Spy Music

Spy films and TV shows have had some very cool theme music. The music ranges from lush orchestral maneuvers to sparse passages with just a single guitar, a lonely violion or cello, or even just a beat on the bongos. Instrumental surf bands have incorporated "spy music" into their playlists. So have punk bands. There is even a punk genre called "cold war music".

Some of the spy music themes are instantly recognizable, like the James Bond guitar theme or the Mission Impossible theme. Music genre purists have named a sub-genre they call "private eye music", like the Peter Gunn theme.

Here are some favorites. Feel free to contribute.
Of course, we need to kick it off with the original. Vic Flick, the guy who played the Bond theme for 1962's film 'Dr. No'


The spy chord!



This one is probably my favorite.
The Avengers:



Nancy Sinatra had a hit with her spoof song "Last of the Secret Agents" in 1967. This song incorporates all the spy music elements, right down to the ominous-sounding guitar fills.



Cold War Music: This dark piece by Massive Attack is "Superpredators", and was used in the intro of the film The Jackal.



Punk band The Rezillos had a song called "Cold Wars" that featured a guitar solo (1:15 mark) that is very James Bondish. The song was inspired by the 1963 British novel 'The Spy Who Came In From The Cold'.



There were even cartoons that had great spy music:

I havnt the time to link, but check out David Holmes and the Free Association on youtube.

a reply to: ColeYounger

Awesome! Finally a perfect place to drop this. I filmed my friends Slacktone 10yrs ago playing poolside in Palm Springs on a 110 degree day when they cranked out this amazing medley - enjoy!

a reply to: underpass61

Amazing! Thanks. It's cool how the surf and spy genres intertwine.

a reply to: SecretKnowledge

Thanks, I'll check it out.

Here's a great 'Peter Gunn' live, by British band The Pirates.

originally posted by: ColeYounger
a reply to: underpass61

Amazing! Thanks. It's cool how the surf and spy genres intertwine.

Here's a tune that does exactly that

a reply to: ColeYounger

Here's a band that has made the "spy" genre the core of their sound -

Gary Power's spy plane, radar in the sun.
A polyester track suit for Ninotchka on the run.
A landing strip in Greenland. A sub sunk in the sea.
Oh my sweet Ninotchka, now the parties are sinking me.

When I hear of Spy Music its hard not to go to Portishead - Sour Times .

"with a soulful vocal and tense backing track that evokes Bond movies and spaghetti westerns in equal measure. A spinechiller, and a hi"

" tremulous gentle girl sighed doodling atmospheric 'Twin Peaks'/'From Russia With Love'-ish 94bpm pop swaye"

en.wikipedia.org...

Studio version



The live version is a slight quicker pace then the studio version.

The "spy" vibe bleeds into a lot of other genres. Here's my favorite contemporary exotica band with a very espionage-sounding tune.

a reply to: underpass61

AWESOME! Thanks for posting, enjoyed it very much!!

a reply to: underpass61

LOL...They must have taken their name from Jethro on The Beverly Hillbillies. He wanted to be a double-naught spy, like 007.
Good songs!

opethPA - Great Portishead song! I had a cool song by them on a playlist years ago. I have to find it. Can't think of the name at the moment.

underpass61- Thanks for the great songs.

More cold war punk:

originally posted by: ColeYounger
opethPA - Great Portishead song! I had a cool song by them on a playlist years ago. I have to find it. Can't think of the name at the moment.
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99.9% of the time when people refer to another "cool Poritshead" song its Glory Box..

My preference is the live version .

Theme from the early 1970s spy-themed TV show 'The Persuaders':


Another surf-spy tune:

There's another connection between Massive Attack and "The spy who came in from the cold".
youtu.be...

Black milk.

I'll add a few by Composer Jerry Goldsmith.

'Our Man Flint" Starring James Coburn as Derick Flint



"In Like Flint" Reprising his role again as Derick Flint



Hugo Montenegro did a few Spy Themes.
"The Silencers" starring Dean Martin as Matt Helm



"Get Smart" Starring Don Adams

a reply to: JohnnyAnonymous


I used to have the "red phone" from the Flint movies as my ringtone. It got a lot of comments.




Another good one was the invisible monster from the Jonny Quest cartoon. That one would sometimes freak people out.

Pink Panther Theme Song

John Barry - "A Man Alone" (The Ipcress File, 1964)

Catch Me if You Can Opening

Spy | "Who Can You Trust” Ivy Levan

Bridge of spies - Homecoming - Thomas Newman

Clint Mansell - Lux Aeterna from Les Femmes De L'Ombre (Shadow Women)

'Tired Hippo'
by Yo La Tenga
from the 'Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out' album

sounds like background music to a spy scene

www.youtube.com...