Search Manic Mark's Blog

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Crazy Calliope Music Featuring Margie Meinert

Beautiful Dreamer
Crazy Calliope Music Featuring Margie Meinert
In Adaptions On The Wurlitzer Steam Calliope
Fraternity Records - Cincinnati, Ohio
21141

From the back cover: Recorded April, 1957 at Universal Recording Studios, Chicago, Illinois. Calliope courtesy of Horn's Cars Of Yesterday, Sarasota, Florida. Cover painting and design by Louis Spiegel.

Also from the back cover: On this calliope session, she was accompanied only by drums. The unwavering and infectious beat of these drums is not supplied by a mechanical robot as might be expected, but by a human automaton, Tommy Thomas.

Several years later Margie or Marjorie would release this curious album: Hi-Fi And Mighty on RCA.

The Other Side Of This Side - Cecilia

Balboa Island
The Other Side Of This Side
Cecilia
Aztlan Records - Buena Park, California
1986

Irma Loera - 1958 - 2008

Moody 80s LP featuring a mixture of spoken word/poetry/experimental and vocals.

Limbo Dance Party - Ernie Freeman

How Low Can You Go
Limbo Dance Party
Ernie Freeman
Liberty LRP-3283
1962

Light pop Limbo featuring another fun cover design from the folks at Liberty who had a hard time making a bad album.

Nothing fancy here, just a nice simple light space age small combo.

Read about Freeman on his wiki page.

All-Time Children's Hits Vol. II

American Pie
All-Time Children's Hits Vol. II
Performed By The Puff 'N Toot Singers and Orchestra
Peter Pan Records 8178

American Pie... Nothing like whiskey and rye and Unicorns to keep the youngsters occupied.

Friday, March 2, 2012

Space Experience - John Keating

Space Experience
John Keating
Columbia CO 32382
1972

I thought I'd blog this one even though it is available on CD with the follow up album (Space Experience 2) so I will not be posting a sample.

From the back cover: Featuring the E.M.S. Synthi VCS3 Music Synthesizer

The album features all of the good stuff the early 70s had to offer combining forms of period light pop, the moog and of course space experience! As usual, quad albums tend to sound terrific (better than stereo pressings) through my stereo headphones.

I Feel The Earth Move
The Unknown Planet
Rocket Man
Prelude To Earthrise
Star Trek
Space Agent
Jesus Christ Superstar
Upon Another Earth
The Sound Of Silence
Signal To Saturn

Mambo Bongo Bash! - Al Stephano And His Trio

Bongo Bash

Mambo Bongo Bash!
Al Stephano And His Trio
Wardrobe and background by Giovanni Feragamo. Shoes by Feragamo.
Photography: Garrett/Howard
Tops L1722

From the back cover: Al Stephano, a new name to most people in this country, will not remain that way long. With the release of this album and two others: "Latin Dance Carnival" (TOPS - L1718) and "Rhumba Reflexiones" (TOPS-L1721) Stephano makes his American debut. For years he has been a favorite all over Europe, featured in the finest night clubs and restaurants, selling records into the millions, broadcasting constantly all the way from the B.B.C. to the Armed Forces Network.

Mambo #5
Si
Why Wait
Tulo Que Estas
Borracho
Perfidia
Anabaccoa
Un Poquito De Tu
Amor
Bongo Bash
Mambo Falcon

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Electronic Music


Electronic Music
Turnabout - TV 34046S
1966

Side One

Band One: Ilhan Mimaroglu: Agony
Band Two: John Cage: Fontan Mix

Side Two: Luciano Berio: Visage

Side one is comprised of short "electronic" sounds strung together in a sort of loose collage style. Interesting but side two features wild vocals by Cathy Berberian and is a fantastic sonic journey.

From the back cover: Cathy Berberian, whose stunning vocal artistry defies classification, was born in the United States of America. She completed her vocal studies in Milan with Giorgina del Vigo. Since 1953 she has appeared in concerts, particulary of avant-grade music both in Europe and in the United States.

Sunday, February 26, 2012

My World - Jo Basile And His Orchestra

My World
Jo Basile And His Orchestra
Columbia CS 9431
1967

This is a very good space age accordion album. Read about Basile on Space Age Pop.