Goldfrapp have written the score for Nowhere Boy, an upcoming film about the young John Lennon, they have announced. In a fitting move, the group will record the soundtrack's strings and orchestra parts at Abbey Road studios.

 

Soundtracks are an obvious match for the British electro act, who first met while Will Gregory was working on a film score project. Although that recording did not pan out – and Goldfrapp have not, as a duo, done soundtrack work before – Gregory has written music for several nature programs.

 

"It is official," Goldfrapp announced on their blog. "We have written the score for a film called Nowhere Boy. It's about John Lennon as a boy and stars Aaron Johnson, Kristin Scott-Thomas and Anne-Marie Duff. It's Sam Taylor-Wood's first feature film and it's truly amazing that they gave us the opportunity to do this."

 

Nowhere Boy is based on the book Imagine This: Growing Up With My Brother John Lennon, written by the former Beatle's half-sister, Julia Baird. It tells the story of Lennon's "search for a mother", according to screenwriter Matt Greenhalgh. Raised by his aunt Mimi, Lennon only met his mother Julia in his late teens.

 

Earlier this year, singer-songwriter Ben Parker claimed to be producing the soundtrack in a post on his MySpace page. Parker seems in fact to have been a consultant, helping the film's actors learn their instruments.

 

Goldfrapp do not have much time finish everything off. Nowhere Boy is due to premiere at the London film festival on 29 October. The group then plan to continue work on the fifth Goldfrapp album.

 

 

Source: The Observer

This is very good news, I love Goldfrapp's music - Will Gregory is a genius IMHO.

Monday, 19 October 2009 14:03 UK

Goldfrapp honour over Lennon film

BBC Entertainment News

By Damian Jones

6 Music News reporter

 

Goldfrapp have scored the soundtrack to John Lennon biopic Nowhere Boy

 

Goldfrapp have admitted they were "extremely honoured" to soundtrack a film biopic about John Lennon's childhood and adolescence.

 

Nowhere Boy, which is directed by conceptual artist Sam Taylor-Wood, is based on the book Imagine This: Growing Up With My Brother John Lennon by his half sister, Julia Baird.

 

Lead singer Alison Goldfrapp said: "It's a traditional score for a film.

"The music is very orchestral and I use my voice to help drive the story."

 

The film trails the late Beatle's first first steps to stardom and focuses on the influence his aunt Mimi and his mother Julia had on his early life.

It also follows his friendship with Paul McCartney.

 

Goldfrapp keyboardist Will Gregory has previously scored the silent film classic He Who Gets Slapped but this is the first time the pair have worked on a soundtrack together.

 

"The editors of the film knew our music and they just asked us to do some little things to begin to help them develop the film.

"We were extremely honoured and it was a great opportunity because it's such a hard world to get into, doing music for film.

"It was fantastic that they had faith in us and they could believe we could do it."

 

The film stars Nearly Famous actor Aaron Johnson and Love Actually star Thomas Brodie Sangster, who plays McCartney.

Matt Greenhalgh, who wrote the script for the Joy Division film Control, has also been drafted in for the screenwriting duties.

 

The movie will premiere on 29 October as part of the London Film Festival.

 

To hear the full interview tune in to The Music Week on 6 Music.