Letter to Brezhnev playlist curated by Jumbo Records
The musical world of the film explored by our friends at Jumbo Records.
Jumbo Records
Hyde Park Picture House asked us to think about the film Letter to Brezhnev and expand on its soundtrack, full of new wave gems, to bring the feel of the film into the cinema on the day of the screening (and before if you're reading this and listening at home!).
We loved this mission as it allowed us to dig out some of our favourite new wave tracks like the classic 'Love My Way' by The Psychedelic Furs. Since the film has a low budget and DIY feel, we took the opportunity to shine a light on some of our favourite lo-fi bands like Liverpool's own The Spitfire Boys. 1980s Liverpool is the setting of the film and this also happened to be an incredible era for music in the city, especially punk and new wave. So, you'll find some of the big names like Echo & the Bunnymen, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, The Teardrop Explodes and A Flock of Seagulls. And some of the smaller acts from Liverpool that we think deserved to be bigger, including Clive Langer and the Boxes, Modern Eon, Windows, Yachts and Deaf School to name a few.
Since the film is set in Thatcher's time, turbulent politics was bound to be a theme in the film and we've chosen a few bands who we think reflect this - like the brilliant Violent Femmes, Stiff Little Fingers, The Three Johns and Mekons. We love that the film is not your average love story, just like Patrik Fitzgerald's 'Safety Pin Stuck in My Heart' is not your average love song and yet is one of our absolute favourites.
We hope you enjoy listening and the insight into our brains and the connections we made between the film and music! The first six tracks are from the film, and beyond those you'll find our picks.
Letter to Brezhnev is showing at HPPH on Sun 27 Apr at 17:45. You can book tickets here.
