Newsletter #3
Dear friend
It is some time since our last missive. There has been, one might say, a massive missive gap. Well, good reader: today is the day for that apple cart to be upset. Yes! It is Mogul & the Prawn Newsletter #3!
We have news of the following:
- A 50-episode Channel 4 daytime series
- A good film or two
- A publishing deal on the Prawn’s debut album
- A commercial or two.
OOH – YOU GOT ON TV?
Yes! We have had the outrageously good fortune to be asked to compose all of the music for the new Channel 4 daytime series Cookery School.
This week it is the final week, and on Friday the winner of the whole series will be revealed.
It was a lovely big job working in a full range of styles, from the quirky, cheeky theme tune to full orchestral filmic drama and tongue-in-cheek li’l numbers such as ‘I LOVE PORK!!!’ (a cheese-fondue 80s soul-pork ballad).
Here is some of it (not working? iPad/iPhone version here):
Fifty episodes, would you believe. FIFTY!
YOU JAMMY GETS!
Yes we know. I tell you what, it is weird hearing your music come out of the telly too.
YOU’LL GET USED TO IT.
Only if you give us some more work. Will you give us some more work?
NOT ON YOUR NELLY. ANYWAY, ABOUT THESE FILMS?
Yes! This is the information:
Number one: we composed the score for Habibti, using Arabic, African and European instruments: duduk, qanun, tongue drum, dumbek and piano. This is a brilliant film with ace actors from Rev., I Am Slave, Miral etc.
There was a sneaky premiere at BAFTA (not just an expensive bar with glamorous toilets would you believe – has ACTUAL CINEMA inside) and then a World premiere in competition at Dubai; and then it was selected again for the European Independent Film Festival, on one of whose spring Parisian evenings, dear reader, it had its European premiere.
Number two: we composed the score for Sleeping Lions, using piano, violin, circus organ, military drums, music box and balloons.
This is a beautiful one-take three-minute tragedy that premiered at the Curzon Renoir during the Rushes Soho Shorts Festival. Oliver the director briefed us to look at Tarkovsky and Jacques Tati. It was a gift really, entrancing arthouse, and we were all very happy with how it turned out.
Number three: we made a crazed indie glam skeleton jazz song for Iain Weatherby’s wonderful Oscar & Jim. More on that in the next newsletter, cheeky teases that we are.
WHAT, YOU DO SONGS TOO?
*Puts on Bob Mortimer voice* Ohhh yes. In point of fact, the Prawn’s solo debut album is finished and being mastered as we type, after which we will be recording the Mogul’s. This is the brilliant Jake Scott video that got Cooking Vinyl Music interested in the former:
ENOUGH OF YOUR STUPID HAIR! I THOUGHT YOU SAID THIS WAS A NEWSLETTER. WHERE IS THE NEWS?
I am afraid you are mistaken. This is a missive. It just happens to have ‘newsletter’ in the name. It’s like, the same as that ‘regenerist’ stuff.
TREACHERY!
I know. Anyway what about entering our quiz?
WHERE YOU ASK ALL THE SAME QUESTIONS AS LAST TIME YOU MEAN?
No no no. Only the last question is the same.
Here are the questions for today:
- Oscar & who?
- How much, to the nearest 10p, is a glass of Coke at BAFTA? (Clue: NOT BLODDY CHEAP I am telling you.)
- What is the capital of Romania?
And the tiebreaker:
- Is this a newsletter or a missive? Explain in 15 words or less.
The winner may choose between:
- A sumptuous 2012 calendar of childish drawings done by Benbo INCLUDING a picture of a menacing Christmas tree.
- Lunch! Somewhere half-decent. (No, we pick the place, we are not made of money.)
- A total one-off vinyl 45 pressed just for you of any tune you like from our entire back catalogue. Or front catalogue.
- A glass of Coke at BAFTA.*
As usual, enter by email or receive double points for entering by post. April 30, 2011 is the cutoff for entry (snigger), our decision is final and we regret we are unable to offer a cash alternative due to an ill-advised foray into Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme.
Goodbye.
*Kidding! We can’t get into BAFTA. Nor can we afford to buy a Coke there.
FURTHER IDIOCY…
…if you require further idiocy, please reply in an idiotic manner and we will attempt to meet your needs by moving our trained idiot into your house (not bank holidays).
Idiocy is also available twenty-four seven via our new fully up-to-date idiot website www.idiotsdirect.co.uk.
ALSO, AS USUAL
Please give us some work.
THANK YOU
LIST TYPE STUFF
If you’d like us to stop bothering you with listy type emails, it will actually be a pleasure to hear from you, due to the fact that generally we send out these things and then quake with the mighty fear that we have just annoyed everyone we know and as a result will die alone with no friends.
So please do get in touch, we promise to fix it.
HOLD ON… YOU SAID SOMETHING ABOUT COMMERCIALS?
Ah yes – here, here and here (yes, it really has been that long since our last newsletter) and have a poke around our commercials & corporates showreel too if you like.
