Since the fifth season of the massively popular BAFTA-winning series BBC drama wrapped up, fans are aching for their next hit of Peaky Blinders. On 15 November, UMC will release the first ever official soundtrack to the series (currently available on BBC’s iPlayer and on Netflix in more than 100 countries outside of the UK) that has captivated audiences across the globe. The soundtrack will be available on 2CD, 3LP and digital.
It’s not just the low tones of Nick Cave’s vocals in the opening theme tune that have become synonymous with the BBC’s Birmingham-based flagship gangster drama centred around Tommy Shelby, his family and their somewhat dubious business practices. Alongside the atmospheric opener, all the songs featured in the show have been painstakingly chosen to reflect the feel of the programme (the violence, the grit, AND the glamour), which was inspired by a real group of gangsters in post WW1 Birmingham.
The soundtrack features a previously unreleased rendition of the show’s iconic theme song, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ Red Right Hand. Only available on this release, the track was recorded specifically for the show by PJ Harvey and following its premiere this morning on BBC Radio 6 Music, it will be available to stream and download here: https://peakyblinders.lnk.to/RedRightHand. The track has now been added to the station’s Playlist.
Also exclusively on the album are Jehnny Beth’s I’m The Man and Anna Calvi’s series 5 score, You’re Not God, along with Richard Hawley’s (Bob Dylan) Ballad of A Thin Man on CD and vinyl for the first time. The album is completed by songs from Nick Cave himself, Arctic Monkeys, The White Stripes, Royal Blood, The Last Shadow Puppets, Queens of the Stone Age, Black Sabbath, David Bowie, Laura Marling, and Foals amongst others.
The show is known for its dark and dramatic soundtrack, acting as a window into the mind of Tommy Shelby – a tortured ex-soldier who suffers from PTSD after fighting in the trenches during World War One. The 2CD and 3LP sets feature music and key clips of dialogue from all 5 series the show. The 2CD also includes a 32-page book with images from the show, behind the scenes notes from Guardian journalist Phil Harrison, quotes from the cast and ‘The Chap’ magazine in conversation with Peaky Blinders’ Costume Designer, Alison McCosh.
The show has been particularly celebrated for its stylish cinematography and charismatic performances, enhanced by the use of contemporary music, and with the latest season’s score by the multi–Mercury Award Nominated singer songwriter Anna Calvi, the plaudits just kept coming. The soundtrack album also features series 1-5 original scores created specifically for the show. Show Creator Steven Knight was instrumental in pushing the importance of the music used in the show: “The Peaky Blinders story and the music we use are twins, born at the same time. It would be difficult to imagine most of the pivotal moments without the soundtrack. I’m so glad that at last we have been able to put some of the tracks together on one album, to put the atmosphere and swagger and snarl of the show into your headphones and speakers.”
A free limited-edition Peaky Blinders poster will be included for the first 500 pre-orders on both the 2CD and 3LP across uDiscover, Sound Of Vinyl and Recordstore.co.uk. The BBC is set to release the DVD box set of series 5 on 11th November.
Pre-order here: https://UMC.lnk.to/
