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Friday, August 30, 2013

Country And Western Bonanza - The Deputies

Bonanza
Country And Western Bonanza
By The Deputies
Wyncote SW-9144

Here we have a collection of throughly budget "more-or-less" country/western sounding off-the-shelf tracks.

Bonanza
Big Bad John
Sixteen Tons
Red River Valley
Careless Love
Carry Me Back To Old Virginia
If I Had A Hammer
Cotton Fields
This Land Is Your Land
Bury Me Beneath The Willow

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Pal Joey - Lew Raymond

Funny Valentine - June Hutton
Pal Joey
Arranged And Conducted By Lew Raymond
Tops L-1607

The cover model on this fine Tops jacket is Kim Novak. Nice effort featuring jazzy arrangements and pro vocal treatments.

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Truck Driving Songs - Nashville Country Singers

Monday Monday
Dungaree Doll
Truck Driving Songs
Nashville Country Singers
Mountain DewRecords - Newark, New Jersey
MD1

This album defines the truck driving culture by depicting angry cigarette smoking people in knee high boots striking poses, while one "truck stop woman" strikes a pose on the cab, denting the sheet metal with her knee high boots. Oh wait, she's not wearing knee high boots... Never mind all that while we recall the days when we put the hammer down with Monday, Monday... and that other truck famous driving song, Dungaree Doll.

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Organ Moods At Midnight

The Breeze And I
Organ Moods At Midnight
The Magic Fingers Of Merlin At The Hammond
International Awards Series AK113 & Grand Prix Series K113

Don't Worry About Me
August Moon
Moonglow
Rainbow Rhapsody
The Breeze And I
La Paloma
Greensleeves
Nearer My Love
Ballad In Blue
Manhattan
Moon Nocturne
Who Made The Rose
Melody – Stephen Foster

V.I.P. Time '69


V.I.P. 69

The Ultimate In Percussion - Milt Rogers

Baia
The Ultimate In Percussion
Milt Rogers And His Orchestra
Dot DLP 3319

Milt Rogers (piano, voice, percussion) - Jack Burger (bongos, percussion) - Roy Harte (drums, percussion) - Ralph Hansell (vibes, marimba, xylophone, percussion) - Justin Gordon (reeds) - Barney Kessel (guitar) - Larry Breen (bass) - Gene Garf (accordion, piano) and Don Ferris (organ).

This is a good 60s percussion album. The arrangements, at first, may seem like Rogers is copying features from period exotica, "ping-pong" and space age goofy fun. But, if you listen to a lot of this type of music, I think that you'll enjoy his subtle, quirky arrangements and creative use of various instruments, including the organ and accordion.

Also check out this cool Rogers set: The Jet Set Ports Of Call

How High The Moon
Amapola
Zing! Went The Strings Of My Heart
On A Slow Boat To China
Laura
Baia
In A Little Spanish Town
Perdido
Pagan Love Song
Chinatown My Chinatown
Chicago

Everybody Loves A Lover - Eric Delaney

Who Needs You (stereo)
Everybody Loves A Lover
Eric Delaney And His Orchestra
Diplomat 2289 & DS 2289
1963

From the back cover: Eric Delaney is one of the only two people for whom the BBC have held up the news bulletin, The other was Sir Winston Churchill.

He is the most publicized band leader in Britain today and is one of the Youth's appointed leaders.

Eric Delaney's rapid rise to eminence is without precedent in the world of dance music. In 1954 he was drumming for Geraldo; today he is one of the most famous and sought-after entertainers in the country.

Behind Eric's success is a lifetime of hard work, practice and sheer determination. His parents bough him a sixpenny Woolworth's drum when he was eighteen-months old. He has progressed to the multi-media-drum kit that dazzles the audience today.

Eric was born in Acton, London on May 22, 1924. He studied drums under Max Abrams and, at thirteen, undertook his first professional engagement when he formed a band to play at the Brent Bridge Hotel in North London. A year later, he joined Harry Roy's Juvenile Band and also toured with Hughie Green's Road Show. A series of dance band engagements led up to his joining the RAF, in which he served for four years.

Demobilized, his brilliant percussion work soon came to notice of top band leaders and he was engaged to play with Stephan Grappelly, The Squadronaires and Geraldo. He left the latter in 1954 to form his own orchestra, but his venture almost failed to materialize when, two weeks before his debut, he caught his hand in the fan belt of his car, lost a finger and seriously injured another. When he left the hospital, he sat for hours at his kit perfecting a new way of handling the sticks.

The band's first recording, "Oranges and Lemons", became a big seller and the recording company awarded Eric a Silver pressing. The band was selected to play before H.M. The Queen at the 1956 Royal Command Variety Performance.

Delaney's obituary

Everybody Loves A Lover
A Very Special Love
Teacher, Teacher
True
Meantime
It's Not For Me To Say
Happy Anniversary
Chances Are
Who Needs You
I Never Felt Like Falling In Love
You're Gonna Lose Your Gal
La Plume De Ma Tante

Monday, August 26, 2013

Caribbean Cruise - Paul Weston

Adios
Caribbean Cruise
Paul Weston And His Orchestra
Columbia CL 572

Smooth mid-50s mood set featuring a touch of swing and light pop.

Summer Night
Magic Is The Moonlight
Long Ago
When You Wish Upon A Star
Cuban Love Song
Whispers In The Dark
You Do Something To Me
Let's Fall In Love
Perfidia
The Nearness Of You
What Is There To Say
Adios

Politely Percussive - Dick Schory

Playboy's Theme
Politely Percussive
Dick Schory's Percussion Pops Orchestra
RCA Victor LSP-2736
1963

Outstanding early 60s percussive pop arrangements that play in the "dynagroove" all the way through!

From the back cover: Dick Schory's first album, Music For Bang, Baa-Boom and Harp, released in 1958, hit the best-seller charts and is said to have been a major factor in touching off the whole hi-fi/stereo percussion craze. His last album, Supercussion, is a Dynagroove whing-ding – on the charts almost the moment of release.

Featured on drums is Joe Morello of Dave Brubeck fame, and top percussionists Bobby Christian and Gary Burton with some very tasty vibe work. Robert Wessberg is outstanding on tuba phone (a soft marimba-like instrument).

For sell-out audiences around the country that have made Dick Schory's "Percussion Pops Orchestra" one of the leading concert attractions (twenty musicians playing over 200 brass, woodwind, string and percussion instruments!), this album constitutes an interesting change of pace.


I Get A Kick Out Of You
Playboy's Theme
Baby Bossa Nova
Summertime
Satin Doll
Love
Baubles, Bangles And Beads
Shim-Wha
Quiet Bossa Nova
Sleepy TIme Gal
Little Brown Jug
Night Train

A Wee Bit Of Jazz - Joe Saye

The Waltz In Swingtime
A Wee Bit Or Jazz
Joe Saye And His Piano
EmArcy MG 36112
1957

Terrific cover art graces this fine mid-50s jazz set. Saye seems to have disappeared (from online references) after the release of his next (third) EmArcy album titled, A Double Shot Of Joe Saye (1958).

From the back cover: Joe Saye, an indomitable 34-year-old pianist who had been born in Glasgow, Scotland and had become known and appreciated throughout Britain, arrived in America in December 1955. The main purpose of the trip of Joe and his wife was to save the sight of their baby son's eye; and happily, that goal has been achieved. Joe himself has been sightless since two.

Joe's professional fortunes in America, however, have been variable. In as combatively competitive an area as is American music, it is difficult to establish a reputation quickly. Yet gradually, a public for Joe has been growing' and throughout the months of unpredictability and strain, Joe has consistently maintained an unquenchable, burred wit and the conviction that if it is given a fair chance to be heard, his music will win as many adherents here as in Europe.

The release of his first EmArcy album, Scotch on the Rocks (MG 36072) quickened public and professional interest in Joe. One disc jockey, for example, Dwight Cappell of WWSW in Pittsburgh wrote and announced four programs on Joe's music. "That was the biggest thrill I've had," Joe declares, "since I've been here."

Joe has played the Midway in Pittsburgh and was booked back there; Birdland; and since April 1957, has been a Sunday night regular at the Embers on New York's East Side. He also spent two months in the spring of 1957 in a sunnily successful engagement as a single at Nassau in the Bahamas. He has also worked Washington, D.C.; and the Cork 'n' Bib on Long Island. With the release of this second Saye collection, the doors may finally remain open.

Joe's associates on the session include Herbie Mann, an active modern jazz flutist who has had several albums under his own name. Barry Galbraith, Milt Hinton and Osie Johnson has worked many record dates together that they have long since become fused into a flowing, firm rhythm team that is a reassuring asset in almost any non-operatic context.

Joe did all the arranging and the originals are his adaptations of old Scottist airs.

The Reel-ist
Too Late Now
Scotch Tweed
Happiness Is Just A Thing Called Joe
Say It Isn't So
The Waltz In Swingtime
Stop Your Ticklin' Jock
Everything I Have Is Yours
Cockle Chowder
I Love You
My Funny Valentine
The Old Music Master

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Out Of This World - Sam Taylor

Out Of This World
Out Of This World
Sam (The Man) Taylor With Strings
Arranged And Conducted By LeRoy Holmes
MGM Records E3380

We love floating head covers up here in The Attic. Spacey!

Smooth mid-50s mood that doesn't make it out into space, but stays more pleasantly grounded in the period romantic music.

I'm Glad There Is You
Autumn Nocturne
A Kiss Before Dying
It Could Happen To You
Stay As Sweet As You Are
There Will Never Be Another You
Mixed Emotions
Autumn Serenade
Moon Song
I Hear A Rhapsody
Out Of This World
I've Had My Moments

Romantic Organ Moods - Pierre Andre

Dark Eyes
Romantic Organ Moods
Pierre Andre At The Organ
Palace PST-611
Buckingham Records - N.Y.C.

Romance
Oh Promise Me
Mighty Lak A Rose
Shine On Harvest Moon
Let Me Call You Sweetheart
Dark Eyes
At Dawning
Tell Me Pretty Maiden
Roaming In The Gloaming
Silver Threads Among The Gold