LIMBO PARTY

Limbo All De Way Home

Limbo Party
Ivy Pete and his Limbomaniacs
Sommerset SF-17600 1963

A staple in oddball or strange LP collections. Why? To me the appeal is the unsettling notion that a bunch of Maniacs are trying to set happy people on fire.

Of course, on the back there is a disclaimer: We recommend you do not try the flame bit on the pole... this is for real experts or drunks that live near a firehouse. If your local department store doesn't have a set of Limbo poles in stock, make your own.

NOW LIMBO! EVERYBODY MUST BURN!

Les Baxter The Sacred Idol

Acapulco

Les Baxter
The Sacred Idol
Strange And Exotic Music Keyed To The Mysterious Legends Of The Feathered Serpent Of The Aztecs
From the motion picture The Sacred Idol produced by Edward Nassour
Capitol Records ST1293 1960

Terrific exotica LP that apparently has never been released on CD.

You can find information on Baxter on Space Age Pop.

This LP is a mystical journey through a lost land. You can almost feel the Aztecs holding your beating heart in their hand. No, sorry... it's nothing like that. It's like the mystical part leading up to the part where they tell you that... well, never mind.

The Art Of Belly Dancing

The Art Of Belly Dancing
George Abdo and his Flames of Araby Orchestra
Monitor Music Of The World MFS 752 1973

(Amazon Editorial Review) Known as "The King of Belly Dance Music," George Abdo and his Flames of Araby Orchestra combine Syrian, Lebanese, Egyptian, Armenian, Greek, and Turkish musical traditions to create a uniquely American belly dance soundscape. Abdo's music is based on the repertoire, instrumentation, and performance styles of the Middle East while also incorporating influences from American pop and jazz. A prototype for "World Beat," Abdo and His Flames of Araby helped bring Middle Eastern music and belly dancing to mainstream North American audiences.

This album looks like a budget record marketed with a cheesecake jacket. I didn't expect much, but the music is exceptional blend of traditions and has a bit of an exotica feel to it. The work is in reissue on CD, so I won't be posting a sample. But I highly recommend it.

A note on belly dancing. I didn't think much about the art until, by chance, I saw three women dancing together. They were professional and knew what they are doing. All I can say is... if you are just an average woman who wants to become an exotic queen... learn how to belly dance.

Charlene Prickett Does Floors

Small Sample From LP

Great thrift find. There's nothing better than finding an album that combines disco, exercise and a silly title.

My first reaction was "does floors" with what... her butt? Well why not do some house cleaning while you are rubbing your ass all over the place.

Someone who had looked at the LP before me had such distain for it that they threw the record into one corner and the jacket into another. Fortunately, I was there to salvage this treasure for future generations.

Exercise material is alway great, because the material relies so heavily on pop culture gimmicks. The material has a shelf live of about two days and then it becomes funny.

Hey... I'm all for exercise... no matter what you clean your floors with!

Symphonie Fastastique

Symphonie Fantastique
Altaulfo Argenta conducting The Paris Conservatoire Orchestra
London Records LL 3016 196?

Terrific visual interpretation of the music. And how was I to resist a cover with a noose, a dead guy and a very hot model done up in slick late 50s or early 60s dime store novel style?

Voodoo - Richard Hayman And His Orchestra

Voodoo

Voodoo
Richard Hayman And His Orchestra
Mercury Records SR 60147
1959

Out of all the Hayman albums I've collected this LP is the standout. This project is adventurous, experimental and holds together nicely as a concept piece. Hayman delivers excellent exotica/space age music that stacks up against other recordings on the market at the time.

I wonder what the sales figures were for this album, because as far as I can determine Hayman (I haven't collected all his album yet) seems to have followed a more conservative musical path following this release.

Highly recommended!

Enoch Light Discotheque

Pickwick Jacket

Original Command Jacket

I Want To Hold Your Hand

Enoch Light And His Orchestra
Discotheque
Command/Pickwick SPC-3639 (1964) 1978

Here's an interesting reissue on a budget label. I can't find this record on the two Light Discographies I found online.

The cover is a cheap and horrible attempt (in my opinion) to recapture the great look and feel of jacket art that was coming out of Light's Command label. I have the original album and the cover art is superb.

And what is more interesting is why would Pickwick think that they could get away with reissuing an LP produced in 1964, marketing the album like it was a 1970s disco recording? Any buyer thinking they were getting 70s disco was in for a let down.

The LP is wonderful and silly light 60s pop.

Enjoy!

The Best Rhumbas

Siboney

The Best Rhumbas
Played by Juan Vicari and his Orchestra
Royale 18120 1956

Excellent 10 inch long play with a wonderful graphic cover.

Not much if any thing could be found online at this time about Juan Vicari. This record has a lively and fresh sound.

Enjoy!

David Carroll - Contrasts

David Carroll And His Orchestra
Contrasts
Mercury Wing SRW 12508 1959 (budget reissue)

Great cheesecake cover on the outside and cheesy sounding pop on the inside.

Read more about David Carroll on a great this great site: Space Age Pop.

The Ventures Walk Don't Run

The Ventures Walk Don't Run
Dolton Records BST 8003 1960

I unearthed this LP at a thrift the other day and gave it a listen. Of course, this is a well known group and Walk Don't Run was a big hit. But I pile on and say I love the cover and find it interesting the model's legs are so long. If I remember correctly, someone manufactured a camera lenses just for the purpose of visually elongating fashion models legs, or other tricks were employed to do so.

I collect late 50s, early 70s exotica, easy listening, lounge and other space age pop. The Ventures fit right. You can hear the "Hawaiian" and exotica influences if you listen to the entire LP. Plus it's pretty great spacey pop!

The Lord Saints Calypso Group

The Tattooed Lady

The Lord Saints Calypso Group
Come Sailing In
Record "Live" on the Norwegian Caribbean Lines M/V Skyward
Art Records Manufacturing Co.
Souvenir Records SLP-302 196?

Great thrift find. Terrific cover image (I think there was a later pressing of this album with a different cover). Obscure group, delightful album. I could see having a few drinks in the lounge while this grouped knocked out a set or two.

The Musical World of Oliver Pacini

Hawaiian Wedding Song

The Musical World of Oliver Pacini
Cordak Records
Studio City, CA (Studio: Kojimachi, Toyko) 196?

Almost totally obscure exotic flavored LP with an accordion twist. I can find only one reference to Pacini online and that is that he played gigs in San Francisco and that people enjoyed his "sing-alongs".

Terrific and strange cover art by Takeshi Futami. Photo by Mainland Studio, Hong Kong. There is a tiny image next to the model in the lower left hand corner. It looks like another album cover with an image of Pacini on it. You have to use a magnifying glass to see it. Strange indeed.

There is a credit on the back for the model: Etsuko Pacini (Oliver's wife?).

Many of the credits are Japanese. One of the projects arrangers is, Goh Misawa.

Oliver credits himself in the jacket notes for doing gigs all over including Japan, Taiwan and the Phillippines.

The last track is oddly out of place on the LP (no accordion). But it is the most pleasant exotica piece (in my opinion) on the LP.

Enjoy!

Music For Expectant Fathers

Spanish Garden

Music For Expectant Fathers - Out Of Wedlock
Larry Williams Quartette
Recorded Live At The Malibu Lounge-Hapeville, GA
Talent Mart Production
Kin-Tel Studios 196?

I can find no information on this oddball record. A total low budget whacked project. A "Talent Mart Production"? You've got to love the jacket.

The music is uneven as a package, some live numbers, some cornball lounge and some cooking lounge tunes and a few songs that are just way out... Take for instance this guitar instrumental, Spanish Garden!

A great private lounge collectible that ends up with a strange cover of Danny Boy.

These guys were rocking! They must have been a great live act!

Enjoy!