NEW SOUNDTRACKS

Screen Archives Entertainment has announced their new soundtrack releases. With The Ipcress File topping the list for me, there are a number of titles that should appeal to Spy Vibers. From Screen Archives:


The Ipcress File by John Barry

"If you want to see an example of what music does for a movie, go and see 'THE IPCRESS FILE'. Then you'll understand what John Barry's all about." - Michael Caine

CD re-issue of one of John Barry's most memorable film scores from the 1960's composed for the seedy and realistic spy thriller starring Michael Caine as Len Deighton's great anti-hero, Harry Palmer.

For his inspiration for the music John Barry looked to one of his favourite films "THE THIRD MAN" and its famous solo zither score by Anton Karas. With THE IPCRESS FILE he wanted to achieve an equally distinctive, repetitive yet haunting sound. In this he chose the Hungarian cimbalom as his lead instrument for his "Man Alone Theme" backed by an orchestra in a series of swing, jazz and blues variations.

Michael Caine made the first of three appearances as novelist Len Deighton's bespectacled British-spy Harry Palmer in "The Ipcress File". Palmer has no real love of espionage, but he doesn't really know any other life. With studied insolence, he takes on the case of locating missing doctor Radcliffe (Aubrey Richards), who has in his possession a valuable file that would prove injurious to the Free World should it fall in the wrong hands. The government also fears that Radcliffe will be brainwashed by the enemy, as has happened to two previous British scientists. While Palmer is off doing everyone else's dirty work, his superior, Nigel Green, is making a deal with duplicitous information "broker" Frank Gatliff to win Radcliffe's release. The price for this would seem to be Palmer, who is captured by the enemy and subjected to a grueling brainwashing session. Palmer escapes, whereupon he confronts a traitor in his midst in the climactic exchange of gunfire. Advertised as the thinking man's "Goldfinger", "The Ipcress File" offered a far more realistic view of the morally ambivalent world of espionage than did the James Bond films. Also stars Gordon Jackson (Hudson, the butler from "Upstairs, Downstairs"). 1965

The H-Man, Secret of Telegian, The Human Vapor

Three Complete original soundtracks from TOHO's transformed sci-fi horror movie series on triple disc!

BIJO TO EKITAI NINGEN (aka THE H-MAN, BEAUTY AND THE LIQUIEDMAN): When a narcotics deal goes sour and a suspect disappears, leaving only his clothes, Tokyo police question his wife and stake out the nightclub where she works. His disappearance stumps the police - until a young scientist appears who claims that H-Bomb tests in the Pacific, evidenced by a ''ghost ship'' that has turned up in the harbor, have created radioactive creatures - ''H-Men'' - who ooze like slime and dissolve anyone they touch. Director: Ishiro Honda, Stars:Yumi Shirakawa, Kenji Sahara and Akihiko Hirata. Music by Masaru Sato.1958 TOHO.

DENSO NINGEN (aka THE SECRET OF THE TELEGIAN): Detectives must stop a homicidal madman called the ''Telegian'' from his killing rampage, while trying to save the intended victims and solve the mystery of the madman's true intentions and origin. The Telegian uses a mind-transmitting machine to teleport himself to his victims, whom he is out for revenge. Director: Jun Fukuda, Stars:Koji Tsuruta, Akihiko Hirata and Yoshio Tsuchiya. Music by Sei Ikeno. 1960 TOHO.

GASU NINGEN DAI ICHIGO (aka THE HUMAN VAPOR): A librarian is subject to a scientific experiment which goes wrong and transforms him into 'The Human Vapour'. He uses his new ability to rob banks to fund the career of his girlfriend, a beautiful dancer. The Human Vapour is ruthless in his quest for money and kills anyone who stands in his way, especially police. He soon becomes Tokyo's most wanted criminal. Can he be stopped before he kills again? Director: Ishiro Honda, Stars:Tatsuya Mihashi, Kaoru Yachigusa and Yoshio Tsuchiya. Music by Kunio Miyauchi. 1960 TOHO.

Sherlock Series Two by David Arnold

Screen Archives carries the first season soundtrack to this incredible series, as well. See a complete list of their complete Sherlock Holmes-related titles here.


Gungala La Pantera Nuda

The music of "Gungala La Pantera Nuda" uses a wide range of sounds, which makes us to a score rich in musical ideas as well as varied and suggestive. The work is dominated by the beautiful Gungala’s theme that appears over the edition with different arrangements, including superb vocal version, which this edition is included in English and Italian versions. Special importance is the careful orchestration of the string used to accompany the loveliest sublimely Africans music, the lounge themes and the melodic jazz tracks.


The Mechanic by Jerry Fielding

La-La Land Records presents composer Jerry Fielding’s (STRAW DOGS, THE ENFORCER, THE GAUNTLET, SEMI-TOUGH) classic original action score to the legendary 1972 MGM action-thriller THE MECHANIC, starring Charles Bronson and Jan-Michael Vincent and directed by Michael Winner. An atmospheric marvel of sonic textures and experimental approaches, Fielding’s chilling score truly is the stone-cold-heart of this classic hitman/apprentice tale. Aside from perfectly capturing action and suspense, Fielding’s score gives the film a depth and resonance beyond its celluloid. Aside from some audio enhancements, a slightly different track order and new packaging and liner notes, the audio content is the same as the Intrada release, so this re-issue is geared for fans who do not currently own that previous release. Produced by Ford A. Thaxton and mastered by James Nelson, this release features in-depth, exclusive liner notes by film music writer Randall D. Larson. Limited to 1200 units.

GEORGE HARRISON

George Harrison was born today in 1943. In celebration, here is a re-post of our Harrison celebration. In the past year, Martin Scorsese released his documentary film about George, Living in the Material World. A companion book was published by Olivia Harrison. And George's son, Dhani, created an iPad app that offers a multi-media history tour through George's collection of instruments (NY Times review here). Image below by Richard Avedon.


Happy Birthday to George Harrison (1943-2001). George played a large role in bringing Indian music and culture to the radar of 1960s pop culture. Inspired by a sitar player on the set of Help! (1965), George went on to study with master, Ravi Shankar, who became an adopted father to the Beatle. George pursued a life-long study of meditation and spirituality and helped to produce records by Indian musicians and spiritual groups. A wonderful box set came out recently called Collaborations, which includes all of the music George and Ravi recorded together, as well as some video performances. George is also remembered today for the role he played in producing Monty Python and other independent film projects. Through his company, Hand-Made Films, Harrison was the executive producer of Mona Lisa, How to Get a Head in Advertising, Powwow Highway, Withnail & I, Times Bandits, Life of Brian, and others.


Harrison was celebrated in the all-star Concert For George at the Royal Albert Hall in 2002. The program included Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Dhani Harrison, Ravi Shankar, Tom Petty, Monty Python, and others. Fans can see the entire film in a free streaming event today on the George Harrison website. A Blu-ray [was released] on March 22nd.

In connection to our post yesterday about instruments and the James Bond Theme, it's worth noting that Harrison was also a big ukulele fan! The Beatles grew up with the sound and humor of UK stage-sensation, George Formby. During the Beatles Anthology project (1995), George, Paul, and Ringo re-visited one of their first recordings, Ain't She Sweet, on a sunny day with ukuleles. Since Harrison's passing in 2001, Paul McCartney has included a ukulele tribute to George in all of his concerts with a performance of the powerful, Harrison classic, Something (Abbey Road/1969). Here is Paul playing the song during the Concert For George with Eric Clapton below.

Spy Vibers can also visit my YouTube channel to see my experimental film for Yoko Ono (now on the festival circuit), and a 75th anniversary film/sound collage I made for John Lennon.

KNOLL SALE

Ready to revamp your secret lair? Check out the Knoll sale at Design Within Reach, where you can pick up classic furniture by Eero Saarinen and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. For more Mid-Century Modern delights, check out our review of the Dieter Rams gadget exhibit at SFMOMA here.

EARLY CINEMA

Anyone who has been fortunate to see the film, Hugo, has probably been inspired by Scorsese's love letter to early cinema to explore the works of Melies and other imaginative pioneers. The 5-dvd set of Melies work from Flicker Alley is definitely the place to turn. The distributor will also release a remastered Blu-ray edition of a few of his major works, including Trip to the Moon, on March 27th. As my imagination relishes a revisit to Melies's wonderful magic, I can't help but feel a tug back to the incredible mystery/adventure cliffhanger serials that Feuillade made in 1913-1914. Kino released his original Fantomas films on DVD last year, which are thrilling and visually exciting- as this trailer illustrates.

"Based on the phenomenally popular French pulp novellas, Louis Feuillade's outrageous, ambitious FANTÔMAS series became the gold standard of espionage serials in pre-WWI Europe, and laid the foundation for such immortal works as Feuillade's own Les Vampires and Fritz Lang's Dr. Mabuse films.

René Navarre stars as the criminal lord of Paris, the master of disguise, the creeping assassin in black: Fantômas. Over the course of five feature films (which combined to form a 5 1/2-hour epic), Fantômas, along with his accomplices and mistresses, are pursued by the equally resourceful Inspector Juve (Edmund Bréon) and his friend, journalist Jerôme Fandor (Georges Melchior)."



I love the movie poster that Kino chose as its DVD cover. From what I understand, the image above was originally the cover illustration for one of the novels. The bloody dagger that Fantomas holds in the original image was edited out when made into the film poster below. Despite that sinister detail, I enjoy how he is portrayed with top hat and mask- perhaps a precursor to the eccentric, well-dressed adventure we enjoy from the space age of the 1960s and programs like The Avengers. You can buy the poster image from AllPosters.com.

If you have not seen Hugo, by the way, make sure you see it on the big screen. I'm not usually a fan of 3D, but this is one film where it adds some beautiful (and humorous) elements to the experience. And you will see this Fantomas movie poster in the film!

I SPY COMIC BOOKS

Coming soon from Hermes Press, the complete I Spy comic book run from Gold Key! After publishing many successful comic reprint collections, including Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Time Tunnel, Land of the Giants, Dark Shadows, The Phantom, Buck Rogers, and other classics, I Spy: The Complete Series will be released on June 19th.


From Hermes Press: "One of the greatest spy shows from the 1960s, I Spy, returns with Hermes Press’ new deluxe reprint of all six Gold Key comics’ issues of the feature. Included in this complete reprint are informative essays about the creative team behind the comic book and loads of never-before seen publicity photographs featuring stars Robert Culp and Bill Cosby. Artwork by Al McWilliams (issues #1-5) and Mike Roy (issue #6); scripts by Western Publishing mainstay Paul S. Newman." Pre-order at Amazon.

BLU FOR BARBARELLA

Paramount announced their upcoming Blu-ray titles today and we are pleased to see Roger Vadim's Barbarella (1968) set for a July 3rd release! This classic starring Jane Fonda and John Phillip Law is pretty stagey in its direction, but the costume designs and ongoing erotic theme of the story makes the movie fun to revisit. The plot: "Barbarella, a 41st century earthling, is sent on a mission by the president of Earth to find Duran Duran, a scientist who has disappeared with an all-powerful weapon." Fans should check out Roman Coppola's homage, CQ (2001), and Barbarella as a double feature.

DESIGN SALE

Time to give your secret lair a makeover! Design With Reach is currently offering a sale on their living room pieces, including two faves: the Tulip Chair (designed in 1956 by Eero Saarinen for Knoll) and the Egg Chair (designed in 1958 by Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen- thought to be the first swiveling upholstered chair). Sale ends on January 31st. Details at Design Within Reach.

BOND BLU-RAY SET ANNOUNCED

The breaking news today is that MGM has announced a 50th anniversary box set of every James Bond film on Blu-ray (including many that have not made it to the hi-def market yet). No street date has been set, nor news released about whether or not individual titles will be available at the launch for those of us who have already collected part of the series. I imagine that they will release as a run-up to the next 007 film debut in November. Check out this cool commercial! Pre-order on Amazon.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BOWIE

Like many teenagers in the early 1960s, David Bowie was inspired by American jazz and blues music. He took up the saxophone and guitar and formed a string of bands that played blues and rock covers for parties and local entertainment. As a keen student of graphic design, art (and mime!), his Mod beginnings transformed over the years as his ever-changing work explored areas of musical and theatrical production that we can now recognize as era-defining (60s Mod, poet, 70s glam, soul, experimental, electronic, dance, 80s pop, 90s alternative, cyber punk, jungle, etc). Bowie stayed in the fast lane for forty years, releasing albums and pursuing his acting career, until a heart attack on stage in 2004 made him take stock. Bowie now enjoys the life of a stay-at-home dad for his eleven-year-old daughter, and for the quieter life-long pursuits of reading and following the Art world. He is currently writing Bowie Object, an art book that will chronicle his process and career through 100 images and reflections. BBC radio is broadcasting Mark Goodier's 2000 documentary, Golden Years, but listen quickly while the chapters are still available for streaming. For a space-age Bowie celebration, check out Spy Vibe's post, Space Camp. The British music publication, Uncut, has released an iPad APP version of its Bowie album-by-album guide, complete with embedded music and videos. David Bowie is 65 today- many happy returns, David!


For Spy Vibers who have never explored the fascinating career of David Bowie, you have a lot to look forward to! Although it is difficult to choose a short list of his work, here is our essential Bowie. Check out the Uncut iPad APP to read reviews and preview songs. If you are a fan of the more cabaret theatrics of Bowie's music, check out the remastered edition of his original Deram album from the mid-1960s and the Baal album.

Movies: The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976), The Hunger (1983), Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence (1983), Labyrinth (1986), Basquait (1996), The Hunger (tv/1999-2000), The Prestige (2006).

Concerts/Videos/Docs: The Best of Bowie, Ziggy Stardust, Reality Tour, Storytellers, Under Review 1976-1979 The Berlin Trilogy.

Albums: Space Oddity (1969), The Man Who Sold the World (1970), Hunky Dory (1971), Ziggy Stardust (1972), Aladdin Sane (1973), Pin Ups (1973), Station to Station (1976), Low (1977), Heroes (1977), Baal (1981), Outside (1995), Earthling (1997), Bowie at the Beeb (2000), All Saints (2001), VH1 Storytellers (2001), Heathen (2002). Also, check out Bowie's song collaboration with John Lennon, Fame. A collector's edition of Bowie's 1999 album Hours will be released on January 31st.

THE LIQUIDATOR

Spy Vibers who have Turner Classic Movies have a chance to catch an out-of-print film this Wednesday, The Liquidator (1965). Made during the spy boom by the talented Jack Cardiff (Girl On a Motorcycle), the film stars Trevor Howard, Rod Taylor, and Jill St. John. Screening on TCM is at 11:45 am (EST). Poster available from Movie Goods.

GEORGE MARTIN

It's interesting to see how one person can make a difference in so many lives. For anyone who saw Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life again over the holidays, the idea is probably fresh in your mind. As a person can act as a catalyst for others in daily life, like a conductor of sorts, so can a person conduct mass culture over the course of their career. Sir George Martin is the man with the golden ear. Blessed with musical genius and a sense of humor, Martin is a bit like the Wizard of Oz- the man behind the curtain- whose work as a producer and arranger defined the music and humor of the last half of the 20th Century and beyond. The artists he worked with include Flanders and Swann, Peter Ustinov, The Goons, Peter Sellers, Sophia Loren, Beyond the Fringe (with Peter Cook and Dudley Moore), Matt Monro (of From Russia With Love), Gerry and the Pacemakers, Cellia Black, Billy J Kramer and the Dakotas, Jeff Beck, Elton John, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Paul Winter Consort, and America. In addition to multiple Grammys and other major awards, George Martin has scored 30 #1 hits in the UK and 23 #1 hits in the US. (See Spy Vibe's article Peter Sellers to John Lennon and Peter Sellers posts for more about comedy in the UK). Of special interest to Spy Vibers, Martin also produced two James Bond theme songs: Goldfinger (1965) with Shirley Bassey, and Live and Let Die (1973) with Paul McCartney.


George Martin is most famous as the producer/arranger behind The Beatles career. Legend has it that a shared sense of humor sealed the deal between Martin and the Fab Four. The band loved his records with Peter Sellers and The Goons. In their first meeting in the studio on June 6th, 1962, the group recorded four test songs that didn't quite measure up. Martin gave them a bit of talking to about what they needed to do in order to become recording artists. When he finished, he added, "Is there anything you don't like?" Without skipping a beat, George Harrison responded, "Yeah, I don't like your tie." Jokes and laughter followed. The producer appreciated their irreverent humor and committed himself to recording the band. Martin's expertise fostered musical experimentation throughout the 1960s, allowing The Beatles to push their songs into new territory. Martin often contributed as keyboard player in the studio, in addition to arranging the accompaniment to well-know songs like Yesterday, Eleanor Rigby, and Penny Lane. George Martin recently worked with his son Giles to produce the soundtrack to the Cirque Du Soleil show, The Beatles Love.


Sir George Martin is 86 today. Happy Birthday, George! Below is one of my fave George moments. In 1997, he rallied Paul McCartney and an all-star line up to support disaster relief for the island of Montserrat. The concert climaxed in a powerful performance of the "opera" side of Abbey Road, "and in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make." The DVD is available through Netflix and Amazon.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Happy New Year from Spy Vibe! I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays and made it back to your secret lairs and bachelor pads in one piece. Here is an odd image that circulated this weekend. It has an initial campy vibe that quickly wears off when you notice how cold these ladies look. Spy Vibers, don't try this at home unless you have consent (and very high ceilings!). Does anyone know the origin of this photograph? Thank you to everyone who entered to win Spy Vibe's many holiday prizes. Your packages were sent out on Saturday and should arrive early this week. Enjoy!

SOUND DESIGN

In concert with our previous post about Dieter Rams, we though Spy Vibers might be interested in exploring the new line of speakers from Libratone. Based in Copenhagen, the Libratone concept is to offer a single high-end speaker solution for any room that is both wireless and customizable in a variety of colors. Wrapped in beautiful Italian cashmere and carved wool, Libratone aims to make a flexible speaker for your wireless Hi-Fi that is also an integrated and stylish piece of furniture.


They have been selling in the European market and recently started to introduce their products at US Apple stores. If any Spy Vibers have used Libratone speakers, please comment and tell us what you think. Here is a cnet UK review and a recent cnet US announcement. Below is a promotional video from Libratone:

From Design Within Reach: As the creative director and co-founder of Designit Munich, Copenhagen-based Kristian Kroyer spent 10 years working with design and electronics brands including LG, Bang & Olufsen, Hitachi, Philips and JBL, before joining Libratone, an audio company whose products combine wireless technology, hi-fi quality, and Scandinavian design. The Libratone Live Speaker (2011) streams music wirelessly from your iPad, iPhone, iPod touch or Mac/PC using Apple’s new AirPlay technology; no extra remote is required, simply download the Libratone App to control the volume from your compatible wireless device. Its patent-pending FullRoom™ technology provides 360-degree sound, much like an acoustic instrument. High-end components such as ribbon-based tweeters, digital signal processing and digital amplification put out premium sound, all tucked away inside a minimal form covered in Italian wool (slate grey) or cashmere (all other colors). Made in Indonesia.

• Great sound doesn’t have to come from a black box. Libratone is covered in acoustically transparent cashmere or wool.
• This single unit has speakers on all three sides and packs a powerful punch with 150 watts of total output power, coming from five dedicated amplifiers.
• The drivers inside are: one 5" bass, two 3" midrange and two 1" ribbon-based tweeters.
• The Libratone Live allows for versatility due to its small size and built-in handle.

DIETER RAMS EXHIBIT

If your secret lair or bachelor pad has a modernist vibe, employing minimal Ikea shelving systems or Apple computer products, your environment owes a lot to German industrial designer, Dieter Rams. Rams, who is recently retired, was the visionary behind decades of sleek and functional gadgets produced by Braun and home organization and furniture by Visoe. If you're like me, you might have grown up in a household filled with Rams-designed clocks, coffee grinders and coffee-makers, juicers, hair dryers, and electric razors. Rams also designed cameras, and my favorite, a long line of stereo components and speakers. The philosophy that tied his work together was the notion that objects should be created to be instantly understood and useful. His pieces had a beautiful simplicity and functionality that were a direct inspiration for Apple products. In his foreword to a new book about Rams, Apple designer Jonathan Ive said, “surfaces that were without apology, bold, pure, perfectly-proportioned, coherent and effortless. No part appeared to be either hidden or celebrated, just perfectly considered and completely appropriate in the hierarchy of the product’s details and features. At a glance, you knew exactly what it was and exactly how to use it (Examiner)."


The exhibit, Less is More: The Design Ethos of Dieter Rams, is currently running at SFMOMA until February 20th. If you are not in the Bay area, I encourage Spy Vibers to try to catch this show before it's gone. From SFMOMA: "Widely regarded as one of the most influential industrial designers of our time, Dieter Rams produced iconic works and innovative ideas (in particular his advocacy for "less but better" design) that have proved seminal for our contemporary design culture. For more than 40 years, Rams was the lead designer for the German household appliance company Braun. He has also been the active designer for German furniture company Vitsœ since his start there in 1959. This exhibition includes more than 200 models and objects by Rams and his team, as well as contemporary designs influenced by his Ten Principles of Good Design, such as Apple computers."

Here are some preview images I made at the museum to share with Spy Vibers. The piece that excited me most was his 1956 record player, the SK4 (image #6 below). When the original sheet metal hood rattled at higher volumes, Rams suggested using a transparent plastic lid- a material that only recently had appeared on the market. Detractors thought the plastic hood was too much in line with temporary fashion (see Spy Vibe's article Fear and Fashion), and the SK4 was nicknamed "Snow White's Coffin". Of course, the clear cover became ubiquitous around the world and changed the look of turntables forever. To learn more, check out the books, Dieter Rams: As Little Design as Possible, Less and More: The Design Ethos of Dieter Rams, Braun- Fifty Years of Design and Innovation. There is also a short video presentation with Rams at SFMOMA on Vimeo. Portrait above from the nice overview post, Who is Dieter Rams?

PHILLIP JOHNSON GLASS HOUSE

The aesthetics of architecture and modern design are an integral element to the spy vibe of cold war mystery/adventure. While we celebrate luminaries like Ken Adam for defining the space-age, larger-than-life style of the James Bond universe, it's important to point out visionaries who pushed the envelope of environments in the real world. Over the hill from my own childhood house with giant glass walls, Phillip Johnson created his iconic glass house. Join New Yorker architecture critic, Paul Goldberger, for a look at the Phillip Johnson Glass House and property, filmed during a tour in September, 2011.

Conversations in Context: Paul Goldberger from The Philip Johnson Glass House on Vimeo.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Happy Holidays to all Spy Vibers! I hope everyone is enjoying the company of friends and family, with a little dash of secret agent fun thrown in. Perhaps some of you are watching 007 marathons, or catching the Bond Girls Are Forever documentary streaming on Netflix (that's gorgeous pre-Avenger Joanna Lumley below from On Her Majesty's Secret Service). Both Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and the new Mission Impossible are now playing in theaters. And Spielberg's Adventures of Tin Tin is quite fun!


The winners in our holiday contest were chosen in a random drawing this morning. Thanks to the many people who entered. Stay tuned for more contests in the future. The prize assignments are: For Bond Lovers Only- David L, The Persuaders- J Kraus, Secret Agent magnet- Bob D, and Tinker Tailor brochure- Matt B. Congrats to all! Your packages will be mailed out next week. Check out our current auction, which includes a framed 007 display hand-signed by Sean Connery and other collectibles.

In celebration of the 40th anniversary of Diamonds Are Forever, Cinema Retro alerted us to this fun Christmas-time trailer. A perfect item for the day. Enjoy!

Bonus trivia: On this day in 1959, an eighteen-year-old Ringo Starr received his first drum kit as a present. You never know what is going to fire the imagination and expression in a kid. Here's to supporting creative exploration!

HOLIDAY PRIZES: LAST DAY

Only one day left to enter to win Spy Vibe holiday give-away prizes: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy brochure, Danger Man/Secret Agent magnet, vintage Persuaders novel, and vintage book, For Bond Lovers Only. Just send e-mails to jason[at]spyvibe.com with your prize choices in the subject line, and your mailing address as the message content, by the end of the day, December 24th. Winners will be chosen at random and announced on the 25th! Also, check out our auction for cool collectibles like a Sean Connery hand-signed 007 display and vintage spy view master sets.

BRUCE SPIZER SALE

Author Bruce Spizer has created the ultimate archive of reference books about The Beatles recording legacy. Each of his editions, painstakingly researched over years, are lavishly illustrated with color photographs and rare images. When editions from his library go out of print, they sell for upwards of $500. Spy Vibers interested in diving into Fab Four history should check out his books covering Parlophone, Apple, Capital, Vee-Jay, and Swan releases. Spizer is holding a holiday promotion on some of the few remaining editions he has in stock. Each book had a brief window on sale running up to the holidays, but now all are on sale. They're beautiful, don't miss them! Sale ends December 31st. Details at Bruce Spizer's website.

Also, be sure to check Spy Vibe's current auction for a hand-signed Sean Connery 007 display and other collectibles. Find out about Jason's experimental film for his winning re-mix for Yoko Ono at The Sun is Down website.


The Beatles Swan Song is on sale for $22 (down from $50). Sale also includes free bookmarks and a poster-like end-sheet. "It is the first book to accurately tell the stories behind the Beatles discs released by Swan, United Artists, Decca, MGM, Atco and Polydor. It also has an extensive section on Capitol Records in the 70s & 80s, which details the Capitol theme albums such as Rock ’N’ Roll Music, Love Songs and Reel Music, as well as The Beatles At The Hollywood Bowl, Rarities and the unreleased Sessions LP. Additional sections cover dubious releases such as The Savage Young Beatles and the Star-Club album, the high-end Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab LPs and the record club albums."

The Beatles Are Coming is marked down to $15 (from $30). "The most thorough and accurate book ever published on how Beatlemania evolved in America, this book covers the Beatles first visit to the United States and the events leading up to their arrival on February 7, 1964. It details why Capitol Records turned the group down four times and tells the stories of two small record labels, Vee-Jay and Swan, who issued the group’s records without success in 1963."

Price Guide for The Beatles American Records is marked down to $22 (from $50). Slipcase edition is $45 (down from $75). "An exciting new publication with thousands of new listings. Unlike prior guides, all formats for a particular title will be listed together. Thus, the listings under Abbey Road will include vinyl records, 4-track tapes, 8-track tapes, cassettes and compact discs, all in one place. The book will also have color images throughout. Each page of listings will have color images of some of the items described on the page. Most pages have four images, with some having more. Another innovation is the adoption of the numbering system used in Bruce Spizer’s books. This will enable collectors to coordinate prices in the guide with images in Bruce Spizer’s books. The identification numbers assigned to items in this book are permanent and will not change in future editions. Each listing will have a checkbox so that collectors can mark the items in their collections."

The Beatles Solo on Apple is marked down to $22 (from $50) and includes rare bookmark. "And, if you still haven’t ordered The Beatles on Apple Records now would be a good time to do so as less than 40 copies remain available for sale. Sellers on the secondary market listed on Amazon are asking between $137.52 and $900.00 for a used copy! You can buy a new copy with a slightly nicked or dented cover from 498 Productions for the original sale price of $50. This followup to The Beatles on Apple Records chronicles the solo releases by John, Paul, George and Ringo issued from 1968-1975. At 310 pages with over 800 images, this book covers the Beatles solo releases on Apple, including Imagine, Band On The Run, All Things Must Pass and Ringo. The brilliance of John, Paul, George and Ringo didn’t die in early 1970 when the Beatles officially broke up, and this book highlights their later, often forgotten work."

GERRY ANDERSON UFO MOVIE

When you create a cocktail of jazzy organ music, purple wigs, silver mini skirts, Nehru jackets, space-age vehicles and gadgets, and an international agency posing as a movie studio, you can see why Gerry Anderson's series, UFO, looms large on Spy Vibe. We announced quite a while ago that there is a feature film currently in the works based on this sci-spy classic. There have been few official updates, but the producers have announced that they plan on a summer 2013 release. They have also posted an initial design for the film's promotional poster. More news at it arrives. For those who have not see the show, here is a three-minute title sequence that sums up why it was so cool. UFO was Anderson's first series with live actors, following the success of Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, etc. Although the performances were sometimes wooden and puppet-like, there was a dark edge to the writing that continues to keep the interest of modern viewers.

Be sure to check Spy Vibe's holiday give-away prizes and current auction (see previous posts). Winners will be chosen on Dec 24th!

PRE-PYTHON SECRET SERVICE

Before they formed Monty Python with the cast of Do Not Adjust Your Set, John Cleese and Graham Chapman starred with Marty Feldman in the 1967 series, At Last the 1948 Show. One skit from the first episode might be especially fun for Spy Vibers- a secret service spoof that kicks off with The Avengers theme song by Laurie Johnson! You might even spot the lovely Aimi MacDonald (from The Avengers episode, Return of the Cybernauts). The segment starts at 6:06, after a funny psychiatrist skit with John Cleese. The episode also includes an early version of 'the four Yorkshire men', a skit that became popular with Monty Python TV and stage performances.

Be sure to check Spy Vibe's holiday give-away prizes and current auction (see previous posts). Winners will be chosen on Dec 24th!