Various - Pink Panther's Penthouse Party

Henry Mancini was a master musician. His music will always be remembered and anytime you watch a film that he scored you'll learn to identify his sound and hear what a great musician he was. You can actually hear his trademark sound and get to recognize his style.

Pink Panther's Penthouse Party came out to coincide with the release of the DVD box set of the Pink Panther Movies. The CD includes the original version of the Pink Panther Theme as well as remixes of it by Fischerspooner, which basically adds the signature Fischerspooner sound from (the #1 album) and mixes a modern dance beat to the original. Also, there's the Malibu Remix, which adds a big beat sound to the original version of the track. And then there's also the Pink Panther Theme Revisited by St. Germain, which slows down the track and adds a funky, jazzy and groovy beat to the original. You can also find a remake of the Shot In The Dark Theme mixed with The Peter Gunn Theme called (The Gunn Mix) by Chris Mancini and Lennart. This is a fun and groovy remake, which basically mixes the two Henry Mancini classics tunes together as one piece. A great idea and excellent execution!

The album also contains some original tracks by artists that sound or are inspired by the Henry Mancini sound. Some of the great original tracks included on here are Tres Tres Chic by Mocean Worker, which fits perfectly in this collection. This track has a French vocal sampling to the very fun and upbeat loungy dance beat. Then there's Intraspettro by Les Hommes which sounds like an update Bossa Nova lounge track. Bossa Per Due is also another fun track on here dating back to 2000 but still sounding retro fresh! I remember this track was used in a Nissan car commercial back in 2000. I immediately had to find out who it was. A great find for sure! The track works perfectly in the Pink Panther's Penthouse Party mix. Other stand out cuts included on here are Voulez Vous by Arling and Cameron, Sacre Francais by Dimitri From Paris (who's most definitely inspired by the excellent sound of Henry Mancini), Bachelor Pad by Fantastic Plastic Machine, The Girl From Ipanema by Pizzicato Five and Smokebomb by Ursula 1000. The only track I had a problem with in this collection was San Antonio by Kinky. I like the track but I didn't think it fits here in this collection.

Overall, Pink Panther's Penthouse Party is a fun mix of loungy music which includes original and remixed versions of Henry Mancini's classic tracks as well as music that is inspired by the master musician. I just wish there was a remake or remix of It Had Better Be Tonight.