The Code Zodiac Tapes: legendary lost spy-fi soundtrack remastered, restored and debuting here today..

If you're a fan of the Italo spy-fi film genre you may be familiar with the long-shifting whispers about low budget cult-flick The Code Zodiac Tapes. Made in 1969 it received just a handful of European screenings before being shelved due to international wrangles over distribution rights.

Zodiac dropped out of circulation and with no sightings, leaked footage or dodgy copies filtering into the public domain since, it's been widely accepted that the film had become lost, wiped or stolen. However, canisters containing the original broadcast masters were recently discovered in the basement of an abandoned Riviera mansion. Damp, dust and neglect have left the film stock, shooting notes and script damaged beyond recovery or repair..

Thankfully a handful of production details, storyboards and publicity shots survived - along with some concept art for set designs (pleasure units, undersea casinos, moonbased pods and modules ) and some costume credits....

Hair by Laurence of Park Lane
Wardrobe by Mr Hipster
M.O.N.D.O Mobile by George Barris

Concept art by uncredited artist

More significantly the 16 track Ampex analogue master tapes of the Zodiac soundtrack were found to be salvageable. These tapes - and any scraps and snatches of dubbed dialogue - were taken to Shabby Road studios for digital restoration. Today the freshly mastered, previously unreleased Code Zodiac soundtrack receives it's international debut. A teaser trailer is available here along with an OST stream - but the full 19 track album is available as a limited-edition free download over at Budd Schifrin's site..

Code Zodiac Trailer



Code Zodiac OST

Keith Mansfield's composition Soul Confusion was originally used to score a deleted scene (scripted as - Scene 34: How does that grab you?) and has been included here as a bonus track

Keith Mansfield - Soul Confusion

Original storyboard panels

Remake Remodel Pt.1 Lulu - Watch That Man

There's a couple of bits and bobs I've been meaning to log in the blog for an age but have become wrapped up with other bits and bobs until now - so today at last it's all go-go for;

Remake Remodel - obscure, cool or cranky cover versions.

B Side Babies - the ones that got away - B sides, alt takes or outtakes that are too good to be forgotten

Fortunately 'Watch That Man' falls into both categories.
Lulu’s version of ‘The Man Who Sold the World’ seems to pop up on the sort of budget seventies comp’s sold only at newsagents, garages and Woolworths. Glamtastic as the rewired TMWSTW is, the real golden nugget is on the B side, ‘Watch That Man’ which manages to out strut and stomp Aladdin Sane original.

It is an absolute that Bowie was a musical Midas in the seventies and almost everything he touched was left glossed and glittering. (There's a moment of revelation in Ian hunters ‘Diary of a Rock and Roll Star’ where he realises he’ll never be in Bowies league). ‘Watch That Man’ is effectively a Bowie retake with Lulu fronting the band, produced by Bowie and Mick Ronson and featuring rest of the band it captures the distilled essence of the pre ‘Young Americans’ sound with a splash of extra sparkle. The cherry on top being Bowies backing vocals – which swish through the mix adding stardust melodies and space age harmonies.

Lulu - Watch That Man


To set the scene and add some context here's a couple of Youtube treats

This has got to be one of the funkiest ad' songs ever!I posted this on channel mondo last Friday but it's so good I'm posting it here too.

Lulu - Happies Shoes


Lulu - The Man Who Sold the World’

Duet's You Couldn't Dream Up (Not In a Good Way)

Lulu and Johnny cash - Games People Play

Probably the most fumble fingered pre song chit chat since records began, which swerves from haggis and potatoes to Glaswegian Police recruitment.
Unfortunately these clumsy stumbles and toe treading techniques carry on for the duration of the song.

A song soundtracked by showbiz horns, Isley Brothers guitar and higgldy piggldy piano.

Lulu and Cash would make a great name for a detective series though.



Cilla Black and Bryan Ferry - It's My Party

Oh dear, the showbiz horn's are back and they’ve bought their mate Plod Plod on bass with them. Ferry’s people must have spent years trying to bury this clip which does the Cilit Bang on his supercool gloss. In his defence though, he does seem to have an “I'm only doing this because my new solo album These Foolish Things is out now” look in eyes.

The phrase “you would cry too if this happened to you” must have been bouncing round his brain on the bus home