Nelson Riddle - 101 Strings

Swingin' Stampede

Nelson Riddle
Arranges and Conducts 101 Strings
Alshire International S-5203
1970

Here's another one of the handful of 101 Strings albums that is an outstanding collectible. The vibe is one of late 60s/early 70s orchestrated light pop. Saying that you might hear these tunes as a TV or movie soundtrack might be a rough assessment. The arrangements are not cheesy (although that's all good...), but sophisticated light pop.

Engaging stuff all the way through.

Side One:

Swingin' Stampede
What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life
Meandering
Latino Sentimental
Tina's Waltz
Airport Theme

Side Two:

Bridge Over Trouble Water
Freeway Fantasy
Costa Brava
Twilight On The Mall
Nelson's Blues
Retrospection

Current Hits Volume No. 14

Twist And Shout

Current Hits Volume No. 14
Hit Records
HLP 414

More original hits done by the non-original artists.

Cha Cha Cha - Freddy Calo And His Latin Orchestra

There's No Tomorrow

Cha Cha Cha
Freddy Calo And His Latin Orchestra
King 636

King records are somewhat hard to find around here even though I would expect to stumble across more samples as I look for them in the area in which they were manufactured (Cincinnati, Ohio). But frankly, the examples I've found don't do much for me so I stopped picking them up. This one features a fab cover so I had to add it to the collection.

Like other King albums this recording seems to lack "spark" compared to other better examples of Latin music I have collected from this period. Curiously, and to my amusement, the group slips from a somewhat a typical sounding Latin group into early 50s lounge when Calo does a solo. He sounds like an American lounge singer during those passages.

Piano A La Mood - Bernard Peiffer

Goodbye

Piano A La Mood
Bernard Peiffer
Decca DL 9203
1958

I'm not sure why the athletic jumping dog cover... but I couldn't resist it.

The music is very much "mood jazz". Good smooth bluesy stuff.

A site dedicated to the memory of Peiffer.

Side One

Our Waltz
Easy Living
You Make Me Feel So Young
They Say It's Wonderful
Let's Get Away From It All
Who Can I Turn To

Side Two

Last Night When We Were Young
Easy To Love
Invitation
Blues For Django
The Song Is you
Goodbye

Kim Sang Hee

Once again, there is not much printed on the jacket that I can understand. Curiously the artist's name is featured in English. The record was released by Oasis Records, Seoul, Korea (OL 1151)

I did find a few returns when I did a search for Hee, including a video on YouTube. Hee may also have made a "Jefferson Airplane" styled "psych" album. This album is sort of a soft "light pop" album, but serves up a few nice quirky moments.

Apache Crisis System

Synthesizer Hits
Pink Elephant Records
Dutch Record Company
PE 811.003-H
1973

This is apparently an import compilation album. A few of the more notable tracks are by G. Kingsley and are available online. However, other tracks, including the awesome cover of Apache seem to be more obscure having been recreated by the entities known as Crisis System or Revolution System.

Side One:

Carmen Brasilia
Alone Again
Ghostrider
For Allisa Beethoven
Snoopy
Moogie Boogie
Flamingo Moog

Side Two

Hey Hey
Coconut
Theme From "The Godfather"
Ooh Uggerdoo
Apache
Red River Pop
Popcorn

The T/A Disco - BFGoodrich

The T/A Disco

BFGoodrich
Gail Sponseller & His Orchestra
Play The Big Band Arrangements Of Frank Comstock
Mark56 Records
1979

This is an advertising vehicle mounted on BFGoodrich Radial T/A tires... that is the jacket features a die-cut cover (a large circle) which allows the record, a picture disc (the tire) to show through.

I saved this one for being thrown out by the record store. I know, I know... leave caustic comments below.

The Sounds Of Silence - Jane Morgan

Sounds Of Silence

Monday Monday

The Sounds Of Silence
Jane Morgan
Harmony Records 11498

One of the more obscure Morgan albums featuring a few interesting attempts at covering several 60s folk/pop tunes.

Bob Adams Sings Almost Persuaded

If A Woman Answers

I Walk The Line

Bob Adams Sings Almost Persuaded
Modern Sound MS 564

Total budget Modern Sound strikes again, here in The Atomic Attic, offering us a country album featuring a crazy cover that, to me... makes more sense as home to an easy listening LP.

It's hard to tell if "Bob Adams" sang all the songs or maybe several guys... or more were employed to help complete the LP. Or, more likely, the songs were not recorded for this release, but simply collected together and presented here.

Historia de Exitos con Lola Beltran

La Noche de mi Mal

Historia de Exitos con Lola Beltran
Trios de Los Hons. Michel y el Mariachi Guadalajara de Silvestre Vargas
Peerless (Mexico) LPL 170

What the heck Atomic Attic... do you post whatever you find? Yup... pretty much and in this case I'm posting a sample from this vintage record found in a record store throwaway pile. Although the traditional arrangements might not hold your attention, the emotional vocal treatments certainly will.

I found this english language page featuring background on Loa Beltran if you like to read up on her.

Dawn Of Dylan - Hugo Montenegro's Dawn Of Dylan

Blowin' In The Wind

Dawn Of Dylan
Hugo Montenegro's Dawn Of Dylan
GWP ST 2003
1970

I've been finding a number of "covers" albums lately. Albums of this nature can be great fun but most are not successful in breathing new life into well known pop tunes.

In past posts I've mentioned how much I enjoy collecting Montenegro and consider him to be one fine and inventive composer arranger. So I couldn't wait to get this LP on the turntable. I expected more of a light pop approach somehow... not sure what I expected... but Montenegro manages to somehow to blend the folk quality of Dylan's sound with orchestral and choral swells, easy listening and light pop to create engaging tracks. No one track is exactly like another which helps hold interest. For example, on the sample track I've chosen, the artist who sings the fantastic solo segment only appears on this tune. No, contributing artists are credited on the cover.

Side One:

Like A Rolling Stone
The Time's They Are A-Changing
Blowin' In The Wind
She Belongs To Me
Lay, Lady, Lay

Side Two

It Ain't Me Babe
The Might Quinn
Don't Think Twice, It's Alright
Mr. Tambourine Man
My Back Pages

Marimba Mambo Cha Cha Cha

Frenesi

Marimba Mambo Y Cha - Cha - Cha
Audio Fidelity AFLP 1802

1954

AF release featuring a winning cover. There are extensive jacket notes about the marimba and the history of the instrument. The only mention given to the artists is that they are "Mexican marimba players".

For an early Latin album of this vintage the music is pretty engaging, aided by AF's engineers who added a little reverb to the Marimba that spices up the sound.

Shaft - Soul Mann & The Brothers

Walk From Regio's

Shaft
Performed By Soul Mann & The Brothers
Pickwick SPC3290

Arrangements by Sy Mann (see article on Sy Mann on SpaceAgePop).

I've got the terrific original Shaft soundtrack. It would be hard match the 70s groove of that double record set, but that's not to say this isn't vintage exploitation budget fun.

Side One:

Theme From Shaft
Cafe Regio's
Early Sunday Morning
Be Yourself
A Friend's Place

Side Two:

Shaft's Cab Ride
Bumpy's Lament
Walk From Regio's
Ellie's Love Theme
Bumpy's Blues

The Anita Kerr Singers - Velvet Voices And Bold Brass

Lalena

The Anita Kerr Singers
Velvet Voices And Bold Brass
Dot Records DLP 25951

Sorry about the condition of the cover. Apparently this was a radio station copy and some paperwork was attached to the cover at some point.

Up here in The Atomic Attic we've featured so many crazy pop vocal/choral albums that even I thought that no artist could successfully cover a popular rock or pop song in a light/easy pop fashion. Then I discovered several Anita Kerr LPs, including this one. The arrangements are inventive, cool and don't clash, at least with my sensibilities, with the original version. The engineering is also very good. The album was produced, arranged, conducted with soprano and solos by Anita Kerr.

Side One:

You've Made Me So Very Happy
You And I
When The World Was Young
My Way
Happy Heart
Lalena

Side Two

God Bless The Child
Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da
The Windmills Of You Mind
Goodbye
Suppose

Flying Finger Chris Hamalton And His Hammond Organ

Green Eyes

Flying Finger Chris Hamalton And His Hammond Organ
London Records LL 1436

Here's a sample from a late 50s easy pop organ album featuring a lounge vibe.

The album notes outline Chris Hamalton aka Harry Farmer's history. Oddly enough London felt it necessary to describe, in detail, the name change for this release to help avoid confusion over an earlier "Harry Farmer" release (LL-1437). Farmer's style changed and so did his name for this release. From the back cover: We can only hope that Harry Farmer doesn't get to schizophrenic, and that Chris Hamalton will be able to support him generously in his happy old age.

Hits Of '68 - Ray Bloch Singers

Hey Jude

Mrs. Robinson

Hits Of '68
Ray Bloch Singers and Orchestra
Ambassador S98078

Here's another insane light pop album from Bloch who made a number of "Hits Of" LPs with his "singers". All that I've collected so far feature jaw dropping covers of your favorite pop tunes.