See you soon...

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http://zorbalebreak.tumblr.com/

See you soon...

The Blackbyrds & Charles Earland - At The Movies (Prestige - 2001)

This economic package gathers in fact two classicblaxploitation soundtracks: Cornbread, Earl And Me, signed by The Blackbyrds and produced by Donald Byrd himself and The Dynamite Brothers, signed by Charles Earland. The latter one will satisfy the listener looking for the traditionnal blaxploitation OST experience: wah-wah guitars, crazy organs, funky breaks and tracks with cool names like Weedhopper, Razor J., Snake or Kungfusion. On Cornbread, Earl And Me, The Blackbyrds take their jazz funk road with a nice break to sample every 10 seconds and for you hip hop head the classic breakbeat of Wilford's Gone, sampled among others by Gangstarr on Say Your Prayers and Compton's Most Wanted on Straight Check N' Em. For you information, The Dynamite Brothers soundtrack has been largely used as well.

 Download - The Blackbyrds & Charles Earland - At The Movies

Scandinavian Funk Experience (Nascente - 2011)

I have already written how much the Nascente worldwide funk bargain price compilations serie is brilliant. It explores with originality and good scene the funk scene of country often ignored and always find a way to exhume pure nuggets. Richard Masip digged deep in the EMI North European 60's and 70's scene and succeed to make one of the best volume so far. Who knew that Finland, Denmark, Norway or Sweden had a  musical scene as hot as their porn flicks. Among the highlights, you can find Charles Williams, an American singer expatriated in Finland, who signs with Standing In The Way a stellar soul song. Doris sultry voice on the psychedelic You never Come Closer or on the deep soul influenced Don't is able to melt the ice while Ralph Lundsten infectious Horroscope breakbeat will infest your mind and deserves definitely its slot in any decent DJ playing list.

Download => Scandinavian Funk Experience

Jack Costanzo And Gerrie Woo - Latin Percussion With Soul (Tico - 1968)

Well, let's see what Red Schwartz says in the original cover notes, faithfully reproduced for this Vampisoul 2003 reissue, about this little latin soul burner we got here: "Jack Costanzo was Peggy Lee's main man bongo and conga drummer for many years, until he decided to attempt a career of his own (...). He worked for a year building a musical book, building an act until he was sure to make his big band impact onto the musical world. He needed (...) a female vocalist with style, with delivery, with looks, and he found one. Miss Gerrie Woo (...) was chosen to be part of the Jack Costanzo Band". The record was signed by Tico, and like everything that has the Tico label, be prepare to sweat and move your ass on this shit. The few covers, Green Onions, Words, Some Kind - A Wonderful, Jive Samba, are excellent and the original material is killing you hardly. with those latin mambo and descarga percussions .

Download =>Jack Costanzo & Gerry Woo - Latin Percussion With Soul

Burundi Steïphenson Black - Burundi Black (Barclay - 1971)

Already published on several blogs, this song, often sampled, is the story of a big rip off. An percussion orchestra of 25 Burundian musicians were recorded in Africa for French ethnic music label, Ocora. A producer named Claude Sevac Ekian, heard the record, probably get his hands on the original masters and recorded in a French studio a new orchestration of the track with the help of a guy named Mike Stephenson, who played piano and guitar over it. It was then released as a 7" by Barclay and sold pretty well but the Burundian drummers never received any cent of it and probably never heard of the recording either. It can be seen as one of the first sample based song or just a plain theft of African culture by Western msuic sharks. Anyway, despite this sad story, Burundi Black is a very good, tribal, hypnotic, trippy and cinematic song.

Download => Burundi Steïphenson Black - Burundi Black

La Guêpe - Volume 3 (Pulp Flavor Recordings - 1999)

This volume of La Guêpe is dedicated to library music inspired by Brazilian MPB. Bossa, samba and tropilcalism infuse each track of this wonderful compilation. But dont't expect any covers or pastiche here. If the core artists are French , a few artists are in fact real Brazilans(MPB4, Teca & Ricardo) or are ailing from Spain (Dolores) or Italy ( G&M Di Angelis). Each give his own interpretation of MPB, mixing Brazilan sounds with pop and weird electronica, which is in fact just all what good library music is about. Another wonderful job made by the Pulp Flavor/Dare-Dare/Vadim music guys.

 Download => La Guêpe - Volume 3

Eugene Blackwell - We Can't Take Life For Granted (Ubiquity - 2007)

Oh yes this guy and his band could play tight and hard. Born in Oakland, Eugene Blackwell created his band in high school and showed nearly every club available in the Bay Area what raw funk was and what can be done with a guitar in that area. He recorded a handfull of singles but stayed a local celebrities and never made it at a national level. His 7" became collectible among funky heads and rare groove diggers and it became a matter of time before his work get the proper recognition it deserved. Ubiquity gathered all the recordings Eugene Blackwell made on We Can't Take Life For Granted, with a few radio spots and live clips. Nice work and probably one of the best funk compilation of my collection. Break heads, there is plenty as well  for you here.



Download => Eugene Blackwell - We Can't Take Life For Granted

Philippe Sarde - Flic Ou Voyou (MCA - 1979) / Le Guignolo (MCA - 1980)

Jean-Paul Belmondo... Nobody knows him outside French boundaries but the guy used to be French most popular actor, specialized in action movies and comedies that met a huge success throughout the 70's and 80's and were largely played on French TV, especially the sunday evening. Everybody in France aged beyond their 30's grew up with that guy. The movies were not always good, even if Jean-Paul Belmondo has a few masterpieces in his huge filmography (for the details, go to his Wikipedia page: http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Paul_Belmondo ). Flic Ou Voyou or Le Guignolo are definitely not among his best movies. I enjoyed them while a kid but watched them again recently and I must admit that those two action comedies didn't aged well. But the soundtracks stay absolutely relevant. Both were made by Philippe Sarde and are completely different. For Flic Ou Voyou, Philippe Sarde enroled not less than Chet Baker, Hubert Laws, Ron Carter and Billy Cobham for a jazz soundtrack. The first track, Flic Ou Voyou, is brilliant: it starts like a baroque music track then morphes into jazz. For Le Guignolo, Philippe Sarde made the choice of orchestrated music inspired by traditionnal French operetta. Both soundtracks were reedited as a double package by Universal in 2000. And it's always a huge pleasure to give away Universal music for free.

Download => Philippe Sarde - Flic Ou Voyou - Le Guignolo

Jack Arel - Les Jeunes Loups (Riviera - 1968)

Marcel Carné is one of French greatest filmmakers. In 1968, he realised Les Jeunes Loups mixing French classic literature (the characters are inspired by the writings of Balzac) and Nouvelle Cinema with the burgeoning flower power and sexual liberation movement. Released just before the revolution of may 1968, it was announcing the events to come. The shooting is known to have been a nightmare and Marcel Carné rejected his film when it was over, even refusing to assist to the preview. Sacked by critics, Les Jeunes Loups were a flop and were even never released as VHS or DVD. In fact, nobody has seen this movie. The soundtrack is much easier to get. It was signed by French library maestro, Jack Arel. He mixed deep soul and British Invasion influences with a cool French pop vibe full of killing hammond organ licks. The vocals are credited to Tuesday Jackson, aka French MOR singer Nicole Croisille.

 Download => Jack Arel - Les Jeunes Loups

Norman Connors - Take It To The Limit (Arista - 1980)/Norman Connors - Mr. C (Arista - 1981)

I discovered Norman Connors work thanks to an article in Waxpoetics. I bougth on vinyl Romantic Journey, You Are My Starship, This is Your Life and decided to collect his entire discography. I've found Take It To The Limit and Mr. C on this budget two albums on one CD re-issue. In the sleeve notes, Ralph Tee charaterized those two albums as his personnal Norman Connors favourites. I would share that opinion for Take It To The Limit, a wonderful disco soul record with only scorchers and no fillers that matches Salsoul or Roy Ayers best releases of the time. I'll be a bit more reserved about Mr. C, that makes the funk speak and is still a winner but less good than the other albums aforementioned.

 Download => Norman Connors - Take It To The Limit/Mr.C

La Guêpe - Volume 2 (Pulp Flavor Recordings - 1999)

This excellent compilation gathers 17 French library tracks recorded during the 70'sunder the influence of soul, jazz and funk. Breaks heads will consequently find plenty to sample in that groovy banquet. among Roger Roger, Jacky Giordano, Bernard Estardy, Janko Nilovic or even Philippe Sarde works. The tracklisting is a who's who of French library maestro. There are some curiosities as well, like my personnal favorite, Afro-Disiac, an hypnotic afro track made by Uele Kalabubu & Sa Tribu and that can be found on the LP Afroground, a pretty rare but good piece of wax I'll probably post one day. Pulp Flavor Recordings was created by the same guys that were later behind the excellent labels Dare -Dare and Vadim Music that closed last spring. A pretty damn shame if you ask me. So, one of your only last chance to get your dusty hands on their music if you don't want to dig is on this blog.

 Download => La Guêpe - Volume 2

The Smoke - ... It's Smoke Time (Metronome - 1967)

With their name and the psyche cover of their sole album, The Smoke have everything to attract the paraphanelia occasional user. Hailing from Yorkshire, they started as a band in 1965 goign by the name of The Shots. After a first 7" released on Columbia failed, they considered going a psychedelic road, starting by changing their moniker. Now you had to call them The Smoke. Their next 7", My Friend Jack b/w We Can Take It got banned on British waves for LSL references but charted quite well throughout Western Europe, especially in Germany where was released ... It's Smoke Time LP. The Smoke then got managed by Chris Blackwell, released tracks under a new name, Chords and never made it. In 1974, they called it quit, taking regular jobs as session musicians. That's more or less the complete story of The Smoke. So what's about their music? Was it any good? The answer is a definitive yes: their freaky psyche beat sound is based on strong songwriting habilities and tight musicianship that make them ahead of the average psyche pack of the time. My Frienf Jack is catchy enough to be whistled under the shower and was even given a cheesy disco treatment by Boney M in 1980. I have posted the 1993 Repertoire repress that comes with not less than 14 bonus tracks and among them the sides released as The Shots and Five Chords.

 Download => The Smoke - ... It's Smoke Time

Rhythm Machine - Rhythm Machine (Lulu Records - 1976)

Now Again Records already reedited this album in 2006 and released it again a few weeks ago with a few bonus tracks. I have posted today the 2006 reedition. If you want te 2012 reedition, well, just buy it. Rhythm Machine had made a reputation as a solid touring band in their native Indiana, born on the ashes of The Highlighters (The Funky 16 Corners anyone ?). They recorded their sole album, Rhythm Machine, in 1976, delivering the kind of album you wouldn't expect from a touring band. Instead of going only the energetic tight hard funk way they're good at, they plaid a smooth spacey soul and funk as well that made me think of Roy Ayers or Earth Wind & Fire works of the same time. It's clear those guys could handle their instruments but their were very inspired as well. A brilliant album.

 Download => Rhythm Machine - Rhythm Machine

Moby Grape - Moby Grape (San Francisco Sound - 1967)

The guys of The All Music Guide qualified Moby Grape as "one of the finest (perhaps the finest) album to come out of the San Francisco psychedelic scene, brimming with great songs and fresh ideas while blessedly avoiding the pitfalls that pockmarked the work of their contemporaries." With such a critic, I was consequently pretty happy to find this  album in the sales bin of a French famous cultural goods retailing chain. I have always had a mixed feeling with West Coast albums from the Summer of Love era. The psychedelic scene especially often disappointed me. Much albums just don't live up to their reputation, once you pass their most obvious hits:  for example, would you have believed that listening to a Jefferson Airplane complete album was such a boring experience? So what's about the Moby Grape first album? If their bluesy numbers, based on catch guitar riffs, sounds very 60's and will brings tears in the eyes of grey haired boomers (Hey Grandma, Mr. Blues, Fall On You), the band could teach a trick or two on harmony and melodies  to Fleet Foxes and they never let senseless experimentation overcome their tightly written songs and their happy energy. A masterpiece? I don't know. A pretty good album? Yes indeed.

 Download => Moby Grape - Moby Grape

Jorge Ben - Bem -Vinda Amizade (Som Livre - 1981)

I'm just unable to say anything bad about my favorite Brazilian artist. This guy churned out masterpiece after masterpiece during nearly 20 years. On Bem-Vinda Amizade, Jorge Ben sticks to his usual recipe with talent: catchy samba funk with a light electronic twist. Every single song is a scorcher and can could make dance the next Vatican council. Jorge Ben seemed to have fun to try to find the longest song titles possible, from O Diam Em Que O Sol Declarou O Seu Amor Pela Terra to Era Una Vez Um Aposentado Marinheiro passing by Ela Mora Em Matogrosso Fronteira Com O Paraguai, they are pretty hard to remember if you are not lusophone. This LP has already been posted several times in a few other blogs but if you have miss it, here it is.

Download =>  Jorge Ben - Bem - Vinda Amizade

Janko Nilovic & Dave Sucky - Vocal Impressions (Montparnasse 2000 - 1971)

To start that new season of first choice musical nuggets from my record collection, there's is nothing better than this nice Janko Nilovic library LP, recorded for Montparnasse 2000 in 1971. If you speak French and want to learn more about Janko Nilovic, I advise you to read this interview realised in 2004 for the website Scopia: http://scopia.perso.neuf.fr/portrait_nilovic.html That's where I learned that the vocals on this album were made by Janko himself and Graziella Nadrigal. The overall result, between West Coast pop, jazz and bossa is absolutely nice. I haven't posted the original LP but the Vadim Music 2006 CD reedition.

Download =>Janko Nilovic & Dave Sucky - Vocal Impressions

Lee Hazlewood - Poet, Fool Or Bum/Back On The Street Again (EMI - 1973/Maverick - 1977)

Poet, Fool Or Bum and Back On The Street Again are certainly not Lee Hazlewood most revered albums. Poet, Fool Or Bum was greeted by a one word review by the NME ("bum") while Back On The Street Again, recorded in FM hard rock band Scorpions studios in Germany for radio programmer Bobby Bobcine, was just ignored. The album only came out in Sweden, Holland and Germany. Poet, Fool or Bum deserves clearly to be rehabilitated to its real value and is a good Lee Hazlewood record. Eveything we come to like about him is present here. His deep voice from out of grave, his lush arrangements between pop and country. The only things missing are duos with girls. You can find duos with girls on Back On the Street Again but the production work sounds just too cheesy most of the times. It was smelling the end for the great Lee Hazlewood. He never really came back but never gave up nor sold out.

 Download => Lee Hazlewood - Poet, Fool Or Bum/Back On The Street Again

Super Diamono feat. Omar Pene & Ismaël Lô - Star 80s (Frochot Music Cantos - 2010)

"This album contains a selection of the strongest tracks released by Super diamono between 1980 and 1984. During this period, two incredible singers (...) shared centered stage - Omar Pene and Ismaël Lô. Behind them (...) the band made full use of three years' musical research carried out in the four corners of Senegal." Super Diamono was not an hotel or club dance band. They considered themselves as rebel and were signing for the peasants and the poors against corruption and and President Senghor authoritarian regime. Their mix of ethnic musics, jazz, funk and reggae with psyche flavor is purely unique, original and outstanding. 

 Download => Super Diamono feat. Omar Pene & Ismaël Lô - Star 80s

Erotico... Nicaud (Barclay - 1970)

Yes the music sounds like what the cover looks like: erotic gallic pop, in the great Serge Gaisnbourg tradition. Philippe Nicaud was a second rank French actor but was pening texts full of sex and filth when it was about signing. In his case, it's more talkover comedy than actual signing in fact. The symphonic and pop orchestration, influenced by bossa nova and easy listening, was due to Gérard Gustin, a guy you can find behind a lot of French records of the time. Listening to this record is like watching a 70's porn: it's fun, fresh, liberating and makes you believe that something is missing today when it comes about the graphic representation of sexual intercourses between consenting adults. Erotico... Nicaud had the reputation to be a hard to find must-have UFO among record collectors. Vadim Music reedited it in 2009 and it was a brilliant idea. Enjoy, you perverts... It's DSK favorite record, I heard.

 Download => Erotico... Nicaud

Jorge Ben - Alô Alô, Como Vai ? (Som Livre - 1980)

Jorge Ben is my favorite Brazilian singer and musician. His mix of samba, pop, soul and, here, disco funk is unique and belongs only to himself. His songs are so good and catchy you can't help but hum them all day long. Like a Brazilian Stevie Wonder, he churned out masterpieces after masterpieces in the 70's and at the beginning of the 80's, releasing at least one album a year. The most surprising is that the guy was nerver properly distributed in Europe and his discography was erratically released. The names of the albums were changed, the covers as well and it is quite difficult to find his records, even in CD. I don't know if Alô Alô, Como Vai ? was even released somewhere in vinyl. I finally found it thanks to the CD reedition made by a Spanish bargain label, Discmedi. Alô Alô, Como Vai ? is maybe  not Jorge Ben most famous  and laudated LP but there are plenty of nice breaks and floor fillers in it. It's definitely worth a listen.

 Download => Jorge Ben - Alô Alô, Como Vai ?

Lee Hazlewood - The LHI Years: Singles, Nudes & Backsides (1968-71) (Light In The Attic - 2012)

LHI stands for Lee Hazlewood Industries. The label was created by the singer in 1967 to support his own releases and a few others. IN 1971, the adventure was over. This compilation focuses on the sides released by Lee during this three years ventures as singles or on the albums The Bed, Cowboy In Sweden, Requiem For An Almost Lady and The Cowboy & The Lady. You can find as well a previously unreleased song, I Just Learn To Run. For those who still doubted, those 17 magnificent songs, between luxuriant country and magnificately crafted and orchestrated pop, prove that Lee Hazlewood was one of the brightest composer and musician of the era. The record cover is brilliant and sums up perfectly what's inside. One of the best new record I bought this year.

 Download => Lee Hazlewood - The LHI Years

Star Band De Dakar - Star 70s (Frochot Music Cantos/Bellot Records) - 2010)

The Star Band was created by Ibra Kassé in the 60's as an house band for his club, the Miami, set in Dakar, the capital of the then newly independent Senegal. The orchestra was  playing latin music (cha-chas, pachangas, merengués or rumba) for the youth of Dakar elite. The Star Band will nurture Senegalese greatest musicians (Pape Seck, Balla Sidibé, Youssou N'Dour, Pape Fall, Laba Sosseh, etc.) before they leave  to create their own orchestra. That in the star band that Pape Seck will mix latin music with sabar drums and m'balax rythms, signing in Wolof as well as in Spanish, giving birth to Afro-feeling and M'balax.This compilation features tracks recorded between 1975 and 1979 just before The Star Band De Dakar definitely disbands. I don't know if their best titles are featured here, as I am not a specialist of African music, but this record is refreshing, excellent and a good way to discover this great band.

 Download => Star Band De Dakar - Star 70s

Jean-Michel Jarre - Les Granges Brûlées (Dreyfus - 1973)

Les Granges Brûlées is a 1973 movie by Jean Chapot with some of the best French actors of the era, Alain Delon and Simone Signoret. It is the story of a judge (Alain Delon) who is investigating the murder of a young girl in the French country. Her body is discovered near a farm run by a strong woman, Simone Signoret and quickly the judge suspects a member of the family being the murderer.  Jean Chapot and Alain Delon didn't get well together and quickly the movie was finished by the star himself without Jean Chapot who had left the set. The music is the first record released by French king of keyboards, Jean-Michel Jarre. Jean-Michel Jarre is the son of French soundtrack composer Maurice Jarre so it must have been a real challenge for him to dare releasing a soundtrack. Jean-Michel Jarre only used keyboards for the soundtrack, making proto electronica. Jean-Michel Jarre then mixed his electronic song with pop FM and became a billionaire. But this another story and Les Granges Brûlées is still a landmark in electronic music history.

 Download => Jean-Michel Jarre - Les Granges Brûlées

Keith Hudson - Rasta Communication (Deluxe Edition) (Joint International/Greensleeves - 1978/2012)

VP Records just had the excellent idea of reissuing Keith Hudson masterpiece, Rasta Communication, in a deluxe edition full of excellent bonuses: you can find the original album , 12" mixes of Nah Skin Up, Felt We Felt The Strain, Bloody Eyes, the 7" version of Rasta Country and an extra CD with a dub version of the album. Rasta Communication was mixed by King Tubby so there are pretty good chances that the dub master himself was invested in the dub version of the album. With Rasta Communication, Keith Hudson was targeting Bob Marley's sales figures. He never achieved them but at least realized a perfect roots joint and and a true reggae heads favorite.

Allen Toussaint - The Lost Sessions (Fuel Records - 2011)

Forget Memphis, Muscle Shoals or Detroit: some of the best soul music recorded in the 60's was coming from New Orleans and was essentially due to the genius of one man: Allen Toussaint. When he went out of the military in 1965, he launched several record labels with the help of Marshall Sehorn, Sansu, Dessu and Tou-Sea while still recording for other labels like New York Amy Records. Then at the peak of his inspiration, he penned scorchers and hits for the likes of Aaron Neville (Hercules and its massive bassline), Lee Dorsey (Get Out Of My Life, Woman and its break sampled a thousand times) and less well known acts like Benny Spellman, The Rubaiyats (a band composed of himself and Willie Harper) or Willie West. Allen Toussaint is featured 3 times as well on this compilation with two excellent instrumentals, the Burt Bacarach sound alike Hands Christianderson and Gotta Travel On and with his own a rendition of the biggest hits he made for Lee Dorsey, Working In The Coal Mine. The trouble with The Lost Sessions is that any other music will sound lame once you listened to it. It's probably an after effect effect of the voodoo they put in their music.

 Download => Allen Toussaint - The Lost Sessions

Cal Tjader - Soul Burst (Verve - 1966)

Don't expect to rock any dancefloor with this album, despite its name. Like every Caj Tjader release of the 60's, Soul Burst is a sure shot but there is more jazz than soul in it, even if there is some of the usual Latin spices. Chick Corea came by to give a hand on piano. Cal Tjader penned the last song and picked  up in a rather large repertoire for the rest: Cuba (Descarga Cubana), Brazil (It Didn't End, a Joao Donato song), Latin jazz classics (Manteca), Broadway (The Bilbao Song, My Ship), the West Indies (Curaçao). Even if there is less to sample than on Agua Dulce, for example, it's still a good album to enjoy a fresh drink with a nice lady during a warm spring evening.

 Download => Cal Tjader - Soul Burst

The Bullwackie's All Stars - Creation Dub (City Line - 1977)

After a stint for Duke Reid's Treasure Isle, Lloyd Barnes emigrated to New York where he created his Wackie's House Of Music record shop, a music studio and several reggae labels and sublabels. Quickly, from his american headquarters, LLoyd Barnes released some of the finest reggae music ever recorded. It's not a surprise that his catalogue was reedited by Basic Channel, a German label run by guys (Moritz von Ostwald and Mark Ernestus)  for which music is definitely not a joke. Creation Dub is credited to The Bullwackie's All Stars, one of the many configuration of Wackies in-house studio band. Most of the songs are dubbed version of riddims already used by others for Wackies and covers (I Want Get Next To You, rebaptized Next To Jah, Leaving Rome, rebaptized Creation Dub). Deep, heavy and spiritual shit.

 Download =>Creation Dub

Cal Tjader & Eddie Palmieri - El Sonido Nuevo (The New Soul Sound) (Verve - 1966)

When two masters of latin jazz decide to make music together, the result of their collaboration can only be a great album. Both were featured in the 49th issue of Waxpoetics and Duncan Reid described how both artists met: "In 1965, during a trip to New York City, Cal Tjader took in a concert by Eddie Palmieri (...). After the show, Tjader approached Palmieri and suggested they recorded together". El Sonido Nuevo was their first LP. It was then followed by Bamboléate. Palmieri took the arrangement duties and Rudy Van Gelder was behind the boards as engineer. El Sonido Nuevo is a latin scorcher as good as any record with the logo Fania on it. I ripped the CD reedition which holds the four titles of the original album  and 6 bonus tracks issued from two other Cal Tjader albums, Breeze From The East and Along Comes Cal but which do not feature Eddie Palimieri.

 Download => Cal Tjader & Eddie Palmieri - El Sonido Nuevo (The New Soul Sound)

Montparnasse 2000 Classics (Pulp Flavor Recordings - 2003)

Guys at Pulp Flavor (aka Dare Dare , aka Vadim Music) gathered 14 nuggets from famous French library label Montparnasse 2000. You probably already know that the term library in the case of Montparnasse 2000 was synonymous of scorching tunes, that give you plenty of occasions to sample a breaks or rock any party. Every single song is a sure winner and make of Montparnasse 2000 Classics a must-have, the time you can find and collect the complete albums. I still have a personnal little preference that goes for the last track, Xenos Cosmos, a psyche jazzy orchestral infectious number by Janko Nilovic.

 Download => Montparnasse 2000 Classics

Resonance - Moto Rock b/w Safari Love (Sirocco - 1974)

I found this Resonance 45 RPM yesterday on a secondhand market for 50 cents and despite the cover was missing, it was definitely a good deal. Both titles are credited to Bacson which is in fact a duo composed of Pierre Bachelet and Mat Camison. They released several singles and one album under the Resonance moniker and all are favorites of any decent eurogroove digger. Moto Rock is a surf track with loud moto engines noises on it, trying to reproduce the atmosphere of a racing field. The real scorcher is the side B, Safari Love, an infectious tribal funk piece, charged with filth and based on percussions, animal samples, African traditional vocals and a funky guitar. 

 Download => Resonance - Moto Rock b/w Safari Love

Dingo! - Sexopolized by DJ BNX (Pulp Flavor - 2001)

Pulp Flavor, Dare Dare and Vadim Music are the different names of the same label. Based in Grenoble, it is (was?) one of the best reedition label I know, the French equivalent to Finders Keepers. They recently destocked all their records and their web site is under  maintenance since one month and I don't know if they didn't go bankrupted, which would be a damn shame. Anyway, Dingo! is a French pop and library music compilation made by DJ BNX from Bordeaux that deserves all due praises. If some big names are present here (Zozoi by France Gall, High Tide by library king Jack Arel, Francis Lai with Number One), all the other titles are rare and were unknown to my ears. They all have in common to be brilliant and original. If you already have exhausted the US, British, Jamaican, Brazilian and African music scenes, try to explore the French one, there are plenty of nice things and scorching breaks (listen to Je Veux Te Dire Une Chanson by Angelillo & Hamel for example) to discover. 

 Download => Dingo!

Ennio Morricone - So Sweet So Sensual (Cinevox/Pick Up Export - 2003)

This nice 15 tracks compilation pays tribute to Ennio Morricone love themes from his best 60's and 70's Italian B-movies soundtracks. It is not necessary to write much more to convince you to make the acquisition of this record, especially if you are not that familiar with Morricone's work except his work made for Sergio Leone. The master was then at the top of his inspiration and was churning out classics after classics whether it be Il Gatto, Forza G, 4 Mosche Di Velluto Grigio or L'Uccello Dalle Piume Di Cristallo, all well represented here. So Sweet So Sensual, also known as Erotica Morricone: a compilation that wears perfectly its name.

 Download => Ennio Morricone - So Sweet So Sensual

Willie Bobo - Juicy (Verve - 1967)

What attracted me first to Juicy was its cover that looked good: an orange and a pretty lady dancing on its skin. And the music that goes with it is damn nice too. Willie Bobo and his band play latinized cover of R&B hits of the time (Knock On Wood, Mercy, Mercy, Mercy or Ain't Too Proud To Beg). But the timbales palyer is at his best when he and his pals play his own repertoire on La Descarga Del Bobo and Shing-A-Ling Baby. This album certainly won't change your life but it will give you some pretty good times and make you in a party mood which is as well what this kind of music is made for. The CD version I ripped comes with 4 alternative takes of Juicy, Music To Watch Girls By, Dis-Advantages and Shing-A-Ling Baby that don't have any real interest.

Download => Willie Bobo - Juicy

Tom Dooley - Don't Leave b/w (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction (TRX Records/Festival - 1969)

I have a theory that in every record collection there is at least one good record. Lately, I digged in a record collection that was taking dust in the cellar of old acquaitances. And I didn't expect myself at all to find that excellent deep soul 45 RPM. I haven't found much on the internet about Tom Dooley. He was a white FM deejay from Kentucky, lead his own band, The Lovelights and recorded 5 singles for Nashville based TRX Records, a sublabel of Hickory Records (http://www.79waky.com/tomdooley.htm). The band never really made it and disbandled quickly. Tom Dooley stays well known in Northern Soul circles and those both sides, especially his Rolling Stones cover, are just excellent.


Download =>  Tom Dooley - Don't Leave b/w (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction

Mato - Hip Hop Reggae Series Vol. 4 (Stix - 2012)

The first three volumes of the Hip Hop Reggae series have been downloaded nearly 3000 times on this blog! In fact they are directly responsible for a large part of my trafic. So I expect my little success by posting the fourth volume. Mato didn't change his winning recipe, already used on Vol. 2 and on Vol. 1 and 3 by his partner un crime Taggy Matcher: reggae interpolation of classic hip hop tunes with the a cappella vocals pasted on it. Like always it's very well made. This time, it's the turn of De La Soul, Wu-Tang Clan Naughty By Nature, Nas, Missy Elliot, Lords Of The Underground, Cypress Hill, Lauryn Hill and Funkdoobiest. Heavy stuff.

Download => Mato - Hip Hop Reggae Series Vol. 4

Dancehall - The Rise Of Jamaican Dancehall Culture (Soul Jazz Records - 2008)

Every reggae compilation released by Soul Jazz Records is a must have, Dancehall included. This compilations offers insights on the Jamaican dancehall scene between 1977 and 1993. Like always with Soul Jazz, you'll find obvious classics and more obscure tracks but every single of them is just a scorcher. If you read this post, you probably know what you are about to download so this time, no Youtube or Soundcloud snippets is needed.

Download => Dancehall CD1 
Download => Dancehall CD2