Monday, April 30, 2012

ALAN HAWKSHAW & ALAN PARKER - THE ROCK MACHINE




Download here

Track 1 - Outburst
Track 2 - Bulldozer
Track 3 - Brainstormer
Track 4 - Flashpoint
Track 5 - Safety Zone
Track 6 - Monza Straight
Track 7 - Supercharger
Track 8 - Trailblazer
Track 9 - Power Boost
Track 10 - Powerhouse Rock A
Track 11 - Powerhouse Rock B
Track 12 - Powerhouse Rock C
Track 13 - Aerial Camera

Another gem courtesy of the Offline Vintage Library Emporium, this Themes International release sees Alan Parker and The Hawk teaming up to produce a selection of rock infused library music. If you've ever wondered what Alan Hawkshaw's trademark organ grooves would sound like when underpinned by chunky guitar riffs then wait no longer! This baby is a real head nodder with each track being super tight and super, super funky. There isn't a moment of "The Rock Machine" that I don't adore and I have a feeling many of you will feel the same way. Enjoy!

Friday, April 27, 2012

MANDINGO - MANDINGO III, A STORY OF SURVIVAL



Download here

Track 1 - Invocation To The Gods
Track 2 - War Dance
Track 3 - Watching And Waiting, Battle
Track 4 - Celebration
Track 5 - Triumphal March
Track 6 - Drums In The Night
Track 7 - Bodysnatcher
Track 8 - The Headhunter
Track 9 - Witchdoctor
Track 10 - Maneater
Track 11 - Mumbo-Jumbo

More Mandingo! Geoff Love and his orchestra turned out this awesome batch of afro themed library music in 1974. Massive drum and horn based funk bombs are tinged with Les Baxter themed exotica, all wrapped up in a distinctly British style. "The Headhunter" is probably the most well know track having featured on the legendary "Sound Gallery Vol.1" compilation but there are classics scattered throughout this set. There was some seriously funky music released in '74 and this is just another fine example. Thanks go to the uploader.

For other Mandingo albums click here or here.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

FF019 LEGENDS OF LIBRARY - ALAN HAWKSHAW REDUX PT.2



Download here

Track 1 - Man Of Means
Track 2 - Piccadilly Night Ride
Track 3 - Action Replay
Track 4 - High Diver
Track 5 - Dave Allen At Large
Track 6 - A Man Alone
Track 7 - Exhilaration
Track 8 - Oh! Militia
Track 9 - Daytripper
Track 10 - Get Ready, Get Set, Fly
Track 11 - The Busy Scene
Track 12 - Drive On
Track 13 - Name Of The Game
Track 14 - Oddball
Track 15 - The Tense Scene
Track 16 - Senor Thump
Track 17 - Brush Off
Track 18 - Strangelands
Track 19 - Wave-Forms
Track 20 - End Credit

As promised here is the second part of my Alan Hawkshaw retrospective. There are plenty of classics to be found ( "Dave Allen At Large", Piccadilly Night Ride", "Name Of The Game", "Senor Thump" etc. ) along with some nice easy listening, electronic based numbers and a couple of short gems from KPM 1043: Beat Incidental. Alan Parker, Brian Bennett and Keith Mansfield add a helping hand on tracks such as "Oh! Militia" and one of my personal favourites, the funky "Oddball". If you enjoy this collection then don't be shy, send me a message and let me know! Part 1 can be found here.

Monday, April 23, 2012

FF019 LEGENDS OF LIBRARY - ALAN HAWKSHAW REDUX PT.1




Download here

Track 1 - Collect
Track 2 - Beat Me Til I'm Blue
Track 3 - Hawkwind And Fire
Track 4 - Girl In A Sports Car
Track 5 - The Speed Of Sound
Track 6 - Hot Seat
Track 7 - Delivery Date
Track 8 - Tap Footer
Track 9 - Flashpoint
Track 10 - Bluebird
Track 11 - Mini Micro
Track 12 - Organ Glitz
Track 13 - Troubleshooter 2
Track 14 - Undergroove
Track 15 - Beat Boutique
Track 16 - Man Of The World
Track 17 - Current Affairs
Track 18 - Playmate
Track 19 - Limit Of Endurance

Here is the first installment of the new and improved Legends Of Library series, featuring the one and only Alan Hawkshaw. I have added 23 new tracks, many of them will already be familiar to fans of the Hawk but a few might have slipped under the radar. There's a nice mix of funk, jazz, easy listening and go go which showcases the incredible talents possessed by arguable the most famous library music composer of all time. These tracks have been sourced from a number of different compilations along with selected Bruton and KPM releases. I hope you enjoy this and feel free to check out Part 2 which can be downloaded here!

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

BRUTON BRL15 - NEW CONCEPTS














Download here

Track 1 - Action Report
Track 2 - Action Report Alt. End
Track 3 - What's New
Track 4 - Madison Avenue
Track 5 - Madison Avenue Alt. End
Track 6 - Update
Track 7 - Corporate Image
Track 8 - Data Base
Track 9 - Pegasus 1
Track 10 - Pegasus 2
Track 11 - Pegasus 3
Track 12 - Origin
Track 13 - In The Past 1
Track 14 - In The Past 2
Track 15 - New Concept 1
Track 16 - New Concept 2
Track 17 - Organisation 1
Track 18 - Organisation 2
Track 19 - Pristine
Track 20 - Inauguration 1
Track 21 - Inauguration 2

This mid 1980's Bruton by Trevor Bastow and Patrick Wilson is primarily made up of tracks that are suitable for corporate training videos. It's fairly lightweight stuff, mainly comprising synths and drum machines but it's good fun trying to imagine how the music ended up being used. "Corporate Image" has a nice, restrained intensity that I quite enjoyed and "What's New" is probably the closest any of these tracks get to being "funky".

Sure, this record doesn't rate as one of the classics of the Bruton library but I found it to be a pleasant enough listen. Hopefully some of you will feel the same way. Credit goes to Judge Dredd for the original upload.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

FF018 FUNKOPHILE - VARIOUS ARTISTS













Download here

Track 1 - Tighten Up / Archie Bell & The Drells
Track 2 - Chairman Of The Board / Finders Keepers
Track 3 - Funky Brewster / The Jive Turkeys
Track 4 - Nobody But You Babe / Clarence Reid
Track 5 - Losing You / Courtial
Track 6 - Some Mother's Son / Sandra Phillips
Track 7 - Do The Bus Stop / Fatback Band
Track 8 - Shang Foo Pt.1 / Danny Freeman & The Soul Superiors
Track 9 - Babalonia / Ricardo Marrero & The Group
Track 10 - Hey Joyce / Lou Courtney
Track 11 - Licking Stick, Licking Stick / Rusty Garnett
Track 12 - Wheedle's Groove / Annakonda
Track 13 - Trespasser / Bad Medicine
Track 14 - Tighten Up Tighter / Billy Ball & The Upsetters

It seems silly that I've come all this way and haven't posted a funk compilation before, so here it is! I tried not to spend too much time on this, just flicked through my itunes library and pulled out a bunch of my favourite songs. I think there is a good mix of instrumental/vocal and soulful/hard funk tracks with some well know numbers rubbing shoulders with slighter more obscure gems. I had fun putting it together so I hope you enjoy it!

Thursday, April 12, 2012

KEITH PAPWORTH - HARD HITTER


Download here

Track 1 - Speed Trap
Track 2 - Track Record
Track 3 - Race With Time
Track 4 - Fun Seeker
Track 5 - Hair Raiser
Track 6 - Stay With It
Track 7 - Inflation
Track 8 - Great Technique
Track 9 - Hard Hitter
Track 10 - No Way
Track 11 - Three's A Crowd
Track 12 - Big Dipper
Track 13 - Decisive Action
Track 14 - Challenger
Track 15 - Superdrive

As I mentioned in my last post I've been rather bored tonight so I just decided to check out some of my favourite blogs. It turns out my man Retronic over at Retro-Teque has been on an uploading tear which has resulted in several great library records and compilations becoming available online. One of his most recent posts is "Hard Hitter" by Keith Papworth, an album that I have been lusting after for quite some time.

Ever since I heard the title track featured on the "Bite Hard" compilation it has been one of my most loved pieces of library music. The combination of subterranean bass and hard-as-nails breakbeats fitted my tastes so perfectly it was like the track had been made specifically for me. When I discovered there was a record of the same name I knew I had to hear it. Thanks to the generosity of Retronic that has now happened and I am pleased to report that all the qualities that make "Hard Hitter" such an epic piece of music translate through to the other 14 tracks on the album.

"Hair Raiser" and "Track Record" have bobbed up on other comps before but every single moment of this collection is deliberate, precise and next level funky. Several times while listening to this I actually went weak at the knees as if I was a giddy schoolgirl at a Justin Beiber concert. it really is that good.

I know music appreciation is a subjective matter but I am comfortable calling "Hard Hitter" the best library record I have ever heard. It boggles my mind to think that De Wolfe haven't seen fit to make this collection commercially available, I'm sure it would sell through the roof. So please make it a priority to download this because you never know with the file sharing situation how long some of these gems will be available. And be sure to leave a message for Retro if you enjoy "Hard Hitter" even half as much as I do.

For those who haven't been to Retro-Teque before, you can locate the download files by hovering your cursor over the underlined words in the post.

JIMMY FLIPSHYT - THE JIMMY FLIPSHYT BEAT TAPE






Track 1 - The Foundation
Track 2 - Missus Sippy
Track 3 - The Don
Track 4 - Touchy Duchess
Track 5 - The Dumb & The Green
Track 6 - Lube Tube
Track 7 - Pasta, Eh?
Track 8 - Suckers
Track 9 - Joe
Track 10 - High Five O
Track 11 - Come Correct
Track 12 - Remember The Ones We Miss

I'm a bit bored tonight but this new collection of hip hop tracks by Aussie beatmaker Jimmy Flipshyt has kept me entertained for a while. Every week I seem to find something interesting and download worthy on Bandcamp.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

DANIELE PATTUCHI - VIOLENT DRAMATIC PIECES AND SUSPENSE




















Download here

Track 1 - Elikillers
Track 2 - Il Punto Piu' Alto
Track 3 - La Dimostrazione
Track 4 - La Caccia
Track 5 - La Madre
Track 6 - Per Salvarsi
Track 7 - Nel Buio
Track 8 - L'Ombra Della Folia
Track 9 - Lo Squalo Bianco
Track 10 - Una Notte, Una Casa, Un Uomo
Track 11 - 74 Metri Cuore In Gola
Track 12 - Il Sorriso Della Tigre

This collection by Daniele Patucchi contains a truly impressive batch of music suited for use in crime films or spaghetti westerns. The record starts with a funky bang, the first three tracks being upbeat and groovy ( particularly the wonderful breakbeat heavy "La Dimostrazione" ). From there the drama and suspense go up several notches with a more cinematic vibe on display, I especially like the minimalistic "Lo Squalo Bianco" which evokes images of being followed by a stranger on a dark and foggy night.

Claustrophobic, horror inducing and unforgettable, it's a must listen for anyone who enjoys crime music or drama based library records. Credit goes to Sound Research Music Labs for the original upload.

Monday, April 9, 2012

STEROID MAXIMUS - ECTOPIA



Download here

Track 1 - The Trembler
Track 2 - Seventy Cops
Track 3 - L Espion Aui A Pleure'
Track 4 - Naught
Track 5 - Chain Reaction
Track 6 - Bad Day In Greenpoint
Track 7 - Aclectasis
Track 8 - Tarmac A Grisigris
Track 9 - Pusher Jones
Track 10 - WM
Track 11 - Chaiste
Track 12 - Enzymes

I'm always up for a bit of modern crime funk/jazz but I was rather disappointed by "Ectopia". There are plenty of interesting elements at play but most of the time they are diluted or manipulated in a way that feels clinical. Tracks 6 to 10 provide some joy though, particularly the wonderful "Pusher Jones" with its rolling piano, horn and vibes. You will probably find yourself picking out the best tracks and deleting the rest but give it a download and see what you think.

Even though I'm not a huge fan of "Chain Reaction" I decided to post the video below because it includes footage from a bunch of Atari 2600 games that I own.

Thursday, April 5, 2012

KPM 1224 CLASSICAL CONCUSSION - FRANCIS MONKMAN



Download here

Track 1 - Release Of Energy (a)
Track 2 - Release Of Energy (Link)
Track 3 - Release Of Energy (b)
Track 4 - Power Pulse
Track 5 - Power Pulse (Link 1)
Track 6 - Power Pulse (Link2)
Track 7 - Classical Concussion
Track 8 - Sheer Release (a)
Track 9 - Sheer Release (b)
Track 10 - Sheer Release (Link)
Track 11 - Air Streams (a)
Track 12 - Air Streams (b)
Track 13 - Classical Peace (a)
Track 14 - Classical Peace (b)
Track 15 - Classical Revival (a)
Track 16 - Classical Revival (b)
Track 17 - Power Games
Track 18 - Risk Runner (a)
Track 19 - Risk Runner (b)
Track 20 - Risk Runner (c)

"Classical Concussion" contains a variety of action and drama themed tracks that incorporate stringed instruments with funky guitar and drums. Quite a bit of this music reminds me more of Bruton's BRK or BRH series rather than KPM's I've heard before. There is certainly a bit of 80's cheesiness lurking around but Monkman is a skilled composer and there's often unexpected and intriguing detours such as on the barnstorming "Power Games" ( co written with Malcolm Ironton ). "Classical Revival" is excellent and has a super groovy undercurrent and I also particularly liked the lush but restrained "Sheer Release" which has a bit of a crime funk vibe.

This isn't the best KPM by a long shot but it has some worthwhile elements and a couple of hidden gems. Cheers to the uploader.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

KING OF WOOLWORTHS - L'ILLUSTRATION MUSICALE



Download here

Track 1 - G-Plan
Track 2 - Montparnasse
Track 3 - Sell Me Back My Soul
Track 4 - Hub 100
Track 5 - Evelsong
Track 6 - 123 (Brillo's Beat)
Track 7 - Delia Derbyshire
Track 8 - Nuada
Track 9 - A12
Track 10 - This Is Radio Theydon 

Any album that references classic library music labels such as Montparnasse and L'Illustration Musicale along with naming a track after Delia Derbyshire is alright with me. The music is a little hard to describe, I could certainly draw parallels between the first two tracks and the work of David Holmes and Air. "Hub 100" drifts more into the realm of ambient hip hop while "123 (Brillo's Beat)" and "Delia Derbyshire" obviously draw their influences from library music. I also really like the piano based "A12" which sounds a touch like the beginning of the wonderful "La Mer" by Nine Inch Nails. The two vocal tracks on the album didn't appeal to me but overall I found it an engaging and enjoyable listen.

Jon Brooks is the man behind King Of Woolworths and he's also released music under the names of D.D. Denham and The Advisory Circle. I'd strongly recommend you check out these recordings because they seem like they'd also appeal to fans of production music.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

SESAME STREET PINBALL NUMBER COUNT - VARIOUS ARTISTS


 
Download here

Track 1 - Pinball Number Count / The Pointer Sisters
Track 2 - Twelve / Venetian Snares
Track 3 - Eleven, Twelve / Braces Tower
Track 4 - Pinball Count (DJ Food Mix) / The Pointer Sisters
Track 5 - Pinball Count / Inglewood Jack
Track 6 - Pinball Count / The Neil Cowley Trio
Track 7 - Pinball Number Count / The Postmarks

I received a request today from Adam B asking me to reupload "FF008 - Sesame Beat" and since it was one of my more popular compilations and good fun to put together I was happy enough to oblige. After doing a bit of snooping I was able to locate four extra cover versions of the "Pinball Number Count" which was originally performed by The Pointer Sisters. For those who already have "Sesame Beat" but want to hear the newly included tracks, they can be downloaded above along with the other versions of the song I had already included in the comp. Enjoy.

 

Monday, April 2, 2012

RARE GROOVE ORCHESTRA - DANCING WITH COWS (LIVE)



Download here

Track 1 - Soul Intro
Track 2 - Joomla
Track 3 - Hipped To The Dip
Track 4 - Batting Zero-Zero
Track 5 - Jazz Intermezzo
Track 6 - The Hipster
Track 7 - The Man With The Dirty Finger (Clint Eastwood Version)
Track 8 - Turtle Walk
Track 9 - Keyed Out
Track 10 - Memphis Boogaloo
Track 11 - The One With Lyrics
Track 12 - Do The Rad Snapper
Track 13 - Soul Outro

I was doing some random internet searches and came up with this cool act from the Netherlands. The Rare Groove Orchestra are deceptively named because the music they play has very little in common with any rare groove I have heard before. Their sound is centered much more around Hammond funk and soul, stylistically they also share some common ground ( and band members ) with The Soul Snatchers.

This live performance showcases their skills with most of the tracks being uptempo jams that exceed the 5 minute mark. You can almost feel the sweet dripping from the band members as they turn out relentlessly funky grooves for over an hour. While I usually like a bit more variety in an album than what's on offer here there is no denying the talent on display, they know what they're good at and they stick to it. Anyone who enjoys modern funk should find plenty of enjoyment within this collection.

I initially saw "Dancing With Cows" at itunes for $16.99, then went to the RGO website to discover they were giving the album away for free. Quite strange and probably quite annoying for those who have already paid for it.

FUNKY FROLIC IS NOT DEAD















Okay, try to bear with me because this will be a long post. Firstly I would like to express my gratitude for the overwhelming support I have received in the last few days, in Funky Frolics' darkest hour you have cheered my soul and cleared my head. I am not able to respond individually to each message I've been sent but would like to touch on a few points that were raised...

1. Funky Frolic will continue. I was never tempted to pull the plug on something I have invested so much time and energy into. I can't guarantee my commitment beyond 2012 but for now I remain dedicated to sharing my love of music and hopefully turning people on to new and exciting sounds.

2. Many of you voiced the opinion that is was better for me to move forward than go back and try to fix hundreds of broken links. While it saddens me to do this I can't help but agree, my energy is best used elsewhere. For those who are late to the party all I can do is apologise, I will assess reupload requests on a case by case basis but can't make any promises.

3. I just wanted to make it clear that I don't hold a grudge against Mediafire. They were well within their rights to do what they did and frankly I'm surprised they didn't give me the boot earlier. I was naive and labelled my uploads in a way that made them easy to search for but also easy to delete. For me the biggest shame is losing the majority of my home made compilations including all the Legends Of Library series. Those comps WILL be reuploaded eventually and I'm hoping to add bonus material not found on the original releases. Last month Le Spock actually packaged my Frolic Beat comps with improved rips and covers but the Depositfiles link has already been pulled. So, if you're out there Le Spock and are able to re-up on Mirrorcreator or 4Shared I'd much appreciate it.

4. That brings me to my next point. So far Mirrorcreator has been a safe option for my new uploads, even if a few of the mirrors get pulled it still allows users some different options. I'm also looking at 4Shared and Wupload which I have found to be the best services when I've downloaded content in the past.

5. I appreciate the suggestions about going private but for me it is counter to what Funky Frolic is all about. I've always wanted to reach as many people as possible and if this makes me a target of various forces then I have to accept that as part of the game. The doors at Funky Frolic will always be open.

6. To the person who just sent me a message saying that most of the Mediafire links on my account were other people's files anyway - you are right and wrong. I had uploaded a great deal of my music collection and if those albums happen to be available elsewhere it doesn't mean they weren't my own rips. Yes, I reuploaded numerous files from other blogs. This was purely done as a way of providing another download source of the material in question and given the events of the last few months it was a prudent decision. The files in question are now in countless more hands and should no active links be available in the future there is a higher chance of someone taking the time to upload them again. I have had to replace a lot of my dead Megaupload files with links from other blogs purely through necessity and the same will no doubt happen over time with my lost Mediafire files where possible. I make no apologies for this.

The majority of what I do these days is bringing pre existing uploads to a wider audience. The whole "ownership of a rip" debate is counter productive to what most bloggers want - to spread great music as far and wide as possible. I've seen lots of my own rips turn up elsewhere ( without any credit ) and I could not care less, if anything I am flattered by it.

7. This has all coincided with a rather busy period in my real life but I'll try to post something tonight.

I will leave you with another thank you to all the supporters, well wishers and contributors that have made Funky Frolic what it is. Some of you have written of the impact this blog has had on your musical appreciation. The fact I've been able to influence the tastes of people I will never meet, who live on the other side of the world and might not even speak my own language is something I will cherish forever. It's been an honour to help you on your musical journey. Some of you have also opened my eyes to composers and groups I wasn't aware of previously and I am very thankful for your contribution to my musical journey. I hope we can continue to build positive relationships and connections in the future.

Until next time, stay funky.