Recommendations - March 2005

PLAYGIRL - PETE THOMAS AND OTHER PEOPLE

What a divine cover this is. Rare as an honest politician. I mean did you ever see this LP for sale? No, I hadn't either until recently. I bought it because of her, and that red lipstick and those funny shades. It's probably a bad film. The music is nowhere near as funky as the other Pete Thomas stuff you may be aware of, in fact it's very different, possibly because it's earlier, but it remains on a jazz tip all the same. There's this great little number called “Monster” on it where this woman called Madame France screams “Monster! Monster!” a lot.

LE MONOCLE RIT JAUNE - MICHEL MAGNE

Well I never. It's this. It's him. It's that. Yes, a remarkable piece of filmic jazz, only issued on this tres petit ep from France in about 1963. To the normal folk who don't visit pages like this on the web it sounds a bit like “Take 5”, but it's different. I could go on and try and break it down and explain it all bar by bar, but all you really need to know is that 1) it's fabulous jazz 2) it's tres important 3) it is normally referred to as simply “Le Monocle”. Look, there's a monocle on the cover. Now, go and try and find one, not a monocle, this ep. I got it from this great record dealer called Adam Brecher. What a guy. What a guy.

BUFFALO 66 - VARIOUS

So there I was in Intoxica, having a chat with Godsey, sorry “Cherrystones”. He mentioned his love for Vincent Gallo, and all his recent madness on ebay, selling anything and everything to do with his latest film. Yes, Vincent was selling screws from cameras and that kind of thing, bigging it up in the usual Gallo fashion, like saying I am a genius, this is valuable, I'm great blah blah blah. We both decided we have a mutual admiration for the geezer. And if you have not seen his classic “Buffallo 66” you should. Well this then is the OST to that film, and it's a right bugger to get. Unless it's ebay at Christmas, where no one seems to bid or anything. And I found this, a signed album by the man himself. Normally this LP goes for as great wack, but for some reason nobody wanted it and it was about 12 quid. Which is amazing when you think about it. It's was like all my Christmases at the same time. But then again maybe no one else is interested apart from me. Anyway, I have much time for the man, his music, his films and his relentless self publicity. I also like his sleevenotes. But I don't like his art that much. Well not what I've seen. Oh, his dad's on this LP too. I spoke to Jack Kane from Record Collector about young Vincent the other day. He hates him. He believes he is a faker and charlatan. You have to appreciate anyone (Vincent especially) who divides people so skilfully. There will be more about Vincent at another time.

VOCAL SHADES AND TONES - BARBRA MOORE

Bit late in the day with this. Well about three or four years late on this one, but it's always been far far too expensive for me and Japanese people buy it all the time, so most copies are abroad. But not this one. No, I lucked out. Great record, scatty madness and quite beautiful in places. And my, what killer cover art. I must be cautious with this LP as I can't play too much ba-ba-da in front of my girlfriend. It's not that she hates it but a whole LP of ba-ba-da can get a bit niggly for anyone I reckon.

GINO MARINUZZI JNR

Seems like a concept library thing although I'm not sure. Anyway, this has everything I want in an LP. A strange cover, well certainly not a mainstream one. It's also by someone I have never heard of. Then there's the label - this is SR records, which I am bonkers about. It's an Italian film based label.
Then there's the music. This is all about water and ice. There is much tinkling going on, but it's also very dark, a touch twisted, there are electronic flourishes and even, yes, even the added delight of a warbling woman singing nothing in particular. Glorious.

TROVAJOLI - I MARC 4

Whilst were on the subject of SR records, here's another that has not left my side for a bit. It's a library, with these talented Italians doing a London thing. London was swinging and drugging at the time so they stuck Piccadilly Circus on the front and named all the tracks after London landmarks. And this is quite amazing. Kind of jazz and groovy and totally mental all the time. Some would dismiss this as a touch on the easy side of things, but no way, the more you listen the more bonkers it becomes. Don't mak'em like the used to. Oh no.

INNER SPACE - SVEN LIBAEK

The endless search for under water music continues. And it continues well. Very well in fact. Sven has appeared in these listings before, and now he's back - about ten years on from his last LP, but he's back all the same. Here's he's writing the music to and underwater documentary series. It has all the hallmarks of a Sven LP, vibes, the bearded Sangster on flute, lots of mystery and light cheerfulness. And then it all gets a bit moody with this track called XXXXXXX He's Norwegian. It's Australian. And what a cover.

BLIND DATE - HARDY KRUGAR

Believe it or not, Hardy Kruger can't sing. He's rubbish. But this record is not rubbish. It's a 1959 soundtrack single, and the little soundtrack has just two tracks, one with Hardy singing away, alone in his room. The song lyrics are like this - "I'm a lonely man in a lonely room, and I am having a party, myself and I". As I have said he can't sing, but he gets away with it. And it's all sad and sweet. There's a little bit of over acting going on, which suprises me because when you see something like Flight Of The Phoenix, Hardy is a fine player. Anyway, the B side is incredible. And I really don't know why, it's all repetitive and buildy, repetitive and buildy.

LAS VEGAS GRIND - VARIOUS

I'm putting various on this because each one of these Las Vegas Grind LPs has lots of different tracks on, by various people. They have been out of print and a pain to get for bloody ages. Now there back - probably something to do with the fashionable burlesque scene now growing in flea pits and old clubs throughout the land. These LPs are brilliant - the music is fresh, inspired and boundless in creative terms. There seems to be no rules to the way these American cats made their strippy grindhouse music, and there are always novelty noises thrown in all over the place which I love. Clucks, burps, sneezes, miaows etc etc. I now have all of these Grind volumes, and I have deliberately brought my girlfriend some nipple tassels. But now I've bought them I refuse to buy the eyelash glue you need to stick them on with, and I'm not that sure I want to see my babe tassel twirling and grinding in front of me. I think it's best left as a thought, deep in the recesses of my imagination.

ENFANCE - VLADIMIR COSMA

This is the bloke who did all the music for 80s French film like Diva and that. Well this is him cutting his teeth on library music for children. Wow, am I in heaven or what? A French library music LP with kiddies tracks on, for all the little garcons and fils everywhere. And how cute is this sound. Little folky rhythms with addictive toy trumpets all over the place. And sounds exactly like 17th Century English court music at the same time. I played this out at a transsexual wedding recently as all the guests started to arrive. The bride looked at me and mentioned that the music playing was a little soporific. I told her things would liven up later. After I'd gone.

A FILM COMPILATION - COUSINEAU

I love this geezer. His is Canadian and talks French. He has a hairdoo to die for. Look, there he is in his studio. His music is not like anyone else's. I can't explain exactly why, he just has good ideas and they generally work. Another thing really worth mentioning is that most of his scores are all to films about love, sex and with the brief unexpected visit by satan, or devil worshippers or something. Well that's what it looks like, but the music is not scary, it's just very good indeed.

WINDMILL TILTER - KENNY WHEELER

I have never read Don Quixote. I think I should. There seem to be references to it all over the place, especially in music and art. This LP is all about that famous fictional story. The sleevenotes are a little strange too - it seems like Kenny sees himself as a bit of a 'loser', which is why he chooses this story for a jazz LP. There is a slight Spanish sound going down here, but only briefly - nothing like Sketches Of Spain, and then it goes off on this journey of jazz things. I played it and hated it. Then played it again and stopped listening hard. Then I played it again and didn't listen at all. And that's when it works best for me, when it's on and it's all friendly and doing it's funny jazz thing and I know it's playing and I hear and it works because I'm not listening. Well I know what I'm on about. It can only get better from here.

HOLD BACK THE DAWN - JACQUIE AND BRIDIE

These two lovelies have made a few LPs. This is the best one, and I believe it was their first from about 1965. They sing folk in gentle harmony. Most of the LP is filled with traddy numbers, but there is this self-penned glorious lamenting thing on here called 'Hold Back The Dawn' which is outstandingly beautiful. A little like the ladies themselves. But only a little.

BURT BACHARACH - LIVING TOGETHER

In my little world, Burt will never go out of fashion. He's always close. He has fine teeth. He has great songs and unforgettable, addictive melodies a plenty. This is one of his later LPs, and side one is just rich in all things Burt. The opening track is so good it makes me want to blub. I must have heard it about 120 times in the last week. Then you leave the record on and it goes all fusionee and that. I think the idea of this LP is that couples in the seventies leave their clubby disco drugs behind and move in with each other, and get along most of the time. It's only this LP that keeps them together. Yes, a good idea. Buy this LP anywhere you can - it's a lost and forgotten masterpiece (especially side one) and when you have a spare copy (and you will) pass it on to someone you love or other people you know who have given up drugs and are now cohabiting.

THE FOCUS GROUP - SKETCHES AND SPELLS

This comes from a super weirdy sweet website. It's a music site based on a few things that include music for schools, library recordings and penguin books. Yes, you like the sound of that too. This is the first album from the site - posh CDRs only with studious covers. Great music, all quite unpredictable, painstakingly knitted together. Lots of peculiar noises all making a very lovely sound all together at the same time. Gets a wee bit kiddy folky too. Which is nice. See and hear for yourself at ghostbox.co.uk.

EASY GOING

Yeah, hi there guys. You do all look lovely. Right, these three well-dressed slightly camp (excellent use of the word 'slightly' Jonny - ed) Italians make music with an odd disco thing going on. One of the members in Claudio Simmonetti, who was part of Goblin (! - ed). There is one track on here which is very hooky and seriously well produced, with the guys singing in a camp (now there's a suprise) fashion all the way through. I'm not sure if I get it or not, or if I even like it but I do listen a lot to find out if I do or if I don't. On the back you can see their outfits properly. And yes, he is wearing a bow tie with no shirt.

PICCIONE - AMORE

You can't beat a bit of love now can you? No. And this is Piccione's version of love. By the sounds of it he either gets very little love, or likes his love different to anyone else, because try and as might. I find the music neither romantic or sexy. Or even kinky. I do love it though, and that's maybe what he was going on about. There are some odd arrangements on this LP, and a couple of tracks ideal for your next mushroom party. I used to have those, about ten years ago. And I went to a Valentine Love-In thing in February and dolly birds were pouring mushroom tea out to people as they walked in. Weird party and I played this album.

GLI ARCHANGELI - VARIOUS ITALIANS AND AN AMERCIAN WOMAN

Well I just can't remember who is on this apart from Helen Merrill. She's been on these pages before. She is super. She sings like she's been smokin' cigars. Her voice is very blue, and her timing is exceptional. This is real jazz. The group she plays with on this soundtrack is called something like the Jazz Gang, but whoever they are they know what they are doing. And this is a suprisingly long soundtrack recordings so you can listen to them all banging away doing some very interesting things for ages. This is a very rare record, and thank the lord someone in Italy has decided to issue it again, on vinyl, and very properly. I obviously have a major problem with all this Italian music I listen to, I'm not Italian, none of my family are Italian and none of my roots are Italian either. There is just something about it all that pushed the magic little musical button inside me I suppose. However I do not enjoy contemporary Italian music. well, no ones played me anything good yet. I'll stick to the old stuff.