"Winsome pop poet" New York Times
Peter Salett has been both movie scoring and writing songs for film,
most recently writing, arranging and producing songs for the
Universal Pictures romantic comedy "Forgetting Sarah Marshall",
executive produced by Judd Apatow (Knocked Up, 40 Year Old Virgin),
which will be released April 18th, 2008. Salett worked with writer/star Jason Segel writing the songs "We've Got to Do Something" and "Inside of You" for Russell Brand's Aldous Snow character to sing, and was the main composer for the Dracula puppet musical finale, "A Taste For Love". He also has a bit part in the movie as an annoyed keyboard player.
Salett last November appeared writing and singing funny medieval songs in David Wain’s new film “Little Big Menâ€, for Universal Pictures, which will be released later this year. Starring Paul Rudd, Sean William Scott, Christopher Mintz-Plasse (aka McLovin), and Elizabeth Banks, Peter also arranged the Kiss song "Beth" for the movie's climactic scene - on mandolin, recorder, and violin.
Peter also co-scored Harris Fishman's beautiful feature length documentary for HBO "Cat Dancers", which won a Special Jury Prize after its premiere at SXSW in March of 2007, and will be showing on HBO in the fall of 2008. The Hollywood Reporter called the score "haunting".
In 2007 Salett wrote an end title song for David Wain’s absurdist blasphemous hilarious film “The Tenâ€, starring Winona Ryder, Famke Janssen, Liev Schreiber, Paul Rudd, Jessica Alba and many more. The film premiered at Sundance in 2007 and was released by ThinkFilm on August 3rd, and is now available on dvd. Peter has a cameo as the Lying Rhino.
Also in 2007 Salett had songs in Michael Ian Black's "Wedding
Daze" (MGM Pictures, Nettwerk Records released the soundtrack), and
"Reno 911:Miami" (FOX - Special DVD edition).
In 2006 Peter scored David Jacobson's "Down in the Valley", starring
Edward Norton and Evan Rachel Wood. Five of Salett's songs, written
for the movie, are featured as well, including the opening title.
When "Down in the Valley" was released by ThinkFilm in May 2006,
Salett received press from around the country for his unique
contribution. "Peter Salett's song score is haunting" - Houston
Chronicle. "The movie starts to float away on its longueurs, propped
up by a lovely soundtrack of Peter Salett's acoustic ballads " -
Boston Globe. ATO Records released the soundtrack.
In 2005 he contributed 3 songs to Michael Showalter's IFC film "The
Baxter," a collaboration that includes Salett's end title song for
Showalter and David Wain's cult classic, "Wet Hot American Summer",
which starred Janeane Garofalo and Molly Shannon. Salett's earlier
release, "Heart Of Mine" was the main theme of "Keeping The Faith," a
film directed by and starring Edward Norton, with a remix by T Bone
Burnett on a Hollywood Records soundtrack that included Tom Waits and
Elliott Smith.
Salett also scored the 2005 independent film "Bittersweet Place"
starring Seymour Cassel (Tribeca Film Festival). Some of the other
films featuring Salett's songs include "Maldonado Miracle" (Showtime,
directed by Salma Hayek), "Hurricane Streets" (Sundance Audience Award
winner, end title), and "Other Voices" (starring Campbell Scott and
Stockard Channing, end title).
Salett has also just finished his new record for Dusty Shoes Music
titled "In the Ocean of the Stars". The cd will be released on July 22nd, 2008.
The record features Salett's
longtime crew - Bill Dobrow on drums (Martha Wainwright, Sean Lennon),
Jeff Hill on bass (Rufus Wainwright), Joe McGinty on piano and organ
(Ryan Adams), and the great Don Piper on lap steel and electric
guitar. Amy Miles sang beautiful harmony vocals, Chris Carmichael (Steve Earle) added the voluptuous string arrangements. The record was mixed by Todd Burke (Ben Harper, Jack
Johnson) with additional mix production by Marvin Etzioni.
Onstage Salett has performed in support of David Gray, Rufus Wainwright, They
Might Be Giants, Ron Sexsmith, and Patty Griffin, among many others.
As an actor Peter has appeared in many films including "Superbad",
"The Ten", "Wet Hot American Summer", and "Chelsea Walls". He will
appear in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" and "Little Big Men" in 2008.
It's easy to understand why the accessible sounds of Peter Salett often serve as cinematic backdrops. On songs of loneliness and love lost, Salett proves that less is indeed more, letting his rich vocals soar over a sole piano accompaniment or spare acoustics. His every yearning and pang feels like your own. - Entertainment Weekly
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_______________Peter Salett"Crying Shame"
