INVISIBLE SOUNDTRACKS

MUSIC FOR FILMS NEVER MADE- An eclectic collection of instrumental pieces from many genres that could or even were, soundtracks to a film.

___________

Vol 35– It starts with a train ride. There are some gangsters and it ends in car chase.

Vol 36– Just like the actual film it begins in a lush Venician setting.

Vol 27 Below starts somewhere in the Balkans and moves on to Egypt.

Vol 25 Below is set on some large tropical island. In the dstance one hears music.

Vol 24 -A minimalist movie. Philip Glass, Meredith Monk, Kronos Quartet, Ryuchi Sakamoto etc

Vol 22- The River (below) is an atmospheric one with a very haunting opening track from Bjorn Jason Lindh.

Vol 21 Below is a somewhat jaunty collection starting with the theme from The Grifters

BLUES

I was first introduced to this kind of music in 1963 when I first went to the all night Downbeat Club in Newcastle, a place frequented by “Bohemians, Beats and long hairs”.  The Alan Price Combo later to be renamed The Animals had been playing there before moving on to The Club A Go Go and then fame and fortune. The place was an old Victorian era warehouse- dark and mysterious with wooden floorboards and some sort of “jungle music” was throbbing loudly. I had never heard this kind of music before and asked the d.j. what was playing. What ? he said unable to hear me over the sound.  I tried several times before he mouthed the words clearly to me …“It’s a Chess Record”.  The actual tune did not matter -only that it came from Chess Records and anything they put out was gold.

At that time Chess and many other American record companies had no outlet for their products in the UK.  Big Top Ten hits yes- but obscure styles from small companies- no.

Into the void stepped Pye Records who put out this compilation called Rhythm and Blues and it became a huge seller persuading record companies that there was a market for this new “jungle” music. It did not hurt that they put it out on their budget label Golden Guinea.  (A Guinea was one Pound plus one shilling.) I still have that album. It has followed me around for almost 60 years.

Now more….

Hot Chicago style guitar Blues. play loud !

Mama’s in the kitchen…with more of her women friends.

A “choinin oin of burnin funk”…some more acoustic blues.

Man is it hot today…songs about walkin the blues.

Some cool slow atmospheric blues.

JUKE JOINT SERIES : Now there’s a place you really get your kicks . It´s open every night ’bout 12-6.

DJANGOS LEGACY

The great and unique gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt left behind a musical legacy that continues today.

Django  was one of the first major jazz talents to emerge in Europe and has been hailed as one of its most significant exponents. With violinist Stéphane Grappelli he formed the Paris-based Quintette du Hot Club de France in 1934. The group was among the first to play jazz that featured the guitar as a lead instrument.

Reinhardt recorded in France with many visiting American musicians, including Coleman Hawkins and Benny Carter, and briefly toured the United States with Duke Ellington’s orchestra in 1946. He died suddenly of a stroke in 1953 at the age of 43.

See my JAZZ AGE volumes here  which include The Jazz Age in Paris in the thirties.

Nearly every major popular-music guitarist in the world has been influenced by Reinhardt. Over the last few decades, annual Django festivals have been held throughout Europe and the U.S. with many fine new musicians  taking up the mantle of Djangology.

  • There are four parts to this Documentary about the great guitarist here
  • As short documentary on his life and work here.
  • A longer one here.
  • A short little clip of him here 1939
  • Below are shows on Spotify . You may have to get the app if you dont already. Below Late period Django (45-53)

Below-Late Night Django

Below” Classic period of the late thirties with Stephane Grappelli.

Below: The other great but little known guitarist of the time.

If you appreciate those then you will probably appreciate these ….

CREPUSCULAR and SONIC LANDSCAPES

CREPUSCULAR MUSIC (Previously titled Nocturnal Emissions)-

Electronic and ambient landscapes for that in between time. Perhaps for the somnabulists who roam empty rooms in the deep of the night waiting for dawn. Those same people may also enjoy some classical music at NIGHT MUSIC

BelowSonic Landscapes are similar but a little less spacey

Classic album of Zen Meditation Music by Tony Scott

THE VINYL VAULTS


Reaching back into the music shelves of my mind for those forgotten tunes off the beaten path of the late sixties early seventies.

I reach in and pull out a sleeve, play a song and then …what would be the next song ?

Vol 28 Along with The Pink Floyd we bask in the sun by the banks of a lazy river

Vol 27– Starts with a hypnotic version of Tomorrow Never Knows from Junior Parker then moves on to other Beatles material by other artists.

 

Vol 25  Quicksilver, The Rascals, Sopwith Camel,Stones,Love,Ozark Mntn Daredevils, Electric Flag, Frank Zappa, etc in a jazzish compilation.

Vol 24 Some guitar from Jan Ackerman, Jeff Beck, Tom Verlaine, Durutti Column, Santana, Peter Green

Vol 23 Santana does Miles Davis, Peter Frampton with Larry Carlton,Tim Buckley,Sandy Bull,Yardbirds,Gabor Szabo,Hot Tuna etc

19, 20, 21, 22

Vol 18. I wonder if Louse is home ? Appletree Theatre, Nillson,Miuke Nesmith,Country Joe, New Riders, Donovan,Arlo Guthriue, Ellen Mcllawane, Byrds, etc

Vol 17Blood Sweat Tears, The Fugs, Frank Zappa, Flatt & Scruggs,Bob Dylan, Don and Dewey, Lovin Spoonful, Paul Kantner, Firesign Theatre etc

Vol 16Are we glad ? Traffic, Dan Hicks, Mark Almond, Al Kooper, Bamboo, Brewer And Shipley, Bob Dylan, Beatles, Hot Tuna , Quicksilver etc 

14

Vol 13 In The Beginning with Appletree Theatre, West Coast Pop Area Exp Band, Love, Blues Project, Niullson, Sandyt Bull, Beach Boys, Mothers of Invention, Electric Flag, 13th Floor Elevators, Hendrix etc

Vol 12- Incredible String Band, Mothers, Electric Flag, Jack Nitzche, Pearls Before Swine etc

Vol 11  On a Trip to Cirrus Minor with Pink Floyd, Spirit, Jefferson Airplane, Beatles, Stones, Traffic, Country Joe etc

10 -Set The Controls For The Heart of The Sun missing ?

9

8

Vol 7 Lying by the banks of a river on hot summer day with Pink Floyd, United States of America, Cyrus Faryer, Simon Dupree, Donovan, Fleetwood Mac, Rickie Lee Jones, Jimmie Spheeris,

Vol 5 –Driving Along Coast Highway Number One with Steve Miller, Van Morrison, Fred Neil, Ellen Mcllawaine, Beatles, Doors, Country Joe,Byrds, Donovan etc

Vol 4 Santana, Steve Stills, Al Kooper, Seatrain, John Mayall, Buffalo Springfield,etc

Vol 3 Live tracks. Santana, Jefferson Airplane, Allman Bros, Quicksilver, Hendrix, Big Brother, Joe Cocker,Buddy Milkes, Sly Family Stone etc

Vol 2-Spirit,the Fugs, Rotary Connection, Cosmic Sounds, Traffic, Rascals, Blues Project, Love, Nick Drake, , Jethro Tull, Frank Zappa, Mark Almond, Buffalo Springfield, Steve Stills.

Vol 1- Orchestral and jazzy influences from Rotary Connection, The  Rascals, Sergio Mendes, Andrew Oldham Orchestra, Beaver And Krause, Simon Dupree, Love, Doors, Cosmic Sounds, etc

Vol 1 Notes. Rotary Connection were an American psychedelic soul band, formed in Chicago in 1966. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotary_Connection

The Appletree Theatre was a studio group of American musicians who released the album Playback in 1967. The project was set up by brothers Terry and John Boylan, with leading jazz session musicians including Larry Coryell and Eric Gale. The album was essentially a loosely woven concept album, comprising a collage of interlaced vocal narratives, sound effects, song fragments, and pop songs such as “Hightower Square” and “I Wonder If Louise Is Home”. John Lennon referred to it as one of his favourite albums.

 

OLD FOLKIES

U.S. Folk Rock: From the coffee houses of New York’s Greenwich Village to the coffee shops of London’s Soho-the singer songwriter boom of the early sixties to today.

BRITISH FOLK ROCK : Across the pond the British were also revisting their musical roots. See also the page on The Incredible String Band here.

This one above starts with Lavinia Blackwall singing a song that Sandy Denny made a classic version of. The Richard Farina song Quiet Joys. She is backed by the now deceased ex Fairport Convention fiddler Dave Swarbrick playing his unique lonesome reel. On to Fairport themselves with Sandy singing a pleasant song with Ian Mathews (he of Southern Comfort). Vashti Bunyan a very unique wisp of a voice followed by Traffic. John Renbourn singing about the famous floating folk club on the Thames called The Barge. Ends with Sandy doing a song not too long before she too sadly passed on.

2

Below: The Incredible String Band

Some choice cuts from their first albums.

BELOW: Leonard Cohen songs sung by other singers.

DANCING AT THE FLAMINGO

The Flamingo Club on Wardour St in London’s Soho flourished during the mid sixties.  It was an all night club that catered to the mods from the suburbs of London, the West Indians, and American GI’s on leave for the weekend . The music reflected this mix playing Jamaican ska (which was an early form of reggae), soul and R&B dance music plus very danceable jazz.

 There was no official alcohol license, just soft drinks (usually spiked with illicit additives). Mainly the place was fuelled all night by amphetamines and ganja smoked outside. Resident band was Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames maybe the coolest band in England at the time. 

Here is their big hit Yeah Yeah  played live on Ready Steady Go. Here Brian Epstein introducing them on US television.  The drummer here was Hughie Flint who later joined John Mayall to be replaced by Mich Mitchell later of Jimi Hendrix fame. John McLoughlin also played with  the Blue Flames.

A brief history  of the Flamingo is here. The connection between the Flamingo, Lucky Gordon, and the Profumo affair.

Below-Vol 1– Starting with live at the Flamingo resident band the Blue Flames (1964).

Another regular band at the Flamingo was Herbie Goines and the Nightimers and there is a video of them here. Note John Mcloughlin playing guitar and Speedy Aquiye on congas- who had moved on from The Blue Flames.  The pre Jimi Hendrix Noel Redding also played drums at one point.

Geno Washington with the Ram Jam Band was another popular player at the Flamingo along with  Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers.

BelowZoot Money a regular at the Flamingo with The Big Roll Band at the door, perhaps showing a little too much appreciation for the passers by.

For a bit of the history of this venue see here.

Above Looks like Christine Keeler “at work ” to me .

IF YOU LIKE THESE MIXES  THEN YOU MAY ALSO LIKE… Dancing at the Club A Go Go  WHICH FOCUSSES ON THE MORE BLUES BASED STYLE PLAYED UP NORTH IN NEWCASTLE.