VROOMMM FUNK CINEMATIQUE - VARIOUS ARTISTS

http://www.mediafire.com/?ng213ylayxj

Track 1 - Bracconiere - G.Sorgini
Track 2 - Honda - G.Sorgini
Track 3 - Sgambetto - R.Ducros
Track 4 - Bossa Astratta - L.Zito
Track 5 - Blues Elena - V.Stagni
Track 6 - Crisi Dell'Industria / F.Tamponi
Track 7 - Ineguale / U.Fusco
Track 8 - Plutone / S.Montori & G.Chiti
Track 9 - Propagazione Meccanica / G.Ugolini
Track 10 - Central Park / E.Roncarati
Track 11 - Una Partita Agitata / R.Ducros
Track 12 - Pressing / R.Ducros
Track 13 - Black California / P.Cannizzo
Track 14 - Shotgun / Arawak
Track 15 - Spiritoso / Braen
Track 16 - Struble Day / F.Tamponi
Track 17 - Nervoso / Astemix
Track 18 - Saudade De Brasil / R.Ducros
Track 19 - Iron Suite / M.Molino
Track 20 - La Rimonta / R.Ducros
Track 21 - Contropiede / R.Ducros
Track 22 - For Me / M.Molino

Here's another truly fantastic collection of Italian rare grooves that I spent a couple of years trying to import without luck. To my joy I was finally able to locate a copy on the internet last year and I wasn't disappointed! It shares a similar sound to "Phase 6 Super Stereo" which was also released on Plastic Records. However "Vroommm" is much more comprehensive and features some familiar names to those who are fans of 1970's Italian library music. The likes of Mario Molino, Remigio Ducros, Giuliano Sorgini and Arawak have appeared on a number of albums posted at Funky Frolic and their talents are indisputable. The unique way they blended funk, jazz, rock and other genres resulted in library music that is worlds away from what their British counterparts were creating during the same period. If you don't have this record already then you simply must find out for yourself just how good it is! Thanks to the original uploader and if you want to check out more music such as this click on "Italian Grooves" under the labels section of my blog.

READY STEADY BOOGALOO! - VARIOUS ARTISTS

https://rs241tl5.rapidshare.com/#!download|241l35|77379904|RSB.rar|72748|R~9AB06E177017E4385B0C2CF4CB6D9D26|0|0

Track 1 - Come One Come All / Syd Dale

Track 2 - Wild Elephants / James Clarke

Track 3 - The Groupie / Syd Dale

Track 4 - Lucky Seven / Syd Dale

Track 5 - Cool Stepper / Max Harris

Track 6 - Carnaby Chick / Don Lusher

Track 7 - Running From Danger / Steve Gray

Track 8 - Disco Tek / Syd Dale

Track 9 - Boogaloo / Sys Dale

Track 10 - Go For Broke / Steve Gray

Track 11 - Double Take / James Clarke

Track 12 - London Life / Syd Dale

Track 13 - Spanish Charade / Tony Hatch

Track 14 - Say Something Sweet / James Clarke

Track 15 - Gentle Giant / Syd Dale

Track 16 - Hacienda Happening / Dick Walter

Track 17 - Portobello Market / Syd Dale

Track 18 - Black, White And Wonderful / Les Reed

Track 19 - News Travels Fast / Jim Lawless

This is one of a number of compilations which dig into the Amphonic vaults and unsurprisingly it features label founder Syd Dale heavily. There is a bit of crossover with "Blow Up: Exclusive Blend Vol.2" and they both share a similar easy listening / pop / go go vibe along with excellent sound quality. On many tracks lush orchestration is countered by crisp drums and blasting horns, prime examples being "Portobello Market" and "Cool Stepper". Make no mistake though - there is a great deal of funkiness to be had! The inclusion of music by James Clarke and Tony Hatch perfectly compliments that of Syd and the likes of Steve Gray and Jim Lawless just add an extra cherry to a perfectly formed groove cake, if you get my drift! This is a must have library collection.

P.S - As per the requests I was sent - I have replaced the links on "The Cop Show Themes" by Henry Mancini and "Insight Modulation" by Zanagoria. I hope they work okay. Cheers.

FUNKY FROLIC'S 1ST BIRTHDAY SPECTACULAR!

Wow, I don't know where to begin! It's been such an amazing year at Funky Frolic, one that has involved a great deal of hard work on my behalf ( 418 posts and counting ). However the success of this site is very much a result of the support that has been graciously provided by countless fellow bloggers and visitors. For those of you who have given me advice, sent me albums, linked to Funky Frolic, become members and left so many wonderful messages I would like to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. I thought it would be cool to go over some of the highlights from the last 12 months and also compile an obligatory list. So here we go!

http://funkyfrolic.blogspot.com/2011/01/my-pussy-belongs-to-daddy-various.html

The biggest surprise of year one came when I posted this 1950's novelty record on a whim. I never could have imagined it would become the most viewed and most searched for album at Funky Frolic. I try not to think about the reasons behind that though!

"My Pussy Belongs To Daddy" heads a long list of popular posts that included cover art nudity. From " In The Nude" by Pornland to "Electronic Toys Vol.1" and "Pinball Playboy" by Cook County. Speaking of "Pinball Playboy", didn't that one come out of leftfield...It goes to show that you never quite know what will capture the imagination of the public.

The response to the mixes I've released has been fantastic with over 8,000 downloads. The Legends Of Library series proved to be very popular and I might consider adding a couple more composers to the list in the future. I have just finished another Frolic Beats comp and you can find that directly beneath this post.

I think it's a shame that the "Most Popular Posts" don't really reflect what I consider to be the best albums I have written about. So here is my Top 20 favourites from the year past in no particular order. If you haven't checked them out already then I urge you to click on the links and discover for yourself just how great these records are. Also, feel free to leave a message with your choice of top picks and if I get enough responses I'll post them up sometime.

1. "Desert" by A.Vuolo & E.Grande
2. "The Exotic Moods Of Les Baxter" Les Baxter
3. "Mars Production Library CK-713/CK-714" Various
4. "To-day's Sound" Piero Umiliani
5. "Ritornano Quelli Di... " Calibro 35
6. "Dirty Fan Male" Various Artists
7. "Paris Soul" Ben & The Platano Group
8. "The Amazing Spider-Man OST" Various Artists
9. "Bite Hard: The Music De Wolfe Studio Sampler 1972-1980" Various Artists
10. "Bully OST" Shawn Lee
11. "Under Pompelmo" Giuliano Sorgini
12. "Shut It! The Music Of The Sweeney" Various Artists
13. "Jimmy Ruckus And The Five Fingers Of Death" Big Pimp Jones
14. "Action Drive: KPM Compilation" Various Artists
15. "Bruton BRI 10 - Fantasia" Brian Bennett
16. "Mo'Hawk" Alan Hawkshaw
17. "Insight Modulation" Zanagoria
18. "Setting The Scene: From The Vaults Of KPM" Various Artists
19. "Man In Space With Sounds" Attilio Mineo
20. "Zombie" Fela Kuti & Afrika 70

So what does the future hold for Funky Frolic? Well, I still have a few tricks left up my sleeve and you can expect a number of weird and wonderful Christmas albums over the holiday period. Hopefully sometime in April I will pass the 1,000,000 pageview mark which will be a decent achievement for a niche blog. I hope you will continue to find music of interest at Funky Frolic in 2012 and beyond. With your continued support I'm sure things will keep rolling along.

FF013 FROLIC BEATS VOLUME 4 - VARIOUS ARTISTS

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=IXNH2BLQ

Track 1 - Sitar Mobile / Steve Gray

Track 2 - Flight Of The Bumblebee / Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra

Track 3 - The Doctor's In / Dialogue

Track 4 - News Travels Fast / Jim Lawless

Track 5 - Heat Of The Night / The Sound Stylistics

Track 6 - Pick It Up / Frank Mantis

Track 7 - Do Me A Favour / 40 Winks

Track 8 - Coda / Czerwone Gitary

Track 9 - Flower Pot / Load Stone

Track 10 - Ghost A Go Go / Richard Rome

Track 11 - Get On The Mic / Mr.Chop

Track 12 - Charlie's Angels / Jack Elliott & Allyn Ferguson

Track 13 - Pretty Colours / Keith Mansfield

Track 14 - Robotory / John Fiddy & Sammy Burdson

Track 15 - It's Slinky / Various

Track 16 - Secret Lovers / Acusmatic Group

It's been a while since I posted a Frolic Beats but the latest one is finally ready! I don't want to blow my own horn but there some real gems in this compilation with a nice mix of library tracks, beats and novelties. For me the standouts are the irresistible pop of "Pretty Colours" and "Sitar Mobile". The Shawn Lee tracks is also a highlight and there are a couple more modern numbers in the form of "Get On The Mic" and the closer "Secret Lovers". Some of these tracks have appeared on albums I have posted already while others are exclusives. As always, I hope you enjoy this and if you do then please let me know by leaving a message. Please note - I accidentally labeled the download as FF012 but rest assured it is actually FF013.

BEAT AT CINECITTA VOL.1 - VARIOUS ARTISTS

https://rs207l32.rapidshare.com/#!download|207tl5|99917589|_beat_at_cinecitta__-_1997_-_Beat_At_Cinecitta_Vol_1__192.rar|65140|R~0|0|0

Track 1 - Iena Sequence / Roberto Pregadio

Track 2 - Cheops And Nefertiti / Franco De Gemini

Track 3 - Beat Fuga Shake / Riz Ortolani

Track 4 - Una Sull' Altra / Riz Ortolani

Track 5 - Tiffany Sequence M.8 / Riz Ortolani

Track 6 - Piacere Sequence / Teo Usuelli

Track 7 - Bossa Beat / Franco De Gemini & Alessandro Alessandroni

Track 8 - I Want It All / Bruno Nicolai

Track 9 - Traffic Boom / Piero Piccioni

Track 10 - Tiffany Sequence M.22 / Riz Ortolani

Track 11 - Tema Di Londra M.47 / Francesco De Masi & Alessandro Alessandroni

Track 12 - Tema Di Londra M.1 / Francesco De Masi & Alessandro Alessandroni

Track 13 - Tiffany Sequence M.8 / Riz Ortolani
Track 14 - The Roaring Twenties / Riz Ortolani
Track 15 - Latin Quarter / Riz Ortolani
Track 16 - Tema Di Londra M.10 / Francesco De Masi & Alessandro Alessandroni
Track 17 - Omar Khayyam / Franco De Gemini

More airy pop, jazzy grooves and blasting big band numbers from 60's Italian films. There's plenty of sexy fun to be had throughout and along with Vol.2 it stands as one of the best Italian film music compilations you are likely to come across. The names say it all -  with Piccioni, Alessandroni and  Ortolani on board you are guaranteed of a good time! Highly recommended.

BEAT AT CINECITTA VOL.2 - VARIOUS ARTISTS

http://www.mediafire.com/?7qatz13qd1jckor

Track 1 - Mr. Dante Fontana / Piero Piccioni

Track 2 - Babylon I'm Coming / Piero Piccioni

Track 3 - Per Le Strade Di Roma / Piero Piccioni

Track 4 - A Doppia Faccia / Nora Orlandi

Track 5 - Red Hot / Piero Piccioni

Track 6 - Soho / Nora Orlandi

Track 7 - Shake Per Un Divorzio / Fred Bongusto

Track 8 - Bada Caterina / Armando Trovaioli

Track 9 - Easy Dreamer / Piero Piccioni

Track 10 - Love War Call / Piero Piccioni

Track 11 - London Streets / Nico Fidenco

Track 12 - Sensi / Luis Bacalov

Track 13 - Party Al Piper / Piero Piccioni

Track 14 - Supercolpo Shake / Nico Fidenco

Track 15 - Abigaille / Piero Piccioni

Track 16 - Kiss Kiss Bang Bang / Bruno Nicolai

Track 17 - Notti Caldi / Piero Piccioni

This is probably my favourite out of the Beat At Cinecitta comps. It features music from Italian films circa 1966 - 1970 such as the well known "Colpo Rovente" and "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang". There's something indescribable about good Italian soundtrack scores, the mix of jazz and go go stylings combined with female vocals, strings, horns and organs create a very unique sound that will never be replicated. For my mind the two key tracks are "Easy Dreamer" and "Love War Call", both of them come out of the gates firing and don't let up! My criticism of Volume 3 was that there seemed to be a lack of continuity but on this album there is no such problem, the songs compliment each other well and overall it is an excellent representation of late 60's Italian grooves. Here's some of the artwork featured in the liner notes...

BEAT AT CINECITTA VOL.3 - VARIOUS ARTISTS

http://www.mediafire.com/?3yo5bbv1uo6ytx9

Track 1 - Il Profeta / Armando Trovaioli
Track 2 - Tema Di Oscar / Berto Pisano
Track 3 - Kill Them All! / Berto Pisano
Track 4 - L'Arcidiavolo / Armando Trovaioli
Track 5 - Amore Amore Amore / Piero Piccioni
Track 6 - Playgirl 70 (Party Music 1) / Piero Piccioni
Track 7 - L'Eta Del Malessere (Beat Medio) / Steffano Torossi
Track 8 - Quand'ero Un Bebe' / Armando Trovaioli
Track 9 - Dove Vai Tutta Nuda / Armando Trovaioli
Track 10 - Once And Again / Armando Trovaioli
Track 11 - Playgirl 70 (Party Music 2) / Piero Piccioni
Track 12 - Vedo Nudo (Shake) / Piero Piccioni
Track 13 - Let's Find Out / Armando Trovaioli
Track 14 - Crazy / Armando Trovaioli
Track 15 - Eva La Venere Selvaggia (Shake) / Roberto Pregadio
Track 16 - Right Or Wrong / Piero Piccioni

I'm surprised I didn't get around to posting this series earlier - but here it is! These compilations were put out by Crippled Dick Hot Wax during the library / rare groove / Italian soundtrack resurgence in the late 1990's. While the track selection doesn't really work in terms of continuity, it matters little in the face of gems from Piero Piccioni, Armando Trovaioli and Steffano Torossi. Piccioni's "Vedo Nudo (Shake)" and "Playgirl 70 (Party Music 1)" are both excellent with their main rival being the slinky guitar and organ groove of "Crazy" by Armando Trovaioli. The album is a bit of a strange beast but there should be enough here to satisfy the majority of rare groove fans. Volumes 1 and 2 will be posted in the coming days.

PHILIP GLASS - KOYAANISQATSI OST

http://www.4shared.com/file/KTQDumMc/Koyaanisqatsi_Soundtrack.htm

Track 1 - Koyaanisqatsi

Track 2 - Organic

Track 3 - Cloudscape

Track 4 - Resource

Track 5 - Vessels

Track 6 - Pruit Igoe

Track 7 - The Grid

Track 8 - Prophecies

It might be a world away from being funky but "Koyaanisqatsi" is not only one of my favourite films of all time but one of my favourite soundtracks aswell. The Philip Glass score is strident and restrained, peaceful and chaotic in equal measures. If you haven't heard of the film before it is a 1983 documentary which uses time lapse and slow motion imagery to highlight humanity's impact on the planet. It truly is a powerful and sometimes misunderstood piece of cinema that has counterparts in the likes of "Baraka" ( featuring Koyaanisqatsi cinematographer Ron Fricke ) and "Microcosmos". The soundtrack, with it's hypnotic, repetitive tones is certainly an acquired taste but it has proven to be very popular over the years with Glass even touring with an ensemble and playing the score live in front of screenings.

FELA KUTI & AFRIKA 70 - ZOMBIE

http://www.mediafire.com/?yykdtgmyzny

Track 1 - Zombie

Track 2 - Mister Follow Follow

Track 3 - Observation Is No Crime

Track 4 - Mistake ( Live At 1978 Berlin Jazz Festival )

Aside from being an almighty slab of Afro-Beat from the godfather of the genre, the creation and subsequent reaction to this album is both fascinating and disturbing. Here is the Wikipedia entry...

"The album was a scathing attack on Nigerian soldiers using the zombie metaphor to describe the methods of the Nigerian Military. The album was a smash hit with the people and infuriated the government, setting off a vicious attack against the Kalakuta Republic (a commune that Fela had established in Nigeria), during which one thousand soldiers attacked the commune. Kuti was severely beaten, and his elderly mother was thrown from a window, causing fatal injuries. Soon after Kuti's mother had been injured, the commanding officer defecated on the elderly woman's face. The Kalakuta Republic was burned, and Kuti's studio, instruments, and master tapes were destroyed. Kuti claimed that he would have been killed if it were not for the intervention of a commanding officer as he was being beaten. Kuti's response to the attack was to deliver his mother's coffin to the main army barrack in Lagos and write two songs, "Coffin for Head of State" and "Unknown Soldier", referencing the official inquiry that claimed the commune had been destroyed by an unknown soldier.

Kuti and his band then took residence in Crossroads Hotel as the Shrine had been destroyed along with his commune. In 1978 Kuti married 27 women, many of whom were his dancers, composers, and singers to mark the anniversary of the attack on the Kalakuta Republic. Later, he was to adopt a rotation system of keeping only twelve simultaneous wives. The year was also marked by two notorious concerts, the first in Accra in which riots broke out during the song "Zombie," which led to Kuti being banned from entering Ghana. The second was at the Berlin Jazz Festival after which most of Kuti's musicians deserted him, due to rumors that Kuti was planning to use the entirety of the proceeds to fund his presidential campaign."

Politics aside it is one hell of an album and with the tracks all clocking in over 12 minutes there is plenty of time to immerse yourself in the groove. It really is a must have for all good music collections.

KPM 1070 - BUGALOO IN BRAZIL

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=HKBE05Z0

Track 1 - Tropical Canvas

Track 2 - Pictures In The Sand

Track 3 - Expresso Brazilia

Track 4 - Moonlight Drive

Track 5 - Free Life

Track 6 - Sun Sports

Track 7 - Copacabana Surfboard

Track 8 - Silver Sand

Track 9 - Lust For Listening

Track 10 - Call Of The Tropical Sun

Track 11 - Slow Heat

Track 12 - Freeway To Rio

As far as I know this is Les Baxter's only appearance on the KPM label and it is packed full of tropical exotica. While Les was far from being a one trick pony ( "Dunwich Horror" being just one example ) this is probably the style of music that most of us associate him with. It's lush, bright and bouncy, with percussion and wind instruments often being teamed with breathy female vocals. While "The Exotic Moods Of Les Baxter" was thematically rooted in the Pacific and Asia, this album has a fairly strong South American influenced as titles like "Freeway To Rio" and "Copacabana Surfboard" would suggest. The key track is "Lust For Listening", a frantic drum-heavy number that features some nice vibes work. The whole album is uniformly excellent though and if you haven't heard Les's work before then this is a great place to start. Thanks to the original uploader.

SPACE ODDITIES VOLUME 2 - VARIOUS ARTISTS

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=RXOXPKRA

Track 1 - Strange Forms / Open Air

Track 2 - New Life / New Life

Track 3 - Equilibrium / Distortion Pop

Track 4 - Shut Up / Progressive Percussions

Track 5 - Tremplin / Speed

Track 6 - Cutting The Funk / Rock On

Track 7 - Leavin' My Place / Open Air

Track 8 - Christophus Colombus / Maxi Music

Track 9 - Indian Feeling / CAM Stati D'Animo

Track 10 - Psycho Feeling / CAM Stati D'Animo

Track 11 - Sunshine In My Heart / Evening Colours

Track 12 - Magma Game / Velvet Dreams

Track 13 - Sultana / Titanic

Track 14 - Saba / Portes D'Orient

Track 15 - Sun Adoration / Pop World Of Yan Tregger

Track 16 - Microchaos / Distortion Pop

Track 17 - Gates Of Pop Empire / Panorama

Track 18 - Les Pingouins S'amusent / L'Univers De La Mer

Track 19 - Leaving / Desert

Track 20 - Space People /  Spatial & Co Vol.2

Track 21 - Bluesy Feeling / Jogging

The title of this compilation is a bit misleading because the music doesn't really evoke images of space exploration or martian landscapes ( for me at least ). Instead it is a mostly interesting collection of psychedelic tinged library music tracks from labels such as Patchwork, Telemusic, Vendette and Crea Sound amongst others. Coventional and electronic instruments combine well on groovy numbers such as "Cutting The Funk", "Shut Up" and "Equilibrium". The second half of the album has some real gems with Yan Tregger's "Sun Adoration" and "Space People" from Spacial & Co. Vol.2 being the highlights in my opinion. There's even a couple of vocal tracks thrown in which is fairly unusual for a library comp. It all adds up to a strange and very worthwhile trip into 1970's production music.

REUBEN WILSON & BERNIE WORRELL - BOOGALOO TO THE BEASTIE BOYS

http://www.mediafire.com/?cjzpxam1wpsacd3

Track 1 - Sabotage
Track 2 - Brass Monkey
Track 3 - So What'cha Want
Track 4 - Hey Ladies
Track 5 - Intergalactic
Track 6 - Something's Got To Give
Track 7 - Cooky Puss
Track 8 - Shake Your Rump
Track 9 - Egg Raid On Mojo
Track 10 - Namaste

The Beastie Boys have sampled and taken inspiration from some very funky artists during their career, "Boogaloo To The Beastie Boys" sets out to turn the tables on the B-Boys by creating a bunch of heavy jazz / funk fueled tracks based on some of their past hits. In reality Reuben Wilson and Bernie Worrell don't stick to the script that much, you can generally tell which song they are covering in the opening seconds but beyond that they go off on extended grooves which are more suited to showing of their own talents than paying tribute to the Beastie Boys. Regardless of this, it is a thoroughly enjoyable album that would be well suited to dinner parties or a lazy night at home with a glass of wine.

G.I JOE - PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

 

Download here

Track 1 - Alpine - What To Do When You're Lost

Track 2 - Barbeque - Don't Pull The Fire Alarm Unless There's A Fire

Track 3 - Barbeque - What To Do If Your House Is On Fire

Track 4 - Blowtorch - Don't Call The Fire Department From A Burning Building

Track 5 - Cross Country - Wear Helmets For Protection

Track 6 - Cutter - Instead Of Fighting Find A Better Way

Track 7 - Dial Tone - Have Proper Ventilation While Painting

Track 8 - Doc - Don't Take Drugs Without Your Parents There

Track 9 - Flint - It's Better To Tell The Truth

Track 10 - Flint - Listen To Yourself

Track 11 - Mutt - Don't Pet Strange Dogs

Track 12 - Ripcord - Have Your Eyes Tested

Track 13 - Roadblock - Don't Jump Your Bike Over Downed Powerlines

Track 14 - Shipwreck - Running Away Isn't The Answer

Track 15 - Spirit - What To Do If You Catch On Fire

These public service announcements were featured at the end of G.I Joe episodes between 1989 and 1991. Each segment closed with the catch phrase "...and knowing is half the battle". I presume the other half of the battle involved taking the advice of cartoon characters named "Mutt", "Ripcord" and "Dial Tone" seriously. They certainly are hilarious and have spawned several parodies over the years, but in my opinion nothing is funnier than the real thing. If you haven't heard them before then prepare yourself for a treat and if you have then get ready for a retro blast from the cartoon past!

 

Please note - The re-uploaded version now contains 21 PSA's.