Hawaii Goes Percussion

Swinging Palm Trees

Hawaii Goes Percussion
Cornet Records CXS 162

The title found on the back cover and label is Hawaiian Moonbeams. I might make the assumption that Coronet changed the name to "Percussion" to capitalize on the early 60s percussion trend. However, this isn't a percussion record.

There isn't a mention on the cover of who the artists are. The album focuses on someone who rocks the steel guitar.

I just found the same album with the "Moonbeams" title...

Staccato

Staccato
A Revue Televison Productions Starring John Cassavetes
Strikingly modern background music composed and conducted by Elmer Bernstein
Capitol Records T1287
1959

From the back cover: Johnny Staccato is a private detective. He works at it because it pays well and he likes to spend money. But for sheer pleasure he's a jazz pianist – highly regarded buy other musicians, but not interested in actually working as a musician.

Well, that's fantastic! But a fantastic story should make for some fantastic music. And, yes, the music is "private, playing jazz for dames and drinks, detective" cool.

The cover sells the album as "background" music. But all the tracks hold together as independent songs.

Of course, you can find this album on CD, so unfortunately I won't be posting a sample.

Jackie Gleason Presents - Night Winds

Jackie Gleason Presents
Night Winds
Capitol Records W717
1956

This album scored Gleason a Top Ten spot for '56.

I love the mysterious "smoking man" behind the tree.

This is, of course, another terrific album amongst the many "romantic music" entries in the Gleason catalog. I have other Gleason albums in the collection that I enjoy even more then this popular release. So far, I haven't run across a lackluster Gleason LP.

This album is available on CD.

Hawaii - A Musical Memento Of The Island

Mahina Hoku

Hawaii

A Musical Memento Of The Islands

GNP Gene Norman Presents

1959

This is a compilation album that was "Recorded In Hawaii By Hawaiian Artists".

How Sweet It Is!

How Sweet It Is!
Capitol

From the back cover: This is a Promotional album designed for programming; it is not for sale.

This album was created to somehow promote Gleason's early work. Radio programming?

Carlos Salzedo

Steel

Carlos Salzedo Plays Music For The Harp
Original Compositions And Transcripts With Lucile Lawernce
Mercury Classics MG10144
1954

I love the beautiful cover illustration on this vintage Mercury album.

From his wikipedia page: Salzedo remains one of the greatest harpists in history, a virtuoso player unparalleled, a virtuoso pianist and conductor, and a primal teacher. He was a progressive spirit, seeking new resources in the harp, inspiring and creating new works and creating new styles of music. His composing progressed from French Romantic to Impressionist to a new style uniquely his own.

The last track on the B side, Steel, is especially "modern" sounding compared to other tracks on the LP.

I don't believe any songs by-the-download or a CD is available online. This is a hard to find album.

Great Organ Hits - Eddie Layton

By The Waters Of The Minnetonka

Great Organ Hits

Out Of This World
Eddie Layton At The Hammond Organ
Mercury Stereo SR 60639
1961

This cover is one of the more fun space age treatments for an organ release. The September 4, 1961 Billboard gave this album "Moderate Sale Potential".

Read about Layton on his wikipedia page.

This album has a few nice space age moments but overall the vibe is a little too "easy listening" for me. And I don't thing the music reflects of the "atomic age" cover art. I think Mercury might have engineered the sound with a little more depth. It just doesn't seem as though the music was mixed right to me.

The Return Of James Bond In Diamonds Are Forever

Diamonds Are Forever

The Return Of James Bond In "Diamonds Are Forever"
And Other Secret Agent Themes
Roland Shaw And His Orchestra
London Records 2 BSP 24
1971

This album was the last in a series of "spy" albums made by Roland beginning with Themes from the James Bond Thrillers in 1964. That record was released to coincide with the American release of the film Goldfinger. This record led to More Themes from the James Bond Thriller and Themes for Secret Agents.

I bought this album without knowing any of the history. I simply knew that a gate fold, two record set of "secret agent" music from the early 70s couldn't be all bad! First I was attracted to the cover, which I find very odd. I think the designers may have executed the "women as targets" idea with too much realism. These are sort of underfed models painted up so that they look cold, uncomfortable and sort of dead. Curious because the actresses in the films are always smoking hot and alive...

Anyway, side one seemed to start off a little slow and easy listening, but the secret agent business soon picks up and by the end of side two I had listened so many groovy songs that choosing a sample to post would be difficult.

There is, or was, an import CD available online which features the music from the earlier Decca releases. But I think this set is only available on vinyl and I don't see many copies floating around.

Sounds Unlimited - Marty Gold

Tonight

Sounds Unlimited
Marty Gold And His Orchestra
RCA Victor LPM-2714
1963

This album was another attempt to market RCA's "Dynagroove" technology. This is the second album I've found on which RCA features a name composer to help promote their "new sound".

The cover has a nice space age vibe which attracts collectors. But, as with New Thresholds In Sound by Sid Ramin (1963), this album fails to accomplish what I think RCA set out to do and that is to make "Dynagroove" seem new and cool.

For a 1963 release, when so many other labels, both large and small had been releasing exotica, bachelor pad, space age, light pop, percussion and other experimental forms of music, this record comes across as dated sounding. That's not to say that the music isn't pleasant easy listening, it is... but RCA needed to do something way more dynamic if they intended to impress audiophiles.

Historically, "Dynagroove" was not well received. The engineering on this album is good, but not sparkling.

The Sounds Of Adventure - Les Baxter

The Sounds Of Adventure
Les Baxter
Capitol Record Club Exclusive SQBO-90984

You'd think, this being a Les Baxter album, that I could located a date of release. But I can't so I don't know how this album works into Baxter's time line. This is a two record set with a gate-fold jacket design that smacks of a mid to late 60s (or even early 70s) issue... depending on how forward thinking the designer was.

There seems to be plenty of copies floating around out there. I wonder if all Capitol Record Club Exclusives were compilation albums? I suspect the songs found on this set are reissues, but I don't know enough about Baxter to be assured that all the tracks are such. Anyway, this is a nice Baxter collection that holds together musically. In other words, even though the jacket notes explain that Baxter experimented with rock and roll, you will not find any of those tunes here. The songs, tend to be more easy listening and "exotic" in nature. I love that Baxter could mimic those "exotica" effects, such as bird calls, with instruments.

As I listen, while I write, I noticed a touch of the moog in a few songs so this album was very likely released in the early 70s soon after the moog craze broke. Baxter did at least one "moog" album.

As usual, I suspect that you can find many of these songs on CD or by the download, so I won't be posting a sample.

Caramba! - Richard Hayman

Spaixico

Caramba!
Richard Hayman And His Orchestra
Exotic Sounds Of The Americas
Mercury Records SR 60103

I have several Hayman albums, including a great exotica LP titled Voodoo! (Mercury). You might also want to sample his album, Only Memories (Mercury). A later album on The Command label, Cinemagic Sounds, is also fabulous in a funky 60s kind of way.

This album sports a sparkling and vibrant cover! Very nice. The music, on the other hand is far from "exotic". The tracks are nice, but not up to par with many similar albums on the market at the time. Buy this one for the cover art.

Music For Hi-Fi Bugs

For Hi-Fi Bugs

Music For Hi-Fi-Bugs
Conducted And Arranged By Pete Rugolo
EmArcy MG 36082
1956

Needless to say, this album sports a terrific cover. The title track, For Hi-Fi Bugs, is an especially cool tune that reminded me of Rugolo's  1950s TV drama scores including Richard Diamond, The Stranger, The Fugitive, Run For Your Life, Lie Detector and Felony Squad. The remaining tracks combine more traditional big band jazz with some extended soft smoky moments.

One interesting note from the back cover: An interesting aspect of the session for hi-fi bugs is the system of recording. Only one microphone was used – a counterrevolutionary procedure in these days of multiple mikes, tape tricks and recording gimmicks.

An album titled Hi-Fi Bugs was recorded, amazingly, with only one microphone!

101 Strings - The Soul Of Mexico

101 Strings
The Soul Of Mexico
Somerset P-17000
1963

Here's a 101 Strings album with a colorful and attractive cover. Again, all of the songs found on this album can be downloaded online.

I don't believe this one is worth your buck a download price. It's nice, but there are a number of fine 101 albums out there, including one titled Que Mango! by Les Baxter that I would download first.

On With The Show

Town Without Pity

On With The Show
Gary Edwards
Micah Records MR100

Jackie Gleason Presents - The Torch With The Blue Flame

Jackie Gleason Presents

The Torch With The Blue Flame
Capitol Records W961
1958

Here is another outstanding example from the King Of Easy Listening, or as I call it, Romantic Music, Jackie Gleason.

As with many Gleason albums, the cover art sets the mood. Many songs on this album are accented with vibraphone. Gleason gimmicks are subtle, like his music. Apparently he was influenced at this time by exotica and the vibraphone, one of the backbone sounds of the trend.

Felix Slatkin - Fantastic Percussion

Caravan

Felix Slatkin
Fantastic Percussion
Liberty Records LRP 3150
1960

Liberty Records must have released a lackluster record, but I have yet to discover one. Here we have a marvelous percussion album. The cover design gives the impression of sparkling blend of percussive instruments. And that's what you'll hear on the record, vibrant, jangling, sparkling arrangements. The music is a good dose of space age percussion that I highly recommend.

This is a monaural release. London also released this record with a different cool cover design.

As far as I can tell, no full release of this album is out there on CD. I did find one track, Autumn In New York, on a lounge compilation CD.