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I Spy, Vol. 2—The LPs (1966-1968)
Music by Earle Hagen
I Spy, Vol. 2—The LPs I Spy, Vol. 2—The LPs I Spy, Vol. 2—The LPs
Click to enlarge images.
Price: $19.95
Limited #: N/A
View CD Page at SAE Store
Line: Silver Age
CD Release: February 2011
Catalog #: Vol. 14, No. 3
# of Discs: 1

I Spy—one of the most popular action-adventure television series of all time—ran only three seasons (1965-68); nevertheless, the show spawned not one, but two “soundtrack” LPs, both of which have long been highly sought-after collector’s items. FSM’s first volume of Earle Hagen’s music from the series used the original television recordings because only one of the discs was available to license at that time. Happily, the situation has changed.

I SPY, Vol. 2—The LPs brings together both the Warner Bros. album released in early 1966 and the Capitol Records disc issued in late 1967 (both remastered from the original ¼” stereo tapes). The result is truly a “best of” I Spy, incorporating music from each of the show’s three seasons. Although both albums were re-recordings, Hagen employed many of the same session musicians he hired on a weekly basis for the show, and some of the arrangements are quite close to the originals heard on the series soundtrack.
 
I Spy starred Robert Culp and Bill Cosby as undercover agents whose work took them all over the world (the show’s location photography and the interplay between the leading characters were two of its many strengths). This gave composer Hagen the opportunity to write music in a vast array of (meticulously researched) ethnic styles, from south of the border to the European continent and all the way to the Far East.
 
This variety is reflected on these LP tracks, where Hagen extends his essentially big band palette to include the colors of Mexico, Japan, Greece, Italy, Hong Kong and the U.S.A. From lyrical, blues-flavored melodies to rhythmically-driven action cues, Hagen (along with colleague Hugo Friedhofer—who composed three of the tracks on this CD) captures all the excitement and drama of this Emmy award-winning series.
 
FSM designer Joe Sikoryak incorporates numerous series stills, original album art (and liner notes), sheet music, composer photos and a gallery of heroes and villains from the show in an eye-catching 16-page booklet. Notes are by television music historian Jon Burlingame, who brings special authority to the subject—he conducted the five-hour video interview with Hagen for the Archive of American Television. In addition, a personal letter from Hagen about the albums is posted on the FSM online notes site.
 
I Spy is a musical adventure like no other—savvy, sophisticated and smart. No wonder Bill Cosby repeatedly used the word “hip” in his liner notes for the second album. Now, after years of waiting, fans can listen and hear for themselves.
Earle Hagen Scores on FSM
I Spy
I Spy, Vol. 2—The LPs
About the Composer

Earle Hagen (1919-2008) parlayed a career in the big band era as a trombone player, composer and arranger (he penned the classic "Harlem Nocturne") into a staff arranging job at Twentieth Century-Fox under Alfred Newman; when television took off in the 1950s, he became one of the most accomplished and prolific composers in the history of the medium. He was producer Sheldon Leonard's composer of choice and his work for I Spy is a high water mark for television; he wrote the themes to The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Andy Griffith Show, The Mod Squad among many others. As if that wasn't enough, he wrote books on composing and arranging, including a seminal textbook on the mechanics of scoring for picture. IMDB
Comments (36):Log in or register to post your own comments
Posted by Katie @ SAE on February 24, 2011 12:47 PM Reply
http://www.screenarchives.com/title_detail.cfm/ID/14985/I-SPY-VOL-2-THE-LPS/

Posted by David Sones (Allardyce) on February 24, 2011 12:58 PM Reply


There is nobody happier about this release than me. A thousand thanks to LK and the FSM team for delivering more of some of the best '60s TV music of all time. And the wonderfulness continues...

Posted by George Komar on February 24, 2011 1:35 PM Reply
An absolutely remarkable release, Lukas, especially since it involves two different recording companies. I don't know how you did it, but I, for one, am very grateful. As Cosby would say, "Here's to the wonderfulness of yourself!" (track 12).

When Warner Bros. Records released the first LP, there was another hit WB album being released the same week, so WB put its advertising behind that other album, with the result that Hagen's efforts went relatively unnoticed. A year later, the same thing happened with the Capitol Records LP and the disc went into cut-out limbo. Finally Hagen can get the recognition that he so richly deserves.

Posted by robby on February 24, 2011 1:40 PM Reply
Thanks a million times, Lukas. I'm definitely on board for this one!

Posted by Simon Morris on February 24, 2011 1:40 PM Reply
Yes, I've ordered this in a heartbeat.

However, I would be doing 'Vol.1' a huge dis-service if I didn't once again express my disappointment that no further volumes of the original scores would appear to be forthcoming.

That said, I can only express thanks for this release, and I look forward to receiving my copy :)

Posted by Yavar Moradi on February 24, 2011 2:41 PM Reply
I too would love more complete score releases for this show (preferably in U.N.C.L.E-style two-disc sets for $24.95 because there are SO many original scores--one for each episode!--worthy of release). For now, though, this is fantastic! These LPs were long due for CD treatment as they were brand new re-recordings. I am incredibly impressed that Lukas pulled off releasing them together considering the different owners. Major kudos!

Yavar

P.S. Now I wonder if any of Hagen's wonderful Andy Griffith scores survive at CBS since FSM has started a relationship with them...

Posted by Bob DiMucci on February 24, 2011 2:52 PM Reply
I was listening to the sound clips, when I came across one that sounded very familiar. Track No. 7, "Away We Go to Mexico," reminded me immediately of the theme for The Bill Dana Show, a TV series that ran 42 episodes in 1963-1965. Low and behold, the Dana theme was composed by Earle Hagen. So how could I remember a theme from a forgotten TV show of 4 decades ago? Well, it was on one of the first LPs I ever purchased, called "1963's Major Motion Picture and Television Themes." In its expanded version on that LP, the Dana theme was so memorable that I recorded it onto a mix tape that I play to this day.

See for youself if you can hear the similarities. Here are the shortened TV version of the Dana theme and the FSM clip.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4vDcx2V0PA[/youtube]

http://www.filmscoremonthly.com/store/MP3/1403/07_Away_We_Go_to_Mexico.mp3

Posted by filmusicnow on February 24, 2011 2:56 PM Reply
An absolutely remarkable release, Lukas, especially since it involves two different recording companies. I don't know how you did it, but I, for one, am very grateful. As Cosby would say, "Here's to the wonderfulness of yourself!" (track 12).

When Warner Bros. Records released the first LP, there was another hit WB album being released the same week, so WB put its advertising behind that other album, with the result that Hagen's efforts went relatively unnoticed. A year later, the same thing happened with the Capitol Records LP and the disc went into cut-out limbo. Finally Hagen can get the recognition that he so richly deserves.[/endquote]

And you can hear one of the cues that Hugo Friedhofer composed for the series that's on the Capitol album.

Posted by MRAUDIO on February 24, 2011 4:21 PM Reply
This one is ordered - just perfect to go with Vol. One.

Thanks Lukas amd FSM!...:-)

Posted by George Komar on February 24, 2011 4:50 PM Reply
I was listening to the sound clips, when I came across one that sounded very familiar. Track No. 7, "Away We Go to Mexico," reminded me immediately of the theme for The Bill Dana Show, a TV series that ran 42 episodes in 1963-1965. Low and behold, the Dana theme was composed by Earle Hagen. So how could I remember a theme from a forgotten TV show of 4 decades ago? Well, it was on one of the first LPs I ever purchased, called "1963's Major Motion Picture and Television Themes." In its expanded version on that LP, the Dana theme was so memorable that I recorded it onto a mix tape that I play to this day.[/endquote]

Thanks, Bob. You learn something new every day. The "Mexico" cue was always a highlight of every Mexico episode that it appeared in.

According to Billboard...

http://books.google.ca/books?id=UgsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=RA1-PA33&lpg=RA1-PA33&dq=1963%27s+Major+Motion+Picture+and+Television+Themes&source=bl&ots=ROvEIZULGt&sig=XopEpAvvVOsVa3nXC3jtrFE6STI&hl=en&ei=ctJmTef-CcLOgAeZ0pXOCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CCQQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q&f=false

...the "1963's Major Motion Picture and Television Themes" album was conducted by Lionel Newman, on 20th Century Fox Records TFS 4105 (Stereo).



Nile/Caesar & Cleopatra Theme/Call Me Irresponsible/It's a Mad World/V.I.P.'s Theme/Irma La Douce Theme/Bill Dana Show-Jose Ole/Dick Van Dyke Show Theme/Lt. Theme/Mr. Novak-Assembly Stomp/Breaking Point Theme/Phil Silvers Show Theme

It would be interesting to hear the expanded "Bill Dana Show" cue.

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Track List

    Click on track TIME for MP3 sound clip.

    I Spy, Vol. 2—The LPs

    Music Composed and Conducted by Earle Hagen

    Volume One—Warner Bros. WS 1637

  1. I Spy 1:57
  2. Tatia 3:04
  3. Hi Yo Scotty 2:44
  4. Angel 2:52
  5. Away We Go to Tokyo 2:29
  6. Rickshaw Ride 2:51
  7. Away We Go to Mexico 2:21
  8. Ah So!* 2:20
  9. The International Set 2:27
  10. Another Kind of Blues 2:50
  11. Fiesta del Sol 2:05
  12. The Wonderfulness of You* 2:27
  13. Made in Hong Kong 2:18

    Total Time: 32:49

    Volume Two—Capitol ST 2839

    U.S.A.

  14. I Spy 2:12
  15. Over the Wall 2:20

    Mexico

  16. Montezuma’s Revenge 2:29

    Greece

  17. Islands in the Sea 3:11
  18. The Golden Age 2:11
  19. The Voice in the Wind** 3:02

    Italy

  20. To Florence With Love* 2:22
  21. Sophia 2:45

    Japan

  22. Rots of Ruck 2:21
  23. There’s No Escape 3:48

    Spain

  24. Domingo 2:24
  25. The International Set 2:26

    Total Time: 31:32

    Total Disc Time: 64:27

    *Composed by Hugo Friedhofer

    **Composed by Earle Hagen and Gene Lees
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