Search - Jerry Goldsmith, Dave Grusin, Teddy Randazzo :: The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. [Music from the Television Series]

Dreamy cool spy tunes . . .

trebe | 01/02/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Girl From U.N.C.L.E. featured Stefanie Powers as agent April Dancer, Noel Harrison as Mark Slate, and Leo G. Carroll as U.N.C.L.E. chief Alexander Waverly. The spinoff from the smash hit, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., ran for one season (1966-67).



As he did on The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (The Original Soundtrack Affair), composer Hugo Montenegro reworks music from the program's original score and other sources, turning themes or suites into shorter more listenable tunes, typically tighter, more upbeat, and alive. Adding his touches to the works of composers Dave Grusin, Teddy Randazzo and Richard Shore, Montenegro's arrangements for The Girl From U.N.C.L.E. are easy on the ears, and have a cool airy vibe.



A chorus is often used to spice things up, sometimes being an uplifting element, other times helping create a dreamy softness. In `Out of the Frying Pan' the chorus works with the horns and percussion to drive the tune forward, while the version here of the `Theme From The Man From U.N.C.L.E.' is quite dreamy. The harpsichord, an instrument often used by U.N.C.L.E.'s composers, is also employed by Montenegro to add a flavor, as on `Mother Muffin' which also features more of the uplifting chorus. `Sneaky Search' is the most up tempo, action oriented piece, with a smoking hot horn solo, and a rousing finish, it is definitely one of the high points. `Follow the T.H.R.U.S.H'., `Bomb Scare' and `Somewhere in Greece' are also upbeat numbers, featuring more strong horn work. Hip, sophisticated, and romantic, the wonderful `Theme From the Girl From U.N.C.L.E.' was sampled for a national commercial.



The album is short and sweet, running a little over 28 minutes of dreamy cool spy tunes. Montenegro's mostly soft and light arrangements, are very unlike the more upbeat and vibrant things he did for `The Man From U.N.C.L.E.'. For those interested in the source material, selections from the score of The Girl From U.NC.L.E., are available on `The Original Television Soundtrack The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Volume 3', a two CD set."

Excellent

William R. Nicholas | Mahwah, NJ USA | 01/12/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"1960s spy film and TV. What blessed things.



Of course it is all faux style: ciggaretes, fast cars, and girls with big-and natural-breasts. Loose your mind? What mind? This is wonderful, airhead fun.



But the music is not. Those full orchestrations, towering over the top like Cold War City skyscrapers, those harpsichords, that wonderfully innocuous crime jazz had a lot going on. All the expansions in music that were fleshing out both rock and jazz in the 60s are on full, hyperbolic display in this full and hyperbolic music.



Girls that are beautiful without looking thin as sticks and music just as suculant and viluptious. Let's seize the day, Let's do it.



(shhhhhhh. Just don't tell the Reds.)"