Here’s why Oasis rejected the opportunity to score the ‘Trainspotting’ soundtrack
Oasis and Trainspotting are two cultural icons from the 1990s. Both defined a decade in Britain. However, director Danny Boyle tried to recruit Oasis to create the soundtrack. Noel Gallagher rejected the offer.
In the end, the Trainspotting soundtrack didn’t feature any original music from Oasis. However, it became one of the most celebrated soundtracks in film history. The 1996 classic opens with Iggy Pop’s “Lust for Life,” which fit perfectly. It mainly featured Britpop music from Pulp, Elastica, and Sleeper, capturing the film’s zeitgeist.
The only original track came from Blur’s Damon Albarn, who recorded “Closet Romantic” exclusively for the film. But Oasis had already told Boyle there was no chance of a collaboration.
It wasn’t until 20 years after the film’s release that the truth was revealed. In 2016, during a press Q&A, Trainspotting producer Andrew Macdonald and costume designer Rachel Fleming explained why Oasis didn’t participate.
“Danny Boyle is from near Manchester, and he was eager to have Noel Gallagher involved. But there was a reason he didn’t,” Macdonald said. “He came to the Cannes launch party, but I don’t know why he didn’t contribute a song.”
Fleming humorously added, “I met Noel Gallagher recently, and he said, ‘I would have done something, but honestly, I thought it was about trainspotters. I didn’t know!’”
When Gallagher appeared on Hot Ones in 2019, he confirmed Fleming’s story. He thought the film was about trainspotters. “Nobody told me, why didn’t it say heroin addicts in the title?” Gallagher said. “I’d never heard of Irvine Welsh, I’m not very intellectual, and I don’t read books. ‘Trainspotting’—a film about spotting trains? I thought, ‘Nah, you’re alright.’”
Gallagher explained more in a YouTube interview on his channel. “Oasis were on the other side of the world at the time. Someone asked if we wanted to be involved in this film called ‘Trainspotting,’ but I said, ‘Trainspotters? No thanks!’”
Back in 1996, Oasis were unstoppable, and Noel Gallagher connected with British youth in a way no one else could. The film didn’t need Oasis to become legendary. Yet, it’s hard not to imagine how different it could have been if Noel Gallagher had heard Boyle out.
Source: Farout Magazine
Photo: Getty