On this page:- album track listing composers movie music credits notes movie release info classification links sources

Soundtrack

album, 1993, Mana Music 435 3022:-

• 1. I Hear Bells (Long) vocal Don McGlashan
• 2. Daisy's Phone Call (McGlashan)
• 3. Hitching In The Rain (McGlashan/Long/Austin)
• 4. The Road Is Weary (Austin) vocal Don McGlashan
• 5. So Blue Is The Sea (McGlashan) harmonica Jim Edwards, vocal Don McGlashan
• 6. Polite Pianist (McGlashan)
• 7. Little Brown Jug (Trad Arr. McGlashan)
• 8. The Railway Station (McGlashan/Long/Austin)
• 9. Ed Comes Home (McGlashan)
• 10. Sunbeams (McGlashan) vocal Al Hunter
• 11. Beneath The Maori Moon (Walter Smith Arr. McGlashan/Long)
• 12. Ed's Paranoia (McGlashan/Long/Austin)
• 14. Court Martial (McGlashan)
• 15. My Stars Are In The Sky (Austin) vocal Don McGlashan
• 16. Sunbeams A Cappella Reprise (McGlashan Arr. Austin) vocal Janet Roddick
• 17. Daisy Runs Off/Ed Chases (McGlashan/Long/Austin)
• 18. American Patrol (F.W. Meacham Arr. Austin)
• 19. Ed's Arrest (McGlashan)
• 20. Life Can Be A Long Road (Austin) vocal Janet Roddick

Musicians: Janet Roddick, backing vocals; David Long, guitars; Neill Duncan, clarinet and sax solos; David Donaldson, double bass; Mark Austin, keyboards and humming; Paul Kentell, sax section; Don McGlashan, backing vocals, drums, euphonium, flugel horn and keyboards.

Music composed and produced by Don McGlashan, David Long and Mark Austin
Music Director - Don McGlashan
Recording Engineer - Graeme Myhre
Recording Studio - Mandrill Studios, Auckland
Music Co-ordinator - Chris Gough, Sheryl Morris, Mana Music
Album mixed and compiled by Mark Austin
Mix Engineer - Graham Myhre

The Composers

[From the CD booklet]

Don McGlashan is lead singer and songwriter in The Mutton Birds currently one of New Zealand's most successful recording bands with a gold debut album. His career has included membership of music/performance art ensemble From Scratch, drums and vocals with Auckland band Blam Blam Blam, and several years of writing, performing and film making with music/theatre group The Front Lawn. His film work includes the original score for Jane Campion's "An Angel At My Table".

David Long is guitarist with The Mutton Birds and also works with Mark Austin in their soundtrack company Flower Child Productions. Before founding The Mutton Birds with Don McGlashan, he worked with Wellington group The Six Volts, performing in many theatre shows in New Zealand and the U.K.

Mark Austin has been writing music for dance and film with David Long for the past 10 months. Including work for the top New Zealand choreographers Douglas Wright and MaryJane O'Reilly. Drawing on his considerable performing experience in original bands in both Wellington and Melbourne, Mark has just completed an extended season at Auckland's Watershed Theatre, as guitarist and musical co-director with the hit musical "Cabaret".

Movie music credits

From the closing credits:

[Some song titles are slightly different from the CD]

Music Director - Don McGlashan
Recording Engineer - Graeme Myhre
Recording Studios - Mandrill Studios, Auckland
Music Co-ordinator - Chris Gough, Sheryl Morris Mana Music

So Blue Is The Sea
Composer - Don McGlashan

Life Can Be A Long Long Road
Composer - Mark Austin

I Hear Bells
Composer - David Long

Stars Are In The Sky
Composer - Mark Austin

Sunbeams
Composer - Don McGlashan

The Road Is Weary
Composer - Mark Austin

American Patrol
Composer - Meacham, Arranger - Mark Austin

Little Brown Jug
Composer - Eastburn, Arranger - Don McGlashan

Beneath The Maori Moon
Composer - Walter Smith, Arranger - Don McGlashan

Published by Warner/Mana Music

Vocals - Janet Roddick, Don McGlashan
Guitars - David Long
Double Bass - David Donaldson
Drums, Brass - Don McGlashan
Clarinet, sax solos - Neill Duncan
Sax section - Paul Kentell
Harmonica - James Edwards

The Quartermasters Store
[tradtional] performed by Les Cleveland and the D Day Dodgers
Recording courtesy of Kiwi Pacific

Notes

Assistant editor was Christine Jeffs who directed Rain (NZ 2001), soundtrack by Neil Finn.
John Laing directed Other Halves (NZ 1984)

Movie release information

Movie is dated 1992, classification dated February 1993.
106 minutes long; recut version, March 1993, 101 minutes.

Classification

• GY (General exhibition: recommended as more suitable for persons 13 years of age and over - NZ)

• Classification links - Aus, NZ, UK, US

Links

Absent Without Leave (New Zealand Film Commission)
Absent Without Leave (1992 NZ) (Internet Movie Database)
Reference Number: Film: 21913 (New Zealand Film Archive)

Sources of information

CD; movie; New Zealand Film 1912-96

Page compiled by carolyn
Last updated 17th June, 2006.