Secret Agent: Music From The TV Series

 (5 customer reviews)

Although I share the above reader's love of this genre of music, I thought it should be pointed out that the present album (Secret
Agent: Music From the TV Series) does not feature the so-called "duelling guitar"sound so well remembered in the Johnny Rivers
recording of the U.S. theme song for the British-made TV series,
but instead an equally brilliant but stylistically different big-band-style arrangement with a different (though excellent)
male vocalist. Astley should be credited for having invented the "spy" genre of music virtually single-handed during the period 1960-62, though the distinctive sound was also being developed
by John Barry and others at about this time. He is also responsible for the classic spy-show themes and arrangements of The Saint and Department S. One of the great geniuses of 20th-century music!

This is a splendid musical collection, with my only complaints being the total run time (almost 33 minutes), and the version of Secret Agent Man here. Not Johnny Rivers, and this version (in my mind) is more reminicent of Bond, which Drake certainly is not.

Upsides: Drake and Ducks is a nice humorous piece, conjuring up amusing mental images of Drake avidly persuing a flock of ducks. The harpsichord's apperance was apparently Drake's theme instrument, and personally being a fan of the harpsichord, the instrument was splendidly used. Enjoy!

Edwin Astley was not the writer of the song made by Johnny Rivers even though he recorded a version of it.However Edwin's music can be heard on various Library discs available more or less privately.
Since his death Edwin has seemed to establish a record of being possibly the only name artiste who has been virtually ignored.
In spite of the TV documentary ASTLEYS WAY and my own book EDWIN ASTLEY TRIBUTE the music media has ignored his passing.
A disgusting state of affairs which should never have happenned