Artist News Releases

Gary Barlow rallies 80s popstars for Eddie The Eagle movie soundtrack

By | Published on Tuesday 26 January 2016

Eddie The Eagle

Gary Barlow has curated a compilation of new music by 80s popstars to accompany a new film about former ski jumper Michael ‘Eddie The Eagle’ Edwards. I’ll let that sentence sink in for a moment.

‘Eddie The Eagle’ tells the life story of British Olympian Edwards, who became famous for coming last in both the 70m and 90m ski jumping categories at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada.

Barlow’s soundtrack album features new songs written and performed by artists including, Holly Johnson, Marc Almond, Go West, Midge Ure, Heaven 17, Erasure’s Andy Bell and more. The proportion of women on the album is a bit like Barlow’s old tax bills, in that you’d think there’d be a certain amount, but actually there’s only Kim Wilde. The record closes with a duet from the film’s stars – Taron Egerton and Hugh Jackman – titled ‘Thrill Me’, written by Barlow and OMD’s Andy McCluskey. How thrilling.

The Take That star’s involvement in the project dates back to a phone call from film producer Matthew Vaughn in late 2014. Barlow says: “He was raving about the next movie he was going to make… the life story of Eddie Edwards. When he started reeling off about the script, the actors and, best of all, that he wanted all the music to be faithful to the original decade of the story, the 1980s, I knew I had to be involved. Then after having seen the film I was even more excited”.

“I started to think about how incredible it would be to make a whole album of brand new songs, with a cast of the legends who started their career in, and defined, the 1980s”, continues Barlow. “Not a pastiche record, but a contemporary record of who all those artists are now, while still keeping the trademark style for which they originally became known around the world. ‘It’s going to be like an iconic super group! All on one soundtrack, all on one album’, I said”.

On making the record, he adds: “The best part for me was when the tracks started to come in. My email would ping and it would be a demo from Marc Almond! Then a question about a lyric from Holly Johnson! A mix query from Kim Wilde! It was totally mind blowing for me to be in this position and I feel so lucky to have experienced it all. A year on and I’m looking back at one of the most enjoyable and collaborative times in my whole career. Anyone who loves the 80s, or any of these artists involved, are in for an hour of incredible music”.

Here you go then, the tracklisting for ‘Fly (Songs Inspired By The Film Eddie The Eagle)’, which is out on 18 Mar, two weeks ahead of the film itself:

1. Holly Johnson – Ascension
2. Howard Jones – Eagle Will Fly Again
3. Marc Almond – Out Of The Sky
4. Tony Hadley – Moment
5. Midge Ure – Touching Hearts and Skies
6. Nik Kershaw – The Sky’s The Limit
7. ABC – Living Inside My Heart
8. Kim Wilde – Without Your Love
9. Andy Bell – Fly
10. Go West – Determination
11. Heaven 17- Pray
12. Paul Young – People Like You
13. Taron Egerton & Hugh Jackman – Thrill Me



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