Search Manic Mark's Blog

Wednesday, July 5, 2017

The Passions - Les Baxter

The Passions
Featuring Bas Sheva
Les Baxter
Conducts His Original Composition
Capitol Records LAL-486
1954

Available on CD and YouTube, so I will not be posting a sample. Shared here to offer a look at the art found on the box and booklet.

Extremely nice single Capitol 10 inch disc packaged in box that includes one eight page informational insert. The booklet goes into detail, explaining how each track was conceptualized. Additional copy covers technical information and a description of FDS or Full Dimensional Sound.

Baxter's answer to Yma Sumac's early 1950's popularity? However, according to her entry in Wikipedia: The Passions was far too innovative and edgy and the album was not a commercial success. Despite this showcase of the astounding range of her voice, Bas Sheva never recorded again.

From the booklet insert: The Instruments of The Passions is a follows: 2 trumpets; 2 trombones; 1 French horn (an additional horn was used on one recording session); 10 violins; 2 violas; 2 cellos; String bass; Harp; Piano (doubling celeste); Percussion (snare, bass drum, tom toms cymbals, wood blocks, triangle, tympani, bells, vibraphone, xylophone, timbales, conga drum, bongos, guiro, tambourine, castanets cabaza, maracas, and gong); Choir: three male, three female.

Despair
Ectasy
Hate
Lust
Terror
Jealousy
Joy

1 comment:

  1. Hey, as someone getting into vintage records I am loving this blog! This record in particular is singularly fascinating, do you know of any other old ones like it where the vocals are all basically wordless expressions of varied emotions? It’s so avant garde that I can’t believe it was made back then but I must know if there’s more like it.

    ReplyDelete

Howdy! Thanks for leaving your thoughts!