Happy 88th Birthday David McCallum

[Teasing the Korean]

Can you believe that our adorable Illya Kuryakin is 88 years old?  Tempus fugit.

McCallum also released several albums under his own name, in collaboration with Thee Great David Axelrod.

 

And here is Lalo Schifrin's "Ilya," as interpreted by Thee Great Hugo Montenegro.

 

[Milestones]

I was incredibly young when The Man from U.N.C.L.E. was on TV, but everyone thought Ilya was just THE coolest character.  You'd think a nostalgia channel like MeTV would be showing reruns.

Of course, McCallum's career has been long, versatile, and distinguished.  How about Dr. Mallard on NCIS?

   

[Teasing the Korean]

4 minutes ago, Milestones said:

I was incredibly young when The Man from U.N.C.L.E. was on TV, but everyone thought Ilya was just THE coolest character.  You'd think a nostalgia channel like MeTV would be showing reruns.

Of course, McCallum's career has been long, versatile, and distinguished.  How about Dr. Mallard on NCIS?

I have not seen that show!

[Milestones]

It has been going nearly 2 decades!  McCallum had a significant (though still supporting) role in the early years.  Nowadays, he just pops in every now and then.

[Teasing the Korean]

 

[Teasing the Korean]

I am obsessed with this track from the first Man from UNCLE LP.

 

Edited September 25, 2021 by Teasing the Korean

[Milestones]

Pretty cool piece indeed.  I found out there that two soundtrack albums from the show were released.  I never would have guessed.

 

[Teasing the Korean]

28 minutes ago, Milestones said:

Pretty cool piece indeed.  I found out there that two soundtrack albums from the show were released.  I never would have guessed.

Three if you count the MGM knockoff.

Of the two RCA UNCLE LPs, here is how I would describe them.

Volume 1, with the red cover, has compositions by Jerry Goldsmith, Lalo Schifrin, Walter Scharf, and Morton Stevens. It focuses on scores from the first season, when the show was more serious. Hugo Montenegro did the arrangements, and they are really good and varied.  If I had to choose my ten favorite spy albums, this would easily make the list.  

The second album focuses on the second and third seasons, during which the show got more campy.  The two main composers are Robert Drasnin and Gerald Fried.  Montenegro is back again as the arranger, but these arrangements lack the range of those on his first album.  He really overdoes his patented I Dream of Jeannie sound, with the muted trumpet and organ playing unison lines. Some of the pieces that were chosen are a little more on the goofy side.  Still, the second album has its moments.  If you spring for that CD, you get both albums, but the first one is the one you want.  

At around the same time, Montenegro did another spy album for RCA, Come Spy with Me, which has one of the greatest album covers of all time.

Edited September 25, 2021 by Teasing the Korean

[BFrank]

His son Val is an accomplished guitar player. I saw him in Lucinda Williams' band several years ago. Very impressive.