Freakbeat & Jerk Grooves - Made in France

I'm back with some more ultra groovy music from the late sixties -early seventies period with this selection of Freakbeat and Jerk masterpieces "à la Française".

Whether they come from Library records, film & T.V. soundtracks, or studio albums, the party bombs in this selection are all drenched with great drum breaks, speedy bass lines, psychedelic fuzz guitars and crazy mod Hammond organ solos.

Francis Lai kicks it off with the heavy instrumental funk chaser called "St Tropez" composed for Brigitte Bardot's album "the Brigitte Bardot Show". He is followed by the Hammond organ driven "Audition" by François de Roubaix, from the soundtrack for "L'homme orchestre" with Louis de Funès.

Michel Legrand's "Mi, sol, mi, mi, ré, ré, mi" comes out of the soundtrack for the film "La Dame Dans l'Auto Avec des Lunettes et un Fusil" and blends together jazz, jerk, pop, and mod elements. Legrand at the very top of his 60s cinematographic composing.

George Rodi is next with the brilliant mid tempo instrumental jazz jerk "Stercok" from the original soundtrack for the TV movie "Arsène Lupin". Francis Lai is featured again, with Nicole Croisille this time on the track "I don't know why" from the soundtrack for the film "La Leçon Particulière".

The groove bomb that follows next, "No no, yes yes" was composed by Michel Colombier and Serge Gainsbourg, for the film "Mr Freedom". The original record is extremely rare and pricey, and is one of the greatest late 60's French Freakbeat recordings, in a kind of "Aretha Franklin & Janis Joplin meet super killer organ player & the funky drummer" style.

Dany Maurice with his crazy "Hoodlum's Parade Jerk" and Michel Bernholc "Chevauchée Fantastique" follow with fast, car-chase like, wicked vibes. Then, often-featured on this blog, comes Bernard Estardy, the super talented organist behind Nino Ferrer's "Metronomie" and the cult "La Formule du Baron" with the delirious "Autoscopie". A baroque symphonic swirl of organ, harpsichord and piano.

Legrand again, with "Soirée Jerk chez les Dumonceau", soundtrack for the Jean Becker film "Tendre Voyou" with Michel Belmondo. The next track "Patrick Jerk" by Les Pros, was released on a promotional EP for a kids and teens clothing company called Boum Bomo. The song features some great fuzz guitar and just seams to stick in your head!

Other highlights in this compilation include : "Take One" by the Golden Pot, a fantastic jerk piece that was the theme from the Campus radio station show, pure instrumental psych-funk jerk madness ; Georges Garvarentz's psychedelic sitar groovy score for the film "Sapho" ; Jack Arel & Pierre Dutour's hundred-mile-an-hour "Following you" which is almost as fast as Bernard Lubat's "Crazy Organ" (the name speaks for itself).

Also included are the fantastic substance-infused "Freak" from Nino Ferrer's album Metronomie; the huge breakbeat jerk "Strip Poker at Caesar's Palace" by David Whitaker and the trippy organ score by Claude Bolling for the film "Doucement les Basses"

Click on the image below to see the album art for all of tracks in this compilation:

Tracklist is:

01. Brigitte Bardot & Francis Lai - St Tropez, 1968
02. François de Roubaix - Audition, 1970
03. Michel Legrand - Mi, Sol, Mi, Mi, Re, Re, Mi, 1970
04. Georges Raudi et son Orchestre - Stercok, 1970
05. Francis Lai & Nicole Croisille - I don't know why, 1968
06. Serge Gainsbourg & Michel Colombier - Mister Freedom - No no, yes yes, 1969
07. Dany Maurice et son Orchestre - Hoodlum's Parade Jerk, 1971
08. Michel Bernholc - Chevauchee Fantastique, 1976
09. Bernard Estardy - Autoscopie, 1967
10. Michel Legrand - Soiree jerk chez les Dumonceau, 1966
11. Les Pros - Patrick Jerk, 1966
12. Ben & the Platano Group - Castill Battle, 1971
13. The Golden Pot - Take One, 1968
14. Georges Garvarentz - Nues dans l'eau, 1970
15. Jack Arel & Pierre Dutour - Following You, 1974
16. Nino Ferrer - Freak, 1971
17. Bernard Lubat - Crazy Organ, 1975
18. David Whitaker - Strip Poker at Caesar's Palace, 1966
19. Vladimir Cosma - Cool Pool, 1970
20. Claude Bolling - Générique Fin (happy night), 1970

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