On The Rocks - Bob Thompson

One The Rocks

Bob Thompson
RCA Victory LPM-2146

1960

Available from online vendors so I will not be posting a sample. Presented here to share the cover art.

From the back cover: About the picture on the cover… Stimulating, isn't it? Well, just between us, those aren't real ice cubes – but, rest assured, the intoxicant is full proof. That obviously cool chick (ice cubes or no) pointedly portrays the true essence of this albums. It's her way of promising you an intriguing concoction of heady ingredients poured out in fascinating form.

Also from the back cover: In this case the Mix Master is Bob Thompson. He is the ingenious young man who picked the songs, arranged and conducted the orchestra and voices, and who composed the original selection, On The Rocks, to give us a fitting title and idea for the album. Bob is recognized as one of the most skilled and highly inventive talents in Hollywood today. He was born in San Francisco and studied at the University of California at Berkeley. He has lived and worked in Paris and the Far East, perhaps the source spring for his fresh approach to composing and arranging. He returned to California not to long ago where he has won acclaim for his ability to distill a light-hearted, intoxicating brand of music. – Lee Zurro, The Billboard

From Billboard - July 11, 1960: A bright swinging album that is hip and easy to listen to, would be an apt description of this new set by the group with chorus. Thompson, one of the new arranging lights on the West Coast, arranged all of the tunes and he conducts them with style. Selections range from "There's a Small Hotel," to "Jersey Bounce." All of the songs have that light-hearted, infectious flavor. Strong wax here for deejay programming.

There's A Small Hotel
June Is Bustin' Out All Over
Happy Talk
Breezin' Along With The Breeze
Just You, Just Me
Almost Like Being In Love
On The Rocks
Jersey Bounce
I'll See You Again
The Little Black Box
Always
All The Things You Are

Rhythm And Blues In The Night

Tell Me Pretty Baby

I Want To Rock Until I Drop

Rhythm And Blues In The Night
Featuring Connie Bennet, Bill Smyth And The Harlem-Aires
Hollywood Records LPH 30

Many of the Hollywood albums that I collect, up here in The Atomic Attic, sport colorful covers but not all feature well rounded, foot tapping sets. This LP bundles together a range of 50s vocal group sounds, a gospel track and the samples you hear above posted so that you can hear what the vocalists sound like. It is an assumption on my part that there are only two vocalists and the singers I've selected are the artists credited on the cover.

Call Me Darlin'
I'm Gonna Live For Today
Don't Cry Darlin'
Steady Roll
Tell Me Pretty Baby
Featherweight Baby
Rain, Rain, Rain
Mister Blues
I Want To Rock Till I Drop
I Don't Hurt Anymore
If You Believe
Honey Love
Come To Me Darlin'
When My Heart Beats Like A Hammer

Songs Of Wonderful Girls - Richard Hayman

Laura

Songs Of Wonderful Girls
Richard Hayman
Mercury Records SR 60733
1962

Ruby
Peg O' My Heart
Marianne
Mona Lisa
Anna
Tammy
Maria
Patricia
Laura
Sadie Thompson's Song
Suzanne
Charmaine

Lawrence Of Arabia - Frank Chacksfield

Route 66

Lawrence Of Arabia
And Other Great Themes
Frank Chacksfield And His Orchestra
London LL 3298
1963

Lawrence Of Arabia
The Stripper
La Ronde
Inn Of The Sixth Happiness
Small World
Route 66
Diamond Head
Gone With The Wind
A Taste Of Honey
Gone With The Wind
A Taste Of Honey
Moulin Rouge
David And Lisa
So In Love

Calendar Girl - Julie London

Calendar Girl
Julie London
Orchestra Conducted By Pete King
Arrangements By Pete King
Producer: Bobby Troup
Engineers: John Palladino and John Kraus
Cover Photography: Gene Lester
Liberty Deluxe Series
Liberty SL-9002
Recorded in Hollywood during May of 1956

From the inside notes: The essay on Julie London won't plead the apparent. It won't cite her good looks, nor argue that she is structurally sound. And it's unnecessary to comment on her voice. A lot of people have heard it and reported kindly. So, these notes will deal mainly with the album. – Richard Breen (One of Hollywood's most distinguished screen writers).

"Structurally sound?" You bet! " This is another fine London/Liberty album, I report to you in a "kindly" fashion.

Presented here to feature decent "true color" scans of the cover.

Music From Wide Wide World - David Broekman

Carlsbad Caverns (Electronic sounds created by Otto Leuning and Valdimir Ussachevsky)
Music From Wide Wide World
Composed By David Broekman
David Broekman And His Orchestra
RCA Victor LPM-1280
1956

From the back cover: All of the music heard on Wide Wide World (NBC Television documentary series that ran from November, 1955 to May, 1958 ) is the work of an amazingly flexible craftsman, David Broekman, a composer and conductor who has worked in Hollywood's film studios, on radio and in television for the past thirty years. These media are all noted for the pressures they impose on their creative talents, but Broekman views his assignments on Wide Wide World as the greatest challenge he has ever had.

John S. Wilson (well-known jazz reviewer for High Fidelity Magazine/The New York Times) continues, in depth, to explain aspects of the "ominous deadline" Broekman faced.

As a collection of "soundtracks" from the documentary, this album plays through like a fine mid-50s orchestrated "concept" album. The tone is familiar, yet unpredictable. Even the cover, by today's standards, seems "abstract", although the image is simply clean 50s design. The cover sets the tone and music takes you on a lush "wide world trip".

This is really good stuff. Additionally, the record starts and finishes in a dramatic fashion by featuring a touch of that good old mysterious 50s style  soprano vocals by Louis Winter.

As a side story, you might want to click through to wiki to read about electronic music pioneers Broekman used on the sample above. Broekman wrote "...against and around this electronic core."

Wide Wide World
Cable Car San Francisco
Palm Beach Waltz
God' Own River
Intermezzo For A Day In May
Carlsbad Caverns
Grandma Moses
Samba Of The Orchids
Texas Cowboy
Dialog For Lovers
Autumn In Nebraska
Down To The Sea
Grand Canyon Music
Wide Wide World Concerto

Dance Time Featuring Jack Costanza

Silencio

Spotlight On Dance Time
Featuring Jack "Mr. Bongo" Costanza
Tiara TST 529

Tiara only had access to three Costanza tunes… the remaining seven tracks on this disc are big band filler.

Mary Lou
Silencio
Que Dichoso Es
Merry Minnie
Anchors Aweigh
Serenade
Nickel Dance
Hussar's Dance
Rimsky's Beat

Anvil Hop

Dances In A Line

Amos Moses

The Hustle Walk

Rubberband Man

Dances In A Line
By Rudy Franklin
Kimbo Educational Records
KEA 1147
1977

From the back cover: The introduction of Line Dances in a school physical education program can be of great help in the overall development of sound, successful, co-educational activities. Line Dances are the the dances of "today". The Disco sound is "in" and people of all ages are taking part. When Properly introduced and taught, Line Dances will help in early formative school dance units and provide an interesting addition to already successful co-ed programs. Line Dances can "break the ice" socially, bridge the gap for the "loner", and help children develop coordination. Errors are also not as apparent to one's classmates from this formation, and this may help promote a positive self image.

Marky Markowitz, Sonny Russo, Phil Bodner and Jay Berliner are credited on the back cover as session musicians.

Dynamite Dances You Can Do!

Computer

Dynamite Dances You Can Do!
Henry "Buzz" Glass
Rosemary Hallum, Ph. D.
Educational Activities, Inc.
AR 600
1982

Sold with a booklet explaining how you can do dynamite dances.

From the booklet" Some popular music sounds different or unusual, for example, the machine-like sounds of Kraftwerk and other rock groups. It's fun to make you dance interpretation or choreography be appropriate to the music.

Dance moves to help you do the "Computer" include "Roll Hands & Robot Jump

George Symonette

Bimini Gal

George Symonette And His Goombay Sextette
Bahama Records LTD.
BR 34
1961

From the back cover: The Dean of Bahamian Entertainers, Genial George Symonette finds it more convenient to sit sideways while accompanying himself at the piano. He plays and sings because he enjoys doing so and his natural humor and joi de vivre sparkle in his performance.

While formerly catering only to night club patrons George Symonette has now responded to the demands of a wider audience and is a familiar part of the Bay Street scene during the lunch hour as well as in the evening.

He is frequently accompanied by Berkeley "Peanuts" Taylor on Bongos and drums and the two entertainers have appeared together on several television programs, notably Today and Tonight.

One of the songs on this album, "Princess Margaret Jones" written by Marjorie Noble who is a winter resident of Nassau, bids fair to equal in popularity in the Duke Of Windsor song, "Love Alone".

Four other numbers, written by Alice Simms of New York are introduced for the first time in this album. They are Don't Tell On Me, Bikini Baby, Hip-so Calypso and Time But No Money

Don't Tell On Me
Bimini Gal
Never Interfere With Man And Wife
Mamma Loves Tea
Hip-So Calypso
Jamaica Farewell
Come Back Liza
Bikini Baby
Pretty Boy
Princess Margaret Jones
Time But No Money
Yellow Bird