Howdy Folks! Check out my Atomic Age Vinyl Finds! If there are copyright issues or a problem with any post, just contact me and I will make corrections. I'm here to have fun and hope you will share in my process of discovery!
Love Is All
Les Reed and His Orchestra
The Eddie Lester Singers
Producer: Tony D'Amato
Design: Farmlett, Barsanti & Assoc.
London SP 44136
1970
Something In The Air
Good Morning Starshine
Spinning Wheel
I'll Find A Love
Spartacus
My Cherie Amour
Sweet Caroline
Crystal Blue Persuasion
A Way Of Life
Sugar Pie
On Days Like These
Love Is All
Lushly orchestrated if somewhat mild exotica from Dave Miller. Well executed glossy cover art gives the feel of a cover printed somewhat later. Billboard also like the image calling the cover a "big display-plus".
Oddly, only the last track on the B side, "Kashmiri Song" features some stock "bird" sounds as a lead-in to the tune which quickly becomes a standard mood number.
Home For Christmas
Wayne Dunn
Piano And Organ
Majestic Records WDST 112
1973
Local, Cincinnati, Ohio, vanity press Christmas album with references to Bible numerology on the back cover. "The number 3 appears 7 times (on the cover). 3 Children, 3 Toys, 3 Candles, 3 Logs, 3 Piece Brass Fireplace Set, 3 Stockings and 3 Toys In Each Stocking. With the note that this 3-7 thing was "unplanned".
There is also a note where the photo was taken and who the children are (Robyn, Wesley and Jonathan). Folks just don't make recordings like this anymore, or at least package them this way.
Rusty York is credited as an engineer. His name more frequently appears in association with Jewel Records.
Tropical Fantasy
Adventures In Exotica Sounds And Percussion
Michel Magne And His Orchestra
Cover Illustration: Marilyn Bass
Columbia CS 8493
1962
From the back cover: "I like humor in all its forms. I particularly like to ally humor with drama. I realize that many musicians take themselves seriously – this is not so in my case." Michel Magne's statement sheds some light on his rather unusual approach. The essential humor of "Tropical Fantasy," however, is but one aspect of the highly controversial Frenchman's music. At 31, he has composed more than 30 major symphonic works and the scores for more than 60 French films. Among his symphonic works are pieces titled "Seismic Shock In The Year 2773," "Human Symphony," "Cape Canveral" and "Psychological And Physiological Music." He also wrote the score for "Rendezvous Manqué" (Broken Date"), a celebrated ballet written by Fancoise Sagan, directed by Roger Vadim, with setting by Bernard Buffet.
Praised by some, damned by others, Magne's music never leaves his listeners unmoved. It has been said of him that he uses sound as a painter uses dabs of color on a canvas. In a review of Magne's "Symphonie Humaine," the noted French critic Jean Witold said, "His music is truly a product of our times."
Fantasy, says Webster, means "whimsical, grotesque or bizarre image-making." Brilliant youn French musician, Michel Magne, turns all this into sound that amuses and shocks. The is music to do nothing by listen by – it will leave you too breathless for anything else. – Billy James
Bahia
Sahara
Brazil
Perfidia
The Peanut Vendor
Come Closer To Me
Two Silhouettes
Congo
Besame Mucho
Tropical
Tabu
El Cumbanchero
You Belong To My Heart
Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps
Mister Percussion
Terry Snyder And The All Stars
Produced by Don Costa
Production Director: Ron Nackman (United Artists)
Cover Designers: Emmett McBain (Chicago) and Mitchell-Morrison (New York)
Photography: Maurice Seymour
Recording Studio: Fine Sound (New York City)
Printing: Photo Press (Chicago)
Pressing Plants: RCA Victor Custom (Indianapolis, Ind.)
Mastering: George Spiros (Stereo/Monaural)
Recording Engineer: Bob Fine
Ultra Audio
A Product Of United Artists Records
WWS 8500
1960
Musicians:
Terry Synder: Leader, Drums
Don Lamond: Drums
Robert Haggart: Bass
William Rodriguez, Joseph Venuto, Ted Summer: Precussion
Al Caiola, Tony Mattola, Allen Hanlon: Guitar
Bernie Leighton: Piano
Romeo Penque, Phil Bodner, Stan Webb, Bernie Kaufman: Saxophone
Urbie Green: Trombone
James Nottingham, Carl H. Severinson: Trumpet
Snyder worked on the first four Command Label Persuasive Percussion sets. For this project United Artists replicated the look and sound of those successful packages right down to the book-fold jacket, minimalist jacket artwork and "ping-pong" audio effects. The arranging and engineering is top notch.
From the inside cover: Terry Synder is now an exclusive Ultra Audio recording artist. He was signed to initiate Ultra Audio's new series of brilliant sound albums, albums that set new standards for the record industry from both a musical and a high fidelity standpoint. This is the first album by Terry Snyder on Ultra Audio and there will be others by this most talented and imaginative performer.
From Billboard - August 8, 1960: Another discern entered the rapidly growing specialized sound LP field this month with the advent of United Artists new subsidiary Ultra Audio Records. The new line will be marketed September 15, with the release of "Mister Percussion," by the newly signed Terry Snyder and the All Stars and four other packages.
The acquisition of Snyder as an artist should give the new Ultra Audio line a strong send-off, since Snyder's Command LPs (for the Enoch Light-ABC Paramount label have long been top sellers in the sound field. Snyder's Command waxing "Persuasive Percussion" is currently No. 1 on The Billboard's Stereo Action Album charts. UA's Ultra Audio line will retail at $4.98 monaural and $5.98 stereo. In addition to the Snyder package, the first five Ultra Audio albums will include LP's by leading UA artists, including UA's a&r chief Don Costa and the piano team, Ferrante and Teacher. Repertoire has not yet been set, but the albums will spotlight different types of quality instrumental sounds.
Don Costa will also head up a&r for the new label. UA vet-pee-general manager Art Talmadge plans to release at least 15 more Ultra Audio albums by the first of next year, with several Snyder packages included in the group. An extensive consumer ad campaign will herald the first releases.
The Ultra Audio albums will be double-jacketed and will include a "secret" mechanical gimmick which will enable listeners to be their own engineers. Details of the gimmick are under wraps until next month, but it will make it possible for the listener to test his speakers and balance them correctly. Each album will be packaged in a special polyethylene container, and UA is providing dealers with specially designed display units for the line.
In addition to Command, which pioneered the concept of a double-fold specially prices Sound Album, and the new Ultra Audio, the field has recently been entered by Kapp with its Medallion line, and Bob Shad's new 6000 Time LP series. Special sound packages, of course, have also been released by other diskeries, altho not under different labels. RCA Victor has "Music for Bang, Gaa-Room and Harp" by M-G-M introduced a group of "Sound Spectacular" packages last week, etc.
Puttin On The Ritz
Softly As In The Morning Sunrise
The Man I Love
Get Out Of Town
Deep Night
Colonel Bogey
Once In A While
Ev'rything I've Got
Out Of This World
Binga Banga Bongo
Picnic
Oye Negra
Excitement Of International Percussion
Featuring Berlingeri And His Percussive Harpsichord With His Orchestra
Grand Prix Series K170
Exotic International Percussion
International Award Series AK170
Apparently this recording was also released on Pickwick KS-170. Grand Prix was a Pickwick reissue label. This is an early 1960s reissue. Spaceagepop lists this album as having a cover of Hawaiian War Chant on it, but that song isn't on my copy.
This recording is actually a pretty decent space age/ping-pong/light pop album.
Presenting Frank Chacksfield And His Orchestra
London LL 1041
Made In England
1954
From the back cover: In July of 1953, American record fans had pushed an English record amongst the most demanded ten in the country. It was the haunting theme from Charlie Chaplin's motion picture, Limelight, and not only did it focus attention on another side of the great comedian's creative talent, that of a composer, it brought into American prominence a distinguished British band leader by the name of Frank Chacksfield. It is not unusual in the record industry to have a virtual unknown break into international prominence on the strength of one particular ear-catching disc. Sadly, it is also not unusual for that acclaim to die as quickly as it began, when succeeding records fall to attain a measure of acceptance accorded the first big hit. Frank Chacksfield was obviously destined for a lasting career in the public eye for his second London record, Bobby Maxwell's wonderful melody, Ebb Tide, became an even greater hit than Limelight, and by October of the same year was the best selling disc in the United States. When Chacksfield's third entry appeared (Golden Violins) and quickly gathered sales momentum, there could no longer be a question on the prominent status of Chacksfield as a leading figure in contemporary popular music, and when his first London long-playing record (Evening In Paris; ll-997) jumped into the healthy five figure markings a bare two weeks after its release even the most cynical of Tin Pan Alley's "experts" were no longer shaking their knowing heads. It is fitting to append here a bit of background on the formidable Mr. Chacksfield.
He was born in Sussex, and made his first public appearance at the age of 14 as a church organist. He was destined for a career at law but as is so often the case with musicians, he could hardly forget his real yearnings and quietly formed his own dance band to play local dates. The group rehearsed diligently and with the high enthusiasm typical of all amateurs prepared for their first professional appearance. It was not to be for some time however as before the group could commence the engagement, England was shocked into silence by the death of George V and all "entertainments" were cancelled. Later, after a few successful but hardly sensational appearances, the declaration of World War II forced the disbanding of the ensemble and Chacksfield along with many of his fellow musicians found himself in the Royal Army Services Corps.
While he was recuperating in a Scottish hospital he made his first broadcast over the BBC, playing and singing popular favorites from the piano. A short time later, while stationed in Southern England, he was appointed staff arranger for the army review "Star In Battledress" which was the British equivalent of of our own "This Is The Army". One of his first jobs after the war was arranging the music for this same show but the time in its popular civilian version.
In 1948, he began conducting for the BBC in association with the orchestras of Henry Hall and Geraldo and in the next five year rose amongst the most sought after maestri in Britain. Limelight and Ebb Tide did the rest and now the saga is up to date. – Remy Van Wyck Farkas
Twilight Memories
The Three Suns
RCA Victor LSP-2120
1960
From Billboard - March 14, 1960: New recordings of the Three Suns' biggest hits, in stereo. Great for listening or dancing – suave and tasteful. Sides included are "Twilight Time," "Don't Take Your Love From Me," "Moonlight and Roses," etc. A beautiful cover will prove an effective display piece for dealers.
Twilight Time Don't Take Your Love From Me Jalousie Under Paris Skies The Petite Waltz Delicado Peg O' My Heart Moonlight And Roses Arrivederci Roma Anna Jet Twilight Memories
