Small Axe (soundtrack)
| Small Axe (Music Inspired By The Original TV Series) | |
|---|---|
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| Soundtrack album by various artists | |
| Released | 11 June 2021 |
| Recorded | Various times |
| Genres | |
| Length | 54:16 |
| Label | Motown |
Small Axe (Music Inspired By The Original TV Series) is the soundtrack album to the 2021 anthology series of the same name created and directed by Steve McQueen. The soundtrack was released through Motown on June 11, 2021, and featured 16 songs with artists such as Toots and the Maytals, Marvin Gaye, Tiana Major9, Rochenda Sandall, Michael Kiwanuka amongst others.
Background
McQueen associated with music supervisor Ed Bailie to select contemporary American black and Jamaican artists such as Al Green, Toots and the Maytals among others, as the music became a way to make people feel vulnerable and changed how sound waves and unstructured music can sound to a being, allowing people to feel whole.[1][2] His familial influence to various genres of music has been implemented, which included Jim Reeves' baritone music in the short films Mangrove and Red, White and Blue, and the calpyso, reggae and blues being another major influence in the soundtrack.[3][4]
The extended soundtrack to Small Axe featured standout contributions from Michael Kiwanuka, performing a cover version of Nina Simone's "To Be Young, Gifted and Black"; McQueen who was familiar with Kiwanuka's work considered the song as his version of a music box being opened, as the original version had "a rallying call, it has a galvanising message to it that people have the capacity to do anything" and Kiwanuka's version being simplistic was considered to be a perfect fit. A cover version of Janet Kay's "Silly Games" was performed by Tiana Major9. McQueen stated that while discussing with her on the phone, Tiana told him about her West Indies background and how she wanted to approach the song as it was a huge anthem.[5]
Mica Levi composed the original score for the series. Levi used an arrangement of wooden instruments, representing the West Indian background for Mangrove. McQueen noted that the use of guitars and steel drums were basically made from American oil barrels, which had to be organic and have a human contact.[5]
Al Green's cover version of Bee Gees' "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" for a moment between John Boyega's character and the father in Red, White and Blue. McQueen loved the tune as for the Bee Gees it represented the idea of union, and in the short film, the father and son are trying to mend their relationship. In Lovers Rock, an energetic song called "Kunta Kinte" by the Revolutionaries went off "like a dog whistle" when McQueen listened to it.[6] Junior English's "After Tonight" was considered McQueen's favorite as it was "so romantic". However, McQueen felt that Lovers Rock was made for the women and it had no space for the female characters, as at the time it was more reggae versions. "Silly Games" was outlined in the script of the film, and wanted to capture the nature of party dwellers reaching for the notes of Kay's dancing filler well past the song's closing credits, was part of the dynamic setup of that sequence.[5][7]
Release
Small Axe (Music Inspired by the Original TV Series) was released on 11 June 2021 through Motown digitally.[8] A vinyl edition of the album was released the following day, coinciding Record Store Day.[9][10]
Reception
Jack Oxford of Clash wrote "Though even more additional original material would have been welcomed due to the excellent performances of Michael Kiwanuka and Tiana Major9, as well as the spoken word poetry by Linton Kwesi Johnson, everything about ‘Small Axe (Music Inspired By The Original TV Series)’ feels natural, and the record can stand alone as a separate, thought- provoking piece of art."[11]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Artist(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Protest" | Mica Levi | 2:10 |
| 2. | "Pressure Drop" (Single Version) | Toots and the Maytals | 2:53 |
| 3. | "Throw Away Your Gun" | Prince Far I | 4:20 |
| 4. | "New Crass Massahkah" | Linton Kwesi Johnson | 6:31 |
| 5. | "Uprising" | Sheyi Cole | 1:32 |
| 6. | "Got to Give It Up" | Marvin Gaye | 4:04 |
| 7. | "Silly Games" | Tiana Major9 | 3:52 |
| 8. | "Dread Beat An' Blood" | Rochenda Sandall | 1:19 |
| 9. | "Old Bailey" | Mica Levi | 0:49 |
| 10. | "To Be Young, Gifted and Black" | Michael Kiwanuka | 2:37 |
| 11. | "So Good, So Right" | Imagination | 6:56 |
| 12. | "After Tonight" | Junior English | 3:29 |
| 13. | "In God You Must Trust" | Mica Levi | 2:12 |
| 14. | "Inglan Is A Bitch" | Shaun Parkes | 1:39 |
| 15. | "Silly Games" (Lovers Rock Edit) | Janet Kay | 6:42 |
| 16. | "More Warning" | 3:11 | |
| Total length: | 54:16 | ||
Chart performance
| Chart (2021) | Peak
position |
|---|---|
| UK Compilation Albums (OCC)[12] | 74 |
| US Top Soundtracks (Billboard)[13] | 23 |
Accolades
| Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards | Best Music | Mica Levi (for "Lovers Rock") | Runner-up | [14] [15] |
References
- ↑ Montgomery, Daniel (2 June 2021). "'Small Axe' music supervisor Ed Bailie discusses that iconic 'Silly Games' singalong in 'Lovers Rock' and much more [EXCLUSIVE VIDEO INTERVIEW]". Gold Derby. Archived from the original on 9 February 2023. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
- ↑ Tangcay, Jazz (3 December 2020). "Director Steve McQueen Explains Why Music Is the 'Heartbeat' of 'Small Axe'". Variety. Archived from the original on 17 February 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
- ↑ O’Hagan, Sean (15 November 2020). "Steve McQueen: 'It's rebel music that moves me'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 28 April 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
- ↑ Murray, Robin (15 June 2021). ""There Was A Freedom In It" Steve McQueen On The Small Axe Soundtrack". Clash. Archived from the original on 23 July 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
- 1 2 3 Webb, Beth (3 June 2021). "The music of Steve McQueen: inside his 'Small Axe' soundtrack". NME. Archived from the original on 10 May 2023. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
- ↑ Kois, Dan (22 November 2020). "Steve McQueen Gives Us His Song-by-Song Guide to Lovers Rock". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Archived from the original on 7 May 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
- ↑ Bovell, Dennis (17 June 2021). "My song 'Silly Games' and how I ended up in Steve McQueen's 'Small Axe'". The Independent. Archived from the original on 15 July 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
- ↑ "Small Axe (Music Inspired by the Original TV Series)". Apple Music. 11 June 2021. Archived from the original on 13 February 2026. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
- ↑ "Steve McQueen's Small Axe soundtrack set for vinyl release". The Vinyl Factory. 9 June 2021. Archived from the original on 29 November 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
- ↑ Armstrong, Sam (21 May 2021). "Motown To Release Soundtrack To Steve McQueen's 'Small Axe' Series". uDiscover Music. Archived from the original on 27 September 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
- ↑ Oxford, Jack (11 June 2021). "V/A - Small Axe (Music Inspired By The Original TV Series)". Clash. Archived from the original on 25 September 2022. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
- ↑ "Official Compilation Albums Chart Top 100 – 18 to 24 June". Official Charts Company. 18 June 2021. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
- ↑ "Soundtracks: Week of June 19, 2021". Billboard. 19 June 2021. Archived from the original on 11 August 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
- ↑ Alter, Rebecca (20 December 2020). "The L.A. Film Critics Association Names Small Axe Their Best Picture of 2020". Vulture. Archived from the original on 26 January 2021. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
- ↑ Davis, Clayton (20 December 2020). "Los Angeles Film Critics Winners Full List: Entire 'Small Axe' Series Tops Despite Not Being Submitted for Oscars". Variety. Archived from the original on 1 February 2021. Retrieved 20 December 2020.