This entertaining track opens with Astrud talking over a groovy guitar and piano background. As she starts to sing the words, the percussion becomes more pronounced, producing a nice bossa/funk hybrid. The production is very different to a lot Astrud’s work, probably because this album was from an obscure label (Perception) with contributions from different personnel than on many of her Verve recordings (e.g. Airto Moreira, Maria Toledo and Eumir Deodato).
An atmospheric soundtrack instrumental, with a superb blend of strings harpsichord, brass and woodwind. Everything is underpinned by a gently funky beat that delights me, and is typical of early 70s mood instrumentals.
31 Jan 02 ·Mike: Nice dense arrangement with the harpsichord penetrating attractively (try to remember that penetration can be unattractive at times). I enjoyed the excerpt very much. 31 Jan 02 ·delicado: Yeah, the clarinet/sax you hear at the end of the sample nearly ruins it for me, but not quite. Those chords at the beginning recall that great song 'Life is Mono' by Mono, don't you think?
From the Italian western of the same name. I haven't seen the film, but it seems to be a comedy starring Thomas Milian and in the mode of the popular Trinity films. This track is kind of a light-hearted square dance with typically brilliant instrumenation by Morricone -- bells, banjo, organ, chorus, acoustic guitar, drums and violins. This makes a nice companion to the "Wanted Dead Or Alive" track I recommended earlier. Lots of fun.
available on CD - Spaghetti Westerns, Volume Three (DRG)
This one of the most insanely catchy and infectious tracks I've heard in a long time. Opens with a sparse bongo beat, accompanied by 'mouth percussion'. A German voice sounding slightly like aging British radio DJ Tommy Vance starts talking ('Der man, das Zigarillo'), before a catchy piano riff and jaunty easy listening chorus come in. A fun track - nice that compilations like 'pop shopping 2' come out and save things like this from total obscurity.
available on CD - Pop Shopping 2 (Crippled Dick Hot Wax!)
An instrumental with a fascinating fusion of styles, this track starts out quietly and then explodes delightfully. Hemmingson plays what sounds like a church organ (alongside various other keyboard instruments), but mixes it in with wah-wah guitar, funky beats and percussion, strings, and a dirty, blaxploitation soundtrack-style flute, to produce a compelling sound. Sabu Martinez plays the congas.
I can't offer a great deal of background information here, since I picked this up on a third-hand recommendation, but there are a few great tracks on the album
from Trollskog (EMI 4750192), available on CD (EMI Svenska)
24 Jul 14 ·delicado: Just to note that this still rocks it for me 12 years on!