Soul — All Formats  

Finally – the long overdue release of one of the funkiest soundtracks ever! The music to Black Belt Jones has always been the stuff of legend – mostly only issued as a promo single back in the 70s, but funky enough that it's ranked among the best soundtracks of the decade! The score was composed and performed by Dennis Coffey and Luchi De Jesus – the former a funk star in his own right, the latter the composer of the ultra-hip Friday Foster soundtrack – and together, the pair have crafted some killer grooves that mix guitars, congas, and blasting orchestrations that could plow Enter The Dragon into the dust! Plus, the soundtrack nicely mixes together bits of dialogue and sound effects from the film – making things sound a lot like some of those cool Japanese Bruce Lee soundtracks that were floating around from years back. Titles include "Love Theme", "At The Beach", "Main Theme", "Opening Theme", "Drama", "Mafia Theme", and "Sexy".

An amazing double-header – and a set that really adds a lot more music than we might have expected! First up is a richly expanded version of Cleopatra Jones – one of the best of the blacksploitation scores of the early 70s – a masterpiece of music that we rate every bit as high as Shaft or Superfly – maybe even higher! The music here is incredible – a surprising funky turn for JJ Johnson, who most folks know for his straighter jazz work – and like Marvin Gaye, Barry White, and others who were surprising the world with their ability to score music for a full film during the early 70s, JJ really knocks it out of the park with this one – coming up with a batch of tunes that are a wonderful mix of sophisticated scoring, creative instrumentation, and some damn funky grooves! The title cut features Joe Simon on vocals, and Millie Jackson sings on the cuts "Love Doctor" and "It Hurts So Good". The rest of the set is instrumental, and other cuts include an instrumental take on "Cleopatra Jones", plus "Go Chase Cleo", "Goin To The Chase", "Wrap Up", and "Airport Fight". This new version features 17 bonus tracks from the original film score, not the record – amazing extra music by Carl Brandt, with titles that include "Emdee", "Elevator/Cleo & Captain", "Pot Burn/Mommy/Police Raid", "Ambush", "Doodle Apartment", "Before Crash", and "Snake Crib". CD 2 features some long-lost music from the film Cleopatra Jones & The Casino Of Gold – a well-known follow-up to the original movie, but one that was never properly represented on record – making this CD set a long-awaited premiere of the original music for the film! The set features music by Dominic Frontiere – penned in a mix of funky action modes, with some slight exotic touches too, due to the location of the story. Frontiere's in his best soul/funk mode – a side that few folks realize he can do this well – and the music has a slightly different feel than JJ Johnson's Cleo Jones work, but is equally nice. Titles include "Casino Source", "Chopped Meat", "Oymia", "Les Orgie", "Fatman Stomp", "Dead Dragon Lady", and "Pool Hall Rock" – plus the vocal number "Playing With Fire". CD also features 4 more bonus tracks from Cleopatra Jones – including extended versions of the theme, and Pattie Brooks singing "Swing Down Chariot" and "Am I Blue". Great notes too – very full, with lots of photos, in the best Film Score tradition!

Blue Magic getting a bit bolder than before – adding in some heavier funk that takes them past the mellow moments of their earliest years – yet still serving up some great harmonies in the process! The change is a subtle one – heard on some of the album's more hard-grooving tracks, which also bring in some full arrangements that echo the trippy feel of the cover – yet which still always respect that slight heartbreaking undercurrent of the group's great vocals, thanks to arrangements from Bobby Eli! Just about every moment from Blue Magic is totally great, and this album is no exception – with titles that include "Freak N Stein", "Mother Funk", "To Get Love", "See The Bedroom", "Summer Snow", "Making Love To A Memory", and "Spark Of Love".

A dramatic disco classic from Detroit legend Mike Theodore – stepping out here with all the force you'd expect from the title! "High On Mad Mountain" is a symphonic disco classic – using strings, congas, and lots of percussion to set up the groove – as guitar and keyboards come into the mix to bring out a nice degree of funk. The rest of the album follows in a similar feel – with a bit of moogy solo work, and some female vocals on the choruses – and titles include "Disco People", "Dragons Of Midnight", "High On Mad Mountain", and "Wonder Man".