The Beat Farmers: The Pursuit of Happiness

I was a Member of a Cult!?!

And I didn't even know it! I thought I was just some dude that liked this band, like, a lot. Upon reading about them online recently, I find that I was a Member of their Cult Following.

So, anyway... The Beat Farmers were a Great American Rock n Roll Band. I don't care if it required my joining a Cult just to like 'em, of if they were signed, at one point, to MCA's Curb Records which was a Country Label.

Okay. I kinda do care about that last bit. The Beat Farmers were not Just a Great Rock n Roll Band, they were Also a Great Country Band.

And "The Pursuit of Happiness" was a great record. The second of theirs on Curb, and the first with Joey Harris replacing Buddy Blue on lead guitar, it starts right out with a really amazing tune, by Paul Kamanski, that I have always thought is the closest that anyone on the Left Coast has ever come to Springsteenism (or Springsteenishness, or whatever), called "Hollywood Hills," and just keeps on goin'.

Go ahead and pull the ol' Air Guitar out of it's case. Make sure it's tuned up and ready to go.

The Beat Farmers: The Pursuit of Happiness

1. Hollywood Hills
2. Ridin'
3. Dark Light
4. Make It Last
5. Key to the World
6. God Is Here Tonight
7. Big Big Man
8. Elephant Day Parade
9. Rosie
10. Texas
11. Big River

Yma Sumac: Legend of the Sun Virgin

The Queen of Exotica

This post continues the Hukilau influenced theme with an Exotica Masterpiece. I was among those lucky enough to meet this lovely woman, Yma Sumac, at Hukilau in 2005. Lemme tell ya, folks... This chick is Exotica incarnate!

If, somehow, you have avoided becoming familiar with her over the years, please scurry on over to the Space Age Pop Music Page (http://www.spaceagepop.com/sumac.htm) and read all about her. There is also a great deal of information about her provided on the Last.fm site, at http://www.last.fm/music/Yma+Sumac/+wiki.

See also these expressly Yma-centric websites at:
http://www.yma-sumac.com/
and
http://www.sunvirgin.com/

This record is composed of pretty serious music which tells the story of The Sun Virgin. The notes on the back of the album cover explain it thusly:

A native Peruvian and descendant of the Inca Kings, Miss Sumac draws the inspiration for this new album from her colorful background and heritage. The ancient Incas worshiped the Sun God and the Moon Goddess Quilla. Every year the most beautiful maidens were selected to become Virgins of the Sun, serving in the convent which rivaled in splendor the Inca's palace.

The sacred flame was entrusted to the Virgins and if by neglect it was allowed to go out, it was believed that some terrible disaster would follow.

The Virgin assumed holy vows which bound her to the temple service. Should she prove unfaithful to her vows, she was buried alive, while her lover was strangled, and the village to which she belonged, razed "so that no stone stood upon another."

Damn!

Click on the following picture (and all the album covers posted on this site) 'cause it's a beauty, boy howdy!

Yma Sumac: Legend of the Sun Virgin

1. Karibe Taki
2. Witallia!
3. Lament
4. Kon Tiki
5. Montana
6. Zana
7. No Es Vida
8. Kuyaway (Inca Love Song)
9. Suray Suray
10. Mamallay!
11. Panarima
12. Ccori Canastitay

The Polynesians: Aloha Hawaii

Travel Halfway to Hawaii with The Tuna Melt

This record was recorded by actual Hawaiians. The songs on it, though, were for the most part composed by Caucasian men from The Mainland. Some of them had probably never even been to Hawaii.

Music such as this is commonly refered to as "Hapa Haole" music. Hapa means Half in Hawaiian. Haole is the Hawaiian word for White Guys, or those of European bloodlineage.

There are a lot of folks that don't like this type of music. They are welcome to ignore this post. There are others who enjoy it immensely, but who feel guilty for doing so because of some weird political reasons. They are welcome to download this record, listen to it often, and not tell anyone how much fun they're having.

I could not save the final track of this record (Track 5, Side 2: Loch Lomond), so I left it out of the post. It was simply scratched to pieces. I would say that I'm sorry, but I'm not.

The Polynesians: Aloha Hawaii

1. To You Sweetheart, Aloha
2. Pulupe
3. Kalua
4. Beauty Hula
5. Aloha Oe
6. Song of the Islands
7. Tomi Tomi
8. Beyond the Reef
9. Lovely Hula Hands

The Exotic Sounds of Martin Denny: Exotic Percussion

Tuna Melt Exotica!

For the next month (or so) The Tuna Melt is going to be concentrating on Things Related to TIKI. The wife and I are headed down to Fort Lauderdale in a couple of weeks to attend the 2007 installment of The Hukilau, a celebration of Midcentury Polynesian Pop Culture. Go here now to see what that's all about: http://www.thehukilau.com/2007/.

I'm sure that many of you are already tuned in to what Exotica Music is and is all about. For those who are not, however, allow me to introduce The King.

Martin Denny invented the genre and he did it all by himself. People like to point out that Les Baxter wrote the song "Quiet Village" in 1951, but it was Denny who recorded the Quintessential "Quiet Village" in 1957. And he did it on his own terms, with his own band and with his own bird calls.

This record came out four years into the Exotica craze in 1961. Percussion was a big thing about that time, so Exotic Percussion was just natural. The instruments listed as having been used on this record include: Tuned Burmese Gongs, Wood Chimes, Steel Chimes, Samisen, Magna Harp, Celeste, Celestette, Ipo, Marimba, Bongos, Wind Chimes, Vibes, Piccolo Xylophones, Marimbula and Everyone's Favorites, of course, BOO BAMS!!!

The Exotic Sounds of Martin Denny: Exotic Percussion

1. My Tane (My Man)
2. Cumana
3. Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise
4. Day Delight
5. Moonlight on the Ganges
6. Cherokee (Indian Love Song)
7. Misirlou
8. Anna
9. Song of the Bayou
10. Moonlight and Shadows
11. My Shawl
12. The Girl Friend of the Whirling Dervish