New York, NY (Top40 Charts) On June 21, Polydor Records/Universal Music, will release the original motion picture soundtrack for Yesterday - a film that imagines what would happen if only one man in the entire world could remember the Fab Four. The soundtrack includes newly recorded versions of The Beatles' most beloved hits, performed by the film's star, Himesh Patel (BBC's Eastenders).
From Academy Award-winning director
Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire, Trainspotting,
28 Days Later) and Richard Curtis, the Oscar®-nominated screenwriter of Four Weddings and a Funeral, Love Actually and Notting Hill, Yesterday is a rock-n-roll comedy about music, dreams, friendship and the long and winding road that leads to the love of your life. After a mysterious global blackout wipes The
Beatles from history, Jack, a struggling singer-songwriter played by Himesh Patel, finds himself performing songs by the greatest band in history to a world that has never heard them. The film, which had its world premiere at Tribeca Film Festival in New York City, opens in cinemas on 28 June.
Today - on the anniversary of the day The
Beatles recorded "
Yesterday" at Abbey Road Studios in 1965 - the soundtrack's full track listing was revealed and a video of Patel performing "
Yesterday" live during his recent sessions at Abbey Road was released.
Yesterday Original Motion Picture
Soundtrack is available for pre-order now. See below for track listing. Individuals who pre-order the soundtrack in digital format will instantly receive two versions of "
Yesterday" performed by Patel - one from the film and another recorded at the iconic Abbey Road Studios - plus "Something."
Patel's performance of "
Yesterday" comes at a pivotal moment in the film. "The reaction of Jack's friends when he performs it is his (and our) first clue that something strange is going on," screenwriter Richard Curtis explains. "Jack's friends claim to have never heard it before, and believe Jack wrote it. In that scene, you are looking for a pure-perfect song where everyone would be open-mouthed on hearing it. So that's why 'Yesterday' went in."
Album producer
Daniel Pemberton, a two-time Golden Globe-nominated composer, has created a soundtrack that both reflects the film and stands alone as a true listening experience, meant to be played from beginning to end. "Ultimately, this film is a great example of the power of song," Pemberton says. "Music is something that connects with so many people; it can change the world. It's nice to be reminded of that."
For Patel, who became a fan of The
Beatles at an early age thanks to his mother, the experience of recording these legendary songs was an unforgettable honour. "We stayed true to the songs lyrically and musically, but also made them Jack's own," the actor says. "It was great to be reminded of these wonderful songs and to play them in my own way. This film serves as an introduction to a lot of young people who haven't had the privilege of listening to The Beatles. Both people who are diehard fans and those who are new to the music will appreciate the film for different reasons, but it affirms the magic of their music for all audiences."
Yesterday, everyone knew The Beatles. Today, only Jack remembers their songs. He's about to become a very big deal. From Academy Award®-winning director
Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire, Trainspotting,
28 Days Later) and Richard Curtis, the Oscar-nominated screenwriter of Four Weddings and a Funeral, Love Actually and Notting Hill, comes a rock-n-roll comedy about music, dreams, friendship, and the long and winding road that leads to the love of your life.
Jack Malik (Himesh Patel, BBC's Eastenders) is a struggling singer-songwriter in a tiny English seaside town whose dreams of fame are rapidly fading, despite the fierce devotion and support of his childhood best friend, Ellie (Lily James, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again). Then, after a freak bus accident during a mysterious global blackout, Jack wakes up to discover that The
Beatles have never existed … and he finds himself with a very complicated problem, indeed.
Performing songs by the greatest band in history to a world that has never heard them, and with a little help from his steel-hearted American agent, Debra (Emmy winner Kate McKinnon), Jack's fame explodes. But as his star rises, he risks losing Ellie — the one person who always believed in him. With the door between his old life and his new closing, Jack will need to get back to where he once belonged and prove that all you need is love.
Featuring new versions of The Beatles' most beloved hits, Yesterday is produced by Working Title's Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner (Love Actually, About A Boy, the Bridget Jones series) alongside Matthew
James Wilkinson and Bernie Bellew. Curtis and Boyle also produce. Nick Angel, Lee Brazier and Liza Chasin serve as executive producers. Yesterday's story is by Jack Barth and Richard Curtis, and the screenplay is written by Curtis. The film is directed by
Danny Boyle. The film's score is by
Daniel Pemberton. A Universal Picture. www.yesterdaymovie.com
