Nowhere Boy (soundtrack)

The soundtrack features several of the songs played by the Quarrymen at the time depicted in the film. Some of the new recordings were made featuring vocal performances by Johnson and the Nowhere Boys.^[1] Much of them were early rock and roll classics made up from the early 1950s to 1980s. Aaron Johnson had to learn to play guitar for landing the titular role, hence he had to learn from the works of Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly to play guitar and sing, so that he had to play Lennon.^[2][3]

Thomas Sangster was able to play the guitar before landing his role as Paul McCartney, but, as he is right-handed, learned how to play left-handed, à la McCartney.^[4][5] Producers negotiated with Yoko Ono for the rights to use Lennon's song "Mother" in the film, which Yoko gave after having watched a private screening.^[6] In addition to the featured songs, British electronica duo Goldfrapp provide the film's instrumental score.^[7] However, their work was not separately released as an album.^[7]

The soundtrack was released digitally on 14 December 2009 and in stores as a two-disc album on 29 December 2009 through the Sony Music Entertainment label.^[8][9] The first disc accompanied the songs featured in the film (also feature in the digital release) while the second disc featured rock and roll classics inspired by the film and Lennon himself.^[9]

David Quantick of BBC wrote "this is a decent snapshot of Lennon's influences and an intelligent soundtrack document, an excellent sister compilation to the soundtrack of Nick Moran's Telstar, and a good record to buy anyone who wants to know what, musically, made John Lennon the artist he became."^[10] Alex Young of Consequence wrote "Blending hits from the era with freshly recorded interpretations of Lennon's music is an inspired move, and Nowhere Boy OST is a fitting ode to one of music's best songwriters."^[11]