various: funny old shit a trunk records sampler vol 1

Jonny Trunk presents Funny Old Shit, an 18-track compilation of funny old shit from the Trunk archive. "From calypsos sung by Bernard Cribbins and Robert Mitchum to avant-garde French concrète, with stops at post-punk, killer vocal jazz, Radiophonics, early African fusion, Argentinean film music and even some twitchy classical from Glenn Gould, this groundbreaking compilation flies in the face of the current trend for issuing records that, to be honest, are actually quite average and really very expensive indeed for what they are. This is a total bargain, an education and a right laugh. Although some people will actually think it's shit. Bernard Cribbins is a British actor and a god, so Bernard was a great place to start, and can you name any other song apart from 'Gossip Calypso,' featured here, that manages to squeeze in the words 'Oxy Acetylene welder?' No, I can't either. This is followed by modern classical music played on strange sculptures by the prolific team of Jacques Lasry and Bernard Baschet. Their sound is reminiscent of film music by Cliff Martinez, and that's maybe because Cliff has a Cristal Baschet sculptural instrument, too. Next we travel to Argentina for some lovely film music (featuring a very young Gato Barbieri) and then to an early fusion of Africa and America with Guy Warren and Red Garland getting all hip and proto-rap. This is followed by a classic chunk of minimal modern music from 1981 by The Jellies. Next up is the B-side from the first-ever BBC Radiophonic Workshop record, which, incidentally, was produced by George Martin. After this we can absorb some high culture with Noel Coward reciting Ogden Nash's words written in 1949 to accompany the romantic classic masterpiece "The Carnival of the Animals," composed way back in 1886. We then move to a high-point in low culture, and to the world's best worst singer, Leoni Anderson. She starred with Laurel And Hardy in one of their many films, and her one and only album is a terrifying delight. As a lover of very fine vocal jazz, too, I had to throw in 'Naima,' a staggering version of Coltrane's classic. A small piece of educational electronics by Terry Dwyer makes quite a good little plugged-in interlude, which leads us nicely to the main theme for the Jacques Tati classic, 'Monsieur Hulot's Holiday.' Eccentric pianist Glenn Gould then appears with the beginning of his legendary 'Goldberg Variations' recording, and then I realized I seem to be nudging towards interesting classical recordings a bit, which I think is no bad thing. And before you know it, we're back enjoying some proper experimental concrète tape larks. Never one to resist a film star singing, I found it almost impossible to not stick in Robert Mitchum singing, and then I realized when I was writing these notes that that this was the second calypso-based record on this very small sampler, and then I thought that very fact might enhance the idea of the whole thing really being a bit 'shit.' After Bob, we can all enjoy a super-rare recording issued to accompany the 1962 kitchen sink drama A Taste Of Honey. We finish with Yusef Lateef's version of Alex North's sublime 'Love Theme' from the film Spartacus. It's a perfect musical spot where an incredible film melody has met one of the great experimental jazzmen of all time. The results are quite exceptional. So chums, that's Funny Old Shit. The idea is to put together more of these samplers with friends, guests and other groovy collectors, and to draw you in further to the funny old shit musical world that is Trunk Records." --Jonny Trunk