a) You Deserve Each Other
Robert Mitchum
That Man... Robert Mitchum Sings
(1967)
b) I'm Confessin'
Robert Mitchum
Capitol Demo (Tall Dark Stranger CD)
(1956, released 1997)
A couple odds and ends from Robert Mitchum. First up, him doing the country pop thing. A bizarro world Dean Martin, if you will.
Then, a demo he cut for a nixed album from Capitol, before he pivoted directions from standards to Calypso.
01-26 026
Sex Appeal
Barbara Rylska
Sex Appeal
(1965)
Found in a thrift store a couple decades ago. Couldn't resist the cover. Musically, visually... I can assume she's the Liza Minelli of the Eastern bloc.
Sunny
Squeegie
For Once In My Life I've Got To Be Me!
(c. 1960's?)
Liner notes:
"Squeegie is the lady's real name! Equally as unusual is the amazing vocal versatility she demonstrates in this, her first LP album. Ranging in style from the dynamic "rock" of "Sunny" to the tenderness in the torch rendition of "Go Away" she displays the artistic flexibility and grace which has won her the adulation and respect of live audiences wherever she has performed..."
Well, she never made another record, but one wonders what that would have sounded like... there is an ethereal element at play here which gives the album a layer of unintentional atmosphere.
The microphone sounds like it was on the other side of an auditorium, giving the whole record a cavernous echo laden sound. Throw in the percussive bass and cordovox, and this makes for a weird lounge feel that leaves you in some valium induced cross road between reality and sleep deprivation!
Intro - Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Old Oak Tree
The Goofers
Live in the Landmark's Nifty Nook Lounge Las Vegas
(1977)
The Goofers were comprised of five Italians, all ex-members of Louis Prima's band. Through years of going through the motions of the usual lounge shtick, they would separate themselves from other Vegas acts by playing their instruments on pogo sticks, or on trampolines, or upside down (as pictured here.)
A lot of the repertoire are lively swinging big band material, I'm sure the kind of stuff they did for Prima... as I'm sure the Italian accent put-on for this Tony Orlando cover is something they probably would have done in their Prima act as well.
01-22 022
Mah Na Cowboy
Piero Umiliani
Questo Sporco Mondo Meraviglioso
(1971)
I'm sure it's common knowledge at this point that Jim Henson took the famous "Mah Na Mah Na" song from an Italian softcore porno called "Sweeden: Heaven and Hell," right?
The original, composed by Piero Umiliani, is featured during a sauna scene featuring a dozen or so Swedish girls. I'm sure it was Umiliani's signature, comical, nasal-vocalese delivery that caught Henson's ear.
Anywho, what isn't so well known, is this follow-up track from an equally salacious Mondo film from 1971. The track is absolutely bugged out and bonkers. The original LP goes for like a thousand bucks on a good day, but you can find this single, even 30 years after its pressing for about what I paid for it.
The Jabberwocky
Crane Calder and Suzanne Bloch
Allegro AK56
(1952)
Crane Calder, Broadway choral director and choral director for children's label Allegro. Suzanne Block, lute player who specializes in Renaissance era folk music.
Wasn't sure how this would sound, is this the first musical rendition of Lewis Carroll's poems? Not sure. Also not sure if this is any good, I was excited and instantaneously underwhelmed.
01-20 020
Armenian Mama
Charlie, Bill and Steve (Kaman)
Going To The Dogs!
(1977)
Charles Kaman: aeronautical engineer and businessman. He also was a musical enthusiast and inventor who founded the Ovation guitar company in 1964.
His love of music brought this album to fruition... a Connecticut vanity press of instrumentals he wrote, backed by his two sons.
The music is creative and the production is stellar...
I personally bought this record for the cover and cheesy title, only to find that it was work of charity. All proceeds from the record went to the Fidelco foundation; and organization, founded by Charles to train guide dogs for the blind.
I Got The Blues Over You
The Kids from King (Kim Anderson)
Dr. Martin Luther King High School's Tribute to Muddy Waters
(1984)
Pretty fun record out of Martin Luther King High School in Chicago. The students sing a few Muddy Waters songs, and several original compositions while backed by a slew of local session players.
The originals were written by the school's songwriting class and the record was funded by the Chicago Council On Fine Arts.
Though it would have been fine to include a more than capable Muddy Waters cover, I thought it would be more apropos to share one of the student originals.
Elettrochoc
Matia Bazar
Elettrochoc (single)
(1983)
Matia Bazar, Italio pop group from the 70s, representing Italy in Eurovision '79. Their career would span 6 decades, currently still active... but it's songs like this, featuring founding memberAntonella Ruggiero that make the band sound unique... I'd describe her vocals (4 octave range,) somewhere between Yma Sumac and Kate Bush territory.
Vivo Sonhando Jenness Parker At Last (2010's?)
Fairly good private vocal jazz CD from Delaware of all places. 2 very good tracks on this one, where she sings in Portuguese. Not on Discogs, includes her business card. (submitted by Diego A.) Listen here!
Fool Me One More Time
Jerry Jackson & The Inmates
Meet Jerry Jackson & The Inmates
(c. 1974)
Small time country lounge band's sole release on the small-time country label out of Vancouver, Washington, Vanco. Not much is known about the Inmates, but they were apparently from Caldwell, Idaho and drove up north to record this album. Most of the cuts have Jerry Jackson singing, but this one, from the band's piano player Jan Adair spotlight's her rough and warbly vocals that has probably sung in many a smoke-filled honky tonk.
No real liner notes, which is shame, because with a backing band titled "The Inmates," I kinda feel there's a story there.
Listen here
01-11 011
Partes De La Cabeza
Eddie Cano
A Taste of Education
(1972)
Eddie Cano was one of the golden age artists to bridge the sounds of Latin and Jazz. His music has an Exotica flair and his albums from the 50s and 60s are all worth checking out.
This one, one of his last LPs, was used as a teaching tool to teach children Spanish.
"Building Your Spanish Vocabulary Through Music Vol. 1," although I don't think I've ever seen a Vol. 2!
01-10 010
01-09 009
Sounds of the Three Dog Night
Orville Wright Jr. High School
21st Annual Spring Concert
(1977)
Found a stack of these Junior High School band records in the dollar bin several yeas ago while digging in Highland Park. Lots classical performances on them, but each one had some fun stuff, like the choral dept covering Dylan, or the band doing the theme to Mission Impossible, etc. But this Three Dog Night medley felt the most share-worthy. I'm not well versed enough in TDN to recognize any tunes... at least it's not any of the hits I'm familiar with. Maybe they went for some deep cuts?
Listen here
Fire
Jim Reesor
Reesor Communicates
(1969)
Hip Christian folk album on the hip(?) Christian Folk label. Husky-voiced Jim Reesor gives a lazy delivery on these folk songs that have a post-"Sixteen Tons" snappy beat to them. Think a Bohemian Dave Dudley of the beatnik coffee house scene if he found God. You can sip on your espresso to the folk sounds of the Book of Revelation!
The record doesn't go for much, but I think it's because the diggers haven't taken noticed yet. Became hep to this record via Jacob Sanders, an absolute legend among Private Press collectors, who passed his copy on to me.
01-007 07
Village Grove
The KIPP Academy
Volume II
(2003)
No trace of Volume I, or this Volume for that matter on the web. A CD of Middle School kids doing renditions of rhythmic pop hits such as Gloria Estefan, Diana Ross, the Theme to Shaft and medleys to hits from Motown, Marvin Gaye and this one titled Village Grove, a medley of songs by the Village People.
Think of it like a middle school Salsoul Orchestra!
From the liner notes:
"The 2002-2003 school year marked the sixth consecutive year that KIPP Academy was the highest performing public middle school in the entire Bronx...
The 180-piece KIPP String and Rhythm Orchestra is widely regarded among the finest middle school orchestras in the nation..."
01-06 006
It's Cool In The Furnace
Buryl Red and Grace Hawthorne
(1972)
"Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were three young Jewish men exiled in Babylon, friends of Daniel, known for their unwavering faith when they refused to worship King Nebuchadnezzar's giant gold statue, leading them to be thrown into a blazing fiery furnace but miraculously protected by God, appearing unharmed with a fourth divine figure, teaching lessons of courage, faithfulness, and God's deliverance."
I honestly bought this for the cover. Three goofy looking dudes hanging around in a mound of ice and fire.
A children's album thru and thru of pure dreck and the old Bible parable about the power of faith.
The voice of the King sounds like the head elf from a Rankin-Bass holiday special, or Yoda doing a Bill Cosby impression.
Pretty hip beatnik arrangement by Nashville A-team session players... Harold Bradley, Bob Moore, Buddy Harmon and Charlie McCoy to name a few.
01-05 05
TV Funeral March
Harry Breuer and his Quintet
Mallet Mischief Vol. 2
(1958)
For me, and for some of you I'm sure, the Re/Search Incredibly Strange Music books were absolute text books for music curios 101. The CDs were fantastic too. For those familiar with the books (and CDs) will remember this LP cover gracing the front art of Volume 1.
Harry Breuer was very much a session musician, but did release three LPs with his Quintet for the Audio Fidelity label.
The Incredibly Strange CDs featured the cut "Bumble Bee Bolero" from the Quintet's first album (Mallet Magic) and "Minute Merengue" (from this LP.)
So, I offer a third cut here, "TV Funeral March," which I'm sure some of you will recognize as Gounod's "Funeral March of a Marionette," the theme song to Alfred Hitchcock Presents...
Which begs the question, to me... is there still relevance to Re/Search books, or to Alfred Hitchcock Presents???
01-04 004
Party, Party, Party
Johnny Redd
Country Hot
(c. 1980s?)
Vague, ambiguous release with absolutely no information on the artist on the back. The front cover is just as vague. Any research on the JRS label, out of Palmdale CA, that this album was released on leads only back to this album. I would assume this was a tax scam album if it didn't include so many covers.
This cut was sent to me on a tape via visual artist Nate Abels, who always includes some unique and interesting stuff on the mixtapes he sends my way.
Maybe someone out there may have some information on the elusive Johnny Redd.
Anyway... here is one, of a handful of original cuts that appears on this LP.
01-03 003
Her voice however has the commanding presence of someone who probably has only taken solos on hymnals in a church choir.
It appears she released one more album, also religious material, about a decade later... in Australia.
Liner notes:
"A Quiet Place" is Cathie Christie's first venture into the recording field... and we trust the first in a series of coming albums.
Together, with her arranger Gene Roberson, they selected a variety of contemporary songs that we'll expresses her living faith. The lyrics become her own... and each melody conveys a new and meaningful message to the listener.
Cathie Christie is blessed with an exceptional singing voice. The range and quality of her singing are truly warm and inspirational. Her love for the Lord Jesus Christ adds a deep dimension of spiritual power to her songs. It is a pleasure to commend Cathie and her songs to you.
Emil A. Balliet
President
Southern California College
01-02 002
Someone Nice Like You
Larry Decker
S-11-16-78
(1978)
Music That Shapes and their amazing limited edition Real People Music cassette comps and You Tube channel have absolutely been lighting the torch of uncharted waters with some really amazing finds... It was through them that I found out about the great Larry Decker. As far as I know he released two singles and an LP. Perhaps MTS can elucidate with more knowledge. Still need to track down Larry's album, but both singles are amazing. Check out that last note in this song... wow!!!!
What I like best about Larry is that he totally could have gone the loner folk, gloomy route... but all of the cuts I've heard have a feeling of love and optimisim.
There are still a couple copies of "Real People Music Volume 2" on their bandcamp, and you can check out a few more Larry Decker cuts on the Realpeople Music YouTube channel.
01-01 001
Poem - Indian Love Call
Unknown Man Singing
National Hollywood 78rpm (Acetate)
(c. 1950's)
Blind bought in a stack of unlabled acetates many years ago. A man singing some kind of politically incorrect poem and then doing a warbly whistle rendition of "Indian Love Call." You can hear him flirting with his wife? Girlfriend?? Some unknown woman in the background. Quality of the disc is very scratchy and times sounds like it was used as a coaster, but to clean it up would be pointless, and it would lose some of its charm(?!)
