Howdy Folks! Welcome to The UnEarthed In The Atomic Attic album blog! Here you will find a wide variety of unusual Space Age Vinyl finds that feature good quality cover scans, jacket notes and audio samples for you to enjoy. I'm here to have fun and hope you will share in my process of discovery!
Hawaii
Composed By Elmer Bernstein
And Other Songs Of The Island
Composed By Outstanding Hawaiian Composers
George Nielsen Conducting The Hollywood Strings
Crown Records CST 561
Hawaii
Mahina
Whispering Sea
Hawaiian Love Song
Lani Kai
Hawaiian War Chant
Maori's Farewell
Blue Hawaiian Waters
Trade Winds
Aloha Oe
Percussion Sounds And The Harmonica
Eddy Manson
Spinorama Records MK 3105 & M-65
Ping Pong Percussion And The Harmonica
Eddy Manson
Diplomat 2230
Wish You Were Here
Slaughter On 10th Avenue Theme
I Love You
In The Still Of The Night
Ciribiribin
Jumping Jack
Old Devil Moon
September Song
La Paloma
Yellow Rose Of Texas
Cheyenne
Nellie Bly
My Cherie Amour
Les Reed und sein Orchestra
Eddie Lester Singers
Phase 4 Stereo Decca SLK 16878
Something In The Air
Good Morning Starshine
Spinning Wheel
I'll Find My Love
The Spartans
My Cherie Amour
Sweet Caroline
Crystal Blue Persuasion
A Way Of Life
Sugar Pie
On Days Like These
Love Is All
Nashville Country Guitars
Les And Larry Elgart
Swampfire Ambassador SF 203
This album is a mystery to me. From the back cover photo and notes you know that Elgart Brothers had something to do with this album… just what involvement they had, Swampfire does not make clear.
From the back cover: "They've (the Elgarts) gathered some of the best guitarists ever assembled in one Nashville recording studio…" and "Yes, Les and Larry Elgart have assembled it all here with the unforgettable sound of the Nashville Country Guitars."
The back cover also advertises two additional Elgart/Nashville albums, "Piano" and "Brass".
This light pop country album features a horn section (no mention if the Elgarts actually play on the album), steel guitar, 70s choral segments… the works. The musicianship is professional, but the arrangements lack cohesion and direction.
If you listen to a lot of "budget" light pop albums and like to hear something "off beat", this Nashville Guitars album may be for you.
Gentle On My Mind
King Of The Road
I Can't Stop Loving You
Your Cheating Heart
Tennessee Waltz
Have I Told You Lately That I Love You
Only The Lonely
My Heart Cries For You
Green Green Grass Of Home
Third Man Theme
30 songs that literally run one into another without missing a beat. Thankfully the song titles are presented on cover, typed with space between them…
Locating a sample and matching the track to the title? Forget about it! OK… I extracted a sample from the end of the record… so I think the title is "Fast Twistin'"
You get 30 danceable and yes, FUN low budget studio covers and the cover photo of the young man dancing with his mother. OK, she's not that old… I don't think.
City Guy Plays Country
Al Caiola
United Artists Records UAS 6255
1963
From the back cover: Fulfilling a long-time ambition, Al recently held a three-day session at famed Bradley Studios in Nashville, cutting some of his all-time favorite country tunes. Accompanied by members of The Jordonaires, and backed by the top country side-men in the business, Al recorded thirteen of the greatest country tunes of the last two decades.
From November 23, 1963 Billboard: Caiola is back with a fine album of guitar picking'. The set features the soloist in varying moods, but playing country material throughout, and for the most part, playing in a country vein. The album is filled with the great country tunes of the past and present and the guitarist is often showcased in front of a fine string ensemble.
Ring Of Fire
I Love You So Much It Hurts Me
Walking The Floor Over You
Cold Cold Heart
Singing The Blues
Bye Bye Love
Kaw-Liga
Jealous Heart
Blue Banjo
Ep Paso
Wolverton Mountain
I'm Movin' On
Mexican Pearls
The Exciting Piano Of Don Randi
Jack Neitzsche - Arranger (orchestrated tracks)
Palomar GS 34002
Don Randi - Piano
Dick Brandt - Bass
John Clauder - Drums
There are some stellar keyboard moments to be heard on the LP that came inside this budget looking jacket.
From the back cover: In the music world today there are what are known as technicians, mechanics, and, to many, unemotional pianists! Fortunately, every few years a talent will arise with technique and emotion combined to make a new sound and feeling. Don Randi has this rare ability. He is as exciting to watch in person as he is exciting to listen to on record.
This album, I'm sure, will prove that Don Randi is really the bridge between the hard school of jazz and the commercial pop world.
Don's listening audience is primarily not a jazz audience; although, if you dig jazz, he reaches you very ably.
At this point, I'd like to mention that Don Randi has played piano, harpsichord and organ on over fifty hit-million selling records for various artists such as The Righteous Brothers, Bobby Darin, Frankie Lane, Doris Day, Ronettes, Beach Boys and many others. He is one of the most in-demand pianists for recording sessions.
Not only is he talented as a pianist, buy equally as well as a composer and arranger. He has written or co-written many songs such as Mexican Pearls.
Don is a well schooled musician with fourteen years of formal classical training under his belt. He was born in New York City, but grew up in Woodridge, New York, in the heart of the Catskill Mountains. He later move to Los Angeles to study at the Los Angeles Conservatory Of Music and Los Angeles City College in order to finish his education.
Don is currently appearing at a night club in Hollywood known as Sherry's or Don Randi's second home. People kid him about this, because he has appeared there on and off for the past six years. When he is not a Sherry's, he usually appears in San Francisco, Las Vegas, Chicago and many other cities in the world.
– Phil Spector
Mexican Pearls
I Don't Want To Be Kissed
A Lot Of Livin' To Do
Grandpa's Still
My Funny Valentine
The Randi Sermon
Follow Me
John Brown's Body
Theme From Mondo Cane
Bass Blues
Thistle Down
Spanish Harlem
Dame Dreaming
With Bill Doggett
King Records 532
1957
From Billboard April 27, 1957: Dreamy, leisurely paced instrumental treatments in a low-pressure rock and roll vein by organist Doggett and his boys. Striking color photo of pretty brunette and provocative title gives album good display value.
From the back cover: The Bill Doggett success story is not a new one. The same struggles, the same trails, the same tribulations that every musician encounters before success are part of the Doggett story. Bill's musical knowledge dates back to the time when he was nine years old. He wanted to study the trumpet but his family decided that the expense would be too great at that time so Bill turned his attention to the family piano. He studied long and hard and soon became an accomplished musician. When he was sixteen he made his first professional appearance in his native Philadelphia. That didn't last long for his aunt came and took him off the job since the hours were beginning to tell on his schoolwork. In school Bill was considered a good student. When he was graduated from Central High School in Philadelphia in 1933, Doggett got a job with Jimmy Gorman's Orchestra which paid eighteen dollars per week and that was a lot of money in those days, so Bill struck with it. In 1938 Doggett formed his own orchestra. After a few months he sold the entire organization to Lucky Millinder and Dogget Devoted his time to arranging and writing music.
In 1943 Bill became the pianist and arranger for The Ink Spots. During his tenure with The Ink Spots, Bill arranged many of their long to be remembered hits.
1947 was the year that probably changed Doggett's entire musical career. He got a job as pianist with Louis Jordan's band and the fellow he was replacing was Bill Davis. Davis wanted to leave and devote some time to the study of the Hammon Organ as a jazz instrument. About six months later Jordan hire Davis to go on his tour of theater dates at three times the salary he was paying Doggett for arranging and as the pianist in the band. As Bill put it, "That was the bitter end." Six months later Bill left the Jordan outfit to study the Hammond organ.
Organist Doggett made his first record date accompanying Ella Fitzgerald. This was his first time to play the organ outside of his home. The first record that he made with Ella was "Smooth Sailing" and it was a big fat hit. The word spread about the terrific organ background and two more hits rolled off with Ella – "Rough Riding" and "Air Mail Special."
With Bill's popularity soaring, he was encouraged to form his own combo, and on June 6, 1952 The Bill Doggett Combo played their first date at New York's famed Baby Grand. The rest is history.
Because Bill Doggett believes in the golden role, he gives full credit for his success to the three musicians who make up the quartet. Berisford Shepherd, known to his friends as "Shep", has been playing drums with Doggett almost since the group was formed. He is a master at the drums. Born in Honduras in Central America, his family moved to Philadelphia very shortly thereafter and he still resides there. In January 1955, guitarist Billy Butler joined the Doggett clan. Billy is also a native Philadelphian. Early in life Butler studied the violin but turned to the guitar because it enabled him to play the type of music he liked. John Collins aided Billy in his studies on the guitar. Billy is a fine musician with fresh ideas and plenty of imagination. The youngest and newest member of the combo is sax man Clifford Scott. Clifford was born in 1928 in San Antonio, Texas. It was always his ambition to become a professional musician. Scott plays both tenor and alto sax, clarinet and flute. He has played with Roy Milton and Lionel Hampton and joined Doggett in 1956.
From the back cover: Authoritative Down Beat Magazine, in a review (printed August 8, 1956) of Dennis at a Hollywood club, refers to"… the complete individuality of his personality and act… Coupled with his astonishing songwriting creativity is his flair for mature cocktail lounge artistry. He's relaxed; his charm is sincere, unobtrusive, he seems to enjoy what he's doing and has that requisite ageless quality."
A native of Seattle, Washington, Matt Dennis comes of a musical family. His father was a widely known singer and his mother played violin professionally. After the family moved to San Rafael, California, Matt emerged as the maestro of his high school orchestra.
Already a budding songwriter, he debuted professionally in a specialty and playing piano and singing his own songs on the Horace Heidt Show. A few years later he collaborated with singer Dick Haymes in forming a dance band which Haymes fronted. When that swinging little aggregation disbanded, Matt went on to serve as accompanist and vocal arranger to such topflight singers as Martha Tilton, Margaret Whiting and the Stafford Sisters. The day dawned when the Stafford sister named Jo left the act to join the great Tommy Dorsey as a member of the Pied Pipers… It wasn't long before she had persuaded Dorsey to audition Dennis. With his famed eye for talent, Tommy immediately hired Dennis as arranger-composer.
For Matt this was indeed the Big Break. In one year Dorsey recorded fourteen of his songs for the major company with which he was then affiliated. Dennis' songs became the springboard-to-sucess for the Dorsey vocalists. The first solo record made by Jo Stafford, for example, was Dennis' Little Man With A Candy Cigar; first big hit for Connie Haines happened to be Matt's great standard. Will You Still Be Mine; and the first solo recorded by a spare and winsome boy from Hoboken (Frank Sinatra) after he left Dorsey was a Dennis song, The Night We Called It A Day.
Other hits recorded by the Dorsey band from the prolific pen of Matt Dennis during that period were Everything Happens To Me, Let's Get Away From It All and Violets For Your Furs.
World War II broke up the Dorsey-Dennis association, with Matt spending three and a half years in the Air Force. On discharge he began writing and singing for top New York radio and television shows, such as The Chesterfield Supper Club, The Seven-Up Show, Dick Haymes-Autolite Show and The Shaeffer Revue. In 1948 he returned to the West Coast to fill long standing engagements at the swankier supper clubs and to perform in several Universal-International musical shorts and two Ida Lupino features, The Bigamist and Jennifer.
Since then, Matt Dennis has solidified his position as top nightclub attraction in all the major cities. Additionally, he has been featured entertainer on many television programs, including NBC-TV's Ernie Kovacs' Show, Rosemary Clooney Show and Steve Allen's NBC spot.
Rock Me To Sleep
True
Hitch Up The Sleigh
Lazy Countryside
Don't Blame Me
I'm Through With Love
They Can't Take That Away From Me
When We're Alone
Saturday Date
White Christmas
Natch
