Blake Leyh's Interview
  • <iw_value name='aaa.song_title/>
Episode 53: Not For Attribution

Song Title: Up, Up and Away
Artist: The 5th Dimension
Buy Now
A shining example of music meant to feel as everyday as the location it plays in, this sixties pop tune had mini-mart written all over it. "It's just one of those songs," says Leyh. "It feels random any time you hear it, like something that only exists in the world of AM radio. No one has chosen to play that record in the last 25 years, I'm guessing." The track also holds a nostalgic pull over Leyh, who shares a love of "bad pop music" with the show's creator, David Simon. "We have other musical affinities that we share, but that is definitely one of them," Leyh says. "I use 'bad' in a really affectionate way. Over the years, we've used 'Land Down Under' by Men at Work and 'Brandy, You're a Fine Girl' by Looking Glass." And the one song the boss could never get behind? "'Crystal Blue Persuasion.' I thought, 'Oh, that would be a great song to just use somewhere like a bar.' And we kept trying to put it in different places, and David would always say no."



The B-Side of Baltimore: Recordings You Never Heard on The Wire
Twice the First Time
Buy Now
Artist: Saul Williams
I thought Chris Partlow might play this in his truck during Season 4, but I could never get it to work. One problem is that the song has such a distinctive sound that you listen to it, which distracts from the scene.
Jiggle It
Buy Now
Artist: Young Leek
A classic Bmore track from 2006. We tried to get the rights for use in the show, but as is often the case with music not released on major labels — particularly hip-hop — we couldn't clear it. The song is even referred to by Chris and Snoop in the notorious scene where they are trying to tell if certain corner boys are local or from New York.
Baltimore
Buy Now
Artist: Nina Simone
On some other TV show it would have certainly been at the top of the playlist, but we're obtuse and try not to make the most obvious choices. Also, the song is about someone who has escaped the trials of Baltimore and is never coming back. 'The Wire' is about people who will never leave.
Baltimore
Buy Now
Artist: The Angel and Mystic
A decidedly modern take on the classic, sung by the great female rapper Mystic and produced by The Angel, who contributed one song to Season 2.
Oh Baltimore
Buy Now
Artist: Mullyman
Moderner and moderner, Mully's version of the song might have had the best chance of being used on The Wire, and it certainly captures the spirit of Baltimore. In the end, we used Mully's songs 'The Life, The Hood, The Streetz' and 'I'm Good There' instead.
Baltimore Gas & Electric Co. #1
Buy Now
Artist: Raymond Scott
Taking the Bmore set to its logical conclusion, here's a track from Raymond Scott, one of my favorite American composers.
151 Canal
Buy Now
Artist: Blake Leyh
I composed the end theme for The Wire, a piece called 'The Fall.' Over the years many fans have asked for the track, and also asked for a longer version. The track is finally available on 'The Wire' soundtrack released on Nonesuch Records. But the closest you'll get to a longer version is this track from my recent solo album 'X-Ray Yankee Zulu Tango,' featuring the same players as 'The Fall' — Me on upright bass and the late Andre Burke on violin.
Bamboo Banger
Buy Now
Artist: M.I.A.
One of the best new records of 2007, M.I.A.'s 'Kala' opens with this tribute to Darkroom Productions' 'Bmore Banger.' Darkroom's 'Hamsterdam: The Album' is one of the most eagerly anticipated releases of 2008, sure to take their Bmore hip-hop series of compilations to the next level. Look for it in May.
Tupelo
Buy Now
Artist: Albert King, Pop Staples and Steve Cropper
This was an alternate choice for the Season 4 montage. I loved the mood of it, but it was too slow and too much about a very specific situation, so we ended up using 'I Walk On Gilded Splinters' by Paul Weller instead.
A Change Is Gonna Come
Buy Now
Artist: Sam Cooke
The classic song of the civil rights era, I always imagined we would find a place for this. Alas, there are few spots for such beautiful, dark optimism in any TV show, let alone in the swamp of pessimism that is 'The Wire.' And besides, the song costs a fortune to license.
Mahler Symphony No. 5 in C Sharp Minor: IV. Adagietto
Buy Now
Artist: Leonard Bernstein and Wiener Philharmoniker
Season 5 is just about half-way done as I write this. The end is nigh. Turns out the story has a beginning, a middle, and even an end, like most good stories. When contemplating the end of things, this is the music you need to be listening to.
Buy The Wire CDs
Music from The Wire: Available Now
Enjoy music from and inspired by HBO's hit original series. These and other Wire collectibles available now at the HBO SHOP(SM)!

Buy Now!

Or Visit Us at our store in NYC on 42nd and 6th.