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Quartet Records, in collaboration with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, celebrates the 60th anniversary of the iconic score composed by John Barry for the classic Richard Lester film THE KNACK… AND HOW TO GET IT, winner of the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 1965—a symbol of its generation, a true witness of its time.
The "Swinging Sixties" marked a period of significant social, cultural and innovative change in the UK. John Barry played a pivotal role in shaping the cultural revolution of the era, swiftly becoming one of England's most influential and sophisticated film composers. His GOLDFINGER soundtrack even surpassed The Beatles, reaching number 1 on the Billboard charts in March 1965. Barry's music for THE KNACK is vibrant, funny, powerfully melodic and well-remembered as an icon of the "Swinging London" movement.
The recording took place at CTS Studios in Bayswater with engineer Eric Tomlinson, the composer's favorite combination of the era. It seems John Barry elected to make separate takes for the film and album as no two appear identical. Given the consistency in orchestra size, overall performance and acoustic, it seems that these were recorded concurrently rather than days or weeks apart.
The soundtrack album of THE KNACK was released on LP by United Artists Records at the time of the film's release. It was reissued on CD by Ryko in 1998 and by us in 2011 but has been out-of-print for the last 14 years. Both releases were mastered from 2-track stereo tapes, but the recent discovery of the original 3-track, 15 ips, first- generation master tapes has given us the opportunity to transfer it in high resolution and offer a more precise and detailed stereo mix.
Whatever the reason for the difference, we are now able to proudly premiere almost all the film-specific recordings, amounting to 21 minutes, derived from the film's monophonic music and effects (M&E) track. Even though the most critical listeners will hear some anomalies, we have employed every available technique to remove sound effects and ensure the music is as clear and enjoyable as possible. The result is convincing, and it's the only way to listen to the long-lost, historical original film recording. We kindly invite you to listen to our samples and make your own decision about the sound quality before you buy.
We have also included organist Alan Haven's 45-RPM single version, arranged and conducted by John Barry for Fontana Records. And we conclude with lead actor Michael Crawford's performance of the Leslie Bricusse lyrics with accompaniment conducted by David Whitaker. This was also the first-ever recording by the brilliant future star of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA and BILLY.
The entire collection has been painstakingly produced, remixed, restored, assembled and mastered by Chris Malone. The package includes a 20-page booklet with an in-depth essasy by film music journalist and writer (and major Barry connoiseur) Jon Burlingame.
Now, celebrating the film's 60th anniversary, enjoy John Barry's THE KNACK, music that is as fresh, vibrant and inventive as ever.
- Quartet Records
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