Description
Legendary library music craftsmen such as Alan Hawkshaw and Alan Parker, who composed scores for numerous television and film productions, left behind this rare masterpiece of drama-soul and street funk in 1972. It has finally been reissued, after fetching over £350 on the second-hand market.
Produced in 1972 by the legendary British library label Music De Wolfe, the little-known masterpiece Hogan, The Hawk And Dirty John Crown makes its long-awaited return through the Be With label project. This album is packed with hard, spy-drama-style soul reminiscent of early 1970s blaxploitation film soundtracks, alongside tough, jazzy street funk.
The album features first-rate library music craftsmen, including Alan Parker, who composed scores for numerous films and is widely known in later hip-hop scenes as a source of samples, Alan Hawkshaw (credited here as William Parrish), Simon Haseley, Reg Tilsley, and Gordon Grant. As a result, the original edition is highly prized by collectors and has been known to sell for over £350.
The album opens with Alan Hawkshaw and Alan Parker's powerful flute funk "The Hawk". It is an exceptional breakbeat featuring a driving synth, killer bassline, and wah-wah guitar. The duo's "Main Chance" is another ominous proto-hip-hop track dominated by rolling drums and organ. Simon Haseley's "Hogan Baby" has a melancholic, bluesy feel that suggests the influence of Burt Bacharach, while Gordon Grant's "Dirty John Crown" alternates dramatic strings with sharp funk breaks.
The momentum continues on Side 2 with more superb instrumental funk tracks, including Simon Haseley's dramatic "Precinct", which evokes a car chase, and Gordon Grant's aggressive "Scorch".
For this reissue, the album has been carefully remastered by Simon Francis and expertly cut by Cicely Balston, then pressed to the highest standard at Record Industry in the Netherlands. The iconic original cover has also been beautifully reproduced, making this reissue flawless in both sound quality and appearance.
A1. A. Parker / W. Parrish - The Hawk
A2. S. Haseley - The Happening
A3. A. Parker / W. Parrish - Main Chance
A4. S. Haseley - Hogan Baby
A5. G. Grant - Dirty John Crown
A6. A. Parker / W. Parrish - Swarf
A7. R. Tilsley - Turnover
A8. A. Parker / W. Parrish - Tarantula
B1. S. Haseley - Precinct
B2. S. Haseley - Sidewinder (Version 1)
B3. A. Parker / W. Parrish - Pressure
B4. A. Parker / W. Parrish - Call Me
B5. G. Grant - Scorch
B6 .A. Parker / W. Parrish - Digger
B7. R. Tilsley - Marianne
B8. S. Haseley - Sidewinder (Version 2)
This is absolute stank-face filth: hard, espionage drama-soul and tough, jazzy street-funk. Hogan, The Hawk & Dirty John Crown sounds like the soundtrack of a blaxploitation movie from the early 70s and, packed with funky fusion and smoother orchestral numbers, it is basically that.
Featuring a veritable who's who of killer library break snakes - Alan Parker, Alan Hawkshaw (under sneaky alias William Parrish), Simon Haseley, Reg Tilsley and Gordon Grant - it's not hard to see how this commands over £350 on secondary markets.
This beautifully presented reissue, part of Be With's fresh campaign with the legendary library label Music De Wolfe, is well overdue.
Recorded for De Wolfe in 1972, Hogan, The Hawk, Dirty John Crown is a fantastic start-to-finish listen. The flute-funk of Hawkshaw and Parker's opener "The Hawk" comprises driving, fuzzy, wah-wah-drizzled bell-laced breaks with synths and basslines to murder for. Up next, Haseley's "The Happening" is a carefree, rhythmic builder with strings and horns. Let's face it, it doesn't prepare us for the monster that follows...
Hawkshaw and Parker's amazing "Main Chance" is likely the reason you're here; it's a moody, beaty proto-hip-hop banger; all rolling drums and flute-laced, organ-drenched, synth-funk breaks. Just sensational - you'll want to play it again and again and again.
The cool AF "Hogan Baby" has a soft, rounded, bluesy feel - it's a lighter number and Haseley's work here sounds more than a little indebted to Burt Bacharach. It's melancholic, reflective and contains ace breaks with beautiful flutes and wistful horns. It's just gorgeous. Grant's pounding "Dirty John Crown" brilliantly conjures swirling string-swept serenity atop driving, incisive drama-funk breaks. Sublime. Hawkshaw and Parker come roaring back with the murky, creeping crime-funk of "Swarf" with killer basslines underpinning slow-mo high-class flute-funk.
Reg Tilsley enters the fray with the bright, snappy, carefree "Turnover". It's lightweight but still retains some nice orchestral movements. The brief “Tarantula” gets us back on track - from the pen and chops of Hawkshaw and Parker, are we surprised? - with the driving crime funk breaks, super clean yet brooding. Synths, sax and 'nuff guitars. YES.
Side 2 opens with the car chase swag of Haseley's dramatic, driving "Precinct". Jazzy, instrumental flute funk over great percussive breaks. We love this. Haseley's rolling "Sidewinder Version 1" is robust and exuberant with bouncy horns before a cracking Parker-Hawkshaw one-two featuring the tense "Pressure" and the deeply soulful "Call Me", a relaxed, medium-tempo organ feature. With building piano and strings Gordon Grant's excellently titled "Scorch" is as aggressive and dramatic as you'd hope. Hawkshaw and Parker's furtive flute-funk of "Digger" precede the light, melodic and romantic themes of Tilsley's "Marianne" whilst "Sidewinder Version 2", a faster iteration of Track B2 sees Haseley close out this remarkable set in bouncy, bright fashion.
The audio for Hogan, The Hawk, Dirty John Crown has been meticulously remastered by Be With regular Simon Francis, ensuring this release sounds better than ever. Cicely Balston's expert skills have made sure nothing is lost in the cut whilst the records have been pressed to the highest possible standard at Record Industry in Holland. The original, iconic sleeve has been restored here at Be With HQ as the finishing touch to this long overdue re-issue.
