Soundtracks, library music & all that jazz...

I’m taking these, and more, records to the Groovy Record Fayre on Saturday, November 2. It’s at the Mildmay club, Newington Green, London N 16.

4 tracks from the LP ‘Electra’ performed by Rubba (De Wolfe Music Library, DWS/LP 3482 , UK, 1982)

It was pouring with rain. It gave the impression that it was going to do it all day. In such cases, some of us might decide to eschew getting dressed, leave the curtains closed, brew hot beverages and watch old films on TV. Tempting as this was, I opted to trudge across town, umbrella in hand, to a friendly record shop where one is encouraged to browse, chat and listen for hours. Oh, and they give you coffee.

Hear snatches of Fred Bongusto’s soundtrack for the film ‘Peccato Veniale’ (Rifi Records, RDZ-ST 14235, Italy, 1974).

Well, you know, if it’s Italian, goes ‘la-dee-da-dee-da’, ‘wah-wah’, has a touch of sleazy sax, grooves lightly and can avoid too much irritating up-tempo bum-pinching music, I’m generally there. So, here I am with Fred Bongusto. How can we not love a man with a name like that?

Listen to a teaser lifted from the original soundtrack to 1965 film ‘One Naked Night’ (Vega Records, VLP 2002, USA, 1965)

What do we know about Chet McIntyre? Not much in short. Together with his ‘combo’ he only seems to have recorded this one album. There’s a Chet McIntyre, born in 1926 in Poteet, Texas in 1926, who recorded an LP called ‘Chet McIntyre Swings ‘n’ Sings’ but it would appear that he is someone completely different.... or is he? Perhaps he wanted to distance himself from this unintentionally hilarious and tawdry sexploitation movie masquerading as a modern morality tale. If so, he could have just used a pseudonym, like the chap who took the cover photo, known mysteriously as ‘Bruno’ on the rear of the sleeve.

And that brings me to the sleeve notes, and I quote:

“ ‘One Naked Night’ on the screen charts a lonely girl’s journey from uncertainty, through brief happiness, to death from despair. The young girl, Candy, comes to her untimely end in the time honoured way and for reasons as old as the human race itself. Perhaps it can be summed up in these few revealing lines by William Henry Davies: “I had ambition, By which sin the angels fell, I climbed... And step by step , Oh Lord, ascended into hell. ”

If you missed the live broadcast on May 24th, 

catch up here.

Listen to a few select cues from the original soundtrack LP ‘Emanuelle Nera’. All music by Nico Fidenco. Released in Italy, 1975, on Fida Record (LFR2).

After the global success of the soft-core ‘Emmanuelle’ movie franchise starring Sylvia Kristel, Italian director, Bitto Albertini, decided he get in on the act. To this end, he directed no fewer than three sleazy, deeply racist films of his own, cleverly dropping one of the ‘ms’ from the title so as not to breach copywrite. His cheeky plagiarism was so successful in the eyes of fellow Italian film director, Joe D'Amato, that Joey D directed four of his own ‘Emanuelle’ films between 1976 and 1978. In total, we’re left with about 6 or 7 of these monsters with titles like ‘Yellow Emanuelle’, ‘Emanuelle & The Last Cannibals’ and ‘Emanuelle & The White Slave Trade’. Exploitation, titillation, condescension and racism all practiced with the usual stylish, unashamed aplomb of the old white European man.

If you missed the live broadcast...

If you missed the live broadcast, catch up here:

If you missed the live broadcast, catch up here:

Grab your snorkels, flippers and wet suits, or strap on that life jacket and slip into some deck shoes; Sunday Morning Moods is ocean bound! Expect nautical tunes, chit chat and a competition, natch. Come on, let’s get wet!

10AM UTC/GMT on Sunday March 14th