Thursday, May 07, 2020

MA-131 - The Post-Terminal Affair

Yes, my friends, it’s been more than six years since our previous compilation of music from, or related to, The Man from U.N.C.L.E.  And believe me – if there are more iterations of music beyond these comps out there in the great somewhere ... then they are either re-iterations (about a kazillion surf-guitar versions on YouTube) or concealed from such databases as Discogs.

Yes, it’s all here for you, along with a 12-page insert booklet detailing the selections.  Here are the tracks:
01. Jerry Goldsmith and the London Symphony Orchestra - The U.N.C.L.E. Theme (1:14)
02. The Andy Williams Show - McCallum Guest Appearance (3:47)
03. Hullabaloo - McCallum Guest Appearance (0:58)
04. The Glass Bottom Boat - Robert Vaughn Cameo (0:18)
05. Jerry Goldsmith - No Tricks - Director-Writer-Producer (2:12)
06. Goldsmith arr Fried - The U.N.C.L.E. Theme (0:32)
07. Goldsmith arr Fried - The U.N.C.L.E. Theme (0:34)
08. The Ventures - The U.N.C.L.E. Theme (live) (1:40)
09. Goldsmith arr Fried - Meet Mr Solo (edit) (2:04)
10. Rancho Alamitos High School Concert Band Dance Band Orchestra - The U.N.C.L.E. Theme (0:52)
11. Jet Set Unlimited - The U.N.C.L.E. Theme (2:12)
12. Goldsmith arr Schifrin - Meet Mr Solo (0:57)
13. Please Don't Eat the Daisies - McCallum-Vaughn Cameos (1:12)
14. Ensemble Petit & Screenland Orchestra - The U.N.C.L.E. Theme (2:35)
15. Ann Boleyn - Do the Kuryakin (2:00)
16. Jerry Goldsmith - She's a Notary - Writer-Director Card (0:39)
17. The Los Angeles Radio TV Symphony Orchestra - The U.N.C.L.E. Theme (1:18)
18. Please Don't Eat the Daisies - Powers Cameo (0:23)
19. Goldsmith arr Fried-Armbruster - The Spy in the Green Hat - End Title (0:32)
20. Jerry Goldsmith - The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. Theme (0:36)
21. The George Shearing Quintet - As Long as I Live (1:19)
22. Gerald Fried - Lips that Glow (2:37)
23. Goldsmith arr Fried - The Karate Killers - End Cast (0:25)
24. Jerry Goldsmith - Escape Route - Sweet Smell of Success (2:19)
25. Naked City - The U.N.C.L.E. Theme (live) (2:13)
26. Goldsmith arr Fried - Meet Mr Solo (edit) (1:33)
27. Music Factory - The U.N.C.L.E. Theme (1:17)
28. Goldsmith arr Shores - Meet Mr Solo (0:32)
29. Michigan State U Marching Band - The U.N.C.L.E. Theme (1:01)
30. Morton Stevens - Night People (2:25)
31. Goldsmith arr Fried - The U.N.C.L.E. Theme - 4th Season Alternate 01 (0:38)
32. Goldsmith arr Fried - The U.N.C.L.E. Theme - 4th Season Alternate 02 (0:38)
33. Goldsmith arr Fried - The U.N.C.L.E. Theme - 4th Season Alternate 03 (0:27)
34. Goldsmith arr Fried - The U.N.C.L.E. Theme - 4th Season Alternate 04 (0:30)
35. Goldsmith arr Fried - The U.N.C.L.E. Theme - 4th Season Alternate 05 (0:33)
36. Goldsmith arr Fried - The U.N.C.L.E. Theme - 4th Season Alternate 06 (0:35)
37. Prophet - Man from Uncle (3:22)
38. Miami Pearls Orchestra - The U.N.C.L.E. Theme (2:36)
39. The Marketts - Napoleon's Solo (2:23)
40. Reverb Syndicate - The U.N.C.L.E. Theme (live) (2:07)
41. The Crazy Beatles - The U.N.C.L.E. Theme (1:38)
42. Goldsmith arr Fried - The U.N.C.L.E. Theme (1:15)
43. Goldsmith arr Fried - The U.N.C.L.E. Theme (0:35)
44. The Meteors - The Napoleon Solo (1:55)
45. Goldsmith arr Shores - The Helicopter Spies - End Title (0:26)
46. Tony Freeman - The U.N.C.L.E. Theme (3:18)
47. The Gamblers - Dr Goldfoot (and His Bikini Machine) (1:53)
48. Gerald Fried - Lament for a Trapped Spy (3:10)
49. Gina, the Foxy Chick - Main Title (1:48)
50. The Summit Six Sextet - Meet Mr Solo - The U.N.C.L.E. Theme (3:30)

Perhaps the most interesting tracks:
·         Track 6 may be the most outrĂ© performance of Goldsmith’s theme ever—on kazoos!
·         Tracks 10 and 29, which are school-band performances
·         Track 20, which seems to be aired version of The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.—except the harpsichord is missing!
·         Tracks 31-36, five Gerald Fried arrangements for possible use as 4th-season opening titles, all rejected
·         Track 49, the U.N.C.L.E. theme appropriated for an X-rated movie!  This was pointed out by a fan whose information I have lost.  I’d love to have his name to share with you

So, relax and enjoy music from the episodes and movies, as well as audio from McCallum’s and Vaughn’s guest appearances on TV shows from the era.  Special thanks to Bruce Button and the Summit Six Sextet for their permission to include a performance from “The Golden Anniversary Affair,” and to graphics wizard Robert Short for permission to adapt his graphic for the cover art.
          



Thanks to all members of U.N.C.L.E. fandom for your suggestions and goodwill!  As always, we welcome your comments!
   

Monday, May 04, 2020

MA-141 - Walpurgis Night-Mares

WELCOME TO THE MUSICAL MONTH OF MAY!
We start out by saluting April 30th, Walpurgis Night, with a witchy little collection of hexy music.
01 - Walpurgis Night - The Coffinshakers - 2007  (3:29)
02 - The Witch - Human Cabbage - 1981  (3:31)
03 - Creepy Dead Folk - The Flametrick Subs - 1995  (2:20)
04 - Ghosts - Comateens - 1981  (3:57)
05 - Devil Blues - Skip Manning - 1960  (2:32)
06 - Sister in the Graveyard - The Jackals - 1993  (3:13)
07 - Hexorcist World Premiere - Albee & Friends - 1974  (3:54)
08 - Wombat Twist - Glenn and Christy with the Adventures - 1962  (2:15)
09 - The Big Green - Igor & The Maniacs - 1960  (2:20)
10 - Inner Sanctum - Irene Daye with Charlie Spivak Orchestra - 1947  (3:11)
11 - Walking with a Ghost - The White Stripes - 2005  (2:47)
12 - The Zombie Stomp - Danny Ware - 1964  (2:23)
13 - Bells - Hour Glass - 1967  (2:24)
14 - Never Too Late for Linda - The Trips - 1985  (2:42)
15 - Jolly Green Giant - The Royal Guardsman - 1966  (2:00)
16 - The Witch - Adam and Eve - 1967  (3:54)
17 - Night of the Sadist - Zuma - 1966  (2:43)
18 - The Headless Horseman - Bing Crosby - 1949  (3:06)
19 - The Face of Dorian Gray - Robert Marlow - 1983  (2:47)
20 - Witchcraft - Salem Witchcraft - 1981  (3:08)
21 - The Stand - The Alarm - 1983  (3:15)
22 - You'll Be the Death of Me - The Monks - 1979  (2:31)
23 - Legend of the Ghost Stage - Fred Darian - 1961  (2:09)
24 - When the Birdmen Fly - Fun Things - 1980  (3:17)
25 - Turn Around - House of Lilly - 1973  (3:21)
26 - Ghosts - Mi-Sex - 1980  (3:42)
27 - I Married a Witch Main Title - Roy Webb - 1942  (1:00)

Some are more serious than others.  Track 7 is a "break-in" record; Track 24 is a real psychedelic trip; and Track 27 is a wonder-whiz of musical portmanteau-ism, packing musical references to Wagner, Berlioz, and Mendelsohn into its brief sixty seconds.  

See you back here on Thursday, for our next installment of the Musical Month of May!  You spy mavens won't want to miss it!
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© by Mark Alfred