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!
Let's Mambo
Sonny Burke And His Orchestra
Decca Records DL 8090
1955
From March 12, 1955 Billboard Magazine: The market is crowed with mambo packages right now, but this LP should enjoy a brisk sale on the strength of its cover alone; it features a torrid photo of a nude torso, veiled only in strategic shadows. Bruke's first Mambo LP did well, and this package should pull its full share of sales. The band leader contributes an excellent blend and a good dance beat to 12 instrumentals of the oldie Pick Yourself Up, to his own Phfftt Mambo.
I bought this album because I noted the local (for me) freeway sign in the cover photo.
There is a "reproduction" letter printed on the back cover from John Kyl who was a U.S. Congressman from 1967-73 representing the 5th District, Iowa. The letter is addressed to a Cincinnati, Ohio P.O. Box. Basically the letter states that Kyl was glad to know Reno in Davis County, Iowa as a classmate in high school.
The cover photo is credited to Damron of Peoria, Ill. Car Courtesy of Gene Lehmann's Riverside Ford, Newport, KY.
The title track, Hitchin' A Ride charted on American country music charts and can be found on a few compilations, but this album is somewhat obscure.
Reno played with Waylon Jennings and Dolly Parton. He was a music DJ who worked in Cincinnati, Ohio. From his wiki page I found that he passed away of brain cancer in 2008 in Florence, Kentucky. Florence, KY is a city located just south of Cincinnati, Ohio. I found the album in Florence.
My Tane (My Man) John Nobel - Dirk Gump - August Goupil
Beautiful Echoes From The South Seas
Played By Popular Hawaiian Orchestras including The Royal Garden Islanders and Ray Kinney And His Hawaiian Orchestra
Audition Records AUD 33-5910
On The Beach Of Waikiki Moon Of Manakoora Blue Hawaii The Aloha Waltz Old Plantation My Isle Of Golden Dreams Surf And Sand My Tane (My Mom) To You Sweetheart, Aloha Ua Like No-A Like
The Best Of The Movie Themes 1970
Enoch Light And The Light Brigade (This album is rated "G")
Project 3 Total Sound PR 5046SD
1969
This whacky cover image is probably poking fun a the MPAA rating system which took effect in 1968 and was updated in 1970.
The album is a bit uneven in approach. There are some cool tracks that you expect to hear on a Light album and some with vocals that seem out-of-place in the mix.
A Tribute To The Big Bands
Played By The Russ Williams Orchestra
Tops L1600
1959
Here we have a decent budget big band album featuring a sexy cover of Peanut Vendor
At The Woodchoppers Ball
Nightmare
Ciribiribin
Mood Indigo
Peanut Vendor
Heartaches
I'm Getting Sentimental Over You
The Breeze And I
Auld Lang Syne
Pennsylvania Polka
This album is a compilation of awesome light pop arrangements from a variety of Montenegro albums. Some of the tracks are available for digital purchase/download. I've posted one of the samples that I can't find online for purchase.
Montenegro's pop arrangements are always inventive and the variety of approaches easily hold your attention.
Side 1
Good Vibrations
Theme From The Man From UNCLE
Good Morning Starshine
Come Spy With Me
Theme From The Fox
Side 2
Hang 'Em High
Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head
Our Man Flint
Aquarius
Viva Max March
Side 3
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Goldfinger
Lullaby From Rosemary's Baby
MacArthur Park
Lady In Cement
Side 4
Theme From A Fistful Of Dollars
Theme From Valley Of The Dolls
Happy Together
Moog Power
For A Few Dollars More
The Brass Menagerie 1973
Enoch Light And The Light Brigade
Producer: Enoch Light
Associate Producers: Tony Motosa & Jeff Hest
Arrangements; Dick Hyman, Jeff Hest & Dick Lieb
Engineers: Don Hahn, Elliot Scheiner & Steve Friedman
Mastering: Dave Crawford
Photo/Graphics: John De Vries
Project 3 The Total Sound PRS5060 & PR5060QD
1972
From the back cover: This album displays a great variety of music and is an exciting demonstration of new recording techniques and arranging concepts. Instruments used on this album include brass sections of trumpets and trombones, French horns, tuba, saxophones and a complete range of woodwinds. Various types of guitars are played by Tony Mottola, Vinnie Bell, and Bucky Pizzarelli. Latin instruments such as bongos and conga drums are also featured together with fender bass, percussion, arranged and performed by Dick Hyman is another album highlight. Dick also arranged five of the other songs including "Shaft," "West Side Story," "Sweet Julie," and "Boy Meets Horn," and "Hot Pants."
Jeff Herst arranged "MacArthur Park," "I Feel The Earth Move," "Season Of The Witch," and "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down," Dick Lieb arranged "Proud Mary."
From Billboard - January 22, 1972: Fascinating and highly entertaining. The Brass Menagerie's latest package includes tunes such as "Theme From "Shaft," "MacArthur Park," and "Season Of The Witch," plus "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down." All provide excellent listening and should provide MOR stations with good programming and production material.
Mambo (West Side Story)
MacArthur Park (Complete Version)
I Feel The Earth Move
Season Of The Witch
Hot Pants
Theme From "Shaft"
Proud Mary
The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
Boy Meets Horn
Sweet Julie
Explorations For Moog
Greatest Hits From Hawaii
The Waikikis
Arrangement and Musical Supervision by Willy Albimoor
Produced by Roland Kluger
Engineer: Pierre Dupriez
Studio: Madeleine - Brussels
Kapp STEREO KS-3612
A Palette Record Production
Kapp Records a Division of MCA Inc.
1969
Beyond The Reef
Now Is The Hour
Tiny Bubbles
The Moon Of Manakoora
Pearly Shells
The Hawaiian Wedding Song
Song Of The Islands
Sweet Leilani
Lovely Hula Hands
Bali Ha'i
Aloha Oe (Farewell To Thee)
Selections from Mary Poppins? Well... MS couldn't afford to fill out the entire record with actual Mary Poppin songs so they threw in a few lounge tunes and a surf-like track titled Lodestar... what?
I'm announcing that I've collected and listened to so many "Hawaiian" albums now that I can't keep one straight from the other! I'm just saying.
None-the-less this LP is a nice example featuring some outstanding steel guitar. Hawaiian War Chant is especially swinging. The engineering is also very good. My mono copy sound bright and clear.
Sweet Leilani
Moon Of Manakoora
Honolulu
My Little Grass Shack
Song Of The Island
Hawaiian War Chant
Blue Hawaii
Hawaiian Wedding Song
Surf And Sand
Lovely Hula Hands
Malia
Hawaiian Moon
The Distant Galaxy
Arranged And Conducted By Don Sebesky
Verve V6 5063
1968
Somewhat obscure and terrific album that features a blend of jazz, psych and good old 60s light pop.
Brief "cosmic" audio tidbits are inserted between most of the main tracks.
Don Sebesky credits himself with the Moog work. Dick Hyman is credited with piano. There is so much good stuff on the LP, it was hard to choose a sample.
Positively 4th Street And Other Message Folk Songs
Living Voices
Arranged And Conducted By Anita Kerr
Produced By Ethel Gabriel
RCA Camden CAS 947
1966
This is one crazy album...
From the back cover: The message folk songs that have become so important in popular music in recent months have been heralded for their timeliness. But everything in this album is not that simple, not that easily categorized – not when one really listens to the extraordinarily meaningful lyrics that are virtually always the thing.
Especially are things not so simple when one listens to the words written by Bob Dylan, the young front-runner of the message and/or protest folk song, folk rock, folk 'n' roll, anti-protest song, what-have-you. True, his words are as timely as today's headlines, but, paradoxically, they are also timeless, frequently dealing with social-political ills we can exchange for those headlines but which also could be set down in many a generation and be topical.
Positively 4th Street
Universal Soldier
Where Have All The Flowers Gone
Like A Rolling Stone
Eve Of Destruction
John Brown's Body
Rusty Bells
What Color
Dawn Of Correction
There But For Fortune
The Music From Marlboro Country
United Artists Special Projects - SP 107
Soundtrack from Return Of The Seven conducted by Elmer Bernstein and filler "variations on the original motion picture scores The Magnificent Seven and Return Of The Seven record by Com/Track, Inc".
From November 10, 1962 Billboard: Here's another album from Decca for Hawaiian music fanciers. The set is beautifully performed and features singers and musicians working for the most part in their native language. The set is light and tastefully done and was recorded in the Islands. The repertoire is very authentic sounding and features traditional instruments with steel guitar and vibes. For change of pace, a "Hula Twist" and "Hawaiian Cowboy" are also included.
Mauriat Magic
Paul Mauriat
Philips PHS 600-270
1968
From the inside cover: The man who nudged aside such seemingly immovable pop idols as The Beatles and The Supremes is a quiet, accomplished musician whose orchestra has backed some of France's greatest singers. Paul Mauriat, a product of the Masrseille Conservatory, originally was set to become a concert pianist. At 17, he altered his plans. More interested in pop music styles, especially modern jazz, he formed his own orchestra and toured France and the Continent. Since Paris was the only city where an artist could gain national recognition, he decided that it was the place for him. Almost immediately he began arranging songs for Charles Aznavour.
From Billboard - June 8, 1968: Mauriat's successful blending of Gallic and Anglo-Saxon pop standards is done with taste and imagination. The arrangements are lush but never sticky, whether it be the Lennon-McCartney "Michele" or the Charles Aznavour "The World We Knew."
Love In Every Room / Meme Is Tu Revenais
San Francisco / Wear Some Flowers In Your Hair
Ponteio
The World We Knew
Angelica
Merci Cherie
Live For Life / Vivre Pour Vivre
I Waited For You / Ce Soir Je T'Attendais
Michelle
A Banda / Parade
The Last Waltz
Go Away / Un Adieu
Theme From Star Trek
The Jeff Wayne Space Shuttle
Wonderland Records WLP 301
1975
This LP is a popular collectible and there are many instances of the record online if you do a search. But just for the record... up here in The Atomic Attic I'm posting it again because it is a terrific light pop recording featuring many of the groovy budget bells and whistles you know and love. I also dig the crazy cover... but for the life of me I can't figure out what the white, pink and blue shapes are suppose to represent.
All-Time Great Instrumental Hits
The Howard Roberts Quartet
Capitol Records ST 2609
1966
This set includes a nice selection of light pop tunes done up in Robert's brand of small combo jazz.
I posted another Roberts album a little over a week ago titled Out Of Sight. The LP is another fine recording in the same groove. I complained about the engineering on that Capitol release. The engineering on this album is very good by comparison. There is great clarity and the bass sound is pretty awesome.
Hawaii Tattoo
The Hawaiian Islanders
Wyncote W-9087
1964
A little budget Hawaii record with a big steel guitar sound... on side one. On side two... Wyncote ran out of material and filled the rest of the record with a few easy listening tracks, a couple of country songs (because they featured steel guitar, one tune appears on Spinorama MK 3040), and a moody cover of Dark Dawn that also appears on this Blue Ribbon label LP, Aloha Hawaii. Oh... that's what they meant when they printed "And Other Hawaiian Favorites" on the cover. It would not surprise me if all of these tunes appeared on other budget labels Hawaiian pressings.
Havana's Fabulous Night Club Sans-Souci
Ernesto Aqunio And His Cha Cha Cha Orchestra
Bravo! K-132
The Sans-Souci was a lavish gambling gambling joint and night club in Havana. I actually found a (for sale) stock video clip online of shot during a performance at The Sans-Souci but no real images of the building exterior.
This album doesn't appear on Davis's wiki page discography. From the look of the cover, I'd say the album was released in 1960 or 61. Anyway, the vibe is easy listening made funkier by Davis's "lounge" keyboard sound.
The Hollyridge Strings
The Beatles Song Book Vol. 5
Capitol Records ST 2876
1968
One of several Hollyridge Strings albums Mort Garson worked on (according to his wiki page). Garson was best known for his albums that predominantly featured Moog synthesizers.
The Fantastic Plastic Machine
Music Composted And Conducted By Harry Betts
Epic BN 26469
1969
Here's an obscure and cool album. A the set was a soundtrack created for a documentary involving the adventures of a group of surfers narrated by Jay North. Score by jazz saxophonist Harry Betts.
From the back cover: They go out, these two straight off guys with the dubious dream and their life's savings tucked into film, equipment and airfare... like one of those funko Disney cornflake flicks... the two lovable kooks go out, do this thing and make it... and well they did... and that's "Machine".
Theme From ‘The Fantastic Plastic Machine’
Endless Bummer
Night Flight
Green-O
Day Groovin’
Straight Ahead
Rock Slide
McTavish
Nat’s Theme
Outta Sight
Green Grotto
Long Reef
From the jacket notes: This album is the big one for all you surfers out there... on the dance floor or in a hearse or knee deep in an ocean.
An excerpt from August 3, 1963 Billboard: Of course there's not a reason in the world why a top jazz name (Winding) can't come up with a record that makes it in pop, except that it's still the exception rather than the rule. And the only reason it has been an exception, many feel, is that jazz artists have not tried to latch on the latest tune, or show tune, or pop tune, to be issued as a single record. If they did it could be that there would be a lot more than one or two singles records hits on the charts by jazzmen at any one time.
The album is a terrific blend of jazz, 60s light pop and "surf". Good stuff and apparently available only on vinyl.
It is also interesting to note the album was produced by Creed Taylor who made two inventive "concept" albums in the late 50s, Shock and Panic Son of Shock.
