The Music Library is a fantastic coffee table book comprising of 208 pages containing 326 full colour reproductions of the brilliant cover art used on music library LPs during the 60s and 70s (see samples on the left). The quality of the design on these LP covers is phenomenal, kinda strange, considering that they weren't actually available to the general public.

As an added bonus, also included is a 17 track CD containing a selection of previously unreleased 60s and 70s library music tracks!

Tracklist for accompanying CD:

01. Broad Highway - Basil Kirchin (1.35)
02. Sun-Kissed Chicks - Jean-Jacques Debout (2.19)
03. Spring Leitmotiv - Herve Roy (2.06)
04. Flutes Ad Libitum - Raymond Guiot & Guy Pedersen (2.45)
05. Delia's Psychadelian Waltz - Li de la Russe (D. Derbyshire) (0.37)
06. The Loner - Nick Harrison (2.42)
07. Zapata - Luis Conti (2.26)
08. Pop Bazaar - Jean-Jacques Debout (2.22)
09. Suspense No.1 - P. A. Dahan and M. Camison (3.56)
10. Wild Trumpets - Pierre Dutour (2.33)
11. Kermesse Non Héroïque - Guy Pedersen (13.17)
12. Chantelle's Party - Yanko Nilovic (2.16)
13. Bass In Love - Guy Pedersen (3.31)
14. Piano + Piano - P. A. Dahan and M. Camison (2.44)
15. Super Carrousel - P. A. Dahan and M. Camison (1.44)
16. Synthetic Neutron - Sauveur Mallia (4.11)
17. First Step (b) - Basil Kirchin/Roy Neave (4.14)

About library music
A lot of you will be familiar with library music, but for those that aren't, here's a little explanation; library music (also known as source or mood music) is music that is composed purely for the purpose of being used in movies, adverts, tv programmes etc.

Library music isn't composed for a particular movie or tv programme, but is composed with a style or mood in mind - for example; "love scene", "chase scene", "spooky scene", "spacey scene" etc.

Composers would be commisioned by music libraries to compose, perform and record these pieces of music. The composer would then sell the music to the music library who, in turn, would licence the music out to film and TV producers.

Using library music was a much cheaper option than having a composer score, perform and record an entire movie soundtrack or have a composer write and perform a peice of music for your TV documentary.

Music library records were not made available to the public, but were loaned out to producers and TV stations so that they had a 'ready catalogue' of music to use. If the TV programme producer wanted a funky little tune for his theme music, he would go to his selection of library music LPs, find "Funk Tracks Vols 1-10" (for example) and listen to each LP until he found the track he wanted to use. He would then contact the music library to arrange payment of the licensing fee.

In the 60s and 70s, a lot of library music was composed by some extremely talented composers and performed by equally talented session musicans (sometimes publishing/performing under a pseudonym). In the 80s and 90s, these library records soon started appearing in charity (thrift) shops where they could be bought for 50p each. As record collectors soon cottoned on to the fact that a lot of this music was absolutely brilliant then the trading of library music LPs grew and grew and rare library records now sell for silly money - sometimes just 'cos they've got one killer track on!

As library music got popular, record companies started releasing compilations of groovy, funky and weird library music and new compilations are being released all the time.

The Music Library Book

• Compiled by Jonny 'Trunk Records' Trunk
• Introduction by Jonny Trunk
• Foreword by Jerry 'Two Tone Records' Dammers
• Designed by Fuel Design
• 208 pages
• 326 full colour LP sleeve images
• Hardback debossed cover
• 200mm x 250mm landscape format
• ISBN: 0-9550061-1-2