The Wire Soundtracks (And Yes, There's More Than One)

Last month I posted the announcement about the official soundtrack album to HBO's The Wire. And this week I got an update from Blake Leyh, who gave me some really exciting details, including the fact that apparently my name will be mentioned in the liner notes. He pointed me toward the Nonesuch Records site, which has tracklists for two different soundtrack albums that are being released at the beginning of the show's 5th season. Here's the deal: one CD is the straight-up soundtrack, featuring the various versions of the theme song "Way Down In The Hole," the end credits music, dialogue clips from the show, and a wide range of music used in the show, including several tracks by local Baltimore artists. The other CD is strictly Baltimore music, with all the tracks by local artists from the proper soundtrack (including the version of "Way Down In The Hole" by Maryland's DoJaMe), plus a few more to fill out the rest of the CD. Both soundtracks are being released simultaneously on January 8th, promoted jointly with equally large initial pressings. It was already going to be a big deal for this scene, but now I really feel like it's becoming an event, the biggest national release by exclusively Baltimore artists in a long time. I hope everyone who loves the show or cares about any of this music goes out next month and buys one or both of these CDs and really supports this project, I think it's going to be great, every artist involved should really make the most of this exposure, maybe make videos for some of these songs, get some of their own records out early in the year. I think there's going to be some events in New York and Baltimore the week of the release, no solid info yet. Anyway, here are the tracklists:



The Wire: " … and all the pieces matter"

“This America, man.” 0:24
WAY DOWN IN THE HOLE – The Blind Boys of Alabama 2:54
“Why would anyone ever wanna leave Baltimore?” 0:21
OH MY GOD – Michael Franti & Spearhead 5:05
DANCE MY PAIN AWAY – Rod Lee 2:07
MY LIFE EXTRA - DJ Technics 1:17
“The king stay the king.” 0:48
WAY DOWN IN THE HOLE – The Neville Brothers 1:36
“We used to make shit in this country.” 0:15
SIXTEEN TONS – The Nighthawks 3:36
ASSUME THE POSITION – Lafayette Gilchrist 2:42
“What the fuck did I do?” 0:12
STEP BY STEP – Jesse Winchester 2:56
I WALK ON GILDED SPLINTERS – Paul Weller 4:58
FAST TRAIN – Solomon Burke 5:37
THE BODY OF AN AMERICAN – The Pogues 4:45
“All the pieces matter.” 0:08
EFUGE EFUGE – Stelios Kazantzidis 3:32
“Omar comin’!” 0:40
WAY DOWN IN THE HOLE - Domaje 1:43
“If it’s a lie, then we fight on that lie” 0:22
PROJECTS – Tyree Colion 3:26
“Later for that gangsta bullshit.” 0:38
AYO - Bossman (3:20
ANALYZE - Sharpshooters 2:44
“Wars end.” 0:20
UNFRIENDLY GAME – Masta Ace Feat. Stricklin 3:52
WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT BALTIMORE – Ogun Feat. Phathead 3:16
JAIL FLICK - Diablo 3:38
THE LIFE, THE HOOD, THE STREETZ - Mullyman 3:47
“An act of daily journalism.” 0:07
I FEEL ALRIGHT – Steve Earle 2:58
WAY DOWN IN THE HOLE – Tom Waits 1:45
“You remember that one day summer past?” 0:41
THE FALL – Blake Leyh 1:24



Beyond Hamsterdam: Baltimore Tracks from The Wire

WAY DOWN IN THE HOLE – DoMaJe 1:46
PROJECTS - Tyree Colion 4:33
DANCE MY PAIN AWAY - Rod Lee 2:52
MY LIFE EXTRA - DJ Technics 2:39
WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT BALTIMORE - Ogun feat. Phathead 3:59
JAIL FLICK – Diablo 4:07
WHEN YOU SEE US - The Get ‘em Mamis feat. L. Cash 4:06
THAT’S DA SOUND - Dirty Hartz feat. Verb 3:56
AYO – Bossman 3:52
THE LIFE, THE HOOD, THE STREETZ – Mullyman 4:44
ASSUME THE POSITION - Lafayette Gilchrist 6:32