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!
With All My Heart
The Gunter Kallmann Chorus
Four Corner Records
FCL-4237
1967
From Billboard - April 1, 1967: Love songs performed lovingly by the harmonious Gunter Kallmann Chorus insure sales success for this bright album. The group not only blends fine versions of newer numbers like "Wednesday's Child" and "Born Free," but delights with oldies like "It's Magic" and "My Heart Cries For You."
Chanson D' Amour Misty Blue This World Sailor It's Magic Born Free Wednesday's Child Tiny Bubbles A Day In The Life Of A Fool Love Me With All Your Heart Morning, Noon And Night My Heart Cries For You
Hi-Fi Zither
Ruth Welcome
Capitol Records T942
1957
When will the Zither make a comeback in pop music?
This is Welcome's first of 14 albums. The music while pleasant, is a bit reserved when compared to Zither Magic! which was released a few years later. That album is an outstanding and a more "conceptual" project.
From the back cover: It wasn't until after World War II, when she was asked to entertain at military hospitals, that Ruth thought again of the Zither. It was a ideal portable instrument to play while making the rounds of hospital wards. The only model that Ruth could find at the time was a 150-year old Schwartzer harp-zither, which she had restored by Yorkville's zither specialist, Pap Schuck. Since zither players were – and are – in a definite minority here, there were no published arrangements for the instruments. However, the boys wanted to hear popular American music, so being a pianist – Ruth made her own arrangements from piano scores.
Capitol also noted on the back cover that Ruth's Zither was equipped with a pick-up that the engineers were able to plug directly into their console which helped capture the full frequency range and minimized distortion.
Themes From "The Third Man"
Does Your Heart Beat For Me
Charmaine
Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
Hi-Lilli Hi-Lo
Fascination
There Goes My Heart
The Three Bells
My Melancholy Baby
Song From Moulin Rouge (Where Is Your Heart)
Stardust
Maria Elena
The 50 Guitars Of Tommy Garrett
Arranger: Ernie Freeman
Producer: Tommy "Snuff" Garrett
Engineer: Eddie Brackets
Cover Design: Studio Five
Liberty LSS-14030
1963
The "Premier" line of records offered "upscale" production to include expensive to produce book-fold examples, such as this one, that featured die-cut artwork. The quality of the vinyl was also premium.
Maria Elena
Jungle Drums
Anna
Without You (Tres Palabras)
Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White
Taboo
El Choclo
Poinciana
Brazil
Flamenco Love
The Breeze And I
Xavier Cugat
The Beautiful New Sounds Of Strings
Musicor Records - M2S3179
1969
I love Cugat's stuff. I've got a number of Cugat albums collected up here in The Atomic Attic. When I spied this two record set, the packaging looked odd in that the cover is flimsy, cheap and I also wondered how Cugat would work in strings. At first I considered that this package was some type of "covers" set. I had to search around the web just to convince myself that this is actual Cugat recording.
I found proof and was convinced. Somewhat near the end of Cugat's recording career, he produced this set, a pure easy listening album that sounds NOTHING like his earlier music.
There are a few groovy mood tracks to be found on this record.
I also noted that budget minded Musicor used an image of the model shoot above on the cover of a Hugo Winterhalter 2 record set.
Goldfinger And Other Music From James Bond Thrillers
Ray Martin And His Orchestra
Produced by Ethel Gabriel
Engineer: Bob Simpson
RCA Camden
CAL(S)-913
1963
Recorded in Webster Hall, New York City
If you enjoy 60s spy/secret agent sets, you will likely consider this to be one of the best efforts by any arranger of the time. I place this set on the same level as Neal Hefti's two "Batman" albums, my favored "high art" space age recordings.
From the back cover: Ray Martin relates perfectly to our British-based boulevardier. He migrated to England from Austria in 1938, enlisted in the British Army and saw enough of intrigue and spy stuff to have a winking empathy for what goes on with Ian Flemming's character. He has been Staff Conductor at B.B.C., scored films and written song hits like Blue Violins. In 1946 he became a naturalized British subject and has been living in the United States since 1957.
Goldfinger
The James Bond Theme
Under The Mango Tree
From Russia With Love
Bond's Lament
007
Girl Trouble
Hawaii
The Knightsbridge Strings
Monument MAS13005
1967
I've found one other Knightsbridge Strings album titled Nostalgic Swing Mood. That set is apparently one of 10 Knightsbridge albums recorded on the Purist label.
From the back cover of this album we learn that Bill Justis, Malcolm Lockyer and Reg Owen "charted the lush and great sounds".
The cover features a Milton Glaser illustration. I found an ad Monument ran in the October14, 1967 issue of Billboard feature this and two other Knightsbridge LPs, all with Glaser illustrations.
Blowin' In The Wind Arthur Lyman Production: Richard Vaughn Assistant Production: John Ramsey Cover Photograph: Werner Stoy, Camera Hawaii Cover Design: Tac Brahm Recording and 3D Mono Sound Process: Richard Vaughn HIFI Records Life Series L 1014 1963
From the back cover: Arthur was born on the beautiful island of Kauai in 1936, the youngest of eight children. When just a small lad his family moved to Honolulu. Here he became interested in the records of Benny Goodman and Lionel Hampton; in fact, with a toy marimba he played right along with these great jazz men. By the time he was 14 he was good enough to join a combo in a local jazz cellar. After working with several well-known groups, Arthur Lyman teamed up with Allan Soares, an excellent pianist: John Kramer who plays bass, guitar and flute; and Harold Chang, a multi-talented percussionist.
The new "Arthur Lyman Group caught on immediately, packing listeners nightly in the famous Sell Bar at the Hawaiian Village Hotel on Waikiki Beach. The rest of the Lyman success story can be told buy he simple mention of such Lyman "hits" as Taboo, Yellow Bird, Love For Sale and many others.
Railroad Blowin' In The Wind Eden's Island Arri Rang He's Gone Away Arthur's Line Brazilleros My Colouring Book Watermelon Man Fantasia Mexicana Sweet Someone Suzy's Waltz
Skin And Bones
Carl Stevens
Mercury Records - SR 60013
1958
Percussion - Frank Rullo, Bobby Cristian, Phil Durant & Norm Jeffries.
Harp - Pete Eagle
Piano - Dick Mara & Marty Rubenstein
Bass - John Frigo
Conductor & Trumpet - Carl "Chuck" Stevens.
Trombones - Tommy Shepard, Cy Touff, Paul Crumbaugh, Bob Dale & Barrett O'Hara
Saxophones - Howard Davis, Mike Simpson & Benny Baileys
Guitar - Frank D'Rose
Accordion - Sam Porfirio
From the back cover: Listen to the exciting sounds of skins–four percussionists blowing up a storm–and bones–a hand-picked five man trombone sections, recorded specially for Mercury Records in sparkling high fidelity. The young conductor-arranger-trumpeter Carl "Chuck" Stevens has skillfully blended these musical ingredients with his own trumpet solos, saxophones and a rhythm section to make a high fidelity cocktail to delight your ears and wet your toes atapping.
All but two orchestrations were scored by Carl Stevens. "Fascinating Rhythm" was arranged by Mike Simpson and "The Moon Was Yellow" by Bill Havemann.
Ping Pong Percussion Of Rodgers And Hammerstein
Stradivari Strings
Pirouette Records RFM 42
When I found this record I couldn't believe my eyes. I was looking at a budget label "ping pong percussion" recording made by Stradivari Strings with Rodgers and Hammerstein as the theme? How good could this album be?
As is typical with many of these albums claiming to be "ping pong"... the effects end when the easy listening begins. There is no blending of "elements". Pirouette tacked the effects onto music that they had on the shelf.
I like the album because the concept is so goofy and so cheaply executed.
