South Sea Serenades
Hapa Haole Hula Girl
Ray Andrade And His Orchestra
RCA Victor 27653-B
1943(?)
10 inch 78 four record set.
Apparently Andrade handled RCA distribution and merchandising in Hawaii.
Line Renaund's In Love
Teach Me French
Line Renaud's In Love
Capitol Records ST 2963
Advertised, on the back jacket, as Renaud's first album in English. Renaud is a well known French singer/actor who made a number of recordings. She also has a long list of film credits to her name.
I can not find mention of this Capitol album online. I think she made this LP when she was in Las Vegas doing a show at The Dunes (1963 to 1965).
There is one humorous item from the back cover and a list of quotes: Columnist Paul Price in the same paper (Las Vegas Sun): Line Renaud is absolutely sensational. Any able-bodied male who does not fall into instant love is an idiot.
Ethel Smith
Ethel Smith Organ Solos
Vocalion VL 73669
A nice space age organ piece from Ethel Smith.
Sears Golden Voices In Hollywood!
Gold Finger
Back in the day when you could buy anything from Sears, including self-produced vinyl!
There is very little information to be found on this record. In fact, today, I can't even find another image of this album online. Maybe THIS record is the most obscure find ever? How could this budget gem have remained hidden this long?
From the back cover: Take the best professional singers you can find along with the Broadway beat. Add a top choral director to the blend them into an ensemble, and supply him with arrangements prepared especially by leading Broadway and Hollywood arrangers. Then take your group into the best equipped recording studio you can find. Spend a day – two days, if necessary – tampering with the controls until you've got everything just right. Then cut a record. You'll find the result in these grooves – a superb blending of some of America's best voices in a sound we guarantee you'll find breathtaking.
The Theme From Hawaii - Dale & Dale
The Sleepwalk Guitars of Dan & Dale
The Theme From Hawaii
Dipolmat Records DS 2365
The music on this album is pretty straight forward mild space age flavored 60s flavored easy listening "Hawaiian". But there are a few whacky surprises to be heard.
The Exotic Sounds Of The Spice Islands
Arranged And Conducted By Dick Hyman
Columbia CS 8283
I resisted buying this album because I didn't know if I could take could take male vocals featured on an exotica recording. I thought about it and, aside from Hawaiian folk music records, I don't have any exotica albums that feature male vocals.
The music and the arrangements are very nice and there are bird sound effects to be found in abundance. Columbia should have left the LP as an instrumental. I'll probably catch grief for this, but Kenney's style of vocals simply do not blend well with the exotica form.
Shangri-la - Jack Weigand
Jack Weigand
Wyncote SW-9017
Here's a recording from 1964 that sounds like it could have been recorded in the 50s. The jacket art also smacks of late 50s, early 60s design.
Very little information can be found on Jack Weigand, the organist. Apparently he made at least several albums.
This record is lounge and something you might hear in an exotica strip joint.
From the back cover: Please, don't play this album until you have read the following suggestions... Clear your mind of all the events and worries of the day. Tonight is going to be your night, the most special night of all. Draw the drapes... chill the wine... build a fire in the fireplace, a big one, for it's going to be a long, relaxing evening. After your bath... light the candles, open the bottle of wine... (notice how it sparkles in front of the burning hearth). Now, take this record, put it on your phonograph and settle down on the couch in front of the fireplace... the mood is set and you are one (yes... one) your way to your "SHANGRI-LA".
TWO copywriters are credited for this masterpiece.
More Hawaii In Hi-Fi
Leo Addeo And His Orchestra
RCA Camden CAL-594
This album is Addeo's follow-up his first LP on Camden titled Hawaii.
1960s easy listening with an occasional touch of jungle drums to help hold your interest.
Sabroso y Picante!
Sabroso y Picante!Los Cuatro Amigos
Columbia Records 8152
Industria Chilena
Along with a record titled Cinco Lations, this record was the first in a new line of export records designed by Columbia for the South American market. The list price was $3.98. Selections were taken from the catalog of the International Division of CBS.
The set, for the most part, plays all instrumental and has a modern (for the late 50s) vibe. Some tracks are almost comical. Check out the sample I've posted featuring the kazoo and mouth harp. Great!
Fiesta Chilena
El Sacristan
Fiesta Chilena Vo1. 1
Industria Chilena LDC-36027
I bought this album because of the great cover art. I can't find any reference to the title on line. Or, at least, no references with information in english.
The record is a 12 inch 33 1/3. I think from the early 60s. I believe this is a compilation LP. I choose one track that seemed to stand out from the rest.
Digno Garcia
y su trio del Paraguay
Canciones De America Latina
Philips 1954(?)
10 inch 33 1/3. This record is outside of what I collect. But I post it because I can't find an image of this album cover online and thought Garcia enthusiasts might find it interesting.
Digno Garcia was born in the city of Luque, Paraguay in September 22, 1919. He started playing the guitar at a very young age. By twelve years old he was already a very proficient guitar player without having any formal musical instruction. Soon after, he also thought himself how to play the Paraguayan Harp (Arpa Paraguaya).
When he first began playing the harp he was part of various music groups. He played with other accomplished Paraguayan harpists such as Tito Fernandez, Ignacio Melgarejo, Demetrio Ortiz. He then became part of the well known group, Guaireno de Gumercindo Ayala Aquino. As part of this new group, he toured throughout Latin America for the first time.
In 1942 he formed the trio, Los Paraguayos, which also included Augustin Barboza and Luis Alberto del Parana.
In 1944 he created his first composition Cascada, inspired by the time he spent admiring a waterfall in the town of Chololo Paraguay. This composition later became a standard piece for all Paraguayan harpists.
By 1954 the Paraguayan government decided to sponsor the trio as a sort of cultural representative of Paraguayan folkloric music to Europe.
When this mission was over, Digno Garcia formed yet another trio, this time called, Digno Garcia y sus Carios. With this group he began recording what would be a long series of albums. They played traditional Paraguayan folkloric pieces, as well as many compositions by Digno. Many of the albums that followed went on to be marketed and sold not only throughout Paraguay, but in more then fifteen other countries.
Digno played in over forty five countries. In 1962 he moved to Belgium. Some of his most prominent fans included King Baudouin I of Belgium and the Spanish artist Salvador Dali.
He received many honours and awards at home and abroad. In his hometown he was presented a gold medal naming him a Distinguished Son of the City of Luque. And in Barcelona he received a trophy from a Spanish recoding company (Belter) for his composition Costa Brava.
After recording 8 albums, of all which included numerous original compositions, Digno Garcia died in 1984 in Belgium.
Hnos.Silva
Hnos.Siva
Los Cuatro
RCA Victor CML-1016
10 inch 33 1/3. Foreign language record I picked up today. Recorded by Corporation De Radio De Chile.
Curious cover image with one member of the group half hidden by the tambourine. Sorry that I can't translate the jacket notes for you.
For the most part, the record consists of folk music with a bit of a pop edge. Check out the lounge flavored track above. Sweet!
Yma Sumac Mambo!
Yma Sumac
Mambo!
Capitol Records L564
10 inch 33 1/3 LP packaged in a thin cardboard jacket.
Taki Rari
Capitol Records M-11892
This copy is an "abridged" version that apparently includes additional tracks from the 1954 session.
Bo Mambo
Gopher (Mambo)
Chicken Talk
Goomba Boomba
Malambo No. 1
Five Bottles Mambo
Indian Carnival
Carnavalito Boliviano
The Colorful Percussions - Arthur Lyman
Carabunta
The Colorful Percussions of Arthur Lyman
Produced by Richard Vaughn
A&R Direction: Sonny Bono
Recording Supervisor: Richard Vaughn
Cover Photo: Camera Hawaii
Cover Design: Jax Brahm
HIFIRECORDS Life Series L-1005
From the back cover: With Arthur Lyman are his friends and fellow musicians: Harold Chang, percussionist; Allan Soares, Pianist; and John Kramer, Bass and Flute. Together they generate the power of a 20-piece band.
From Billboard - December 18, 1961: Arthur Lyman has another fine package to follow up on his potent "Yellow Bird" set that hit the charts. This album is loaded for bear with strong material. Included are ear-delighting performances of "Exodus," "Never On Sunday" and "Blue Hawaii." A swinging change of pace in the program is provided by the group's jazz interpretation of "Moaning." A solid potential seller.
I Talked To The Trees
Rhumba Rhapsody
Aloha No Honolulu
(The Wreck Of The) John B
Tangi Tika
Geisha Waltz
Red Sails In The Sunset
Moanin'
Hypnotique - Martin Denny
Liberty LRP 3102
The sixth record for Denny on Liberty sports one of my favorite Denny covers. The music is also stellar exotica.
Korla Pandit - Love Letters
Korla Pandit
Fantasy Records 3327 - 8070
On this LP, Pandit is accompanied by Arthur Bergman on the guitar.
I think the model on the album cover is Pandit's wife, Beryl. She would have been 40 years old when this album was released.
This album is slightly more traditional sounding than the other Pandit recordings I currently own. But the addition of the guitar was a wise choice and helps to create lush light jazz mood throughout the LP.
Fantasy Records 3327 F-8070
Here's a mystery. I found another copy of Love Letters, as pictured above with a slight cover variation (the fantasy logo is different). The record is black vinyl and the label is obviously a later design.
I love how Pandit apparently dated everything he signed, so we know this record was released before May, 1981. But this record doesn't appear on the Pandit Discography as found on the website dedicated to his memory. This has to be a later pressing even though the cover has all the appearances of being designed and earlier than the late 70s or early 80s (the label design screams 80s if you ask me).
The notation appears to be: Greetings to Elizabeth & Harold G---, May 19, 1981
Keep Fit Be Happy
With Bonnie Prudden
Warner Bros. 1358
Great space age exercise album with fun music backing up the instructions.
Apparently you can't exercise as a family unless everyone is wearing funny outfits. Those crazy atomic age workouts!
Forbidden World
WEB Records ST 107
Music By Susan Justin
Electronic realization by Craig Hundley
Soundtrack from a great budget Roger Corman film.
Amongst the more standard 80s sounding electronic there is some great creepy music. Especially the second to last segment found on the B side.
Music scored by "new wave" song writer Susan Justin
Saturday Night Fiedler
Boston Pops Orchestra
Midsong International Records MS1011
Arthur Fiedler (pictured on the album cover), conductor for The Boston Pops Orchestra, is pictured above in his Saturday Night Fever John Travolta suit.
From the back cover: I wish you the joy of listening and dancing to the first disco record with the Boston Pops.
Basically, this is a record of the orchestra doing it's thing with that annoying disco beat driving the music on and on and on throughout the entire recording. Never stopping for one single instant.
Cha Chas For Dancing By Montenegro
Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps
Cha Chas For Dancing
Arranged and Conducted by Hugo Montenegro
Time Series 2000 S/2018
Terrific space age big band Cha Cha record by Hugo Montenegro. Montenegro would go on to make a number of trend setting records using the moog which influenced future generations of electronic musicians. He also scored the main theme to Sergio Lenone's film, The Good, The Bad And The Ugly.
The jacket is a book-fold design influenced by Enoch Light's Command Label who created a style of book-fold jackets that featured minimalist art on the covers. I also have this album issued a single jacket.
Guaglione
Sweet And Gentle
Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White
Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise
Boo Qui, Woo Qui
Theme From A Summer Place
Cha Cha Cha - Merengues And Mambos
Cha Cha Cha
Merengue & Mambos
Pupi Lopez And His Orchestra
Design Records/Spectrum/Pickwick SDLP 31
Doing a search for Pupi Lopez returns almost no information. There is no information on the back cover. Songs from this LP are available by the download on iTunes, so I'm assuming someone renewed the copyright at some point.
This is a great space age Cha Cha record on a budget label. A number of tracks rise above the norm with the addition of clarinet, flute and accordion flourishes.