REVIEW: Alpha Papa soundtrack
Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa soundtrack
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by Allan Nicolson
ALAN Partridge’s blistering Roachford cover - while he expertly manoeuvred his beloved Kia and offered “advice” about illegal foglight use by other motorists - struck a chord with cinemagoers in 2013.
Cuddly Toy, a largely forgotten 1988 hit by the soul-pop favourite, was memorably covered in the opening scenes of Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa.
That Partridge musical choice and many others, including the theme from Ski Sunday, feature on the soundtrack as the foot-in-mouth disc jockey’s leap from the small screen to big is accompanied by the obligatory compilation.
The continued popularity of the British comedy institution shows no signs of slowing up as the character now spans three decades.
Featuring typically Partridge-esque pop picks such as OMD and The Police, plus several comedy jingles from his digital radio show, this album could easily be filed under “for completists only”.
There are, however, real gems to be found, like Cuddly Toy, which sits effortlessly alongside 80s staples like Bryan Ferry and The Human League as the former chat show host makes his assault on the charts.
The inclusion of the theme of TV series Ski Sunday only serves to underline the broad tastes of Norfolk’s premier broadcaster.
Bonus tracks featuring Bond themes and Hot Chocolate will please long-term fans, although Partridge would no doubt bemoan the absence of ABBA and Kate Bush as a “ruddy” outrage and a musical crime by the record company bods.
On the whole though, lovely stuff.
Full tracklisting:
1 I’m Alan Partridge (quote) – Alan Partridge
2 Koyaanisqatsi – Philip Glass
3 The Time Is 11.59 and 55 Seconds (quote) – Alan Partridge
4 Roxanne – The Police
5 Traffic and Travel (jingle) – Various Artists
6 Coming Up Next (quote) – Alan Partridge
7 Cuddly Toy – Roachford
8 NNDNNBMM (jingle) – Various Artists
9 Couldn’t Get It Right – Climax Blues Band
10 Fact of the Day (quote) – Alan Partridge
11 Hard To Say I’m Sorry – Chicago
12 Shape Autotune (jingle) – Various Artists
13 Bounce (featuring Kelis) (radio edit) – Calvin Harris
14 Welcome to Big School (quote) – Alan Partridge
15 Swede Love (edit) – Jakob Liedholm
16 Roll Out Pat Farrell (jingle) – Various Artists
17 Wide Eyed and Legless – Andy Fairweather Low
18 Siege Face (quote) – Alan Partridge & Jason
19 Pop Looks Bach – Sam Fonteyn
20 Do You Like Country Music? (quote) – Alan Partridge & Pat Farrell
21 Wichita Lineman – Glen Campbell
22 Panic Attacks (quote) – Alan Partridge
23 Swingin’ Low – The Outlaws
24 I Am Bull Horn (quote) – Alan Partridge
25 The Partridge and the Poacher (jingle) – Alan Partridge & Martin Coogan
26 Enola Gay – Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
27 Bryan Ferry – Alan Partridge & Sidekick Simon
28 Let’s Stick Together – Bryan Ferry
29 Lay Down A Rhythm Track (quote) – Alan Partridge
30 You’re The Voice – John Farnham
31 Kids (quote) – Alan Partridge
32 Number One Song in Heaven – Sparks
33 The White Light – Ilan Eshkeri
34 Mid-morning Matters (jingle) – Various Artists
35 Gaudete – Steeleye Span
36 Don’t You Want Me – The Human League
37 Goldfinger – Shirley Bassey
38 Nobody Does It Better – Carly Simon
39 It Started With a Kiss – Hot Chocolate
40 Never Let Her Slip Away – Andrew Gold
41 Galloping Home (The New Adventures of Black Beauty) – Denis King and The South Bank Orchestra
