A collection of soundtrack work by Emerson, with selections from Honky, Best Revenge, Murderock, Inferno, and Harmagedon. (Rock, Soundtracks) LP, Vinyl record album

A sleazy film, but one with some really great music from Francis Lai – the composer better known for his mainstream contributions to classics like A Man & A Woman and Live For Life! In any setting, Lai displays an amazing genius for spare tunes that hit a lyrical chord and a warmly sentimental mode – never one that's sleepy or drippy, but just the right balance of sounds and rhythms to convey a tremendous amount with very little. Lai plays a fair bit of keyboards here, lightly electric, and relatively spare – but not as much so as on some of his other 70s soundtracks. Titles include "Une Soiree Orientale", "La Vierge Anna Marie", "Emmanuelle Au Hong Kong", "Le Theme D'Emmanuelle", and "La Maison De Rendez-Vous". LP, Vinyl record album

A sleazy film, but one with some really great music from Francis Lai – the composer better known for his mainstream contributions to classics like A Man & A Woman and Live For Life! In any setting, Lai displays an amazing genius for spare tunes that hit a lyrical chord and a warmly sentimental mode – never one that's sleepy or drippy, but just the right balance of sounds and rhythms to convey a tremendous amount with very little. Lai plays a fair bit of keyboards here, lightly electric, and relatively spare – but not as much so as on some of his other 70s soundtracks – and titles include "Emmanuelle 2", LA Seduction De L'Ile De Bali", "Emmanuelle Au Hong Kong", "Le Plaisir D'Amour", "La Maison De Rendez-Vous", and "L'Amour D'Aimer" – which has vocals from Sylvia Kristel. LP, Vinyl record album

A really lovely soundtrack from Forever Pavot – contemporary, but with some of the best touches of our favorite French film scores of the late 60s – a blend of sentiment and subtle instrumentation, light melody and occasional groove – all handled with excellent keyboards, flutes, and other sweet touches throughout! Pavot often has the sense of space and tune of Francis Lai – which makes the record a great hit in our book – and the organ, piano, and harpsichord moments are especially great – on titles that include "Au Chalet 2", "La Ballade De Poulenc", "Dans L'Aquarium", "Generique Debut", "En Voiture", "Les Amants", and "Marche Dans La Niege". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful early soundtrack from Dave Grusin – surprisingly sensitive, and quite different than his later funky work in the 70s! The score is a cool mix of strings and keyboard parts – sometimes played on harpsichord by Grusin, an instrument that we don't always hear him use, and which rings out here with a hip 60s cinematic style – often a bit spacey at points, with a slow-stepping pace that really fits the feel of the orchestrations. The strings are never too full, and they're often cut by some woodwind parts too – and a few tracks feature some more familiar 60s modes, including a few standout vocal tracks – like "The Color Of The Wind", "Elizabeth", "I Can't Afford To Let You Go", and "Beyond The Reach Of Love". Includes the main title theme, plus "Drop Out", "The Last Walk", "Aftermath", "Growing Pains", and "Symphodelic", which is a nice twist on a bit of Mozart! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the coolest, grooviest albums that pianist Vince Guaraldi ever recorded – a set that's got the same Peanuts theme as his earlier dates for Fantasy Records, but which also features some sweet electric touches that only make things even better than before! In addition to his warmly vamping piano, with all those lyrical touches we love so much, Vince is playing an electric harpsichord too – which makes for some very groovy moments – in a cool quartet that features guitar from Eddie Duran, bass from Stanley Gilbert, and drums from the great Carl Burnett! All tunes are Peanut-themed – the music that Guaraldi wrote for the TV specials – but they're sometimes taken at a looser style that's even jazzier overall – as you'll hear on the classic "Linus & Lucy", plus "Red Baron", "Peppermint Patty", "Great Pumpkin Waltz", and "Rain Rain Go Away". (Jazz, Soundtracks) LP, Vinyl record album

A classic 70s Italian crime soundtrack – presented here in full format for the first time ever, and filled with wonderful tunes in a variety of styles! There's a quality to the music that really matches the badass image on the front – a bold, forceful approach that has the upbeat numbers strutting along with plenty of pride – and which has the mellower, more brooding tracks working themes that are simple, but which pack the same force as the revolver on the cover. Franco Micalizzi uses some great keyboards throughout – often a bit light, with a style that's sometimes veering towards electric harpsichord, but other times in a more Goblin-like mode – almost horror-styled, especially when interwoven with acoustic piano. Tunes build up with force as the soundtrack rolls on – and this CD reissue features a whopping 30 tracks in all – with titles that include "Bloody Robbery", "Rush For A Sign", "Betti's Investigation", "Criminals At Work", "Useless Waiting", "Crime Outcome", "Folk & Violence", "Ten Minutes To One", and the vocal number "A Man Before Your Time". CD

A classic 70s Italian crime soundtrack – presented here in full format for the first time ever, and filled with wonderful tunes in a variety of styles! There's a quality to the music that really matches the badass image on the front – a bold, forceful approach that has the upbeat numbers strutting along with plenty of pride – and which has the mellower, more brooding tracks working themes that are simple, but which pack the same force as the revolver on the cover. Franco Micalizzi uses some great keyboards throughout – often a bit light, with a style that's sometimes veering towards electric harpsichord, but other times in a more Goblin-like mode – almost horror-styled, especially when interwoven with acoustic piano. Tunes build up with force as the soundtrack rolls on – and this CD reissue features a whopping 30 tracks in all – with titles that include "Bloody Robbery", "Rush For A Sign", "Betti's Investigation", "Criminals At Work", "Useless Waiting", "Crime Outcome", "Folk & Violence", "Ten Minutes To One", and the vocal number "A Man Before Your Time". CD

A lost treasure from the legendary Ennio Morricone – a soundtrack written for a crime film starring Charles Bronson & Telly Savalas, and handled with all the spare subtlety of his best work! Bruno Nicolai's directing the orchestra on this one – and isolated instruments include electric harpsichord and woodwinds that drift along nicely in the tunes – mixed with some harder arrangements on a few of the album's more driving cuts. Morricone strikes a great balance here – occasionally hitting sweet notes, but then often falling into these dark depths that perfectly fit the bleak world of the film. Tracks include the lovely slow groover "Riassunto", plus the tracks "Rito Finale", "Svolta Definitiva", "Dolcemente Acre", "Norme Con Ironie", "Citta Violenta", "Mille Volte Un Grido" and more. 2LP pressing, with 21 tracks in all. The complete soundtrack on vinyl for the first time! LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastically dark Morricone score! Morricone originally wrote this material for the film Quattro Mosche Di Velluto Grigio, the third part of Dario Argento's cult terror trilogy – and until the release of this reissue, only 2 of the tracks ever made it to the public, on a rare single issued by Cinevox in 1971. The leadoff track – "4 Mosche Di Vellutto Grigio (titoli)" – is actually a bit funky, with some very heavy drums and cascading fuzzy guitar riffs that sound very nice. Then, the record moves into spookier material – like the cut "Come Un Madrigale", and a number of self-titled themes – all of which feature strange harpsichord work, dark orchestral passages, and some very spooky production work! Fortunately, the score ends on an upbeat note – a hard driving, beat group sounding version of the main theme that's a nice cap to the whole package! LP, Vinyl record album

Sweetness and darkness – perfectly blended together in this classic mid 70s soundtrack by Ennio Morricone! The main theme of the film – "Bambole" – is one of those Mondo Morricone type numbers that floats along on a gossamy sheen – vocals gliding softly over light woodwinds, stepping rhythms, and a bit of electric harpsichord – all used gently, but beautifully to create a wonderfully groovy little tune. But other numbers on the album are much more tense – strings drawn tighter, and sometimes into more atonal passages – and offset by descending woodwind passages that further underscore the melancholy of the film! Additional instrumentation includes some abstracted and slightly fuzzy guitar – and the whole album beautifully blends the sweet and dark tracks together with a great sense of pacing. Titles include "Bambole", in a number of variations – plus variations on "Spasmo" and "Stress Infinito". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest soundtracks we've ever heard from Bruno Nicolai – a wonderful array of lightly groovy tunes that's as fantastic as any of the Mondo Morricone work from the same time! The main theme of the film has a catchy La Donna Invisible sort of feel – building on waves of sound with piano over orchestrations, skipping along to an altered bossa beat – showing up in a number of different variants throughout the score. Other tracks are darker and moodier, but really vary things up to fit the moods of the scene – using Morricone-styled bits of harpsichord, violin, or strings to come up with some incredible sounds. The CD reissue features 26 titles in all – many of which are restored from the shortened versions in the movie, in a way that presents a huge amount of music never heard before! CD

A selection of late 50s and 60s hits featured in the iconic movie, including the name-sake tune by Ben E King, "Everyday" by Buddy Holly, "Come Go With Me" by The Del Vikings, "Lollipop" by The Chordettes, and more. LP, Vinyl record album

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

A killer Morricone soundtrack from the late 60s – filled with sweet tunes and moodier numbers – all served up with cool orchestrations, and some sweet work on electric harpsichord too! The score's lesser-known than some of the maestro's best from the time – but is equally great, and one we're very happy to discover – caught at a mode that still has Morricone using some of his best mod elements from the 60s, yet also beginning to explore the darker sounds that would unfurl even more strongly in the 70s! Bruno Nicolai conducts the group, and the set features a few great vocal moments from I Cantori Moderni – on titles that include "Scherzo Da Guerra", "Scherzo Da Baffone", "Filastrocca Per Cretini", and "Lo Sai Che Cosa Facevano Le Donne A Stalin". CD

A rare spaghetti western score from Piero Umiliani – an Italian composer we usually know best for bossa or more jazz-oriented scores, but who sounds right at home in this genre too! The album's got a sound that really shows the full range of Umiliani's talents – a few western-styled numbers with guitar in the lead, but also a number of different styles too – quieter moments that are cool variations on the main theme – played with either organ, saxophone, or harpsichord – recorded with some cool changes and a great sense of play throughout. The CD features 12 tracks from the film's score – plus the vocal number "Roy Colt", which is sung by the group Free Love, and originally only issued on a 45! CD

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". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent soundtrack to this early 70s thriller that starred George C Scott! Jerry Goldsmith has come up with some strong action themes that are very much in a Lalo Schifrin mode – mixing guitar, electric harpsichord, and strings with a harder-edged groove so that there's a lot of space in the overall blend of elements – allowing each one to step out nicely, identified on its own! Even the mellower tracks are great – with an airy feel that recalls some of Michel Legrand's best action scores at the end of the 60s – with colors that flow out and really give the record a sense of soul! Steve Lawrence sings "The Last Run" in a mode that recalls Matt Munro's performances on other thriller soundtracks – and other titles include "Claudie's Stockings", "The Trap", "Border Crossing", "Rickard Escapes", and "Double Cross". LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous soundtrack – nearly perfect in every way, and put together with a heck of a lot more care than the Russ Meyer film it was recorded to accompany! We honestly have never heard another Bill Loose score before, but with this one we'd rank him right up there with our favorites of the time – on both sides of the Atlantic! The main theme has some great electric harpsichord over sweeping strings and a brooding rhythm – and the harpsichord comes back on other tracks of the album – joining some really skittish drums, oddly-tuned guitar, and rolling basslines that give some of the best tracks an almost funky sort of feel. There's also a great sax player who brings in some wonderfully soulful undercurrents on some tracks – making for a really odd mix of modes, but which really sounds great. Titles include "Vixen Gets Excited", "Niles Threatens Vixen", "Janet's Theme", "Obanion's Theme", "Conversation Piece", and "Canadian Romp". CD

Groove away, maestro! Incontro is a splendid score by Morricone – early 70s groovy, mixing guitar, electric harpischord, organ, and other jangly instrumentation on the best tracks, alternating with mellower, dreamier numbers on the others, serving up a sweet blend of tunes that once again makes us wish we could watch the film, just to hear the music! This one's got the flavor of his best from the time – like La Donna Invisible – even though it's perhaps not as all-out overly composed – and titles include "Patrizia", "Incontro", "Scherzo Un Po Triste", "Per Claudia", "Passeggiata", and "Riflessione". CD

A killer Morricone soundtrack from the late 60s – filled with sweet tunes and moodier numbers – all served up with cool orchestrations, and some sweet work on electric harpsichord too! The score's lesser-known than some of the maestro's best from the time – but is equally great, and one we're very happy to discover – caught at a mode that still has Morricone using some of his best mod elements from the 60s, yet also beginning to explore the darker sounds that would unfurl even more strongly in the 70s! Bruno Nicolai conducts the group, and the set features a few great vocal moments from I Cantori Moderni – on titles that include "Scherzo Da Guerra", "Scherzo Da Baffone", "Filastrocca Per Cretini", and "Lo Sai Che Cosa Facevano Le Donne A Stalin". CD

One of our favorite 60s surf soundtracks ever – an amazing blend of Stu Phillips orchestrations with some key vocal moments from the trio of Dino Desi & Billy! The album's got a wonderful theme – "Thru Spray Colored Glasses" – sung initially by the trio, then served up by Stu in a number of variations that change with the different exotic locales of the film – India, Hong Kong, Hawaii, and Morocco – all referenced slightly in the instrumentation, but in ways that always retain Phillips' grooviest inspirations! Strings blend with bits of harpsichord, vibes, voices, Spanish guitar, and these "watery" woodwinds that almost remind us of Australian jazz in the same period – and titles include "Thru Spray Colored Glasses", "Big Wave Bay", "Incinerator", "Ranee Express", "Nazare", and "Cascis". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderfully groovy European soundtrack work – a "triple feature" that contains tunes from the films Casanova 70, Darling, and Marriage Italian Style! The music for Casanova 70 is oddly not credited on the album – but features some excellent jazzy tunes, really swinging with lots of nice horn parts – and a few especially nice numbers that use electric harpsichord and have a very mod 60s feel! Darling is a British film with mellower work – larger orchestrations by John Dankworth – and Marriage Italian Style moves back into the realm of the groovy with a few nice numbers by Armando Trovajoli. Titles include "C'E Un Non So Che", "My Baby's Rockin", "Swinging Lonely", "Running Slow", "Sempre Cosi", "See What's Happening", and "Is That You Again". LP, Vinyl record album