Search Manic Mark's Blog

Friday, March 28, 2014

I Don't Care

Less And Less
Modern Sound
Country And Western
MS 1004

I Don't Care
Where You Been
I Won't Forget You
The Spirit Of This Land
Johnny Down The Aisle
Less And Less
When I Hear A Sad Song
Ode To The Little Brown Shack Out Back
Sad, Sad, Sad Situation
Just Loving You

Yesterday

Yesterday
Someday
Modern Sound
MS 1015

Baby Don't Go
You Were On My Mind
Surfin' In Moscow
South Street
She's Come Of Age
Yesterday
Kansas City Star
Swinging Spiritual
Someday
Sha La La La

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Greg Morris For You

The Look Of Love
Greg Morris
For You...
Dot Records DLP 25851
1968

From the back cover: To say that this first album by Mission: Impossible: television series actor Greg Morris is unique is putting it mildly. To say that it's in a class by itself is putting it even more mildly. Spoken narration of song lyrics to musical accompaniment is not new, and Greg could have taken the easy way by following he pattern of others who speak, rather than sing, lyrics to orchestral accompaniment with a strong melodic line.

From Billboard - April 27, 1968: Gerg Morris, of TV's "Mission Impossible," has a way with words, especially if they are of a romantic note. His style is in the recitative vein but it's quite musical and relays the mood of songs like "The Nearness Of You," "The More I See You," "Come Rain Or Come Shine" and "The Look Of Love" in a compelling manner.

For Once In My Life
The More I See You
The Nearness Of You
That's All
My One And Only Love
This Is All I Ask
Come Rain Or Come Shine
The Twelfth Of Never
Try To Remember
The Look Of Love

A Night At The Opera

Sample from side one (Aida)
A Night At The Opera
A Romantic Evening Of Beautiful Music
Hans Ledermann Conducting The State Opera Co. And Orchestra
Caravan Records
Parade Record Co. SP 303

Side A - Highlights from Aida – Verdio
Side B - Highlights from La Traviata Verdi

Miguelito Valdez

Bonbosero
Bwana
Miguelito Valdez
Playing His World Famous Latin Rhythms

Miguelito Valdez died in 1960 (see his wiki page). Starting as a musician in Havana night clubs, he emerged and went on to become regarded as one of the greatest sonorous and guaracheros in Cuba. It sounds like few Valdez tracks heard on this record were made while he conducted his orchestra in 1949/50. Budget label Sutton filled out the majority of album with whatever Latin tunes they could get there hands on. It is difficult to tell which, if any, of the instrumental tracks can be actually be attributed to Valdez and His Orchestra.

El Tampa
Bonbosero
Estampos Calleyeras
Toyland Cha Cha
Twilight In Barakeech
Bwana
Shine On Harvest Moon
Glow Worm
In The Shade Of The Old Apple Tree
Midnight Breeze

19th Nervous Breakdown

19th Nervous Breakdown
Nowhere Man
Modern Sound MS 1025

19the Nervous Breakdown
Daydream
As Usual
Baby Don't Go
California Street
Nowhere Man
It's Too Late
Can't Buy Me Love
Can't You See That She's Mine
Dance, Dance, Dance

Angelito y otros Exitos de Los Vagabundos

Angelito
Angelito y otros Exitos de Los Vagabundos
Recorded in Mexico by Campei, S. A.
Decca DL 74641

Angelito
Nena
Mi Muchachito
El Twist De Las Arrugas
Burlandote
El Pleito
Las Cinco Vocales
Imagenes
Ojos Tapatios
Limena
Los Animalitos
El Baile De La Escoba

The Best Songs Of Today

Something - Bobbie Vinton

Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In - The Ed Sullivan Singers
The Best Songs Of Today
Columbia Special Products CA-10465

What usually arrives in charity/thrift store shops in pristine shape, is over priced by staff as they scrawl, on the cover, the price with a chunky black marker? What is thrown into the record bin to have the box brutalized by costumer handling? Boxed music sets like this. Eventually, I think most must be thrown out. No one wants them. Neither do I. Or do I? Driven to look at the track list just to make sure that there that I'm not missing out on any interesting light pop covers I find that one of the four records in the set is dedicated to Beatles covers. And there are other gems to be found on this pop/mood collection including obscurities like Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In by The Ed Sullivan Singers.

Overall, this set is a nice collection of period Columbia "mood/pop" samples. Respect the box set.

Music Of The Times

MacArthur Park - Robert Goulet
Honey, Come Back - Jonny Mathis
Up, Up & Away - Ray Conniff & The Singers
Help Me Make It Through The Night - Jerry Vale
By The Time I Get To Phoenix - Charlie Byrd
Didn't We - Jimmy Wisner Sound
For The Good Times - O. C. Smith
Witchita Linemand - Peter Nero
Sunday Morning Comin' Down - Lynn Anderson
Galveston - Jim Nabors

The Beatles Beat

Elanor Rigby - The Percy Faith Strings
Michelle - John Davison
Variation On The Theme "Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da" - Peter Nero
My Sweet Lord - Johnny Mathis
Lady Madonna - Andre Kostelanetz & His Orchestra
Fool On The Hill - Andre Kostelanetz & His Orchestra
Something - Bobbie Vinton
Norwegian Wood - Charlie Byrd
Hey Jude - Ray Conniff & The Singers
Let It Be - Jerry Vale

A Bacharach & Simon Musicale

Do You Know The Way To San Jose - Percy Faith & His Orchestra
One Less Bell To Answer - Vikki Carr
Mrs. Robinson - Andre Kostelanetz & His Orchestra
Bridge Over Trouble Water - Ray Conniff & The Singers
Walk On By - Johnny Mathis
59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy) - Percy Faith & His Orchestra
This Guy's In Love With You - Jerry Vale
Scarborough Fair/Canticle - Peter Nero
Sounds Of Silence - Ray Conniff & The Singers
Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head - John Davidson

Great Favorites Of The 60's

Desafinado - Joe Harnell & The Band
Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet - Johnny Mathis
Mame - Andre Kostelanetz & His Orchestra
Angel Of The Morning - Charlie Byrd
Somewhere My Love - Robert Goulet
Those Were The Days - Percy Faith & His Orchestra
Honey - Patti Page
Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In - The Ed Sullivan Singers
Born Free - Jon Barry Orchestra

Enoch Light and the Glitter Guitars

Love Is Blue (Jay Berliner on fuzz tone)

Enoch Light and the Glittering Guitars
A New Dimension In The Most Exciting Musical Sound Today!
The Amazing Varied Sounds Of Electric Guitars
Producer: Enoch Light
Associate Producers: Julie Klages
Arrangements: Dick Lieb
Director Of Engineering: Phil Ramone
Cover Photos: John Vidol
Project 3 Total Sound Stereo
PR/5038SD
1969

From the back cover: A sound that's made up of every exciting new guitar effect: Vibrola, Fuzz tone, Electric sitar, Electric 12 string, Miraculous foot pedal effects.

From the inside (gatefold) cover: To show the full potential of this unusual grouping of guitars, Enoch Light called together some of the finest guitarists playing today – guitarists who are not only legends among other musicians but whose musically fame has spread to the general public – Tony Mottola (Associate Producers), Al Casamenti, Jay Berliner, Bucky Pizzarelli and the inventive Vinnie Bell.

As a harmonic pad for this guitar ensemble, there is a 14-piece string section with George Ockner as concertmaster. For contrast, the sound of the flute or piccolo, play by Phil Bodner, has been added. And for rhythmic foundation there are an organ or electric harpisichord, a Fender bass, a percussionist and a drummer.

Arrangements for this unusual group have been written by Dick Lieb, a remarkably imaginative orchestrator who writes for the "Tonight Show" orchestra and for Radio City Music Hall.


The Look Of Love
You Showed Me
A Blues Serenade
Stand By Your Man
Lo Mucho Que Te Quiero
Love Is Blue
Polka Dots And Moonbeams
I Love How You Love Me
Rain In My Heart
Light My Fire
Turn Around, Look At Me
Games People Play

Henry Mancini Favorites - Rudolph Statler

Charade (Stereo)

Henry Mancini Favorites
Orchestra And Chorus Directed by Rudolph Statler
Wyncote W-9046
1964

Apparently Wyncote only had access to  two of "Mancini Favorites". Side B features several filler tracks that do not remotely sound like they belong on the same record.

Charade
Pink Panther
Says Of Wine And Roses
Moon River

1969 San Remo Festival

Se Tu Ragazzo Mio - I Camaleonti
Ma Che Freddo Fa - I Roll's 33
1969 San Remo Festival
Twelve Greatest Hits
Recorded In Italy
Epic BF 19058

One in the series of 1960s San Remo Festival cheesecake covers. This copy printed so far out of register that you need 3D glasses to view it properly.

Banagla Desh - The Tribe

Here Comes The Sun
Bangladesh
The Tribe
Pickwick SPC-3300

Pickwick studio group set featuring a number of Beatles covers.

Bangla Desh
Blowin' In The Wind
It Don't Come Easy
A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall
Mr. Tambourine Man
Meditation Raga
Here Comes The Sun
Running Free
Something
My Sweet Lord

Annotations Of The Muses - Johnny RIchards

Part 1
Annotations Of The Muses
(Calliope, Clio, Erato, Euterpe, Melpomene, Polymnia, Terpsichore, Thalia, Urania)
Composed and Conducted by Johnny Richards
Legende LP 1401
Manufactured by Roost Records - New York, N.Y.
1955

10 inch 33 featuring dramatic cover art and a moody blending of jazz and "serious music".

Featuring Johnny Smith - guitar, Julius Baker - flute, Robert Bloom - oboe, Vincent J. Abato - clarinet, Harold P. Goltzer - basson, John R. Barrows - french horn, Joe Wilder - trumpet, Jack Lesbery - bass, Saul Gubin - timpani and drums.

From the back cover: There has been much talk in recent years about the close relastionship between jazz and what is usually called classical music (or sometimes "serious music", as if jazz musicians were kidding). They're coming closer and closer together, this talk usually goes. It's getting so you can't tell where one leaves off and the other begins, somebody says – wistfully, as if it where sinful or something to be ashamed of. And then somebody else – me, if I'm part of this familiar conversation – asks what all the sad words are about; why such viewing with alarm; why the dissatisfaction; it's music, isn't it?

– Barry Ulanov, Down Beat columnist, former editor of Metronome, author of A History of Jazz in America.