Last Night In Soho Gets A Curated Playlist Of Tunes Handpicked By Edgar Wright Himself

There's nothing like a good soundtrack. The right needle-drop can elevate a moment into surrealism, like Dean Stockwell's swaying dance to Roy Orbison's "In Dreams" in David Lynch's masterpiece "Blue Velvet." Edgar Wright understands the necessity of the right sound for a given story, which is why viewers can name at least one song intrinsically associated with each of his films. Quick, what movie do you think of when you hear Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now?" Exactly. Even as far back as Wright's direction on Simon Pegg and Jessica Hynes' Y2K-era sitcom "Spaced," Wright took visual and sonic influences from way back, including the genre-straddling fantasy scenes of "Northern Exposure" and a fan-popular (but never commercially released) remix of "The A-Team" theme.

With his latest film "Last Night in Soho" arriving to theaters October 29, Wright appears to keep the pop influences coming strong. Early critical reactions praise the music; Robert Daniels of Rogerebert.com has kind words for its' "killer soundtrack," while Nicholas Barber of Indiewire says that the film "bursts with his love of pop culture." Unashamed of his vintage faves, the "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World" director took to Twitter this morning under his handle, @edgarwright, with aural gifts for everyone. Along with a Backlot Music link (allowing users to choose between Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Music) to his playlist, Wright's post caption reads:

Need a 60's playlist as you wait for #LastNightInSoho? My SOHO NIGHTS playlist is now live, featuring 60 UK songs from the 60's that inspired me while writing the movie. As you get ready to travel back in time with us on October 29th, please enjoy x

Wright's "60 from the 60s" playlist delivers the goods, both in mainstream fare and some tracks hidden in the back of the record crates. The first track, "Berts Apple Crumble," is The Quik's infectious instrumental 1967 dance number, a fantastic b-side from a band that almost but never quite broke through to success. Following The Quik's mood-setting opener are '60s chart-toppers The Yardbirds, The Troggs, and The Kinks to please every crowd, but one of the more interesting tracks included is the song "Hold Tight," by Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich. The song was featured in the film of another needle-drop-happy auteur's, Quentin Tarantino's '07 femme banger "Death Proof." In an interview with Esquire, Wright reveals that Tarantino's usage of the song inspired Wright to dive into the band's discography more deeply, leading to the title for "Last Night in Soho," taken from the band's 1968 psychedelic pop single of the same name.

"I already had the idea for the film, and in fact I was gonna call it something else. The band Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky Mick & Tich have a song in 'Death Proof,' and through that I heard this song 'Last Night in Soho' by them and he put me on to that. And then way, way later – years later – I said, 'You know what the new film is called?' and he's like, 'Yeah, Last Night in Soho'. I think, originally, I was going to call it 'The Night Has 1000 Eyes,' because that's also a song, but I discovered there was a film called 'The Night Has 1000 Eyes' already."

Bonus: both Bobby Vee's "The Night Has A Thousand Eyes" and two more Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky Mick & Tich jams appear on the playlist, as well.

The synopsis for "Last Night in Soho," via Focus Features:

In acclaimed director Edgar Wright's psychological thriller, Eloise, an aspiring fashion designer, is mysteriously able to enter the 1960s where she encounters a dazzling wannabe singer, Sandie. But the glamour is not all it appears to be and the dreams of the past start to crack and splinter into something far darker.

"Last Night in Soho" arrives in theaters on October 29, 2021.