With All My Heart - The Gunter Kallmann Chorus

Tiny Bubbles

With All My Heart
The Gunter Kallmann Chorus
Four Corner Records FCL-4237
1967

Billboard gave this album a glowing little review in the April 1, 1967 issue. I'm not making this up.

The Gunter Kallmann Chorus, a group out of Germany, specialized in lightest cotton candy fluff easy listening music I've ever heard.

Hi-Fi Zither - Ruth Welcome

Stardust

Hi-Fi Zither
Ruth Welcome
Capitol Records T942
1957

When will the Zither make a comeback in pop music?

This is Welcome's first of 14 albums. The music is is pleasant, but a bit reserved. You might want to check out Zither Magic!, released a few years later. That album is an outstanding and more "experimental" project.

From the back cover: It wasn't until after World War II, when she was asked to entertain at military hospitals, that Ruth thought again of the Zither. It was a ideal portable instrument to play while making the rounds of hospital wards. The only model that Ruth could find at the time was a 150-year old Schwartzer harp-zither, which she had restored by Yorkville's zither specialist, Pap Schuck. Since zither players were – and are – in a definite minority here, there were no published arrangements for the instruments. However, the boys wanted to hear popular American music, so being a pianist – Ruth made her own arrangements from piano scores.

Capitol also noted on the back cover that Ruth's Zither was equipped with a pick-up that the engineers were able to plug directly into their console which helped capture the full frequency range and minimized distortion.

Maria Elena - The 50 Guitars Of Tommy Garrett

Maria Elena

The 50 Guitars Of Tommy Garrett
Liberty LMM-13030
1963

Available on CD/download purchase. So sorry, I will not not be posting a sample.

Terrific album featuring covers of some of my favorite exotica tune including Jungle Drums, Taboo, Brazil and The Breeze And I. The sound is rich and full.

The "Premier" Liberty line of records was their "upscale" product. Conceived and designed for the more "high-brow" buyer. This package featured a fabulous gatefold, die-cut (shapes over the eyes) artwork. And apparently "thicker" vinyl.

I found in interesting that on my copy the cover was damaged at the top, revealing the word STEREO and the stereo catalog number. Apparently Liberty found a way to run the entire print job for both version and simply assembled them onto the cardboard frame differently.

Xavier Cugat - The Beautiful New Sounds Of Strings

The World We Knew

Xavier Cugat
The Beautiful New Sounds Of Strings
Musicor Records - M2S3179
1969

Wow... I've got a number of Cugat albums collected up here in The Atomic Attic. I love Cugat. When I spied this two record set, the package looked odd. The cover is flimsy seemed cheap and I wondered how Cugat would work with strings. Frankly, I considered that this was simply some type of "covers" album. I had to search around the web just to convince myself that this is actual an Cugat recording.

I found some proof and was convinced.  Somewhat near the end of Cugat's recording career, he produced this (and or others that I have collected) pure easy listening album that sounds NOTHING like his earlier music I know and love.

Just on a pure, pure easy listening level... there are a few groovy tracks to be found on this record. I mean... if you know what I mean.

Budget minded, Musicor used an image taken of the model above, shot during the same session, in the same outfit for the cover of Hugo Winterhalter 2 record set.

Holiday In Hawaii - The Hawaiians

Holiday In Hawaii
The Hawaiians
Crown Records CST 125

A few tracks set this sparkling red vinyl on fire.

There are mysteries. There are five tracks listed on side one. But there are six tracks on the record. And I SWEAR that I've heard and blogged several of the cool tracks at least one time before.

Ah... yes! Once on another album titled Hawaiian Holiday on Acorn. And in that blog post I mention that I've heard the same songs a Pirouette record. The "band" names are different on all three releases even though the album title is the same.

The track list is different (the titles) on this and the Acorn release.

I've posted the mystery sixth track above. I swear that I've blogged that track before... I mean... how can you forget a tune like this?

Goldfinger - Ray Martin And His Orchestra

Goldfinger

Goldfinger And Other Music From James Bond Thrillers
Ray Martin And His Orchestra
RCA Camden CAL-913
1963

This is the mono release. The stereo release number is CAS-913. Spy/Secret Agent albums always grab my attention, so I was pleased when I found this sucker at The Goodwill.

Within seconds of the first track I was totally hooked. Lets just say Neal Hefti's two "Batman" albums are my favorite "high art" space age groove/cheese styled recordings. I never thought that I'd find another album that I could compare to those records.

This LP is a must have and I about threw my latest Gunter Gallmann find across the room when I discovered that this record can't be found on CD/purchase/download. It's almost unbelievable.

So I'll post a sample. Of course... I may have to sit here for several weeks trying to pick the "best" tune. All the tunes on this album are terrific so I'll just go with the title track.

The Man Who Hears A Different Drummer

The Man Who Hears A Different Drummer
Limited Edition Arrange and Produced Exclusively For Bravura
Custom Pressed By Decca Records

This is a one sided 45 that was apparently produced as part of a marketing campaign for Bravura Cologne. The vintage bottles seem to be prized collectibles these days.

Death Of A Department Store Santa

CHLO-E Song Of The Swamp - Six Black Diamonds

CHLO-E Song Of The Swamp
Six Black Diamonds
Banner 6167-A
Six Black Diamonds
1928

Warm And Tender - The Three Suns

Warm And Tender

Warm And Tender
The Three Suns
RCA LSP-2617
1962

This is one of The Three Suns albums arranged by Charles Albertine and produced by Nevins-Kirshner which were the best of the later projects.

Currently only available on vinyl, this is a terrific space age easy listening album. There is something unique to be heard in each song, the way an instrument is used or a twist to the arrangement. Fun stuff.

Mono Jacket

Warm And Tender
The Three Suns
RCA LPM-2617
1962

Hawaii - The Knightsbridge Strings

Hawaii

Hawaii
The Knightsbridge Strings
Monument MAS13005
1967

I've found one other Knightsbridge Strings album titled Nostalgic Swing Mood which was apparently one of 10 Knightsbridge albums recorded on the Purist label. This album is on Monument. Curiously, both covers feature a Milton Glaser illustration.

I also mention that I could find little information on the "group". From the back cover of this album we learn that Bill Justis, Malcolm Lockyer and Reg Owen "charted the lush and great sounds".

I found an ad Monument ran in the October14, 1967 issue of Billboard feature this and two other Knightsbridge LPs, all with Glaser illustrations.

Blowin' In The Wind - Arthur Lyman

Blowin' In The Wind
Arthur Lyman
HIFI Records Life Series L 1014
1963

Available on CD/purchase/download.

There are the usual great exotica tunes to be found on this album including a tune titled Eden's Island. But there are also some fine softer tunes, that take a more "folk" approach. A nice example from side one would be He's Gone Away.

The recording features a nice selection of tunes that reflect the album title.

Skin And Bones - Carl Stevens

The Moon Was Yellow

Skin And Bones
Carl Stevens
Mercury Records - SR 60013
1958

When searching for this album online I noted about five different versions of the cover. All featuring this photograph, but with different violators such as the logo, stereo or high fidelity banner, etc.

For some reason this album is not available on CD/purchase/download. And there are a lot of LPs floating around, cheap. The record is a pretty nice late 50s smooth jazz project with some nice space age touches.

There are a number of recognizable studio musicians listed on the back cover.

Percussion - Frank Rullo, Bobby Cristian, Phil Durant and Norm Jeffries. Harp - Pete Eagle. Piano - Dick Mara and Marty Rubenstein. Bass - John Frigo. Conduction, Trumpet - Carl "Chuck" Stevens. Trombones - Tommy Shepard, Cy Touff, Paul Crumbaugh, Bob Dale and Barrett O'Hara. Saxophones - Howard Davis, Mike Simpson and Benny Baileys. Guitar - Frank D'Rose. Accordion - Sam Porfirio.

Rodgers And Hammerstein - Stradivari Strings

The Sound Of Music

Ping Pong Percussion Of Rodgers And Hammerstein
Stradivari Strings
Pirouette Records RFM 42

When I found this record I couldn't believe my eyes. I was looking at a budget label "ping pong percussion" recording made by Stradivari Strings with Rodgers and Hammerstein as the theme? How awfully good could this album be (with emphasis on awful)?

As is typical with many of these albums claiming to be "ping pong"... the effects end when the easy listening begins. There is no blending of "elements". Pirouette tacked on the effects to music that they must have already had on the shelf.

I like the album because the concept is so goofy and so cheaply executed.

Treasure Chest - Bill Snyder His Magic Piano And Orchestra

Treasure Chest
Bill Snyder His Magic Piano And Orchestra
Decca Records DL 8437
1958

Available by purchase/download. Sorry, I will not be posting a sample.

I bought this for the fun cover photo. That's Snyder holding a toy piano covered with some gold foil.

The music starts out with a nice space age piece and then slides into easy listening. The engineering is excellent.