TIME TO SAY GOODBYE

This is probably going to be a rambling post so bear with me.

Today is Funky Frolic's 2nd anniversary. It has been an incredible journey filled with many ups and downs but the time has come for me to say farewell and move on. It's not a decision I've made lightly but many of the things that have happened this year have sucked the fun out blogging. The file sharing issues and subsequent flood of re-requests took away the time and desire I had to create new content and I just couldn't muster the dedication that this place requires.

There are so many people I'd like to thank - from my fellow bloggers to all the wonderful people who left comments that would bring a smile to my face, friends and strangers alike. I've been lucky to have a group of supporters who helped make Funky Frolic what it is and it's been a joy to be part of a community of like-minded music lovers. Thank you all so much.

I feel like I've achieved everything I wanted here. The aim was always to celebrate the music I enjoy and bring it to the widest audience possible. I think that over the course of the last two years I've played my part in fostering the appreciation of certain genres amongst people. Around 7 or 8 terabytes of music have been downloaded through Funky Frolic and it's a thrill to know people have listened to albums I've recommended or mixes that I've created. I couldn't have imagined something I created would receive a million pageviews on the internet, let alone almost two million. It's been a wild ride and one I'll never forget.

I will leave the site up in case I have a change of heart and can't stay away or if I have a new project you might be interested in. I'll lock the comments function in a couple of weeks. You can contact me through my Blogger profile if you wish but please refrain from making music requests. I apologise to those who have outstanding re-up requests, I hope you are able to find what you're looking for somewhere else.

Well, I guess that's it. I've had a lot of fun and I hope you have too. As always, stay funky.

Mr.Craig.

FF020 LEGENDS OF LIBRARY - KEITH MANSFIELD REDUX PT.2

Download here

Track 1 - Teenage Chase
Track 2 - Disco Dynamite
Track 3 - Blue Bells
Track 4 - Crash Course
Track 5 - Bodyguard
Track 6 - Moon Ski
Track 7 - Close Shave
Track 8 - Incidental Backcloth No.3
Track 9 - Man Alive
Track 10 - Funky Thing
Track 11 - Exclusive Blend
Track 12 - Hot Property
Track 13 - Powerhouse Pop
Track 14 - Slow Rocker
Track 15 - Snake Hips
Track 16 - Stealth In The Night
Track 17 - Staying Power
Track 18 - Earth Watch (a)
Track 19 - Life Of Leisure
Track 20 - Funky Captions
Track 21 - Grandstand

Not much to say about this. It's 21 more track of pure Mansfield magic. Go get it!

FF020 LEGENDS OF LIBRARY - KEITH MANSFIELD REDUX PT.1

Download here

Track 1 - Handmade By Robots
Track 2 - Fast Back
Track 3 - Step Forward
Track 4 - Extravaganza
Track 5 - The Beat Moves On
Track 6 - Pop Trumpets
Track 7 - Passport International A
Track 8 - Blockbuster
Track 9 - The Busy Scene
Track 10 - Power Complex
Track 11 - Disco King
Track 12 - City Limits
Track 13 - Top Score
Track 14 - The Contract
Track 15 - Pretty Colours
Track 16 - Twinkle
Track 17 - Big Shot
Track 18 - High Velocity
Track 19 - The Fix
Track 20 - Funky Fanfare

In my continuing attempt to re-upload my Legends Of Library series, I proudly present to you Part 1 of the Keith Mansfield collection. The original compilation has been extended out from 15 tracks to a whopping 41 which hopefully provides a fuller picture of the exceptional talents that Keith has exhibited over his many years in the biz. Hardcore library fans will be familiar with many of these pieces but I've tried to put in a few that aren't as well known. Whether you desire go go, porn funk, groovy synths or easy listening there is plenty for everybody. Part 2 will follow soon. Enjoy!

FF019 LEGENDS OF LIBRARY - ALAN HAWKSHAW REDUX PT.2

Download here

Track 1 - Man Of Means

Track 2 - Piccadilly Night Ride

Track 3 - Action Replay

Track 4 - High Diver

Track 5 - Dave Allen At Large

Track 6 - A Man Alone

Track 7 - Exhilaration

Track 8 - Oh! Militia

Track 9 - Daytripper

Track 10 - Get Ready, Get Set, Fly

Track 11 - The Busy Scene

Track 12 - Drive On

Track 13 - Name Of The Game

Track 14 - Oddball

Track 15 - The Tense Scene

Track 16 - Senor Thump

Track 17 - Brush Off

Track 18 - Strangelands

Track 19 - Wave-Forms

Track 20 - End Credit

As promised here is the second part of my Alan Hawkshaw retrospective. There are plenty of classics to be found ( "Dave Allen At Large", Piccadilly Night Ride", "Name Of The Game", "Senor Thump" etc. ) along with some nice easy listening, electronic based numbers and a couple of short gems from KPM 1043: Beat Incidental. Alan Parker, Brian Bennett and Keith Mansfield add a helping hand on tracks such as "Oh! Militia" and one of my personal favourites, the funky "Oddball". If you enjoy this collection then don't be shy, send me a message and let me know! Part 1 can be found here.

FF019 LEGENDS OF LIBRARY - ALAN HAWKSHAW REDUX PT.1

Download here

Track 1 - Collect

Track 2 - Beat Me Til I'm Blue

Track 3 - Hawkwind And Fire

Track 4 - Girl In A Sports Car

Track 5 - The Speed Of Sound

Track 6 - Hot Seat

Track 7 - Delivery Date

Track 8 - Tap Footer

Track 9 - Flashpoint

Track 10 - Bluebird

Track 11 - Mini Micro

Track 12 - Organ Glitz

Track 13 - Troubleshooter 2

Track 14 - Undergroove

Track 15 - Beat Boutique

Track 16 - Man Of The World

Track 17 - Current Affairs

Track 18 - Playmate

Track 19 - Limit Of Endurance

Here is the first installment of the new and improved Legends Of Library series, featuring the one and only Alan Hawkshaw. I have added 23 new tracks, many of them will already be familiar to fans of the Hawk but a few might have slipped under the radar. There's a nice mix of funk, jazz, easy listening and go go which showcases the incredible talents possessed by arguable the most famous library music composer of all time. These tracks have been sourced from a number of different compilations along with selected Bruton and KPM releases. I hope you enjoy this and feel free to check out Part 2 which can be downloaded here!

FF010 LEGENDS OF LIBRARY - SYD DALE

Part 1 - http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?lp1plast433u5a3

Part 2 - http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?71f61f6fzfasnwz

Part 1

Track 1 - Disco-Tek

Track 2 - Quite Contrary

Track 3 - Knock On Wood

Track 4 - Let Me Take You There

Track 5 - March On The Run

Track 6 - Secret Service

Track 7 - Night Raider

Track 8 - Miss World

Track 9 - The Hellraisers

Track 10 - The Explorers

Track 11 - Lucky Seven

Track 12 - The Washington Affair
Track 13 - Portobello Market
Track 14 - Piece Worker
Track 15 - Sunshine Express

Part 2

Track 1 - The Penthouse Suite
Track 2 - London Life
Track 3 - Boogaloo Blues
Track 4 - Not So Private Eye
Track 5 - Walk In A Nightmare
Track 6 - Minor Crisis
Track 7 - Number One Spy
Track 8 - Come One Come All
Track 9 - Looks Like Trouble (B)
Track 10 - Base Line
Track 11 - Impending Danger
Track 12 - Beauty Parade
Track 13 - The Groupie
Track 14 - Forewarning (C)
Track 15 - Shank's Pony

There is no questioning Syd Dale's place amongst the legends of library music. From his days at KPM through to the founding of Amphonic, his lavish big band inspired compositions were quickly brought to the public's attention through their use in countless t.v shows and advertisements. Much of his work could be classed as easy listening however Dale was also adept at incorporating elements of funk and spy jazz. This collection has been put together using tracks found on his Amphonic releases along with several soundtracks and compilations ( a number have been sourced from the excellent "Crime Jazz Vol.9: Syd Dale In Action" which was put together by THXjay at The Crime Lounge ).

Having listened to this again the first part is more orientated towards easy listening while the second has a number of excellent spy / soundtrack style numbers. The one thing these 30 tracks have in common is a dedication to grooviness and a keen sense of what works musically. I'll be posting a number of Syd Dale related albums in the coming months. I hope you enjoy this compilation as much as I did putting it together. For more Syd click here.

FF009 LEGENDS OF LIBRARY - STEVE GRAY

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?n7dy3eu5epbldvg

Track 1 - Bulldozing
Track 2 - Soul Searching
Track 3 - The Sausage Machine
Track 4 - Discolypso
Track 5 - Snowman's Stomp
Track 6 - Go For Broke
Track 7 - Nevada Junction
Track 8 - Synchronous
Track 9 - Maniac
Track 10 - Beverley Hills
Track 11 - Time To Fly
Track 12 - Running From Danger
Track 13 - Zirkon Fanfare
Track 14 - Eye Catcher
Track 15 - Winning Is Easy
Track 16 - A Tender Touch

Much more than a Legend Of Library, Steve Gray was a session player of note who performed for the likes of Quincy Jones,  Lalo Schifrin, John Barry and Henry Mancini. During his career he collaborated with a diverse range of artists including Olivia Newton-John, Petula Clark and Brian Eno while also playing in a fusion group called Wasp with Brian Bennett and in Sky after replacing Francis Monkman. But today we are focusing on his work for Bruton, KPM and Amphonic.

Some of the tracks on this collection could be described as orchestral funk, others are more experimental ( "The Sausage Machine", "Zirkon Fanfare", "Synchronous" ) and there is also some very nice easy listening thrown in for good measure. You might recognize a couple of the songs from "Time To Fly: Easy Listening From The KPM 1000 Series". As with many of the best library composers, Gray's abilities as a musician gave him the skills to go beyond simple song structures to create new and interesting music without abandoning the core elements required for good production tracks. Steve's "library" of work sits proudly alongside other greats such as Bennett, Parker and Hawkshaw and his impact on the British music scene will not soon be forgotten.

Steve Gray passed away on September 20, 2008.

FF006 LEGENDS OF LIBRARY - BRIAN BENNETT

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?bcy6bw4qjy425qm

Track 1 - Grand Funk
Track 2 - The Unknown
Track 3 - Getting It
Track 4 - Disco Fever
Track 5 - Ergon
Track 6 - In Motion
Track 7 - Proud Industries
Track 8 - Nuplex
Track 9 - Holy Mackerel!
Track 10 - Aim High
Track 11 - It's A Crazy World
Track 12 - Thug
Track 13 - Name Of The Game
Track 14 - Chain Reaction
Track 15 - Tricycle

The Legends Of Library journey continues today with Brian Bennett OBE put under the spotlight. Like many of his fellow composers Bennett was not only an excellent arranger but also an accomplished musician having played drums in The Velvets, Marty Wilde's Wildcats, The Krew Kats and most notably The Shadows. Of course it is wrong of me to speak of him in the past tense because even to this day he continues to produce award winning scores, mostly for television. His collaborations with Alan Hawkshaw bore much fruit with library records such as "Music Machine", "Drama Montage" and "Synthesis" filled with highlights. All 3 of these will be posted at Funky Frolic in the not too distant future.

The tracks featured on this compilation come from the above releases along with several other Brutons and compilation albums, in particular the excellent "Aim High: Brian Bennet At KPM 1973-1976". The music is mostly in the realm of funk and jazz but "The Unknown", "Ergon", "Holy Mackerel!" and the famous "Chain Reaction" are explorations into crime jazz and electronics. I hope that you enjoy this compilation and I encourage you to leave a comment or a suggestion as to who you would like showcased in the future. You can find more of the Legends Of Library series here and visit Brian's official website here.

FF007 LEGENDS OF LIBRARY - TRIBUTE TO JOHNNY PEARSON

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?jqxpz9pj3j5bpzy

Track 1 - Wacker
Track 2 - Assault Course
Track 3 - Mini Motoring
Track 4 - Action Drive
Track 5 - Delhi Discoteque
Track 6 - Girl In Camera
Track 7 - Grand Prix
Track 8 - Long Way To Go
Track 9 - No Time To Hide
Track 10 - Product Efficiency
Track 11 - Action In Memphis
Track 12 - Saturday Off
Track 13 - Back Beat
Track 14 - Come Here Calcutta
Track 15 - Thunderbird
Track 16 - Action Point
Track 17 - Work Force
Track 18 - Crisis
Track 19 - Johnny Takes A Trip
Track 20 - The Awakening
Track 21 - Life Is For Living

I was alerted by a member of the Funky Frolic family that Johnny Pearson sadly passed away last Sunday, aged 85. I immediately set to work putting together a mix to showcase his exceptional career, despite only having 60 odd tracks by Johnny it was still a difficult task to decide what to include because everything he touched turned to gold. Far more than a library music legend, he also made a significant impact in pop and easy listening circles aswell.

This compilation is comprised of music Johnny composed for KPM, Bruton and Themes International. There is no description needed, the music speaks for itself. Rather than giving you a few bits and pieces of information I think it would be best if you take a moment to visit to his wikipedia page which has an informative summation of his 50 or so years in the business. He left an indelible impact on the music world and his legacy will continue to live on for many decades to come. One of the finest KPM's that Johnny worked on is "Sweet Groove" which you can download here. I would like to do a second volume sometime so if you have any of his other albums or songs I would be grateful for any donations.

FF004 LEGENDS OF LIBRARY: KEITH MANSFIELD

Updated compilation can be found here

Track 1 - Moon Ski
Track 2 - The Action Scene
Track 3 - Grandstand
Track 4 - Powerhouse Pop
Track 5 - Funky Fanfare
Track 6 - Funky Thing
Track 7 - Blockbuster
Track 8 - Organ Mania
Track 9 - Hot Property
Track 10 - The Contract
Track 11 - Teenage Ton Up
Track 12 - Teenage Villain
Track 13 - City Limits (A)
Track 14 - Handmade By Robots
Track 15 - Life Of Leisure

The second installment in my Legends Of Library series has the focus turning to Keith "The Man" Mansfield. All the tracks have been collected from KPM's or library music compilations except for "Grandstand" which is sourced from the BBC. Ofcourse it's impossible to go past the classics such as "Funky Fanfare' and "Organ Mania". I kept things fairly uptempo but "The Contract", "City Limits (A)" and the electronic "Handmade By Robots" show off Keith's flexibility. And what better way to end than with the dreamy delight that is "Life Of Leisure".

I hope you enjoy the mix and be sure to let me know what you think. You can find Legends Of Library: Alan Hawkshaw here.

FF003 LEGENDS OF LIBRARY: ALAN HAWKSHAW

Updated compilation can be found here

Track 1 - Beat Me Til I'm Blue
Track 2 - Mile High Swinger
Track 3 - Tap Footer
Track 4 - Girl In A Sportscar
Track 5 - Get Ready, Get Set...Fly
Track 6 - Oddball
Track 7 - Organ Mania
Track 8 - Collect
Track 9 - Fun Pack
Track 10 - Hot Seat
Track 11 - Troubleshooter 1
Track 12 - Man Of The World
Track 13 - The Speed Of Sound
Track 14 - The Reporter
Track 15 - Man Of Means
Track 16 - End Credits

This is the first in a series of compilations I am putting together which celebrate the careers of library music legends. Today we begin with Mr. Alan Hawkshaw. It was a bit of a challenge because I have already posted the excellent "Mo' Hawk" collection at Funky Frolic so I had to dig a bit deeper to come up with some groovy gems.

Hawkshaw fans will know what to expect - lots of great organ work, funky drumming and a smattering of horns and synths. These tracks have been culled from various Bruton and KPM releases aswell as a few compilation albums. I've tried to do the best with the material I have and hopefully it does Alan's amazing career justice.