Electronic Music III

Poem By Orhan Veli Kanik

Animus I

Electronic Music III
Turnabout Vox TV 34177
1967

From Billboard October 14, 1967: A fascinating collection of electronic music styles and collaborations. Pianist George Flynn is expert in Mimaroglu's "Piano Music for Performer and Composer." while trombonist Andre Smith's is equally adept in Druckman's "Animus I." Mimaroglu's "Six Preludes for "Magnetic Tape" also is inventive as is Berio's Thema (Omaggio a Joyce)."

Fascinating? Yup. More good stuff from Turnabout featuring a blend of approaches that, at times, seem more traditional, than "electronic". Six Preludes For Magnetic Tape comes off as very much electronic. That collection sounds as if someone deconstructed any song.... and played it in bits and pieces out of order, backwards. The mood created is somewhat dark. Great stereo engineering.

I especially love a the sixth short track found on side 2 posted above (part of the Six Preludes For Magnetic Tape).

Paradise Village - Al Caiola And His Islanders

Stranger On The Shore

Music Of The Island
Paradise Village
Al Caiola And His Islanders
United Artists - UAS 6263
1962

This album is a great blend of light pop and what you may have hear on the many "Hawaiian" albums that flooded the market in the early 60s.

Side 1

Stranger In Paradise
Tiara Tahiti
Red Sails In The Sunset
Hawaiian Punch
Bali Hai
Stranger On The Shore

Side 2

Moon Of Mankoora
Hawaiian Wedding Song
Ebb Tide
Diamond Head
Almost Paradise
Follow Me

Big Band Plays Beatles Bag and Bacharach David - Lee Castle

Walk On By

What The World Needs Now

Big Band Plays Beatles Bag! + Bacharach / David
Lee Castle & The Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra
Pickwick PTP 2038
1967

This is a 2 record set in a gatefold album. Compared to many Pickwick projects, this seems to have been an expensive release.

I posted a few samples from The Beatles disc yesterday. Beatles covers... tricky business... The Bacharach disc plays much more like a decent period light pop.

Fun record to collect if you can find a copy.

1962's Greatest Hits - Billy Vaughn

The Lonely Bull

1962's Greatest Hits
Billy Vaughn
Dot DLP 3497

I bet you all thought that I would feature Telstar? I should... but Vaughn hadn't figured how to do the "60s" yet and The Lonely Bull is way cooler. And for way cooler Vaughn check out The Windmills Of Your Minds and Quietly Wild.

Oh what the heck... the sample track is Telestar...

Big Band Plays Beatles Bag and Bacharach David - Lee Castle

Eleanor Rigby

Penny Lane

Big Band Plays Beatles Bag! + Bacharach / David
Lee Castle & The Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra
Pickwick PTP 2038
1967

This is a 2 record set in a gatefold album. Compared to many Pickwick projects, this seems to have been an expensive release.

Of course, I skipped right over the Bacharach covers (record one) to get to the good stuff, The Beatle covers found on the second disc. I expected to hear some luke warm big band makeovers, but the tunes are way more whacky sort of "Enoch Light-like" light pop covers. After reading the cover notes, I think Pickwick set out to appeal to traditional big band fans. The notes come across stiff and dry. "A bit of swing with a hint of rock are combined on Fool On The Hill with Carl Janelli soloing." But... the music is so crazy... And there is the "British" cover theme which only makes sense if you connect the acts covered to their country of origin... not to mention the confused album title. Anyway... it all confuses me and of course... we like sonic befuddlement up here in The Atomic Attic.

"Big band lovers rise! We may start a whole new trend of excitement."

Jackie Gleason The "Now" Sound... For Today's Lovers

Jackie Gleason The "Now" Sound... For Today's Lovers
The Gleason Strings with Sitar & other exotic instruments
Capitol Records SW 2935
1969

I've been looking for this Gleason album for a few years. This album is frequently held up as Gleason's "unusual and possibly most hip" recording. However, in my opinion, this LP features splashes of "exotic instruments" that aren't throughly integrate into his brand of easy listening. Instruments include the Sitar, Tabla, Kanjira, African finger piano, Dharma bells, African and Thai marimbas, Gamelan Gongs, Aung Loung and Chinese bell trees.

Had I not been expecting more... possibly the results would have been enough and it is hard to expect Gleason to dive off the deep end and do something really crazy. Thematically and sonically Gleason takes chances that work better on other albums in his catalog. And don't get me wrong, Gleason's stuff rocks... that why I expected something more or different from this album.

Music It's Happening Now! - David McCallum

House Of Mirrors

Music It's Happening Now!
David McCallum
Capitol T 2651
1967

Very nice light and groovy 60s pop album. The highlight of the album, for me, is the tune I've posted above. Enjoy!

From Wikipedia: In the 1960s, McCallum recorded four albums for Capitol Records with producer David Axelrod: Music...A Part Of Me (Capitol ST 2432, 1966), Music...A Bit More Of Me (Capitol ST 2498, 1966), Music...It's Happening Now! (Capitol ST 2651, 1967), and McCallum (Capitol ST 2748, 1968). The best known of his pieces today is "The Edge," which was sampled by Dr. Dre as the intro and riff to the track "The Next Episode." McCallum did not sing on these records, as many television stars of the 60s did when offered recording contracts. As a classically trained musician, he conceived a blend of oboe, French horn, and strings with guitar and drums, and presented instrumental interpretations of hits of the day. The official arranger on the albums was H. B. Barnum. However, McCallum conducted, and contributed several original compositions of his own, over the course of four LPs. The first two, Music...A Part Of Me and Music...A Bit More Of Me, have been issued together on CD on the Zonophone label.

Out Of Sight - The Howard Roberts Quartet

Love Is Blue

Out Of Sight (but "in" sound)
The Howard Roberts Quartet (and some more)
Capitol ST 2901
1968

This is a slightly obscure album featuring guitarist Howard Roberts working his jazz riffs on top of a groovy 60s light pop foundation. Fun stuff... although I have to say that the sound seems a bit "flat" or monochromatic to me. I would say the engineering could have been better. Love Is Blue is a fab tune and the standout track.

Exotic Nights - Andre Kostelanetz

Fantasy On Japanese Woodprints

Exotic Nights
Andre Kostelanetz
Columbia CL 2581
1967

From the January 21, 1967 Billboard Magazine: Aptly titled, this disk offers a group of unusual selections with the deft Kostelantetz touch. Yoichi Hiroaka is an excellent xylophone soloist in Hovhaness' "Fantasy On Japanese Woodprints," while Shinichi Yuize is expert on the koto in Miyagi's "Sea of the Spring." Another delight is the "Dance of the Persian Slaves" by Mussorgsky.

Kostelanetz seems to be more comfortable with traditional approaches and I didn't find much in the way of "unusual selections" compared to the pile of albums from the same period that we favor here in The Atomic Attic. Fantasy On Japanese Woodprints is a nice extended track and an interesting listen.

Hey! Let's Party - Mongo Santamaria

Satisfaction

Hey! Let's Party
Mongo Santamaria
Columbia CL 2473
1966

From Billboard Magazine, June 4, 1966: This is exciting material. The rhythm section, particularly the piano, lays down a precise and exciting beat and sets a great mood for dancing and listening. Full fills the title as a good one for parties.

Side1

Walk On By
I Got You (I Feel Good)
In The Mood
Baila Dance
Louie, Louie

Side 2

(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
Hey!
Call ME
El Bikini
Shotgun

Surfers Paradise - Alex Keack

Haunted Love

Surfers Paradise
Alex Keack
Crown Records CLP 5315
1963

This LP was a Crown 99¢ special and their answer to the Martin Denny/Arthur Lyman sound of the early 60s. No bird calls, but very nice lounge laid on a bold foundation of percussion/bongos.

Movie Hits Of '66 - Jimmy Sedlar

Theme From Our Man Flint

Full Album

Movie Hits Of '66
Jimmy Sedlar - His Trumpet & Orchestra
Kapp KL-1467

This turned out to be a slightly obscure and outstanding mid-60s light pop album. All the light pop whiz-bangs you know and love are here mixed up with Sedlar's vision of "now sound brass". A comparison on the fun scale would be to listen to a few of my fav 60s light pop Neal Hefti's "Batman" albums.

Great variety in approaches and a must have. Sedlar online info is slim. I looked for additional album (releases) cover images and bio info and came up pretty much empty handed with the exception of one other Knapp release titled Tall Man With A Horn.

Side 1

Thunderball
Moment To Moment
Theme From The Spy Who Came In From The Cold
The Phoenix Love Theme
Dulcinea
Love Theme From Madame X

Side 2

Love Theme From Judith
You're Gonna Hear From Me
Ascot
Mister Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Juliet Of The Spirits
Theme From Our Man Flint

New Songs Of The Seventies - Sounds Of The Seventies Orchestra - Quadraphonic

Hourglass

Album

New Songs Of The Seventies
Sounds Of The Seventies Orchestra
SQ System/Capitol QL 6876
1973

For my Quad Friend out there, here's a minty fresh copy of an "elevator music" approach to your favorite songs. The orchestra seems to be sleep walking through the tunes, although the sample I've posted has an interesting vibe to it. On the bright side, the engineering is outstanding and the sound is great.

Side 1

Tommy
Alone Again (Naturally)
A Whiter Shade Of Pale
Nights In White Satin
Good Time Charlie Got The Blues

Side 2

Isn't Life Strange
Theme From "Shaft"
Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me
Easy Loving
Hourglass

A Sound Odyssey

SWAT

A Sound Odyssey
Direct To Disc
Realistic - Radio Shack
Arranged and Conducted Micky Erbe

Radio Shack backed a studio project to help market their(?) new direct-to-disc process. From the back cover: Direct-to-Disc requires very accurate musicians and engineers, since there is no chance to correct even the slightest error!

Yup... this is the most "error free" version of Swat I've ever heard!

The Jazz Excursion Into Hair - Bobby Bryant

Let The Sun Shine In

The Jazz Excursion Into Hair
Bobby Bryant
Orchestra Arranged and Conducted by Shorty Rogers
World Pacific Jazz Records
ST 20159
1969

Featured soloists in the orchestra: Bud Shank - Flute, Ernie Watts - Tenor Sax, Joe Sample - Electric Piano, Freddie Robinson - Guitar, Bobby Brookmeyer - Valve Trombone and Paul Humphrey - Drums

Blend of late 60s light pop and jazz.

Hair
Aquarius
Good Morning Starshine
Let The Sun Shine In
Where Do I Go
Be-In (Hare Krishna)
Colored Spade

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