Unusual Sounds - David Hollander

Back when low-cost TV and crazy movies were all the rage, producers looking for music for their creations could draw from a ready-made sound bank: ready-made vinyl records for any mood. It was a money-saving trick, because hiring a composer was expensive. But quickly, this story took a crazy turn: the guys who made these records started to hit it big, and it turns out that many of these anonymous or pseudonymous musicians were actually musical geniuses of the 20th century. They loved having fun composing for this square industry, it's crazy!

Unusual Sounds is a dive into a musical universe that only production pros and vinyl fans know. It's a celebration of this bizarre business, at the crossroads of art and commerce. With overly stylish drawings by Robert Beatty and an introductory note by George A. Romero, the guy who used library music in "Night of the Living Dead" to revolutionize cinema. If you're into this mysterious thing and its hidden but omnipresent cultural impact, this book is for you!