Come Spy with Us: The Secret Agent Handbook

by N/A

Overview

Such a brilliant idea for a compilation, it's a wonder it hasn't been done before, Ace's 2014 set Come Spy with Us: The Secret Agent Handbook collects 25 secretive swingers from the '60s, splitting the difference between pop tunes and cinematic espionage. Impressively, the entire affair avoids both James Bond and Johnny Rivers' "Secret Agent Man" aside from covers (the signature Bond theme is handled by Johnny & the Hurricanes, while Al Caiola serves up an instrumental of the Rivers staple). Usually, compiler Tony Rounce -- who does give thanks to Matthew Jones -- prefers splashy arrangements built on bold brass and sweeping strings, but there are certainly a lot of echoing guitars and splashes of exotica, all suggesting danger and adventure. Naturally, novelties take up a fair amount of space here -- the best might be the Supremes' go-go parody "Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine" -- but most of this occupies a similar territory as Nancy Sinatra's "The Last of the Secret Agents," which is delivered with a straight face and a wink. Even during this secret agent peak, which ran roughly from 1965 to 1967, plenty of musicians were ready to good-naturedly send up spies and that mischievous humor keeps things lively, while the craft of the composers and songwriters give this music heft. John Barry, Henry Mancini, Jerry Goldsmith, and Lalo Schifrin are responsible for those grand cinematic peaks, providing the context for Scott Walker ("Deadlier Than The Male," a classic Walker Brothers hit) and Smokey Robinson ("Come Spy with Me," the theme to a lost 1967 flick) to play with on their tunes. It's all fun but it's not really campy: it's a well-rounded portrait of a '60s fad that turned into a pop culture touchstone, a touchstone that is splendidly heard here. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	04/08/2014
Label:	Ace
UPC:	0029667058421
Rank:	75762

Tracks

1. A Man Alone (Theme from The Ipcress File)  - John Barry  -  Barry
2. Deadlier Than the Male  - Scott Engel  - John Franz  -  Walker Brothers
3. Arabesque  - Henry Mancini  -  Ventures
4. The Look of Love (Theme from Casino Royale)  - Burt Bacharach  - Dusty Springfield
5. Theme from Danger Man  - Edwin Astley  -  Red Price Combo
6. The Silencers  - Elmer Bernstein  - Vikki Carr  - Mack David
7. Secret Agent Man  - Steve Bari  - Al Caiola  - Philip Sloan
8. Who Needs Forever (Theme from The Deadly Affair)  - Astrud Gilberto  - Howard Greenfield  - Quincy Jones
9. Theme from The Man from U.N.C.L.E.  -  Challengers  - Jerry Goldsmith  - Ernie Sheldon
10. The Last of the Secret Agents  - Lee Hazlewood  - Nancy Sinatra
11. Mission: Impossible  - Lalo Schifrin  -  Schifrin
12. Dr. Goldfoot & the Bikini Machine  - Guy Hemric  - Jerry Styner  -  Supremes
13. Our Man Flint  - Jerry Goldsmith  - Billy Strange
14. Wednesday's Child (Theme from The Quiller Memorandum)  - John Barry  - Mack David  - Matt Monro
15. Theme from Get Smart  - Don Adams  - Bob Crane  - Irving Szathmary
16. We Should've (Theme from Modesty Blaise)  - John Dankworth  - Ray Ellington  - Bernard Green  - Eddie Jones  - Cleo Laine
17. The James Bond Theme (Dr. No)  -  Johnny & the Hurricanes  - Monty Norman
18. Burke's Law Theme  - Herschel Burke Gilbert  - Wynton Kelly
19. Where the Bullets Fly  - Ronald Bridges  - Robert Kingston  - Susan Maughan
20. High Wire (Theme from Danger Man)  - Edwin Astley  -  Fahey
21. Bye Bye (Theme from Peter Gunn) [Vocal Version]  - Ray Evans  - Jay Livingston  - Henry Mancini  - Sarah Vaughan
22. Theme from Where the Spies Are  - Mario Nascimbene  - Jimmy Smith
23. The Liquidator  - Shirley Bassey  - Peter Callander  - Lalo Schifrin
24. I Spy  - Earle Hagen  -  Shaw
25. Come Spy with Me  -  Robinson  - William Robinson

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Sarah Vaughan   Primary Artist
John Barry & His Orchestra   Primary Artist
Johnny & the Hurricanes   Primary Artist
Roland Shaw & His Orchestra   Primary Artist
Brian Fahey Orchestra   Primary Artist
Lalo Schifrin Orchestra   Primary Artist
The Red Price Combo   Primary Artist
Shirley Bassey   Primary Artist
Smokey Robinson & the Miracles   Primary Artist
The Challengers   Primary Artist
Cleo Laine   Primary Artist
Dusty Springfield   Primary Artist
Nancy Sinatra   Primary Artist
Matt Monro   Primary Artist
Ray Ellington   Primary Artist
The Supremes   Primary Artist
The Walker Brothers   Primary Artist
Al Caiola   Primary Artist
Wynton Kelly   Primary Artist
Susan Maughan   Primary Artist
Billy Strange   Primary Artist
Jimmy Smith   Primary Artist
Lalo Schifrin   Primary Artist
Don Adams   Primary Artist
Vikki Carr   Primary Artist
The Ventures   Primary Artist
Astrud Gilberto   Primary Artist
Bob Crane   Primary Artist

Technical Credits

Mack David   Composer
Vicki Fox   Records,Memorabilia
Scott Engel   Composer
Mario Nascimbene   Composer
Robert Kingston   Composer
Irving Szathmary   Composer
Malcolm Baumgart   Records
Colm O'Brien   Sheet Music
Guy Hemric   Composer
Jerry Styner   Composer
Steve Bari   Composer
Philip Sloan   Composer
Ernie Sheldon   Composer
Niall McCormack   Package Design
Earle Hagen   Composer
Ronald Bridges   Composer
Shirley Bassey   Interpretation
Bernard Green   Composer
John Dankworth   Composer
Tony Rounce   Records,Liner Notes,Memorabilia
Dusty Springfield   Interpretation
Eddie Jones   Composer
Elmer Bernstein   Composer
Edwin Astley   Composer
Peter Callander   Composer
John Barry   Composer,Interpretation
Jerry Goldsmith   Composer
Quincy Jones   Composer
Matt Monro   Interpretation
Nick Robbins   Mastering
Ray Evans   Composer
The Walker Brothers   Interpretation
Monty Norman   Composer
Burt Bacharach   Composer
Herschel Burke Gilbert   Composer
Henry Mancini   Composer
William Robinson   Composer
Lalo Schifrin   Composer,Interpretation
Jay Livingston   Composer
John Franz   Composer
Howard Greenfield   Composer
Lars Nilsson   Records
Lee Hazlewood   Composer