One of the weirdest Don Cherry albums you'll ever hope to hear – and that's saying a lot, given the range of incredible albums the man has given us over the years! The music here was recorded for a French film based on the music, poetry, and "antics" of Cherry – done in the Saravah Records studios in 1969, around the same time as Cherry's albums for the BYG/Actuel label on the Paris scene – but with a much looser, more freewheeling vibe overall! The first side of the record features music done with Karl Berger – in a mix of piano, percussion, wood flutes, electronics, and pocket trumpet – shifting many times in terms of tone and spirit, with Cherry at his most organic. Side two features most of the same music, but with Anthony Braxton joining in – as well as poetry at some parts – in the complete edit that was used in the film. A fantastic document in so many ways – of the musicians, of post-68 Paris, and even of European avant cinema! (Jazz, Soundtracks) LP, Vinyl record album

A great document of a famous 70s TV special from Diana Ross – and a record that also features excellent guest work from Bill Cosby and The Jackson 5 – as well as an odd Motown appearance from Danny Thomas! Ross dominates the set, working with sublime larger arrangements that really showcase her growing power as a solo star – on titles that include "Close To You", "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", "I Love You", "Remember Me", and "Don't Rain On My Parade". And Bill Cosby steps in for a bit of dialogue with Ross – as they talk together, then lead into a surprising duet on Randy Newman's "Love Story"! The Jackson 5 serve up two nice medley tracks – "I'll Be There/Feelin Alright" and "Mama's Pearl/Walk On By/The Love You Save" – and Danny Thomas does a bit of comedy, but doesn't sing – thankfully. (Soul, Soundtracks) LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most fantastic soundtracks of the 70s – and maybe even of all time – thanks to a non-stop blast of insane styles and grooves – all quite different than other blacksploitation records of the time! For this, his masterpiece film, Melvin Van Peebles composed a non-stop collage of crazy sounds and funky jams, played by himself and a very young Earth, Wind, & Fire – then pasted together in a pastiche of music, dialogue, and sound effects that serve as an audio document of the film! If you've ever seen the movie – and even if you haven't – you'll find that the soundtrack works as a 40 minute version of the film, shifting back and forth with a loose narrative progression. Of course, the real appeal is the funky music – and you'll hear more than enough of that on tracks like "Sweetback's Theme", "Hoppin John", "Come On Fee", and "Sweetback Getting it Uptight". (Soul, Soundtracks) LP, Vinyl record album

Groovy downtown score to this NY underground film from the early 80s – a great document of the scene at the time! John Lurie plays sax on a number of tracks, and other players include Scott & Beth B (who directed the film), Richard Edson, and Kristin Hoffman. Titles include "Sleaze", "Black Box Disco", "End Zone", "The Chase", "The Roof", and "The Demo". LP, Vinyl record album

A very cool take on the sound of Studio One – a package of late 60s themes from James Bond films and other soundtrack sources! The mix is maybe not that surprising, given the use of Jamaican music early on in the series – as part of the Dr No soundtrack – and maybe that global moment of understanding helped the groups back home in Kingston to reach for the skies with material like this! The whole thing is a fascinating document of two strands of Brit culture in these post-colonial years – with titles that include "James Bond Danger Man" by The Soul Brothers, "Pussy Galore" by Lee Perry & The Wailers, "Mr Flint" by The Soul Brothers, "Mr Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" by The Soul Brothers, "Hang Em High" by Jackie Mittoo, "From Russia With Love" by Roland Alphonso & The Studio One Orchestra, "Ball Of Fire" by The Skatalites, and "James Bond Girl" by The Soul Brothers. (Reggae, Soundtracks) LP, Vinyl record album

The first-ever issue of music from a short UK film of the 70s – nicely trippy sounds from very familiar instruments! The cool 10" album brings together all the music for the short documentary as one piece – nicely drifting sounds created by a combo that features Julian Furniss on guitar, Geoff Jolliffe on bass, Mick Kirby on drums, and Steve Jolliffe himself on keyboards, flute, and saxophones! Given the instrumentation, you might expect jazz – but the results are a lot more unique, and perfect for the offbeat nature of the film. LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant little soundtrack from Dizzy Gillespie – composed by Mal Waldron, and played by Diz with a sound and sensitivity that few of his other 60s albums can match! The feel here is quite bold and righteous – a perfect accompaniment for the documentary-like black and white images of Shirley Clarke's film – set in Harlem, and mostly recorded on location in the early 60s! Dizzy's tone is wonderful – bracing one minute, blue-toned the next – and the rest of the group is wonderful too – with James Moody on tenor and flute, Kenny Barron on piano, Chris White on bass, and Rudy Collins on drums. There's a richly expressive feel to the music that makes the set hold up fantastically both as a soundtrack and as a jazz album – and titles include "The Pusher", "Duke's Fantasy", "Coney Island", "Bonnie's Blues", "Duke's Awakening", "Coolie", and "Enter Priest". (Jazz, Soundtracks) LP, Vinyl record album

A groovy little soundtrack – played by The Sandals, the same group who worked on the film The Endless Summer – director Bruce Brown's strange documentary about surfers around the world. This time around, the theme is skiers – and The Sandals more than rise to meet the challenge – crafting some tight and groovy 60s instrumentals, with lots of guitar riffing over crackling bass and drum parts. Check out the tracks "Soul Something" and "Porsche" for some real grooviness – and keep on grooving through "Ski Bum", "Yellow Dove", "Return From The Casino", and "Water & Stone". LP, Vinyl record album

Killer funk from the Italian scene of the 70s – work by the Pulsar Music Ltd combo, originally used as the soundtrack for the crime classic Milano Violenta! Italian crime films were really hitting their height at the time – documenting the new wave of terror that was hitting the cities in the 70s – and music like this perfectly set the scene, with a sharp mix of funk, jazz, and other urban elements – all served up in a non-stop barrage of totally great cuts, of the sort that you'd only find sparsely on American soundtracks of the period. Music is composed by Italian jazz great Enrico Pieranunzi with Silvano Chimenti – and titles include "Leyla Theme", "Running", "Walking At Sunrise", "Six In", "Swinging Day", "Blue Funk", "Dreamland", and "Cat Theme". (Sound Library, Soundtracks) LP, Vinyl record album

The soundtrack to the Sex Pistols quote/unquote documentary The Great Rock 'N' Roll Swindle – a crazy mess of Pistols odds, ends and quote/unquote hits – including Sid's crazy-as-hell take on Sinatra, the weird quote/unquote French version of "Anarchy In The UK" and miscellaneous errata. Definitely one of weirdest chapters of Sex Pistols lore, which kind makes it a necessity! Includes "Johnny B Goode", "Road Runner", "Anarchy In The UK", "Substitute", "Lonely Boy", "God Save The Queen", "You Need Hands", "Black Arabs", "Silly Things", "Something Else", "My Way", "The Great Rock 'N'Roll Swindle" and more. (Rock, Soundtracks) LP, Vinyl record album

Ron Geesin's a British arranger with a host of amazing talents – from early work in the exotica field, to a famous collaboration with Roger Waters – always handled with a mindblowing sense of sound and scope! Here, he delivers a superb score for the film Sunday Bloody Sunday – a dark-themed drama that's given backing by Geesin that's maybe even more illuminating than the images on the screen at times – as Ron captures a moody vibe in perfect ways, but also changes things up a fair bit instrumentally – which makes each new selection feel very different, even though they are unified in mood. Bridget St John sings on the track "Chemical Dreams", and plays guitar on "Motoring Sparkle" – and other titles include "Intriguing Cables", "Sky High Balloons", "Piccadilly Bustle", "Blitzful Memories", and "Affections For String Quartet". Plus, the LP also features great bonus tracks from other Geesin projects – four more tracks from a 1985 documentary on Viv Richards, and six more from a 1970 documentary on mental health, titled "Shapes In A Wilderness" – both a great match for the main score. LP, Vinyl record album

A heady brew of early work from Iggy Pop and The Stooges – some bigger classics mixed with rare tracks, all in support of the Jim Jarmusch documentary on the group! Unusual tracks here include "I Got A Right" and "I'm Sick Of You" – both from an early aborted session for Raw Power – plus "Lost In The Future (take 1)", from the Fun House sessions. Other titles include "No Fun", "Loose", "I Wanna Be Your Dog", "1969", "Down On The Street", and "Asthma Attack" – plus the David Bowie mix of "Gimme Danger". (Rock, Soundtracks) LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty cool album that features the soundtrack to the chilling Robert Mitchum film – but recast in album form, and linked together with spooky narration by Charles Laughton! Although Mitchum only makes a few appearances on the record, you do hear him singing some of the spooky songs from the film – while Laughton reads the longer story, and Walter Schumann provides some eerie orchestral backdrops! A pretty great audio documentary from the years long before video – when records often had to stand in as the closest thing you'd get towards a home-based experience of a film! LP, Vinyl record album