Netflix’s new series “Agent Elvis” arrives March 17 and sees the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll pulling double duty as a singer by day and a secret government battling dark forces by night. And this time, it’s Matthew McConaughey voicing the King.
Accompanying the animated series is a musical soundtrack composed by Tyler Bates and Timothy Williams, who recently scored “Pearl.”
Intertwining iconic Elvis Presley syncs such as “Viva Las Vegas” and “If I Can Dream” is a score with a rock-tinged surfer vibe and plenty of guitar to underscore the action.
Says Bates, “‘Agent Elvis’ is such an amazingly hilarious show that Tim and I had to tamp down our laughter in order to work on the score, which is a musical odyssey unlike any I have previously encountered.”
Bates praises the creatives, which include co-creators Priscilla Presley and John Eddie, for encouraging the composers to be “as musically bold, brash and unapologetically irreverent as the show itself is at its core.” At one point, Elvis faces off against cult leader Charles Manson, and in another, he encounters Playboy mogul Hugh Hefner.
The soundtrack also features a special cover of Chuck Berry’s blues standard “Memphis, Tennessee” performed by Craig Robinson. Says Bates, “I misheard the producers and thought they said that Chris Robinson, the vocalist of the Black Crowes, was going to sing the song but when we attended the virtual session, I quickly realized that our singer was actually Craig Robinson. It was really fun to watch Craig turn on his wit and charm. We played with a few improv lines and he knocked it out in a matter of minutes.”
Listen to “Memphis, Tennessee” below.
