One of the weirdest records Sun Ra ever made – music to accompany the strange film Space Is The Place – which itself was an odd mixture of science fiction and blacksploitation-type action! The sounds here are sometimes in the usual Arkestra mode – wonderfully exotic rhythms mixed with freewheeling jazz solos – but other parts seem to follow more of a soundtrack-styled need – and include some bolder action riffs, spare scene-setting moments, and even some strong vocal themes. Titles include "Watusa", "Calling Planet Earth", "Mysterious Crystal", "Outerspaceways Incorporated", "Cosmic Forces", "Satellites Are Spinning", and a version of "Space Is The Place". This special set also includes the bonus Mathematics Of The Altered Destiny, a full LP of unreleased music from Sun Ra featuring June Tyson – and the first ever US Blu-ray release of the film, and a standard DVD as well! (Jazz, Soundtracks) LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest soundtracks ever – an archetypal album from French composer Francis Lai, and a record that set the tone for countless other imitations to come – yet which is still the best! The groove here is really unique – a spare blend of bossa influences, jazzy organ lines, and wordless vocals that are sung beautifully by French singers Nicole Croisille and Pierre Barouh – and although a mainstream success, the record was the initial force behind the legendary Saravah imprint that Barouh would form later, to record a wide range of groundbreaking work in a variety of genres. But history aside, the music here is plenty – and from the very first note the whole soundtrack grabs you with a sense of warmth and sentiment that defy description – modes never heard before in the soundtrack world, and which really broke the mold from Hollywood conventions! Titles include the seminal bossa number "Samba Saravah", plus "A Man & A Woman", "Today It's You", "In Our Shadow", "At 200 MPH", and "Stronger Than Us". LP, Vinyl record album

A slice of genius from Michel Legrand – one of his brilliant late 60s soundtracks, not as well remembered as, but cut during the same period as The Thomas Crown Affair. The soundtrack is probably best remembered for the incredible theme "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life" – sung here in 2 versions by Michael Dees, and also served up in a nice instrumental take as well. But overall, the whole record is pretty darn great – not as out and out groovy as some of Legrand's other work, but with a great mix of moody, jazzy, and atmospheric – handled with some really great instrumental touches that are all Legrand, all the way! Titles include "Smooth Sailing", "Collage", "Diamonds Are Forever", "Floating Time", "Hurry Up N Hurry Down", and "Whistle While You Swing". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite soundtracks ever – a jazzy swinging ode to love found and love lost – all penned by the legendary Michel Legrand! The work was composed in collaboration with director Jacques Demy for his 1966 film of the same name – and, like the previous Demy/Legrand collaboration, Umbrellas Of Cherbourg, the movie's a story in song – one that has much of the dialogue presented as sung lyrics to the tunes. The mode takes off from a Hollywood musical style, and pushes the genre into territory that's much hipper, very French, and with a soaring approach that's filled with plenty of mod 60s jazz grooves. Legrand's genius has never sparkled so brightly – and his ability to interweave different themes, stories, and grooves is simply amazing! This US package is even better than the original French one – with a nice colored book inside the gatefold cover that has some great photos and lyrics (translated) for the songs. Titles include "Nous Voyagons De Ville En Ville", "Depart De Camionners", "Arivee Des Camionneurs", "Chanson De Maxence", "Marins, Amins, Amants Ou Maris", and "Chanson De Jumelles". LP, Vinyl record album

A wicked little James Bond soundtrack – one of the lesser-known ones, which is why it's all that more great! The title theme is a totally catchy number, sung by Shirley Bassey with all the dark energy of her best pop work – and Barry's score has some really surprising moments, including some nicely restrained tracks that are a good blend of spareness and moody instrumentation. Titles include "Bond Smells A Rat", "Bond Meets Bambi & Thumper", "Diamonds Are Forever", "Circus Circus", "007 & Counting", and "Q's Trick". LP, Vinyl record album

The soundtrack that put John Barry over the top – and to many, THE James Bond soundtrack! The album chills from the first notes of the haunting title theme – the majestic "Goldfinger", sung by Shirley Bassey with a tone that's as dangerous as a razor-sharp hat spinning through the air! Barry then takes over with some wonderful instrumentals – a blend of crime jazz, mood pieces, chase themes, and more – all peppered with that dark dark Bond theme that we love so much! Titles include "Into Miami", "Teasing The Korean", "Alpine Drive", "Bond Back In Action", "Gassing The Gangsters", and "Death Of Goldfinger". LP, Vinyl record album

A real standout set from the end of Les Baxter's run at Capitol Records – originally scored for a film that was never released, but a great set of tracks that more than stands strongly on its own! The theme here is a Mexican/Latin American one – explored by Baxter with his trademark blend of larger orchestrations and lighter exotica touches – often swirling around in an extremely evocative mode that makes us wish the film had been issued to the public, and at a few key moments even hinting at the funkier modes that would follow on some of Les' later work for other labels. Titles include "Aqueducts", "Gardens Of The Moon", "Pyramid Of The Sun", "Temple Of Gold", and "Procession Of The Princes". (Now Sound, Soundtracks) LP, Vinyl record album

A very groovy little soundtrack from the team of Guido and Maurizio De Angelis – one that was penned to accompany an offbeat Bud Spencer film of the late 70s, and which offers up plenty of variations on the catchy theme! Bud plays Bulldozer – an ex-US football player, holed up in Italy – where he cobbles together a team of locals to take down the team of the US Army stationed nearby – a goofy plot, but one that's made that much better by the work of the De Angelis brothers! The core theme is initially sung by Oliver Onions, in English – then taken through a range of great instrumental readings that echo some of the styles used by Guido and Maurizio on their straighter crime and action scores, but with lots of sweet twists and turns along the way. LP, Vinyl record album

Strange soundtrack to a weird early 70s film about a Jesus-peddler – with songs that are mostly in a folk-rock mode similar to some of the drippier tunes showing up on AIP soundtracks of a few years before. The best tunes are the instrumentals by Hatcher, which have kind of a biker bluesy sound to them – but the bulk of the album is vocal numbers, sung by Matthew Crowe & His Travelin Band. Oh for the days when the studios had this much money to throw away! Titles include "Send Me A Friend", "Brian's Theme", "Heleana's Love Theme", "San Diego Blues", "Soul Hustler", and "Set Me Free". LP, Vinyl record album

A groovy soundtrack, written for this film that starred Dustin Hoffman and Mia Farrow as two young lovers on a one night stand. The film sports a great vocal theme – "Maybe Tomorrow", sung by Evie Sands in a haunting airy way, and also performed at another point by the Morgan Ames Singers, and instrumentally by Quincy. Other tracks include Quincy's own number "Silent Moovies", the vocal cuts "Bump In The Night" by The Strange Things and "Lost In Space" by Jeff Bridges, and a number of classical themes played by a brass group led by Quincy. LP, Vinyl record album

A standout 60s soundtrack from the great Manos Hadjidakis – penned for a heist thriller from director Jules Dassin! The music follows slightly off the Dassin/Hadjidakis pairing on Never On A Sunday – using lots of familiar Greek elements, but moving these into more complicated film score modes as well – particularly on some of the cool mood-setting numbers you'd find in a heist film of this vintage – a surprisingly great setting for some of the more exotic moments in the music. There's plenty of bazuki in the mix, and some nice percussion too – and titles include "Meet Hans", "Istanbul", "Meet Arthur Simpson", "Main Title", "On The Road", and "The Road To Riches". LP, Vinyl record album

Features overall scoring by Mundell Lowe, with jazzy instrumentals that are trying to have a serious "southwest" sound to them – plus lots of vocal tracks with a similar folksy style to the film's big hit "One Tin Soldier", included on this album. That one's sung by the group Coven, but the rest are sung by lesser-known singers like Lynn Baker, Theresa Kelly, and Gwen Smith. What a weird time to be watching movies! LP, Vinyl record album