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NEW:

Just when you think the Spy soundtracks have dried up, some surprises to start the new year!

Basil Kirchin's score to "Assignment K" (1968)" has been released on the Trunk label. A couple of tracks have turned up here and there, but this LP release has 10 tracks from Assignment K and 9 tracks from another Kirchen score for the crime film, Strange Affair. You can get also download the score from the label's website.

La-La Land has released TWO remastered 2-CD Bond soundtracks with extra tracks. "Live And Let Die" (1973) and "Octopussy" (1983). While delayed, they are both available to order now on their website

If you poke around on the Official Michael Kamen Website you can find four short unreleased tracks from "Licence To Kill" (1989) https://www.michaelkamen.com

The score to Alfred Hitchcock's "Topaz" (1969) by Maurice Jarre has a recent re-release by La La Land Music and Universal Pictures Film Music. It's a limited edition, remastered CD with 24 tracks, many previously unreleased.

Boom! Italian Jazz Soundtracks At Their Finest (1959-1969) on the Decca label is a really nice collection of Jazz tunes from Italian films of the 60's. Of course it has a couple from Euro Spy flicks like "Sinfonia Per Due Spie" and "Bersaglio Mobile". Both of which already have soundtrack albums out there, but it also has the title theme to "Agente 077 - Sfida ai Killers" (1966) by Carlo Savina and performed by I 4 + 4 di Nora Orlandi. (aka Killers Are Challenged, Bob Fleming... Mission Casablanca). No score release as far as I know, but now I want one! On CD and 2 Lp set.

Lorne Balfe's score to"Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One" (2023) is available on a 2 CD set on the La-La Land label. Lots of M.I motifs in a pounding action score.

The score to "Tiffany Memorandum"(1967) by Riz Ortolani was released on the CFS & BEAT label. Ken Clark stars as Dick Hallum, a journalist who gets mixed up in some espionage shenanigans. A pretty catchy score with some unreleased material which is always fun. Eight tracks were previously included on a CD with music from two non eurospy films so good to have a more complete score (22 tracks).

The scores from the first two Jean Dujardin OSS 117 films have been released together on the Rambling Records label. This is nice because the second one had only been available digitally.

The third in the series, "OSS 117: Alerte Rouge en Afrique Noire" (2021) (aka OSS 117: From Africa with Love) was released in August of 2021. This time out there is a different director- Nicolas Bedos, and composer- Anne-Sophie Versnaeyen. An LP was released on the Milan label, otherwise there is only a digital download (Amazon).

It's hard to find info on Japanese Spy Bop, but here are a few CDs. The Japanese Spy Comedy "Age Of Assassins" (1967) by Masaru Sato was released on the Cinema-Kan label in 2018.

And four CDs of music from the TV show "Ninja Butai Gekko" (1964-1966) (Ninja Unit Moonlight, aka Phantom Agents). There is a volume one and two for the original show, A CD for "Phantom Agents, The Movie", and a CD for "New Phantom Agents". You can read more about the music and show over at SPYVIBE.
If you can point me towards soundtrack recordings from Japanese spy flicks of the 60's Please let me know! Toppushikuretto Thanks!

Not all that recent, but noteworthy nonetheless:

Fans of John Steed and Dr. Keel have reason to rejoice. Not music, but audio productions well worth mentioning. "BIG FINISH" is releasing full cast productions of the 12 lost episodes of "The Avengers (1961)" with Julian Wadham as John Steed and Anthony Howell as Dr David Keel. Head over to their website for a preview and news of other Avengers projects!!

ODD AND UNUSUAL:

George Martin: the Film Scores and Original Orchestral Compositions features the The Berlin Music Ensemble performing excerpts from Martin's film music and orchestral works. Spy bop fans may be interested in several tracks from the James Bond film Live and Let Die.

"The Jazz from U.N.C.L.E. Live in Concert" was recorded live at "The Golden Anniversary Affair", a fiftieth year celebration of the "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." TV series. The 42 minute U.N.C.L.E. concert has 14 tracks with new arrangements from the original MGM lead sheets played by the "Summit Six Sextet". Info here: Open Channel D.

"Come Spy With Us" from ACE Records in the U.K. is a fantastic 25 track compilation CD with a nice selection of original themes and covers from 60's spy flicks. Some fairly obscure ones too like "Dr Goldfoot And The Bikini Machine" by The Supremes and "Where The Bullets Fly" by Susan Maughan. Not to mention some single versions (different from the LPs) I'd never heard and a great booklet too! Don't miss this one!

Check out the bluegrass version of "You Only Live Twice" on the "Pickin' On Nancy Sinatra" tribute CD. You can just see Jimbo barreling down the Highway in his Q issue pickup with his shaken, not stirred jug of moonshine.

"Cinema: A Romantic Vision" by Dori Caymmi should get an award for his unique and beautiful take on the Bond theme. If only someone had included this in one of the films!

"Masters Of Groove Meet Dr. No" on the Jazzateria label has Reuben Wilson, Grant Green Jr., Tarus Mateen, and Bernard Purdie giving the tracks from the Dr. No soundtrack their treatment and it's GOOOOD! You get Twisting with James, Under The Mango Tree, Three Blind Mice, Jump Up, The James Bond theme and a couple of originals.

"Secret Agent Men", produced by drummer Akira Tana features jazz men Dr. Lonnie Smith, Rufus Reid, Chuggy Carter, Rodney Jones, and Bob Kenmotsu cutting loose on "Secret Agent Man", "Mission Impossible", "From Russia With Love" and "Charade". (+9 other tracks)

Occasionally we find interpretations of incidental music rather than just themes. Vibraphonist Cal Tjader took a shot at "Moneypenny Goes For Broke" (from "Casino Royale") on "Cal Tjader Sounds Out Burt Bacharach"

Burt Bacharach did his own cover version of "Bond Street" on his "Reach Out" album. (also on CD).

"The James Bond Songbook" was one of those 60's LPs released to cash in on the Bond craze. It was re-released on CD to cash in on the Bond craze once again! This new CD has been mastered from the original tapes and sounds great. "Jimmy" Bond was a Jazz Bassist and plays here with Harold Land on tenor, Buddy Collette on flute and tenor and Bobby Bryant on trumpet.

"Hammond Bond" has been released by Verve as part of their "Jazz Club" series. It's a re-release of a 007 themed, 60's LP by German organist Ingfried Hoffmann. A sharp-eyed reader identified the original LP as "Soul Bond" Warning- there are only three (T-ball, G-finger, and FRWL) real Bond themes. The others are just jazzy little ditties with remotely spy-sounding titles, but it was the 60's, a swingin' Hammond organ, and it's pretty good!

"Sex Mob Does Bond" may be a little out there for some (more John Zorn than John Barry), but they cover both the incidental music and the themes.

An interesting oddity on the "Rare, Collectable, And Soulful Vol. 2" collection is "You Only Live Twice" written by Jack Ashford, Andrew Terry, Randy Scott and performed by Lorraine Chandler! The booklet says it was written for the film, but isn't clear whether it was commissioned or freelance.

Shirley Bassey recorded "Diamonds Are Forever" in Italian (Una Cascata Di Diamante). Same backing tracks, different vocals. Both versions are on this Italian 45. (Any one know if they did this with any other Bond themes?)

A 45 released in Germany by Alan Corb has his cover versions of Thunderball and Mr. Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang in German. This is one of the few vocal versions of Mr. KKBB released when the film came out and...

Tucked away on this limited 5 CD set of Ann-Margaret recordings is her unreleased (until now) version of "Mr. Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang". It was probably scrapped when the films title was changed. It had previously only been available on a legendary promo 45.

Here's something interesting... A recent Lionel Bart collection, "The Genius of Lionel Bart" includes a "Thunderball" demo performed by an unknown rock group and several instrumental versions.

Don't let the lousy cover art fool you. "Music To Spy By" by The David Whitaker Orchestra is a great LP to find. It probably falls into the music library category and sounds similar to Whitaker's score to "Hammerhead" which is pretty good.

"The Mad, Mad World Of Soundtracks" has the themes to "The Ambushers, "The Last Of The Secret Agents", and "Deadlier Than The Male" as well as "Agent X" by Peter Thomas (from a German spy film) and a cover of "It takes A Thief". The other tracks are equally exciting.

Volume two is a little more laid back, but includes covers of "Diamonds Are Forever" by male vocal group, The Bachelors, and Bacharach's "Bond Street" played on Accordions!

"The Bedside Bond" was a promo LP of some sort offered through Penthouse magazine in 1966. The Dutton Vocalion label has put it on CD paired with another LP. Des Champ and James Economides are the artists. Not a note of real Bond music, but sound library tunes with 007-esque titles. A couple of tracks are on the "The Thriller Memorandum" compilation.

"The Thriller Memorandum" has covers and originals of spy tunes you know and many you probably don't from obscure 60's albums we can only dream about. The liner notes are as good as the music.

Get this Propellerheads single at all costs. It has the short version of the incredible OHMSS/YOLT medley from "The David Arnold Project" CD and the long version from the "Sex And Drums And Rock And Roll" CD, but it also has David Arnold's original orchestral version before The Propellerheads got a hold of it. Excellent!

...and speaking of the Propellerheads, they do an unbelievable remix of "Goldfinger" on "Shirley Bassey The Remix Album". There are also remixed versions of Moonraker and Diamonds by other artists.

"The Bond Collection" should have been a major event. Shirley Bassey singing all the Bond themes up to A View To A Kill", but lackluster arrangements played on a synthesizer or a kazoo make it a disappointment.

They snuck a very good 8 1/2 minute suite from Live And Let Die" into "George Martin Plays The Beatles".

The Last Of The International Playboys, earn a mention for covering "Pussy Galore Meets James Bond". It's a made up Bond tune from the "Music To Read James Bond By album"

"The World Is Not Enough" by Garbage was remixed by U.N.K.L.E on this CD single.

"Bond Back In Action" volumes 1 & 2 are from the same bunch that gave us "The Essential James Bond" (which wasn't). On the plus side we get to hear music not included on the soundtrack albums, but none of it packs the punch we expect from Bond tunes.

Spy Guise, purveyors of all things spy, put together this "James Bond and Beyond" CD with Mike Boldt's interpretations of various spy themes, but the real treats are the 60's radio spots for "The Spy With My Face", "The Spy With My Face & To Trap A Spy Double Feature", "Our Man Flint", "The Venetian Affair", and "Number One Of The Secret Service" (1977) included as bonus tracks.

The "Thrills And Chills" CD by surf band The Moon-rays includes a couple of Gerald Fried numbers from The Man From Uncle as well as an ingenious medley of Martin Denny's tiki tune "Hypnotique" and "Our Man Flint". (Not to mention John Barry's "Beat Girl" Henry Mancini's "A Shot In The Dark" and 6 other tracks).

Weird Al Yankovic's great theme to "Spy Hard" only came out on CD singles and some versions have an instrumental of the theme.

"Power Themes 90" on Telstar has various DJ types remixing British adventure themes. A lot of it is so-so, but "The Avengers" and "Stingray" are knock-outs with "The Prisoner running a close second.

"Secret Agent Sounds" on the Mai Tai label has modern surf bands cutting loose on 60s spy tunes.

"Spies And Dolls" by Chaquito (John Gregory) on Dutton Vocalion is paired with his "TV thrillers" LP. Not all spy themes, but great covers of some hard to find ones like "When Eight Bells Toll" and "It Takes a Thief".

An oddity to be sure... After "The Avengers", Dianna Rigg got mixed up in a project to make a couple of short spy-type films to be watched while pumping gas or something. Honest (check You-tube). The music from "Das Diadems" and "The Mini-killers" has turned up on the "Pop Shopping Vol. 1" CD.

"Hooper" was a movie about a Stuntman on a spy film and has one very Bondish cut, "Old James Bonded Bourbon".

Al Caiola's "The Power Of Brass" has versions of "Mission Impossible" and "The Look Of Love", but the real reason I mention it is the spy treatment they give "The Odd Couple". "My name is Unger...Felix Unger" You've got to hear it!