| Edge of Darkness | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Soundtrack album by | ||||
| Released | November 1985 | |||
| Recorded | Great Britain | |||
| Genre | Soundtrack, instrumental rock, hard rock | |||
| Length | 18:44 | |||
| Label | BBC Records & Tapes | |||
| Eric Clapton chronology | ||||
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Edge of Darkness is the 1985 soundtrack by Eric Clapton and Michael Kamen for the British television series Edge of Darkness . The soundtrack's theme won the Ivor Novello Award for songwriting and composing, [1] besides winning the 1986 BAFTA Award for Best Music. [2]
For Clapton, it was his first experience writing for film; shortly after attending Terry Gilliam's movie Brazil with his friend Kamen, who had scored the film, he received a call from the BBC asking him to do the music for Edge of Darkness, and he subsequently asked Kamen for assistance. [3] [4]
In the early 1990s Clapton performed the music live, with the National Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Michael Kamen; [5] the title song from one of those performances is captured on 24 Nights . [4]
The soundtrack attracted few reviews. The Age mentioned the music in a review of the series, saying that Clapton's music matched the mysterious and shadowy feel of the drama; [6] The Atlanta Journal-Constitution , again in a review of the TV series, said the accompanying music was "particularly noteworthy." [7]
The single reached No. 65 on the British charts, on which it spent three weeks in January 1986. [8]
Originally sold as a 45 rpm 12" record and as a cassette, it was re-released in February 1989 as a 3" CD single (with a cover changed from the record's mainly black and red cover). [9] A live version on the main theme was issued on a single together with a live version of "Wonderful Tonight" in 1991, [10] and on the 1991 live album 24 Nights . [11]
Eric Patrick Clapton, is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist and separately as a member of the Yardbirds and of Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and influential guitarists of all time. Clapton ranked second in Rolling Stone's list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" and fourth in Gibson's "Top 50 Guitarists of All Time". He was also named number five in Time magazine's list of "The 10 Best Electric Guitar Players" in 2009.
Derek and the Dominos was an English–American blues-rock band formed in the spring of 1970 by guitarist and singer Eric Clapton, keyboardist and singer Bobby Whitlock, bassist Carl Radle and drummer Jim Gordon. All four members had previously played together in Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, during and after Clapton's brief tenure with Blind Faith. Dave Mason supplied additional lead guitar on early studio sessions and played at their first live gig. Another participant at their first session as a band was George Harrison, the recording for whose album All Things Must Pass marked the formation of Derek and the Dominos.
Michael Arnold Kamen was an American composer, orchestral arranger, orchestral conductor, songwriter, and session musician.
Edge of Darkness is a British television drama serial produced by BBC Television in association with Lionheart Television International and originally broadcast in six fifty-five-minute episodes in late 1985. A mixture of crime drama and political thriller, it revolves around the efforts of policeman Ronald Craven to unravel the truth behind the murder of his daughter Emma. Craven's investigations soon lead him into a murky world of government and corporate cover-ups and nuclear espionage, pitting him against dark forces that threaten the future of life on Earth.
Five Live Yardbirds is the live debut album by English rock band the Yardbirds. It features the group's interpretations of ten American blues and rhythm and blues songs, including their most popular live number, Howlin' Wolf's "Smokestack Lightning". The album contains some of the earliest recordings with guitarist Eric Clapton.
Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton, colloquially known as The Beano Album, is a studio album by the English blues rock band John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers. Produced by Mike Vernon and released in 1966 by Decca Records (UK) and London Records (US), it pioneered a guitar-dominated blues-rock sound.
Rob Townsend is an English rock and blues drummer. He was influenced by jazz greats such as Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa and is best known for being the drummer for progressive rock band Family and later The Blues Band.
24 Nights is the fifth live album by Eric Clapton, recorded at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England, in 1990 and 1991. It was released on 8 October 1991.
"Cheer Down" is a song by English musician George Harrison that was first released in 1989. The track was his contribution to the soundtrack of the film Lethal Weapon 2 and was also issued as a single. Harrison wrote the song with Tom Petty and co-produced the recording with Jeff Lynne.
"It's Probably Me" is a song that was originally released in 1992 as an all-star collaboration by Sting featuring Eric Clapton, Michael Kamen, and David Sanborn. Released from the soundtrack to the action comedy film Lethal Weapon 3 in June 1992, the song reached number 20 on the US Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart and number 12 on Canada's RPM Top Singles chart. It was more successful in Europe, peaking at number one in Italy, number four in France and number six in the Netherlands.
Robert Damian Ellis is a producer, arranger, instrumentalist and composer. He is best known for his work with PJ Harvey, with whom he has been most closely associated as producer, arranger and musician since 1990. His own compositional work, which could be described as being something akin to contemporary “classical” music, has been released on six recordings, three under the name "Spleen" and three under his own name "Music for the home " (2000) and "Music for the home - Volume 2" (2004) for The Leaf Label, and "The Nostalgia Machine" for KPM. He has also worked as producer/arranger and musician for such diverse artists as Marianne Faithfull, Robyn Hitchcock, ex-Ash guitarist Charlotte Hatherley, Madrugada, Laika, Swell, Placebo, ex-Tricky singer Martina Topley-Bird, Scott Walker & Ute Lemper, Cold Specks and most recently Anna Calvi, Bat for Lashes, Torres, and The Blinders.
Steve Brzezicki is a British session bass guitarist and younger brother of drummer Mark Brzezicki with whom he often forms a rhythm section as "The Brzezicki Brothers". Among others, he and Mark worked together on the Ultravox album U-Vox (1986), Midge Ure's solo albums Answers to Nothing (1988) and Pure (1991), and Nik Kershaw's album Radio Musicola (1986). They also played live with ex-Marillion singer Fish on his first solo tour in 1989/1990 and Procol Harum in 2000.
"Tell the Truth" is a song by the English–American band Derek and the Dominos, released in 1970 as the eighth track on their album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. The song was composed primarily by keyboardist Bobby Whitlock, with guitarist Eric Clapton adding the last verse. The band recorded the track at Criteria Studios in Miami, Florida in August 1970, with Tom Dowd as their producer.
Edge of Darkness is a 1985 British television crime-drama serial.
Luís Alberto Figueira Gonçalves Jardim is a Portuguese percussionist, born in the Madeira Island, best known for his work with producer Trevor Horn.
"Anyone for Tennis" is a song by the British rock band Cream. It was used as the theme song for the 1968 film The Savage Seven and is titled "Anyone for Tennis " for the soundtrack album. The subtitle was dropped for Cream's single releases.
"Willie and the Hand Jive" is a song written by Johnny Otis and originally released as a single in 1958 by Johnny Otis, reaching #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #5 on the Billboard R&B chart. The song has a Bo Diddley beat and was partly inspired by the music sung by a chain gang Otis heard while he was touring. The lyrics are about a man who became famous for doing a dance with his hands, but the song has been accused of glorifying masturbation, though Otis has always denied it. It has since been covered by numerous artists, including The Strangeloves, Eric Clapton, Cliff Richard, Kim Carnes, George Thorogood and The Grateful Dead. Clapton's 1974 version was also released as a single and also reached the Billboard Top 40, peaking at #26. Thorogood's 1985 version reached #25 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.
"Cloud 9" is a song by English rock musician George Harrison that was released as the opening track of his 1987 album Cloud Nine. It was also issued as a promotional single in the United States, where it peaked at number 9 on Billboard's Album Rock Tracks chart. Co-produced by Jeff Lynne, the recording features guitar interplay between Harrison, on slide guitar, and Eric Clapton. Harrison performed the song in concert throughout his 1991 Japanese tour with Clapton and in 1992. A live version appears on Harrison's Live in Japan album, while the original studio recording was included on his 1989 compilation Best of Dark Horse.
Gary Carpenter is a British composer, of concert music and film scores, and also operas and musicals. He is a Visiting Professor at the Royal Academy of Music and the Royal Northern College of Music. He was Associate Music Director for the film The Wicker Man, putting together the ensemble Magnet for the occasion.
Homeboy – Original Score Performed by Eric Clapton is a soundtrack album recorded by the British Rock musician Eric Clapton and features a total of eighteen songs which were mostly composed by Clapton especially for the 1988 American sports drama Homeboy starring Mickey Rourke, Christopher Walken and Debra Feuer. The album was produced and supervised by Fraser Kennedy.
