An Italian comedy take on the story of Robinson Crusoe – one that's served up with lots of light musical touches, thanks to the team of Guido and Maurizio DeAngelis! The music here is a blend of tropical themes and some of the comedic 70s modes you'd guess from the cover art – rootsier percussion and a bit of light ukulele to create the "island" elements – and some warmer, fuller passages that evoke the Italian placement of the film – although overall, the music is probably more attuned to the acoustic elements than most of its type from the time. Heavy vinyl pressing features 12 tracks from the film – plus the 7" single versions of "Signor Robinson" and "L'Isola Di Robinson". LP, Vinyl record album

A groovy soundtrack to this "establishment hip" film starring Anthony Quinn, Milton Berle, and Robert Walker – set in Miami beach, and kind of a run-in between a businessman (Quinn) and some "young swingers" (including Faye Dunaway.) DeVol's approach to the material isn't as totally out there as might be, given the time of the film – and the styles that were often used on other soundtracks of this type – but the album does have some nice moments that get kind of 60s easy and groovy. Tracks include "The Fuzz", "Fred Splits", "Escapism", "Let's Play Games", "The Airport Caper", "All I Know About You", and "Turndown". LP, Vinyl record album

A very cool electronic soundtrack for this obscure early 80s slasher film – music that's a lot more complex and sensitive than the usual sounds used for slashers – with a style that reminds us of some of the hippest late 70s music on the Sky Records label! Eric Feremens comes from a relatively similar place – working here on self-built synthesizers, tailored specially to produced these wonderful sounds and tones – not tinny commercial keyboards, but much more thoughtful electronic elements that make the music way more appealing than just its use in a film. In fact, this is one of the few soundtracks of its type that could stand alone as a batch of spacey electronics – far from the schlocky images on the screen. Titles include "Harbour Fight", "Persecution", "Lady", "Hippy Song", and "Beat". LP, Vinyl record album

Spooky keyboards galore – and a classic horror soundtrack from Goblin – done with just the right blend of rock influences and film score modes to live up to their well-deserved legacy! As on other records, the approach here is more that of a rock group – with guitar, bass, keyboards, and drums as the main instrumentation – but the sound is less jamming and very spare at times – so that these familiar elements get a weird sort of twist, and head into styles that are as tense as some of the images on the screen! A few numbers get slightly funky, but overall things are more in a slasher-type mode – and titles include "The Carver", "Rush", "Time Is On", "Ogre", "Quiet Drops", "Bikini Island", and "Flood". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the heaviest soundtracks scored by Goblin during the 70s – with lots of funky club influences, and a funky disco sound on a number of tracks that feature vocals by the great European club diva Asha Puthli. Puthli sings on the tracks "The Whip" and "The Sound Of Money", and there's one more track, "Welcome To The Boogie", that's got unidentified vocals – but which follows in a similar disco sort of mode! The rest of the material is mostly uptempo cop show type stuff from the era – with plenty of keyboards, wah wah guitars, and heavy rhythms – that funky mix of rock and soundtrack styles that Goblin did so well back in the day. Titles include "Trumpet's Flight", "Sicilian Samba", "Stunt Cars", and "Disco China". CD features bonus material – "Squadra Antigangsters (movie take 1)", "Squadra Antigangsters (movie take 2)", and "Trumpet's Flight (alt version)". CD

Two cool Italian spy spoof comedy soundtracks from the 60s – both served up at a level that may well top American film scores of the type from the time! Lallo Gori does wonderful work on Come Svaligimmo La Banca D'Italia – very different than some of his other soundtracks, with a much more jazz-based approach – served up with swinging rhythms, organ lines, flute, and even some great chorus vocals from the very groovy I Cantori Moderni! The tunes are all pretty jaunty and groovy – lots of mod 60s modes – and the soundtrack features 17 titles in all! Next up is the soundtrack for Il Lungo Il Corto Il Gatto – music that's equally groovy and filled with plenty of jazzy elements too – as well as more of those great vocals, this time sung by the chorus of Nora Orlandi. 30 titles in all on the CD – and a well-done collection of tracks that never saw the light of day on record at the time! CD

A nice one by Quincy! Although the material here isn't funky like his 70's work, it does show Quincy as a strong composer of serious thriller-type material – working in a style that produces a nice amount of tension and mood, and which still has some nice touches of jazz. The group is filled with strong jazz players like Freddie Hubbard, Anthony Ortega, Oliver Nelson, Elvin Jones, and others – and the album features a vocal version of the theme by Marc Allen, plus a crazy spoken bit from the movie, by Rod Steiger! Other titles include "Harlem Drive", "Naked Truth", "Rack 'Em Up", and "Death Scene". LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty nice little soundtrack from a period when Columbia was sneaking out some great material in the genre! The album features tracks by Kaplan that run through a variety of moods – some are orchestral and dramatic, but there's also some good groovy numbers too – a few nice, almost bossa-inflected tunes of the type that we love to dig through 60s soundtracks for. Titles include "Cold Love", "The Beatch", "The Amphitheater", "Young Lovers", and "Bull Fight". LP, Vinyl record album

After hitting big as a singer on the soundtrack for Claudine, Gladys Knight finally got her chance in front of the camera for Pipe Dreams – a record that featured her both as the star on film and on the soundtrack! The styles here are a bit more wider-ranging than the usual 70s soundtrack of this type – a bit of ballad soul, mellow numbers, and more – arranged by Dominic Frontiere and Michael Masser in styles that are a bit like some of Knight's own albums of the time. We like especially the jazzy vocalesey number "Pot Of Jazz", a nice number that deserves further discovery on a compilation – and other cuts include "Find A Way", "Follow My Dreams", "So Sad The Song", and "Alaskan Pipeline". (Soul, Soundtracks) LP, Vinyl record album

Kind of a 3-in-1 package – as the album features tunes written for the first 3 of the Friday the 13th films – all of them either electro-slasher type numbers, or dark and moody passages of strings – with an atonal haunting quality that stretches back to Morricone. Included is the famous "da-da-da-da-shreeet" sound of the strings in the theme – and each set of tracks kind of works as its own mini "suite". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic take on the "Batman" hit of the 60s – one that moves the tune from camp TV theme to sweet rock instrumental territory – in a manner that prefaces later takes on the tune by The Who and The Jam! The track may well be the biggest ever by The Marketts – and showcases their ability to step way past the usual surf instrumental modes of the time – and work within the larger studio genius of Warner Brothers to create some very groovy sounds! Dick Glasser heads up production – and moves the music into territory that's still instrumental, yet much more varied than usual for a rock album of the type – almost soundtrack-oriented in points, but mostly handled in a small combo mode. In addition to the "Batman" hit, other titles are all caped crusader-related – and include "Dr Death", "The Joker", "Bat Cape", "Cat Women", "Bat Cave", and "Bat Signal". (Rock, Soundtracks) LP, Vinyl record album

A nice lost soundtrack that accompanied this film about a Patty Hearst-type character from the mid 70s! The Stang/All Platinum label was in charge of the music, and the soundtrack features a bunch of exclusive cuts by Rhetta Hughes, The Moments, The Rimshots, and Chuck Jackson. Best of these are the Rimshots instrumentals, especially "Takin It" and "Do What You Feel". Also includes a version of "Sexy Mama", the Moments' big hit! Other tracks include "Look At Me" by Rhetta Young, "Patty" by The Moments, and "Gotta Get A Gun" by Chuck Jackson. LP, Vinyl record album

Beautifully slow-building work from Ennio Morricone – caught right at that near-perfect start of the 70s point when he was a master of understatement and spare musical elements! Many numbers begin with a sound that's often very spare – sliding out of the darkness sometimes with just a whisper, sometimes with a bit more force – woodwinds hidden in the shadows, piano murmuring softly, or strings that slide slowly once, then strike with more force the next time around. There's also a cool whistling bit that snakes through a few of the best tunes – a haunting theme with Alessandroni-type appeal – and the orchestrations for the album were conducted by Bruno Nicolai. The sound isn't as sweetly gliding as you might expect, but it's also not as atonal as other Morricone moments too. Titles include "In Pieno Petto", "Il Movente", "Senza Motivo Apparente", "Ricera", and "Sospensione Folle". 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 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! CD also features the bonus track "The Idea Of A Greater Age". (Jazz, Soundtracks) CD

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 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

Not Lalo's greatest soundtrack of the 70s, but with a few nice moments! The music was written for a strange action film that starred George Segal, Henry Fonda, and Richard Widmark, set in an amusement park – and, not surprisingly, about half the tunes have a carnival or circus type theme to them, with lots of instrumentation that's played in the mode of a calliope. The best cuts, though, have a tight Schifrin action groove to them – done in the manner of some of his slicker late 70s work, with plenty of uptempo rhythms and driving themes. Tracks include "Rollercoaster", "Apple Turnover", "One Track Mind", "Portrait Of Harry", "Magic Carousel", "Children's Ride", and "Another Side Of Harry". CD

Written for a strange action film that starred George Segal, Henry Fonda, and Richard Widmark, set in an amusement park – and, not surprisingly, about half the tunes have a carnival or circus type theme to them, with lots of instrumentation that's played in the mode of a calliope. The best cuts, though, have a tight Schifrin action groove to them – done in the manner of some of his slicker late 70s work, with plenty of uptempo rhythms and driving themes. Tracks include "Rollercoaster", "Apple Turnover", "One Track Mind", "Portrait Of Harry", "Magic Carousel", "Children's Ride", and "Another Side Of Harry". LP, Vinyl record album

A very groovy little soundtrack – with a mixture of Zorba The Greek type Greek themes, plus hippy dippy psyche touches, and even a bit of Barbarella-like fuzz! The film imagines a 1972 in which hippies kind of go crazy in Greece – and the "future hippy" style of the music makes for some great touches that rank the album with Thedorakis' best work from the time. Titles include "Stand By For The Tourist Boom", "Sex On The Rocks", "Looking For the Bomb", "The Jet Rock", "Let's Dance The Jet", and "Karos 1972 AD". LP, Vinyl record album

A sublime soundtrack from John Barry – common, to be sure, but also a wonderfully-crafted set that goes way beyond the stereotypes of his work for the James Bond films! The record is probably best known for Nilsson's famous version of the Fred Neil tune "Everybody's Talkin" – which is great in itself – but it's Barry's own work on the title theme that we totally love. "Midnight Cowboy" is a darkly turning slowly pondering tune that will haunt us until the day we die – performed here on the original number with a sad-tinged harmonica that unites both the country of Joe Buck's roots and the sleaze of the love generation. The tune's great – and is matched here by the whimsy of "Florida Fantasy", and the Barry tracks "Fun City" and "Science Fiction". But also, Barry acted as the overall music director for the film – and used some tracks from the hip group Elephant's Memory, plus others by The Groop – but offbeat acts who really fit the spirit of the film. The record's almost worth it just for the cut "Old Man Willow", a really tripped-out longer track from Elephant's Memory – swirling around in organ and hippie vocals, and oddly echoing the main Barry theme of the set at times! LP, Vinyl record album

An expanded version of Hugo Friedhofer's score for One Eyed Jacks – a compelling soundtrack for one of the more ill-fated westerns of the 50s! Friedhofer really moves beyond familiar stereotypes here – using offbeat orchestrations, often heavy on woodwinds and solo instrumentation, to create a nice sense of place and space – almost exotic at points, then underscored by bolder dramatic themes that build as the soundtrack unfolds. There's almost as much drama in the music as you'll find on the screen – and titles include "Seduction", "Contrition", "Toast To Friendship", "Kiss Of A Scoundrel/Pursued By Rurales", and "Finale". CD features a full bonus disc – a second CD with 27 more tracks from the original score, as well as alternates of the main themes on the first disc! CD