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REVIEW ARCHIVES: 
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

The Hot Rock /
Come Back Charleston Blue
Quincy Jones / Donny Hathaway
Prophesy / Atco

Out-of-print Quincy Jones are generally a good thing to find, but these two scores are hit or miss.

Come Back Charleston Blue, the sequel to Cotton Comes to Harlem, is primarily credited to R&B singer Donny Hathaway, but that's undoubtedly for his song "Little Ghetto Boy." Otherwise, the blend of jazz-funk grooves and Basie-esque big band numbers is pure Q, who is credited as score supervisor. There's no mistaking Q's influence on the best tracks, which tend to be short, tension-filled passages or action underscore. Here, experiemental electronics blend seemlessly with churning jazz funk.

The Hot Rock is one of Q's heist soundtracks from the early '70s. Compared to the excellent Dollar$, its a bit uneven and not as immediately satisfying. The sporadic funky bits blend Afro-beat percussion with avant garde jazz and electronics. Isolated, these tracks are quite entrancing, but on LP they're neighbored by lame pop vocal numbers. Why is it that soundtracks are nearly always tripped up by lame pop vocal numbers!

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Murderer's Row
Lalo Schifrin
Colgems

Lalo Schifrin's score for this Silencer's sequel, starring Dean Martin as secret agent Matt Helm, is super swanky. There's plenty of swagger in the title track that features full-tilt organ, wailing harmonica, sassy brass and a gogo cage-rattling beat. Schifrin delivers plenty of spy jazz thrills on tracks like "Dual Controls," "The Pendalum" and "Iron Head." Elsewhere he provides romantic moods on "I'm Not the Marrying Kind" and "Suzie's Theme." No one is likely to list Murderer's Row as essential, but it's got spunk.

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Salt & Pepper
John Dankworth
United Artists

Starring Rat Packers Sammy Davis Jr. and Peter Lawford, 1967's Salt & Pepper is a swinging affair scored by John Dankworth. Davis sings on the title track and the soul shakin' "I Like the Way You Dance." Aside from a group vocal on "It Happened Quietly," the rest of the soundtrack favors groovy action numbers and smokey lounge.

Stand-out tracks include the quick and sophisticated "Chase in a Mini Moke," the intriguing "Submarine Chase," the organ-a-go-go "Fine Flavour," and the Latinesque suite "Flight for an Island." Topped off by the fun Jack Davis cover art, it's easy to like Salt & Pepper.

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Dark of the Sun
Jacques Loussier
MGM

Judging from the cover art, one expects an a heroic action movie soundtrack, but this is a Jacques Loussier score above all -- and that means quite a bit of fun.

The score for Dark of the Sun, which is set in Africa during the civil unrest of the '60s, does have its share of dramatic orchestration. Like a Morricone score, however, there is a great emphasis on rhythm. Percussion and Loussier's stabbing piano lines are complemented by atmospheric organ and soaring strings.

Each track title is accompanied by a description of the accompanying action, which is always welcome -- especially considering the movie's relative obscurity.

Occasionally, Loussier breaks from the drama to swing a little, as on "Curry's Drive with Claire," "Curry and the Diamonds" and "Claire and Curry."

Other stand-out tracks include the hard-driving "The Mercenaries," the anthropological "Friendly Natives Having Fun," and the memorable main theme.

Another fine score by Loussier is You Only Love Once.

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The Green Hornet
Unknown
Coronet

Here's a classic example of an enticingly rare slab o' wax that disappoints the moment the needle hits the groove. It had promise -- sitting there in the rack at the local used record store. Music from The Green Hornet has never been a staple on crime jazz or spy collections, so to see an entire album devoted to it was surprising. The titles promised everything one might want from such a collection: "The Hornet's Dilemma," "Kato's Capture," "The Midnight Haul," "The Chase" and the main theme ("Flight of the Bumble Bee"), of course. So, what does one get? Generic instrumental surf rock of the '60s with a dense layer of hiss throughout. Got to admit: I got STUNG by the Green Hornet!

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Secret Agent Meets The Saint
Edwin Astley
RCA

Before he played Bond, James Bond, Roger Moore played Simon Templar, The Saint -- not really a secret agent, just a playboy whose affairs often turn to seemingly altruistic daring do.

Meanwhile, there was Patrick McGoohan's John Drake, a legitimate TV spy on Secret Agent (aka Danger Man). McGoohan went on to greater fame on the cult show The Prisoner.

On Secret Agent Meets The Saint, composer and conductor Edwin Astley displays why he was selected for both of these spy-crazy '60s small screen hits. His arrangements are energetic and graceful, full of verve. He handles suspense, romance, action and exotic locales with aplomb.

This set was reissued on CD, though its availability is questionable.

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A Man Could Get Killed
Bert Kaempfert
Decca

Bert Kaempfert's score for the spy-comedy A Man Could Get Killed is not unlike... a million other spy-comedy or caper soundtracks of the '60s. Since the setting for the picture is Portugal, expect to get Mediterrean-flavored variations on "Strangers in the Night." And since a heist is involved, expect some Pink Panther-ish Mancini intrigue passages. Probably the only distinction Kaempfert brings to the proceedings is his penchant for electric bass, which punchs up the otherwise orchestral score. Titles include: "Foiled in Oil," "Handy Brandy" and "Clues Dropper."

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Mondo Cane No. 2
Nino Oliviero
20th Century Fox

One half of the musical team that brought the first Mondo Cane soundtrack returns for another tour of global music styles. There's nothing here as melodically memorable as the first movie's hit single "More." Still, there's stuff here for fans of lush exotica. Titles include: "Cineserie," "Call-Girls," "Tomb Stone," "Italian-Wig," and "Carnevale." The mood tends toward light orchestral pop, but there are moodier passages to remind you that it's a soundtrack. Not great, but not god-awful, either.

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How to Murder Your Wife
Neal Hefti
United Artists

How to Murder Your Wife is a clever and amusing '60s sex comedy starring the great Jack Lemmon and Virna Lisi. Neal Hefti's soundtrack is light orchestral and somewhat Mediterrean in feel -- sounding at times like a Henry Mancini score from the same era, but without the melodic brilliance. Unless one is a huge fan of Hefti (or midgrade Mancini), this rare score isn't likely to spend a lot of time on the turntable. Without the wacky shenanigans of the movie itself, the music just seems a bit too quaint for its own good. Even with track titles like "Stag Party Blast" and "Cartoon Capers," Hefti's exceedingly light touch amount to nothing more than a misdemeanor.

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Lalo Schifrin hit his stride in the '60s with music for the Mission: Impossible TV show. Many of his movie scores from the '60s and '70s have been reissued on Aleph Records, but not this one. A track appears on one of a Rhino Records Crime Jazz compilation. The score also features a jerk number, Mediterrean balladry Latin jazz and lounge. It boasts a brash Shirley Bassey vocal on the title track and the cover art is wonderful. Maybe it's been overlooked because the movie itself has been forgotten. Worth seeking out.

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Mirage / For Love of Ivy /
Walk, Don't Run
Quincy Jones
Mercury/ABC/Mainstream

Quincy Jones' soundtrack work is generally of high caliber. The Italian Job, In the Heat of the Night, They Call Me Mr. Tibbs are all considered classics. Lesser known scores for Dollar$ and The Slender Thread are also excellent. So, what can we make of these three?

Recorded in the '60s for movies starring Gregory Peck, Sidney Poitier and Cary Grant respectively, Mirage, For Love of Ivy and Walk, Don't Run offer hit and miss listening experiences.

Mirage may be the best pure soundtrack of the three and is closest stylistically to The Slender Thread, as it uses jazz to create tense rhythmically charged episodes. Stand-out tracks include "Boobie Baby," "Shoot to Kill" and "Dead Duck."

For Love of Ivy splits its musical efforts between easy groovin' Q on side one and vocal tracks featuring lyrics by esteemed poet Maya Angelou and blues vocals by B.B. King. Other lyric and vocal duties are taken by flower power pop trio Cashman, Pistilli & West, as well as jazzer Shirley Horn. As expected it's a real mixed bag.

Walk, Don't Run leans more heavily on easy breezy '60s lounge for its sound, favoring friendly flutes, whistling, harmonica and vibes on the uptempo numbers. It's not Q's most distinctive outing, and it certainly isn't in the same league as his funkier outings. Also, just in case you were wondering, the score does not include a track called "Walk, Don't Run."

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The Six Million Dollar Man/Kojak
Peter Pan Records

Favored by DJs and irony-trippers in general, these kiddie records from the 70s are a real kick. Generally there were three types of source material used for them: comic books, TV shows and storybooks. Not surprisingly, they can be found in comic shops and flea markets more than in typical record stores.

Since they were made in the 70s, it's not surprising that TV shows of the 70s were adapted, and it's hard to beat these two titles. Both feature laughable performances by actors who must have learned their shtick from William Shatner. There is intermittant action music and tons of sound effects. Both records come with attached oversize comics for following the storyline (a great tool for finding tasty samples).

Kojak does not feature the voice of Telly Savalas, but his hammy stand-in does his best, even delivering Telly's catch phrase "Who loves ya, baby?" There are so many hilarious bits on this record, it ain't funny! You'll die when you hear the helium-voiced woman say: "What's that in your pocket... that bulge?"

The Six Million Dollar Man also has choice dialogue, some of which was used on DJ Me DJ You's Simple Machine Rock. The sound effects and music on this one are wild -- that's the benefit of sci-fi, I guess. Bust out your samplers.

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Cleopatra Jones
J.J. Johnson, Joe Simon and others
Warner Bros.

Thought I paid too much for it at the time, but after two listens I can say it was worth every dime. The score for Cleopatra Jones is solid stuff. Funky, soulful and memorable. Featuring instrumentals by jazz funk master J.J. Johnson (Across 110th Street) and songs sung by Joe Simon and Millie Jackson, this score's soulful groove never lets up. Most importantly, there's a great theme and great chase music, featuring the wacka-wacka rhythms, brash brass, jagged string arrangements, rolling bass, fatback drumming, funky keys, heavy flute -- you get the picture.

This score has been rereleased by Warner Bros. of France.

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Let's Do It Again
The Staple Sisters & Curtis Mayfield
Curtom

Curtis Mayfield recorded one of the best soundtracks ever for Superfly, so it's fair to say that any soundtrack that bears his name is a safe bet for super soul funk. He isn't the vocalist on Let's Do It Again, the comedic sequel to Uptown Saturday Night, but he is the principle songwriter and producer. The Staple Singers perform the songs including the title track, "Funky Love," "I Want to Thank You" and others. There are some strong instrumentals, as well, including "Big Mac" and "Chase" -- the latter track is credited to Mayfield and his band members. Very worthwhile.

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This high concept collection of superhero, spy and crime beat theme songs will appeal to fans of the jerk, shake and other fly '60s dances. The Revengers rely on surf guitar, soulful Hammond B-3 and randy saxophone on classic tracks such as "Batman," "Our Man Flint," "The Man from U.N.C.L.E.," and "The Saint." It's simple, swingin' and a perfect soundtrack for classic comic adventures.

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Electra Glide in Blue
James William Guercio & others
United Artists

Peppered with dialogue and a mix of music styles, the Electra Glide in Blue score is a curious one. Starring Robert Blake (of TV's Beretta fame and more recent sordid personal affairs) as a diminutive motorcycle cop, the 1973 movie is little known. Judging from the original packaging, with its striking silver and black gatefold sleeve and multiple posters and inserts, it is clear that the studio made a big effort to market it to young people.

The score is a mix of vocal and instrumental tracks. Many of the tracks are by the movie's writer/director. Stylistically, the music runs from funky ("The Chase") to easy groovin' ("Prelude") to country ("Song of Sad Bottles") to orchestral ("Overture"). The funkier tracks make it worth having, the rest is worth skipping.

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The Seventh Dawn
Riz Ortolani
United Artists

Italian composer Riz Ortolani had just scored Mondo Cane, with its award-winning love theme "More", when he landed his Hollywood debut, The Seventh Dawn. The movie stars William Holden, Susannah York and Capucine. It's a war movie, but not particularly well known, but is available on video.

So, what can be said of its score? Well, my wife says it's "good Sunday morning music" -- good for "easing into the day." Perhaps it's the languid love theme that pops up again and again. It probably isn't the dramatic war sequences, with titles like "Fire in the Native Village" and "Battle in the Jungle." But what about the catchy little cha-cha number "Paradise Club"? It's all relative.

The Seventh Dawn is mostly orchestral and offers little to fans of Ortolani's groovier Italian work.

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One look at the cover and one thinks: Cool, this should be incredibly strange! One listen and one realizes: Damn, that wasn't very strange at all!

Yes, it's another episode of "Don't judge a record by its cover". Harry Lubin's soundtrack for the early science fiction TV show One Step Beyond offers titles such as: "Fear" and "Weird" (which are marginally interesting tracks). But there are also hopelessly bland tracks in the melodramatic orchestral vein ("You are My Love" and "Bygone Memories"); in fact, there are too many of those and not enough of the "weird" atmospheric variety.

Frame the cover, but save your stylus for more interesting vinyl. Nuff said.

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Found this Japanese gem in a the most unlikely place: the West Michigan lake side resort of Saugatuck, where finding a Gamara video to rent is next to impossible. Chances are it was brought there by a transplant from Chicago.

I am, by no means, an expert in Japanese monster movies, but I'm certain this record is rare -- at least in the U.S. All of the text on the jacket and insert is in Japanese, making it difficult to determine the score's origin.

The music is orchestral and frequently given a militaristic feel through the use of snare drum rolls. The lumbering of the great beasts is audible in the music, which relies heavily on brass, strings and percussion. Unfortunately, there are no sound effects (i.e. monster noises) Nevertheless, the record is enjoyable and the copiously illustrated cover and insert are quite novel. Wish I could read Japanese, because the numbered liner notes appear to describe the action behind the tracks.

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Planet of the Apes
Power Records

Remember Power Records? You know, those LPs and 45s featuring dramatic reinactments of movies and comic books for the kiddie set. This '74 release features Reader's Digest versions of four of the five Planet of the Apes movies, featuring music, sound effects and actors who sound uniformily like William Shatner clones.

As a listening experience, it's absurdly funny stuff. DJs with a penchant for wise crack samples will love this record. It's loaded with over-the-top pronouncements of sci-fi excitement. (One astronaut, sounding like an infomercial salesman, boasts smuggly to another: "We could become big shots on this planet.")

Likewise, if you enjoy making mix tapes/CD-Rs for friends, a record such as this one will come in handy. They'll love you for it.

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Fanny Hill
Clay Pitts
Canyon

I think I spent a dollar on this one, and it's hardly worth even that. What appears to be one of those Swedish skin flicks, Fanny Hill is probably just another coming of age melodrama. Not having seen it, I can't be sure. But I am sure of this: If you see the soundtrack, skip it. It's overwrought symphonic pop nonsense, featuring a special appearance by Frank Thomas, former "lead rhythm guitarist and vocalist" for Good Grief. My thoughts exactly. (Just what the hell is a "lead rhythm guitarist" anyway.)

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Picked this one up based on the cover alone. Ever heard that one before? Sure, I know nothing about the movie itself, except, of course, that it's a 'caper'. The word itself means "capricious escapade" or "frolicsome leap." And the cover itself depicts lots of action and scantily clad women. So, the question remains: Does the score live up to the cover or is it merely music for a frolicsome leap? The answer lies in Vic Mizzy's ultra-light, latin-tinged score. While the cover depicts a certain degree of intrigue and violence, there's little in the score to reinforce that notion. "Senorita with the Mini-Skirt" and "Waiting for Frenchy" are the most intriguing tracks, but aren't very memorable. Other tracks -- including the main theme -- sound like Lawrence Welk in a randy Spanish mood.

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With a cover like that, I couldn't resist. It's got pulp-aesthetic written all over it. Plus it's on Charlie Parker Records. How rich is that? So I settled in at home. Put some tea on, and turned up the hi-fi. Swing and cocktail jazz, clean going down, but no flavor. There are swinging solos by Mundell Lowe -- a rare jazz guitarist band leader -- and by trumpeter Clark Terry. It's a respectable performance, but doesn't live up to the cover.

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Mundell Lowe, a middleweight champ of Hollywood swing, takes a shot at crime jazz. The themes of Peter Gunn, M-Squad, Naked City and several others get investigated by ML and his All Stars (a seven-piece this time). There aren't any surprises. Mundell is a straight shooter when it comes to playing the melody -- capturing the mood.

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Baby Doll is a first rate film (written by Tennessee Williams, produced and directed by Elia Kazan) with a fine score by Kenyon Hopkins (Mister Buddwing). The film stars Karl Malden, Carroll Baker and Eli Wallach and is unforgetable, boasting great performances, priceless dialogue, sex and savagery (at least by mid-century Hollywood standards). Hopkins' score has a convincing melodramatic Southern air, seemlessly combining stripped down blues and jazz passages with more fully orchestrated sections. It's the type of score that carries the storyline effectively, almost like a jazz symphony. In fact, the cover doesn't even list the tracks, which include such titles as "Baby Doll's Birthday," "Baby Doll's Fright," and "Baby Doll and Empty House." It's not as all out groovy as Mister Buddwing, but very worthwhile nonetheless. Plus, the cover -- showing nymphet Carroll Baker lying, thumb in mouth, in an baby crib -- makes the record that much more collectible. Get it. You'll grow to love it.

The Adventurers
Antonio Carlos Jobim
Paramount

Based on a novel by best selling author Harold Robbins, The Adventurers is presumably a torrid melodrama of epic proportions. The R-rated film version starred an international cast including Candice Bergen, Ernest Borgnine, Olivia de Havilland and French crooner Charles Aznavour. Since I've never seen this movie on a video store shelf I guess I can assume it was utter trash. Still, I figured a movie scored by Brazilian bossa legend Antonio Carlos Jobim would offer something groovy. As it turns out there are some easy bossa numbers worth hearing such as "Dax Rides" and "Corteguay" (the latter is actually by Eumir Deodato). There's a driving big band version of "That Old Black Magic" by Mercer and Arlen, but it's too short, clocking in under two minutes. The rest of the score is fairly orchestral. It's not bad, but not especially memorable either. Supposedly there is a groovier version of the score by Ray Brown.the

The Cincinnati Kid
Lalo Schifrin
MGM

Hawaii Five-0
Morton Stevens
Capitol

The Slender Thread
Quincy Jones
Mercury

A Man Called Dagger
Steve Allen
MGM

Steve Allen didn't need to go far for inspiration when he was commissioned to score this James Bond knockoff. Hell, the first 30 seconds of the record sounds like Monty Norman's famous theme will kick in any second. While I am knocking Allen for aping Norman, and John Barry of course, I'm not knocking the score altogether. Allen is a competant arranger and manages to enliven tracks that might have puttered along listlessly. "The Car Chase" and "First Alley Flight", for instance, almost sound like Gert Wilden's brand of beat jazz (as heard on I Told You Not to Cry). But Allen doesn't merely ape soundtracks of Bond and Edgar Wallace intrigue. He also shows an appreciation for Duke Ellington. His arrangements -- particularly in the horn arrangements -- really swing and with a sense of sophistication and natural charm. Although the song caliber isn't up to Billy Strayhorn or Ellington himself, the lush love themes evoke Duke in their tonal complexity. Not having seen this rare spy flick, I can only imagine that Allen's soundtrack must have been the best thing about it.

The Biggest Bundle of Them All
Riz Ortolani
MGM

That Man in Istanbul
George Garvarentz
Mainstream

Topkapi
Manos Hadjidakis
Warner Bros.

Bilitis
Francis Lai
Warner Bros.

If you know your softcore erotica, then you probably know that David Hamilton is the enviable art photographer and "arty" director of such films as Laura and Bilitis. I call him enviable, because he seems to have led an almost Humbert Humbert existence minus the tragedy; making his living by creating dreamlike, soft-focused images of nude or scantily clad nymphettes in languid poses on exotic locations. (In fact, there's a wonderful eponymous pop homage to the Brit by ingenue singer Laila France on the Le Grand Majistery compilation All Done with Mirrors.) If you've had the somewhat dubious pleasure of viewing any of the handful of films by D.H. (they're lushly photographed but rather vapid), then you'll know that the soundtracks are generally palid affairs. The Bilitis OST is no exception. What to expect: disco-lite, synth-washed ballads — not Francis Lai's best work. I think I've listened to this record twice since discovering it on a record store wall display, next to an lp of the vastly superior Gert Wilden compilation Schoolgirl Report. Probably the only reason to hold on to the David Hamilton record is its cover, featuring a soft-focused sapphic twosome, framed with art nouveau filigree. Call it a guity pleasure.

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Logan's Run
Jerry Goldsmith
MGM

Superfly T.N.T.
Osibasa
Buddah

Lady in Cement
Hugo Montenegro
20th Century Fox

The Penthouse
John Hawksworth
United Artists

MisterBuddwing
Kenyon Hopkins
Verve

Mister Buddwing is a 60s film starring James Garner, Jean Simmons, Suzanne Pleshette and Angela Lansbury, about a guy (Garner) who wakes up on a park bench with amnesia. The rest of the film — as far as one can tell from the liner notes — involves the guy retracing his sordid steps through New York City. I've never see the film, but it sounds intriguing. The score by Kenyon Hopkins (produced by Creed Taylor) is more than intriguing; it's an absolute stunner. Hopkins, who scored Baby Doll and The Hustler delivers cut after cut of cool beat jazz. Yet, it's cinematic jazz all the way. Tracks like "Memory Montage" and "Headache Montage" are packed with imagery. And tracks like "Mister Bee" and "Hard Latin" (the latter cut is featured on The Mad, Mad World of Soundtracks) are just plain cool. If you can track this lp down, pay whatever you have to, because it's worth it. Otherwise, let's hope Verve reissues it. (Call your local Verve representative and demand the best, baby!)

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