ames Bond may be the only old-school spy still "licensed to kill," but during the 1960s movie and TV screens were teeming with secret agents. From Jim Phelps (Mission: Impossible) and John Drake (Secret Agent/Danger Man) to Derek Flint (Our Man Flint) and even Maxwell Smart (Get Smart), watching superspies—and fantasizing about someday becoming one—was a popular pastime for many youngsters. However, few of these intriguing infiltrators had the polish and panache of Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin, the daring pair of debonair agents in The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Of course, their inarguable appeal was enhanced by the thrilling music that supplemented each adventure, a fact that's brought to light on a fresh two-disc set featuring melodies from some
of the program's most memorable "affairs."
The first half of the package is devoted primarily to Jerry Goldsmith's contributions. Starting off with the taut "First Season Main Title," the platter contains lengthy suites from "The Vulcan Affair," "The Deadly Games Affair" and "The King of Knaves Affair." Lalo Schifrin's eclectic accompaniment to "The Fiddlesticks Affair" is also included, along with short selections from Morton Stevens and Walter Scharf.
Compositions from Gerald Fried and Robert Drasnin dominate the second CD. Fried, whose energetic motifs for "Alexander the Greater Affair" conclude the initial disc, supplies jazzy elements for "The Arabian Affair" and "The Her Master's Voice Affair," with Drasnin furnishing slightly more tranquil themes for "The Tigers Are Coming Affair," The Dippy Blonde Affair" and "The Pop Art Affair." Arrangements of Goldsmith's "Third Season End Title" and "Fourth Season Main Title" are showcased, too, and the collection closes with Richard Shores' assertive cues for "The Summit-Five Affair" and "The 'J' for Judas Affair."
Electrifying melodies for elegant espionage
When The Man From U.N.C.L.E. craze was at its height in 1965 and 1966, two separate LPs were released, ostensibly offering works from the series. Unbeknownst to many purchasers, the tunes on both projects were actually rearranged and rerecorded pieces. While those performances were certainly animated and agreeable, they lacked the stylistic scope and palpable passion of the tracks on this impressive collection. Even with some now-and-then overly obvious iterations of the show's main motif, the 25 cuts presented here, all of which were specifically crafted for the adventure, are elegant and electrifying.
Goldsmith's creations for the pilot episode, "The Vulcan Affair," are appropriately fretful and furtive, perfectly balancing deep percussion with bright, brassy flourishes. His "Meet Mr. Solo" library cue is also a highlight, infusing the program's signature love theme with a beguiling bossa-nova beat. Tense moments prevail on Stevens' dynamic "The Double Affair," just as Drasnin, on his score to "The Foxes and Hounds Affair," blends groovy drums and swanky horns with a stylish harpsichord (an instrument that's also unexpectedly prominent in Fried's "The Discotheque Affair").
The liner notes, written by well-known soundtrack historian Jon Burlingame and brimming with color photos, are equally outstanding, providing extensive details about the general history of the series, all seven composers represented on the collection and each of the featured "affairs." It has been decades since Solo, Kuryakin and the rest of the U.N.C.L.E. team embarked on an undercover caper, but this package, fashioned with characteristic richness and flair by the editors of Film Score Monthly magazine, neatly reminds fans just how much the music of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. added to the show's staggering success.
