Swingin' Things From 101 Strings - Don Costa

Street Scene

Swingin' Things From 101 Strings
Scored by Don Costa
Alshire S-5055

Fun space age cover and good musical stuff.

Percussion In Velvet - Bobby Christian

Impressione

Percussion In Velvet
Bobby Christian
Westminster WST 15046
1959

This is a terrific album featuring colorful cover art. I believe that I blogged the shorter track from side one, The Japanese Temple in this post: Nothing But Percussion Vol. 2. Side one from this album was reproduced on that record.

So I'll feature, as my sample track, an outstanding tune from side two. Enjoy!

Midnight On Cloud 69 - George Shearing and Red Norvo's Trio

Midnight On Cloud 69
George Shearing Quintet and Red Norvo's Trio
Savoy Record Co. Inc., Newark, New Jersey
MG-12093
1957

From the May 27, 1957 issues of Billboard magazine: If shown, should sell well to jazz browser, and particularly to collectors. I guess "If shown..." wasn't a given considering the suggestive cover.

Available for purchase/download so I will not be posting a sample. Sorry!

Nice period space age jazz.

The Torch Is Burning - Franklyn MacCormack

Easy Come, Easy Go Lover

The Torch Is Burning
The Poetic Voice Of Franklyn MacCormack
With Russ Garcia And His Orchestra
Liberty LRP 3086
1958

If you were expecting to hear this lovely cover model sing... that's not gonna happen. This is a fun oddball recording featuring long time Chicago radio personality Franklyn MacCormack.  All of the songs are instrumentals over which MacCormack reads the lyrics.

I believe this is the only album MacCormack made. I'll include the notes from the back cover as MacCormack's wiki page doesn't contain some of the info.

For over twenty years Franklyn MacCormack's poetry has been featured on all four major radio networks. Outstanding were such programs as "Poetic Melodies", "Nocturne, The Readings of Franklyn MacCormack", "Shades of Blue", "Memories of You" and others, known from coast to coast. An indication of his tremendous appeal to people in all walks of life was his average mail – from ten to fifteen thousand letters a month.

Born in Waterloo, Iowa, one of five children, Franklyn forsook a college education for the theater. His association with Wayne King, one of the great band leaders of the early days of radio, lasted for twelve years. During this time he recorded his famous "Melody of Love" with the Waltz King, which has sold over two million copies to date.

Mr. MacCormack was a member of the WBBM radio staff in Chicago from 1932 until 1939. He free-lanced until his return toWBBM-TV in 1954.

Whether you know him for his radio and television shows, recordings or motion pictures, we are sure you will be pleased that we have brought Franklyn MacCormack into your home again, with all the poetry, nostalgia and passion for which his voice is so famous.

Russ Garcia would go on to make one of my favorite albums on Liberty in 1959 titled Fantastica.

Rue Barcley And The Wanders

Old Rugged Cross

Rue Barcley And The Wanders
Rural Rhythm Records - Arcadia, California
RR192

This record came in a blank jacket with the record catalog number stamped on the front and the record company catalog printed on the back.

Julie Wilson At The St. Regis

Julie Wilson At The St. Regis
Vik LX-1118
1958

From by "bad habits" album cover collection. The stunning Julie Wilson drinking and smoking... in that red dress.

Available on CD so I won't be posting a sample. The songs are of the suggestive lounge/cabaret variety.

Taboo - The Exotic Sounds Of Arthur Lyman

Taboo
The Exotic Sounds Of Arthur Lyman
HIFI Record R806
1958

This is Lyman's second record following Leis Of Jazz. Available as all his recording may be on CD or by purchase/download. So, sorry, I will not be posting a sample.

Highly recommended exotica recording to be followed a year and a number of albums later by Taboo Vol. 2 featuring the fabulous "shrunken head" album cover.

Pagan Love Song - Billy Ward

Hurricane

Pagan Love Song
Billy Ward Orchestra and Chorus
Liberty LRP 3113
1959

Great period exotica album jacket design. However, the musical style is more traditional big band.

Cha Cha Cha - Art Mooney And His Big Band

Caravan

Cha Cha Cha
Art Mooney And His Big Band
Coronet Records CXS 138

As you can tell, there is some great big band Cha Cha on this album and you get the smoking hot cover!

It was hard to pin down the release date. One source suggestion 1964, but from the cover, I'd say 1959 or 60.

Side 1

Who's Sorry Now
Ole Jamaica
I Let A Song Out Of My Heart
Midnight Breeze
Hands Across The Table
Bwana

Side 2

Caravan
Shine On Harvest Moon
Chi Chi Castenato
Glow Worm
In The Shade Of The Old Apple Tree

Broadway Spectacular - The Broadway Theater Orchestra

Good Morning Starshine

The Impossible Dream

Broadway Spectacular
The Broadway Theater Orchestra
Premier Albums 1003

Weird and obscure budget album with some fun stuff to offer, including this inventive cover of Good Morning Starshine! Weird, because there is no rhyme nor reason for the blend of styles featured. Check out the lounge version of The Impossible Dream. Wow! They pressed whatever they had on the shelf that day to vinyl.

Keyboard Kaleidoscope - Dick Hyman

Goldfinger

Keyboard Kaleidoscope
Dick Hyman
Performed on the Lowrey Organ
Originated and Produced by Enoch Light
Art Director Charles E. Murphy
Command Records RS 33-875
1964

Here we have another inventive early 60s light pop album from Enoch Light. Light's brand of light coming out of his studio at this time might be considered sort of goofy... but I like it and this is a good example.

The Exciting Mambo - Ramon Marquez

The Exciting Mambo

Ramon Marquez And His Orchestra
International Records LP 5065

Some of the tunes from this album may or may not be available online. The name of the albums the available tunes are said to come from don't match up with this LP. Nice jacket graphic. The music is a somewhat tame by comparison.

Gigi

Thank Heaven For Little Girls

Gigi
Arranged And Conducted By Gordon Fleming
Golden Tone C4035

Not much here but a great "bad habits" album cover.

Thank heaven for little girls... bad little girls who are about to drink too much...

Popular Science Project 3 Test Record

Sample from side two

Side 1

Side 2

Project 3
Popular Science Test Record
To Set Up/Calibrate/Check Out Quadraphonic System
Total Sound PR401 SQ
1973

Fun Popular Science Magazine advertising piece. Produced by Enoch Light and Jess Hest side one of this record features a variety of "tests". But since I don't have a quad system, I jumped right to side two to listen to the music. All I can say is that all "stereo" records should sound this good! Light's engineering was always superb! The sound is amazing.

The Birchwood Pops Orchestra

He (She) Dance With Me - Waltz theme from The Slipper And The Rose

The Birchwood Pops Orchestra
Pickwick SPC-3581
1976

Wow... You know, Pickwick produced some fun stuff for a budget label. Most of what you may have collected from Pickwick probably doesn't surprise you all that much. Some of it pleases the senses and some just isn't for you. But occasionally I'll pickup a Pickwick LP that is a bit unique somehow. This is one of those albums.

The first two tracks, Evergreen, from A Star Is Born and Car Wash actually include vocals. Oh boy, hard to believe stuff... But then the album shifts gears and goes into the trippy waltz (that I've posted above). Gonna Fly Now, the theme from Rocky is a cheese synth number which is sandwiched between other more straight forward orchestrated numbers that are nice light pop mood setting tracks.

The engineering is some of the best I've heard from Pickwick on this odd collection of tunes.

The Nearness Of You - Dan & Dale

Stella By Starlight

The Nearness Of You
The "Sensational" Guitars of Dan & Dale
Diplomat DS 2390

The album cover is a bit misleading. You are not getting into some lame easy listening album. What you are getting is a fun and quirky light pop or jazz 60s guitar album that sometimes doesn't seem all that tight.

I've collected a few other Dan and Dale albums, The Theme From Hawaii and Somewhere My Love. Both of those albums are a bit uneven, but do feature a few standout tracks.