News

Sharleen Spiteri Releases The Movie Songbook

• 15th Feb 2010

The follow up to her top three debut solo album ‘Melody’, ‘The Movie Songbook’ is the ninth studio album Sharleen’s made in an incredible 21 year recording career and is released on 1 March on Mercury Records.

A collection of Sharleen’s favourite soundtracks, ‘The Movie Songbook’ stands as her most dynamically diverse album yet, a kaleidoscopic musical journey from pop to country via disco, bossa-nova, folk, rockabilly, jazz and breathtaking balladry.

The idea for ‘The Movie Songbook’ came about while touring ‘Melody’, when Sharleen found herself invited to perform various star cameos, be it covering Yvonne Elliman’s If I Can’t Have You at the BBC Electric Proms Saturday-Night Fever anniversary concert or duetting with Italian singer Mauro Gioia on a version of the love theme from The Godfather.

“That’s where it started,” says Sharleen. “I realised that things were coming full circle. When we formed Texas, we took our name from a film – Paris, Texas. And here I was all these years later singing these film songs. Suddenly the idea of a whole album of songs from movies just seemed like a great and fun thing to do.”

Enlisting 15 time Grammy award-winner Phil Ramone on production (who has produced various Hollywood legends from Marilyn Monroe to Frank Sinatra via Liza Minnelli and Barbra Streisand); ‘The Movie Songbook’ was recorded in just 8 days at the legendary Capital Studios in Hollywood with the help of the finest soundtrack session musicians around.

“It was unreal,” grins Sharleen. “From my spontaneous idea of doing a record of film songs to suddenly be stood in Sinatra’s studio, with his musicians, Michael Jackson’s guitarist and the guy who sang harmonies for Luther Vandross. And Phil Ramone was just phenomenal. The whole session was, literally, like being in a movie.”

And the result is a fantastic collection of cinematic show stoppers. Be it the aching croon of ‘God Bless The Child’, the disco rush of ‘Xanadu’, the rockabilly sass of ‘Cat People (Putting Out Fire) or the soul-searching tempest of ‘The Sound Of Silence’, its dozen tracks frame Sharleen’s inimitable voice against bold new scenery.

“Making The Movie has taught me that my true voice lies in this area and not to be scared of using it,” she agrees. “In the past I’ve always tended to go into a soul area but this experience has been great in taking me places I’d never normally go. It’s been a valuable lesson in other styles and new ways of working. I feel excited about taking that forward into Texas and wherever it is we go next.’

Such author satisfaction is more than evident in the final cut.

THE MOVIE – SCENE BY SCENE

1. Xanadu (originally performed by Olivia Newton John for Xanadu.)

2. If I Can’t Have You (originally performed by Yvonne Elliman for Saturday Night Fever)

3. God Bless The Child (originally performed by Diana Ross for Lady Sings The Blues)

4. Between The Bars (originally performed by Elliot Smith for Good Will Hunting)

5. The Sound Of Silence (originally performed by Simon & Garfunkel for The Graduate)

6. What’s New Pussycat (originally performed by Tom Jones for Whats New Pussycat)

7. The Windmills Of Your Mind (originally performed by Noel Harrison for The Thomas Crown Affair)

8. Take Me With U (originally performed by Prince for Purple Rain)

9. Cat People (Putting Out Fire) (originally performed by David Bowie for Cat People)

10. Many Rivers To Cross (originally performed by Jimmy Cliff for The Harder They Come)

11. Oh, Pretty Woman (originally performed by Roy Orbison, used on Pretty Woman)

12. This One’s From The Heart (originally performed by Tom Waits and Crystal Gayle for One from the Heart)

13. Take My Breath Away (originally performed by Berlin for Top Gun)