Songs Of Friendship and Manners

I Have A Little Friend

Songs Of Friendship Safety, Health and Manners
Golden Records Vol. 12
1962

Turkish Delight! - Mike Sarkissian And His Cafe Bagdad Ensemble

Atamee Baghladan

Turkish Delight!
Mike Sarkissian And His Cafe Bagdad Ensemble
Audio Fidelity AFLP 1867
1958

From the back cover: Michael Sarkissian, in addition to boasting a vast knowledge of oriental and Middle Eastern art, is one of America's foremost directors and interpreters of music of this part of the world. He has appeared as singer and conductor on many television and radio programs with top personalities such as Bob Hope, Jerry Colonna, Pat O'Brien and Frances Langford. Born in the United States of Armenian parents, he learned the rudiments of Armenian music and Middle Eastern dancing at an early age. When he was 14, he formed his own orchestra. During the second World War, he served in the special service branch of the Air Corps, appearing as soloist, orchestra member and musical director in many shows. Following the war, he appeared in numerous night clubs, until he decided to open his own club. This he named Cafe Bagdad, and it has become a kind of diplomatic center for the furtherance of Middle Eastern music and dance. As Sarkissian puts it, "We created a sort of musical Mecca for our people, but soon found out that not only our people but those of other lands appreciated our music and traditional dance."

Legend Of The Jivaro - Yma Sumac

Legend Of The Jivaro
Yma Sumac
Capitol T770
1957

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

This from the back cover: To unearth the Jivaro music – the stories their ancient songs tell, the musical instruments of their culture – Yma Sumac and her husband, Moises Vivanco, one of the foremost authorities on ancient music, travelled deep into the headhunters' native territory. There, her mastery of the Jivaro dialect (she was reared less than one hundred miles from their land) helped facilitate the research in that strange and obscure society.

Dang... that makes for a great story and creative platform for this terrific concept album! However I don't see Sumac, at this stage in her career, hovering over a cauldron of mystery meat to gather inspiration for a new album. Sumac and Vivanco divorced in 1957, remarried the same year and divorced again in 1965.  None-the-less, Billboard was convinced  that the couple did, indeed, make a trip into the back country even though they were unclear about her marriage status.

From Billboard - January 26, 1957: Miss Sumac takes off on a wild series of vocal calisthenics in which she portrays a series of authentic native melodies and dances of the Jivaro headhunters of South America. Miss Sumac and her husband, Moises Vivanco, obtained the basic material via a trip into the savage territory with a tape recorder. This was then arranged for the singer, choral group and drums. Notes explain in some detail what each of the selections signifies and for those who want to increase their own cultural knowledge this can prove an interesting addition to a collection.

Jivaro
Sejollo (Whip Dance)
Yawar (Blood Festival)
Shou Condor (Giant Condor)
Sauma (Magic)
Nina (Fire Arrow Dance)
Sansa (Victory Song)
Hampi (Medicine)
Sumac Sorateña (Beautiful Jungle Girl)
Aullay (Lullaby)
Batanga-Hailli (Festival)
Wanka (The Seven Winds)

Pervasive Percussion

Granada

Pervasive Percussion
Omega Records OSL-118

Out of all the unbelievable records I've found, this Omega release takes the cake.

Look at this cover. Nice huh? Are you ready for a little jungle rhythm? Yeah, me too!

Look at the back cover. The album title, catalog number and songs titles on the back cover match the record label and cover information. Now listen to the music sample! WTF?!!!

When I bought this album, I only glanced at the track list and it didn't sink in that the titles are in Spanish! I think the titles are correct. What in the name of all-that-is-good-but-way-stupid happened during production?!!

I was pissed because I thought that someone had slipped the wrong record in this cool jacket. I was still pissed when I thought that Omega had pasted the right label on the wrong record. Then I stopped being pissed because how could I continue to hate a record/album that is this absurdly wrong?

I did find this same exact same cover online with a "Sutton" label brand in place of the Omega brand, bottom right... but it is apparent that Omega removed the Sutton brand and printed their logo type in it's place.

Hawaiian Enchantment - Your Passport To Hawaii

Beautiful Girls And Sunshine (stereo)

Hawaiian Enchantment

Your Passport To Hawaii
Luke Leilani
Spinorama MK 3040 & S-26
A Product Of Premier Albums, Inc.

Hawaiian Wedding Song
Luau
Mood In Hawaiian
Pineapples, White Sands And Coconuts
Island Maid
Hawaiian Promenade
High Tide
Stars Over Hawaii
Hawaiian Serenade
Beautiful Girls And Sunshine
Hawaiian Moon
Lost Love

Favorites From Italy

Anema E Core

Favorites From Italy
Nestor Amaral And His Continentals
Craftsmen A Division Of PRI
C8027

Craftsmen? This is the first record I've found on that label. PRI stands for Precision Radiation Instruments, a company who owned the Tops label.

All of the short-lived Craftsmen label albums featured this jacket design which featured a circle inside of the jacket shape. Some records were pressed on colored vinyl. This record was not.

The music is pretty budget. The rest of the set isn't nearly as sweet as the sample I cherry picked.

Music From Close Encounters Of The Third Kind

Theme From "Close Encounters Of The Third Kind"

Music From Close Encounters Of The Third Kind
Produced by Joe Saraceno & Heyward Collins
Arranged by Pat DeVuono
Background Vocals: Bonnie Licelli
Engineer: Michael Lietz
Special Thanks To Kim Espy
Illustration: Clinton Stockwell
Pickwick SPC 3616
1978

The budget "Not An Original Soundtrack" Close Encounters soundtrack.

Sometime moog, sometimes disco and sometimes sci-fi mystery cheese, this set blends all three into a danceable cosmic stew.

Hi-Fi For Small Fry

In The Middle Of The Island

Hi-Fi For Small Fry
Diplomat Pops
The Gold Record For Children
Diplomat 5010

Children records can be charming and sometimes funny as content can age poorly. On rare occasions, for my tastes, is  the music fun. This record, for the most part, is like a slice of space age Hi-Fi easy listening geared towards kids. Nice and you have to love the cover illustration.

Evalyn Tyner Night

Downtown

Evalyn Tyner Night
Port Royal Beach Club
Benefit Of Naples Community Hospital Auxiliary
Naples, Florida
March 25, 1966

Presented for your enjoyment is a record I found at a thrift in a silver cardboard jacket blank. The record was apparently a part of a two record set recorded live for the benefit as mentioned above. I only found sides 3 and 4.

Not much to be found on Tyner. She get a brief mention in Billboard, June 18, 1949 as one of the opening acts for a show at the "Capitol" in New York.

It appears like someone complied a CD of her recordings along with those of a performer named Rose Murphy.

Java, Cotton Candy, Sugar Lips

Whenever I'm Feeling Low

Java, Cotton Candy, Sugar Lips
By Jim Collier
Wyncote W 9036
1964

Budget set featuring the "Tijuana Brass" sound and one groovy sixties go-go tune.