Music

The Age of Stupid: Music

Here you can get some insight into the music in the film. We'll have a complete live/listenable soundtrack here for you soon.

Live Jazz Gig

New Orleans local Rob Davis squashed his complete recording studio into the back of the Spotted Cat night club to record 24 channels of Betty Shirley and her band for the jazz club scene. A brilliant job he did too.
More about the jazz gig recording.

Licensing Famous Music

We were lucky enough to stumble across music expert Daniel Cross who was volunteering to help feature docs license music. He attempted Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Shakira, System of a Down and The Smiths - and six months of nagging emails later came out with Radiohead, Depeche Mode and Boots Are Made For Walking. Everyone is happy.

The Album Tracklist:

1. All of Time

2. Fernand's Theme

3. Flicker

4. A Hurricane is Coming

5. Hurricane Rescue

6. Oil Rig

7. Nigerian River

8. Big Oil

9. Massacred Village

10. A life in Ashes

11. Bottle Song

12. Flattened Home (Devastated House)

13. New Dawn

14. Good Life

15. The Real Thing

16. The End?

17. The Real Thing – Stupid Mix

18. The Easy Way

19. Age of Stupid

The Age of Stupid:

Album Track Notes

1. All of Time

Written by Chis Brierley
Performed by the Age of Stupid Orchestra
Recorded and mixed by Paul Sampson

Orchestral Score: Composer Chris Brierley was given the unenviable task of composing a theme tune "more hummable than Raiders of the Lost Ark" and then recording it with a full orchestra squashed into the basement of a youth centre in Battersea.

Listen to the opening theme     Composer Chris explains all

2. Fernand's Theme

Written by Chis Brierley
Performed by Hillary Jeffrey and Chis Brierley
Recorded by David Norland and Chis Brierley
Mixed by Chis Brierley and Paul Sampson

3. Flicker

Written by William D Drake
Perfomed by William D Drake, Alfie Thomas and Louise Kleboe
Recorded by Glue Ear by Chis Brierley
Mixed by Chis Brierley and Paul Sampson

4. A Hurricane is Coming

Written by Paul Sampson
Performed by Paul Sampson and Chis Brierley
Recorded by Paul Sampson and Chis Brierley
Mixed by Chis Brierley and Paul Sampson

5. Hurrican Rescue

Written by Deri Roberts
Performed & Produced by Christopher Rees & Deri Roberts for Red Eye Music

Original Jazz Compositions: After weeks of trawling old jazz records for the perfect track, Daniel suggested we contact his pals Chris Evans and Deri Roberts, who are dab hands at the classic New Orleans sound, despite being young and Welsh.

6. Oil Rig

Written by Deri Roberts
Performed & Produced by Christopher Rees & Deri Roberts for Red Eye Music

7. Nigerian River

Written by Chris Brierley
Produced by Paul Sampson and Chris Brierley
Performed by Chris Brierley

8. Big Oil

Written, Performed and Produced by Tom Dyson

Original House Track: The two tracks People Power and Big Oil are by Tom Dyson, who is also the technical genius behind the website. And he wrote the theme tune to Charlie and Lola. Multi-talented.

9. Massacred Village

Written by Chris Brierley
Perfomed by the Stupid Orchestra
Recorded and Mixed by Paul Sampson

10. A life in Ashes

Written, Performed and Produced by Dragnerve

Original Heavy Metal Track: After we failed to persuade System of a Down to llicense us one of their tracks, Daniel suggested we ask local heavy boys Dragnerve to write something specially. Kick arse.

Listen to Dragnerve's track

11. Bottle Song

Written by Alfie Thomas and Louise Kleboe
Vocals – Louise Kleobe, Alfie Thomas
Bottles Chorus – Uccella Khan Thomas, Alistair Kleboe, Louise Kleboe, Alfie Thomas

Singing Water Bottles and Sound Design: There was only one man to turn to when Franny decided she needed a song for some singing water bottles, "like the potatoes in the old Smiths Crisps adverts". Alfie Thomas duly roped in his kids and some of their friends to be the bottles.

Listen to Alfie's track

12. Flattened Home (Devastated House)

Written by Christopher Rees
Performed and Produced by Christopher Rees and Deri Roberts for Red Eye Music

13. New Dawn

Written, Performed and Recorded by Chris Brierley
Mastered by Paul Sampson

14. Good Life

Written by Chris Brierley and Alfie Thomas
Oboe/Recorders: Lilly O'Lenahan
Recorders: Ella Umanstry
Percussion/Mandolin: Anselmo Netto
Strings: Chris Brierley
Keyboards: Alfie Thomas
Recorded, Arranged and Mixed at Glue Ear by Chris Brierley and Alfie Thomas
Mastered by Paul Sampson

15. The Real Thing

Written, Performed and Produced by The Band of Holy Joy

16. The End?

Written by Chris Brierley
Performed by the Stupid Orchestra
Recoreded and Mixed by Paul Sampson

17. The Real Thing – Stupid Mix

Written, Performed and Produced by The Band of Holy Joy

Pop Song in end montage: The song featured in the round-up of all the doc characters is "Real Thing" from the album "Love Never Fails" by The Band of Holy Joy. Interesting fact 1: the same track was used in the climactic scene in Franny's previous doc McLibel and they couldn't beat it for Stupid. Interesting fact 2: The song was actually written about Franny, as she was going out with the band's singer/lyricist at the time!

18. The Easy Way

Written by Alfie Thomas, Chris Brierley and Louise Kleboe
Voice - Louise Kleboe
Bass Clarinet - Anne Rayner
Violins - Chris Brierley
Arrangement / Keyboards / Programing Alfie Thomas
Mastered by Paul Sampson

19. Age of Stupid

Written by Alfie Thomas, Jamie Kelsey and Louise Kleboe
Voices - Louise Kleboe and Jamie Kelsey
Arrangement / Keyboards / Programing / Glockenspiel - Alfie Thomas
Violins - Cara Vella
Drums - Sam Skillen
Choir - Uccella Khan Thomas, Alfie Thomas and Louise Kleboe
Mastered by Paul Sampson