Happy Birthday, Superman! -- Herbie Mann's "Super Mann"

From 1978, it's disco-funk with a Kryptonian flair . . .

And the selections are ...

1   Superman    5:32 

2   Etagui  5:13

3   Jisco Dazz    5:01

4   Rock Freak    6:08

5   Stomp Your Feet  4:23

6 Body Oil 5:32

7 Django 5:30

So, groove on down to Superman's Birthday Party, in style!

Herbie Mann -- Super Mann

See you Thursday, Super-Friends!
 

The Golden Age of Silent Movies -- Re-Post

"At the mighty Wurlitzer!"  Sounds like they brought the heavy guns out on this one, boys!

There's a fine array of heart-rending pathos, organ sound effects, and thundering emotion on tap!  There are some notes on the selections at the album's Discogs page.

01 - The Perfect Song

02 - The Merry Widow Waltz

03 - Jeannine, I Dream of Lilac Time

04 - Old Ironsides

05 - Charmaine

06 - Little Mother

07 - Wonderful One

08 - Diane

09 - Angela Mia

10 - Estrellita

11 - Westward Ho!

12 - Marie

13 - Ramona

14 - The Big Chase

This 1962 album got a four-star rating in Billboard's January 12, 1963 issue.

Cue the twittering birds.

See you Monday!
 

Pass the Ketchup Ice Cream While I Listen to This Honky Tonk Hootenanny

It transpires that in the world of the late 1950s, "Big" Tiny Little was a big shot in the world of Lawrence Welk fans.  I had never heard of him until I saw this LP a couple of weeks ago and was charmed by its wanting-to-be-hep vibe.  It's similar to the effect of watching 1960s movies that have scenes set in a "teen discotheque."  Said club is usually populated by actors much too old to portray "teens" and they are dressed in buttoned suits.  The women have full makeup and heels. The music playing is some sixty-year-old studio executive's idea of "young people" music.  If you were ever a part of the actual demographic that is being portrayed, you cringe.

In the same way, the people behind this record used a lot of actual talent and craft to put together a "honky tonk" performer with some "folk songs."  Released around 1963, this odd combination of musical styles is the equivalent of the church social director throwing an ice cream social, trying to get the grumpy grandpa together with those darn kids who hot-rod down the street at the ungodly hour of 9PM.

Right after I finish my mug of jalapeno root bear and polish off my plate of charcoal whipped cream, I'll tell you how it came out [sarcasm mode].

01. Hootenanny (1:47)

02. Way Down in the Valley (1:57)

03. Tom Dooley (1:52)

04. Green, Green (2:16)

05. Tom Cat (2:03)

06. Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport (2:45)

07. Saturday Night (2:34)

08. Walk Right In (2:23)

09. Good Old Mountain Dew (2:10)

10. Green Back Dollar (2:18)

11. Hootenanny Granny (2:15)

12. Long John Done Gone (2:22)

Also included are the liner notes, a jolly attempt to mash up the worlds of antiquated hearing aids and youth-inspired protest songs.  A taste: 

"TOM DOOLEY has every reason to lift his head when Tiny adds that unique tempo to the music."

Sure!

You have been warned!  Honky Tonk Hootenanny

 

1960s Covers of Spy & Action Tunes

Arrangements  by this group appeared on two LPs, with several duplications.  This CD assemblage features both LP covers.

Thunderball is the one I first came across.  You could tell that the blond guy was supposed to represent Illya Kuryakin.  The frogman might have been supposed to stand for the SCUBA scenes in Thunderball.  Note that the bombs on the floor are labeled S.P.E.C.T.R.E. and T.H.R.U.S.H.  The arrangements are hep-cat, establishment-versions-of-cool, with little attempt to imitate the sound of originals ot Small or big screen.

A few years later I came across the second LP, Mission: Impossible & Other Action Themes.  When I played it, some of the tracks were identical.  This led me to the inescapable conclusion that "The Jazz All-Stars" and "The Secret Agents" must be the same guys.  They must be a bunch of studio musicians assembled to make bucks recording some cover themes and banging out some "originals."

The players took different names for their "group," so that some of the same songs could appear on both LPs.

This assemblage contains the entire Thunderball LP, and the tracks from the Mission: Impossible LP that aren't duplications:

1  - Thunderball

2  -  From Russia With Love

3  -  The Spy Who Came in from the Cold

4  -  Win, Lose or Spy

5  -  Under Cover Agent Theme

6  -  I Spy

7  -  Ipcress File Theme

8  -  Theme from The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

9 - The Saboteur

10 - Majorca Express

BONUS TRACKS

(as “The Secret Agents”)

11 - Mission Impossible

12 - Theme from Star Trek

13 - Theme from Mannix

Come to the cover side!

See you Monday.
 

Wind Spirit, Carry Me Away!

Another pleasant, meandering romp through somebody's idea of deep consciousness.

I found this 1988 cassette GUESS WHERE? -- That's right.  Aren't thrift stores wonderful?  These are the tracks:

01. Isle of Glas (7:04)

02. Full Moon in September (4:48)

03. Wind on the Desert (6:52)

04. Child of the Wind (4:17)

05. Sedona First Snow (6:33)

06. Westfork (4:49)

07. Crestone Moon (6:29)

08. Remember (4:24)

This music of the category I call "enjoyable noodling."  It doesn't necessarily have anyplace in particular to go, but you enjoy wandering along with it. 

Blow where you will.

See you Thursday.

   

There's Something Going On Out There + Space Movies Spectacular!

I found this 1982 release in a Kmart bin in the mid-1980s.  The performances are by different artists.

Look Out!

* * * * *

My copy of this cassette probably came from Skaggs Albertsons in the early 1980s.  Contents:

01 - ET Main Theme

02 - Star Trek Theme

03 - Superman Theme

04 - Planet of the Apes Theme

05 - Battle of the Planets

06 - Theme “2001”- Also Sprach Zarathustra

07 - Close Encounters

08 - Tron Theme and Actions

09 -  Star Wars End Title

Spectacular!

  See you Monday.

Re-Post: Fats Waller Collection

Here's another artist whose insouciance asnd artistry appeal to me alike.

01 - I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter

02 - Ain't Misbehavin'

03 - Your Feet's Too Big

04 - Got a Bran' New Suit

05 -  Handful of Keys

06 - I'm Crazy 'Bout My Baby (and My Baby's Crazy About Me)

07 - Honeysuckle Rose

08 - All That Meat and No Potatoes

09 - Spring Cleaning (Getting Ready for Love)

10 - Keepin' Out of Mischief Now

11 - Ring Dem Bells

12 - Tea for Two

13 - African Ripples

14 - I Ain't Got Nobody (and Nobody Cares for Me)

15 - You're Not the Only Oyster in the Stew

16 - Medley (NBC On-Air Recording)

17 - Smashing Thirds

18 - The Joint Is Jumpin'

19 - S'posin'

20 - Carolina Shout

21 - Cash for Your Trash

22 - The Sheik of Araby

23 - Viper's Drag

24 - (Do You Intend to Put An End to) a Sweet Beginning  Like This

How many times have I parroted "You feet's too big", or "and no potatoes"?  Too many!

“If you don't know what it is, don't mess with it.”


See you Thursday.