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Saturday, August 20, 2011

Soul Of The East - Buddy Sarkisan and His Mecca Four with Fred Elias

Turkish Nightmare
Soul Of The East
Buddy Sarkisan and His Mecca Four with Fred Elias
Wyncote SW 9020
1964

Wow! This is a budget label surprise! A totally smoking "belly dancing" LP!

From the back cover: The Mecca Four have appeared on television and have shared night club and concert billing with top recording artists, including a phenomenally successful appearance at the Yale Bowl. Leader Buddy Sarkisan has been called the king of Near Eastern Drummers, while Fred Elias, a graduate of the Boston Conservatory of Music, is generally acknowledged as the finest violinist in his field.

There is no Sarkisan information to be found online. The notes suggest that this is the second album for Sarkisan on Wyncote. But I can't find the album online.

Lure Of Paradise - Andre Kostelanetz

Lure Of Paradise
Andre Kostelanetz
Columbia CL 1335
1959

From Billboard September 7, 1959: Andre Kostelanetz. Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, Mr. Kotlelanetz arrived in the U.S. when he was 21 and found employment in this country as an accompanist and coach for singers of the Metropolitan Opera. Since 1940, the well-known conductor-composer, has recorded exclusively for Columbia Records. Two of his albums, Strauss Waltzes and Lure Of Paradise are part of Columbia's Fall Festival of new releases.

Aloha Oe
Song Of The Islands
Kalua
Bali-Ha'i
Sweet Leilani
On The Beach At Waikiki
Hawaiian War Chant
My Honolulu Tomboy
Gates Of Heaven (Traditional Japanese Court Ceremonial)
The Moon Of Manakoora
Kashmiri Song
Lotus Land
We Kiss In A Shadow
Now Is The Hour

Friday, August 19, 2011

Come To Hawaii - The Hawaiian Beachcombers

Beyond The Reef
Come To Hawaii
The Hawaiian Beachcombers
Unart S 21024
1967

This album was a bit of a surprise. There is a Denny/Lyman sound going on behind the steel guitar. The record features decent arrangements and a consistent smooth sound throughout.

Apparently The Beachcombers were a studio group.

Hawaiian Record Mystery - Covers

The following  pressings contain the same group of tracks, sometimes retitled and occasionally padded with additional stock tracks.


Hawaiian Magic
Featuring The Orchestra Of Lani Kai
Diplomat D-2326

Hawaiian Holiday
Leni Okehu And His Surfboarders
Internation Grand Award Series AKS-105

Hawaiian Romance
The Island Serenaders
Palace PST-613 & M-613

Hawaiian Holiday
Leni Okehu And His Surfboarders
Grand Prix Series K105

Aloha Hawaii
Harry Kaapuni And His Royal Polynesians
Coronet Records CX 43

The Waikiki Surfriders
Design Records
DLP 243

Hawaiian Interlude
Jonnie Alunani And His Orchestra
Spinorama S-12

Hawaii Tattoo
The Hawaiians
Crown Records CST454

Holiday In Hawaii
The Hawaiians
Crown Records CST 125

Hawaiian Holiday
Hawaiian Holiday
Terry McKee And His Band
Pirouette FM12

Hawaiian Starlight
Hawaiian Holiday
Lani Scott and Orchestra
Golden Tone 658

Red Sails In The Sunset
Sounds Of Hawaii
Diplomat Records D 2328 & DS 2328

Hurrah Hawaii
20 Golden Moments Of Hawaiian Music
Diplomat D 2425

Hawaiian Paradise
Featuring Harry Kalani and The Islanders
Silver Seal UT-135
Hawaiian Luau
Riviera STR043

Every Day Is A Fun Day In A Little Red Schoolhouse

Mister Grouch
Every Day Is Fun Day In A Little Red Schoolhouse
Peter Pan Record Of Knowledge 8086

Slow Glow - Annita Ray

Slow Glow
Annita Ray
AVA Records A/AS-16
1963

This album is available for purchase/download so I will not be posting a sample.

Julie London is one of my favorite torch singers. I thought of London when I put this LP on the turntable.

Apparently this is Ray's only solo 12 inch release. Obscure as the record is, you can find it on import CD and by digital download. Ray seems not to have a wiki page and I wasn't able to find out what happened to her elsewhere online.

Gold Award Hits - 101 Strings

Aquarius
Gold Award Hits
101 Strings
Alshire S-5161
1969

As 101s go, this one isn't bad. A few of the arrangements are 60s bold enough to hold your interest. The Love Theme From Romeo And Juliet features bongos of all instruments.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

The Very Best Of Martin Denny

The Very Best Of Martin Denny
United Artists
UA-LA383-E
1975

The engineering on this compilation is excellent.

This is an autographed copy.

To Bob and Madaline
We had a lot of laughs
To Two swell people
Aloha
Matin Denny
3/13/83

Quite Village
Bali Hai
Hawaiian Wedding Song
Pearly Shells
Ebb Tide
Beyond The Reef
The Enchanted Sea
Martinique
More (Theme From "Mondo Cane")
Tiny Bubbles
A Taste Of Honey
Beyond The Sea

Dancing At The Discotheque - Lester Lanin

West Indies Ska
Lester Lanin
Dancing At The Discotheque
Philips PHS 600-145
1964

What a curious record! 60s flavored fox trots, a stray merengue and cha cha and a few lindys as you might expect from Lanin mixed in with wild numbers like West Indies Ska, Tennage Craze, Got My Mojo Workin' and Bye Bye Baby that are over the top! The contrast between tracks is a bit of a shock to the senses.

Hawaiian Magic - The Waikiki Islanders

Beneath Hawaiian Skies
Hawaiian Magic
The Waikiki Islanders
Tiffany Records 2006
1960

This is a obscure album featuring fine island music. This album may or may not be connected somehow to the history found on this page. There are no artist names printed on the jacket to help me make connections and this album doesn't appear as reference on the site. At some point, someone out there will correct me or help me fill in the blanks.

Enjoy!

Kojak

Five Star Final
Kojak
2 Exciting Stories
Peter Pan Records BR 518
1977


Wednesday, August 17, 2011

A Latin Happening - Tony Hatch

Working In The Coal Mine
A Latin Happening
Tony Hatch
Warner Bros. Records - WS 1671
1967

This is a nice and groovy light pop Latin flavored LP with moments of uniqueness. It looks like the title track, which is the last tune on side 2, is available for purchase/download. But the rest of the album can only be had on vinyl.

Read more about Hatch on his wiki page.

The Great TV Themes - Frank Chacksfield And His Orchestra

The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
The Great TV Themes
Frank Chacksfield And His Orchestra
Phase 4 Stereo London SP 44077
1966

I have to admit that most Chacksfield albums I've stumbled across fail to impress me. It seems like he tried to ride the trendy waves of pop music after early success with Ebb Tide but couldn't grasp the nuances that made space age music cool.

However, this album is the exception to my experience. There are some great space age tunes on the LP. The overall vibe is bright and fun.

The Sound Of Sight - Ray Martin

The Sound Of Sight
Music For An Experiment in Imagination
Composed and Conducted by Ray Martin
Phase 4 Stereo Spectacular
Decca PFS 4043
1964

Available for purchase on combo CD with Memories Are Made of Music. So I will not be posting a sample.

The CD doesn't feature the complete Jack Davis cover illustration. So here you have it.

I've got several Ray Martin albums. His covers album of James Bond tunes is stellar. Check out the track titled Goldfinger.

This album is highly entertaining. It starts off a tad slow but gets whacked quickly. The concept is to create sonic stories with orchestra and sound effects. Like a movie soundtrack without dialog. I'm not sure if the experiment was entirely successful... but the approach does present us with some "music" that reflects the playful nature of the Davis illustration.

Honeymoon In Manhattan - The New World Theatre Orchestra

After Hours Joint
Honeymoon In Manhattan
The New World Theatre Orchestra
SF-3000
1958

Somerset is known for budget records. But the company did release interesting recordings. This album could be considered a "concept" album. There are four extended tracks on each side, each titled in such a way to give your the impression that you are going on a tour of NY. The music, while leaning towards orchestrated easy listening, is complex and holds the interest.

And you can tell that D.L. Miller, label owner, was excited by the project because of the large bold faced credits found on the back of the jacket: All arrangements, except Slaughter On 10th Ave. and Street Scene, in this album were scored by Joe Kuhn, cover photo by Frank Zimmerman – Cover art, Joe Krush. This album was produced under the direction of D.L. Miller.

The one thing I find curious... is the "embossed" Somerset logo oddly printed in the middle of the cover. As a designer myself, it makes no sense to place it there. And why the metallic ink overprint?

Desmond Blue - Paul Desmond

Desmond Blue
Paul Desmond With Strings
Arranged and Conducted by Bob Prince featuring Jim Hall, guitar
RCA Victor LSP-2438
1962

Available as CD/download so I will not be posting a sample.

Excellent space age small combo jazz blended with easy listening strings. Smoky, blue and smooth.

Read about Desmond on his wiki page.

My Funny Valentine
Desmond Blue
Then I'll Be Tired Of You
I've Got You Under My Skin
Late Lament
I Should Care
Like Someone In Love
Ill Wind
Body And Soul

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

An Evening At Goldie's New York

An Evening At Goldie's New York
Mercury MG 20544
1960

There is some incredibly long copy on the back cover going on and on about Goldie's (a popular East Side club). It's difficult to get to who's actually playing on the album. Louis Golson Hawkins and Wayne Sander's (the proprietor) seem to be the piano duo featured on the album which features mostly easy listening medleys. The music really doesn't do it for me. But I love the cheesecake cover!

Sizzling Strings - Castanets - Percussion - Don Luis Quintero and the Madrid Festival Orchestra

Solea Canastrea - Soleares
Sizzling Strings - Castanets - Percussion
Don Luis Quintero and the Madrid Festival Orchestra
Plus the Mario Valero Dancers and guitarist Jose Alvarez
Directional Sound DS-5007
Premier Album
1961

Apparently Premier (a budget label) decided to compete with the success of Command Records in this early 60s "percussion" release. The jacket was also styled after Commands' book-fold design.

There is no "percussion" or "ping-pong" on this album. The track titles include great tunes like Granada, Espana and Ravel's Bolero... but they do not deliver the goods as advertised.

And apparently there were not enough "Luis" tracks to fill out the disc so DS threw in a Flamenco dance number and one guitar track they had on the shelf. Those tracks are dramatically different in tone from the rest of the music. However, in my opinion, the Alvarez track is the high point so I'll post that gem as the sample.

From Billboard: March 20, 1961: A "pops" styled approach to music in the Spanish idiom, such as truncated versions of Rimsky-Korsakoff's "Capriccio Espagnol," " Bolero," as well as Chabrier's "Espana Rhapsody" and the Jotas from Larreglas' "Viva Navarra!" Mixed in are a couple of tracks of gypsy-style dancing supported by guitar, clapping, stamping, and castanets. Can serve as an introduction to this type of music.

Granada
Espana
Fiesta Trianera
La Paloma
Viva Navarra
Capriccio Espanol
Ravel's Bolero
Seranata Espanola
Solea Canastera―Soleares
Estudiantina

Rich Man, Poor Man Theme - Don Tweedy Orchestra

Swamp Fire
Rich Man, Poor Man Theme
Don Tweedy Orchestra
King 966
Gusto Records 1976

Apparently a self-produced private press from an obscure orchestra. Tweedy seems to have released about four albums.

Standard easy listening for the most part. Swamp Fire gets the big band treatment.

Monday, August 15, 2011

Santa Claus And The Fun Street Gang

Santa Claus Is Discoin' To Town
Santa Claus And The Fun Street Gang
Classic Christmas
CCR 1948
1982

I know it sounds like I fooled around with the pitch or speed. Nope... this is the real track...

The Hollyridge Strings - Play The Hits Of Simon And Garfunkel

Scarborough Fair Canticle
The Hollyridge Strings
Play The Hits Of Simon And Garfunkel
Capitol ST8-2998
1968

The Hollyridge Strings specialized in orchestral versions of contemporary pop artists. I expected some 60s cheese, but experienced a well produced easy listening album. This Hollyridge entry was arranged and conducted by Mort Garson.

Harmonica Magic Of Leo Diamond

Waterfall
Harmonica Magic Of Leo Diamond
RCA Victor LPM-1042
1955 & 1958 (1958 issue cover photo by Wendy Hilt)

From Billboard - March 26, 1955: Not too long ago Leo Diamond's "Offshore" scored a solid hit. The composer and harmonics virtuoso has put together a dozen tunes on this disk, including the aforementioned and others from his pen, as "Dock Dance" and "Casino," plus standards as "Red Sails In The Sunset." It's a lush-sounding album, with fine harmonica work and beautiful backing by Harry Geller. Diamond has done much to raise the status of the harmonica as an instrument. For the dealer, this merchandise still falls in the novelty category; but in many shops it is likely to prove good stock.

Lisbon
Off Shore
Red Sails In The Sunset
Horizon
Be Waiting From Me
Casino
Dock Dance
Lola
Hold On To Your Dreams
Tijuana Border
The High And The Mighty 
Waterfall

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Luiz Bonfa

Love Birds
Oba Oba
Luiz Bonfa
Dot DLP 25804
1967

This album was a bit of a surprise. From the cover I was expecting a "folk" guitar LP. But what I got was a smooth blend of light pop, latin, and space age easy listening vocals with Bonfa supporting the mix.

You can read about Bonfa on his wiki page. And here is a link to his impressive discography.

This is a cool album.

South Pacific - John T. Williams and Walter Ruick

Bali Ha'i
South Pacific
Tops L1614
Featuring The Duo Pianos of John T. Williams and Walter Ruick
1958

Curious small combo, lounge approach from the budget label, Tops.

Soft Guitars - Mr. "Guitar" and Mr. "Y"

Clair de Lune
Soft Guitars
Mr. "Guitar" and Mr. "Y"
Series 2000
Time Records 52052
1962

Artists as listed on the jacket are: Guitars - Don Arnone and Mr. "Guitar", Bass - Frank Carroll and Harp - Gloria Agostini.

Very nice small combo soft jazz album.