So I’m writing a somewhat noir urban fantasy detective novel set in 1951 San Francisco. What sort of playlist am I listening to?

I bought some albums to go along with the story, as well as pulling a few existing items. I strove for a mix of 40s classics, plus some 50s/60s genre-specific items.

• The Best of James Bond – 30th Anniversary Edition (Various)
• Big Bands – Music from the War Years (BBC Big Band Orchestra)
• Crime Jazz – Music in the First Degree (Various)
• Crime Jazz – Music in the Second Degree (Various)
• Crime Scene USA – Classic Film Noir (Various)
• Film Noir! (Various)
• Goldfinger (John Barry)
• Moviola (John Barry)
• Moviola II: Action & Adventure (John Barry)
• On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (John Barry)
• The Only Big Band CD You’ll Ever Need (Various)
• The Shadow (Jerry Goldsmith)
• Songs that Got Us Through WWII (Various)
• The Crime Scene (Various)
• The Women of WWII (Various)
• You Only Live Twice (John Barry)

Plus, two renditions of “Runaway” by Del Shannon, the original and the “Crime Story” version.