To tie in with the sixth and final season of Peaky Blinders airing now on BBC One, UMC are releasing a blood-red vinyl edition of the official soundtrack to the series that has captivated audiences across the globe. The previous seasons are also currently available on BBC’s iPlayer and on Netflix in more than 100 countries outside of the UK.
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 hit drama centered around Birmingham gangster 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), and the internal life of its characters.
The soundtrack features the haunting rendition of the show’s iconic theme song, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ “Red Right Hand”, plus a version recorded specifically for the show by PJ Harvey that’s only available on this soundtrack.
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”. 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 3LP set features music and key clips of dialogue from all 5 series the show.
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 extracts from 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.”
So, crack open a bottle of whiskey unbutton your waistcoat, relax and sit back to enjoy the music – By order of the Peaky Blinders!
Pre-order the blood-red vinyl edition of Peaky Blinders.
Peaky Blinders: 3LP vinyl tracklist:
LP1: Side A:
Tommy: ‘It’s Not A Good Idea…’
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds – Red Right Hand
The White Stripes – St James Infirmary Blues
Truce – From ‘Peaky Blinders’ Original Soundtrack / Series 1 (Score)
Tommy: ‘Right I Have Bought You Hear Today…’
Dan Auerbach – The Prowl
Polly: ‘There’s Only One Thing…’
Jack White – Love Is Blindness
PJ Harvey – To Bring You My Love
LP1 – Side B
Alfie: ‘I’ve Heard Very Bad, Bad, Bad Things…’
Black Rebel Motorcycle – River Styx
Post Irish Meeting – From ‘Peaky Blinders’ Original Soundtrack / Series 2 (Score)
PJ Harvey – Red Right Hand
Laura Marling – What He Wrote
Arthur: ‘Do You Wanna Tell ‘Em…’
Royal Blood – Come On Over
Arctic Monkeys – Do I Wanna Know?
LP2 – Side A
Tommy: ‘I Love You…’
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds – Breathless
Radiohead – You And Whose Army?
Polly: ‘A Woman Of Substance…’
PJ Harvey – This Is Love
Sons From ‘Peaky Blinders’ Original Soundtrack / Series 3 (Score)
Tommy: ‘You Can Change What You Do…’
Queens Of The Stone Age – Burn The Witch
The Last Shadow Puppets – Bad Habits
David Bowie – Lazarus
LP2 – Side B
Tommy: ‘Sex, Freedom, Whiskey Sours…’
Savages – Adore
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds – The Mercy Seat (Live From KCRW)
Rachel Unthank & The Winterset – I Wish
Ballad Of Polly Gray – From ‘Peaky Blinders’ Original Soundtrack / Series 4 (Score)
Tommy: ‘I’m Not A Traitor To My Class…’
Frank Carter And The Rattlesnakes – Devil Inside Me
LP3 – Side A
Foals – Snake Oil
Polly: ‘It’s In Our Gypsy Blood…’
Radiohead – Pyramid Song
Laura Marling – A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall
Ada: ‘So, Tommy Shelby, MP…’
Black Sabbath – The Wizard
Anna Calvi – Papi Pacify
LP3 – Side B
Joy Division – Atmosphere
Tommy: ‘You Need To Understand…’
Anna Calvi – You’re Not God
Arthur: ‘There’s A Bentley Outside…’
Jehnny Beth – I’m The Man
Idles – Never Fight A Man With A Perm
Tommy: ‘I Will Continue…’
Richard Hawley – Ballad Of A Thin Man
