The 2010 British film noir 'London Boulevard' is the story of a man (Colin Farrel) newly released from prison who falls in love with a reclusive young movie star (Keira Knightley) and finds himself in a duel with a vicious gangster (Ray "git aht-a Lundan" Winstone), that's "get out of London" for those not used to hearing the delicate tones of East London.
It's a film with less than gentlemanly behavior as you might predict. Although what you wouldn't predict as the soundtrack is a rather splendid mix of garage rock and psyche classics that's had a fare few viewers going in search of what they heard. Comments abound of the found tracks "London Boulevard brought me here" and from others stumbling on the track "WTF is London Boulevard".
Here's a pick of some of what awaits the movie goers ears.
The Yardbirds - Heart Full Of Soul
The Rolling Stones - Sray Cat Blues
22-20s - Devil In Me
The Pretty Things - Come See Me
The Electric Banana - Street Girl
The Box Tops - The Letter
The Knickerbockers - One Track Mind
The Electric Banana - It'll Never Be Me
Bob Dylan - Subterranean Homesick Blues
The YardBirds - Train Kept A-Rollin
'Electric Banana', you'll notice appearing twice, one track alongside The Pretty Things - "Come See Me", were actually the same band.
The Pretty Things who'd been going since 1963 had by the late 60's become somewhat hard up and made some extra money by recording for music library company DeWolfe. Some of these songs ended up in low-budget films. The initial releases featured one side of vocal and one side of instrumental tracks. Subsequent releases of these albums generally keep the true identity of the band secret, a reasonably good idea as The Pretty Things were to continually reinvent themselves over the following decades.
Back in 1969, The Electric Banana's - "It'll Never Be Me" was originally used in the film 'What's Good For the Goose' which had comic/clown actor Norman Wisdom in a failed attempt to popularise himself with a new swinging 60's generation which by 1969 was looking every bit 3 years too late to the trends of that year.
Even though it still has a wonderful moment of The Electric Banana (or Pretty Things) appearing in a scene as a 'band in the club' performing the psychedelic "It'll Never Be Me" with it should be mentioned, the rare site of fellow sky pilot Twink of 'The Pink Fairies' on drums.
Who would have guessed, certainly not the band, that 'The Electric Banana' (geddit.. Prunes, Banana) and their invented pastiche name would appear over 4 decades in two films entirely at odds with one another. Whether the band get any of the royalties from the films or revenue of the inevitable YT ad you'll see is doubtful. Library music is usually payed for and then owned by, as in this case DeWolfe Music.
The Pretty Things still perform. They never did get that big payday.
