In the Dark of the Night: Wang Chung’s ‘To Live and Die in L.A.’ Soundtrack Gets Expanded
A much-anticipated ’80s soundtrack reissue is finally coming – even if it’s taking a different shape from what might have been expected.
Interscope Records will release a new deluxe edition of To Live and Die in L.A., the beloved soundtrack to William Friedkin’s 1985 neo-noir film, as performed by pop duo Wang Chung. The set will be greatly expanded from the outset, offering a newly sequenced version of the original eight-track album featuring two bonus recordings (one of which is unreleased) as well as a further eight bonus tracks, five of which are, by our research, previously unreleased.
But here’s where things sting a bit: the soundtrack will be available on double LP (pressed on opaque orange “L.A. sunset” vinyl) as well as a digital release promising “additional tracks and a few surprises still to be revealed.” We’ve reached out to the band’s publicist for clarification, but as of this time, it appears that no CD release is planned. The planning of a 2CD reissue was raised, first in 2019 and in 2022, by reissue producer Vinny Vero, to accompany similar deluxe editions of the band’s early albums Huang Chung (1982) and Points on the Curve (1984). (The band released the compilation Clear Light / Dark Matter last year, featuring hits and rarities including a demo of To Live‘s title track.)
The group is no doubt aware of the fan demand for the title. “After a number of years searching for the right partner for this project, we are very proud to announce the release of a deluxe, remastered double vinyl 40th anniversary edition of the soundtrack to To Live and Die in L.A.,” they offered in a statement with the release announcement. “We’re sure the long wait has been worth it and that fans will appreciate this beautifully packaged release.” At least a dozen comments on the band’s Facebook post announcing the reissue voice support for a CD version.
The soundtrack was initially sequenced with a side of vocal tracks and a side of score tracks, but the new pressing is ordered closer to how the songs appear in the film. (There are also two additional cuts: the commercially unavailable instrumental “This One’s for You, White Boy” and one of the group’s signature songs: “Dance Hall Days,” heard on Points on the Curve and a U.S. Top 20 hit well ahead of its appearance here.) The bonus disc features original U.K. and European 12″ mixes of the title track, “Wake Up, Stop Dreaming” and “Wait” (also a holdover from Points on the Curve), plus unissued mixes of “City of the Angels” and two demos from the vault, among others. The matte-finished sleeve features a newly-designed alternate cover, while the printed inner sleeves feature stills from the film and video shoots and, of course, portraits of the film’s stars, William Petersen and Willem Dafoe.
Wang Chung – at the time, recently slimmed to the duo of Jack Hues and Nick Feldman after working as a trio – might not have seemed like the prime candidates to record music for The French Connection and The Exorcist director Friedkin’s adaptation of Gerald Petievich’s novel about a pair of obsessive Secret Service agents (Petersen and John Pankow) on the trail of a murderous counterfeiter (Dafoe). But Friedkin sought them out specifically, finding their sound to stand out specifically from other pop acts at the time. The soundtrack was the result of a breakneck two-week block of sessions – a perfect complement to the film’s lauded ugly-beauty cinematography and underlying themes about moral and capital decay in Reagan’s America. The title track, featuring an arch vocal from Hues over a haunted, synth-driven melody, just missed the Billboard Top 40 by one position – but it remains an enduring burst of nostalgia and unexpected relevance. Comedian John Mulaney synched the track as the theme to his live Netflix talk shows Everybody’s in L.A. and Everybody’s Live, no doubt giving the track further exposure.
The deluxe edition of To Live and Die in L.A. will exclusively be sold through Interscope’s web store, linked below. Keep it tuned here for more information on the expanded digital edition as it’s available.
To Live and Die in L.A. (Deluxe Edition) (Interscope, 2026)
* previously unreleased
LP 1: Expanded, resequenced soundtrack
Side A
- To Live and Die in L.A.
- City of the Angels
- Lullaby
- The Red Stare
- Black – Blue – White
Side B
- Every Big City
- Dance Hall Days
- This One’s for You, White Boy *
- Wake Up, Stop Dreaming
- Wait
Side A and Tracks B 1 and 4-5 released, in different sequence, as Geffen GHS 24081, 1985
Track B2 and B5 first released on Points on the Curve – Geffen GEF 25589, 1983
LP 2: Bonus tracks
Side C
- To Live and Die in L.A. (Extended Mix)
- Wake Up, Stop Dreaming (Extended Version)
- City of the Angels (Radio Version Edit) *
- City of the Angels (Nervous Mix) *
Side D
- Wait (Extended Dance Remix)
- Joy (TLADILA Demo) *
- So Cold (TLADILA Demo) *
- To Live and Die in L.A. (Instrumental) *
Track C1 released on Geffen U.K. 12″ TA 6756, 1985
Track C2 released on Geffen European 12″ GEFA 12.6660, 1985
Track D1 released on Geffen U.K. 12″ TA 4550, 1984
You Might Also Like
1 thought on “In the Dark of the Night: Wang Chung’s ‘To Live and Die in L.A.’ Soundtrack Gets Expanded”
Leave a Comment
Very shortsighted on their part to not release this on CD.
While I would love to have these recordings in my collection, they’ve lost a sale. I don’t buy vinyl records, and I don’t buy digital files, and I don’t stream.
So while they think the fans will enjoy this beautiful packaging, this fan is disappointed that they’re ignoring the opportunity for a true quality physical release on CD.