Listen to the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2′ Cast Mixtape Featuring David Bowie, ZZ Top and Paul Simon
Part of the fun of Marvel's first Guardians of the Galaxy movie was its classic rock soundtrack — and that looks like it'll continue in the sequel, due in theaters May 5.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 cast -- which includes returning stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel alongside new additions Kurt Russell, Pom Klementieff and Sylvester Stallone -- got together with writer-director James Gunn to put together a mixtape in honor of the movie for Empire, which you can check out via Spotify below. The eclectic track listing runs the gamut from French cabaret to country gospel, with a heaping helping of classic rock in between.
Russell, in fact, chose ZZ Top's "Sharp Dressed Man" for his pick, saying it could be his character's theme. "I can see this working in the movie, with the energy it has." Gunn, meanwhile, chose Daryl Hall and John Oates' early hit "She's Gone."
"It’s one of the greatest pop songs ever written," explained Gunn. "I really wanted to put it into [Vol. 2], but didn’t have a place for it."
Elizabeth Debicki, who plays Ayesha, picked David Bowie's "The Prettiest Star," telling Empire she made her choice because its themes of "love, loss and the galaxy" fit the movie — and it also happens to be one of her all-time personal favorites. Bautista chose the Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter" for similarly personal reasons.
"This is the song that pops right into my head," said Bautista. "I listen to it over and over, in my car or while working out. It’s just something that resonates with me."
Saldana's pick, Paul Simon's 1990 single "The Obvious Child," was chosen because she sees actors as "obvious children." "Too stubborn to grow up, picking a profession where you get to play pretend for the rest of your life," she explained. "This song is very powerful."
Full details of the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 soundtrack have yet to be released, but the film's first trailer was set to the strains of Sweet's "Fox on the Run," and a follow-up clip featured Fleetwood Mac's "The Chain." Gunn has promised a tracklisting "more diverse" than the first film's.
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