Well, an excellent couple of days on the markets, with the following to show for it…Hope everyone else had as productive a couple of mornings…

Saturday was very much 90s territory, and I managed to pull a load of 4AD and other gear from a box…very gratifying.

Four Throwing Muses LPs (always had a thing for Kristin Hersh’s song-writing, especially her less rock-orientated stuff), a Belly LP, Scott Walker’s Tilt (a ltd numbered vinyl issue) and the Breeders/Pixies rock of The Amps’ ‘Pacer’ LP (beats’n’break-heads might want to have a listen to the hefty, ragged drum intro to ‘Hoverin’ on that LP, if they haven’t already). Then The Go-Betweens’ ‘Liberty Belle & The Black Diamond Express’ & ‘Tallulah’ LPs, Tindersticks ‘Can Our Love…’ and a 2xLP audiophile OST for a film called ‘Masked & Anonymous’, featuring Japanese, Italian, Jerry Garcia/Grateful Dead and Hispanic versions of Dylan songs, alongside of a couple of original Bob Dylan trad/arr efforts…

So already very happy with that lot, I ventured out into the Sunday morning sunshine to find:

John Schroeder: The Dolly Catcher (Pye) [lovely condition copy…for 20p. I wasn’t even there that early, either, AND was kept hanging about while others went through the boxes first, pulling out all the Stevie Wonder and the like. Just goes to show, I guess…]

Ted Heath & His Music: ‘Pow!’ (Phase 4) [superb take on ‘Worksong’ sounds like the standout on a quick track-through…some other nice sounding big band stuff, too…]

Roland Shaw Orchestra: ‘More James Bond In Action’ (Phase 4) [Shaw + Barry is never a bad idea…and this has his ‘You Only Live Twice’ on it, which is probably my favourite Barry theme…maybe just pipping OHMSS by a whisker]

Bernard Herrmann: Great Movie Thrillers (Phase 4) [Hermann conducts his Hitcock scores – Psycho, Marnie, North By Northwest, Vertigo and ‘Portrait of Hitch’ from The Trouble With Harry. Not listened to it yet, but I can’t see how this could go wrong…]

Geoff Love: Superhero Themes & Close Encounters (both MFP) [had traded these, assuming they’d show up again, and here they are! Can’t beat Space Patrol – up there with 3 Days Of The Condor in the ‘finest moment’ stakes for Mr Love, surely?]

Laurie Johnson: Themes and… (MGM) [’69 LP includes Avengers Theme’, Tag Scene, and a very nice bit of 60s theme gear called When The Kissing Had To Stop. The rest sounds a bit lush on first listen, but could reveal more subtle delights on a proper listen…]

Play School: Bang On A Drum (BBC) [featuring the immortal title cut and much nostalgia fodder from the likes of Derek Griffiths, Toni Arthur, Brian Cant, Rick Jones and Chloe Ashcroft. If you’re as old as me, that is – younger members of the board won’t know who any of them are]

Joe Mudele Trio: Dine At Le Dolomiti (Pinnacle) [pleasant restaurant promo jazz LP with Girl from Ipanema, Watermelon Man, More, Yellow Bird etc…I have a feeling this might be heading Wooly’s way, combining supermarket-reel style jazz & tasty 70s cuisine as it does…]

A few nice 45s, too:

Jacques Dutronc: La Seine EP (Vogue)

The Association: Goodbye Columbus/Time It Is Today (French Westbound)

James Brown: Get Up Offa That Thing/Release The Pressure (Polydor)

Ron Grainer Orchestra: Touch Of Velvet…/Joe 90 (Casino Classics)

Edwin Starr: Agent Double O Soul/Back Street (Motown)

Sammy Davis Jr: Baretta’s Theme (20th Century)

A few are also spares, or just passing through – probably shove these on ebay next week sometime, if anyone’s interested, give me a shout by about Wednesday…

Ray Davies & Button Down Brass: Themes From The Exorcist, French Connection etc (Philips) [nice cop show themes set from the trumpet-meister, with very decent stabs at Klute, The Magician, Bullitt, Cops & Robbers, Enter The Dragon and the like. Rubbish version of The Entertainer too, but you can’t have everything…]

Westminster Silver Strings: World Pop Festival Vol 1 (Windmill) [pleasant but unremarkable takes on I Feel The Earth Move & Shaft]

Duncan Lamont: This Guy (Morgan) [spare, with Ode To Billy Joe, Eleanor Rigby, Hey Jude etc…all in classic UK easy style]

Hugo Montenegro: Scenes & Themes - Love Licks From Golden Flicks (RCA Quadradisc) [bit too mellow for my palate, but the more dedicated Hugo lounge fan might appreciate his very slightly quirky takes on Look Of Love, Tara’s Theme, Lost Horizon and the like. A lot of strings, a disappointingly light dusting of moog…]

The Bigwoods: Paradise Beach (Phase II Records) [amazing sleeve, but fairly mellow cordovox/guitar & drum cruise ship versions of Carribbean themed stuff like Montego Bay, Yellow Bird, Sloop John B etc. It’s a good bit more exciting to look at than it is to listen to…]