Mansfield is probably best known by American audiences as the composer of the tune "Funky Fanfare", (sampled by Danger Mouse as mentioned below) used for underscoring in the Astro Daters series of snipes produced by the National Screen Service in the late 1960s. That song is currently used during the opening credits of the show Pit Boss on Animal Planet, as well as backing music for the "Quick Hits" segment on the Sklarbro Country podcast. The Astro Daters "Our Next Attraction" was featured prominently in two films by Quentin Tarantino, Kill Bill and Grindhouse. A vocal version of Funky Fanfare entitled "House of Jack" was also recorded by James Royal in 1969. Another Mansfield composition, "National Trust" was the opening theme to the movie Fist of Fear, Touch of Death, which utilizes Mansfield's library music score, and as the logo jingle for CBS/Fox Video.
In the 1960s and 1970s, Mansfield was a major figure in the UK library music scene and recorded a great deal of material for the production music company KPM. His work has been sampled by prominent hip-hop producers such as Danger Mouse ('Funky Fanfare' on the DANGERDOOM track 'Old School Rules' and on 'Run' by Gnarls Barkley, and 'Morning Broadway' on DANGERDOOM track 'Space Ho's'), Madlib and Fatboy Slim. American sports fans will find a lot of Mansfield's and other KPM composers' music used on NFL Films team highlights and Super Bowl documentaries.
Mansfield was arranger and conductor for several tracks on Dusty Springfield's 1968 UK album Dusty... Definitely and acted as orchestral arranger on some huge hits for The Love Affair (Everlasting Love) and The Marmalade (Reflections of My Life), among others.
He also produced some memorable work with Maynard Ferguson the jazz musician.
Rainbow Valley
Keith Mansfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'cause it still seems I don't fit in.
And the world ain't all
I thought that it would be.
From this hill I'm looking down,
upon that friendly town.
There's a place I know
that's paradise to me.
The sun always shines
down in my Rainbow Valley.
There's one that's always mine,
down in my Rainbow Valley.
You can love and share a dream,
beside that crystal stream.
So lead me where the rainbow ends
in our valley.
The bird's sweetest song
comes from my Rainbow Valley.
They sing the whole year long
down in my Rainbow Valley.
The flowers speak to me,
an' say our love should be.
And heaven oh sweet music
flows from our valley
I'll never leave;
I belong in Rainbow Valley.
For life to love is free,
there's no wrong in Rainbow Valley.
When ever we can fly
through the cotton candy sky.
So lead me where the rainbow ends
in our valley.
The sun always shines
down in my Rainbow Valley.
There's one who's always mine
down in my Rainbow Valley.
I'll never leave;
I belong in Rainbow Valley.
The lyrics of Keith Mansfield's Rainbow Valley depict a sense of longing for a place of belonging in the world. The singer is returning home because they still do not feel like they fit in and the world hasn't lived up to their expectations. The contrast between their perceived reality and the idealized Paradise Valley creates a dreamlike atmosphere, where the lyrics paint a vivid picture of a utopian world where the sun always shines, the stream is crystal clear, the flowers speak, and the birds sing year-round.
Paradise Valley is a place where the singer feels a deep connection to nature and love. The valley is a symbol of hope and freedom where there is no wrong, and love is free. The singer finds solace in the colorful and whimsical world of their own imagination, where they can escape to a place of comfort and familiarity.
The overall theme of the lyrics is that of escapism, revealing a human desire to find a perfect and unspoiled place where we can connect with ourselves and our surroundings. The idea of Rainbow Valley as an imaginary place can be seen as a reflection of our human longing for a spiritual connection to the world.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm heading home again,
'cause it still seems I don't fit in.
The singer feels out of place in the world and is returning home where they feel they belong.
And the world ain't all
I thought that it would be.
The singer has expectations about the world that are not being met.
From this hill I'm looking down,
upon that friendly town.
The singer is observing their hometown from a distance.
There's a place I know
that's paradise to me.
The artist has found a place that feels like paradise to them.
The sun always shines
down in my Rainbow Valley.
In the artist's paradise, the sun always shines.
There's one that's always mine,
down in my Rainbow Valley.
The singer has a special place in their paradise that feels like it belongs only to them.
You can love and share a dream,
beside that crystal stream.
In the singer's paradise, it is possible to love and to share dreams by a crystal stream.
So lead me where the rainbow ends
in our valley.
The artist is hoping to be led to where the rainbow ends in their valley paradise.
The bird's sweetest song
comes from my Rainbow Valley.
In the artist's paradise, the sweetest bird songs can be heard.
They sing the whole year long
down in my Rainbow Valley.
The birds in the artist's paradise sing all year long.
The flowers speak to me,
an' say our love should be.
In the singer's paradise, the flowers seem to communicate that love should be shared among everyone there.
And heaven oh sweet music
flows from our valley
The artist perceives the music in their paradise as heavenly and sweet.
I'll never leave;
I belong in Rainbow Valley.
The singer feels as though they belong in their paradise and will never want to leave.
For life to love is free,
there's no wrong in Rainbow Valley.
In the singer's paradise, love is always given freely and there is no wrongdoing.
When ever we can fly
through the cotton candy sky.
In the singer's paradise, it is possible to fly through a cotton candy sky.
There's one who's always mine
down in my Rainbow Valley.
The artist has a special someone who is always with them in their paradise.
I'll never leave;
I belong in Rainbow Valley.
The artist reaffirms that they belong in their paradise and will never want to leave.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: LUTHER DIXON, OLLIE JONES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Charlie Mod
Wonderful
Oscar Gonzalez
Feels like you're entering paradise!!!
Video Gold
WOW!!!
KingOfFuh
From his CBS UK 1968 debut, All You Need Is Keith Mansfield. A1: All You Need Is Love, A2: You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling, A3: Everlasting Love, A4: Whiter Shade Of Pale, A5: Soul Thing (Funky Fanfare), A6: Moanin', B1: Walk On By, B2: Lovin' Things, B3: Reach Out, B4: Take 5, B5: Boogaloo, B6: Rainbow Valley. Funkalicious jams that can be heard during scenes of deep penetration, cunnilingus, or fellatio pre-Deep Throat era.
MULTIPLE TELEPHONE EXTENSION LEADS.
Beautiful soul schlager!
bob CHUNG
I was wondering why u had put a link on Radio Wollaton.
Wow! Hearing this is really unbelievable.
This is as close as the original sound of Rainbow Valley.
Thank you.