A sweet set of soundtrack funk – from a film named after one of our favorite streets in Chicago! Although the record's got an approach that's perhaps a bit tighter and smoother than anything going down on Stony in the late 70s, it does manage to share a good deal of styles with the Chi-soul scene of the time – thanks to work on the record from Chicagoans Gene Barge, Sonny Seals, and Tennyson Stephens! Many of the tracks on the set have a bad-walking soul approach – one that's kind of a mixture of funky and bluesy – and these are laid out next to some jazzier instrumentals that we like most of all – tunes that have a great funky soundtrack feel, but with a bit more fusion touches than usual, probably because of the work of David Matthews. Titles include "Percy Fired", "Party Lights", "High Speed Posters", "Back To Business", "Chase The Train", "Gangster City", "Dream Ride", and "Peace Of Mind". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the coolest soundtracks ever for a Burt Reynolds film – an a hip mix of soul and jazz tracks that's gone onto become a classic over the years! The album's a compilation of sorts, but most of the material was recorded fresh for the film – and the different artists really work together here to forge some great backdrops for the action on the screen! Al Capps handled the larger charts, but most numbers really spotlight an individual artist – and highlights include Randy Crawford singing a new version of "Street Life" – different than the one with The Crusaders – Sarah Vaughan singing "Love Theme From Sharky's Machine", Peggy Lee vocals on "Let's Keep Dancing", and Julie London singing "My Funny Valentine" – as one of the first recordings after many years of retirement. Other great numbers include "Dope Bust" by Flora Purim & Buddy DeFranco, "Sharky's Theme" by Eddie Harris, "Before You" by Sarah Vaughan & Joe Williams, "8 To 5 I Lose" by Joe Williams, and the instrumental cuts "Sexercise" and "High Energy" by Doc Severinsen. LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite all-time soundtracks from the legendary Ennio Morricone – and a record that really clued us in to that subtle sort of genius that sets him apart from the rest! Maestro Morricone is working in a number of different modes here – really making this one of the more richly textured soundtracks. His notes just inch by, one after one, in short, spare passages – and they build up into a tapestry of sweet, yet off-kilter sounds – which are then balanced with some warmer moments too – with occasional bossa moments to relieve the tension, and a few groovy cuts too! The whole thing is incredible – a masterpiece of sound and subtle instrumentation – on titles that include "In Un Sogno Il Sogno", which features a stunning solo vocal performance by the great Edda Dell'Orso – plus "La Donna Invisible", "Un Bacio", "Alla Serenita", "Silenziosamente", "Incontro Travsversale", and "La Moda". CD

A stark and jagged soundtrack for this mid 60s thriller that starred James Garner and Eva Marie Saint. The album's one of the few soundtracks on the Vee Jay label, recorded after they'd moved from Chicago to LA, and right before they went bust – and it's a pretty nice set of tracks by Tiomkin, one that follows in his best work of the time. Most tracks are pretty restrained, rumbling like thunder in a mix of piano, woodwinds, and strings – and a few tracks have some lighter themes that are even nicer. The album features a vocal track – "A Heart Must Learn To Cry" – sung by an un-named, Jack Jones-y singer. Instrumental tracks include "Death Of The Gestapo Man", "Impossible Escape", "Deception", "Misleading", "Promenade", "Case Of Spilt Salt", and "Cyanide Pellet". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most enigmatic records we've ever gotten from the Numero Group – especially since they usually go out of their way to tell the full story of most of their releases! This set purports to be the never-issued soundtrack from a 60s film titled You're Not From Around Here – but none of the film details, director, or writer show up with an internet search – leading us to believe that the label just felt that the whole thing was a great story to serve up some twang-heavy rarities from the underbelly of early 60s rock and roll. Turns out, they were plenty darn right – as the package alone is a dream – a cool octagonal box with a replica poster and a very cool look – housing a record full of rare rockers that include "A Song For Mary" by Gene Sikora, "First Love" by Bailey's Nervous Kats, "Spacewalk" by Nicky Roberts, "Wandering" by The Expressos, "Lonely Walk" by Alvie Self, "Somewhere Down The Line" by Shelley Duncan, "Haunted After Midnight" by Slim Martin, "16.88" by Hayden Thompson, "Wouldn't It Be Nice To Have Wings & Fly" by Buzz Clifford, "Tomorrow's Gone" by Charlie Megira, and "Ebb Tide" by Houston & Dorsey. (Rock, Soundtracks) LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most enigmatic records we've ever gotten from the Numero Group – especially since they usually go out of their way to tell the full story of most of their releases! This set purports to be the never-issued soundtrack from a 60s film titled You're Not From Around Here – but none of the film details, director, or writer show up with an internet search – leading us to believe that the label just felt that the whole thing was a great story to serve up some twang-heavy rarities from the underbelly of early 60s rock and roll. Turns out, they were plenty darn right – as the package alone is a dream – a cool octagonal box with a replica poster and a very cool look – housing a record full of rare rockers that include "A Song For Mary" by Gene Sikora, "First Love" by Bailey's Nervous Kats, "Spacewalk" by Nicky Roberts, "Wandering" by The Expressos, "Lonely Walk" by Alvie Self, "Somewhere Down The Line" by Shelley Duncan, "Haunted After Midnight" by Slim Martin, "16.88" by Hayden Thompson, "Wouldn't It Be Nice To Have Wings & Fly" by Buzz Clifford, "Tomorrow's Gone" by Charlie Megira, and "Ebb Tide" by Houston & Dorsey. (Rock, Soundtracks) LP, Vinyl record album