The gentle, spare soundtrack to the film "The Piano" by noted UK minimalist Michael Nyman, very much in the vein of his non-soundtrack (and other soundtrack) work. 19 titles in all, including "To The Edge Of The Earth", "A Wild & Distant Shore", "The Heart Asks Pleasure First", "The Promise", "A Bed Of Ferns", "The Scent Of Love", "The Mood That Passes Through You", "The Embrace", "Little Impulse", "I Clipped Your Wing", "The Wounded", "All Imperfect Things" and "Dreams Of A Journey". (Out Sound, Soundtracks) CD

(Cassettes, Soundtracks) Cassette

A period score, but one with plenty of groovy touches – a masterpiece of 60s film scoring from the great John Addison! Addison's music for the famous Tony Richardson version of Tom Jones is every bit as playful as the images on the screen – with only marginal aesthetics of the period of the story, and instead lots of romping melodies, carried out on horn parts, percussive passages, and even some cool harpsichord bits. Most of the tunes move quite quickly – as does the action on screen – and titles include "Sylvan Misadventures", "Ladies Are Irresistible", "Love Theme From Tom Jones", "Wine & Women", "If He Swing By The String", and "The Squire Steps In". CD features 34 tracks in all – the full original album, plus lots more music from the film! CD

Demonic sounds, but surprisingly sweet as well – done with this easy-flowing style that's really wonderful – and much more similar to the seductive sound library work of Alessandro Alessandroni, than to some of the starker, darker horror of the time! There's definitely some spooky passages, but they're almost always warmed up in really nice ways – both with keyboards, and with these wordless vocals from the lovely Giulia De Mutiis, who drifts through the record like some sexy ghost. Her vocals almost give the whole thing a more dream-like feel at times – not too atmospheric, but with clouds of sweet sounds that blow through the space in a wonderful way. Titles include "Demon Night II", "Demon Arise", "Dark Dreamer", "Devil's Nightmare", and "Erotic Demon". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest soundtracks ever from Luiz Bacalov – a set that's filled with sex and slink, but which also has a great sense of groove as well – blending bossa jazz, mod moments, and all the best styles of the late 60s Italian scene! The music is mostly acoustic, but has a really great way of using sustained notes on flute – which creates this dreamy vibe that's almost electric, especially when offset by acoustic basslines, percussion, and piano – all used at a level that's right up there with the best from Morricone or Trovajoli at the time! There's also wonderful drifting vocals in the mix – courtesy of Nora Orlandi – and titles include "Round Nassau", "Swingin Easy In Tanganika", "Rio Zona Sul", "L'Amica", and "Taxi Cab 67". Features two bonus tracks – "L'Amica (ripresa)" and "The Bitter Truth (inst)". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the lesser-known John Barry scores of the 60s – penned for an equally lesser-known comedy that starred Michael Caine, Peter Sellers, Peter Cook, Tony Hancock, and Dudley Moore! The tunes have kind of a period feel with slight whimsical touches – not as mod and groovy as you might expect for the time, or for Barry – but with a strong orchestral approach overall, showing John's ability to work well in a more mainstream setting. There's a nice undercurrent of darkness at times, as on some of Barry's other orchestral work – and titles include "Morris Visits Dr Pratt", "Bournemouth Strangler", "Morris Hides As He Sees Handcart", "Montage Of Deaths", and "Yes Who Is That". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare treat from the legendary Clarke-Boland Big Band – a sublime set of Italian soundtrack numbers first recorded in 1968! The set was cut at the height of the Italian soundtrack golden age, in Italy, where the group had been working and recording heavily – making for a perfect fit of styles: the sweet and groovy compositions of talents like Nino Rota, Armando Trovajoli, Piero Piccioni, and others, handled with the fire and energy that had become the trademark of the Clarke-Boland ensemble! The set grooves very nicely – with hard-swinging versions of tracks that include "More", "Seven Golden Men", "Your Smile", "Saxology", "La Hora De La Verdad", "Canto D'Amore", and "Questi Vent Anni Miei". (Jazz, Soundtracks) CD

Long before Hunchback achieved broadway musical status, disco orchestrator Alec R Costandinos recorded this trashed-up soundtrack for Casablanca, part of their weak and short-lived attempt to break in on film work. Titles include "You Are Accused Before Us", "The Pope Of Fools", "The Attack", "Hanging Of The Sorceress", and "The Inconveniences Of Following A Pretty Girl In The Streets At Night". (Soul, Soundtracks) LP, Vinyl record album

A nice bit of funky crime work from Italy – a soundtrack to an obscure payback film from the 70s, done here with a nice mix of heavy beats, tight guitar, and some cool keyboards! The groove here is very much in the style of some of the best compilations of Italian cop soundtrack work we've stocked – and unlike some other thrillers of the time, the set's overflowing with funky tracks, so that you get way more than just a few funky numbers for your money! The blazing image on the cover is a great idea of what you'll hear inside – and titles include "Drivin All Around", "Goodbye My Friend", and "Il Cittadino Si Rebella". CD

One of the first great Italian cop movies of the 70s – and a superbly-scored film with a really wonderful soundtrack! The DeAngelis brothers are clearly drawing heavily from an American tradition initiated by Lalo Schfrin – using heavy guitar, funky undercurrents, and even some soulfully righteous touches to really set this one apart from other Italian films of the time. Yet the approach here is also a bit more different, touches with some of the darker modes and more redemptive themes of Italian westerns – a sense of suspension and drama that's incredibly powerful, and heard to best effect on the solo instrumental passages – which include guitar by Maurizio and flute by Guido. CD features notes in both English and Italian, great images from the film, and even a number of previously unreleased tunes! 20 tracks in all – with titles that include "Festa A Genova", "Gangster Story", "Chicca", "The Life Of A Policeman", "Il Libanese", "Casa Di Moda", "Rock Al Porto", and "La Storia Comincia". CD

One of the first great Italian cop movies of the 70s – and a superbly-scored film with a really wonderful soundtrack! The DeAngelis brothers are clearly drawing heavily from an American tradition initiated by Lalo Schfrin – using heavy guitar, funky undercurrents, and even some soulfully righteous touches to really set this one apart from other Italian films of the time. Yet the approach here is also a bit more different, touches with some of the darker modes and more redemptive themes of Italian westerns – a sense of suspension and drama that's incredibly powerful, and heard to best effect on the solo instrumental passages – which include guitar by Maurizio and flute by Guido. Titles include "Festa A Genova", "Gangster Story", "Chicca", "The Life Of A Policeman", "Il Libanese", "Casa Di Moda", "Rock Al Porto", and "La Storia Comincia". LP, Vinyl record album

A strange film, but a great soundtrack! George Duning came up with an excellent batch of jazzy tracks for the film – and most of them swing hard and tightly, with strong jazzy solos, in a manner that's similar to some of Mancini's best scores of the late 50s. A number of tracks have odd "Eastern" touches in the melody – mostly through the use of percussion – and this makes the jazzy tracks even nicer, and gives them a strange feel that's similar to some of the "east meets jazz" albums on Verve during the 60s. Titles include "Aberdeen Caper", "Gwenny Lee", "At The Namcock", "Groove For Suzie", and "Hit The Road To Dreamland". Towards the end of the soundtrack, some cuts have a more orchestral feel, and this is in keeping with the change of mood in the film. LP, Vinyl record album