Lenny Dee: Most Requested!

Most Dee-manded!

Of all the Pop Organists of the Easy Listening / Space Age Pop era, Lenny Dee is my favorite. While others played with much technical savvy and brilliant arrangements, Lenny performed with a flair, rhythm and humor all his own.

This is a great record. It includes two pieces by Henry Mancini (always a plus!) and handful of others that I absolutely love. All are played with the patented "Lenny Dee Bounce" and plenty of Pizazz!

Lenny Dee: Most Requested!

1. Hello, Dolly!
2. Canadian Sunset
3. The Girl from Ipanema (Garota De Ipanema)
4. Baby Elephant Walk
5. Bluesette
6. Moonlight Cocktail
7. Java
8. Summertime in Venice
9. Cafe Oriental
10. On Green Dolphin Street
11. The Pink Panther
12. Honky Tonk Train Blues

The Three Suns: Having a Ball with The Three Suns

It's Tuna Melt Party Time in Sunshine Land!

The Three Suns (brothers Al and Morty Nevins along with their cousin Artie Dunn) were said to have been Mamie Eisenhower's favorite group. They were an amazingly prolific outfit, in terms of the amount of music they produced, and amazingly diverse, in terms of the range of musical styles that they recorded. Now considered to be near the top of any expert's lists of Easy Listening, Vintage Lounge, Exotica and/or Space Age Bachelor Pad performers, they were a staple of the RCA Victor catalog from the mid-forties through the mid-sixties.

There are a handful of their albums that are considered to be heads and shoulders above the average product available at the times of their release. This is not one of those (and those are, or have been and will again be, available at other outposts in The Blogosphere).

This one is, however, a prime example of their average offerings. Released in 1958, it was tossed out into a world filled with Exotica and Space Age Hi-Fi Demonstration Records but remains unaffected by either of those faddish affectations. It is, purely, (as the name would suggest) the perfect record for a PARTY!!!

So fix yourself a tall stiff one (or two), set a few tidbits about to nosh upon, grab your gal (or guy, as the case may be) and get on down with The Three Suns!

The Three Suns: Having a Ball with The Three Suns

1. You Are My Lucky Star / How About You? / Hello! My Baby / Stompin' at The Savoy
2. I'm in the Mood for Love /
   I Wonder, I Wonder, I Wonder / That Old Feeling / A Kiss to Build a Dream On
3. Linda Mujer (You Never Say Yes – You Never Say No!)
4. Hi Lili, Hi-Lo
5. You Were Meant for Me / Just You, Just Me / Doll Dance / Elmer's Tune / Johnson Rag
6. I Cried for You / Something's Gotta Give / Coquette / Don't Be That Way
7. If I Had You / I Don't Know Why (I Just Do) / Honey / Should I
8. Three O'Clock in the Morning
9. Walter Winchell Rumba
10. I Never Knew (I Could Love Anybody Like I'm Loving You) /
    When You Wore a Tulip / Sing, Sing, Sing / Tiger Rag

And for more info on this marvelous group go to:
The Three Suns @ Space Age Pop Music
The Three Suns Universe

The Anita Kerr Quartette: For You, For Me, For Evermore

You Need Another Anita Kerr Record

Even if you, like myself, have reached the point at which you must back-up and remove files from your hard drive in order to load even one more song into your music player, this one is an absolute necessity.

"For You, For Me, Forevermore" (released in 1959 or 1960) shows the beginnings of the "Countrypolitan" Nashville Sound that helped Country Music cross over into the American cultural mainstream in the 60s. You may recognize, in some of the arrangements, a style of harmony that would later be utilized extensively as The Anita Kerr Quartette (as well as the 8-voice Anita Kerr Singers) provided background vocals to many of Country & Western's biggest stars. This is definitely not at Country Music album, however, and is filled with beautiful arrangements of classic love songs.

My only complaint is that, despite the number of times throughout the album the promise is made that they're going to stay with me Forever and Ever 'Til the End of Time, the record is only about 30 minutes long.

The Anita Kerr Quartette: For You, For Me, For Evermore

1. For You, For Me, Forevermore
2. Till the End of Time
3. Forever
4. I'll Always Love You (Querida Mia)
5. Never Leave Me
6. All My Life
7. Why Can't This Night Go on Forever
8. I'll Always Be in Love With You
9. This Is Always
10. Always
11. Everyday
12. Twelfth of Never

Andre Kostelanetz: Stereo Wonderland of Sound

Tuna Melt Pops Into the Space Age!

This record is a prime example of what has since become known as a Stereo Demonstration Album. These were records produced to exhibit the range of capabilities available using the new, at the time, Stereo Hi-Fi Systems and are otherwise known as Space Age Pop, or Space Age Bachelor Pad, records. Many were created by the manufacturers of these systems and given away with the purchase thereof. Others, however, were produced to demonstrate the latest recording techniques being utilized by different record labels and to convince customers that their products sounded wonderful on the new Stereophonic playback units.

This one is from Columbia Records, in 1961, features Andre Kostelanetz and is one really groovy record. The arrangements are, apparently, designed to showcase the recording technique more than they are to make a whole lot of sense. This results in some really strange combinations (such as "Unchained Melody" with a sumptuous Exotica background rhythm and featuring Italian Restaurant-style Mandoline along with a standard Big Band Brass Section). Weird as some of the juxtopositions may seem at first, however, the overall effect is spectacular.

Check it out!

Andre Kostelanetz: Stereo Wonderland of Sound

1. Be My Love
2. Everybody Loves a Lover
3. Wonderland By Night
4. Volare (Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu)
5. Greenfields
6. It's Not for Me to Say
7. Vaya Con Dios
8. Round and Round
9. Are You Lonesome Tonight?
10. So Rare
11. Unchained Melody
12. Marianne

You may note that I identified the record as being named "Stereo Wonderland of Sound" whereas the album jacket say's "wonderland of sound" (as well as "TODAY'S GREAT HITS"). Well… The BACK of the jacket says "Stereo Wonderland of Sound". So does the label on the record. Also, the jacket, front and back, and the label all read "The New Andre Kostelanetz" and, since I don't believe that anyone ever actually got rid of "The Old Andre Kostelanetz" and replaced him with a new one, I just left the name as plain ol' "Andre Kostelanetz". Taggin' this bugger could'a been a real pain if I'd let it be, boy howdy. Sorry for any confusion.

Spencer Collingwood, His Saxophone & Orchestra: Cool Sounds

Easy Jazz at The Tuna Melt!

My usual criteria for judging the value of any Easy Listening record is how well the music on it pairs with a Dry Martini (or, in the case of any Exotica collection, a Mai Tai). I usually find discs from this particular Hollywood Records label (there have been several with the same name) to go better with Grape Kool-Aid than any adult beverage whatsoever. I suppose, then, that it makes sense that the name Hollywood Records is currently used by a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Corporation and has released albums by Aly & AJ, The Jonas Brothers and Hillary Duff.

This Hollywood Records, though, was among the Budgetiest of Budget Labels in the 50s. Their catalog is filled with relative nobodies (such as Harry Arnold & His Orchestra, Chuck Farone & The Polka Larks, The Bengt Hindberg Trio and Uncle Bill Wiley & His Tall Corn Boys) churning out uninspired collections of pop standards and current hits, usually in jackets adorned with a photo of a female model of equal obsurity. With only a few exceptions, records on this label are often barely worth the prices (10¢ to $1.00) currently being charged by Charity Thrift Stores.

This is one of those exceptions. I have no idea who Spencer Collingwood is/was and assume, actually, that the name is a pseudonym since it appears on the label but is nowhere on the jacket. I do know that his "Orchestra" is simply a quartet. The saxophone on this record, though, is nice, relaxing and jazzy. While there's nothing here that might cause you to jump up and scream it is, at least, a pleasant enough album for kicking back and enjoying a nice beverage with. Perhaps not a Dry Martini but a blended Scotch or a snifter of cheap-ass Brandy.

Spencer Collingwood, His Saxophone & Orchestra: Cool Sounds

1. Stomping at The Savoy
2. This Can't Be Love
3. Willow Weep for Me
4. Just You Just Me
5. Sweet Loraine
6. Harlem Nocturne
7. Get Happy
8. Perdido
9. What Is This Thing Called Love
10. Off Shore
11. Lover Man
12. Come Rain or Come Shine

You can find a great deal more information regarding Hollywood Records and lots of other old budget labels at the Both Sides Now Publishing web site.

Have a Cocktail and Pal Around at Tuna Melt!

I present here two spectacular posts from other blogs that are directly related to items that can be found here on the Tuna Melt.

First up is another of the series of records put out by RCA Victor, back in the very early 60s, to promote their new mastering technique called Dynagroove. "Supercussion," by Dick Schory's Percussion Pops Orchestra, is presented by our buddy Lounge Tracks, operator of the magnificent Zip Your Rip.

Be sure to go get it, leave a nice "Thank You" and look all around at his other generous and wonderful offerings.

Dick Shory's Percussion Pops Orchestra: Supercussion

Next is a post from last month on one of the newer blogs to enter into Vinyl Sharity Lounge, 's Marvelous Distro, which is run by a lady named Annie D. who has already, in the short time since the blog popped up in February, exibited very fine taste in Out-of-Print Vinyl Music.

Here you'll find a 4 disc set from Reader's Digest called "South Sea Island Magic." It's similar to the 5 disc set that I posted back in February, "Hawaiian Paradise," and is filled with extremely nice music of the Islands. The link I include here is simply for the month of March (as each disc was posted separately), so I hope you'll use this as an introduction to the quality work that Annie D. puts out every Friday. Note, too, the logo in the lower right hand corner of the album jacket. This Too is a Dynagroove Recording!

Various Artists: South Sea Island Magic

I'll be the first to admit that The Tuna Melt is hardly a Strictly Lounge Music Blog and it ain't gonna become one any time soon. At the same time, though, I'll also admit that the Lounge Music Blogs are the ones that I pay the most attention to. Statistics show, too, that The Tuna Melt's regular readers pay a tiny bit more attention to the Lounge Music posted here than to any other type (only a teeny tiny bit, though).

That being the case, I can't help but take this opportunity to turn you guys on to some really incredibly cool stuff out there on the web. These are the places where I find the most interesting and inspirational music to listen to while sipping a cocktail or two (or three... or...). Yep! These are the places that Drive Me to Drink! Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!! Hic!!!

There's been an Explosion of new Lounge Music Blogs lately and the new ones deserve to be pointed out. Also... I'm going to list the blogs that have been around for a few years for those of you who may be new to this scene.

I present them here in Alphabetical Order.

36 15 Moog: The Moog was Really Big in the Seventies, and was never embraced by most Rock Groups, so it was up to the former purveyors of Space Age Bachelor Pad Music, and those that followed them, to pick up the ball and run with it.

Basic Hip: One of the Grandest of Grandaddies of the Vinyl Sharity Scene (and one of the few remaining), this site is home to all sorts of amazing stuff. Be sure to check out the Basic Hip Digital Gold section.

Bongolong Land: This one does not necessarily concentrate on "Lounge Music," but it has offered up some really great Lounge posts in the past.

Bryan's Lounge: Another new one (I'm adding this to the list in January, 2009). This fellow has a really interesting collection of records and compilations of music of both the Lounge/Easy and Library Music varieties. Nice Stuff!

The Crime Lounge: This one IS ALL LOUNGE MUSIC. But it is ALSO, ONLY LOUNGE MUSIC of the SPY, PRIVATE EYE and CRIME varieties. And really... Who in his right mind wouldn't like to have martinis with James Bond?

Dr. Forrest's Cheeze Factory: Obsessed with Funny (and Just Plain Weird), this Comedy-centric Sharity Blog has been known post some of the stranger records of the Cocktail and Lounge genre.

Easy Listening World: Lots of Beautiful Music and Television Tunes from England.

Easy Music: Georgy shares Lots of Light and Easy Music for your Listening Pleasure. He's in Russia, so a lot of this is stuff you ain't never gonna get at Best Buy.

Fear and Loathing with... ElCrowley: Not only Lounge and Exotica, but lots of it.

Grooves of Delight: Absolutely Fantastic! Go NOW!

Hall of Records: INACTIVE since APRIL, 2007. Still some good stuff (Arthur Lyman anybody?) there, though.

Higher Than Fi: The New Kid on the Blog-Block! If you've ever heard Jet Set Planet you're sure to look forward to what the future holds in store. If you haven't, go here now and get into the groove.

The Hot Sauce Lounge: I tend to put Hot Sauce (of one type or another) on just about everything I eat, so this one holds a special place in my heart. Or maybe it's because he digs The Rat Pack so much. Hmmmmmmmmmmmm...?

J. David Williams' Sharity: Not a Blog so much as a Sharity Page on his Personal Site. Posts (from Vinyl and Reel-to-Reel Tapes) rotate out after a while, so check back every so often.

Junkyard Sparkle: NO POSTS since JUNE of 2007, but there's still some good stuff there.

Kelly's Lounge Sounds: Another New Lounge Blog! I say "The More the Merrier!," especially if they're all as good as this one. Kelly has some really nice stuff posted already (Peggy Lee & George Shearing, Sarah Vaughan, Les Baxter, Matt Monro, etc...) and promises much more from his years as a radio DJ. Get over there now and check it out.

Kono Tiki Island: INACTIVE since JANUARY, 2007. If there are holes in your Exotica collection, though, you might be able to fill them here.

Licorice Pizza: Without a Doubt one of my all time faves. An amazing collection of some of the best stuff I've ever sipped to.

Loronix: The Smooth Sounds of Lounge from Brazil. Lossa Bossa Nova!

Lounge Legends - Instrumentals Forever: I got two words for ya - Hugo Montenegro. Here... Two More - Horst Jankowsi. Got it? Go get it!

LP's Vinyl Lounge Hut: The Name Pretty Much Say's It All! An astounding collection of Thrift Store Gems.

Mexicovers: A great supplier of Easy Pop with a South of the Border slant.

morghini.net: Five mixes of great NOW Sound Pop.

Music and Memories: Ultra-Lounge, Henry Mancini & Lots of Soundtracks

Música do Bem: Classic Lounge Sounds.

Phil Musical's Lounge Corner: Bossa Nova, Mambos, Cha Cha Chas, Easy Listening, Lounge, Space Age Pop, etc... Really Great Stuff!

Psychotic Leisure Music: Okay. He post's a lot of other stuff, but Kevin's got a great deal of Esquivel and The Three Suns and that makes him okay with me!

Rangeraver's Departure Lounge: Great Shares and Tremendous Custom Compilations.

Rato Records Blog: Lots of Loungey Stuff in the mix. Shares are posted for one week only, so visit regularly.

RockOverGraceland: NO POSTS since January, but it's gotta be back sometime. It Just Has To!

Shoddity: NO POSTS since Four Months Before The Wedding, but still some great shares.

Singin' and Swingin': A remarkable collection of some of the smoothest sounds you'll ever let caress your eardrums.

Snow Day: Thrift Store Vinyl Sharity. One Month at a Time.

Sounds of Champaign (Side 2): Great Stuff! Much from Europe.

Stax o' Wax: Esther (with help from Starbuck and Snickerdoodle) pulls great stuff from the Thrift Bins!

TAM TAM & Mélodie: INACTIVE since FEBRUARY, 2007. This blog posted great Easy Shares from Exotic Locales. Many are Still Available.

Third Island: Mr. Snookles shares remarkable finds from Australia.

Thrift Store DJ: Some of my current favorites were found here!

Ultra Swank: Great Shares, Architectural Nostalgia and Custom Compilations from The Netherlands.

Vinyl Room: The Easiest of Easy Listening. Lots of great stuff here!

Whoops: Lounge, Easy and Library shares as well as Custom Compilations from France.

The Wild Palms: Extremely nice and easy shares from a fellow in The Netherlands.

Xtabay's World: He's calmed down a bit as of late (and begun posting items that aren't as Exotic[a] as the ones he used to specialize in), but Xtabay is still the King of Exotica Sharity!

Your Pal Doug: He Really IS Your Pal! And he's got a Record of the Moment Page Dealy.

Note: There are plenty of other blogs that share Lounge Music, but these are the ones that do it most consistently to my knowledge. If I've missed any that you know of, please let me know of them so that I can add them to my list of current obsessions.

So there! Ya'll get out there and get some good stuff! And, while you're there, show them your love and your appreciation.

Mike Melvoin: Keys to Your Mind

Open Your Mind Up to Tuna Melt!

Mike Melvoin is well known nowadays as "The Plastic Cow," being the artist who released 1970's "The Plastic Cow Goes Moooooog," and for playing the keyboards on The Beach Boy's "Good Vibrations."

On top of that, he's arranged for and worked with such greats as Lou Rawls, Bill Henderson, Peggy Lee, Joe Williams, Billy Ekstine, Barry Manilow, Pat Boone, The Four Freshmen, Jon Davidson, The Partridge Family, Tom Waits and Wayne Newton.

This is a "pre-Moog" record from 1966. It may not have an actual synthesizer on it, but on top of standard keyboard instruments such as the Concert Grand Piano, Electric Piano, Harpsichord, Hammond Organ and even a Tack Piano, he also includes an Ondioline (which he refers to as his "Secret Weapon"). The Ondioline was a vacuum-tube powered keyboard instrument, invented in France in 1941, that was built on springs so that an artist could shake and wiggle it in order to achieve an actual vibrato.

Lots of wiggly jiggly Beatles and Bacarach on this one!

Mike Melvoin: Keys to Your Mind

1. Sweet Talkin' Guy
2. Looking with My Eyes
3. Eleanor Rigby
4. Here, There and Everywhere
5. Paperback Writer
6. Along Comes Mary
7. Summer in the City
8. Are You There
9. For No One
10. You Are My Sunshine
11. I Want to Tell You
12. Keys to Your Mind

Sid Ramin & Orchestra: New Thresholds in Sound

No Way! That's Even More Dynagroovy!

Okay. It might not be MORE DYNAGROOVY, but it is Definately MORE of the DYNAGROOVE EXPERIENCE!

This one, by Sid Ramin, rocks just as hard as the one by Marty Gold but it's not quite as inventive. There's very little Tuba action here. Still, it's a really great record and I'm sure it helped make a lot of dudes really happy with their recently purchased console stereos back in 1963.

Speaking of which... Remember that in 1963 there weren't that many Stereo systems out there. The amazing Stereo Action series that RCA produced in 1961 and 1962 was aimed at a Very Tiny, but Well Heeled, audience that was made up, mostly, of single men with enough disposable income to shell out for a stereo system (hence the tag "Space Age Bachelor Pad Music").

I had a roomate who worked at a record store back in about 1985. He had all these goofballs who knew not a damn thing about music coming into the store and asking him which CDs they should buy, as CDs were the New Perfect (and, at the time, rather expensive) Thing. He would offer his recommendations and they would purchase a huge load of good music. A week later, they would come back into the store wanting to sell the CDs back and asking which new ones they should get this time. It wasn't that they didn't like what they'd heard, it was just that they had Tiny Brains and Big Fat Wallets.

Too bad that the Record Companies had forgotten how to sell Demonstration Records by that point.

I know that there were at least three others in this series (and I swear I've got a copy of Dick Schory's "Supercussion" around here somewhere), as well as several compilation releases designed to demonstrate the amazing capabilities of Dynagroove, so if any other bloggers offer them you need to grab them up! I'll keep my eyes open in the Thrift Stores around town for 'em. Don't Worry!

Sid Ramin & Orchestra: New Thresholds in Sound

1. Strike Up the Band
2. Granada
3. The Sweetest Sounds
4. April in Paris
5. Varsity Drag
6. Embraceable You
7. Spring Is Here
8. Swanee
9. I Believe in You
10. Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries
11. Hernando's Hideaway
12. Bewitched

Marty Gold & His Orchestra: SOUNDPOWER! Music to the Limits of Audibility

Man! That's Dynagroovy!

The Wikipedia entry on Dynagroove reads as follows:

"Dynagroove is a recording process introduced in 1963 exclusive to RCA Victor that, for the first time, utilized computers ("electronic brains") to modify the audio signal fed to the recording stylus (chisel-shaped) of a phonograph record to make the groove shape conform to the tracking requirements of the playback stylus (ball-point shaped). RCA claimed that Dynagroove had the effect of adding brilliance and clarity, realistic presence, full-bodied tone and virtually eliminated surface noise and inner groove distortion. In addition, Dynagroove recordings were mastered on RCA Magnetic Tape. Hans H. Fantel (who wrote liner notes on the first Dynagroove releases) summed it up with, "[Dynagroove] adds up to what is, in my opinion, a remarkable degree of musical realism. The technique is ingenious and sophisticated, but its validation is simple: the ear confirms it!"

"The process was not received well by some industry commentators, such as the founder of Stereophile magazine, J. Gordon Holt, who in December 1964 wrote a highly unfavourable article entitled "Down with Dynagroove!". Dynagroove was also sharply criticized by Goddard Lieberson of the competing label Columbia Records, who called it "a step away from the faithful reproduction of the artist's performance;" and by Harry Pearson, founder of The Absolute Sound, who termed it "Dynagrove, for that wooden sound." Holt, a noted audio engineer and writer of the 1960s and 1970s, slammed Dynagroove as introducing "pre-distortion" into the mastering process, making the records sound worse if they were played on high-quality phono systems.

RCA discontinued Dynagroove without fanfare in the late 1970s."

Whether it was a step forward or a step backward can (and, I'm sure, will) be argued by the experts 'til they're all blue in the face. The fact is that RCA created an entire slate of releases produced specifically in order to show the extreme dynamic capabilities of the Dynagroove process and those records are treasured to this very day for the music more than the recording technology involved.

One such recording (my personal favorite of the lot) is "SOUNDPOWER! Music to the Limits of Audiobility" by Marty Gold and His Orchestra. This is one killer record. Marty uses it as a opportunity to stretched his highs and lows as far apart as possible using the entire orchestra in dramatically inventive and creative ways.

If you've never heard "I Concentrate on You" performed on a Tuba, now's your chance!

Marty Gold & His Orchestra: SOUNDPOWER! Music to the Limits of Audibility

1. I'll Remember April
2. Stella By Starlight
3. The Moon Was Yellow
4. The Terry Theme from "Limelight"
5. Without a Song
6. Harlem Nocturne
7. Shangri-La
8. A String of Pearls
9. I Left My Heart in San Francisco
10. I Concentrate on You
11. Till There Was You
12. Misty

Andy Williams: To You Sweetheart, Aloha

Let's Go Back to Hawai‘i!!!

Of course, we here at The Tuna Melt prefer to refer to them as The Sandwich Islands, but we love going there whatever you call 'em.

And this time we're going with Andy Williams, so it should be a perfectly smooth trip. Andy released this one in 1960, while he was signed to Cadence records, and it's filled with Hapa Haole gems.

Classic, baby!

Andy Williams: To You Sweetheart, Aloha

1. To You Sweetheart, Aloha
2. Blue Hawaii
3. I'll Weave a Lei of Stars for You
4. Sweet Leilani
5. The Moon of Mankoora
6. The Hawaiian Wedding Song
7. Song of the Islands
8. A Song of Old Hawaii
9. Love Song of Kalua
10. Beyond the Reef
11. Ka-Lu-A
12. Aloha Oe

Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra: The New Ebb Tide

Hey! Look what washed up at Tuna Melt!

Frank Chacksfield's biggest hits were "Ebb Tide" and "(Terry's Theme from) Limelight," both released in 1953. In 1960 he rerecorded "Ebb Tide" in stereo and surrounded it with 10 other songs about water for a collection entitled "The New Ebb Tide" in Decca's London Phase 4 Stereo series.

Not much else to say about this one, so, here it is!

Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra: The New Ebb Tide

1. Ebb Tide
2. How Deep Is the Ocean
3. Deep River
4. Stranger on the Shore
5. Moonlight on the Ganges
6. Sea Mist
7. Shenandoah
8. La Mer
9. Moon River
10. Sleepy Lagoon
11. Victory at Sea: Song of the High Seas / Submarines in a Calm Sea

The Anita Kerr Singers: Reflect (on the Hits of Burt Bacharach & Hal David)

What's it All About, Anita?

The Anita Kerr Singers (and The Anita Kerr Quartet) were originally based in Nashville and were heavily involved in the creation of the "Countrypolitan" Nashville Sound. Any ideas that they were limited to working in Country Music, however, need to be tossed out immediately. Kerr, herself, was a multi-talented arranger, conductor and producer of a huge number of records of a wide range of styles.

She had moved to Hollywood by the time she recorded this album, in 1969, and was primarily involved in arranging and recording Orchestral Pop material. Combined with the amazing songwriting talents of Burt Bacharach and Hal David, her production on this record is nothing less than astounding.

Get her whole story at: http://www.anitakerr.com/

The Anita Kerr Singers: Reflect (on the Hits of Burt Bacharach & Hal David)

1. What's New Pussycat?
2. Alfie
3. Are You There (With Another Girl)
4. In Between the Heartaches
5. The Windows of the World
6. Do You Know the Way to San Jose
7. Don't Make Me Over
8. Walk On By
9. Whoever You Are, I Love You
10. I Say a Little Prayer
11. The Look of Love
12. A House is Not a Home
13. What the World Needs Now is Love

Sounds Galactic: An Astromusical Odyssey

Re-Upped and Re-Mastered! An Astromusical Odyssey.

This one was up for a relatively short time on the old site and it's a Really Awesome record, so I figured I'd better post it again.

This record is a Space Age Pop Monster. The back of the cover contains the only clue to it's actual contents in that it sports a line that says "Arrangements JOHN KEATING".

I find it rather hard to believe that Arranging was the only thing John Keating did on this record, though, as it is easily comparable to Keating's "Space Experience" records. It's possible that someone else conducted the orchestra, but it certainly has the John Keating Sound (including a fair amount of synthesizer work).

If you didn't get it before, you now have another opportunity. DO NOT LET THIS ONE PASS YOU BY!

Sounds Galactic: An Astromusical Odyssey

1. Theme from '2001'
2. Spinning Wheel
3. Aquarius
4. Nocturne
5. Across the Universe
6. Up, Up and Away
7. Good Morning Starshine
8. Telstar
9. Clair De Lune
10. Round Trip Mars

The Melachrino Strings: Music & More Music for Relaxation

I Sure Hope You're Stressed Out!


Okay. I don't, actually, but since I said I hoped you were hungry when I posted "Music for Dining" & "More Music for Dining", by The Melachrino Strings, back in April of last year I figured that would be an appropriate sentiment with which to introduce this post.

Continuing with his attempts at Lifestyle Modification Though Music, George Melachrino conducted these two records in 1958 and 1961, respectively. The first is called "Music for Relaxation"and relaxing is what it is, boy howdy! Of course, that's what George did best.

The Melachrino Strings: Music for Relaxation

1. Berceuse de Jocelyn
2. Autumn Leaves
3. While We're Young
4. Star Dust
5. Portrait of a Lady
6. Valse Bluette
7. By the Sleepy Lagoon
8. La Golondrina (The Swallow)
9. La Serenata
10. Moonlight Serenade
11. Vision d' Amour
12. Estrellita

The second is actually posted on a different blog. I had been planning to post it, along with the first of the two, for a while but my copy is in pretty bad shape and would've been very difficult to get a clean rip off of. That problem was solved by our buddy Rich, who posted a beautiful VBR copy of it over on his site, LP's Vinyl Lounge Hut. The link to this record will take you to his original post, but I encourage you to tour around the entire site and check out his other Ultra-Lounge, Easy-Listening, Exotica and other Hard to Find offerings.

The Melachrino Strings: More Music for Relaxation

1. Alone
2. The Champagne Waltz
3. Poor Butterfly
4. Drifting and Dreaming
5. Fascination
6. Among My Souvenirs / Chopin Nocture in E
7. The Four Seasons
8. Paradise
9. Serenade in Blue / Schubert's Serenade
10. Mam'selle
11. Misty
12. I'm Getting Sentimental Over You / Softly, Softly

WARNING!:
Do not attempt to operate a Motor Vehicle, Manned Aeronautic
Craft or Large Countertop Appliances while under the influence of these records.

Various Artists: Hawaiian Paradise

A Cure for the Common Coldness

Okay... Reader's Digest Box Sets have a bad reputation these days. There are several sites (all of which I respect greatly) that go to great lengths to convince potential buyers to Beware the Reader's Digest Label.

In a related entry, the Space Age Pop Music site has this to say about them: "Usually, however distinguished the performers may be, the stylistic effect of the Reader's Digest cachet is deadening. These renditions are almost always performed in a humorously straight-forward manner, avoiding any unusual orchestrations, dramatic attacks, jarring shifts in volume, rhythm, or tone, and individual interpretations. When the box promises a bunch of organ music for people who like organ music, that's what it delivers. A bunch of organ music played essentially anonymously by performers who might as be anonymous for what little personality they are allowed to sneak through."

You can read the entire post here: http://www.spaceagepop.com/rc003.htm

That being said... For the most part the Reader's Digest Sets are deserving of just such trivialization. This particular collection, however, stands out from most of the others in my opinion.

For one thing (and it's an Important one) It's HAWAIIAN MUSIC, for Pete's sake. The music on these records spans the Hapa Haole Spectrum, from passable Exotica to Orchestral Easy Listening. As it was released in 1970 it contains a fair amount of NOW Sound content as well as the more traditional Strings and Percussion. While there is not one single note of Hawaiian Folk or Slack Key Guitar on these five discs, there is an impressive range of musical styles (from Exotica to Easy Listening and NOW Sound Instrumental and Choral arrangements) which possess a tremendous dynamic range and a decent amount of fairly risky originality (check out the included recording of "Bali Ha'i", by Don Kalana & The Tahitians w/ Chorus, which is probably the most upbeat and bouncy rendition of the song that I've ever heard).

In other words... This is one Great Set of Discs!

And, now that it's February, we're probably all suffering from a bit of Cabin Fever (unless, of course, we're in the Southern Hemisphere, in which case we're all runnin' around 'bout butt naked and eatin' ice cream and settling down in the evenings with the Air Conditioners hummin'... You're Time Will Come!!!) and the best cure I've ever found for Dismal Winter Weather is a Tall Cool Rum Drink and Tropical Tunes!

So put on your Aloha Shirts and Muu Muus, mix up a tall cool Zombie or Missionary's Downfall, flip open your copy of "The Book of Tiki" or "Leis, Luaus and Alohas" and give these discs a spin!

Welcome to Hawaiian Paradise!!!

Various Artists: Hawaiian Paradise, Disc 1

1. Hawaiian Paradise - Louie King & His South Sea Islanders
2. Forevermore - Kalua Beach Boys w/ Chorus
3. The Far Lands - Kalua Beach Boys
4. Sing Me a Song of the Islands - Kalua Beach Boys
5. Sail Along, Silv'ry Moon - Louis Nunley & Kalua Beach Boys
6. Flamingo - Kalua Beach Boys
7. Hawaii Calls - Kalua Beach Boys
8. Hawaiian War Chant - Louis King & His South Sea Islanders
9. The Hawaiian Love Call - Kalua Beach Boys w/ Chorus
10. I'll See You in Hawaii - Kalua Beach Boys
11. I Want to Learn to Speak Hawaiian - Don Kalana & The Tahitians
12. Underneath the Blue Hawaiian Skies - Kalua Beach Boys

Various Artists: Hawaiian Paradise, Disc 2

1. Maori Brown Eyes - Kalua Beach Boys
2. Love Letters in the Sand - Louie King & His South Sea Islanders
3. Love Song of Kalua - Kalua Beach Boys w/ Chorus
4. Sea and Surf - Kalua Beach Boys
5. Hawaiian Surf - Kalua Beach Boys
6. Sand and Sea - Jack Kai & His Hawaiian Paradise Orchestra
7. Good Night, Aloha - Kalua Beach Boys
8. Always in My Heart - Don Kalana & The Tahitians
9. Our Love and Aloha - Kalua Beach Boys
10. You Are Beautiful - Louis Nunley & Kalua Beach Boys
11. Hello, Aloha! — How Are You? - Kalua Beach Boys
12. King's Serenade - Don Kalana & The Tahitians

Various Artists: Hawaiian Paradise, Disc 3

1. Lani (Heaven in Hawaii) - Kalua Beach Boys
2. Paradise Island - Jack Kai & His Hawaiian Paradise Orchestra
3. Bali Ha'i - Don Kalana & The Tahitians w/ Chorus
4. Hawaiian Sunset - Hanuani Lei & The Serenaders
5. An Island Calls to You - Kalua Beach Boys
6. My Isle of Golden Dreams - Louie King & His South Sea Islanders
7. Trade Winds - Jack Kai & His Hawaiian Paradise Orchestra
8. Tropic Trade Winds - Jack Kai & His Hawaiian Paradise Orchestra
9. Waikiki - Kalua Beach Boys
10. Here (In This Enchanted Place) - Don Kalana & The Tahitians w/ Chorus
11. Indian Summer - Kalua Beach Boys
12. White Silver Sands - Louie King & His South Sea Islanders

Various Artists: Hawaiian Paradise, Disc 4

1. Hawaii - Kalua Beach Boys
2. Hawaiian Christmas Song - Kalua Beach Boys
3. Hukilau Song - Don Kalana & The Tahitians w/ Chorus
4. There's No Place Like Hawaii - Kalua Beach Boys
5. My Hawaiian Souvenirs - Hanuani Lei & The Serenaders
6. My Hawaiian Song of Love - Kalua Beach Boys
7. Farewell (For Just a While) - Don Kalana & The Tahitians w/ Chorus
8. I Will Remember You - Kalua Beach Boys
9. Across the Sea - Louie King & His South Sea Islanders
10. For You a Lei - Kalua Beach Boys
11. Silver Moon - Hanuani Lei & The Serenaders
12. I'll Weave a Lei of Stars for You - Hanuani Lei & The Serenaders

Various Artists: Hawaiian Paradise, Disc 5

1. Hawaiian Dreams - Kalua Beach Boys
2. Sweet Someone - Hanuani Lei & The Serenaders
3. Ka-Lu-A - Hanuani Lei & The Serenaders
4. One Paddle, Two Paddle - Don Kalana & The Tahitians w/ Chorus
5. Let Me Hear You Whisper - Kalua Beach Boys
6. Honolulu Eyes - Don Kalana & The Tahitians
7. Hawaiian Memories - Kalua Beach Boys
8. Magic Is the Moonlight - Kalua Beach Boys
9. You'll Never Go Home - Don Kalana & The Tahitians
10. On Treasure Island - Kalua Beach Boys w/ Chorus
11. I've Found a Little Grass Skirt - Don Kalana & The Tahitians
12. Beyond the Rainbow - Kalua Beach Boys

Various Artists: Easy Listening Beatles

The Tuna Melt presents HELP!


You know how it is… Like, because they're, like, the Greatest Musical Combo Ever in the History of Music, like, FOREVER, people like to try to listen to The Beatles. But sometimes, apparently, that can be a very difficult endeavor. Thank God for This Record!

This record, "Easy Listening Beatles (For People Who Hate Rock and Roll)", is filled with Beatles tunes as rendered by Ray Conniff, Percy Faith, Andre Kostelanetz, Johnny Mathis, Peter Nero and others. If you like The Beatles AND Easy Listening You'll Like It. If you Love Easy Listening but Hate The Beatles… You'll Love It!

Various Artists: Easy Listening Beatles

1. Hey Jude - Ray Conniff
2. Fool on the Hill - Percy Faith, His Orchestra & Chorus
3. Yesterday - Ray Conniff
4. Eleanor Rigby - Johnny Mathis
5. You've Got to Hide Your Love Away - Percy Faith & His Orchestra
6. My Sweet Lord - Johnny Mathis
7. Something - Peter Nero
8. The Long and Winding Road - Andre Kostelanetz
9. Michelle - Andre Kostelanetz & His Orchestra
10. Variations on the Theme "Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da" - Peter Nero
11. Let it Be - Jerry Vale

Carmen Cavallaro: Cocktail Time / 101 Strings: Fire and Romance of South America

Let's Take a Break with Some Stuff that is Easy to Listen To

Ah, yeah! Gonna kick back and relax a bit after that last couple of wild ones. And when I relax, I like to do it in a soft leather chair, with a cool drink and an album of music that's easy to listen to.

Sorta like this one. Carmen Cavallaro was known as "The Poet of the Piano" and followed closely in the footsteps of Eddie Duchin to release albums of flashy, zingy piano stylings of both popular music and "classical pop". As a matter of fact, it's actually Carmen playing the piano for Tyrone Power in "The Eddie Duchin Story" (probably playing better than Duchin himself could have).

Carmen also released another Cocktail album, entitled "Cocktails with Cavallaro". I don't have it, though. I have this one.

Carmen Cavallaro: Cocktail Time

1. The Second Time Around
2. This Could Be the Start of Something
3. If Ever I Would Leave You
4. Mine
5. The Happiest Girl in the World
6. Love Is Here to Stay
7. When I Fall in Love
8. Never on Sunday
9. Love Letters
10. Make Someone Happy
11. My Sentimental Heart

"But," you might say, "Traitor Vic, what do you listen to if you're in a "South of the Border" kind of mood?", to which I might respond by asking "Do you mean a Little Bit South of the Border? Or WAY South of the Border?", assuming that you don't mean the infamous South Carolina Tourist Trap.

Were you to come back with "WAY South of the Border!" I would have to say that I'd like to sink back with a well made Caipirinha while listening to the soothing sounds of 101 Strings playing "Fire and Romance of South America" played.

Don't believe me? Grab yourself a bottle of Cachaca and a few limes and give this a spin.

101 Strings: Fire and Romance of South America

1. Brazil
2. La Cumparsita
3. Ay Ay Ay
4. Desafinado
5. Inca Theme
6. Tico Tico
7. El Choclo
8. Encanto del Caribe
9. Carnival do Rio
10. Adios Muchachos

John Andrews Tartaglia: Tartaglian Theorem

It's, Like, Science or Something!

"The Tartaglian Theorem is, basically, an application of exciting new orchestral arrangements to high-quality, contemporary compositions in a manner that finds the middle ground between the inventiveness of the arranger and the inspiration of the composer. The formula is sound!"

So say the notes on the rear of the jacket in which this record was packaged. Some of you are probably already familiar with this theory from listening to some of the Now Sound compilations on which some of the tracks from this album have been included (such as The Sound Gallery Vol. 2, Ultra-Lounge - On the Rocks I & II, and Look Into the Flower [Trip on Psychedelic Grooves with Blue Note]). It's a very groovy record!

John Andrews Tartaglia: Tartaglian Theorem

1. Poto Flavus
2. Wichita Lineman
3. I Am the Walrus
4. I'm Gonna Make You Love Me
5. Light My Fire
6. Abraham, Martin & John
7. America
8. Collage: Like to Get to Know You / Give a Damn
9. Sleep

I was unable to find much info about John Andrews Tartaglia online. This is from the aforementioned album jacket: "West-Coast born and raised, Tartaglia began his professional career in the Los Angeles area as John Andrews, with the "Tartaglia" dropped on the advise of early associates as "too hard to remember." His past efforts include, among other things, music for many of the hits of the Buckinghams, Tiny Tim, John Stewart and Al Martino. Here Capitol presents him in his first feature album as Tartaglia – just plain "John Andrews" being considered too hard to remember!"

Michel Legrand: Strings on Fire

On Fire!?! It's Simply In Sane!

Back in the 50s and 60s a good deal of really cheap movies were made about "What Might Happen If" scenarios. For instance... What Might Happen if Nuclear Energy Affected Ants and Made them Really Big and Dangerous!?! Or... What Might Happen if Nuclear Power Were to Distort a Man's Ability to Fight Against Horrifically Enlarged (by Nuclear Power, of course) Rodents!?!

All this "What Might Happen If" stuff kinda gets me to thinking about this record. It seems a perfect example of What Might Happen if Jackie Gleason were Conducting an Orchestra When, Suddenly... He were Possesed by the Spirit of Juan Garcia Esquivel!?!

Scary, huh?

Not really, though. Michel Legrand, who's album this is, was born into a musical family (his father was a successful conductor and his sister was a member of the Swingle Singers) in 1932. He was already studying music when, in 1947, a friend gave him a ticket to a Dizzy Gillespie concert.

That being said, Michel Legrand has produced quite a few High-Brow "Real" Jazz records over the last 60 years ("Legrand Jazz," on Columbia-EMI, and "C'Est Magnifique," on Mercury, are real standouts), he has also created, conducted and/or produced a fair amount of Less Important Music. Some fault him for this. I say that it's simply because he realized a few years back that All Music is Good (unless it's Music That Sucks, of course) and that the Sound of Strings Zooming and Zinging around a room (from the speakers of a Console Stereo) was a Marvelous Thing!

This guy is GOOD! If you ever see a copy of his "Archi-Cordes" or "Plays for Dancers" in a Thrift Shop... GRAB IT!!!

In the meantime... Enjoy this.

Michel Legrand: Strings on Fire

1. Perfidia
2. El Choclo
3. Boulevard of Broken Dreams
4. What Is This Thing Called Love
5. Everything I Have is Yours
6. Jezebel
7. Jalousie
8. Close Your Eyes
9. Temptation
10. Come Back to Sorrento
11. Tabu
12. All or Nothing At All

Ray Martin and His Orchestra: Thunderball and Other Thriller Music / Billy Strange, His Guitar and Orchestra: Goldfinger

Two from Her Majesty's Secret Service

Both of these records were released in 1965, both are named for James Bond films and both feature mostly instrumental collections of popular music. That's where the similarities end, though. These are very different records but both are great for different reasons.

The first is by Ray Martin. You may know Ray from the two volumes he created for the Stereo Action series (Dynamica and Excitement, Incorporated). He also recorded a record called "Goldfinger and Other James Bond Thrillers." This record is Exotica Spy Jazz with lots of Stereo Exploitation, Nonsense Ooooh-Ahhhh Lyrics, Zappy Brass and Zinging, Swirling Strings. It will sound great as you're flashing down a mountain road in your Aston Martin DB5.

Ray Martin and His Orchestra: Thunderball and Other Thriller Music

1. Thunderball
2. The Knack
3. Theme from 'The F.B.I.'
4. Theme from 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'
5. Mister Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
6. Theme for 'Honey West'
7. I Spy
8. Theme from 'Trials of O'Brien'
9. The Young Set

The second record is probably a little better suited for listening to in the Sunbeam Alpine that was the car Bond drove in the first film, Dr. No. It's a bit more Pop oriented than the Ray Martin album, but that makes sense considering that it was recorded by the fella that played guitar on Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots were Made for Walking." Billy Strange also played with Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, The Beach Boys, Jan and Dean, and Speedy West. He's got a great website: http://www.billystrangemusic.com/.

Billy Strange, His Guitar and Orchestra: Goldfinger

1. Goldfinger
2. More
3. Paladin (Have Gun Will Travel)
4. Goin' Out of My Head
5. I Feel Fine
6. Theme for Pussy Galore
7. Peter Gunn
8. Dear Heart
9. Theme from The Munsters
10. The Jerk
11. Come See About Me
12. Man with the Golden Arm