Klau Chu's Back!

Leader! Chik Ming Klaus is back! Klau Chu!

I | II

What can I say? The Black Eagle is always putting work in. He leaves me no choice, but to step my game up. So again, most of the credit goes to Klau Chu. He has been on a roll for months! I just started finding stuff within the past few weeks. A while ago, I was fortunate to have a chat with a vinyl dealer and he was kind enough to include audio samples of his LP "Speciale TG" by Giacomo Dell'Orso. My main question for him was whether my cue... the same one I'd been looking for since day 1 was on there. And of course, he said no. Why do the Shaw Bros taunt me so!? But still, another one of my most wanted cues is one of the samples he provided. It really eased my mind to find it. I'll get a hold of the vinyl eventually as I plan to re-enter the vinyl game some time. Hopefully this new job works out.

As always, I've unearthed some secrets. I've been saying in almost every post how the Italians have fooled me. I'm starting to think maybe it's not Italian! In this new batch of Xihong Library I've found a pattern that didn't make sense before. I'm gonna break it down in my expert opinion. There are 3 ways I go about connecting the dots.

1. What style is it? I figure out from where and when a sound comes from and to the best of my know-how what instruments are used. (ie. Italian mid-70's concrete drama... dark synth, drums, electro chords, and sharp strings)

2. What family is it from? It's good to find the family, but finding the correct member of the family doesn't usually solve the mystery. (Morricone? Nicolai? Peguri? De Luca? Chimenti? Fidenco? etc.) They cross labels many times.

3. What else has that member of the family composed? (ie. how many children do they have?) This is usually where I get caught up. No matter how much I "find" there's always something I don't know about.

So let me explain my latest revelation...

I keep finding good stuff from the Italian family (RCA). The members sound very much alike for the span of 15+ years, but at some point during the end I find people from the Japanese and Australian families that pull off the same sound. I've turned my brain to mush many times trying to figure this out. And THEN I skimmed Clan Feuds and for the first time I found a child to go along with the parent. For years, I've been guessing and I've been WRONG. So... LISTEN HERE and I will connect the dots. Compare the 1st 2 clips with the 2nd 2 (Clan Feuds then Heroes Shed No Tears). It's all there! Yasushi Akutagawa did Village of the 8 Gravestones. Brian May did Mad Max and Pino Donaggio did Tourist Trap all around the same time and on the same label (all Shaw Bros music). The new child is in Akutagawa's style for 8 Graves. Without a doubt. Without hearing the 2 together I was in the dark. The closest thing is Morricone's Fraulein Doktor (@1:03). In my years of listening that is the only 1 that comes close. Still not close enough. The problem is that whatever LP/OST Akutagawa did is still unknown. The cue debuted in 78 at the earliest (I used to think it was 76). I actually got caught up for an hour while typing this post just... connecting dots. I've ended up here. Nichiren! It's Akutagawa. It's 1978. It's unheard of. Any word on that? It's possibly from 1979 too and that would ruin everything.

So what else? Bosworth Library is Shaw Bros Music. Imagine that. Anything you could find casually on the net or SLSK... I have it. If anyone has any under the radar Bosworth drama LPs feel free to contact me. I'm particularly interested in Wilfred Burns.

And a special thanks to my main man Killa. Many cats have come and gone, but he still has my back after all this time.