Album Notes

This is the soundtrack from “My Tale of Two Cities: A Comeback Story.” Filmed in the style of "Super Size Me" and "Roger & Me", "My Tale of Two Cities" is a funny and heartfelt movie has been called a "Mr. Rogers & Me" as it tells the comeback story of "St. Elmo's Fire" screenwriter Carl Kurlander who moved back to the real-life "Mister Rogers Neighborhood" only to find both himself and his hometown of Pittsburgh in mid-life crisis. In an attempt to help his hometown while exploring with honesty and humor whether you can go home again, Kurlander asks his neighbors, from the famous (Steeler Franco Harris and Teresa Heinz Kerry) to his old gym teacher and the girl who inspired "St. Elmo's Fire", how this once great industrial giant which built America with its steel, conquered polio, and invented everything from aluminum to The Big Mac, can reinvent itself for a new age. With the rest of America wondering the same question about their neighborhoods these days, "My Tale of Two Cities" is a charming, engaging feel-good film that proves "it's never too late to come back!" and that the whole world really is “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.”


One of the biggest themes of “My Tale of Two Cities” is the need to attract and keep talent in Pittsburgh. A great example of that talent are the producers of this soundtrack Jim DIspirito and Carol Lee Espy, two of the most talented human beings I have come across in over twenty years of working in the film and television business. As a band member with Rusted Root, Jim played on hit albums, toured the world sharing the stage with artists like Santana, the Dave Mathews Band, the Allman Bros, and Sheryl Crow, and, as a remarkable percussionist, has played locally on over forty albums. Carol Lee not only has a wonderful voice which you hear in “My Tale of Two Cities” during “Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head”, but is known to Pittsburghers as the voice of WQED’s ON Q, a program she has also hosted, along with other TV and radio shows Together Jim and Carol have been part of a world-class community of musicians in Pittsburgh and it was exciting to watch the way they were able to put that talent to use in scoring “My Tale of Two Cities.”

The soundtrack features many of Pittsburgh’s finest, including The Newlanders, Donora, Devilish Merry, and of course, two songs from Fred Rogers, who in addition to being America’s Favorite Neighbor, was a tremendously talented composer. “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” in real ife is not just one neighborhood, but the many wonderful communities which make up Pittsburgh—at least some of which we hope are well-represented by this soundtrack. As “My Tale of Two Cities” has been called a “heartfelt valentine to Pittsburgh”, we hope these songs also express some of our expression of affection for what is truly one of America’s great cities.