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Friday, May 4, 2012

Caribbean Calypso - Sir Lancelot

Love, Love My Baby
Caribbean Calypso
Sir Lancelot
Interlude Records - Hollywood, California LP-101

According to wiki, Lancelot (Lancelot Victor Edward Pinard) played a major role popularizing calypso in North America.

Some of his music is available online for purchase download, but not this album as far as I can tell.

Some history from the back cover which may be of interest:

His first engagement was at the Village Vanguard Nightclub in New York. It was a two weeks contract. The two weeks became a year. Hollywood called and Lancelot was signed by Columbia Films for a featured role in "Two Yanks in Trinidad," with Pat O'Brien and Janet Blair.

Other film roles followed, and between his world travels Lancelot has found time to do fifteen featured parts as well as numerous musical scores in calypso tempo for the major studios.

Lancelot also introduced singing in calypso commercials on radio and television, and has appeared on all the leading network television shows with such stars as Dinah Shore, Ray Anthony, Art Linkletter and Groucho Marx.

Lancelot has toured the world many times in concerts and nightclub engagements, playing in such glamorous spots as the Copacabana in Tokyo; The Atlantic Palace, Copenhagen; The Adlon, Helsinki; The L'Aiglon, Paris; The Casonova, Vienna; Jack's In Puerto Rico; The Kervansary Castle in Istanbul, Turkey; The Mid-Ocean Club, Bermuda; The Regina in Hamburg; and The Sands Hotel in Las Vagas.

1966 Deutsche Schlager Festspiele Baden - Baden

Wandrer ohne Ziel - Tom Thompson (Tielmann Brothers)
1966 Deutsche Schlager Festspiele Baden - Baden
Fontana 701544 WPY

This compilation album features tunes from the 1966 or sixth German Pop Festival. The sample above, Hikers Without A Goal, placed 7th in the competition.

You can read more about the festival on the Schlager Festival 1966 translated wiki page.

Stereo Sound Spectacular

Hog's Slaughtered and Magic Mechanical Orchestra
Stereo Sound Spectacular
Coronet Records CXA 176

Sound effects record featuring nice jacket art and track titles like Day Crickets, Children Playing and Hog's Slaughtered. What? Yes... enjoy...

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Hawaii In Ping Pong Percussion

South Sea Drum Chant
Hawaii In Ping Pong Percussion
Lukleani And His Islanders
Pirouette RFM 70

Budget release featuring the typical and pointless "ping-pong" effects tacked onto the beginning of each song. Once past the ping-pong the album features some pretty good steel guitar... although no drums and chanting...

Great Movie Themes

Tubular Bells

Great Movie Themes
Pickwick International, Inc. SPC 3375
1974

The Entertainer (The Sting)
Free As The Wind (Papillon)
The Day Of The Dolphin
The Way We Were
Yes Sir, That's My Baby (Sleeper)
What'll I Do (The Great Gatsby)
Name
Tubular Bells (The Exorcist)
Be (Jonathan Livingston Seagull)
Beyond Tomorrow (Serpico)

Sanremo 1973

L'uncia Chance - Adriano Celentano
Mistero - Gigliola Cinquetti
Sanremo 1973
P.I Records PI-LPS-4018

Apparently I found a compilation album featuring a collection of tunes from an Italian Pop Festival of the same name. The tracks are studio versions.

The record was manufactured in the U.S.A. which may or may not account for me finding this copy in Cincinnati, Ohio.

According to the translated Sanremo 1973 wiki page, Celentano withdrew the song I picked as a sample from this album before the event and was disqualified for doing so.

The entire album doesn't feature the heavier 70s groove like L'unica Chance. The remaining tracks better reflect the cheesecake cover image in that the vibe is more laid back, smoky and romantic. I hope you agree that the vocal treatment on Mistero is pretty awesome.

The Uncle Al Show

What Will The Weather Be?
The Uncle Al Show
Jewel Records JRC 80849

The Uncle Al (Lewis) Show was a local Cincinnati weekday children's show that aired on Channel 9 at 9 a.m.

One note should be made the show began (on this album) with the Pledge of Allegiance and ended with the "prayer" song. Times have changed.

Monday, April 30, 2012

Music From Another World

Nightingale
Music From Another World
The Jay Gordon Concert Orchestra
Tops L1552
1957

From the back cover: Jet-propulsion, man-made satellites, rockets to the moon – all bring us within the reach of another world! With new vistas, new horizons to explore come new musical experiences such as this thrilling newly-released album proudly presented to you by TOPS Records "Music From Another World" in dynamic Hi-Fidelity.

The album features a great looking cover, exciting track titles and titillating jacket copy. However, the music is very straight forward and not all that "from another world". For the love of space age... Tops could have thrown in some bongos or actual chanting on Chant Of The Amazon or at least a theremin on the title track. Oh well... nice cover.

Sweet Sweet Soul - Dick Hyman

The Dock Of The Bay
Sweet Sweet Soul
Dick Hyman And The Group
Command ABC RS 933 SD
1968

"The Group" is Bob Rosengarden on drums and Bob Haggart on bass.

Small combo jazz album featuring Dick Hyman playing (multi tracking) piano, organ and clavinette.

Command released tons of trend setting light pop albums in the 60s. This is one is a bit different in that the approach is more of a straight jazz set that featured touches of light pop.

ABC continued, on this release, to use the "Enoch Light" book-fold jacket design. The superb Command engineering also remains. The bass on this album is right up front and really resonates. The clarity of all the instruments is pretty amazing.

Good stuff.

Chain Of Fools
Body And Soul
Sweet Sweet Soul
Nobody Know You When You're Down And Out
Soul Man
Tell Mama
Since You've Been Gone
The Dock Of The Bay
Drop A Dime
Watch It
Try A Little Tenderness
Honey Chile

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Today's Top Hits

Ain't Gonna Bump No More
Today's Top Hits
Featuring Telephone Man
By The Homesteaders
Homestead Records HD 2002
1977

Here's another two record exploitation set by The Homesteaders. Check out Today's Top Hits.

All you favorite top hits done up by a studio group packaged in a very thin jacket sporting a photo of some 70s porn hook up with the telephone man.

Of course, if my memory serves me... it was the pizza boy always had the best luck.

Pal Joey - Broadway Singers And Orchestra

Funny Valentine
Pal Joey
Broadway Singers And Orchestra
Halo 50264

Budget studio album with a fun cover.