This is a rather ridiculous but super–catchy take on this theme to the 1967 spoof Bond movie. Performed by German session musicians, it ends up being a rather groovy mix, with viola d’amore, flute, female wordless vocals, harpsichord, and that other staple of the Baroque era, funky drums. It’s short and sweet and really very cool. The late sixties were cool for many reasons, but one of them is that they could accomodate TWO albums called 'Bacharach Baroque' - this one, and the other great Snuff Garrett-produced one by 'The Renaissance'. Both are superb.

I couldn't possibly say that this is the best version of the old MacLen chestnut (there are simply too many of them out there for me to ever hear them all), but it probably qualifies as one of the most original. Hyman's virtuoso keyboard skills were already quite reknowned, but on this album he tackled an entirely different animal...the harpsichord. On this track, he starts out using the harpsichord in a very conventional fashion, performing a baroque solo. About two-thirds of the way into the song, however, comes a drastic slowing of the tempo, the bass & drums come in and it mutates into a jazz trio arrangement! He even plays solos on the 'chord that make it sound like a Hammond organ...absolutely amazing!! Much of this album is rather difficult to listen to, but when it's good, it's sublime.

This record is a complete mystery to me even though I have every other Flora album. Dusty Springfield-style orquestrated pop that sounds like nothing you'd associate with her name. There the slightest hint of bossa, and the flipside (actually the A-side, but I find this B much more interesting) is a basic 60s pop ballad with a bit of a European flavor, produced by folk stalwart Milt Okun, interestingly enough. Both sides are meticulously arranged with washes of strings, horns and reverb. Fascinating! The copy I have is a promo copy, and I wonder if stock copies even exist, since it's in no discography I could find. Does anybody know anything about this?

This track is pure, unadulterated soft rock/sunshine pop heaven. This could easily be mistaken for a lost Association gem with beautifully arranged vocal harmonies by Hi-Los'Clark Burroughs, who, in fact, also produced "Never My Love" and "Windy" (and the rest of the "Insight Out" album for The Association). Combined with a slightly baroque sounding harpsicord, organ, xylophone embellishments and highly idealistic lyrics it makes a lovely piece of sunhsine pop.

Here's Mancini at his moodiest, really digging deep for an eastern-meets-baroque vibe. With banks of silky brass, dreamy flute, harpsichord and marimba! Such a master of color and image, right down to the gong strike at the end, fabulous! Part of an often overlooked LP that details sides he recorded during some of his famous soundtrack sessions, utilizing the talents of his many players at the time. A must for the Man-fan!

Alright! Vrooooooooooom! This is Vegas!... Or maybe the LA strip!... Vrooooooooooomaaah!!

This is the kinda song that you need for a break-up. Or some other kinda' I gotta leave this place and dance with syrup-y drink in my hand kinda feelin'... I realized that I needed this song when I lost my lousy job.... Tough luck.... I wish just once someone would play this in a club so I could hear it realllly loud! Great arrangement,this sort of ballistic lounge-y electric pulse... With these short baroque "rests" that take a short daydream break from the tension... Brilliant!

They had this song tucked away on the second side of the LP. I don't know what singles came off this particular release. Roy Kral himself led the group on keyboards as he does on most of the better J&R recordings, with an excellent group of creative players that give the sessions a dirty punched-up sound...

If you have'nt got any Jackie & Roy yet, this is album to get!

An unusual Marcos track, a 9-minute instrumental suite tucked away at the end of one of his most adventurous albums. Hugely recommended to Axelrod/Electric Prunes fans, as it sounds almost exactly like something from "Release Of An Oath" or "Mass In F Minor."

Wow! I have been consuming a lot of baroque pop and jazz recordings lately, and while some of them are just nice, this one is astounding! Just imagine Bach-boogaloo, and you have most of the picture here. This piece sounds as fresh today as it did in the 60's! The arrangement is wild as all hell, and has to be heard to be believed. They also do great versions of "Sunshine Superman" & "Up, Up and Away"!

A great instrumental by Pete Moore, which is laid back yet gently funky at the same time with nice brass and a cool wah-wah guitar sound. The production and arrangement is typical of his other work - clean sounding with a slow introduction and a superb rhythm section. Check out what is probably his best known track - Catwalk, which was featured on the Inflight Entertainment CD.

I know the buzz is burned on his return but I still need to give this song props. The first time I heard this album was indesribable. It sort of places you in a zone where so many sounds you love coexist in poingant harmony. This one, the title track, is a mix of torchy iceman elegance, and rootsy baroque impressionisim. And the mix of talents is undeniable. Charles Stepney and his incredible group of session men, and one, singular, unique songwriting talent. Done at a time when they could do no wrong...

It goes in and out of print, so snap it up if you can.

Man! Out of all the dollar-bin records i've bought in the last six months this one takes the prize. Amazing vocal pop ala' Harpers Bizarre or The Vogues, but more like the latter, due to the sheer genius production and selection of material.

This is a song by the great Box Tops that gets played all over your local "oldies" radio station, only made more superior with better production and beat. It has that misty sunshine appeal of HB, with cooed almost whispered verses, but then takes it higher with their own trademark choir-loft harmonies and effects. It supersedes the original by a longshot, bringing together sly shuffles and baroque arcs of genius.

The album has too many great versions to mention, but look for a review on their version of The Doors "Touch Me" coming soon, with a clip.

A must for fans of HB, Classics IV, Association, Cyrkle etc.

Post-punk "pop" at its most gorgeous/baroque/bewilderingly extreme - and the perfect introduction to the God-like genius of Alan Rankine and the late/great singer Billy Mackenzie. A four car-pile-up between Roxy Music (circa "For Your Pleasure"), Bowie (circa "Heroes"), Scott Walker's "Scott 3" and Kraftwerk's "The Man Machine", (with King Tubby and Shirley Bassey acting as ambulance attendants), this song is both empty and lush, creepy and hilarious, ice-cold and almost embarrassingly emotional. I have loved/lived/died by this song for almost two decades, and I still can't begin to tell you what its about. It's like something from outer space - like so many of the greatest pop songs are.

If romantic, dramatic, emotionally fragile and beautifully orchestrated baroque pop with woodwinds moves you then you're blessed... by me.

A melancholic, baroque pop song.
It's an hand-made jewel, with this piano scale doubled by the voice, and those gently waves made by the string arrangements.
Your time *perdu*.

At odds with his two fold reputation as a folk-baroque balladeer and avant garde explorer Buckley turns in a tortured ballad worthy of the Reverend Al Green. Imagine a libidinously charged Astral Weeks and you're part way there.

It took me some time, but I'm finally really getting into Tipsy's second album, 'Uh Oh!' This track is a beautiful sound collage, with a slightly more complex structure than a lot of predominanty sampled tracks have. Its samples include celestial harps, gentle beats, middle eastern snake charmer sounds, old wordless vocals, and lots more wonderful sounding stuff I can't identify. The overall effect is rather intoxicating. My admiration for this track mixed with a touch of jealousy - I have some of the records being sampled here (for example, the 'Bacharach Baroque' version of 'Close to you' is clearly audible), but my own audio assembling skills are rather poor compared with those of Tipsy. If you haven't listened to Tipsy since 'Trip Tease', or even if you're just interested in creative sampling, I recommend checking this out.

You've got to love a guy who has a song on his first album that translates as "Catechism, Toothpaste and You". From that same LP, here's a great off-kilter tropicalia with a heavy baroque-pop influence and really odd instrumentation, featuring fuzz guitar, organ and trumpet in a very nice way.