I was having a look around YouTube yesterday when I came across this little gem. It's a clip from the 1973 film "Furyô anego den : Inoshika Ochô" aka "Sex And Fury". The music playing over the top is "The Free Life" by Alan Parker, a track which has been used in more than one film / t.v show over the years. I'm not sure if it actually appears somewhere in this particular film or if it was simply used by the uploader for the sake of the video. It's a very catchy piece of music, I've had it rolling around in my head all day. As for "Sex And Fury"...you'll have to see it to believe it! Definitely NSFW.
Here's the same fight scene with what appears to be the original music. Still funky though!
Track 16 - Haunted Lullaby / Eric Allen & Frank Reidy
Track 17 - Laboratorie / Pierre Arvay
Track 18 - Allegorie 1 / Pierre Arvay
Track 19 - La Fete Fantastique 4 / Pierre Arvay
Track 20 - Stalactites Et Stalagmites / Pierre Arvay
Track 21 - La Fete Fantastique 5 / Pierre Arvay
Track 22 - Le Planet Noire / Pierre Arvay
Track 23 - Telescope / Pierre Arvay
Track 24 - Algues Rouge / Pierre Arvay
Track 25 - Musique Concrete 3 / Camille Sauvage
Track 26 - Industrie Spatiale / Robert Hermel
Track 27 - Rosee D'Espace / Pierre Arvay
Track 28 - Sunspots / Derek Laren
Track 29 - From Outer Space / Eric Allen & Frank Reidy
Track 30 - Zenith / Even De Tisso
Track 31 - UFO / Eric Allen & Frank Reidy
Track 32 - Rosee D'Espace 2 / Pierre Arvay
Track 33 - L'erebe / Even De Tisso
Track 34 - Dark Moon / Simon Park & Antonio Valotti
Track 35 - La Fete Fantastique 6 / Pierre Arvay
Track 36 - Chinese Torture / Eric Allen & Frank Reidy
Track 37 - Andromede / Fredrick Bayle
Track 38 - Depart Fusee / Claude Vasori
A real beast of a library record, this De Wolfe release takes you on a trip back in time to a world where monster movies were all the rage! You can expect plenty of expansive and overwrought orchestration mixed with theremin and a few other unusual instruments. To be honest I hadn't heard much of Pierre Arvay's work prior to this record ( apart from a few tracks he contributed to Dr.Who ) but I was very impressed by what I heard. Other composers such as Camille Sauvage, Simon Park and Peter Reno should be more familiar to library fans and they provide some great tracks. This album should appeal to those interested in soundtrack music or the Bruton BRM series. Many thanks to pixel_face for passing this one on to me.
I first came into contact with The Whitefield Brothers through a YouTube video for the song "Safari Strut". Clearly this is some kind of lost mystical afro/breakbeat album from the mid 70's I thought to myself. To my amazement however I discovered the record was released just a few short years ago. Once I had listened to the whole set the modern aspects on tracks such as "Reverse" and "The Gift" became apparent but the most striking part of the music is the dedication to authenticity, particularly when it comes to the truly stunning percussion work.
When performers try to mix a number of different genres together the results can sometimes be disconnected and wishy washy but there are no such problems here. The blend of funk, jazz, afro, exotica and Clutchy Hopkins style drumming is sublime and evokes images of taking a roadtrip through the heart of Africa. It's a glorious celebration of sound that I can't recommend highly enough.
The Whitefield Brothers ( aka The Poets Of Rhythm ) have released one other album that I know of, 2002's "In The Raw" which is also outstanding. Thanks to the original uploader. Enjoy!
Here's a selection of library music related mixes you can find online. Whether your taste is for French, Italian or British labels you'll find something of interest here. Some of the featured artists include Alan Tew, Nino Nardini, John Cameron, Brian Bennett, Piero Umiliani, Syd Dale, Geoff Bastow, Alan Hawkshaw, Pierre Dutour, Alain Goraguer, Tod Dockstader, Mandingo, Blue Phantom and many more. Most of the mixes are streamed but a couple can be also be downloaded.
It's Christmas in May! Regulars at Funky Frolic may recall my love of "Mars Production Library CK 713-714", a collection of kitsch generic jingles for use on radio. Last night to my joy I discovered another Mars release, this one is geared towards the holiday season with lots of little stings encouraging people to have a wonderful Christmas. It's a blink and you'll miss it affair with the whole album clocking in at a whopping three and a half minutes! I found this over at The Jingle Jetsam which has a very nicely collection of retro advertising for you pleasure so be sure to check it out sometime. Enjoy!
I've wanted to hear this record for a quite a while and was not disappointed. It's a mixture of music that's suitable for corporate videos and the kind of thing you might have heard at a disco for robots. Keith Mansfield composed all but the last two tracks and he manages to navigate between electro pop and ambient with an ease that comes through vast musical experience. I think you could present a pretty strong argument that this is the quintessential sound of mid 1980's library music. Thanks to the uploader.
Some of the later BRI's have been popping up online in recent months and here's another good example. This 1985 release by Patrick Wilson isn't entirely to my taste but "Greenpeace", "Bright Eyes" and "Cleansweep" hold some interest ( the latter has a bit of a "Material Girls" feel to it ). "Keep Fit" is also a curious one with its combination of synths and didgeridoo. I did quite enjoy the second half of the album and if you have a soft spot for 80's pop then this is well worth a listen.
I'm a big fan of hip hop music and beat tapes that use samples of superhero / cartoon dialogue so this production by DJ Boba Fettucini was right up my alley. There's lots of great beats on display along with some surprisingly funky moments and library music. The set is split up into 2 sides which total 37 minutes. Boba Fet has also created mixes that feature Fat Albert and Yo Gabba Gabba! which you can check out here.
After yesterday's journey into the world of pirate radio I decided to delve a little deeper into the www looking for some more retro radio spots and promos. I dug up quite a haul of interesting material and the first comp I've put together is this collection of 1970's exploitation film trailers. Those of you who are familiar with "Super Bad, Super Black" and "Sex, Sleaze & Soul" will know what to expect - lots of violent imagery and sexually suggestive wordplay mixed in with a great deal of cheesiness. It's a little shocking, a little bit funky and very fun. I don't know how "You Only Live Twice" slipped in there but it's suitable trashy anyway. Library fans will notice that the music used in the "Teenage Tramp" spot is "Powerboat" by Alan Hawkshaw. As always, I hope you dig.
I've been lacking a bit of motivation in the last week but I hope this makes it up to you. I've put together a collection of promos, intros, retro advertising and various oddities taken from pirate radio stations broadcasting into Britain during the 1960's. There's lots of wild and wacky sounds from the likes of Radio Caroline, Swinging Radio England along with Radio Luxembourg and others. For a bit of background info on the fascinating world of pirate broadcasting check out wikipedia pages here and here. 53 tracks, 25 minutes - enjoy!
This almighty slab of 1970's fusion funk has been sampled by a plethora of hip hop acts over the years including The Fugees, De La Soul, Jungle Brothers and NWA. You'll understand why as soon as "God Make Me Funky" hits your ears while "Daffy's Dance" and "If You've Got It, You'll Get It" also contain several sample worthy passages. The other tracks possess more of an afro / exotica feel but still hold plenty of highlights. For more information about the Headhunters you can check out their wiki page here.
I've been looking for a copy of this record for a while and stumbled across it today in a secluded corner of the internet. Francis Monkman is at the helm of this 1984 Bruton and what you get is a load of synthy goodness, some of the tracks have a distinct retro computer game vibe while others are more pared back and ambient. It's a typical Monkman affair with unusual elements and tempo changes at play. "Forcefield" might come off second best when compared to other classic BRI's such as "Tempus Fugit" and "Fantasia" but there is still plenty of joy to be found within its short 34 minute playtime.
