Wayne Cochran: Wayne Cochran!

The Hardest Working White Man in Show Business!!!

Wayne Cochran was alternately known as "The White Knight of Soul" and "The White James Brown." Both names were perfectly accurate. He wore a pompadour that was larger, higher and wider than anything James (or even Esquerita, for that matter) had ever dreamed of. The flamboyance of his onstage outfits knew only the bounds of his wild-ass imagination. He put together, managed and directed an incredibly good, tight band of White musicians knowns as the C.C. Riders. And on top of all of that, he could sing like nobody's business. His was one of the best voices of Soul at a time when White People just didn't do that.

To claim that he was discriminated against by the "Soul Music" scene would be like claiming that Hank Ballard could have, if he had wanted to, joined The Augusta National Golf Club in 1963. It is important to note, though, the degree to which discrimination can eventually hurt everybody. Wayne Cochran and the C.C. Riders, though, were able to play some of the largest and most influential Black R&B clubs in the country and were always accepted and appreciated as the great band that they were.

Wayne, like Louis Prima, was also able to take Rock & Roll and Soul music in the Nightclubs where Lounge Music was usually played. He was always a big hit.

He became friends with Elvis, Ann-Margaret and Robert Conrad (having appeared in an episode of "Wild Wild West"). Conrad was inspired by Wayne and the Band to begin the creation of the 1970 film "C.C. Rider," which starred Joe Namath (as C.C. Rider) and Ann-Margaret and featured Wayne and the C.C. Riders in one scene.

Wayne attributes the inspiration for his Big Hair to two brothers, named Johnny and Edgar Winter, who were in a band called "It & Them" (further proof that Big Hair was, in fact, Not Invented at Hammerjacks!).

This really is a great soul album (almost more Bluesy than a lot of other soul records of the time). I would say I'm sad that I only have a Monophonic copy but I'd be lying. This sounds really fine to me.

Wayne Cochran: Wayne Cochran!

1. Get Ready
2. Boom Boom
3. The Peak of Love
4. You Don't Know Like I Know
5. Some-A' Your Sweet Love
6. I'm Leaving It Up to You
7. You Can't Judge a Book By the Cover
8. Big City Woman
9. Little Bitty Pretty One
10. I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man
11. Get Down With It
12. When My Baby Cries

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

Jack W. Hester Presents: The Rapture (A Narrative Drama of the Second Coming of Christ)

Tuna Melt Gonna Scare You to Jesus, for Christ's Sake!!!

I've been horribly frightened by three different experiences involving mass media in my lifetime.

One of those took place on September 11, 2001, was immediately reported on both Television and Radio, and should require no explanation.

Another instance, this one centered around a Motion Picture, occurred upon my attendance at the local showing of George Romero's "Dawn of the Dead" in 1978. I had been a bit too young to see "Night of the Living Dead" when it came out but, since Romero waited an entire decade to produce the sequel, I was at just the correct demographic age (probably 16 or so) to experience the Second of the Best Zombie Movies Ever Made.

If you haven't seen the movie, I'll let you know only that most of it takes place in a Shopping Mall.

So... Guess where I was working at the time?!? Yep!!! A Shopping Mall!!!

Walking around in the hallways and tunnels that ran behind the stores became incredibly spooky all of a sudden.

Scared of Zombies!?! Yep! You can bet I was!

A Zombie could be Anybody, for Pete's Sake!!!

Your Mama Could Be a ZOMBIE!!!

Or your GIRLFRIEND, or your BEST FRIEND, or your GRANDMOTHER!!!

Or THAT WEIRD GUY AT THE CONVENIENCE STORE!!!

Are You Ready for the Onslaught? Find Out Now!!!
97%

The other event that involved Mass Media and scared the livin' crap out of me occurred when This Record came out.

For one thing... It was Played on the Morning Radio Show in my hometown!!!

Yep... The fellow who used to host the television show on which all us little children were lined up on bleachers to meet Mister Monty and Mister Doohickey also worked on the local Radio Station (back in the days when The Newspaper, The Television Station and The Radio Station in One City could all be owned by one company - an idea which is currently being rallied for by those corporations that fought to have it made illegal about 20 years ago). Hearing Mr. Monty play this record on the radio (along with disclaimers to make sure he didn't crank up another "War of the Worlds" scenario) was enough to convince me that should be taken seriously. On top of that... They played it for us kids (the boys, at least) at the church that my family was attending at the time.

One result was that I was afraid to go to the Bathroom (Just to Pee, for Pete's Sake) at the Church for YEARS after being forced to absorb this crap! I was TERRIFIED that JESUS CHRIST would WALK IN BEFORE I GOT MY PANTS ZIPPED!!! I eventually got over it and figured out that Unreasonable Fear is, well... Unreasonable.

For those of you unfamiliar with "The Rapture" (in Christian eschatology), it is the name given to the future event in which Jesus Christ will descend from Heaven, accompanied by the spirits of all of the saints of God who have already passed on, after which the bodily remains of these saints are transported from the earth to meet the Lord and be rejoined with their corresponding spirits in the air. Immediately following this, all Christians alive on the earth are simultaneously transported to meet the Lord and those who have preceded them in the air. It's The Second Coming of Christ, in other words.

You can get the idea that this could be frightening to the rest of those left wandering around on Earth, wondering what the heck just took place.

Please allow me to point out that, according to this account, the vast majority of us will be enjoying Grand Funk on our radio sets at the time of Christ's return (which suits me just fine). And references made, on this album, to "The Jetport" are the result of my hometown actually referring to it's local airport as "The Jetport" until the mid-90s.

I've divided this record into three parts:

Part 1 is the Introduction - interesting to a degree, but rather ignorable in my opinion.

Part 2 is the HORRIFIC REALITY of THE RAPTURE as Reported on RADIO!!!

Part 3 is a couple of guys reading stuff from the Bible and Preaching.

Jack W. Hester Presents: The Rapture (A Narrative Drama of the Second Coming of Christ)

1. Introduction
2. The HORRIFIC REALITY of THE RAPTURE as Reported on RADIO
3. A Couple of Guys Reading Stuff from the Bible and Preaching

Horslips: Happy to Meet… Sorry to Part

The Jig Is Up at Tuna Melt!

Just in time for St. Patrick's Day, too!

Horslips was, if not THE, one of The Original Celtic Rock bands, coming together in Dublin in 1970. They originally got together as a fake band for a Harp Lager commercial and, since they had gone to the trouble of recruiting a keyboard player for the ad, decided they might as well make a go of it, taking the name "The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse." They later modified the name, via a spoonerism, into "The Four Poxmen on The Horslypse" which was eventually shortened to Horslypse and, then, Horslips.

"Happy to Meet… Sorry to Part" was their first full length album, recorded and released in1972. It consists mostly of traditional Irish melodies and was the fastest selling album in Ireland for 8 years.

Horslips: Happy to Meet… Sorry to Part

1. Happy to Meet
2. Hall of Mirrors
3. The Clergy's Lamentation
4. An Bratach Bán
5. The Shamrock Shore
6. Flower Among Them All
7. Bim Istigh Agōl
8. Furniture
9. Ace and Deuce
10. Dance to Yer Daddy
11. High Reel
12. Scalloway Ripoff
13. The Musical Priest
14. Sorry to Part

Rusty Warren: Knockers UP! & Bounces Back

Grab Yourself a Handful!

Rusty Warren made 14 "naughty" Party Records starting in the late 50s and continuing into the 70s. Amazingly, seven of them achieved Gold Record status despite their being deemed "too dirty" for airplay on commercial radio.

She has since joked that her songs could serve as nursery rhymes these days, due to our "relaxed" standards of decency, but back then this was groundbreaking stuff! And not just because its risqué. At the time, almost no one spoke this openly about sex and relationships in public, but for a woman to do it was particularly unheard of. And the fact that Rusty is a woman also gives her humor a different spin from the other Party Records of the time, which were recorded primarily by men and were decidedly more raunchy.

Rusty brought sexual humor to a mainstream audience made up of both genders. More importantly, though, is the fact that Rusty spoke of women as sexual creatures with feelings, desires and the ability to use their own minds. As much as these records might seem to be at odds with what has since come to define "feminism," Rusty introduced her audiences to strong women who knew what they wanted and how to get it.

NOTE: These albums are available, from Rusty's own website, on CD!
The links below lead to the page from which they (and other items) can be purchased.

Rusty Warren: Knockers UP!

1. I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate
2. In the Family Way
3. Frankie and Johnny
4. Knockers UP!
5. You're Nobody Til Somebody Loves You

Rusty Warren: Bounces Back

1. Rusty’s Back in Town
2. A Very Sensitive Subject
3. Say Thank You
4. When a Woman Wants It
5. It Ain’t Kirk Douglas
6. Big Knockers
7. Little Knockers
8. Ode to Gertrude and Agnes
9. Meet the Audience
10. In a Car it Doesn’t Count
11. Naked
12. Freedom
13. Bounce Your Boobies
14. Make Someone Happy

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: Badger A-Go-Go

Dat Tooner Melt Got Good Toons, Aina Hey?

If you ever sipped cold water from a bubbler and wished it was PBR, this is one record you're gonna want! It's a compilation featuring bands representing the Milwaukee New Music Scene of the late 80s and early 90s such as Die Kreuzen, E-I-E-I-O, Plasticland and Couch Flambeau.

Liner notes on the back cover read: "15 of the Greatest Sounds. Here's the lp that had to happen. The swingin' sounds of the Badger State that have made it Nationally.

Without a doubt, this lp is a collector's item… representing Contemporary Sounds, R&B, Psychedelic, Rock & Roll, Calypso, Folk Rock, and the Mod Sound.

Not only is this a great lp for listening and dancing… It's a party in itself."

So… Grab yourself a twelver of Pabsts, and few links of Goose Liver Sausage and a wheel of Medium Sharp Cheddar and Get Ready to Get Down!

Various Artists: Badger A-Go-Go

1. Danelectro - Liquid Pink
2. I'm Gonna Emphasize - Plasticland
3. Downer Street - Squares
4. The American Way - Dummy Club
5. K.I.D. - Boy Dirt Car
6. Can't Sit Down - Paul Cebar & The Milwaukeeans
7. Seasons of Wither - Die Kreuzen
8. Helvetica - Couch Flambeau
9. Grievance in F#m - The Blowtorch
10. Mrs. Wilson - Cherry Cake
11. Stop at the Left…Look to the Right - F/i
12. Play with Pain - Appliances-SFB
13. Blood on the Saddle - Brian Ritchie & The Ghostly Trio
14. Gonna Get Gone - E-I-E-I-O
15. My Mother Still Likes Me - Voot Warnings

The Contenders: The Contenders

Repost for Good Reason: They Coulda Been...

I attended a show, this afternoon, by a band called The Belleville Outfit. Go see their blog (at http://www.thebellevilleoutfit.blogspot.com/) and then go buy their new CD at your local (preferably locally owned) Music Store. They were in town to pay tribute to a local hero and are playing in a sold out program this evening that features a larger group of artists paying tribute to the same man.

Walter Hyatt is legendary in these parts (and several others) as the lead songwriter for a band called "Uncle Walt's Band", who influenced songwriters such as Lyle Lovett and Robert Earle Keen while living and performing in Austin, TX. He was killed in the crash of ValuJet Flight 592 in 1996, at the time pursuing a successful solo career.

He was also a member of another band. The Contenders were a group that was put together while Hyatt and fellow "Uncle Walt's" alumn DesChamps Hood were living in Nashville in the 70s and 80s. They released but one album and it is phenomenal. If I thought I could explain the record, or the band, any better than Eugene Chadbourne already has for "The All Music Guide" I would try. I can't, though, so here is what he has to say:

"The Contenders are considered one of the great "could have been" bands from the progressive country scene, featuring several of the brilliant players associated with Uncle Walt's Band in combination with a pair of North Carolina pickers and songwriters. It wasn't the quality of music that kept this group from ever hitting it big, despite the adage "the worse the music, the more the people." But it very well could have been the group's name, since a band that calls itself the Contenders is going to have to compete with a religious cult, a Kinks album, a television series, a film, and an eight-piece Minneapolis ska band, not to mention the category of shreeves running for public office that refer to themselves as "contenders" as well. The Contenders under discussion here originally formed in Nashville in the early '70s. Singer and guitarist Walter Hyatt and Champ Hood, a pro on fiddle as well as guitar and vocals, joined up with Steve Runkle and Tommy Goldsmith. Hyatt and Hood were two of the three members of Uncle Walt's Band, a group that had formed while still in high school in Spartanburg, SC. Drummer Jimbeau Walsh consolidated the Contenders lineup, which boasted a whopping (or horrifying, depending on one's point of view and band politics) four songwriters and lead vocalists.

"Fans of the band tend to feel the wonderful harmonies and ace picking were severely overlooked by the country rock audience. The success of groups in this genre, such as the Eagles, could have been the Contenders'. Yet not a single recording made by the Eagles had the complexity or musical interest of the Contenders, which goes a long way toward explaining one group's popularity and the other's lack of it. Ragtime and swing influences came into the band via Hyatt and Hood, while Goldsmith brought in an authentic old-time country-rock sound that is completely out of the Glenn Frey universe.

"Hyatt and Hood continued on with a re-formed Uncle Walt's Band into the early '80s, followed by solo careers for both and a busy schedule as a fiddle session man for Hood. In 1997, Hyatt died in the awful ValuJet crash in the Everglades. Runkle remained in Nashville as a writer and player, working and recording with artists such as David Olney and Tom House. Goldsmith, on the other hand, became a journalist while Walsh is supposedly in Hawaii doing who knows what. Of interest to song collectors obsessed with American cities would be Runkle's "Greensboro Blues," supposedly inspired by Olney's "Original Greensboro Blues." Other songs about Greensboro include "Greensboro Woman" by Townes Van Zandt and yet another "Greensboro Blues," this one by Bruce Piephoff, the only one of these jokers who actually lives in Greensboro. The Contenders, minus Goldsmith, who was recovering from an operation, backed Olney up on short tours in the late '70s." - Eugene Chadbourne, The All Music Guide

Sadly, the parts left out of this story (which was written, I'm sure, before they took place) are that both DesChamps Hood and Steve Runkle have passed away in the meantime.


This is a great record. It's a bit more laid back than what you usually find here (even moreso than some of the Easy Listening records I've posted) but it has a groove all it's own. Git it.

The Contenders: The Contenders

1. Lean on Your Mind
2. The Lack of Love
3. Walking Angel
4. Hollywood Girls
5. Silver Cup
6. Chain of Emotion
7. Dim the Light
8. Smokey Night Life
9. Whatever Reason
10. Talk
11. Light from Carolina

The Neighborhoods: Reptile Men

There Goes the Tuna Melt!

Let me start off by saying that the first thing that I ever do when it comes to posting any of the rather large number of Power Pop albums that I have is to head over to the Power Pop Criminals blog to see if Angelo has already beaten me to the punch. It's not like I'm worried about stepping on toes (although some bloggers are sensitive to such... as if they own the rights to the records that they pirate) and it's not like I don't think it's possible for me to never post anything that no one else has posted. It's just that I'd rather post things that aren't available elsewhere but that deserve attention.

So anyway... PPC has not posted this record! They did, though, post The Neighborhoods' first two records ("Fire is Coming" and "The High Hard One") back in June. Go here now and Get 'em and remember to say "Thank You": http://powerpopcriminals.blogspot.com/2007/06/neighborhoods-fire-is-coming-1984.html

I'd tell you all about The Neighborhoods if I thought I could. Instead I'll just tell you that you should visit their fine Tribute Website at http://www.thehoodsonline.com/ or go read this article at http://www.rockinboston.com/hoods.htm. They also have a MySpace page (of course) and there's a nice article from Trouser Press at http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=neighborhoods.

What I can tell you is that this Boston Power Pop Trio used to play in a small bar in my hometown on a fairly regular basis and were Amazing! On top of being a great band, they were also three of the nicest guys in the entire world.

If you like Rock & Roll... This is a record you need! If you don't... Please go see a Brain Specialist.

The Neighborhoods: Reptile Men

1. Pure and Easy
2. Modern Cowboy
3. Reptile Man
4. Tommy
5. Dangerous
6. The Man…
7. Peeping Tom
8. Out of Your Reach
9. Wailing Wall
10. Clichés

Fred Lowery: Walking Along Kicking the Leaves

Whistle While You… Well… Whatever.

It's not every day you get to hear music like this anymore. Unless, that is, you live somewhere where they play The Andy Griffith Show on a daily schedule (which is, pretty much, everywhere in the United States) or if you go out of your way to watch videos of The Harlem Globetrotters as often as possible. Even then you don't get to hear this guy (The Andy Griffith Show theme song was whistled by it's primary composer, Earle Hagen, and the Whistled version of "Sweet Georgia Brown" used by the Globetrotters was originally performed by Brother Bones). Still… This fella was The King of the Whistlers.

I've no idea how many albums Fred Lowery recorded over his career but there were a lot (Pop, Gospel, Holiday…)! This was his first solo album and is largely regarded as a masterpiece. Unfortunately the greatest source of information on Whistling Records in the whole world, The Online Guide to Whistling Records (http://www.whistlingrecords.com) is currently under reconstruction. The Space Age Pop site offers a tremendous Fred Lowery biographical sketch here: http://www.spaceagepop.com/lowery.htm

In the meantime I didn't want to hold this one back. It's a kind of music that really doesn't exist in today's Pop Culture. It's a record of someone doing something that we all do just about every day of our lives, but doing it so much better than the rest of us that it demands our attention, our respect and our enjoyment.

Mr. Lowery appeared in an "assembly" program at my High School once. I wish now that we'd shown him more respect and paid a bit more attention to his talent. Even as it was, simply hearing him perform was impressive and I'm glad that I learned who he was that day. It inspired me to buy this record and that's a good thing.

Fred Lowery: Walking Along Kicking the Leaves

1. Walking Along (Kicking the Leaves)
2. Indian Love Call
3. Tennessee Waltz
4. Far Away Places
5. The Moon of Manakoora
6. Sunrise Serenade
7. Happy Hobo
8. Pagan Love Song
9. The Lonesome Road
10. Sleepy Lagoon
11. Moon Love
12. Sentimental Journey

Boxer: Below the Belt

Repost by Request: Under the Radar and Below the Belt

Mike Patto (singer) and Ollie Halsall (guitar) were both members of Timebox, from which the 'progressive jazz-rock' band Patto evolved. After Patto split up, Halsall played with Tempest and The Soporifics while Patto signed on with Spooky Tooth.

The two reunited in 1975 to form Boxer and this was the first record by the group. A second album, "Bloodletting", was released in 1976 and almost immediately withdrawn from the market. Halsall had left before the third and final album, "Absolutely", was recorded.

This record gained immediate notoriety for it's original cover art (the obvious inspiration for Spinal Tap's "Smell the Glove"). The photo featured on it was both sexist and juvenile. I figure it must have seemed pretty clever and creative to some folks back in 1975, but not to the people who mattered. The album was almost immediately yanked from the shelves and repackaged. The album that I have is in the package with the cover that replaced it, and with which the album is most identified with to this day.

In another Comedy Related connection, Halsall played many of the instruments - and supplied the singing voice for Dirk McQuickly - on The Rutle's album (also appearing, briefly, in the accompanying television program as 'Leppo, The Fifth Rutle'). Halsall has also been cited as the primary inspiration for the guitar stylings of XTC's Andy Partridge. Oh, and Mike Patto was a good singer, too.

Quite a bit more on Halsall here: http://www.olliehalsall.co.uk/

Boxer: Below the Belt

1. Shooting Star
2. All the Time in the World
3. California Calling
4. Hip Kiss
5. More Than Meets the Eye
6. Waiting for a Miracle
7. Loony Ali
8. Save Me
9. Gonna Work Out Fine
10. Town Drunk

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

Magma: Attahk

I Don't Understand a Word!

I guess you can tell from what I post here that I've never really been very interested in Progressive Rock. I've got nothing against it, it's just never been something that really commanded my attention. As in every case, though, there are a few exceptions. I like some stuff by Hawkwind quite a bit, for instance. And I LOVE this record.

Magma was the creation of Christian Vander. The son of a jazz pianist, he met such jazz notables as Elvin Jones and Chet Baker at an early age and initially set out on a career as a jazz drummer. In 1969, however, he had a vision of the Earth of the Future beset by a spiritual and ecological catastrophe. So disturbed was he by this concept that he switched to Progressive Jazz Fusion and founded Magma with plans to record ten albums relating his vision to the masses.

The story concerns our planet becoming completely uninhabitable, at which point survivors set out to colonize a planet called Kobaia. The problem here is that Kobaia is already inhabited by The Kobaians. Alas, as we are known to have done in the past, the humans simply move right on in. That's when the fun starts.

Sounds like a great story, doesn't it? Well wait until you hear it being told! It's told, in fact, in Kobaian. Vander composed the language and members of the band had to learn it and perform songs using it. There's not a word of English, French, German, Spanish, etc... Not one Human word in any of it. Not only that, but Kobaians tend to talk as if they've been eating a great deal of greasy food and drinking a lot of carbonated beverages (meaning they tend to burp and belch as they're speaking). Oh... And they Shriek a good bit, too. And Grunt. And sometimes they sound as if they're playing kazoos but they're not.

The music here is really quite wonderful, a Progressive, Jazzy kind of Rock Pop (this is probably the most accessible of Magma's albums) but the vocals are just plain weird. Interestingly enough, though, a few of the songs are so catchy that you may find yourself attempting to sing along.

If so, you can find a Kobaian dictionary here: http://myfile.hanafos.com/~jangminsu/magma/MAGMA-KOBAIAN-dictionary.html.

Magma: Attahk

1. The Last Seven Minutes (1970-71, phase I)
2. Spiritual (Negro song)
3. Rindق (Eastern Song)
4. Liriïk Necronomicus Kanht (in which our heroes OURGON & ĞORĞO meet)
5. Maahnt (The wizard's fight versus the devil)
6. Dondaï (to an eternal love)
7. Nono (1978, phase II)