-2nd Eclectic-

You didn't see this coming. I've spent so much time trying to put a theme to my mixes that I ignored how random library can be. You already know I mix in many elements that are complementary to library... I just didn't know it. So I'm back with an eclectic mix. The last one I did like this was Particularly Privy and that was over a year ago. The truth about this mix is that half of these tracks... you could say... are my rejected scores. Some of these I have wanted to post for some time, but they just didn't fit the overall theme. Even still, they're not TOO RANDOM, but they're still a variety of styles consistent with everything else I post. So this time I'm giving you blaxploitation, easy listening, funk, scat vocals, and relative new comers to my blog... Brazilian samba/funk/fusion.

First of all, this track by Remigio Ducros (Contropiede) has been skipped over more times than the top slice of a loaf bread. It was actually going to be on my first mix from back in 07 (FMAO). I think it's a dynamite track, but at the same time it was from my first generation of new found music. Much of that stuff has been buried many times over by my ever changing ever evolving tastes. Even though it wasn't that long ago, I really get fond memories from this track. It was a special time. I was born again in the eyes of music. Nothing else on the list gives me that same feeling of nostalgia. Also, don't get me wrong... if these tracks weren't fly to begin with, I wouldn't even have bothered.

2nd Eclectic... (Hatembargo's Rejected Scores)

Mirror

01. Takayuki Inoue and Katsuo Ohno - Flaming Portrait
02. Piero Umiliani - Citta Frenetica
03. David Gold - Silk Stream
04. Copa 7 - So Lucios
05. The Staple Singers - Big Mac
06. The Rainbow Orchestra - Onyx
07. Fabio Frizzi - Verso L'alba
08. Banda Black Rio - Zumbi
09. Francis Monkman - Superdude
10. Goblin - Pillage
11. Alessandro Alessandroni - Il Porto
12. The Sound Stylistics - Soul Dynamite
13. Miki Sugimoto - Zero Woman Red Handcuffs M-23
14. Remigio Ducros - Contropiede
15. Tetsuya Shibata - Abyss No2
16. El Chicles - King Kong
17. Azymuth - Manha
18. Graham DeWilde - Export International B
19. Neil Richardson - Nationwide
20. Hrangue - Long Money Short Conversation
21. Frank McDonald and Chris Rae - Wheeling and Dealing
22. Banda Black Rio - Na Baixa Do Sapateiro
23. Katsuo Ohno - Akuma No You Na Aitsu
24. Johnny Pate - Iggie's Tail
25. The Cordara Orchestra - Chrisalis
26. Bob James - Angela
27. Fabio Frizzi - Kettle of Doom
28. Manuel De Sica - Yellow Silk
29. Kunihiko Murai - White Heaven in Hell Title

I really have 10 favorites, but I left it at 5. "Angela" is my new fave. I'm really developing a taste for sleazy keyboard (you heard it here first... I'm coining sleazy keyboard!) "Manha" is cool as hell when it comes to the sleazy keys. I had it on repeat for like 5 hours when I first heard it. I'd like to thank an avid listener, (Mike) for schooling me on Brazilian music. I had more than I thought already in my archives, but the group Azymuth is really something special.

Also, I advise that you not sleep on Flaming Portrait. I made that mistake and didn't realize I was missing out on a gem (courtesy of JP expert H2O by the way). Kudos to another avid listener Okko for the other Katsuo Ohno track. I would like to get my hands on the full LP. And kudos to Un Salotto Borghese (see my blogroll) for Umiliani and El Chicles. Lastly, I've included the fan favorite as the last track. I had to change the mixpod some time.

Stay tuned for classic instrumentals and a fusion lounge mix.

-Underscoreology No2-

Well I think you all know by now how much I like these drama comps. This one much more focused than Beautiful Music 101. The theme is sad and nostalgic with strings in each track. There are a few that place more emphasis on keys. This is almost a guilty pleasure of mine. Seemingly normal people don't listen to this music in their spare time. Many of these tracks seem fitting for a funeral, but actually these overly dramatic styles make me appreciate that I'm alive. I also draw inspiration and creativity from them.

What is this cover about? I thought the original image was beautifully creepy. The mask is stoic, but the woman under the mask looks like she could be in a great deal of pain. Sometimes that's how it is. Music is therapeutic in that helps us release emotions that we may not show otherwise. Happily Atrophied is the title... from the day we're born... every day that follows we come closer to dying. For us stoics, our faces die much sooner than the rest of our bodies. I'm happiest behind my mask.

Happily Atrophied...

01. Norihiro Tsuru - Eternal Breath
02. Keith Mansfield - Wonderlust
03. Arthur Verocai - Sylvia
04. Noriyuki Asakura - Departure (Director's Mix)
05. John Ottman - Usual Suspects Theme
06. Johnny Pearson - Habitat
07. Satoshi Kudokura - Theme of Druid
08. Shigeaki Saegusa - Red Passing Rain
09. Roger Webb - Smile of Fate
10. Keiki Kobayashi - Ephemeral Dream
11. Matsuura Akihisa - A Great Duel in the Southern Ocean IV
12. Maurice Jarre - Samourai
13. Richard Rodney Bennett - Bennett's Brain Theme
14. Carlo Rustichelli - Probabilita 0
15. Lonnie Liston Smith - Garden of Peace
16. Noriyuki Asakura - Frozen Flare
17. Taku Iwasaki - Day After Day
18. Satoshi Kudokura - Windaria
19. Masashi Hamauzu - Wandering Flame
20. Yoshimasa Mine - Lady Meat Slave
21. Akira Ifukube - Death of the Golden Sun
22. Riz Ortolani - The Captain's Death
23. Noriyuki Asakura - Kaoru to Misao (III)
24. Taro Iwashiro - Troubled Memories
25. Samuel Barber - Adagio For Strings
26. Clint Mansell - Tree of Life
27. Hrangue - Farewell Link

As you can see, this comp has a heavy Japanese influence. I believe the Japanese have mastered this sound, but don't take my word for it. I even borrowed a couple from Japanese soundtrack expert and connoisseur, H2O!, of Asian Cinema Scores... kudos to you. The strings are so consistent I had a hard time choosing favorites which is always a good thing. Most of the tracks sound like you just died and you're on your way to heaven, but there is one exception. Tree of Life sounds quite evil, but it's a beautiful use of the strings. There are some neutral "earthy" sounding tracks too like Habitat and Sylvia.

Surprisingly enough, I want to do a new instrumental mix and Gems From the Slums No2 is on my agenda also. I warn you this music is quite touching. Enjoy!

10,000 hits... my thoughts on blogging.

I started this blog about a year and a half ago and I've finally reached 10k hits with about 9950 visitors. I'm not sure if that's good or bad. I've come to find out that we bloggers (depending on our content) walk a fine line between overexposure and underexposure. Naturally, people want as much as they can possibly get and for free. Right now, I'm at the point where I feel like I've given almost all I have to offer without doing a complete disservice to the vinyl community. On the other hand, I'm completely aloof when it comes to the library community.

I didn't have any set goals other than growing the Xihong Library, but how do I measure that? I haven't found a single new Shaw Bros track since my last update. I think as long as it reaches the people who are in search of it, I did my job. It's going to be interesting to see what happens when I decide not to renew my rapidshare account. One thing that I think crosses every blogger's mind is whether or not they are still in their prime... whether they're still relevant. "If I don't make as many posts, how soon will I be forgotten?" I think the beauty of blogging is that our bodies of posts are snapshots in time.

From my understanding, the particular music I was looking for was more available via P2P, auctions, and online stores at one point. That time has come and gone. I didn't find out about it until it was too late, but some of the remnants can be found in different corners of the internet. Ultimately, it may be some years down the line when someone will look back and my compilations will be sought after. "2008... 2009 oh yeah I remember those were some good years for library."

Gems From the Slums...

It's been a while. September was such a busy month for me I just forgot all about the blogosphere. Here's that vocal comp I told you about a while ago.

Gems From the Slums: Soulful Vocals

01. SSO - Everybody Needs Somebody to Love
02. Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes (feat. Sharon Paige) - You Know How
03. Willie Hutch - I Can Sho Give You Love
04. Mastermind - Runnin' Away From Love
05. Fishbone (feat. Curtis Mayfield) - He's a Fly Guy
06. Minnie Riperton - Baby, This Love I Have
07. Bobby Womack - You're Welcome, Stop On By
08. Willie Hutch - The Way We Were
09. The Jacksons - Strength of One Man
10. Marvin Gaye - Come Live With Me Angel
11. Ramsey Lewis - Sun Goddess
12. Hummingbird - You Can't Hide Love
13. The Persuaders - Trying Out the Girls
14. Mary Love - Power of Your Love
15. Teddy Pendergrass - Come Go With Me
16. Curtis Mayfield - Right on for the Darkness
17. Marvin Gaye - I Want You
18. William Devaughn - Be Thankful for What You Got
19. Willie Hutch - Life's No Fun Living in the Ghetto
20. Hrangue - Flossy Send Off

I didn't realize how many titles have "love" in them until I actually typed them out. Marvin Gaye's "I Want You" just might be the greatest love song of all time. Enjoy!

Funky Town Disco Music Blog

I was looking for an OST called "Soul Ecstasy" and I happened to find it at Funkytown Disco Music Blogspot. Like I said in the Cbox I doubt I can make another hot funky mix, but if I find something I'll be sure to steer you in the right direction. I haven't fully explored the blog, but they must be doing something right seeing as though they have almost 70 followers. Excuse my ignorance if you already know about this place. Also, they use a paid click link protector but the host is rapidshare. Just be careful if you don't have any sort of popup/script blockers.

The OST itself has 5 serious boppers on it one being the title track which is also offered in instrumental form. The rest depends on your taste. Anyway, check it out!

As for me, I'm working on Underscoreology No2 and a soulful vocal comp. They're coming as soon as I can wrap them up. Thanks for stopping by.

Yu Xihong's Shaw Bros Library Encore No5!

I'm back with some more. The search isn't as productive as it used to be, but this isn't a race right? Most of this I just had lying around. As always though, there's some stuff you've been waiting to hear, you just didn't know it yet. There's a track called "Legend of the Fox - Heir Apparent" and it's almost too cool for the movie. It's a DVD rip instead of an original. For those of you who have been staying up to date, I think this is from the same LP as "Heroes Shed no Tears - Sima Choaqun" (give that a listen and compare). Both are hot tracks! I don't really have much else to say. Enjoy and drop some leads if you have them.

Encore No5-1
Encore No5-2

36th Chamber of Shaolin
8 Diagram Polefighter
Big Bad Sis
Brave Archer 2
Convict Killer
Disciples of the 36th Chamber
Flag of Iron
Godfather From Canton
Heaven and Hell
Kid From Kwangtung
Lady Assassin
Legend of the Fox
Mercenaries From Hong Kong
New Tales of the Flying Fox
Perils of the Sentimental Swordsman
Shaolin Handlock
Shaolin Mantis
Shaolin vs Wutang
Supreme Swordsman
Tales of a Eunuch
The Duel
The Lady Professional
The Murder Plot
The Weird Man

Kudos to Breakfirst for Victorian Mystery, to Library Music Rarities for the Paul Lewis stuff, and special thanks to Mr. Wong for contributing Eveil A L'Aube. It might be next year before I manage to get this many tracks again.

Intrigue Betrayal and Espionage

I've been sitting on this one for a little while and finally decided to wrap it up. I have only a few more projects after this and then I'll be going on hiatus. The first track "The Chase" was used on one of my local channels for an intro to late night movies back in the 80's. I was shocked to find it. Otherwise, there's some hard hitting military themes, some uneasy listening, cool spy music, and some suspense mixed in.

Intrigue Betrayal and Espionage

01. Dominic Fontiere - The Chase
02. Elmer Bernstein - Moving Out
03. John Leach - Network
04. Paul Lewis - Modern Mystery Underscore No4
05. Anthony Hobson - Advance
06. Riz Ortolani - Il Forte
07. Nick Ingman - Sight and Sound 7A
08. Ennio Morricone - Slogan
09. Osamu Totsuka - Kesshi Iki Youjakai
10. Masaharu Iwata - Kourin
11. Mandingo Orchestra - Snake Pit
12. Patrice Sciortino - Geant
13. Shunsuke Kikuchi - Kaibutsu Freeza vs Densetsu no Super Saiyajin
14. Sei Ikeno - Creating an Alibi
15. Franco Micalizzi - Istantanea Di Una Rapina
16. Anton Webern - Five Piece for Orchestra
17. Pierre Arvay - Modernization
18. Riz Ortolani - Azione Bellica
19. Carlo Savina - Tema Teso
20. Jack Trombey - Guerilla
21. The London Symphony Orchestra - Ransom Part 2
22. Masashi Hamauzu - Untergrund
23. Anthony Hobson - War
24. Herbie Hancock - Death Wish Main Title
25. Osamu Totsuka - Youja
26. Reg Tilsley - Influx
27. Jack Trombey - Fanfare Showcase No32
28. Masaharu Iwata - The Pervert
29. Stanley Black - Berlin Wall
30. Noriyuki Asakura - The Last Wolf Suite

Track 13 is really something! It has everything all in one suite. I've included a couple of Shaw Bros tracks too because they fit so well, and because not everyone comes here specifically for that purpose. That doesn't mean they should miss out.

Big Fire Orchestral: The Best of Giant Robo

It's been about 10 years now since that day. I was an anime/videogame dork (sophmore in highschool) and after school I stopped in at a local haven that catered particularly to such persons. Without spending a dime, it was still a cool place to hang out. I was that annoying kid that would come into the game store every week and ask when a certain game would be available. I bet they wish they had internet back then. So on this particular day everybody was watching some anime I never heard of. I was very narrowminded on my anime... I liked what I liked. But I glanced over for a second and I couldn't look away. The characters were so cool, the animation so retro, and then there's the music... it was amazing. So I asked the name of it and bought that exact tape only to find out it was the end of the series. It was called Giant Robo and I knew it was something special.

The Magnificent Ten (mostly)
For one, it took quite a few years for "them" to make only 7 episodes. Each episode was like a mini movie and each had its own soundtrack. So I looked all over and eventually got them all. I then tracked down the OSTs which were rare even then. I managed to get 3 via online shopping and I found the rest on Napster. To this day... aside from Shaw Bros music... this is still the best music I've ever heard. I was working on Underscoreology No2 and naturally I wanted to use some GR tracks (I have about 100), but as the comp started coming together the more I realized nothing else would compare. It would be too out of place. I've used some GR in Underscoreology No1 and A Turn for the Worst, but I was really holding back. It's good stuff but negligible compared to the whole collection. I've included those previous tracks anyway.

I haven't been into anime for a long time (about 7 years), but when I look back, I still love Giant Robo. I've always had a thing for villains and it's interesting that among the villains there were good ones and bad ones. To top it off, most of them wore business suits. HOW COOL IS THAT!? The robots really played a small part in the series, it was mostly the characters who drove the story.


Organization Big Fire (minus a few people) Click for fullsize.

And by the way this is my scan/edit. I actually started typing this post 2 weeks ago and I got so hyped up I ordered the new art book which is even better than the old one I always wanted. The kid, Lord Big Fire is the leader and the most dangerous. I think he can kill people just by thinking about it... or something like that lol. These characters are dangerous overall, only a handful of them actual did any fighting in the whole series. And 1 was dead before the series started... Cervantes here.



The Best of Giant Robo

01. Taiso's Counterattack (extended)
02. Lord Alberto's Attack
03. Big Group Parading Around
04. Line of Death - Kenji Murasame
05. The Inversion
06. Suppress Manhood! Experts Battle Above!
07. Battle of the Snowy Mountains
08. Dr. Shizuma's Compensation
09. Phantom Night's Ambition
10. Magnificent Ten Attack!
11. Big Fire Appears
12. Symphonic Action Time
13. Cataclysm Over Paris
14. The Truth About Bashtarlle
15. Darkness Covers the Beijing Sky
16. The Eye of Volger
17. Emmanuelle and Famelle
18. Shizuma Drive's 10th Year Balance Sheet
19. Suppress Manhood! Girder Mountain Sight
20. Train Chase
21. Big Production's Decision

All tracks are composed by Masamichi Amano and performed by The Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra. These tracks have more variation than you can handle. I assure you.

The Best of Erotic Lounge

I came across this full series of CDs in my search for something funky. It's not quite what I expected, but I did find one monster track and I've already used this one in Unravel. I'm talking Smood vs Natascha Grin - Principle of Love. There were some others that struck me right away, but this was what I needed. Recently I've gone through all the volumes and taken another listen. While this isn't my thing, there's no reason it can't be. As my search for good library music dries up, I can see myself transitioning into this lounge stuff.

Also, it doesn't really come off as "erotic" to me. Maybe I set the bar too high, but either way it's good music. The series spans 7 volumes and most have 2 CDs so it was hard to narrow it down to what I thought was the best. It's full of smooth worldly music. Some have lyrics, some have just scat vocals, and some sound like "too sexy for my shirt." I steered clear of anything that sounds too much like a fashion runway. And there are some cool "covers" of past hits too. And like I used to do, my faves are bolded.

Every cover is maaaaad sexeh. If this were pre-Internet times, these would sell out on packaging alone.

The Best of Erotic Lounge...

01. Naoki Kenji and Asheni - Tonight
02. Kieser Velten featuring Jen - Together
03. Roberto Sol and Chris Le Blanc featuring Ines - Sueno De Amor
04. Fous De La Mer featuring Sol - Never Stop Loving
05. Ian Pooley featuring Marcos Valie - Sentimento
06. Riovolt - It Ain't Over til It's Over
07. Dj Monique vs Stephen Le Coque - You're Like an Angel
08. Solar Moon featuring Jen - Inside Out
09. Funkorama - Funkachild
10. Trinah - Let's Stay Together
11. Thievery Corporation - It Takes a Thief
12. Trüby Trio featuring Marcus Begg - Universal Love (Arme Rootdown Round Midnite Mix)
13. Farida - Entao Eu Vou
14. Shakedown - At Night (Afterlife Remix)
15. S-Tone Inc. - In the Mood for Love
16. Audio Lotion - Jacuzzi Jazz (DJ Mix)

This cover of Al Green's Let's Stay Together (by Trinah) is amazing! I would LOVE to see this performed live. It's the best cover I've ever heard. If I hadn't have forgotten about it at first, it probably would have been on Unravel with Principle of Love. Also, I cut the midsection of Principle of Love to fit more stuff on the menagerie. Here is the full version. And my favorite disque of the series by far is Volume 5 - Secret Affairs. I honestly forget where I found them (I may have gotten them from the Russians), but I'm sure Google will turn them up with no problem if you're interested after hearing this small comp.

I would think that those of you who have stuck by me this long have confidence in my taste, and that even if it isn't library you'll still enjoy it (given it isn't hardcore underground rap lol.)

Adventures on Ebay! No2

So I have this friend who really has a thing for Transformers. He's not net savvy in the slightest. If he sees something he wants on Ebay, he fronts the money and I get it. This time he wanted the original Optimus Prime in excellent condition. We picked out 2, I lost the auction (the other was subpar), and I thought that was that. The winner actually flaked out and I was given a second chance offer (unless I fell for the oldschool hustle... and I don't think I did because the price is in range of others). So we ran with it. I paid up and he paid me soon after.

The item is 1 state over. It should have taken a day or 2 to arrive. 16 days later I get the item. How did that happen? The dealer gave me a tracking number, but it didn't budge in 2 weeks. I didn't want to assume the worst so I called my local post office. They said it never left the post office it was first scanned at. So I call the other post office (in NY) and they made it seem like the person never brought the item in. Before I made the call to the post office I emailed the dealer and asked what was going on? By the time I was done on the phone, the dealer replied to my email (later on) and said that the item had moved. What happened? The guy at the NY post office said that the dealer sent a tracking number and that's it. Now if I was an unreasonable person, I would have suspected foul play. Depending on their reply, I may have been able to catch them in a lie. They maintained that the item had been sent and that Ebay was at fault. So I didn't rush to a judgment and I got my item. If anything, the dealer deserves a refund or shipping credit from their post office. I understand the post office is going through turbulent times right now, but that's no excuse.

This must be what it feels like to be a celebrity. Make 1 phone call and things go my way.

Xihong Library Most Wanted! APB on Super Ninjas!

After hearing sooooooo much music I still haven't found some of the stuff I've been looking for since day one. Honestly if I had found these cues first, I may have quit right then and there so I guess it's good that I didn't. Still, they feel unreachable. And I'm not even counting the older stuff. I've asked many a seller if they've even HEARD these tunes before and every time, the answer is no. I still have my suspicions, but they are proving to be costly. Anyway here's the list. If you've downloaded Xihong library then you have them already... but please reconsider if you get any ideas from these clues.

Thanks to Mr. T of Asian Cinema Scores, "APB on John Rambo" was very productive, but I understand this is a much greater challenge.

THESE ARE ALL DIRECT LINKS!

MOST WANTED! - 5 Element Ninjas - Nice to Meet You

Click for full size.

To me, this is one of the coolest scenes ever in the history of kungfu movies and the action is already over. I had to immortalize it by making a wallpaper (a year or 2 ago). Kembuchi was really a shallow character, but it was the cinematography that brought him to life and the atmosphere that made him IMO a timeless villain. Chen Hui Min played other good villains in Judgement of an Assassin, The Proud Youth, and to a lesser extent, My Rebellious Son. But Kembuchi was the role he was made for.


Skip to 4:05.

The only other movie I've heard this in was "My Rebellious Son." It even features the same actor Chen Hui Min, playing another samurai role. Coincidentally, both movies came out in 1982. I honestly don't think this means anything, but it could! This one really threw me for a loop. Like I said in a previous post, it sounds just like something from Derek Laren's Episodes From the Bible. In the context of Xihong Library listen to Shaolin Intruders - The Prophets of Israel. It's so painfully obvious! But! It's possible some one else did it in Derek Laren's style. I even went through the trouble of getting every LP I could with him on it (within reason). And it's possible that this is actually 2 different tracks, but the theme is consistent.

Music for a Historical Era
Orchestral Moods
Episodes From the Bible No1
Episodes From the Bible No2
and more I can't quite remember...

New Info! I just checked out Shaolin Intruders again and this track is in this movie too with another common track. I wonder why they waited 'til the 80's to use these.

NUMBER 2! - 2 Champions of Shaolin - Finale

This movie came out in 1979 and this cue was used in many movies. The ones I remember off the top are: Legend of the Fox, To Kill a Mastermind, Brave Archer 3, and Shaolin Prince to name a few. I'm thinking this could be an obscure RCA Library release. It's killing me. I have found some of these rare RCAs for sale but I'm not ready to make that leap of faith because it's not the "Azione" series. It seems legendary at this point.

NUMBER 3! - 5 Element Ninjas - The Wood

This one dates back to 1976 at the latest (36th Chamber of Shaolin). I suspect it's from the same LP as this track used in the intro to "Animals are Beautiful People (1974)," because it's used in 5 Element Ninjas also. Look up 5 Element Ninjas - Fallen Petals. Here's a preview clip to the intro. I seriously suspect Edouard Michael's Quatorze Pittoresques Pour Orchestre. He has a VERY similar sound on Sept Preludes Symphoniques and that track was used in 5 Element Ninjas too! Refer to 5 Element Ninjas - Chant Plaintiff.
Also, see track 2 of this new Monty Python Comp. I could not care less about Monty Python, but it has the first bit of sound I've ever been able to hear from 14 Pictorial Sketches for Orchestra No1. From the clip I heard, I still think it might be a winner.

NUMBER 4! - 5 Element Ninjas Intro

This is 2 separate tracks in 1 and it's the only movie I recall hearing either of them. So I'm guessing this is a later LP. I planned to buy an LP on Ebay called "High Adventure." I asked the seller when the LP came out and if they would mind listening to my clips to see if it had my sounds. No answer. I guess I was asking too much. It emerged again as a piece of a 10 LP lot. No way. I was down for the buying but $50 shipping for 10 LPs. I think there is a better way. Plus! I listened to some of the tracks from the sample site and like they always do... they put up the lamest tracks. So I wasn't sold on this leap of faith either. The track titles that catch my eye are always the ones they leave out. Oh well... It kinda pissed me off that one track from the movie (a main theme) was from an LP filled with otherwise completely unrelated music. Refer to 5 Element Ninjas - Birth of a Man (Nomination LP).

New Info! So I've been browsing my movies to find new stuff and to connect dots and I've made an interesting discovery. The second part of the Super Ninjas intro was used in an SB movie called The Murder Plot. This movie came out in 79 so that helps somewhat by shaving off some more years. One LP that was used in this movie is World War One. I don't have it, but I've heard most of it. I don't think they coincide, but I would be mad if it was the "winner" because of how many times I passed over that LP. This movie also has another track in common that I've never found or ripped. I can't be sure and that's disturbing so I think I'll get it to be on the safe side.

NUMBER 5! - Shanghai 13 - Black Eagle the Monster

This is like a wild card track. It can be from anywhere. It's very cool monster type music and worked well in the movie. Your guess is as good as mine.

I've even posted these on forums and not a single response to any of them. You didn't think I was this passionate about this did you? Well I am. So help me out.

Philly Underground Mixtapes

I had way more of these than I thought and I'm going to keep them in THIS FOLDER! Like I said I'm not going to make posts for each new up because there would be too many and they would be too much of a distraction from what my blog is really about. In the bottom right spot of my list is where I'll keep the updates. It'll just say the persons/groups name. All of this stuff will be posted AS IS... no EQs... no re-tags... no track lists. If you're a hardcore fan, that stuff shouldn't matter too much anyway. I'm gonna start us off with Major Figgas. MF wasn't even my favorite group, but I can't mention Philly Underground and not give them props. From 98 all the way to the rise of Gillie I think they had like 50+ mixtapes. Check back now and then. And you can TRY and request something. If I have it I have it, if I don't I don't.

Left to right 1/2 of MF:(Bumpy Johnson, Ab Liva, Dutchman, Gillie)

I actually saw each of these guys in person at one time or another except Bump.
"GDK, trademark, CD Play."
-Gillie Da Kid

Adventures on Ebay!

So I ordered a record and instead of the record being packaged like... a record, it was packaged like a big greeting card. As soon as I saw it I said WTF? Before I even opened it, I could tell the edges had creases. I open it up and the sleeve is right under the paper (envelope). It may as well have been commando. I'm level headed enough not to make a fuss and so I didn't. I left super duper fantastic seller among sellers 1760+ star ebay general Jacquelyn123cat this exact POSITIVE feedback... "The package could have been sturdier. I'm satisfied otherwise thanks." She left me positive feedback, and then everything was fine... until... she decided she wasn't going to take my outrageous fibs lying down. In response she sent me a message (via ebay) asking why I left that comment to imply that I'm somehow defaming her.

With all due respect and courtesy I took some time to make an image that says it all.


Now this is what it looked like before she sent it. And pictured below is what I got. You be the judge.



So I sent her this image in response. Everything on my end is airtight right? Wrong! What I like so much about the internet is that anyone can pretend to be anyone. She pretended to be a truth teller but it didn't quite work out. In response to my carefully constructed image, she told me that she was directed to a poker scam site and that she's reporting me not only to the crowned prince, but also the king of Ebay. And to make sure I get my just desserts she blocked my email so she would be spared from my snappy comebacks, reason, and further damning evidence. She gave no evidence link to said poker scam. This link (my image collage) is from my own server after all. Does this look like poker to you? She tried to attack my credibility by saying that I tried to do this before (TO A LOT OF PEOPLE practically everybody online ssssshhhhhh it's really just 4 people... extra ssssshhhhhh including her) and by that I mean "changing my mind." It's not about changing anything. When my mailman tells me he had to reseal a package and that's why it took so long, I take his word for it because I see this guy every day.

Since I've had 2 of my packages pop open and require resealing, since I've had one record nearly fall out of the mailer when I turned it, AND since I don't like for my records to be packaged like greeting card, I DO give extra attention to how a package is mailed. I certainly won't give a negative rating just for that reason either. I didn't ask anyone for any money back. So what's the fuss?

Here are my 4 victims. Let's see if you can spot them.


This was between us 2 until my email got bounced back. I brushed off this whole incident because It's not that big of a deal to me. It's the principle of being able to take what you dish out. The truth isn't for everybody and that's why she made a wild accusation, then blocked me so I couldn't respond directly, and then supposedly reported me to the Dean of Sellers. Should she find this, she's liable to drop a dime (rat, tattle, tell, snitch) so if my blog comes up missing, you'll know why. At the same time, it's your loss. I sincerely appreciate all comments, but there's quite a bit of leeching going on. That's cool and all because this is the internet and we all do it. But, you won't know what you had til I'm gone, or better yet... what you don't have. I hope you enjoyed reading about this adventure.

P.S. Here's a funny fact she included 2 pieces of copy paper inside the record sleeve also. I've since reunited them with their long lost cousins in my printer.

-Unravel-

To all my fellows out there checking for this mix, what's goin on daddy!? For the ladies, and I know you're out there, I'm so glad you could make it! This is how I started out. I didn't mean for Shaw Bros to take over the blog, but there's just so much of it. That doesn't mean majority rules. I can't even call this a mix anymore... IT'S A MENAGERIE NOW! So fellas I want you to get your mouthpiece on deck, pop your collar, lean your seat waaaaaay back, and cock your stingy brim panama so far to the right that you can only see out of one eye... now you're ready for Unravel. And ladies if you catch one of these fellows non-stop boppin, don't break your neck too hard, just be cool about it like you don't even care who concocted such an unbelievably fly ass menagerie... even though... you're just dying to find out.

Summed up in a few words, a lot of funky erotica with just a dash of panache.




I eventually did a back cover (right click and save if you want it) and after all of that fooling around I couldn't match up the colors right. Lol, maybe I shouldn't have. That's Jessica Alba by the way. I'm not really a fan, but it was a beautiful shot. And this one too.

01. Pino Donaggio - Jack Discovers Gunshot
02. Alessandro Alessandroni - Sophisticated
03. Piero Umiliani - Nostalgia
04. Jerry Goldsmith - Disco Strut
05. Jean Pierre Pouret - Introduction of Love
06. Barbara Moore - Go West
07. Frank McDonald & Chris Rae - Soul City Drive
08. Roger Webb - Open Horizon
09. John Tropea - Tambourine
10. Francis Lai - La Peur
11. Les Wanted - Camicas
12. Roy Ayers & Wayne Henderson - For Real
13. Herbie Hancock - No Means Yes
14. Ok Ko - From France to Philly and Back
15. Takin' Dictation - Sex Starved Secretaries
16. Smood vs Natascha Grin - Principle of Love
17. Hrangue - And Rightfully So (It's A.R.S.)
18. Keith Mansfield - Good Vibrations
19. Janko Nilovic - Paris Deauville
20. Frank McDonald & Chris Rae - The Jam
21. Kunihiko Murai - Goyokiba's Theme
22. Johnny Scott - Motordown
23. Sakamoto, Evora, & Veloso - E Preciso Perdoar
24. Barbara Moore - Strongarm
25. Jean Pierre Pouret - Pussy Theme
26. Frank McDonald & Chris Rae - Slow Fuse

Unravel...

I have so many favorites in there I didn't even bother this time. Some of these have been chopped to my liking (and presumably yours too) for quality assurance. It took me a whole extra month to get my situation straight, but as a result I kept finding better tracks. It's at full capacity for flyness. It can't take another second of bom-chicka-wow-wow or ficka-ner-nert-nern. I'm good now. Some of this stuff is so funky I can't bop without sticking my tongue out. And what a way to celebrate Hatembargo's one year anniversary! Also, I'm working on a drama and suspense mix now, but again, I'm taking my time.

If not yours, then who else's,

-Hrangue

Update

In a very interesting twist, I got 2 of the same rare LP. I gave the dealer the benefit of the doubt and I'm glad I kept my cool. It's not like me to slander anyone anyway I'm glad I was patient and didn't kick dirt on his name despite my coincidence. Unbelievably, both LPs arrived at the same time. The first took a month because the parcel came apart in transit and had to be resealed at the post office. I thought it was already on its way back to where it came from. Even more interestingly enough, I just had this happen to another LP of mine last week. What're the odds of it happening twice in a row? The other LP took just 3 days. I worked out a deal with the seller before anyone placed a bid and I thank him for accepting my proposition. You'll have to forgive me for being greedy (Ebay), but I will sell one or maybe both of them some time.

I'm contemplating whether I should create an online storefront and use Paypal or if I should sell on Ebay. I don't really like auctions (for selling) despite only having lost twice. I'm not really a dealer but I have quite a few LPs to unload for one reason or another. Most of my stuff that I'm willing to sell is already listed on Ebay anyway. I don't really believe in price fixing either, but I would like to turn some sort of profit. I'll see.

Have I been had?

I've delayed my mix for quite a while because I've been waiting on one record. 17 days ago I paid for it. I don't want to say what it is because the competition to get it may be even more fierce if it ends up getting re-listed. This bidding was crazy already. I'm suspicious though that there may be some foul play involved. The dealer had a 100% Ebay rating (with a brief history) 2 weeks ago, but now his rating has dropped almost 20% with 3 consecutive bad ratings that fall within the time frame I ordered my record. I asked the people who left the ratings what their experiences have been with this guy. I'm awaiting responses. He was quick to respond when I had questions but now that the money is spent he's quiet. I always wonder, when people disappear like that from Ebay... if they aren't a scammer if maybe they're in jail. Anyway, I had extremely high expectations and would simply like the record, despite spending A LOT of money on it. I only intended to include one track for the comp. I'll keep you all posted. Wish me the best because I'm sure this is funny business.

One guy got back to me right as I finished this post and he told me I'm the second person to ask him about this dealer so I guess this record won't be coming. Never in my life would I have dreamed of spending so much money on a record and then come to find out I've been duped. If it does come out that this guy is a scammer, I'll have no problem letting you all know who it is. If you really want to know, shoot me an email Hrangue@gmail.com.

Breaking news! The record has re-emerged so maybe it's not as rare as I thought but I must have it. I'm gonna go hard on the bidding.

Twitter!

I'm going to start fooling around a little with twitter. Feel free to follow (add) me and I'll do the same for you.

Encore No4 - Part3

Here's a cool story. I saw a contemporary Shaw Bros movie called "The Criminals." It's similar to "Trilogy of Swordsmanship," but it's modern. The last and best installment is called "The Stuntsmen" starring Lo Lieh, Ku Feng, and Wong Yu. At one point there was a pretty average chase scene with way above and beyond average chase music. When I first started out with Xihong Library most of my stuff was ripped right from movies. After coming a loooooonnnnng way, I pretty much stopped doing that. So I thought, I should rip this but I decided against it.

A little while ago, a very cool track popped up on Mr. Paul Durango's blog courtesy of Litlgrey and Devan. It's called "Junction" and it's by Vic Flick on the Bosworth label. The other tracks from that particular LP (Romantic Strings & Dramatic Melodies) paled in comparison. It was Vic's only offering too. It went right into my ever changing blaxploitation personal fave compilation.

Today Mr. T sent me some more tips after the fact that I posted Encore No4. I started sourcing his leads and one thing lead to another and I ended up "skimming" The Stuntsmen to finally rip that cool chase music. You all are smart people right? Of course you are. You already know that the very same music in the movie is the very same Vic Flick - Junction that I had on repeat for about 4 hours when I first heard it. Folks... my mind is blown. Me and the kungfu movies and the kungfu movies and me... are kindred spirits. I might change my name to "Shaw Xihong."

It's like an even better episode of deja vu. I had a similar experience with Rustichelli's L'Arresto (Big Brother Cheng). I used it in my Underscoreology comp only to find out months later that it was used in a Shaw Bros movie.

And besides that, there are a few tracks that sound terrible and I never noticed until I listened with full bass/treble ear-buds. I've added my own recently acquired rips. I did find some miscellaneous stuff at the last minute too and some others I just forgot. Anyway, this is the 3rd part of Encore No4.

2 Champions of Shaolin
3 Evil Masters
8 Diagram Polefighter
Clan of Amazons
Daredevils
Human Lanterns
My Rebellious Son
Rebel Intruders
The Criminals
Shaolin Prince
Tigress of Shaolin
Village of Tigers
What Price Honesty

Part 3

Normally, I would've kept quiet and just let it be the start of Encore No5, but I'm not buying any more records for a while unless it comes from my short list of wants.

Yu Xihong's Shaw Bros Library Encore No4!

Out of curiosity I can't imagine how overwhelming it must be for someone to stumble onto the Xihong Library for the first time at this stage in the game.

3 Evil Masters
5 Venoms
10 Tigers of Kwangtung
Bloody Parrot
Brave Archer
Daredevils
Death Duel
Godfather From Canton
Have Sword Will Travel
Heroes Shed No Tears
Heroes Two
Invincible Shaolin
Judgement of an Assassin
Kid With a Tattoo
Kungfu Instructor
Legend of the Bat
Life Gamble
Magnificent Ruffians
Men From the Monastery
Mercenaries From Hong Kong
Rebel Intruders
Shaolin Avengers
Shaolin Handlock
Sword Stained With Royal Blood
The Assassin
The Duel
The Magic Blade
The Weird Man
To Kill a Mastermind
Vengeful Beauty
Young Avenger

Part 1
Part 2

I want to give a special thanks to H2O and Mr.T of Asian Cinema Scores. H2O contributed some rare stuff from his own personal collection and gave me some good insight into the KICA Library. There were many good soundtracks and composers alike from Japan, but most of their works from that time period were scattered throughout compilations. They didn't release the complete OSTs that we're accustomed to.

Mr.T, what can I say? This guy knows his soundtracks! He filled me in on some obscure stuff from older movies (which is my blind spot). Not to mention he's the source of the rare soon to be cult favorite Heroes Two track. You can find Asian Cinema Scores on Franklynot by way of my blog roll. And lastly, I want to give kudos to Library209 (he too is already linked on my blog roll) for his Vladimir Cosma stuff. At this rate, maybe I can crank out Encore 5 by next year. I've filled so many blanks the list grows shorter and shorter. I'll make a post and list what my top 10 sought after cues are some time.

The Tale of Osaka Castle

This is my first soundtrack post. I usually chop and compile them, but not this time. So I took my usual shot in the dark in search of some Shaw, but to no avail. Akira Ifukube's work is consistently good, so even if it wasn't what I was looking for I can't complain. I'm starting to develop a taste for this sort of music anyway. It's not quite as "heavy" as his monster music, but it makes for good background when I'm doing some art.

You're going to have to forgive my MP3 tags. I complained quite a bit about sellers who say nothing about these CDs. Well now that I've tried their shoes on, their really isn't much to say because I don't know Japanese. I translated some tracks if it made sense I saved it, but most of them are still in Japanese (or squares). For anyone who's willing, here is the Album Info.

The Tale of Osaka Castle

Don't squint too hard at these covers. The full sizes have been included in the rar. Tracks 33-49 are bonus tracks. Some of this stuff would have fit right in as Shaw. It boggles me why they chose what they chose to "sample." Some movies would have been excellent if you ask me... like "Secret of the Telegian" and "Navajoe Joe." And like I said, I still have some things in the works. Enjoy.

Neither here nor there...

Well as you can see I organized some things and made them a bit easier to find. I have a couple of traditional library comps in the works, but I haven't quite put a theme to them yet. Encore No.4 is also in the works, but like I said I plan to take my time with this one. Notice "Berlin Wall?" It's a monster of a track! If I was a dictator or a tyrant, this would definitely be my press conference theme music.

I've been searching some different avenues for the Xihong Library, but it's proving to be a waste. Besides RCA Italy, the final frontier seems to be the 60's/70's Japanese libraries (Toho, Daiei, Toei, etc.) and the related King Records samurai soundtracks (Kica Library). This stuff sells for unjustifiably insane prices. To add insult to injury, there's usually no description whatsoever. I understand it's in Japanese and perhaps the dealers don't understand the language. Fair enough. So is the picture on the cover reason enough to charge $200+ USD for a CD with no description and no track list? Pffft.

AKIRA IFUKUBE CD!!11!! RARE!!!!1111!@!!! HURRY UP AND BUY!1111!!!!! $299.99!!

Where was I? Oh yeah, so otherwise I just feel like I'm in limbo so the next great thing is quite possibly just around the corner.