On February 14th, HBO will debut a new, 10-episode series called Vinyl. The series is set in New York in the 1970’s and follows a record executive named Richie Finestra (played by Bobby Cannavale) as he tries to save his ailing music label. With executive producers Martin Scorsese, Mick Jagger and Terence Winter, a six-figure music budget for each episode, and the track record of HBO for launching world-class and critically-acclaimed television franchises, the anticipation for the Vinyl series is already very high.

Each episode of the new series is said to include as many as 30 songs, and each song is said to be painstakingly recorded or vetted to make sure it fits not just the vibe, but the recording techniques and instrumentation of the 70’s era the television show is set in. The music supervisors for the show are Randall Poster and Meghan Currier, with the all-star executive producers weighing in heavily on the music selections as well.

To bring the music of Vinyl to life, the production team has partnered with Atlantic Records and sister label Warner Bros., and each episode will coincide with a soundtrack release. Though the series won’t only feature music from these labels, the Atlantic/Warner catalog will be the focus.

The theme song for the series will be performed by recent Atlantic Records signee Sturgill Simpson. His song “Sugar Daddy” will spearhead the musical series and soundtrack.

“It had to serve a larger purpose than something that was just episodic,” says the series’ music supervisor Randall Poster, who said they cast a wide net to find the perfect song for the theme. “It’s not that it serves as a narrative. Sturgill just captured this spirit of rock and roll. It feels classic and contemporary.”

One of the ideas around Vinyl is to use the show to create a curated musical experience that will coincide with the release of the soundtracks. “We’re on the verge of punk rock, we’re on the verge of disco, we’re getting the first hint of what will be rap, but you can’t jump the gun. CBGB isn’t open get[sic]. How do you set the stage for this revolutionary moment?” says Randall Poster about setting the show in a specific musical period.

Along with Bobby Cannavale, Vinyl also stars Olivia Wilde, Juno Temple, Ray Romano, Andrew “Dice” Clay and and Mick Jagger’s son, James.

Vinyl: Music From the HBO Original Series – Volume 1 will be released on February 12th, and will include the first new song from Sturgill Simpson since the release of his 2014 album Metamodern Sounds in Country Music.



Track List:

1. Ty Taylor – The World Is Yours

2. David Johansen – Personality Crisis

3. Kaleo – No Good

4. Sturgill Simpson – Sugar Daddy (Theme from Vinyl)

5. Ruth Brown – Mama He Treats Your Daughter Mean

6. Otis Redding – Mr. Pitiful

7. Dee Dee Warwick – Suspicious Minds

8. Mott the Hoople – All The Way From Memphis

9. David Johansen – Stranded In The Jungle

10. Chris Kenner – I Like It Like That

11. Ty Taylor – Cha Cha Twist

12. The Jimmy Castor Bunch – It’s Just Begun

13. Soda Machine – Want Ads

14. The Meters – Hand Clapping Song

15. Soda Machine Slippin’ Into Darkness

16. Edgar Winter – Frankenstein

17. Nasty Bits – Rotten Apple

18. Foghat – I Just Want To Make Love To You