Name: Assignment Kirchin - Two Unreleased Scores From the Kirchin Tape Archive
Brand: Basil Kirchin

Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Catalogue number

JBH105LP

Colour

Black

Colour details

Discogs ID

Format multiplier

Download code

Download code: No

Rough Trade Exclusive

Rough Trade Exclusive: No

Extended format

Extended format: No

Format detail

Format Music GB

Limited edition

Release date

2024-01-26

Signed copies

Signed copies: No

Supplier GB

Tax rate GB

Standard:20

UPC / Barcode

5051142067630

Total Cap

Black LP

Artist

Basil Kirchin

Genre GB

Soundtracks

Label GB

Trunk

Basil Kirchin (August 8, 1927 - June 18, 2005) was a British drummer and composer known for his diverse career in music. From playing drums in his father's Big Band at the age of 13 to scoring films, Kirchin's musical journey led him to experiment with manipulating recorded sounds, earning him the title "the father of ambient music".

Starting off as a drummer in his father Ivor's popular dance band, Kirchin quickly made a name for himself. He played with renowned artists such as Billy Eckstein and Sarah Vaughan, backing them during their tours in Britain. The success of the Kirchin Band led to recordings with Decca and Parlophone under the production of George Martin.

However, Kirchin felt constrained by playing other people's music and decided to explore new horizons. He ventured into India and spent time at the Ramakrishna Temple before moving to Sydney. Unfortunately, all his possessions, including recordings of the Kirchin band, were lost at sea during transportation.

Returning to Britain in 1961, Kirchin delved into experimental compositions and produced material for the De Wolfe library. His passion for collecting ambient sounds led him to record animal noises at London Zoo and even capture the voices of autistic children. By slowing down these recordings, he uncovered hidden harmonics that had never been heard before by human ears.</div>

Welcome to Trunk, an English label based in London. Founded and managed by [a204117], we are passionate about bringing you the best music from a variety of genres. With a focus on quality and diversity, our label is dedicated to showcasing talented artists and performers who push boundaries and create unique sounds.

At Trunk, we believe that music has the power to inspire, uplift, and connect people from all walks of life. Our carefully curated collection features *artists* who are not afraid to experiment with different styles and influences, resulting in truly innovative and captivating music.

Whether you're a fan of jazz, electronic, world music or anything in between, you'll find something special at Trunk. We pride ourselves on offering a wide range of formats including vinyl records, CDs, digital downloads, and more. Explore our catalog today and discover your new favorite artist!

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Newest Listed Items

 Two sublime unreleased scores from Basil Kirchin.

Assignment K (with lots of pencil scribbles everywhere). The Strange Affair (with lots of pen scribbles everywhere).

As usual with Basil tapes / things there is little else to go on, no tracklist, no list of musicians, no singer names, no dates or anything. I have actually tried to establish the name of the singer on the song from Side One (we have called it “Love Is To Walk Away “ as it is unnamed) but having played it to a handful of knowledgeable collectors and enthusiasts who I would count as experts in this field, no one has a clue who it might be. If you think you know please get in touch. We know who it isn’t.

We can tell you that Assignment K dates from 1968, was a film about a toy maker who has a double life as an international spy. It was directed by Val Guest, who’d just finished trying to rescue the cinematic hotchpotch that was Casino Royale - he had been brought in by the Bond producers after Peter Sellers had walked off the movie. We imagine Assignment K may have been a slightly less stressful few months of shooting. As for the Kirchin score that we have here, we can tell you very little indeed, apart from the fact that the bass player was Ron Prentice (an ex blacksmith turned musician and craftsman) who worked on several Bond scores, but we know little else. And we only know this because it says so in the academic tome “Jazz On The Screen” by David Meeker.

The Strange Affair is also from 1968, and was not only controversial but also a reasonably unsuccessful movie. Directed by David Greene who also directed, amongst other films, I Start Counting and the quite brilliant Sebastian. In this rather grubby flick a policeman called Peter Strange (played by Michael York) falls for an underage girl (played by Susan George), finds himself compromised by a pair of pornographers and gets lured into an errand for a smack gang. We can tell you little else because I have no more information about it all.

But we do know that this music has all the classic Kirchin mid-period sonic hallmarks that have always set him apart.

Assignment Kirchin - Two Unreleased Scores From the Kirchin Tape Archive

Music GB

Discover Assignment Kirchin - Two Unreleased Scores From the Kirchin Tape Archive by Basil Kirchin. Sublime vinyl records with classic mid-period sonic hallmarks. Label: Trunk. Fast & Free Shipping Available.