Monthly Archives: August 2002

Someone on the exotica list posted this rather cool interactive dub thing in flash. A nice fun thing for a Friday.

A round of applause to Matt for completing his 50 Great TV Themes series. Matt recalls familiar and unfamiliar stuff to provide a great listening guide. Isn’t it ridiculous that although it’s 2002 and the record companies have had (at least) 3 years, there’s still no centralized repositary to which Matt can link each track, so that users could visit and hear sound samples, and purchase an electronic copy if they so wish?

Compilation - Ray Barretto: 'Acid/Hard Hands' (CD; Demon; 1967-1968)
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This disc seemed a must-buy to me - 2 of Barretto's most sought-after late 60s albums on one CD. In fact, it wasn't really what I expected. It's not bad at all though.

Acid has 8 tracks, and Hard Hands has 9. Almost without exception, the tracks are 2 or 3-chord jams, played perfectly with immaculate percussion, great brass solos, and quirky vocals. The sound is undeniably cool, but most of the songs go on a little too long for me. That said, this would make a great party CD, because pretty much all the tracks are upbeat and funky, and if you're not actually listening too hard, you probably wouldn't get bored.

The album sounds like it was a lot of fun to make, with throwaway lyrics chanted out. The 'Hard Hands' album has a more overt James Brown influence, with some wailing horns, grunting, and a funky beat.

Some of the tracks, while hilarious, are simply too cheesy for me. These include 'A deeper shade of soul', 'The teacher of love'. In other places, Ray is a dead ringer for Austin Powers (e.g. in 'The soul Drummers', in which he keeps exclaiming 'Yeah Baby!'. 'Love beads' is pleasant, but sounds just a bit too much like it was created in 2 minutes for me. The execution is immaculate, but the composition doesn't really deserve such great performance!

My favorite tracks include 'El Nuevo Barretto', 'Abidjan', 'Espiritu Libre' (a nice free-sounding piece, more jazzy and complex than many of the tracks here). 'Acid' has an incredible introduction, which I believe was sampled on 'De la soul is dead' (either this or something that sounds a lot like it). Still, I guess this proves I'm a snob, but to me, 5:03 is too long for a track with 2 chords!

In all, as you can tell, I'm a little mixed about these albums. While I think the simplicity of the tracks here is actually deceptive, I need to listen more (probably over a few drinks) in order to truly appreciate it. I'm not crazy about the vocals, and would probably have liked the albums more if they had been left off. That said, just listening now makes me want to throw a party, which can only be a good thing!

Compilation - The Gimmicks: 'From Acapulco to Tokyo - the best of' (CD; Sonet; 1969-1976)
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The Gimmicks are a strange group to me. A casual listener would probably dismiss them as simply an inferior Brasil'66- style vocal group. Indeed, the first track on this compilation is a version of 'Mas Que Nada'. But in fact, their overall sound is quite different, with a spooky kind of feel and some interesting choices of material.

The Brazilian-style tracks are all fun; the joker (ok, it's not Brazilian, but Brasil '66 did sing it) and Ching Ching, Hej Hej (Tim Dom Dom), sung in Swedish, are particularly entertaining. There's also a version of Joao Donato's 'The Frog' (the liner notes say it's traditional, but I'm pretty sure it's Donato, right? I find that lazy liner notes writers often have a tendency to describe songs written in the 1960s as 'traditional'), Toquinho's 'Que Maravilla', 'Ye Me Le' (another Brasil '66 echo), Jobim's 'O Morro Nao Tem Vez' (here called 'Somewhere in the hills'), and Jorge Ben's 'Pais Tropical'.

Even on the more upbeat tracks, there's a strange, echoey, melancholy feel, particularly on 'Waitin' shiv'rin' at the bus stop', 'ye-me-le,' and 'homeless'.

There are lots of songs here that I assume are popular hits of the 70s, but which I don't really know. 'Stone Slipper Cindy' has a slightly schmaltzy 70s radio feel to it, but ends up being extremely catchy, with some great vocals in the chorus.

There are also some famous (perhaps too famous) cover versions - 'It's too late', 'slippin into darkness' and 'you are the sunshine of my life' (sung in Swedish). It's here that the disc really comes unstuck - prety much all the recordings from after 1971 become too much for my taste - very smooth and jazzy in a way that I find a little painful.

My only real beef with this disc is that it omits their version of 'California Soul', which is quite brilliant. It makes me worry that there are other great tracks missing. Still, it's a nice introduction to the group, and if you buy it direct from a swedish store, it's pretty cheap.

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Quick non-musical interlude: I just found this rather amazing site. It’s a community for people who love British chocolate. The cross-section of people who like chocolate is fascinating, and almost as many people who scorn the site seem to put in an appearance. There’s a lively forum featuring discussions like “Nightmare with my walnut whip!” and “Minstrel Warning”, and the discussions themselves are very entertaining. This one is about Revels, a strange packet of chocolate sweets:

“Yes! there was definitely a strawberry one. Not sure about the coconut one though. Wish they would bring it back as the coffee ones are horrible. Don’t they know that no-one likes them and everyone gives them to the dog?”

The site was of special interest to me, since I brought back 8 Tunnock’s Caramel bars, 3 packets of Smarties, and 6 Caramacs from my trip to Scotland.

I managed to buy absolutely no CDs on my trip. Just a few interesting soundtrack 45s from Pakistan, which I hope to review here soon.

Jorge Ben: 'Africa Brasil' (CD; Philips; 1976)
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Just had an exhausting but fun weekend with my brother visiting from London. I’ve had a few LPs continually on the turntable recently: Stillness by Sergio Mendes and Brasil ’66 (their last album, from 1970), and Yummy Yummy Yummy by Julie London. I was also playing a batch of tracks from the last few years: Amon Tobin, DJ Food etc. I really like some tracks on these newer albums, but never get into most of them. I need to make a compilation.

Anyway, a couple of albums I couldn’t resist arrived this morning from Dusty Groove.

Johnny Harris: 'Movements' (CD; Warner; 1969-1970)
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I came to this album after hearing Francis Lai's great version of 'Footprints on the moon' on a 70s LP I have by him. Johnny Harris composed that track, which was apparently used on British TV by the BBC to accompany footage of the moon landing.

It turns out that the LP is more famous for 'stepping stones', a funky, upbeat track with a lot of wah wah guitar, which was used in a Levi commercial a few years ago. The album has become very hard to come by, with even bootleg vinyl copies selling for big money. So I was pleased when I heard about this CD. I was even more pleased when I opened it up: there's a thick booklet with background information and interview snippets with Johnny Harris, and the artwork is faithfully reproduced.

The music is also delightful for the most part. The album opens with "Fragment of fear," a catchy and slow-burning soundtrack piece with a synthesized piano, funky drums, flute, and organ. The use of the piano reminds me of some of the better work by Pete Moore, another good UK session arranger of the 60s and 70s.

The short 'reprise,' from the same soundtrack score, is slow and repetitive, sounding like a Satie piece, but arranged for a guitar. Next up is the aforementioned 'Stepping Stones'. This features a violent-sounding flute and a fiercely-paced beat with some wicked percussion. While the sound is undeniably cool, it's repetitive, and I find the track a little overlong at 5:21.

The liner notes express Harris's apparent distaste for his record company's insistence that he include cover versions of contemporary songs on his album. Even so, his take on 'Something' is ok. It's long at over 6 minutes, and explodes into life for the last minute, with that kind of brassy, funky, stringy, and hip feel that the whole UK 'funky easy' sound is known for.

The next cover is 'Give Peace a Chance,' and it's pretty bizarre. The arrangement is extremely hip, but the song is not. The vocal, which I think is by Harris himself, is very low in the mix, and is joined by a pretty cheesy-sounding female chorus. Overall the track has quite a cool 'Hair'-style vibe to it, but I don't think I'd choose to listen to it that often.

The reason for my purchase comes next, in the shape of Harris's original version of 'Footprints on the Moon', which has apparently been sampled by some talented dudes ('wiseguys', I think). Anyway, Harris's version is pretty cool: a little less slushy than Francis Lai's, with more of an airy feel to it. The tune is really rather enchanting, and I highly recommend that you check it out if you didn't hear it already. I guess my only complaint about this version is that in the chorus section, it becomes rather bombastic, with full orchestra and choir. And the ending isn't quite as cool as in Francis Lai's version. Still, it's a winner.

The album concludes with a trio of covers. 'Light my fire' is first, and I never thought I'd hear myself say this, but I actually find I miss Shirley Bassey's vocals slightly. Again, the arrangement is a little bombastic, but it's great fun. 'Wichita Lineman' is a very pleasant 'footprints'-style arrangement, with a slow, gently funky feel to it. 'Paint it Black' is very interesting. A slow descending chord sequence with a funky beat introduces the track, and then after you've forgotten that this is 'Paint it Black,' the tune comes in, played slowly on the piano. I kind of wish that was it, but in fact, the orchestra goes mental just over half-way through the song, and the remainder is played out at double speed with a huge beat.

This CD reissue contains 2 bonus tracks, 'Lulu's theme', a fast, rocking instrumental, and a mono version of 'Footprints..'

Overall, this record hints at utter brilliance, but in the end doesn't completely do it for me. There are some fantastic moments, and 3 or 4 excellent tracks, but the arrangements sometimes get slighly too brassy and bombastic for my taste. Hey, maybe that's just today though. It's still a very nice record and a very well put together reissue.


1. Fragment of fear
2. Reprise
3. Stepping stones
4. Something
5. Give peace a chance
6. Footprints on the moon
7. Light my fire
8. Wichita lineman
9. Paint it black
10. Lulu's theme (mono - bonus track)
11. Footprints on the moon (mono - bonus track)

Os 3 Morais: 'Os 3 Morais' (CD; EMI Brazil; 1971)
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Another CD reissue that I bought on the basis of a single track. This Brazilian vocal group's interpretation of Marcos Valle's 'Freio Aerodinamico' really blew my mind when I first heard it a couple of years ago on the Blue Brazil Volume 2 compilation. Although I've made a few sightings of this LP on ebay, it has sold for over $100 each time. Thanks to the people at EMI Brazil, my search is over.

I'm not disappointed at all, but at the same time, the album is different from what I expected. The main element of surprise for me was the extent to which the group seem to have been influenced by the Swingle Singers. To me, this is no bad thing; it was simply unexpected.

The album opens strongly with 'se quiser valer,' a groovy number with brass and a great rhythm that reminds me of some of Marcos Valle's best work.

The second track, 'Odeon' is an interesting mix. It starts and ends in slow pseudoclassical mode, and then a bossa nova-style guitar come in, and there's a great late 60s 'A Man and a Woman' soundtrack feel, with wordless vocals and some great harmonies. It's a great fusion of that Swingle Singers sound and Brasilian pop. If you've ever heard the Polish group Novi Singers, this sounds a bit like their work, except slightly sweeter and less jarring. At the end, it morphs into a beautiful pseudoclassical piece, with a clear Swingle Singers influence.

'Tão preso pelo teu olhar' is a slower ballad, with beautiful instrumental and vocal harmonies.
'Sambachiana' has vocals that are sung entirely in the scat style, sounding like a fantastic mix of Novi Singers, Swingle Singers, and also Burt Bacharach (I'm thinking the track 'South American Getaway' here).

Although many of the tracks being interpreted on this album are not well-known outside Brazil, there are some famous numbers, including 'Desafinado'. This version is unusual - slow, jazzy, and not immediately recognizeable. It's as if the group are taking the 'off key' tag a bit too literally - there are lots of bizarre chord changes. It's definitely interesting, but kind of weird as well. It reminds me of some of the Tamba Trio's wilder tracks, except slower.

After 'Freio Aerodinamico' is 'Azul da cor do mar,' a slow number with high vocals and a nice slow groove to it. It's really quite charming.

Next up is an intriguing version of the standard 'Tico Tico'. This opens with a similar plucked guitar and strings background to 'Freio..', but then the scat vocals kind of change the atmosphere. The vocals sound free and liberated in a very cool way, reminding me again of the Novi Singers.

'Violão vadio', a Baden Powell composition, is a slow and beautiful ballad with strings. 'Bachianinha No. 2' is superb - solemn, yet fun, with a mixture of classical and bossa nova instrumentation. 'Historia de uma criança' is another slower number, a delicate tune with same the lush instrumentation as most of the rest of the album. This one could be accused of being very slightly schmaltzy, but it's so beautiful and innocent-sounding that I feel bad for saying that.

The album closes with 'Jequi-Bach', another superb Bacharach-Novi-Swingle hybrid track. I like this album a lot, and hope that the nice people at EMI Brazil will reissue some more of Os 3 Morais's albums.

1. Se quiser valer,
2. Odeon
3. Tão preso pelo teu olhar
4. Sambachiana
5. Desafinado
6. Freio Aerodinamico
7. Azul da cor do mar,
8. Tico Tico
9. Violão vadio
10. Bachianinha No. 2
11. Historia de uma criança
12. Jequi-Bach

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’24 Hour Party People’ was very interesting. Actually, watching it had a bizarre effect on me. It was such a strange mix of drama, comedy and nostalgia that it made me feel quite queasy. It was odd to see Steve Coogan, very much in his Alan Partridge [UK spoof chat show comedy series] persona. Also entertaining was the crowd. I didn’t realize this was opening night for the movie in New York. So all kinds of hipster types were there (some wearing New Order T-shirts – I wonder where that shirt I had with the ‘&’ on it is!) and the theater was packed out.

On a completely different note, I watched the show ‘American Idol’ last night, in which young people compete for the chance to be a manufactured pop star. I actually watched pretty much the whole show, mainly because they had brought in Burt Bacharach to practice with the five finalists, and each of them had to perform one of his songs.

The first girl chose ‘Walk on by’, an obvious choice, but actually my favorite song by him as well. She was technically excellent, but I found the performance quite tasteless. Why do people feel like they have to add all kinds of souley woooahs and oohaas! You can express soul and emotion within a great tune like that without resorting to tasteless tactics. The next guy chose the theme from ‘Arthur’. Dreadful song. He was a bit of a flat performer anyway, but I was never going to like anyone doing that song. Next up a girl sang ‘A house is not a home’, which I think is a great song. She definitely had something – a great presence and an incredibly strong voice. But unfortunately she came from the Whitney Houston school of singing, in which you have to wag your jaw and improvise tastelessly. She had been doing well, but she lost me there. Let’s face it, I’m pretty hard to please when it comes to Bacharach, schooled as I am on the classic 60s versions (Della Reese is my favorite version of ‘A house…’ for the record). Next up came a charismatic Art Garfunkel lookalike, singing ‘The Look of Love’. I had high hopes for him, but I think it’s a really hard song to sing well. It didn’t help that each performer had to sing silly 1 and a half-minute abridged versions of the songs. Finally came a girl singing ‘Always something there to remind me’. She was ballsy, and the arrangement was much better than most of the other ones had been (although it did sound strangely like ‘Tainted Love’ in the middle). Unfortunately, for all her pluck, she must have been nervous, and was unable to be perfectly in tune. She was still my favorite though.

After each performance, the judges came right out and told each person what they thought. They were very, very mean to the second and fifth contestants, and were all over the third (they even compared her to Celine Dion and Whitney Houston – wow, what a compliment!). Interesting to watch the program, even though I wasn’t that impressed.

Merit Hemmingson: 'Trollskog' (CD; EMI Svenska; 1972)
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This album is rather unlike most in my collection. I know very little about it, and bought the CD because I was ordering CDs from a Swedish store anyway, and had heard a vague recommendation somewhere. The price was about $6, so I figured it was worth a try. I'm glad that I bothered.

The album is long, with 20 tracks. The footnote to its title states that it is 'Swedish folk music with a beat'. To my non-Swedish ears, some are considerably more accessible to others. I recommended 'Mandom Mod Och Morske Män, ' a catchy blaxploitation-meets-church organ fusion, over at musical taste. Nevertheless, there are many beautiful things hiding in this album.

A couple more tracks follow the beat-oriented tone of the first track, adding some nice wordless vocals: 'Brudmarsch Efter Lisme Per' and 'Oxdansen'.

Also accessible to me are the slow, melancholy jazzy instrumentals with guitar and organ. The feel of these, while understated and slightly prog-rock sounding, reminds me of the airy soundscapes of Gainsbourg's 'Melody Nelson' album. 'Jag Ser Uppå Dina Ögon', 'Leksands Brudmarsch' and 'Så Ödsligt Molnen På' are good examples of tracks in this style.

The album is also notable for its excellent use of vocals. 'Fäbodpsalm Av Oskar Lindberg' reminds me of the Beach Boys singing 'Our prayer,' while 'Brudmarsch Efter Florsen I Burs' sounds like a slightly less jazzy and more folky reworking of the kind of sound Piero Umiliani achieved on the 'Sweden, heaven or hell' soundtrack.

There are also several overtly folk tracks, often featuring prominent violins, vocals and harpsichord, such as 'Lill-Pelle Kúut Fort!', 'Fyllepolska Från Jät', 'Engelbrekt Och Hans Dalkarlar', and 'Eklundaposka'. In fact, much of the last quarter of the album is in this style, and the final track ends with the sound of the wind.

In all, it's a very interesting record, and I wonder how well known it is outside of Sweden. I love the semi-classical undertone in several of the tracks, and the way they run together and continue into each other.

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Tonight I’m finally going to see the film ‘24 Hour Party People.’ I’ve been reading and hearing about it for months, and it finally opened here in NYC last week. I’ve heard almost universally good things about the movie, and I imagine it would be hard for me not to enjoy it, given the subject matter, and the lead actor (Steve Coogan, who I enjoyed seeing and hearing in British comedy shows like ‘Knowing Me, Knowing You, The Day Today, and Coogan’s Run).

Cocteau Twins: 'Milk and Kisses' (CD; Capitol; 1996)
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Often regarded as being released when the band were past their best, this album is nevertheless kind of special to me. That's probably because I was still a huge fan of theirs at the time it came out. In fact, I had hardly heard their music until 'Heaven or Las Vegas' came out in 1990.

When "Milk and Kisses" came out, I was living in London. I went to see them play at the Royal Albert Hall. It was really a bridge period in my life, shortly before I moved to America, and shortly before I became more open-minded about music and started to listen to other stuff aside from the Smiths, New Order, Joy Division, etc... So it feels funny to listen to it now. These were the days when I eagerly bought singles as well (I recall having a nice 2 x7" set of 'rilkean heart'). The music sounds slightly melancholy, but it's still great.

The singles were 'Violane', 'Tishbite,' and 'Rilkean Heart'. I'm not that big on 'Violane' - it's a bit too desolate and rocky for my taste. 'Tishbite' is nice and simple, major chords and hammond organ sounds. It threatens to be almost too simple, but then the chorus comes in and is gloriously catchy, recalling some of the great singles they did in the past. 'Rilkean Heart' is stunning. The single version was acoustic, with just a piano accompaniment as I recall. This fully orchestrated version is just dreamily beautiful, and floats along. This is the kind of track I like to hear if I'm exhausted, hung over or upset. The atmosphere of the song is so thick that it's almost tangible.

'Half-gifts' is a nice delicate track with a waltz rhythm. The lyrics are almost discernable on this track, which is rare for the band. 'Calfskin Smack' was my favorite track when this album came out, a luxuriously slow and warm number, classic Cocteau Twins-by-numbers, but great anyway, with lovely 'la-la-la-la' harmonies near the end.

The other highlights for me are 'serpentskirt', a moody and deceptively catchy track, and 'Treasure Hiding', which has a slow, quiet buildup before exploding into a beautiful, dreamy chorus.

All in all, it's hard for me to be objective about this album, since it reminds me so strongly of a particular time in my life. I'd like to argue with those who say it's just a formulaic swansong to the band's career, but I guess they could be right. That doesn't make it any less enjoyable for me though...

1. Violaine
2. Serpentskirt
3. Tishbite
4. Half-Gifts
5. Calfskin Smack
6. Rilkean Heart
7. Ups
8. Eperdu
9. Treasure Hiding
10. Seekers Who are Lovers

Geeky note: I used to have the beautiful envelope pack limited edition CD (the lower one in the picture). I sold it for $40 to a very kind American in 1997 when I was raising money to move.

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Last weekend involved a train ride to the beach – much more successful. I’ve been holding off buying CDs, but gave in yesterday.

Compilation: 'Easy Tempo Volume 8' (CD; Right Tempo; 1968-1986)
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This is the latest volume in my collection of this series of Italian soundtrack cuts. Overall, I haven't been quite as bowled over by the earlier volumes as I had hoped. I have volumes 1, 2, and 5 as well as this. All the others are good, and kind of incredible in their way. But I didn't find myself listening to 1 and 2 as much as 5 and 8.

This volume opens with the sublime wordless vocals and strings of 'Autostrada Per Los Angeles'. The next track is almost equally brilliant - sublime strings and a slow samba-style beat are the backing for a series of surprising chord changes in Berto Pisano's 'To Jean'. There are some wordless vocals, too.

The mood varies from spikey, percussive, jazzy grooves ('Rhythm and sex', 'a ciascuno il suo' through smooth bossa nova tracks and relaxed easy listening. There's also some more 70s style fusion jazzy stuff. There are a few vocal tracks, notably the jazzy 'world of the blues' and the fun 'la notte e fatta per rubare' by model Catherine Spaak', which has a nice 60s ye-ye feel.

Probably my favorite track on the disc is 'La famiglia Nicotera' by Piero Piccioni, and astounding, bouncy instrumental with wordless vocals, the kind of early 70s Italian soundtrack piece that sounds almost like it could have been on the last Stereolab album.

1. Autostrada Per Los Angeles - Bruno Nicolai (3:02)
2. To Jean - Berto Pisano (3:09)
3. A Ciascuno il Suo - Luis Bacalov (Rhythm Version) (4:27)
4. Bais des Anges - Walter Rizzati (3:44)
5. L'Italia Vista Dal Cielo - Piero Piccioni (Lombardia) (2:12)
6. Tema Di Barbara - Alberto Baldan Bembo (2:37)
7. World of the Blues - Fred Bongusto (3:12)
8. Mission Danger/Patrol Pursuit - Bruno Nicolai (1:59)
9. La Notte E' Fatta Per... Rubare - Catherine Spaak (2:40)
10. Malizie de Veneri - Gian Piero Reverberi (Seq. 2) (3:01)
11. Vivere Felice - Armando Trovajoli (3:23)
12. Rhythm and Sex - Gianni Ferrio (2:00)
13. Italia Vista Dal Cielo - Piero Piccioni (Beat Pastorale #1) (1:57)
14. Fuga Dall'isola - Alfred Waltzman (2:53)
15. Tema B - Tema B (2:54)
16. Fearing Much - Stefano Torossi (3:42)
17. Step by Step- Gianni Ferrio (2:51)
18. Blues for Alexandra - Romano Mussolini (5:24)
19. Running Fire - Lou Stein (8:36)
20. La Famiglia Nicotera - Piccioni (2:36)
21. Metropoli - Gino Marinacci Ensemble (3:23)

Compilation: 'Cinema De Funk, Volume 3' (CD; Electrostatic; 1968-1976)
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I saw a compilation in this series once, but at $15 or so, I hesitated to buy it, since it seemed to be of only semi-legal origin, and I had a couple of the tracks already. I bought this volume when it turned up at my favorite used store. It turns out to be quite excellent.

1. Avant Soi - Jean-Pierre Bourtayre
2. The Jet Rock - Mike Thedorak
3. Face Up To It Baby - Pat Williams
4. Morning Walk - Arthur Moore
5. The Morning After - Bernard Ebbinghouse
6. Waltz For Caroline - Simon Napier
7. Comin Back - Stu Phillips
8. The Wierdos - Fred Karlin
9. Fuzz - Stanley Myers
10. Freedom School Parade - Elma Berns
11. Mrs Robinson - Joe Scott Orchestra
12. Rockin Chair - Michel Le Grand
13. Lola - Doug Davies
14. Sentries Charge - Al Hirt
15. Transistor Q - Barry Botkin

As you will notice, some of the artist names have been changed, presumeably for legal reasons, but maybe they were just being funny. For example 'Arthur Moore' is Dudley Moore, and I presume that 'Mike Thedorak' and 'Elma Berns' are in fact the more famous composers that they sound like.

Apparently, the compilation originated in Australia. There really isn't a bad track, but In my opinion, the best one is 'Face up to it baby' by Pat Williams, an incredibly groovy little instrumental with a very cool 'Sound Gallery' type feel to it. It's taken from 1968's 'how sweet it is'. It's directly followed by another great one - 'Morning Walk' by Dudley Moore. While very much in the style of his work on 'Bedazzled', this also owes a great deal to Burt Bacharach. 'The morning after' by "Bernard Ebbinghouse" is entertaining mainly because it is a complete pastiche of the Sergio Mendes version of 'mais que nada', while not being quite the same. 'Waltz for Caroline' features some wicked organ that recalls the 'girl on a motorcycle' soundtrack.

Another track that really surprised me was 'Sentries Charge' by Al Hirt, from 'Viva Max'. This one has an incredibly insistent beat and a fuzzy guitar. The trumpet is so over the top that it's really ridiculous, but the whole track retains a catchy feel, with its repetitive tune, which reminds me of Grieg's (and ELO's) 'In the hall of the mountain king'.

This disc is definitely worth picking up if you see it. There are no notes other than a record of which year and film each track is from, but it's great stuff.

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