New Colgems Upload: Film Festival-16 Great Movie Themes

Well, we have come to this: the final Colgems album that I had yet to post (other than the Monkees LPs). I have finally uploaded it for your listening pleasure.

I don't know much about the history of this recording, although it is a compilation of soundtrack tunes from a variety of composers, including Burt Bacharach and Maurice Jarre.

It includes music that was on Colgems releases, as well as music that was on its predecessor, Colpix Records. Since it was released in 1969, I assume (perhaps incorrectly) that the label was planning on further re-releases of Colpix material, but for whatever reason (perhaps the sinking fortunes of the label) never got around to it.

The star of this outing is Maurice Jarre, who was sort of the in-house soundtrack composer for Colgems. He has no less than four of the album's 16 tunes, including the Main Title From Lawrence of Arabia, where he conducted the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

By the way, the Lawrence of Arabia sountrack was the only LP that was released on both the Colpix and Colgems labels.

I think that to sum this very rare album up, it shows the diversity of Colgems' soundtrack recordings, from the majesty of Lawrence Arabia to the drugged out Plus Strings from Head to the hipness of The Look of Love from Casino Royale.

Yes, it's quite the curiosity. I couldn't even get a good cover photo on this one.

You can access this album at http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/albumania/

More next month.