The popular BBC One show is having its final sixth series premiere at the moment. After a run of nine years (starting back in 2013), the show is coming to its end, but show-creator Steven Knight isn’t having it, describing it as “the end of the beginning, rather than the beginning of the end.“ Talks of spin-offs and even a movie are occurring apparently, so there’s no need to get too despondent. And there’s something else coming up to sweeten the news.
A special vinyl triple-album release of the show’s soundtrack is soon to be out on May 27th, featuring a characteristically blood-red design. With 49 tracks, it takes us through the show’s first five seasons with the songs that made it work. Artists featured include Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (their 1994 track “Red Right Hand“ serves as the show’s main theme), PJ Harvey (who’s covered “Red Right Hand“ specifically for the show), David Bowie and plenty more. The full tracklist can be seen at this link, and you can pre-order it from here.
The show’s creator, Steven Knight, had this to say: “The Peaky Blinders story and the music we use are twins, born at the same time. It would be difficult to imagine most of the pivotal moments without the soundtrack. I’m so glad that at last we have been able to put some of the tracks together on one album, to put the atmosphere and swagger and snarl of the show into your headphones and speakers.“
As for series six, they shouldn’t have too many problems with the soundtrack there, with artists such as Thom Yorke/Jonny Greenwood and Irish singer-songwriter Sinead O’ Connor getting a look in as well. Famed punk-rock artist Patti Smith has also done her own interpretation of “Red Right Hand” recently, which was heard at the end of series five.
The show’s come back in style, with its premiere being watched by 3.8 million people across the UK, meeting the record they set with the end of series five. As for fans over in the US, it’ll be released on Netflix on June 10th, so you can catch up with the Shelby’s then. It seems to be impressing people so far at least, with NME saying “Impressively, there’s nothing about the return of Peaky Blinders that feels forced, contrived …. We might just be an hour into the most keenly anticipated finale of 2022, but we’re off to a start as impressive as any of Tommy’s prized mares“.
