Such a brilliant idea for a compilation, it's a wonder it hasn't been done before,
Ace
's 2014 set
Come Spy with Us: The Secret Agent Handbook
collects 25 secretive swingers from the '60s, splitting the difference between pop tunes and cinematic espionage. Impressively, the entire affair avoids both James Bond and
Johnny Rivers
' "Secret Agent Man" aside from covers (the signature Bond theme is handled by
Johnny & the Hurricanes
, while
Al Caiola
serves up an instrumental of the
Rivers
staple). Usually, compiler
Tony Rounce
-- who does give thanks to
Matthew Jones
-- prefers splashy arrangements built on bold brass and sweeping strings, but there are certainly a lot of echoing guitars and splashes of exotica, all suggesting danger and adventure. Naturally, novelties take up a fair amount of space here -- the best might be
the Supremes
' go-go parody "Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine" -- but most of this occupies a similar territory as
Nancy Sinatra
's "The Last of the Secret Agents," which is delivered with a straight face and a wink. Even during this secret agent peak, which ran roughly from 1965 to 1967, plenty of musicians were ready to good-naturedly send up spies and that mischievous humor keeps things lively, while the craft of the composers and songwriters give this music heft.
John Barry
,
Henry Mancini
Jerry Goldsmith
, and
Lalo Schifrin
are responsible for those grand cinematic peaks, providing the context for
Scott Walker
("Deadlier Than The Male," a classic
Walker Brothers
hit) and
Smokey Robinson
("Come Spy with Me," the theme to a lost 1967 flick) to play with on their tunes. It's all fun but it's not really campy: it's a well-rounded portrait of a '60s fad that turned into a pop culture touchstone, a touchstone that is splendidly heard here. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine