Fantasmusics

Fantasmusics - Uccelli Peccatum


Fantasmusics - Draculabyrinthe


Fantasmusics - Escaliers sans fin


Fantasmusics - Acqua Capricciosa

There was a high range of probability for obscure composer Dominique Laurent to be somewhere responsible for some kind of unheeded masterpiece. Following our first detailed post dedicated to this vein of french records "for the physical expression", here comes the missing item, yet the most striking and diversified: blending electronics, organ, bossa or collage elements, it is rich enough so you can even hear a drumtrick that would be popularised 10 years after by something named ... "jungle" ?

Initially created as a soundtrack for the show Abracadabracula by french Mimes Pinok & Matho, this release from 1983 strangely echoes the recent wave of interest for some of the Jean Rollin's most psychedelic soundtracks: playing with old-time fantasy clichés, it remains sometimes in a very close way genuinely mentally disturbed.

























Partly mellowed with time passing by, Dominique Laurent is still active as a composer and interpreter for various theater, ballet and commercial works. Apart from the Plume d'Elan 80's TV anthem previously mentionned (also check on your way Les Viratatoums), a few extra infos that appeared online recently lead us to discover how he actually also composed children song for the holy Garcimore.

Marre marre marre

Journal intime - Marre marre marre

Another french synthpop one shot from the band Journal Intime, which drum machine and mono bassline reminds us of other typical tunes such as Bisou's one. One of the band members, Dominique Rousseau, can be tracked down as a producer of either Michel Legrand's Disco Magic Concorde or the furry hit single Kiki Spatial. Moreover, he was also the one in charge of the 1979 disco-funk soundtrack of Les Givrés, one of these comedies that cement our national pride, challenger of the other classic reference in the field of winter sports' gag released exactly the same year: Les Bronzés font du ski.




Les Givrés - Nathalie's theme

Les héroïnes du mal

Les héroïnes du mal - Le Chien

Another example of mink-lined 7inch: frustrated by the chamber orchestra main theme ? Turn it to get a surprisingly synthetic B-side that will cuddle your ears. From polish director Walerian Borowczyk, these Immoral Women belong to the list of now classic erotic french oddities.



A few names from the casting might sound more or less familiar to you: on the woman's side Gaëlle Legrand and Pascale Christophe, on the men's one Jean-Claude "What a flash" Dreyfus or the institutionnal Henri Piegay (a name we met a few days ago here regarding another 7")



Real life being sometimes more crazily creative and unexpectable than fiction, you'll find as co-composer the now right-wing deputee, air pilot, photograph and musician Olivier Dassault: a surrealistic profile that makes him the most unexpectable member of a Dassault lineage I will let to your appreciation ... You might also note that he's actually responsible for a countless amount of sonic signatures he composed across the years for clients such as Le Futuroscope, Institut du Monde Arabe, Tati or Vulcania, among many others ...




Philippe D'Aram - Le suicide

Besides, the movie also involves some people related to Jean Rollin, like actress Marina Pierro (La Morte Vivante) and soundtrack composer Philippe D'Aram, in charge of the score for Les deux orphelines vampires, Fascination, La Morte Vivante and Perdues dans New York, all recently reissued by Crippled Dick Hot Wax and Lucertola media.



Back to our movie director, Borowczyk in his early years also acquired recognition with his experimental animation movies: here an interesting example alongside Chris Marker, which soundtrack by polish contemporary composer Andrzej Markowski challenges many experiments of the french GRM at the time.

Chandrabose - PTBMR Outsiders #1

First in a number of few posts dedicated to other fascinating Tamil / Kollywood score composers who did not appear on the tracklist of our "Play That Beat Mr. Raja #1" compilation...



Chandrabose, sometimes also known as "Chandra Bose", was a hugely popular Tamil composer who scored for around 300 movies and was kind of emblematic in the late 80's to early 90's..


Chandrabose - Kaalai Kaalai (feat S. P. Balasubramaniam & S. P. Shailaja)


At first comes one song as taken from "Manithan's score, a 1987 Kollywood blockbuster starring Rajinikanth. The movie being quite famous too for its ending with the violent and explosive death of the villain and some dreamy & beautiful music clips.



As for the anecdocte, back in 2008 when we thought for a Tamil score compilation (which was supposed to be a 2xLP record), that song was planned to appear...

----------




Dilikku Rajavanalum - Paati Solle Thattathey

Rougher and South Indian folklore inspired second song, from "Paati Solle Thattathey"(1990) with a pic (above) taken from its cartoonish style animated generic.



----------

To end properly comes one last extract from one of Chandrabose's most popular succes: "Raja Chinna Roja" (1989).




A S.P.Muthuraman movie based on the 1965 English Musical: "The Sound of Music".


Chandrabose - Poopoo (Raja Chinna Roja)

Rashamen

Haruko Wanibuchi - Prologue & Rashamen Basha

Following the post on the horror movie Hausu soundtrack composer Kobayashi Asei, I'd like to briefly focus on another musical item related to one of the film's actress Haruko Wanibuchi (playing the role of the mother): in the wake of her appearance in the 1977 Toei movie drama Rashamen, a delicate LP was released. Produced by Kazuhiko Karo, from the mighty Sadistic Mika band, and Folk crusaders, it happily got reissued in 2006 by Vivid records, with a few copies are still avalaible for foreigners.

House of Kobayashi

Asei Kobayashi & Micky Yoshino - Oriental Melon Man


Asei Kobayashi & Micky Yoshino - Hausu Main Theme

I admit it's a bit of an obvious celebrated deviant horror soundtrack classic, already posted on various other blogs, a score influenced by Goblin in the same way that the movie echoes the Argento's maestria, but I'd like to take the opportunity to mention an amazing serie of rare screenings at the Paris' MCJP, that give us a rare opportunity to overview more than 40 years of ghost-related japanese movies in every details.

Recommended gossips regarding Hausu's production story and its soundtrack maybe be read here.







Also, this lead me to partly track down the traces of one of the co-composers, Asei Kobayashi (who worked alongside Mickie Yoshino and his band Godiego): acting in the movie as the farmer selling watermelons (!), his name may be found in a huge variety of productions, from commercial songs (Suntory whiskey) to 1969 funk bombs like soundtrack for the Toei's Flower Action 009 1, reissued by Solid records.



In the world of anime, he composed for Mahou Tsukai Sally (known in France as Mini-fée), being especially credited for the Mahou no mambo tune, sang by Yoko Maekawa: a fantastic ending theme that was kindly brought to my attention by the encyclopedical Kishino Yuichi, before I include it in a recent podcast here.

I finally also found Kobayashi credited for the composition of that Pin Pon Pan Pajama Man 7", related to a 50s and early 60s Fuji TV children tv program introducing the lovely wild character Deberon that makes the cover artwork so instantly compelling.




Deberon - Pin pon pan pajama man

Raymond Lefévre 1929 - 27/06/2008

As a a pianist, arranger and composer in a french kind of easy listening field, Raymond Lefevre is especially famous for his scores dedicated to several films starring Louis de Funès, especially in the series of "Gendarme" with the unforgettable: Douliou, Douliou, Saint-Tropez (in "Le Gendarme de Saint-Tropez") or "La soupe aux choux", "Faites sauter la banque","Les Grandes Vacances", or "Jo".

Raymond did not think some of his compositions would become so popular, but he became very famous in Japan (where he was rewarded with golden records) but also in Germany and in many other countries.

As he composed a lot for comedies, he suffered from a "light music" label. However, just listening to his scores will lead you to appreciate the melodic direction, accuracy and efficiency of his orchestrations alongside an immoderate taste for speed.




Stéphanie/indicatif de la rose d'or 1970 (V.Papathanassiou/arrangt R. Lefevre)


5th symphony (Beethoven/arrangt R. Lefevre)


C'est la fête (M.Fugain/arrangt R. Lefevre)

All the scores for the films of Louis de Funès, PlayTime were reissued on CD's as still findable limited editions. The French 7' is impossible to find, though, so here is the japanese copy !




Douliou-Douliou Saint-Tropez (Geneviève Grad/Raymond Lefèvre)


And here comes the poster for the film, a classic Sunday night on TF1:




le gendarme pop (Raymond Lefévre)

Bonus:
Finally, here you'l find a big dirty REMIX music by Raymond for "The cabbage soup. " Gabber too!

Gérard Calvi

Born in 1922, Gerard Calvi completed his studies at the Conservatoire de Paris with a presitigous Prix de Rome in composition.
He also composed many symphonic pieces, other ones for solists, chamber music alongside musical scores for theater and cinema.
In 1967, he started producing soundtracks for "Astérix le gaulois", then "Asterix & Cléopatra" animation movies: they will remain mythic.

In these tunes, bantering instruments dialog in the most garrulous and burlesque way: saxophones gossip while trombones chuckle. Calvi could be seen in some ways as the french Spike Jones: there is a health that solace you, an irrepressible joy for life, also with a slight touch of gaité à la Offenbach.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Un spectacle de Robert Dhéry (1974):



la ringarde - Roger Carel/Gérard Calvi/Françoise Dorin


biniou pop - Gérard Calvi

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Un film de Jean Herman (1972):



thème et générique - Gérard Calvi

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Un disque dur à trouver:



sur la plage - Gérard Calvi(196?)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Un spectacle de Robert Dhéry(1962):



dans mes godasses - Louis de Funès/Robert Dhéry/André Maheux/Gérard Calvi

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Anda 1976 television report with two children asking questions to Mr. Calvi and Mr Uderzo (Asterix's dad):
>>> here

Mister AUBRUN

Catherine Lara

Violin virtuoso who started practicing at the age of five, Catherine Lara is mainly known in France for her 1983 unbearable "The diamond rocker".
In 1973, she recorded 3 albums as a first violinist with Janko Nilovic: songs intended to illustrate films or television soundtracks. Since then, Miss Lara also recorded several movie scores, including the one for Les hommes préfèrent les grosses (Gentlemen better like them fat) in 1980: an electro and very cheap comical opening theme.




générique début du film - Catherine Lara/Jean-Pierre Sabard(1980)


>>> Site officiel

Le coeur fou

Ewa Swann - Pour quelques secondes


Ewa Swann - Le coeur fou

Extract from Le Coeur Fou OST, with an insidious arrangement by Jean-Claude Vannier in which the Ewa swann's vocal, so close to Françoise Hardy or Jane Birkin, slides on a viciously detuned beautiful lament background.



Unique incursion in the field of chanson for this slightly forgotten actress from the 70s, who used to be a soft eroticism icon, but also used to share the cast with actors like Michael Lonsdale, Bruno Cremer or Marie-Christine Barraut.

Considering her filmography in details, you won't be surprised to sometimes find the name of Claude Mulot, both famous for the cult La Rosé écorchée (The Blood Rose) reissued by Mondo Macabro, director of tough movie La Saignée, but also writer or director for an impressive amount of 70s french rascal items: On se calme et on boit frais à Saint Tropez, Sexyrella ... And another, well, perfumed skin related one, casting another legendary singing actress the next post is gonna be related to.

My Name Is Zulu

From Hi NRG township music to Bud Spencer...




Lo chiamavano Bulldozer - My Name is Zulu (Bud Spencer)

To my knowledge it is the earliest song recorded by cult italian born comedian: Bud Spencer, king of action-packed potboilers and spaghetti westerns.
As taken from the 1978 movie "Lo Chiamavano Bulldozer" aka Uppercut; also don't misunderstand as behind the "Oliver Onions" hides the duo of composer usually attached to our man along with partner Terence Hill: Guido & Maurizio De Angelis.



> Bud Spencer

L' ordinateur

Computer is a regular source of inspiration for singers.
Today, I'd like to introduce three artists who were afraid of a big computer.

Here we have a warning against the machine of futur !




Le grand ordinateur - P. Abrial/Le Bellego/J. Plait - 1969

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
In this one, Mr Computer is described as someone who doesn't know how to laugh and sing as children!




L'ordinateur - l'Abbe Noel Colombier - 196?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Last but not least, this jazzy piece was used for a film with Alain Delon titled "Pour la peau d'un flic". There is however no computer in history !




Ordinateur 333 - André Lutereau - 197?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Detailed links (in french) regarding these historical artists:
>>> Patrick Abrial
>>> Noel Colombier

"Nightingale of the Orient"

Grace Chang - I love Cha cha

First artist from Hong Kong to appear on American TV, Grace Chang had such success singing in the Dinah Shore show that Capitol records shortly decided to release a LP afterwards, sung in chinese, but split between an A-side blended of various wordwide styles (Mambo, Calypso, Hawaïan...), and a more traditionnally chinese B-side.

Liner notes try to both explain and justify the use of these various musical styles more familiar to american people: "The colorful port of Hong Kong, one of the busiest in the world, is a melting pot of music from all over the world. Businessmen, travellers, immigrants, students, sailors, everybody brings his music (or musical preferences) when he comes to Hong Kong, and the result is a free exchange unmatched anywhere else. In the selections of this Miss Chang dips into a world-wide variety of styles, and comes up with a demi-dozen of surprises to delight you."



I love Cha cha is an extract from the 1957 movie Mambo Girl, classic but charming musical produced by MP and GI film studio (main rival to the Shaw Brothers). This huge commercial success definitely turned her into one of these delightfully out of time musical icons, a statu confirmed later by various killer sequences like this 1960 floating carmen cover extract from The Wild, Wild Rose:

Summer rush

In the land of commercial music, Hideki Naganuma is mainly known as a videogame composer who scored some tunes on the Jet-Set Radio soundtrack (a Sega Dreamcast now cult game that didn't reach commercial success in its time despite great reviews).


Although this corporate fellow was already familiar with a kind of acid-rockish big beat & baggy-techno sound, his work the Sonic Rush DS soundtrack suddenly appeared highly boosted, pleasantly tough, catchy and frenetic, full of ghetto vocals cut-ups, edgy riffs and overvitamined beats. A specific taste was added by the fact that it was nicely crushed through the DS nasty sound engine, resulting in a no-bass / full midrange abrasive harshness.





OST was released on cd in Japan under the name Original Groove Rush.
don't wanna be blacklisted at the japanese border by uploading that kind of things... But maybe could you discretly have quick look:

>>>> HERE.

Cochin Moon

Haruami Hosono & Yokoo - Hum Ghar Sajan

Easy transition with one fake 1978 hindi soundtrack from music maestro Haruami Hosono (after he had visited India) & credited too to a certain "Yokoo" who's no more than Tadanori Yokoo, japanese graphic designer & affichist artist, also responsible for the amazing cover art.

Well, I'm not an Hosono freak (dear Plaong or Olivier Lamm ?) so I'm afraid I wont be able impress you and I'd better leave the explication to Saltyka music blog:

"Superb. Way ahead of its time with trance-like synths and exotic world colors. The album is co-credited to famous pop (graphic) artist Tadanori Yokoo, who did the cover, but seemingly neither wrote nor played on it. I was able to get Yokoo-san to autograph my LP cover during a 1991 NYC speaking engagement. He laughed with slight embarrassment that anyone in the US would have a copy (and on vinyl). Ryuichi Sakamoto plays synths also and his playing style is evident. Hideki Matsutake, who would later do the sequencer work for YMO and front the synth-based band, Logic System, programs the sequencer here. A brilliant album. This is the first album that sounds like the Hosono we are used to."


Anyway, it is sought after & crazy rare piece of vinyl but there still some cd copies (reissued) on Amazon. Grab Yours !

Take the trip !

Although "Bikers Movies" are now a bit outdated, there was a few ones before Easy Rider(1969), and a lot after.
"Bikers" do not frighten anybody anymore, it is very sad.

I haven't seen them yet, but there are two incredible movies you shouldn't miss: have a look at the "Cinémathèque" program titled CINEMA BIS.

--------------------------------------------------------------------


A record I found in a secondhand in the area of Yonne, France, ten years ago !


Theme from Outlaw Riders - Lenny McDaniel - 1971


Ride on angel - Simon Stokes & The Nighthawks - 1971


OUTLAW RIDERS - Tony Houston/Anthony Cardoza - USA (1971)

--------------------------------------------------------------------


" Super rare " record, ssued by the fantastic English label FINDERS KEEPERS . They are specialized in reprint of rare record !


Stone is the trip - Billy Green - 1974


Pigs - Billy Green - 1974




STONE - Sandy Harbutt - autralian(1974 )

--------------------------------------------------------------------

You can buy the record of STONE at FINDERS KEEPERS RECORDS !

If you liked my post, go fast to The Big Bust Out Blog who made a special Bikers Soundtracks post, too crazy !

>>> Mondo Esoterica/Stone(1974)

One of both composers always living on OUTLAW RIDERS :
>>> Simon Stokes/Myspace

What's Your Sign ? (Music & Astrology #1)

Uncle Jamm's Army - What's Your Sign

West coast "Techno Hop" influential collective which included notorious members in its line up (Joe Cooley, The Unknown DJ, Ice T etc).
Check the band's bio at West Coast Pionneer.
It looks like rapping about zodiac signs was somehow quite common in the early 80's. U.J.A's track is maybe the best exemple around, but i can remember for other early hip hop mc's having delirious rap with astrology elements (Vericheri's "Cancer Sign" for exemple).



----------------------------------------




Marcello Giombini - Gemini

A gear freaks' favourite, Marcello Giombini is quite unknown to italian ost diggers. An entire post will come soon dedicated to the man.
Ahead of his time, Cinecitta's composer anticipates the Detroit techno sound, long before its birth (think Carl Craig's Landcruising LP).



----------------------------------------




Paul Cardinal - Le Poisson

Weird record from Belgian astrologue Paul Cardinal. Reminds me in some ways for Dominique Webb's "Hypnose" 7 inch... I believe more singles were recorded (Jupiter Collection), but wasn't able to found some more concrete infos.
Anybody ?



> Many thanks to Dj No Breakfast for providing the mp3.

----------------------------------------




Elisabeth Teissier & François De Roubaix - Prédestination (Astralement Vôtre T.V.)

At last comes the hit ! Exhumed last year on the "Chansons De Films", this one was supposed to be on the "Astralement Vôtre" single, but due to some complications finally never saw a propper release until Stephane Lerouge (Playtime's label owner and the man behind many fantastic compilations around french movie composers) refixed both vocals and the instrumental.