Month: April 2023

On the 24th April 1998, ‘The Big Labowski’ arrived in UK cinemas. It is the story of the Jeffrey ‘The Due’ Lebowski who is attacked in his home instead of similarly named character with much greater financial means and a trophy wife (who would seem to be the cause of the problems). Through a series of adventures, an amazing cast of characters, catch praises, white Russians and a perfect soundtrack, the film was the Coen Brother’s attempt at developing a story that was inspired by the works of Raymond Chandler. If you have not seen the film, it is well worth a watch.

The music was used by the film makers to represent the characters. For example, a Latino character called Jesus is introduced with the Gypsy Kings cover of ‘Hotel California’. The song is sung moistly in Spanish and when it plays as Jesus bowls, you only see the visuals as well as the music. When the character of Maude Labowski (daughter of the other Labowski) is first seen, the music playing is ‘Walking Song’ by avant-guarde vocalist Meredith Monk. This fits with the character as Maude is an avant-guard artist. They go a step further with the group of German Nihilists. There are references to the actual band Kraftwerk in connection with the Nihilists,  including using a parody of the Man Machine album and naming their band Autobahn. A more in-depth article can be read here on this subject http://dudespaper.com/dude-university/i-am-the-walrus-musical-representation-in-the-big-lebowski/. 

In honour of this wonderful film and the music contained within it, I have decided to put together a 25th Anniversary Soundtrack album. This is not quite a complete soundtrack as there are snippets of songs throughout that are not included here, mostly because it is hard to work out what some of them are. There is the possibility that it would have made this set a little on the long side. Disc 1 is the same as the soundtrack album that was released back in 1998 with Disc 2 being filled with an additional set of songs not included before. 

Disc 1

1. The Man In Me – Bob Dylan
2. Her Eyes Are A Blue Million Miles – Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band
3. My Mood Swings – Elvis Costello
4. Ataypura – Yma Sumac
5. Traffic Boom – Piccioni
6. I Got I Bad & That Ain’t Good – Nina Simone
7. Theme/Stamping Ground – Moondog
8. Just Dropped In (Top See What Condition My Condition Was In) – Kenny Rogers & The First Edition
9. Walking Song – Meredith Monk
10. Gluck Das Mit Verbleib – Llona Steingruber, Anton Dermota & The Austrian State Radio Orchestra
11. Lujon – Henry Mancini
12. Hotel California – The Gypsy Kings
13. Technopop – Carter Burwell
14. Dead Flowers – Townes Van Zandt

Disc 2

1. Branded Theme Song – Dominic Frontiere & Alan Alch
2. Mucha Muchacha – Esquivel
3. Dick On The Case – Carter Burwell
4. I Hate You – The Monks
5. Tumbling Tumbleweeds – Sons Of The Pioneers
6. Behave Yourself – Booker & The MG’s
7. Run Through The Jungle – Creedence Clearwater Revival
8. Standing On The Corner – Dean Martin
9. Pictures At An Exhibition – Mussorgsky
10. Oye Como Va – Santana
11. Piacere Sequence – Teo Usuelli
12. Peaceful Easy Feeling – The Eagles
13. Lookin’ Out My Back Door – Creedence Clearwater Revival
14. Tammy – Debbie Reynolds
15. We Venerate Thy Cross – The Rustavi Choir
16. Requiem In D Minor (Introitus & Lacrimosa) – The Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra & Choir
17. Viva Las Vegas – Shawn Covin

Another year, another Record Store Day so I thought it was high time I came up with a fantasy release that I hope to one day would come out, even though it is highly unlikely. In 2022, there was a RSD re-release of 1996’s ‘Trailer Park’, the album Beth Orton considers her debut. However, three years before that, she released her true debut, ‘SuperPinkMandy’. Released only in Japan and in limited numbers, this would be an ideal candidate for a re-release, especially as there was not a vinyl version in 1993.

It is unlikely ever to see re-release as Orton does not particularly like the album. In interviews, she claims that ‘Trailer Park’ is her debut and brushes over ‘Superpinkmandy’. There was a little bit of acknowledgement that this album actually exists on her ‘Pass In Time’ compilation. Two songs from ‘Superpinkmandy’ made the album: ‘Don’t Wanna Know Bout Evil’ and ‘Where Do You Go’. A third song, ‘She Cries Your Name’; would be re-recorded and was the opening song on ‘Trailer Park’. So, what would be included on my fantasy RSD release. 

Not only will it include the whole of ‘SuperPinkMandy’, but a collection of songs that she was on that came out before ‘Trailer Park’. This double LP contains collaborations with William Orbit, Red Snapper and The Chemical Brothers. Your can tell that ’SuperPinkMandy’ was released without vinyl in mind as the track listing on the CD, if transferred to an LP would have sides very different in length. The track listing has therefore been changed slightly to accommodate this. 

Some of the contributions Orton made to some of these records is minimal with either just a word repeated over and over again or wordless vocals. This is not a complete collection of Orton’s music before she release ‘Trailer Park’, but it is good representation of what she had produced before that point. 

Side A (SuperPinkMandy)

1. Don’t Worry About Evil
2. Faith Will Carry 
3. Yesterday’s Gone
4. She Cries Your Name
5. City Blue

Side B (SuperPinkMandy)

1. When You Wake
2. Roll The Dice
3. The Prisoner
4. Where Did You Go?
5. Release Me

Side C (Collaborations)

1. Snapper – Red Snapper
2. In Deep  – Red Snapper
3. Million Town – William Orbit

Side D (Collaborations)

1. She Cries Your Name – William Orbit (Strange Cargo Hinterland Version)
2. Kiss The Bee – William Orbit
3. Water From A Vine Leaf – William Orbit
4. Alive Alone – Chemical Brothers

I decided to call it ‘Before Trailer Park’, because that is essentially what it is. The cover is minimal to reflect the era in which it came out, when the artwork of albums had to accommodate cassette and CD packaging. The less the better.

As an added bonus, there is another double album combining two extra projects in collaboration with William Orbit. The first disc is comprised of the Spill EP, and the second is the ‘Water From A Vine Leaf’ EP. None of the versions of ‘Water From A Vine Leaf’ are the same as the one presented on the ‘Before Trailer Park’ album. 

Side A

1. Don’t Wanna Know ‘Bout Evil (Rumble Mix)
2. Don’t Wanna Know ‘Bout Evil (Tumble mix)

Side B

1. Don’t Wanna Know ‘Bout Evil (Danny’s Moto Mix)
2. Don’t Wanna Know ‘Bout Evil (The Groovy Beats)

Side C

1. Water From A Vine Leaf (Edit)
2. Water From A Vine Leaf (Xylem Flow Mix) (Spooky Remix)
3. Water From A Vine Leaf (Acid Bath Mix) (Spooky Remix)

Side D

1. Water From A Vine Leaf (Underwater Mix Part 2) (Underworld Remix)
2. Water From A Vine Leaf (Cromer Chroma Mix)

The cover is adapted from the cover of the ‘Spill’ EP.

I waited the best part of three years for the second season of Hunters to come out. It was one of a number of shows that I enjoyed watching during the first lockdown and I had not seen anything to say that it had been cancelled (unlike some other Amazon shows which came out at the same time e.g. Utopia). Low and behold, the second (and last series) came out with little or no fanfare at the start of 2023 which was a shame as I feel that most people would have missed that (including myself initially). 

In compiling this album, I wanted to follow the template I followed when completing the soundtrack to season 1. That is, the songs must fit onto the vinyl format and they must have been released before the latest year in TV show is set. That year being 1979, which means a number of the songs from this season could not be used. This also meant I could not include any of the incidental music as well. 

Unlike season 1, there seemed to be a lot less music to choose from so this LP would be a single. Whoever was responsible for compiling the music for this show did a rather fine job, with the music reflecting the location the characters were in. For example, when the action is in France, French artists are used and so forth. With the German music, it seems that all of it was pre World War 2. Good work whoever you are. 

Side A

1. La Plus Belle Chanson du Monde – Jacqueline Taïeb
2. Malaguena – Xavier Cugat
3. Barba Costa – Koko
4. Pobrecita – Julito Rodriguez Y Su Trio
5. Ver Der Ershter Vet Lachen – Mike Burstein
6. Can You Tell Me – Heat Exchange
7. Nothing From Nothing – Billy Preston
8. Love Will Keep Us Together – Captain & Tennille

Side B

1. It’s Getting Better – Mama Cass
2. Best Things In Life – The Dreamliners
3. I’ll Have To Say I Love You In A Song – Jim Croce
4. Geronimo – Bobby Valentin
5. Shabes-Shabes – Jan Bart
6. I’m Gonna Let My Heart Do The Walking (Single Version) – The Supremes
7. Le Temps Est Bon – Isabelle Pierre
8. Green Green Grass Of Home – Tom Jones

https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/0W7Evv1NrBcohku4uZI6ff?utm_source=generator

The cover was direct lift from the official soundtrack with the bottom edited off. 

Check out the soundtrack to season one https://www.thesquirepresents.co.uk/hunters-original-soundtrack/