Artist:Davie Allan & The Arrows
Song:Blues' Theme
Album:Devil's Rumble: Anthology '64-'68
Guitarist Davie Allan is best known for his music for late 60s biker films. Blues' Theme from the 1966 film The Wild Angels was his highest charting single. Allan was born June 8, 1944 in Los Angeles and he grew up in the San Fernando Valley. He learned to play guitar as a teen. Allan met Mike Curb at Grant High School in Valley Glen, CA and they formed an instrumental surf rock group. The turning point for Allan was when Roger Corman saw a photo of a biker funeral in Life Magazine and decided to make a biker film with American International. Though he didn't get credit, it looks like Peter Bogdanovich was responsible for The Wild Angels script. Corman heard Allan on a short film he scored so he contacted Curb about getting Allan to do the music for The Wild Angels. Curb owned Sidewalk Records with distribution by Capitol's Tower label. Allan had already recorded an album for Curb. But The Wild Angels soundtrack was a big breakthrough when Blues' Theme reached #37 on the Billboard Hot 100. Hollywood studios were still trying to figure out how to market soundtrack albums so The Wild Angels was important in that development as well. The music is credited to Davie Allan & The Arrows as Curb and Corman wanted us to think a real band made the music. But from what I can tell, Curb used studio musicians on all of Allan's recordings. There was no band. Allan recorded music for three films and then he disappeared until he emerged in the 90s. He still performs today. The Wild Angels soundtrack is available but way too short. I recommend this 2CD comp of Allan's music from the reissue label Sundazed. Here's Davie Allan & The Arrows performing Blues' Theme on the opening credits of the 1966 film The Wild Angels.
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