Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Show 21: Goodbye Summer

Saturday was the last day of summer... The leaves are already changing color (around these parts anyway). This is my attempt to hang on to summer for just awhile longer... or at least to say goodbye until next year.


Song 1 : : Theme from a Summer Place
Artist : : The Three Suns
Album : : Fever and Smoke

Folks who know me know I love The Three Suns. This track can also be found as a bonus track on the Twilight Memories CD... the only one of Three Suns Living Stereo LPs that I’ve been able to find on CD. Excellent Three Suns website here.

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Song 2 : : Cuando Calienta el Sol
Artist : : Nancy Sinatra
Album : : California Girl

Strange album of California-themed songs from Joisey Girl Nancy Sinatra. This seems to be a blend of old and new recordings. Good backing band of the usual gang of magnificent 60s LA studio session musicians. Here is Nancy’s official website.

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Song 3 : : Fall Breaks and Back to Winter / Good Vibrations / Heroes & Villains
Artist : : Gary Usher
Album : : Add Some Music To Your Day

I’ve played a cut or two from this album before. It’s nice but also kind of sad, especially when you consider it was designed to cheer Brian Wilson up during one of the “dark” periods... that’s what I’ve heard anyway.

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Song 4 : : Summer
Artist : : Bernie Green
Album : : Plays More Than You Can Stand in Stereo

Some info on Bernie Green can be found at spaceagepop.com. He seems to have done a lot of work as a musical director and arranger. I’ve also seen a mono version of this album as “Plays More Than You Can Stand in Hi-Fi.”

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Show 20: E-Z

After all that running around we did in last week’s set, I figured we’d need a little downtime this week. Easy listening... Enjoy...


Song 1 : : Sea of Tranquility
Artist : : Baker Street Philharmonic
Album : : Je T’aime – Moi Non Plus

An early 70s easy listening project headed by former Manfred Mann guitarist and session Moog man Mike Vickers. Some info if you go here and scroll down a bit.

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Song 2 : : Le Monde Sous-Marin
Artist : : Andy Loore
Album : : Water Show

More early 70s easy listening... Library music (I think) with an aquatic theme. Andy Loore is actually Yugoslavian library music man Janco Nilovic.

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Song 3 : : Everybody’s Talkin’
Artist : : Baker Street Philharmonic
Album : : Je T’aime – Moi Non Plus

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Song 4 : : Jeff Bloom
Artist : : Gianfranco Di Stefano
Album : : Spaghetti Westerns Volume 1

Di Stefano was active as a film score composer in the early 70s. Can’t find too much info about him out there but some of his soundtracks are currently available. Big easy listening string section on this track... and a nice solo trumpet.

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Song 5 : : Exotica
Artist : : Martin Denny
Album : : Exotica! The Best of Martin Denny

Very familiar to all you exotica fans out there, of course. I included it in this set because it’s my favorite laid-back piece of exotica... just perfect. Good Denny site here.

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Show 19: Speed!

Summer has kept me busy this year... I traveled a little further and more often than in recent years, worked on various projects, and just generally ran around a lot more than usual for the summer months.

It always helps to have some fast-paced music to move me along when there are too many things going on at the same time. Here’s a selection of speedy songs that kept me going through a busier-than-usual summer...


Song 1 : : Runnin’ Wild
Artist : : Robert Maxwell
Album : : Red Hot Harp

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Song 2 : : Tarantula
Artist : : Robert Maxwell
Album : : Red Hot Harp

Great speedy stuff... and an exotica connection here too: Maxwell composed both “Ebb Tide” and “Shangri-La.” Some good info on Maxwell can be found here.

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Song 3 : : Twilight in Turkey
Artist : : The Raymond Scott Orchestrette
Album : : Pushbutton Parfait

A wonderful 7-piece “orchestrette” formed by Irwin Chusid and dedicated to performing (in some cases, reinterpreting) the music of Raymond Scott. They have only put out one album so far... wish they’d make more. Among the members of the Orchestrette is one of my favorites, electric zither master Brian Dewan.

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Song 4 : : A Shot in the Dark
Artist : : Oranj Symphonette
Album : : Plays Mancini

I’ve played these guys on the show before and I’m still hoping they’ll eventually get together for another record. As I mentioned previously, some info on their two albums can still be found here and here. Also, make sure to check out OS member Ralph Carney’s MySpace page.

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Song 5 : : Twelfth Street Rag
Artist : : Johnny Puleo and his Harmonica Gang
Album : : Johnny Puleo and his Harmonica Gang

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Song 6 : : St. Louis Blues Boogie
Artist : : Johnny Puleo and his Harmonica Gang
Album : : Johnny Puleo and his Harmonica Gang

Okay, I forgot to dig up and scan that photo of Johnny Puleo and my mom... but I’ll get around to doing eventually, I promise (again!).
I’ve played these guys before too... and I’ll most surely play them again. Johnny Puleo’s biography can be found here.

Tuesday, September 5, 2006

Show 18: Audio Porn

Seems some listeners mistook the word “exotica” for “erotica” a few months back when I did a show on Swedish exotica band Bo Axelzon and his Orchestra. Maybe it was the the fact that “Swedish” preceded “exotica” that made some jump to the conclusion that I’d be playing porn music.

Well, for those who were hoping for it, here it is... Porn! Music from softcore and hardcore films... and a couple of pornographic-sounding songs that aren’t from film scores at all.


Song 1 : : Erotico
Artist : : John Zorn
Album : : The Big Gundown

An Ennio Morricone piece from the film The Burglars. Not porn but this John Zorn version sexes-up this already erotic song.

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Song 2 : : La Prima Volta
Artist : : Andrea et Nicole
Album : : Erotheque

A strange one... Italian title and lyrics, French artists (?), from a Greek pressing of an LP that recently made the rounds of the sharity sites once again.

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Song 3 : : Ravishing Marilyn
Artist : : ???
Album : : Sex-O-Rama

This is from the Marilyn Chambers porn classic Behind the Green Door. Not by the original studio musicians who appeared on the film soundtrack but by another group of studio musicians who re-recorded a bunch of vintage porn sounds for this Oglio Records compilation.

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Song 4 : : Alternative Chicks
Artist : : Andy Prieboy
Album : : N/A

Got this off a bootleg video of one of Andy Prieboy’s live appearances at Largo in LA back in 1997. Prieboy, in addition to working in bands, as a solo artist, writing a musical and a book, has scored a couple of porn videos...