Two very cool soundtracks from the legendary team of Guido & Maurizio DeAngelis – back to back on in a single set! The soundtrack to Keoma is a weird mixture of instrumental tunes that feature piano, guitar, and harmonica, sort of in a spaghetti western mode, but with more of a groovy Italian approach – and played by the wonderful Franco De Gemini – then balanced out by two vocal tunes, one with vocals by male singer Guy, who almost hits a Leonard Cohen style – the other as a duet with female singer Sybil. Il Cacciatore Di Squali follows up the style – featuring a great vocal number by The Sharks, plus some instrumentals with a range of instrumentation, including a bit of smooth electric work that's maybe more fitting for the 1979 date of the film. Titles include "Keoma", "Otra Fiesta", "Nebuige", "In Front Of My Desperation", "Dusty Banjo", and "Waiting For". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic funky soundtrack from Riz Ortolani – quite different than some of his bigger hits of the 60s, and full of heavy basslines and lots of great drums! The style here is in the best cop/crime mode of the time – but has even more blacksploitation grit at the bottom than the usual Italian work of the period – with a rawness that really rivals some of the best funky scores by Americans like Johnny Pate or Don Julian – although overall, there's maybe an even higher funk quotient to this record than some of their classics! Take it from us – we're not ones to casually use terms like this – and we really mean it when we say that this rare Italian gem from 1973 might well have you putting aside your copies of Shaft, Superfly, and Black Caesar! CD features the bonus track "Romance Anonimo" – plus 19 more tracks from the film. CD

A record that's as sunny and slinky as you might guess from the cover – but one that's got a few surprises along the way! Daniele Patucchi can really deliver the goods with a sexy 70s soundtrack – and he's very much in his element here, as he mixes muted horns with warm basslines and light strings, then often peppers the music with these lighter bits of acoustic instrumentation on a guitar or mandolin – a slight Mediterranean vibe to further up the ante of the setting – which is then offset by a few more tense, dramatic moments in the score! The CD features five bonus tracks added to the original soundtrack – and titles include variations on "Il Sorriso Del Ragno" – plus "Verso L'Ignoto", "Tema Di Corinto", and other variations too. CD

A record with a stark-looking cover, but one that hides a lot of warm within – a set of very well-done 70s tracks from Italian composer Daniele Patucchi, who has a great way of mixing a central theme with some funkier moments that have a nice cop/crime sort of groove! The main theme is great enough alone – a spare piano melody, hung out over some slow-stepping light orchestrations – really beautiful, then balanced with a few upbeat numbers that use funky organ and jazzier instrumentation to change up the mood – all of which makes for a very rich, very lively film score throughout! The CD features three bonus tracks added to the main score – and titles include "Don't Touch Him With Your Smile", "Elikiller", "Rien Va Plus", "La Madre", "Midnight The Stars & You", and "Sans Sommation". CD

A sweet 70s soundtrack that's filled with great little numbers – the kind of cuts that have a gentle groove and some really sweet keyboard lines – very much in the best spirit of classic work from the decade by contemporary Stelvio Cipriani! We've always loved the work of Roberto Pregadio, but he seems to have an extra special sort of sound here in the company of Carlo Cristallini – and the pair do a good job of moving between short numbers and longer tracks that balance out both the rhythms and the instrumental elements of the overall soundtrack! A few moments are a bit moody, a few are all-out funky – but overall there's a lightly stepping quality to the music that's really great, and which makes for a complete delight as the long soundtrack makes its way through 25 different selections – all presented in the top-shelf way that makes this label so wonderful. CD

A soundtrack with a beautiful mix of modes from Carlo Savina – some cuts that have sweet 70s keyboard lines over a laidback groove, others that use strings in ways that are both dark and slinky, and one or two more that throw in some surprising melodies to the mix! This is the first time this obscure Italian score's ever gotten a proper release – and the whole thing's a great testament to the diversity that Savina can bring to some of his best work – a quality that might sometimes have his music a bit more obscured in legacies next to Italian composers with more of a trademark style – but one that's ripe for rediscovery in this well-done package! The set includes 15 tracks from the film score, plus 2 more from the rare 45 release. CD

An Italian erotic soundtrack that's really a cut above – way more than just the kind of trashy music used in American films of this nature at the time – and instead a rich array of tones and colors that really lives up to the soundtrack legacy of Carlo Savina! The music has a sense of warmth that's really wonderful – plenty of acoustic elements, mixed with a bit of keyboards and bass – nothing too over the top, and a nice shift in melodic modes so that there's this richness to the music you might never expect from the cover! A few passages even have the feeling of 70s French film scores, balanced by others that have a more Italian vibe overall – and the superb presentation of the material features a total of 18 tracks in all, all with beautiful sound. CD

One of the coolest 70s soundtracks from the great Stelvio Cipriani – served up here with a huge amount of bonus tracks too! The music here was scored for a Mario Bava horror film, but it often has a quality that's more lean and lovely overall – that current of sex that we always love in Ciprani's best work, and which made him a key force for transforming the Italian bossa and jazz soundtrack style of the 60s into something completely new for the 70s! There's a lot of sweet keyboards in the music – as you'd expect from Stelvio – but there's also some cool rootsy percussion, which creates a nice juxtaposition between acoustic and electric, especially as things get a bit spookier near the end. Titles include "Ultimo Atto", "Solitudine Di Simone", "Teenagers Cha Cha Cha", "Due Amanti", "Evelyn Theme", "Shake Giradischi", and "Un Cadavere Nel Lago". CD features 31 tracks in all – including 11 never-issued bonus tracks! CD

Stelvio Cipriani at his funkiest – taking all the lessons learned from his slinky, erotic sounds of the early 70s – and turning them into a mix of sweet sounds with a great late 70s vibe! Some tracks are upbeat and almost have a clubby feel, others have a great slow-stepping approach to funk – and there's a few others that are moodier, mellower instrumentals – of the sort that Stelvio first rose to fame with – but often with as much acoustic elements and percussion as his usual sweet keyboard work! Titles include the previous single – "Chicago USA" and "Percussion Gun" – both very funky tracks with a similar theme – mixed with lots of other unreleased numbers, including "Spanish Nights In Black Satin", "Lyonesse", "Changing Face", "Chicago USA 2", The Predator", "Crazy Town", and a number of other tunes with variations on the title "Scorticateli Vivi". CD

A great little soundtrack – one that's in a mode that might well be our favorite from the Italian scene of the early 70s – a style that's funky and breezy at once, dreamy and groovy, and delivered with instrumental inflections that still have us scratching our heads at the process! Stelvio Cipriani is at his best here – even though the set has more acoustic piano instead of electric – as his role at the help is superb, as he works through light percussion, warm horn arrangements, slight strings, and other cool elements that perfectly balance between bossa and jazz, cinema and lounge, all with an organic, effortless quality that hangs tight throughout all the tracks on the record. Eddie Constantine sings on two tracks, but most numbers are instrumental – and titles include "Ricordi Nel Bosco", "Second Spring", "Tema Di Anna", "Fantasia Tragica", and "It Was A Dream". CD

A record for a movie that seemed like a bit of a joke at the time of release – but one that's gone on to have surprising staying power with new generations over the decades – as has the mix of music that makes up the soundtrack! The set's from the big 90s anthology soundtrack moment – and features cuts that include "All Of My Days" by R Kelly with Changing Faces & Jay Z, "That's The Way" by Spin Doctors with Biz Markie, "Fly Like An Eagle" by Seal, "The Winner" by Coolio, "Space Jam" by Quad City DJs, "I Believe I Can Fly" by R Kelly, "I Found My Smile Again" by D'Angelo, "Givin U All That I've Got" by Robin S, "Basketball Jones" by Barry White & Chris Rock, "I Turn To You" by All 4 One, "Buggin" by Bugs Bunny, "Upside Down" by Salt N Pepa, and "Hit Em High (The Monsta's Anthem)" by B Real, Busta Rhymes, Coolio, LL Cool J, and Method Man. CD

An amazing record – one with a depth that goes way beyond its simple roots, and which has gone on to become one of the true Christmas classics of the 20th Century! Although a Christmas soundtrack, the album's more of a tapestry of sadness, longing, and loss – the best qualities that always emerge in true Christmas classics – underscoring the blue side of the season that's always lurking around corners from the happier moments. Vince Guaraldi penned this score back when he was a rising talent on the San Francisco scene – and in a way, it was almost his musical contribution to the cartoon that made it such a lasting favorite – even over and above the appeal of the famous animated characters. Most tunes are simple piano ones, but played with a phrasing that's beautifully timeless – and the few vocal numbers feature voices from the cartoon, singing softly with the music. Titles include the classic "Linus and Lucy" – plus "My Little Drum", "Christmas Is Coming", "Christmas Time Is Here", "Skating", and "Fur Elise". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing record – one with a depth that goes way beyond its simple roots, and which has gone on to become one of the true Christmas classics of the 20th Century! Although a Christmas soundtrack, the album's more of a tapestry of sadness, longing, and loss – the best qualities that always emerge in true Christmas classics – underscoring the blue side of the season that's always lurking around corners from the happier moments. Vince Guaraldi penned this score back when he was a rising talent on the San Francisco scene – and in a way, it was almost his musical contribution to the cartoon that made it such a lasting favorite – even over and above the appeal of the famous animated characters. Most tunes are simple piano ones, but played with a phrasing that's beautifully timeless – and the few vocal numbers feature voices from the cartoon, singing softly with the music. Titles include the classic "Linus and Lucy" – plus "My Little Drum", "Christmas Is Coming", "Christmas Time Is Here", "Skating", and "Fur Elise". LP, Vinyl record album

A haunting set from French soundtrack maestro Michel Legrand – an obscure album of orchestral tunes from the mid 70s, handled with a lot more strings than you'd usually hear in his work, but in a way that comes off sounding delightful! Legrand has a talent for making any kind of setting swing, and he certainly shows that in this set – a moodily concocted batch of tracks that fit perfectly with his best soundtrack work of the time. There's a slight bit of electricity in some of the tracks, and the album features solo work by Phil Woods on alto, Derek Watkins on trumpet, and Don Lusher on trombone. Titles include "Pieces Of Dreams", "Sweet Gingerbread Man", "Christine", "Wonder Where I'll Be Tomorrow", "The Saddest Thing Of All", and "Happy". LP, Vinyl record album