Mister 8

Man From U.N.C.L.E. Album Cover

Welcome to Tablature Tuesday here at Mister Eight, where we’re hoping to start a weekly presentation of guitar tablature for fledgling Vic Flicks out there. Last week, you jammed along to John Barry’s spy-fi-like “Beat Girl,” but this week, it’s actual secret agent sounds for you:

e|----------------------------------|
B|--------------8-6----6h8p6p0------|
G|--------6---7----------------6-7--|
D|------5---------------------------|
A|----5-----------------------------|
E|--3-------------------------------|

[See the full tablature]

This is the tablature to the end title version of the theme, written by Jerry Goldsmith and arranged by Lalo Schifrin for the second season of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. I can’t figure out where I got this mp3 of the extended theme from as I can’t find it on the excellent four-disc release from Film Score Monthly. The second season theme is a less orchestral version of the original main theme that I think works better for guitar, but you can probably extrapolate most of what you need to know about the original brassier main theme from it.

This one had a tricky part that, as far as I can tell, doesn’t appear on the show (the bridge-like section where the root goes to F) and I’m not sure if it is entirely correct, but I’m happy to take suggestions and corrections!

The late Goldsmith’s theme to the Man From U.N.C.L.E. was nominated for both an Emmy and a Grammy in each award’s “Best TV Theme” category. Jon Heitland, in his The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Book: The Behind-the-Scenes Story of a Television Classic, had this to say about Goldsmith’s theme:

As early as October 1963, Norman Felton knew he wanted Jerry Goldsmith to compose the theme for the show…Goldsmith composed a rousing, powerful theme for The Man From U.N.C.L.E. that was used, in slightly varied forms throughout the series…The theme song was played during the opening and closing credits of each episode. The theme was extremely popular, and for a time, a 45-rpm single version was on the market…The U.N.C.L.E. theme was performed by the Gallants, but they received screen credit only in one first season episode, “The See Paris and Die Affair,” in which they played nightclub musicians.

Here are the opening credits to the second season of The Man From U.N.C.L.E.:

By Francesco Francavilla, artist of Zorro, the Black Coat, and the spy comic Left on Mission that will one day be reviewed here, a poster for Quantum of Solace:

Quantum of Solace by Francesco Francavilla

And following that, one from the original James Bond film, Dr. No:

Dr. No by Francesco Francavilla

Francesco writes on his sketch blog that a limited number of prints will be available for purchase. For information, write him an email at his official site. I’ve bought art from Francesco in the past, and think he’s an all-around swell guy.

There are a few internet radio options for those looking to listen to spy / action soundtracks and themes. Here are a few of my favorite, plus a playlist I’ve just compiled myself.

Soma.fm’s Secret Agent station has an extensive playlist of spy themes, crime jazz, electronica, and lounge that evoke the mood of espionage. They also present the playlist in real time, so you can click through to purchase albums that you find interesting.

No longer live, but the archived version of the Secret Agent Man Radio from Basic Hip can be found by scrolling down their home page.

Secret Surfin’ Spot is a Live365 station that advocates lots of twang and reverb in their mix.

When I started this post, I thought there’d be more links to provide, but apparently some of my favorite stations from a few years back have shut down. How sad! In addition, I want to present a playlist I made at Deezer.com, and that I plan on cultivating in the future:

Greg Hatcher at Comics Should Be Good has written a nice overview of James Bond comics, with a few other tidbits about album and paperback art thrown in for good measure. He also points out this lovely-looking book by Alan Porter which will debut next week:

James Bond: History of the Illustrated 007

Cover for Critierion release of Charade

 Main Riff:
E|---------------|
B|---------------|
G|---------------|
D|--------9-7----|
A|--7-8-7-----7--|
E|---------------|

[See the full tablature to riffs of instrumental version]

[See the full chords for vocal version]

This week, the theme song to the greatest Hitchcock movie there never was: Charade.

Today is a two-fer, with both the backed-by-awesome-layered-percussion instrumental version and the mournful version with lyrics by Johnny Mercer that was nominated for an Academy Award in 1963. You are, however on your own in figuring out that hopping bassline.

In his biography of Mercer, Skylark: The Life and Times of Johnny Mercer, Phillip Furia quotes Mercer as saying that, “‘Charade’ is one of the finest melodies ever written.” Mercer’s lyrics are introspective and sad, describing a failed relationship via the metaphor of the theater, a motif that appears through the film, in the Punch n’ Judy scene, and in the climactic chase. Reportedly, the relationship between the famous lyricist Mercer and the then-fledgling composer Mancini was strained: Furia cites Mancini as saying years later and off-the-record that working with Mercer gave him an ulcer.

For your listening pleasure, I present both versions below. Feel free to play along!

‡ Circa February, the adventures of Mister 8 should be appearing weekly or bi-weekly on the site. Until then, keep reading the Spy-Fi blog! — Your pal, Armstrong Sabian

On Her Majesty's Secret Service Poster

Music by John Barry, lyrics by Hal David.

Within the spy music canon, there are few festive Christmas carols. Singing about the ho-ho-ho-iest of holidays doesn’t usually fit in with a job that involves all sorts of things that put you on the naughty list.

   A          D        A
e|--------------------------|
B|-----5----5--/7-5---------|
G|--/6---6------------4-/6--|
D|--------------0---7-------|
A|---0-------------------0--|
E|--------------------------|

[See the full tablature]

But in the spirit of the season, and thanks to Petter Bengtsson, we’re pleased to bring you the chords to the Barry/David composition, “Do You Know How Christmas Trees are Grown?” that was featured during the ice skating scene where Tracy saves Bond in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. The song was sung by Danish singer Nina, aka Nina Van Pallandt, and a chorus of children.

See the song in action in the following YouTube video, which pairs the song with the trailer for On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. To play along with the video, skip to the bottom of the tab where we’ve transposed Otis’ transcription to the original key.