| Dollars | |
| Type: | soundtrack |
| Artist: | Quincy Jones with appearances by Little Richard Roberta Flack Doug Kershaw Featuring the Don Elliott Voices |
| Cover: | Dollar$ Cover.jpg |
| Caption: | 1972 album cover |
| Released: | 1972[1] |
| Recorded: | 1971 |
| Genre: | Film score |
| Label: | Reprise |
| Producer: | Quincy Jones |
| Chronology: | Quincy Jones |
| Prev Title: | They Call Me Mister Tibbs! |
| Prev Year: | 1970 |
| Next Title: | Smackwater Jack |
| Next Year: | 1971 |
Dollars is the soundtrack album to the 1971 movie of the same name, also known as $, Dollar$, $ (Dollars) or The Heist (in the UK), written and directed by Richard Brooks and starring Warren Beatty and Goldie Hawn.[2] The soundtrack, originally issued on Reprise Records, is composed and produced by Quincy Jones, and features performances by Little Richard, Roberta Flack and Doug Kershaw. Throughout the album, the Don Elliott Voices provide harmony vocal background to otherwise instrumental pieces.[3]
Jones, who was at the time under contract to A&M Records, was given permission by A&M Records to become involved with the soundtrack.[4] Little Richard, Roberta Flack and Doug Kershaw were all artists with the Warner Bros. Records/Reprise group.
The film was released in December 1971, followed by the early 1972 release of the soundtrack album. Jones' "Money Runner", was the promoted single from the album,[5] released concurrently with the film, in December 1971. "Money Is", written by Jones and sung by Little Richard, was the B-side.[6] [7] The album was released by Warner Bros. Records on CD in 2001 and then re-released on CD in 2008,[8] coinciding with the DVD release of the film.[9]
AllMusic's Jason Birchmeier said "Jones works with well-known vocalists Little Richard and Roberta Flack, which may interest some listeners. But, ultimately, it's Jones' compositions that carry the most weight on this soundtrack and surely the reason to give this soundtrack a listen. It's not worth going out of your way to get, though. Jones released a lot of phenomenal music in his time, and though this is impressive, it's one of his less interesting projects. It'll be best enjoyed by fanatics and completists". In contrast, Score, Baby!, a website devoted to reviews of "cult soundtracks of the 60s. 70s and beyond" described the Dollar$ soundtrack as "essential", being an "inventive blend of experimental jazz and rhythm & blues". It was further described as being comparable to Jones' score for They Call Me Mr. Tibbs, in terms of being among Jones' "best funky soundtrack work".[10] The Vinyl Factory called it "a slightly ramshackle record, rich with sudden soulful moods and slam-dunk funk. With its Rhodes pianos and wacka-wacka guitars, the album oozes smooth ‘70s".[11]
The soundtrack remains of ongoing interest to later artists. Gang Starr sampled "Snow Creatures",[12] while Mobb Deep sampled "Kitty With The Bent Frame"[13] La Mongoose Band, a Spanish funk band, covered "Money Runner".[14] Acid jazz band Corduroy covered "Money Is" on their 1992 debut album, Dad Man Cat and on their 1994 album Quattro - Live In Japan[15]