Eighties pop stars united for Gary Barlow ‘Eddie the Eagle’ soundtrack

To accompany the forthcoming film on the brave leaps and many falls of the endearingly hapless British ski jumper ‘Eddie The Eagle’, Take That star, and national-treasure-in-waiting Gary Barlow brings together a who’s who of Eighties’ pop stars for an album of new studio recordings and original songs…

The release of Fly (Songs Inspired By The Film Eddie The Eagle) via Universal Music next month is the culmination of a project that began with a phone call from the film’s producer Matthew Vaughn to Barlow back in December 2014.

“He was raving about the next movie he was going to make – the life story of Eddie Edwards,” recalls the Take That singer-songwriter. “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. 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.”

Barlow’s vision was of an “iconic supergroup, all on one soundtrack, one album” and a glance down the track listing shows that he did a good job, with brand-new songs by Tony Hadley, Marc Almond, Holly Johnson, Paul Young, Kim Wilde, Andy Bell, Midge Ure, Nik Kershaw, ABC, Go West, Howard Jones and Heaven 17. There’s also a duet, written by Gary Barlow and OMD’s Andy McCluskey sung by stars of the film Taron Egerton (who plays Eddie) and Hugh Jackman (who plays Eddie’s rebellious coach Bronson Perry).

For Barlow, the process of making the record was pure pleasure: “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. 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 Eighties, or any of these artists involved, are in for an hour of incredible music.”

SDE readers of a certain vintage will likely remember the unlikely figure of Michael ‘Eddie The Eagle’ Edwards competing at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics, perched at the top of a vertiginous ski jump, glasses steaming up, before launching himself off the hill, only to finish last in both the 70m and 90m events. The story behind his heroic failure is told in the film Eddie The Eagle (which, incidentally, is directed by Dexter Fletcher, star of legendary late-Eighties British kids’ TV comedy-drama, Press Gang – remember that?).

Fly (Songs Inspired By The Film Eddie The Eagle) is released on 18 March a few weeks after the movie hits cinema screen in the USA (February 26) and a fortnight before the film’s UK opening on, appropriately enough, April Fools’ Day.

• • UK Pre-order: Fly (Songs Inspired by the Film Eddie The Eagle)
• • USA Pre-order: Fly (Songs Inspired by the Film Eddie The Eagle)
• • CANADA Pre-order: Fly (Songs Inspired by the Film Eddie The Eagle)
• • GERMANY Pre-order: Fly (Songs Inspired by the Film Eddie The Eagle)
• • FRANCE Pre-order: Fly (Songs Inspired by The Film Eddie The Eagle)
• • ITALY Pre-order: Fly (Songs Inspired by The Film Eddie The Eagle)

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