The Romantic Guitar Of Vicente Gomez

Andalucia

The Romantic Guitar Of Vicente Gomez

Orchestra Conducted By Charles Bud Dant
Decca Records DL 8439
1957

The December 5, 1964 issue Billboard gave this release a "Pop Special Merit". The catalog numbers are not the same (this album cover looks more like a mid-to-late 50s release to me). The 1964 reissue featured a different cover.

La Macarena
Habanera
La Cumparsita
Estrellita
Marieta
Andalucia
Malaguena
Frenesi
Green Moon = Verde Luna
La Golondrina
Baia
Por Que? = Why?

Beltran Plays Cha-Chas

Bali Ha'i

Beltran Plays Cha-Chas
Beltran and His Orchestra
Fred Astaire Dance Studio Favorites
Recorded in Mexico
New York A&R Representation: Ethel Gabriel
RCA Camden CAL 679
1961

I Only Have Eyes For You
Always
At Last
Sentimental Journey
Sway (Quien Sera)
Never On Sunday
South Of The Border
Bali Ha'i
I've Got You Under My Skin
By The Light Of The Silvery Moon

Hollywood Sound Stage

The Moon Of Manakoora

Spellbound

Hollywood Sound Stage
Percussion And Sound
Bob Rosengarden / Phil Krause And Orchestra
Decca DL 74184
1961

The October 23, 1961 Billboard gave this record a "Strong Sales Potential".

This is a cool percussion album. The cover isn't a strong design, but the music is outstanding.

Tracks begin with a brief scene setting sound effect which blends nicely into the main track. The sample track above is pure exotica surprise found on this enjoyable album.

The Now Sounds Of Today

I Wanna See You On The Dance Floor (Daniel Wilson)

Ha Hou Ho Ho (J. Roland Lafrance)

A Passing Thing (Jimi Dee)

The Now Sounds Of Today
Columbine Records CRH-285

Dino, Desi And Billy

I'm A Fool

Dino (Martin), Desi (Arnaz) And Billy (Hinsche)

Arrangements: Billy Strange, Jack Nitzsche & Lee Hazlewood

Reprise R-6176
1965

Personnel: Al Casey, Billy Strange, James Burton, Jim Gordon, Jim Troxel, Dr. Jim Simmons, Jimmy Grey & Donald L. Owens

I'm A Fool charted #17 Billboard and Not The Lovin' Kind (also on this album), #25. They opened for The Beach Boys in 1965. None of the boys were barely 15 years of age at the time. They also opened for Paul Revere & The Raiders, Tommy Roe, Sam The Sham, The Lovin' Spoonful and The Mamas And The Papas.

Not The Lovin' Kind
(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
Mr. Tambourine Man
I'm A Fool
Like A Rolling Stone
The Rebel Kind
Chimes Of Freedom
It Ain't Me Babe
Boo-Hoo-Hoo (I Can Tell)
So Many Ways
Seventh Son

Astounding High Fidelity!

Chase And Kill From "Safari"

Astounding High Fidelity!
In Stereo
Moments In Great Music
Somerset SF-6100
1958

There are a few songs on this album by The Nord Deutches Symphony, a few by 101 Strings, one The London Philharmonic and the sample above that is uncredited. The Chase And Kill track is very much different from the rest of the "classical" fare on the album.

The Windmills Of Your Mind - Billy Vaughn

Time Of The Season

Billy Vaughn
The Windmills Of Your Mind

Produced by Billy Vaughn and Dick Peirce

Cover Photography: Gene Brownell

Art Direction: Christopher Wharf

Engineer: Hank Cicalo
Dot Records ST-91985 & STEREO DLP 25937
1969

The Windmills Of Your Mind - Arranged by George Tipton

Traci's Tracks - Arranged by Billy Vaughn

Help Yourself - Arranged by Milt Rogers

Time Of The Season - Arranged by Billy Vaughn

Traces - Arranged by Billy Vaughn

Wichita Linemen - Arranged by Milt Rogers

Promises, Promises - Arranged by Milt Rogers

Soulful Strut - Arranged by Milt Rogers

The Way That I  Live - Arranged by George Tipton

Glad She's A Woman - Arranged by Billy Vaughn

Heaven - Arranged by Milt Rogers

You Gave Me A Mountain

Melodies In Gold

Melodies In Gold
Billy Vaughn And His Orchestra
Dot DLP 25064
1959

Interesting cover. I can't say this cheesecake model does much for me... Certainly the dress does nothing for her.

Anyway, the tracks are available for download at the usual online outlets so I won't be posting a sample.

The music is punctuated with some "The Shinning-esque" clarinet that stabs through vail of easy listening. It just reminds me of that ballroom scene in the movie The Shinning.  Like music from a haunted dance hall.

1966 Magnificent Movie Themes

Theme From The Chase

Thunderball

1966 Magnificent Movie Themes
Bobby Byrne And His Orchestra
Command Records RS 894 SD

Originated and produced by Loren Becker, Robert Byrne and Julie Klages.

Another fun Command album. You can hardly go wrong with the Command label. Even though this album was released after ABC got their hands on the label and the quality declined rapidly according to Enoch Light's wiki page. The engineering was always top notch and much of the music Command put out during this period, is groovy, silly or depending on your tastes cool light pop.  This a great record with a fab 60s musical groove.

The cover was art directed by Charles E. Murphy, a designer who basically created the Command brand with his graphically bold cover images.

Byrne is mentioned in a 1968 Billboard article as the A&R Director for Command, so I think he was probably on the Command payroll. Loren Becker is mentioned as Command's VP.

Midnight Rhapsody - Joe Bushkin

Laura

Midnight Rhapsody
Joe Bushkin, His Piano and Orchestra
Orchestrations by Glenn Osser
Capitol Records T 711
1956

From Billboard - March 31, 1956: Joe Bushkin makes the switch from combo to big band for the first time and the results are a warm and luxuriant sound. Bushkin undoubtedly had some of his greater moments working with the small group and there are those who will deplore his going as "commercial" as he does in this slicing. Nevertheless, this stuff is in keeping with current tasters in romantic background music and the selection of number highlighting the guy's sensitive touch adds up to excellent potential. "Laura," "I Cover The Waterfront," "Manhattan," and "I Can't Get Started" are a few of the winning line-up.

Manhattan
Laura
Stormy Weather
September Song
Embraceable You
Come Rain Or Come Shine
I Cover The Waterfront
I Can't Get Started
The Song Is You
As Time Goes By
It's The Talk Of The Town
Above All, You

Big Band Cha Cha Cha - Freddy Sateriale

So In Love Cha Cha

Freddy Sateriale's
Big Band Cha Cha Cha
Promenade 2133

Here's an obscure Cha Cha album. Not much to be found on Sateriale and no information to be found on the back cover of this album. From the cover it looks like the album was probably released around 1958-60. I've blogged one other album Sateriale blogged: (Broadway Latin American Party on Spinorama).

Fun cover and decent small band Cha Cha.

David Le Winter - Latin Melodies

Sueno Flamenco

David Le Winter
Latin Melodies
Mercury Records MG 20012
1954

When I first flipped by the album I thought it was a classical music LP. Then I saw the word "latin" and pulled it out to give a closer look. The jacket is very heavy cardboard. The cover is a faux leather or leatherette. And the record itself is probably the heaviest vinyl I've held in my hands. I didn't have much hope for it, but this turns out to be a terrific set from a lively small Latin combo. From the many recordings I've listened to from the period, this is inventive and sparkling stuff.

From the back cover it appears as though Le Winter was playing "Chicago's luxurious Pump Room" at the time he recorded this album. The photos on the rear cover were apparently "grip and grins" taken at The Pump Room. Also, it appears as though he was no early comer to nightlife, playing at the time the notes were written, 21 years in speakeasies to London's Music Halls. He also played with the Boston Pops Orchestra and the NBC Symphony Orchestra.

In A Dancing Mood - Jan Garber

In The Mood

In A Dancing Mood
Jan Garber And His Orchestra
Decca Records DL 8483
1957

Billboard thought this release might go over well with "mature buyers".

A few tunes swing, but seem misplaced on a disc featuring mainly dated presentations for the 40s let alone, the late 50s. Terrific cover of couple in a dancing mood on top of a long play platter.

Montenegro & Mayhem

The Peanut Vendor

Montenegro & Mayhem
Hugo Montenegro And His Orchestra
Time Records S/2176

This album is a reissue of Bongs And Brass (Time 2014) released in 1960. It's possible that this is the stereo release.

Montenegro is one of my favorite composers who is a genius at crafting tunes with enough surprises to keep you in the groove. He was also an innovator with the moog, influencing future generations of synth artists.

This album is a bend of jazz, bachelor pad and the ping-pong, a percussion fad that Enoch Light unleashed on the world. "Ping-pong" meaning bouncing sounds, very often and in this case bongos, from one channel to another. This is a great example of the many records created after this sound. Great engineering on this Time release. Cool space age stuff.

Musicians on the album include Doc Serverisen and Al Caiola.