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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Psyché Funk French Movie SOUND TRACKS

Not to be missed, this new post filled up with 20 of the grooviest, pop-psych-funky tracks put out by French movie Score composers.

Keep you ears open for the opening track from Jean Pierre Mirouze - whom we know very little about except an exceptional gift for hammond organ and string arrangements, in the sexiest, most soulfull blacksploitation style! If you read French, a Technikart blogger wrote an excellent post on this track >>here

Others include a track from the pop masterpiece "L'Homme Orchestre" by François de Roubaix, and his much darker, eerie compositions for "Les Caïds" & "Dernier Domicile Connu"; a breakbeat pop killer from Vladimir Cosma; and some of the most saught after funk OST ever to be scored in France: Michel Legrand's "Un homme est mort" and Pierre Cavalli's "Un soir chez Norris".

A special place for Alain Goraguer and his sample haven "La Planete sauvage". The tagline for the movie when it was release fits the music perfectly: A Sublime Trip to a Fine New World.

Serge Gainsbourg, along with Jean Claude Vannier and Michel Colombier are not forgotten, with his long fogotten themes for "La Horse", "Cannabis" and "Le Pacha". Psych-funk at its greatest.
If you thought you could not make very funky stuff with a Harpsichord, a banjo and violins... then listen carfully to "La Horse".

I also added the Track "Voyages" from M. Polnareff's concept album "Polnareff's", which even though it never was a film soundtrack - just blended in so perfectly well with all the other tracks.

You won't be able to miss Michel Magne's tribute to James Brown, in the very funky "Superchic Génial" -- uber kitch original movie extract with the music can be seen: here.

Finally, two of my very favorites, Philippe Sarde's incredible, eastern chord & bass driven "Juke boxes chez Saidani". A bliss of rythm and groove way ahead of it's time. Then the last track of the 20 - the disco frenzied "Grand Theme Malko" by Michel Magne, with its hypnotic Fender Rhodes lead, that would give both Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea a heart attack.

Tracklist:
01. Jean-Pierre Mirouze - Sexopolis (Marriage Collectif, 1969)
02. Serge Gainsgourg & Michel Colombier - Psychasténie (Le Pacha 1968)
03. François De Roubaix - Repetition (L'Homme Orchestre, 1971)
04. Vladimir Cosma - Black Flowers (Ultra Pop - Musique pour l'image, 1970)
05. Francois de Roubaix - Dernier Domicile Connu (1971)
06. Michel Polnareff - Voyages (Polnareff's, 1971)
07. Pierre Cavalli - Un soir chez Norris (1971)
08. Pierre Cavalli - Chasse à l'homme (Un soir chez Norris 1971)
09. Serge Gainsbourg & J.C. Vannier - La Horse (1970)
10. Alain Goraguer - Le bracelet (La Planete Sauvage 1973)
11. Alain Goraguer - Ten et Tiwa (La Planete Sauvage 1973)
12. Michel Legrand - Un homme est mort (1972)
13. Philippe Sarde - Jukes boxes chez Saidani (Max & les Ferrailleurs, 1971)
14. Serge Gainsbourg & J.C. Vannier - Danger (Cannabis 1970)
15. Michel Legrand - Picasso Summer (Summer of 42, 1972)
16. Alain Goraguer - Sur Un Arbre Perché (1972)
17. Michel Magne & Jean Yanne - Superchic genial (Moi Y'en a Vouloir des Sous 1972)
18. Francois de Roubaix - Les Caïds (1972)
19. Jack Arel & Pierre Dutour - Tracking (Aux Frontières du Possible, 1971)
20. Michel Magne - Grand Theme Malko (S.A.S. à San Salvador, 1982)


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