’ framed,” Scorsese explained, “I’m not sure if that counts — it’s gold, so can it be vinyl? — and I can’t play it, but I certainly treasure it.”
It’s easy to see why. Scorsese might not be able to drop a needle onto his copy of ‘Sunshine of Your Love’ to be blessed by the sound of Bruce’s bass playing, but he does have a truly singular record gifted to him by Clapton. It might not be the most functional record in his collection, but it’s certainly one of the most impressive.
