A late 60s soundtrack by Serge Gainsbourg – but a record that's easily as great as any of his studio albums from the same time! The bulk of the album has a spare, punctuated groove that's somewhat funky – quite a bit like Melody Nelson in its sense of space and timing – and its sex-heavy groove that bubbles up nicely from the bottom of bassy backings and mod orchestrations. Serge sings a bit – as does Anna Karina and Jean-Claude Brialy, Gainsbourg's co-stars in the film – and the orchestrations on the record were handled by Michel Colombier, and easily rank as some of his greatest work ever! Titles include both vocal and instrumental versions of "Sous Le Soleil Exactement", "Pas Mal Pas Mal Du Tout", "Boomerang", "Un Jour Comme Un Autre", "Ne Dis Rien", "Roller Girl", "GI Jo", "Pistolet Jo", "Photographes Et Religieuses", "Rien Rien J'Disais Ca Comme Ca", and "Un Poison Violet C'Est CA L'Amour". CD

This is the new remix of Pierre Henry's famous funky electronic ballet from 1967. They've selected a wide range of artists to handle it, from the great Dimitri from Paris, to the popular Fatboy Slim, and the list includes other names like The Mighty Bop, William Orbit, Coldcut, and Funki Porcini. The sound varies, but there's some very nice moments that add a good bit to the original. Some of these cuts were floating around on expensive 12" singles before, and although this French issue isn't cheap, it's still a nice jam-packed selection of cuts, and has some great moments that bridge the history of electronica. CD

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Michel Colombier created some mighty funky music in the French scene of the late 60s and early 70s – including some with Pierre Henry and Serge Gainsbourg – and this standalone soundtrack effort is definitely part of that really great legacy in music! There's a nice current of funk amidst the larger orchestrations on some of the best cuts – mixed with a few other sweeter sounds too – all handled with that really inventive approach that easily made Colombier one of the key cats pushing forward the sound of the scene at the time. The set's got a vocal tune sung by Drupi – and titles include "Violence Et Solitude", "La Baie", "Constance Et Laurent", "La Mort", and a number of variations on "Le Hasard Et La Violence". LP, Vinyl record album

French composer Michel Magne is perhaps best remembered for his soundtrack work of the 60s – but this well-done collection digs farther back, and brings together not only some earlier film score work from the postwar years, but also some extra cool instrumental projects too! Magne's always got a special sort of twist in his music – and he was maybe one of the first French arrangers to incorporate newer ideas in pop and rock to his music, at a level that opened the door for later artists like Jean Claude Vannier or Michel Colombier – and like contemporary Alan Goraguer, he's also got some strong backing in jazz as well! Those many streams of styles really come into play here – in a big 3CD package that features 88 tracks in all – including the soundtracks to the films Le Repos Du Guerrier, Le Pain Vivant, Detournement De Mineures, Le Pique Assiette, and Un Singe En Hiver – plus work from a Musique Pour Films album, the records Musique Tachist, Paris, and A L'Alhambra – and even a rare collaboration with author Francoise Sagan! CD

A killer French soundtrack from the start of the 70s – four very groovy cuts that were used in the film Jeu De Dames, a movie that also circulated under the more titillating title of Sex Revolution! The music is full of freak and fuzz – Hammond organ, great guitar lines, and plenty of romping mod rhythms that feel more like late 60s French grooves than work from 1973 – all given the sorts of very cool production touches that you'd expect from bigger giants of the field, like Michel Colombier and Alan Goraguer! Titles include "Les Velos", "Le Viol", "Drole De Jeu De Dames", and "La Recherche". 7-inch, Vinyl record

A totally cool record from the French scene at the start of the 70s – a set that has breathy vocals from female singer Frantz, very much in a Jane Birkin mode – and these ultra-cool backings from Eric Demarsan – best known for soundtrack work, but coming across here in a stunning mix of instrumentation with funky currents – very much in the territory of Michel Colombier and Jean-Claude Vannier! LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic French grooves from the end of the 60s – a killer set of jazz-based tracks recorded by trumpeter Ivan Jullien, with help from funky arranger Michel Colombier! Jullien recorded a fair bit of jazz and studio work around the time, and his playing here is razor-sharp – and supported by Colombier grooves that rival his best soundtrack material, his experiments with Pierre Henry, or his backings for singers like Serge Gainsbourg or Brigitte Bardot! Colombier also plays keyboards on the record, as does the great Maurice Vander – amidst a host of other great French jazzmen who include Pierre Gossez on sax, Roger Guerin on additional trumpet, and Eddie Louiss on organ. Drums are nice and funky on most cuts – and the whole thing kicks even more than most funky big band records on MPS! Includes the great break cut "I Remember Otis" – plus "Sonoro", "The Looser", "Talk", "An Oscar For Eddy", "Wake The Monster", "Edith", and "Crescendo". CD

One of the weirdest Italian soundtracks you're ever likely to hear – mad music from the 70s, originally written for a demonic religious performance! Stefano Marcucci has roots in the psych scene, but also recorded the set in the Sound Workshop of Piero Umiliani – and the work has just the sort of mix of fuzz and electronics you'd expect from that pedigree – some really way out analogue electronic elements at times, mixed with more familiar song structures and some chorus vocals – often set to a psych funk groove that reminds us of some of the grooviest French arrangers at the end of the 60s, such as Michel Colombier and Jean Claude Vannier. The chorus vocals are especially offbeat – as they sound like they're going to be sweet, but feel more satanic in the end – and titles include "Pange Lingua", "Inferno", "Coro Dei Penitenti", "Allejua", "Rendete Grazi", "Gli Occhi Di Tutti", and "Roma Nobilis". LP, Vinyl record album

Four early 80s classics from Johnny Mathis – presented here in a single 2CD package! Different Kinda Different is a tremendous start to the 80s for Johnny Mathis – and a set that really continues that strong shift into soul-based territory he begun in the 70s! Gene Page handles a lot of the arrangements here, and gives the whole thing that strong blend of strings and soul that he worked on other 70s classics for different artists – a perfect approach for that magnificent Mathis voice, especially when the tunes have a bit of a groove! Two of the best numbers here – "Different Kind Of Different" and "I'll Do It All For You" – are duets with Paulette McWilliams, who'd recorded on her own, but who really seems to hit her stride with Johnny, and in a way that's different than any of his other soul partners in duets. Other titles include "Never Givin Up On You", "With You I'm Born Again", "I Will Survive", "The Lights Of Rio", and "Love Without Words". Friends In Love is mature 80s work from Johnny Mathis – a set that features two duets with Dionne Warwick, plus some other nice material that shows that Johnny wasn't going to be left behind in the shadows of his older work! At some level, the approach of the 80s, and the rise of a new sort of adult contemporary scene, really helped Mathis find a new audience – especially when teaming with Dionne, who was also having a rebirth at the time! Titles include the classic duet title cut "Friends In Love", and another duet on "Got You Where I Want You" – plus other titles that include "What Do You Do With The Love", "When The Lovin Goes Out Of The Lovin", "I Remember You & Me", and "Somethin's Goin On". Special Part Of Me is a sweet 80s set from Johnny Mathis – one of those great later albums when he brought a good deal of soul into the mix! The feel here is almost more modern R&B than the vocal jazz mode that first brought Johnny fame – and it turns out that the Mathis mode is wonderful for such a setting – rich and full of feeling, and arguably better than some of his younger contemporaries on the charts! The ballads are beautiful, but there's also a few surprising midtempo numbers – and titles include a sublime remake of "Love Won't Let Me Wait", done with Deniece Williams – plus "Love Never Felt So Good", "Simple", "Priceless", "One Love", "Right Here & Now", and "Lead Me To Your Love" – plus "You're A Special Part Of Me", a duet with Angie Bofill. Live is a later live album from Johnny Mathis, and one that brings together classics, newer cuts, and a few titles he'd never sang before – all served up with a sound that shows the continuing strengths of the legendary singer! There's a variety of arrangers used on the set – including Gene Page and Michel Colombier – and titles include "Orange Colored Sky", "When A Child Is Born", "Begin The Beguine", "I Believe In Love", "Fly Away", "99 Miles From LA", and "A Certain Smile". CD

The coolest collection we've ever seen to focus on the soundtrack work of the great Serge Gainsbourg – and the most complete as well! The package really digs deep – and seems to offer up tracks from just about every single film that Gainsbourg was involved with – from his own compositions, to partnerships with greats like Alain Goraguer, Michel Colombier, and the mighty Jean-Claude Vannier – all of whom come up with very groovy, often funky instrumentation that rivals Serge's own releases! In fact, we might well even say that we find the Gainsbourg soundtrack material to be even cooler – as the films often gave Serge a chance to experiment, and try out new ideas he wouldn't do on his own records. This LP package is a great distillation of the larger CD set, with a focus on the grooviest cuts – and includes selections from the films L'Eau A La Bouche, Manon 70, Anna, Si Jetais Un Espion, Le Pacha, Slogan, Une Vueve En Or, and Les Chemins De Katmandou. LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible collaboration between Serge Gainsbourg and Brigitte Bardot – one of Serge's first duet albums ever – and a gem all the way through! In the year before he cut "Je T'aime Moi Non Plus" with Jane Birkin, Serge recorded this great album with Brigitte Bardot in which he worked out many of the same ideas. The album is probably best known for the track "Bonnie & Clyde" – which has been sampled to great fame over the years – but there's loads of other great tracks on here, with a mix of styles that joins Serge's jazzy years with his softcore 70s work – very cool, very groovy, and years ahead of its time. Some tracks are duets, and some are sung individually by Serge or Brigitte, but they're all great, and titles include "Intoxicated Man", "L'eau A La Bouche", "Un Jour Comme Un Autre", "Comic Strip", and more! Arrangements by Alain Gourager, Michel Colombier, and Claude Bolling – and the cover's got a great shot of Serge & BB as Bonnie & Clyde! LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic soundtrack that's maybe even more legendary than the unusual animated film for which it was created – a funky French classic that stands strong in the best tradition of work by Serge Gainsbourg, Jean-Claude Vannier, and Michel Colombier! No surprise, Alain Goraguer is part of the same generation, and did some great early jazzy backings for Serge – but here, his style is much funkier, with lots of sweet keyboard lines, wah wah guitar, and soaring larger orchestrations that really put the whole thing together – clearly one of Alain's best musical moments – and filled with great tunes that include "Le Bracelet", "Deshominisation", "Mort De Draag", "La Femme", "Mira Et Ten", and "Ten Et Medor". Plus, this great reissue is mixed from the original tapes – and features 10 more bonus tracks – all appearing here for the first time ever! CD

Sweet grooving from Lani Hall – a record that's a long way from her roots in Brasil 66, but which has some surprisingly nice touches at times! Herb Alpert produced – and handled arrangements along with Lani and Michel Colombier – and it may well be Colombier's highly rhythmic approach to larger backings that makes the best parts of the album so nice – because some unexpected moments bounce along with a very slight funky undercurrent, offsetting Lani's sometimes overdone vocals with leaner modes that push things past the clutter. Titles include a nicely grooving version of "Send In The Clowns", plus "Early Mornin Strangers", "Mr Blue", "Too Many Mornings", "Sweet Bird", "Dolphins Lullaby", and "At The Ballet". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic French femmes from the 60s – and a great illustration of the way that girl power really took over the sound of the Parisian scene at the time! These tunes have a punch that few American or British tracks of the period could ever hope to match – a way of staying sweet, yet really hitting hard with a groove – sometimes with fuzzy guitars or organ, sometimes with a fuller blast of orchestrations – always completely charming and immediately appealing – even if you can't understand the lyrics! Most numbers feature work by some top-shelf arrangers from the tight Parisian scene – including Alain Goraguer, Jacques Denjean, Michel Colombier, and Ivan Julien – and titles include "Le Coeur Au Bout Des Doights" and "Ce Soir Je M'En Vais" by Jacqueline Taieb, "Laisser Tomber Les Filles" and "Le Temps De La Rentree" by France Gall, "Voila" by Francois Hardy, "Caque Nuit" by Les Surfs, "Donne Moi" by Petula Clark, "Un Chagrin A Oublier" by Alice Dona, "Il Suffit D'Un Jour" by Liz Brady, "L'Adorable Femme Des Neiges" by Christie Laume, "Impatiente" by Les Gams, and "Les Filles C'Est Fait Pour Faire L'Amore" by Charlotte Leslie. CD

Includes tracks issued under his own name and with his Big Band, plus additional material recorded with Little Beaver, Pat Metheny, Weather Report, Airto, Flora Purim, Michel Colombier, Joni Mitchell, Mike Stern, and the Brian Melvin Trio. CD

Three wonderful albums from this legendary Brazilian singer – all presented in a single set! First up is Nothing Will Be As It Was Tomorrow – a record that's quite different from Flora's earlier work, but in a way that we find very compelling! The record was produced by Leon Ndugu Chancler, and it's got a smooth fusion sound that's kind of in a southern California R&B mode, played by a huge range of excellent Brazilian and west coast talents that include Patrice Rushen, Dorothy Ashby, Fred Jackson, Raul De Souza, Toninho Horta, and Airto. While this sound overwhelms the core of Flora's usual Brazilian jazz approach, it also expands some of the tracks to a great groove – with Flora's vocals on top, stretching out in a whole new way! Includes a great English language version of the Milton Nascimento classic "Nada Sera Como Antes", plus the cuts "You Love Me Only", "I'm Coming For Your Love", "Corre Nina", "Angels", "Bridges", and "Fairy Tale Song". Every Day Every Night is a beautifully soulful record from Flora Purim – still awash with touches from her Brazilian roots, but also done with a great 70s LA sound! Airto's helping Flora out on production, but the real hero here is Michel Colombier – who handles most of the arrangements and wrote a good deal of the tunes with Purim and Airto – mixing his own expansive studio talents with their organically-forged groove, in a way that makes the record a real standout from the California fusion scene of the 70s! Players include Randy Brecker, Lee Ritenour, George Duke, Herbie Hancock, Harvey Mason, and other jazz heavyweights – and titles include "The Hope", "I Just Don't Know", "In Brasil", "Blues Ballad", "Why I'm Alone", "Walking Away", and "Samba Michel". Carry On is one of Flora Purim's more R&B-sounding albums from the 70s, produced by George Duke with an appreciation for Flora's Brazilian jazz roots, but with a smoother sound that's in keeping with Duke's own work of the time! The combination is pretty sweet – a professional culmination of the mixture of fusion and Brazilian jazz that had been happening in the San Francisco scene during most of the 70s, and featuring many of the musicians who had helped make that groove so strong. Players include Airto, Sheila Escovedo, Joe Farrell, Ronnie Foster, Bobby Lyle, and Larry Williams – and tracks include "Niura Is Coming Back", "From The Lonely Afternoon", "Freeway Jam", "Beijo Partido", "Corine", and "Love Lock". Includes bonus tracks too – "Tango Blues" and "Sad Song". CD

Incredible soundtrack work! You may know nothing about Francois De Roubaix, and the films these tracks are from are even more obscure – but trust us, this is a great set of tracks! De Roubaix follows in a tradition of strange baroque arrangements that's vaguely similar to early work by Michel Colombier, with touches of romanticism from Francis Lai – but it's got a strange twist that's all its own. These tracks feature odd bits of electronics, weird guitar parts, haunting woodwind passages, jaunty rhythms, strange vocals – and almost always, a commitment to keen melody and inventive instrumentation. A few cuts are a bit cheesy, but others are jaw-droppingly fresh – and are some of the best soundtrack work we've been exposed to in a long time. LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic soundtrack that's maybe even more legendary than the unusual animated film for which it was created – a funky French classic that stands strong in the best tradition of work by Serge Gainsbourg, Jean-Claude Vannier, and Michel Colombier! No surprise, Alain Goraguer is part of the same generation, and did some great early jazzy backings for Serge – but here, his style is much funkier, with lots of sweet keyboard lines, wah wah guitar, and soaring larger orchestrations that really put the whole thing together – clearly one of Alain's best musical moments – and filled with great tunes that include "Le Bracelet", "Deshominisation", "Mort De Draag", "La Femme", "Mira Et Ten", and "Ten Et Medor". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic soundtrack that's maybe even more legendary than the unusual animated film for which it was created – a funky French classic that stands strong in the best tradition of work by Serge Gainsbourg, Jean-Claude Vannier, and Michel Colombier! No surprise, Alain Goraguer is part of the same generation, and did some great early jazzy backings for Serge – but here, his style is much funkier, with lots of sweet keyboard lines, wah wah guitar, and soaring larger orchestrations that really put the whole thing together – clearly one of Alain's best musical moments – and filled with great tunes that include "Le Bracelet", "Deshominisation", "Mort De Draag", "La Femme", "Mira Et Ten", and "Ten Et Medor". LP, Vinyl record album

Magnificent work from European jazz vocalist Karin Krog – a landmark album that shows why she sings like no other singer! On this 1974 session, Karin moves far beyond the standard jazz of her roots – into territory that's spacey, cosmic, and filled with the best influences bubbling underground in the Euro scene of the 70s. The backing group features Steve Kuhn on keyboards, Steve Swallow on bass, and Jon Christensen on drums – all working out these beautiful modal patterns that unlock Karin's cool and icy vocals. The tunes are all pretty incredible too – vocal versions of originals by Kuhn, like "Meaning Of Love", "Sometime To Go", and "Raindrops Raindrops"; a very cool version of Joni Mitchell's "All I Want", a rare Jon Hendricks' lyrical version of JJ Johnson's "Lament", and a sweet and breezy take on the Michel Colombier tune "We Could Be Flying"! CD

Includes solo material plus work with Weather Report, Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny, Michel Colombier, and Joni Mitchell – 27 tracks total. CD

A beautifully soulful record from Flora Purim – still awash with touches from her Brazilian roots, but also done with a great 70s LA sound! Airto's helping Flora out on production, but the real hero here is Michel Colombier – who handles most of the arrangements and wrote a good deal of the tunes with Purim and Airto – mixing his own expansive studio talents with their organically-forged groove, in a way that makes the record a real standout from the California fusion scene of the 70s! Players include Randy Brecker, Lee Ritenour, George Duke, Herbie Hancock, Harvey Mason, and other jazz heavyweights – and titles include "The Hope", "I Just Don't Know", "In Brasil", "Blues Ballad", "Why I'm Alone", "Walking Away", and "Samba Michel". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet little 80s session from Bill Withers – a lot less acoustic than his soul of the 70s, but in a way that works surprisingly well! As always with Bill, the vocals are the main thing, and the passage of time has done nothing to take off his edge – that warmly raspy quality that's instantly recognizable, and which comes through with all of its original charm – even amidst the smoother, more electric approach of the album's backings. There's a number of tracks on here that hit a mellow, midtempo groove that works quite well – and Bill did most of the production himself, with help from collaborators who include Ralph MacDonald, Michel Colombier, and Denny Diante. Titles include "Watching You Watching Me", "Oh Yeah", "Something That Turns You On", "You Try To Find A Love", "We Could Be Sweet Lovers", and "Heart In Your Life". LP, Vinyl record album