Various Artists - Secret Agent Music From The TV Series (12 tracks) +Album Reviews

Secret Agent Man they've given you a # & taken away yourname

J. Marks | 04/02/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Secret Agent Man by Edwin Astley And His Orchestra, brings back memories of the dueling electic guitars of the 60's, spies, embassies, intrigue, also seen in the 1997 TV Razor & Tie, this is the song that everyone knew, everyone sang the verse, and everyone tried to do the "dooo, di, doo, di doo di doo"ing of the dueling guitars, this is the song that made every secret agent thereafter, like James Bond, and the rest all take a number to this cold war, epic, black and white tv show of the same name, of greater plot, and intellectual depth, suave and sophisticated, than the glitzy special effects relied upon by shows of today...sing it with us: "Secret Agent Man, Secret Agent Man, They've give you a number, and taken away your name, dooo, di, doo, di doo di dooooo, dooo, di, doo, di doo di dooooo!" (dueling wet electric guitars)"They've give you a number, and taken away your name". Well worth the buy, a must for the collector, a must for your car CD player as you pull into your next secret agent adventure. finis."

Clarification re Astley's Secret Agent

Andrew Marvick | 09/03/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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!"

UNSUNG GENIUS

THE FAMILY CAT | Blackpool England | 02/13/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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"

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