India Treasures In Sound

Tritala

India Treasures In Sound
UA International
UNS 15532
1967

There is a lot of copy on the back cover that goes on about the music culture in India and each of the five tracks is outlined, but there is no mention of the artists the preform the music.

Tritala: The rhythm of four bar with four beats in each. It is played by hands on a pair of drums called TABLA and BANYA. The right hand drum, which is made of wood, is called TABLA and the left hand one, made of copper or clay, is called BANYA. The sharp and clear beats are produced by the right hand, while the left hand, showing the end of the bar, sometimes moves its whole palm across the drum head, producing a dull sound. In this recording of the Tritala rhythm, a string and bow instrument called SARANGI has been used in order to give a melodic background to the TABLA. The string instrument repeats a melodic phrase over and over again while the drummer takes the lead. This is played in the North Indian Style.

Smoky Hill High School - Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

1981 - 82
Smoky Hill High School
Wind Ensemble
And Jazz Ensemble I
Soundmark R968

Smoky Hill High School - Rituale

1981 - 82
Smoky Hill High School
Wind Ensemble
And Jazz Ensemble I
Soundmark R968

You never know if you will find a gem when you buy a recording made by High School kids. Especially when the back cover is blank. There is no information to share.

I did find a few treasures on this LP.  Check out this wonderful dark and dramatic track titled: Rituale by Del Borgo (Del Borgo was a prolific publisher of music for junior high and high school bands). This is a complex piece of music. The tune is sort of exotica or soundtrack-like. Great stuff!

Tijuana Taxi

Tujuana Taxi

Guadalajara Brass
Spinorama Records M-164

Not much information to be found on this recording which was released sometime in the 60s during the space age brass fad. Lonely Bull was a hit for Herb Alpert in 1962.

This was Spinorama's budget effort to cash in. I like the Spinorama lable. But this recording is sloppy and many tunes  lack energy to the point that I could hardly believe that I was listening to a professional recording.

Korla Pandit - Music Of The Exotic East

Korla Pandit
Play Music Of The Exotic East
Fantast 3272
1958

According to korlapandit.com, this LP is Pandit's second 12 inch 33 RPM album released after Universal Language Of Music Volume One.

This is a wonderful exotica recording. The vibe is moody, subtle and atmospheric.

Someone needs to make a movie about this guy's life.

Disco Duck

Silly Love Songs

Disco Duck
Dance Party
Iwrin The Disco Duck and the Wibble Wabble Singers and Orchestra
Peter Pan 8191
1976

Disco Duck
A Fifth Of Beethoven
Love Will Keep Us Together
Silly Love Songs
That's The Way I Like It
Fly, Robin, Fly
December 1963 (Oh What A Night)
Shame, Shame, Shame
Kung-Fu Fighting
The Hustle

Puff The Magic Dragon

Chip The Chimpanzee

Puff The Magic Dragon
Peter Pan N8072

One of the better Peter Pan releases I've stumbled across. Creative songs with a space age feel that make the set fun for any age.

Percussion In A Tribute To The Big Bands

Nightmare - Artie Shaw

Percussion In A Tribute To The Big Bands
Featuring The Frankie Capp Percussion Group
Kimberly Records 11011

This album was a pleasant surprise. The set is a budget affair and part of a series of "Stereo In Motion" records produced by Kimberly to cash in on the "percussion" trend started by Enoch Light.

Apparently, Frankie Capp was handed existing material to overdub. Cheap? Yes. Budget cover? Yes. But the results rock compared to many budget percussion LPs I've heard. In my opinion, Capp does an excellent job of blending his work into the big band tracks to create these unique covers.

Lawernce Welk - Moments To Remember

Lawernce Welk And His Sparkling Strings
Moments To Remember
Coral Records CRL 57068
1956

I take it that Welk made so many records that it would be impossible to build a complete discography. I can't find one so I don't know where this record falls in with the rest.

This wonderful and sexy space age cover on this LP grabbed me and now I have a Welk in my collection.

The music is still pretty schmaltzy.

Ferrante & Teicher - Star Wars

Ferrante & Teicher
Star Wars
United Artists
1978

No matter what you think about hybridizing easy listening and disco... you have to admit that Ferrante & Teicher had great taste in suits. This is a fab cover.

If you don't know Ferrante & Teicher, google them and check out their early experimental work.

And if you aren't into the disco-easy-listening-hybrid-monster... then the B side is pretty much straight forward easy listening.

Doggie Daddy And Augie Doggie

Drip The Drop-Out

Doggie Daddy And Augie Doggie
Pinocchio In Story And Song
Columbia Special Products
1977

Doggie Daddy and Augie Doggie was a cartoon that ran from 19 September 1959 through October 1961. Apparently, in reruns, the cartoon had enough staying power to motivate Hanna-Barbera to re-release this 1965 album in 1977.

I remember watching this show as a kid. The script was written, I think, as much for the adults as it was for children.

Party Time - Dance & Game Songs

Cha Cha Cha

Party Time

Dance & Game Songs
Peter Pan

Peter Pan records found a vintage 40s illustration and a few old songs and threw this record together... maybe as late as the early 70s. Most of the songs on this LP are those great 40s/50s children songs recorded when kids songs were created with real instruments.

Most of these tunes sound like somewhat like children's tunes, but there are several songs on the album that are way out of place in comparison. Check out Cha Cha Cha! I swear this song is the 4th track on the A side. On the B side there is a Hawaiian tune, Aloha, that is also very much out of place.

Galloping Fingers - Ethel Smith

Ethel Smith
Galloping Fingers
Decca Records DL 5327
1951

Here is another Decca 10 inch LP with a wonderful cover featuring The First Lady Of The Organ dressed to the nines.

Ethel Smith - Souvenir Album

Ethel Smith
Souvenir Album
Organ Solos With The Bando Carioca
Decca DL 5016
1949

This is a 10 inch LP. I've seen the same set online, as a gatefold 2-disc EP, featuring a different cover and with yet another cover dressing up a 45 Boxed Set. All three covers use a "Latin" flavored illustration that features a different photo of Smith.

Tico-Tico
Lero Lero
Bem Te Vi Atrevido
The Parrot (Os Pintonhos No Terreiro)
Paran Pan Pin
Cachita
Toca Tu Samba
Dinorah
Allá En El Rancho Grande
Las Altenitas
The Breeze And I

Brazen Brass - Henry Jerome Goes Latin

Taboo

Brazen Brass
Henry Jerome Goes Latin!
Decca DL 74226

This is a nice brass album by Henry Jerome that feature several fab covers of exotica tunes on the LP.

I can't find the release date for the album although certainly the early 60s, maybe 62 pr 63. Jerome released 8 "Brazen Brass" albums. This LP is next to last in the discography.

Jerome was inspired by Enoch Light's Percussion series but did his own experimenting with stereo engineering. He had success with this brass series having 4 of them in the top 10 at the same time.

At The St. Maritz - Irving Field Trio

At The St. Maritz

Irving Fields Trio
Cocktail Dance Time
ABC-Paramount ABC-187
1957

This is another great Fields album for the collection. Fields made a number of collectible space age records including Champagne and Bongs, Bikinis and Bongs and Bagels and Bongos. According to online sources, spaceage pop and wikipedia, Fields was proud of his lounge roots.

24 Electrifying Hits

Together by The Illusion

24 Electrifying Hits

Syndicate Products SH 930
1969

This is a Canadian release from a company that was located in Manitoba. This is a great compilation of original recordings that came inside a groovy looking jacket.

Christmas Favorites - Tops

White Christmas & It Came Upon A Midnight Clear

Christmas Favorites
Tops Orchestra & Choristers
L1525

On this last sweltering 94 degree day of August I present a budget Christmas album with a pretty white vintage cover.

There are no real treasures. However, the lame Bing Crosby clone covering White Christmas and a horrible version of It Came On A Midnight Clear is a good return on my 25¢ investment.

Music To Love By - Jay Wilbur

Summertime

Music To Love By
Jay Wilbur & His String Orchestra
Top L1507-149
1957

Today The Atomic Attic features another great Tops cover sporting a pair of fine looking models. The cover graphic and music go well together.

Holiday For Strings
The Touch Of Your Lips
Make Believe
One Night Of Love
These Foolish Things
They Didn't Believe Me
I'm Getting Sentimental Over You
The Very Thought Of Your
Summertime
Lady Be Good
Tico, Tico
Mamselle

Hi-Fi - Antics - Meri Ellen And Her Cohorts

I Cried For You

Hi-Fi- Antics
Meri Ellen And Her Cohorts
Featuring Guest Star Don Elliott
Design Records DLP 63
1957

This is a a great space age/exotica/jazz album/comedy album. I can't find any information on Meri Ellen and her "cohorts" online. Strange, this record too wicked cool to be lost to history!

The album kicks off with cover of Hawaiian War Chant. Ellen parodies Yma Sumac to a tee at the start of the song and then she makes a crack about the song and then the tune shifts to the slightly humorous. None of the songs break down completely into parody, just a light touch here and there and then back to real exotica or jazz. There are a number of tunes that are played straight and are fabulous.

You've got me, Funny Valentine, Cry Me A River (Ellen is SMOKING sexy hot on this one) and I Cried For You are the straight forward tunes. Ellen displays great range and awesome talent.

Calypso Holiday

Calypso Holiday
The Norman Luboff Choir
Columbia CL 1000
1957

Very mainstream white bread calypso album featuring colorful cover design.

Fireworks - Billy Mure's Supersonic Guitars

April In Portugal

Fireworks
Billy Mure's Supersonic Guitars
RCA Victor LSP-1694
1957

This is Mure's first release. There is a little bit of everything on this set to sink your teeth into. Some tracks approach the sound of early rock and some tracks are an interesting blend of easy listening (Enoch Light) choral and guitar. And there are a few "island flavored " tracks. In this case, the wide ranging song selections do not bother me. I enjoyed every song!

The Three Suns - Love In The Afternoon

The Very Thought Of You

The Three Suns
Love In The Afternoon
RCA Victor LSP-1669
1959

From Billboard - February 9, 1959: While recognizable as Three Suns instrumentation (guitar, accordion and organ), this package has an additional and richer sound. Added are two violins, cello, bass guitar and mandolin – making possible more intricate scoring. Material includes standards as "Let Me Call You Sweetheart," "The Very Thought Of You," "I'm In The Mood For Love," etc. Excellent on stereo.

Let Me Call You Sweetheart
The Very Thought Of You
Lovers' Bouquet
Love In The Afternoon
Love (Your Spell Is Everywhere)
How Deep Is The Ocean
I'll Get By (As Long As I Have You)
Breath Of Spring
I'm In The Mood For Love
My Melancholy Baby
Do I Love You
Dream

Jerome Kern - Ping Pong Percussion

Long Ago And Far Away

Jerome Kern
Ping Pong Percussion
By The Famous Stradivari Strings
Designed By Harry and Marion Zelenko, Inc. (S-66)
Spinorama Records S-66
Pirouette Records RFM 66
Parade SP 349

This record is another attempt to cash in on the early 60s "percussion" fad.

The engineer added "ping-pong-like" sound effects to the beginning of each lush string track. The contrast between the space age ping pong and the easy listening is stark and pointless.

The Parade release credits Al Goodman And His Orchestra on the label.

From the back cover: Al Goodman famous conductor and musician has devoted all his life to music. Like Kern, Al Goodman's love for music and his inherent musical ability were manifest at an early age. As a youngster he sang soprano in his father's choir, became a musician in the pit of a local "movie house", and was awarded a scholarship to the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore.

In 1915 Al Goodman was selected by Earl Carroll to accompany him to California as arranger and conductor. That was Goodman's official entry into show business... the start of an illustrious career which brought him into personal contact with the all-time "greats" as the conductor of many shows and musical productions whose successes were due in great measure to his outstanding ability.

Al Goodman produced musical comedies with Earl Carroll... be became Al Jolson's personal conductor and arranger, J. J. Shubert made him general musical director and composer of all Shubert musical productions. He later became associated with various Radio and TV Shows as musical consultant and director.

This Song Is For You
The Way You Look Tonight
The Night Was Made For Love
The Last Time I Saw Paris
Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
Look For The Silver Lining
All The Things You Are
Long Ago And Far Away
They Didn't Believe Me
I've Told Every Little Star