VA - Kan-Gu-Wa and Chop Chop

Trick and Treat - - enjoy the madness.

First time on CD! The third and fourth volumes in the Exotic Blues & Rhythm series were released on limited edition 10" vinyl (500 copies per volume) and sold out in next to no time! Enjoy amazing and danceable tunes from the late 50s and early 60s - a handful of Popcorn dancefloor smashs, a few grinding Tittyshakers, awesome Rhythm & Blues - most of them with an exotic twist! 24 songs.

TRACKLIST

01. Ubangi Rock - Chaino
02. Kan-Gu-Wa - The Scholars
03. Man From Utopia - Donald Woods & The Vel-Aires
04. Haunted Lover - Carole Bennett
05. Little Doe-Doe - Curtis Knight
06. Ghost Train - The Electro-Tones
07. Big Foot - Googie Rene
08. Twistin' Fever - The Marcels
09. I Want Her Back - Dick Jordan
10. Rise Up And Walk - Troy Dodds
11. Voodoo Drums - Les Elgart
12. Volcano - The Three Suns
13. Chop Chop - Sandy Nelson
14. Don't Go - Vince Everett
15. Ali Ben Ghazi - Jack Hammer
16. Monkey See, Monkey Do - The Sherwoods
17. Johnny Lee - Faye Adams
18. I've Been True - Jannie Williams
19. Baltimore Jones - Chuck Miller
20. I Go (King-Kong) - The Go-Rillas
21. She's Mine - John Lee Hooker
22. Red Lips - Marty Hill
23. Little Indian Girl - Billy & The Moonlighters
24. Bullfrog - Johnnie Moore & His New Blazers

bongoz

VA - Katanga Ahbe Casabe: Exotic Blues and Rhythm

 Happy Halloween --- 

This reissue combines the first two volumes from the “Exotic Blues & Rhythm” compilation series named “Katanga!” and “Ahbe Casabe!” with two additional bonus tracks. This album is a colorful garden of delights consisting of R'n'B and rock'n'roll based songs from the 1940s to the early 1960s that all have this slightly exotic, dark and mystical feeling from the melody structures and instrumentation. Most of the tunes at hand sound astonishingly fresh and timeless. EDDIE COLE & THREE PEPPERS with their hypnotizing groover “Police” for example present a Caribbean mento with a mambo and rhythm'n'blues feel. The beat will drag you directly from your seat and make you swing on the dancefloor. This piece finds its roots in the late 1940s and demonstrates impressively how far even the predecessors of rock music already got in their development. The simple yet haunting lead vocal harmony makes this song a steaming hot all-time fave. And this is only one out of 26 rare gems. The album already starts magically with a gloomy bluesy tune named “Green onions” played by German composer and conductor Claus Ogermann, a cover of a BOOKER T & THE MG'S tune from 1962 with a rather specific basic melody that will stay with you forever. There is much more simmering popcorn rock and enchanting exciting pop from those old times to be found on this compilation and when you reach the “Ahbe Casabe” this is where the strange and quirky charme of exotica music captures your soul even more. The title track for example is a song from the late 50s written by proto hippie Ehden Ahbez that combines a Latin groove with a vocal melody speaking of dark backstreets in oriental cities. The album is rich on colors and the view behind the obvious you are allowed to take will open an entirely new world for you. The 1940s, 1950s and 1960s had much more to offer than what we already know and this is a field of diamonds you get to dig in when you spin this record. A nice little oddity is the bonus track “The riddle of the papawhos” by Danny Staton, based on old spirituals and gospels with a 1950s pop music base. The backing vocal effects here are more than strange somewhere between a deep gnarling and chipmunk style squeaking while the lead vocals on the other hand are soulful and striking as expected. The other bonus track by Kip Tyler named “Pu-Chun-Ga” is another outstanding mad Latin tune with wild female vocals and memorable lead melody. Tracks like "Shadow Street" leave you once more somewhere in between the jungle and a haunted oriental café in a town near the desert plains of Egypt. Next to master Ike Turner (still without his later wife and coming legend Tina) with his exotic surf instrumental “Katanga” from the first part, good old rock'n'roll pioneer Bill Haley should be the most famous contributor to this musical treasure chest. The sheer sensual stimulation you receive from these 26 songs will make you groove your mind away. Regardless where you are, these catchy Rhythm and Blues tunes will turn any place into a vintage dancefloor!

TRACKLIST

01. Green Onions - Claus Ogerman Orchestra
02. Nene Aman - Artie Barsamin & Orchestra
03. I'm Going Home - Prince Conley
04. Everything I Touch Turns to Gold - Joe Valino
05. Lucky Me - Chance Halliday
06. Apache - The Chiefs
07. Katanga - Ike Turner & His Kings of Rhythm
08. Where Were You? - Jimmy Rushing
09. Police - Eddie Cole & The Three Peppers
10. Hey! Little Woman - Sonny Til & The Orioles
11. Woke Up This Morning - Emmet Davis
12. Classie's Whip - Classie Ballou
13. Cleopatra Kick - Jack La Forge
14. Ahbe Casabe - Marti Barris
15. They Took John Away - Steve Arlen
16. Lucky Is My Name - Bruce Cloud
17. Thirteen Women and One Man - Dickie Thompson
18. Cleo - Rene Hall
19. Asia Minor - Machito & His Orchestra
20. Lament - Mamie Perry
21. Chick Safari - Bill Haley & His Comets
22. Big Bamboo - Lord Kitchener
23. Cleopatra - Jamie Coe
24. Shadow Street - Kip Tyler

hippy

A change of pace:
Over at Twilight Zone blog folks have been having a fun time posting "song swarms" or massive comps of versions of the same song.

For example, I posted almost 200 versions of Ghost Riders in the Sky over there. 
Check out the comments sections at the Zone for all kinds of awesome song swarms.

Here's a little one to whet your appetite. A few friends and I worked on this over the years. 

Eexperiment in Terror 3 in 1 – Banzai Pipeline, A Shot in the Dark, and Experiment in Terror
All covers of songs by Henry Mancini
Various bit rates due to various source material

Mostly Modern Surf versions
Banzai Pipeline –

Henry Mancini
The Astronauts
The Boardwalkers
The Panthom Five
The Raybeats
The Blue Hawaiians
The Moonrays

Contributors: Eek and Bossexec

A Shot in the Dark –

Treble Spankers
Big Ray and the Futuras
Four Piece Suit
Henry Mancini
John Zorn
Whiskey Buscuit
Creed Taylor and his Orchestra
Chris Mancini and Leonard Maven
Girl Trouble
Jimmy Haskell
The Moonrays

Contributors – RYP, Bossexec

Experiment in Terror

Al Caiola
Danny Morris
The Champs
Davie Allen and the Arrows
Henry Mancini
Impala
Laika and the Cosmonauts
The Moonrays
The Blue Hawaiians

Contributors -- Bossexec, Frisian

getitnow

No Age - A Compilation of SST Instrumental Muaic

This is a great disc to listen to when you a really pissed off and want to destroy something.

An unsung classic of the avant-garde music scene, No Age is, on the surface, simply a compilation of experimental instrumental music. The difference, though, is that most of the musicians who participated on the album came not from the jazz world, but from punk rock or an underground even the most adventurous listeners rarely visited. Though SST is a California label, there is little evidence of the reverbed Stratocasters and dance party music of old. Instead, the listener finds a cornucopia of melodic, rhythmic, harmonic, and most importantly, sonic textures that constantly challenge and surprise. The variety here is nothing short of stunning. From Greg Ginn's inside-out Deep Purple riffs with Black Flag/Gone to the scenic Cali-jams of Pell Mell, Paper Bag, Lawndale, & the Alter-natives to the NYC art-damage scene via Renaldo, Sharp, & Kaiser to the free jazz crescendos of Universal Congress Of--this album blew my mind when it first came out, & still does. For those who tire easily of completely improvised, aimless noodling, there are several pieces based on more traditional melodic and harmonic concepts. For those looking for complete freak-out music, that's here too. In some ways, this album is one of the most successful comps of all time in that it effectively presents a cohesive yet comprehensive overview of an incredibly diverse genre, all the while remaining eminently listenable. Overall, No Age is an absolute must-have for any fan of left-of-center music that has heart and soul.
Allmusic, GW

1.Southern Rise - Black Flag 2. Dark and Light - Blind Idiot God 3. Sugagaki for Conlon - Henry Kaiser 4. Shopping Maul - Elliott Sharp 5. Florida Power - Lee Ranaldo 6. March of the Melted Army Men - Lawndale 7. Vista Cruiser - Glenn Phillips 8. Cinnecitta - Pell Mell 9. Faith Opaque - Paper Bag 10. Let's Go Places and Eat Things - Scott Colby 11. Days of Pup and Taco - Lawndale 12. Priests on Drugs - Paper Bag 13. Chasing - Universal Congress Of 14. Johnny Smoke (Swamp Thing) - Steve Fisk 15. Left Holding Bag - Gone 16. Over the Counter Culture - Alter-Natives 17. Diurnal - Elliott Sharp 18. Trace - Fred Frith, Henry Kaiser 19. Insidious Detraction – Gone

nonne

Surf-Age Nuggets Trash and Twang Instrumentals

Been a while so here's a start to stay warm when the weather gets cold -- 

Monster wave of obscure ‘60s surf gems

It’s no accident that this deluxe 4-CD set uses the word “Nuggets” in its title; this is an apt reference to Lenny Kaye’s landmark 1972 compilation of psychedelic and garage rock. An even better touchstone, however, is Bomp’s follow-on series of Pebbles releases, which dug deeper into the world of one-off local and indie releases. In that sense, Surf-Age Nuggets is the Pebbles (with a touch of Las Vegas Grind) to earlier anthologies of major label releases, hit singles and nationally-known acts. Producer James Austin (who previously helmed Rhino’s Cowabunga! The Surf Box), focuses here on the impossibly rare and ephemeral: obscure singles that barely managed local distribution, with just a hint of rarities from a couple of well-known names. The result is a magnificent musical essay on the scene that flourished in the wake of surf music’s brief rise to commercial popularity.

Dozens of earlier collections have explored this DIY wave, but never in the luxuriousness of this set. Not only are the discs stuffed with 104 tracks (including a sprinkle of period radio spots and a 16-minute bonus montage hidden at the end of disc four), but the collection is housed in a wide 11 x 6 hardcover with a 60-page book of liner, song and band notes, full-color photographs and reproductions of picture sleeves, posters, period ads, comics and other ephemera. Although the material was sourced primarily from early ‘60s vinyl, unlike the first-state (that is, pops-and-clicks intact) condition of many collections of vintage singles, mastering engineer Jerry Peterson worked some very special voodoo in cleaning up the digital transcriptions. The complete lack of surface noise is a bit eerie, but the results remain largely true to the powerhouse mono vibe of a vintage 45.

The selections are guitar-centric, beat-driven and up-tempo; a formula whose thousands of variations have yet to get old. This is the sound of four guys getting together in a garage, working up covers and a couple of originals, scoring a gig and getting a crack at recording. Being true to the period, what’s here isn’t all strictly surf music; there’s plenty of reverb-drenched Dick Dale-styled staccato picking, but instrumental rock was a bigger lineup into which musicians crowded from every state. California surf bands provided inspiration, but the twang of guitar slingers like Duane Eddy, Link Wray and Lonnie Mack also held sway. Most of these acts had brief careers, but this collection is more than a set of surf songs; it’s a soundtrack to an era in which surf culture captured the national attention, even among those who didn’t surf or listen to surf music. This is a document of a time when radios had only an AM band, and teen culture was on the rise. Paddle, turtle, hangout and catch this tasty wave!

DISC 1-01 The Velvetones-Doheny Run/02 The Shan-Tones-Sheba/03 The Valiants-

Jack the Ripper/04 Vasqueros-Echo/05 Johnny McCoy and the Cyclones-Scrub Bucket/06 Surf Teens-Moment of Truth/07 The Ramrods-Night Ride/08 The Emeralds-Earthquake/09 The Runabouts-Surfer's Fright/10 Avengers IV-Slaughter on 10th Avenue/11 The Phantons-X-L3/12 The Vistas-Moon Relay/13 The Scouts-Mr Custer Stomp/14 The Vibrants-The Breeze and I/15 4 of Us-Batman (Freefalling)/16 Chiyo and the Crescents-Pink Dominos/17 The Pace Setters-Mustang/18 The Reekers-Don't Call Me Fly Face/19 The Lincoln Trio-Garden of Eden part 2 20 Dick Dale and the Del-Tones-Jungle Fever/21 Vasqueros-80 Ft. Wave/22 Steve Rowe and the Fuyrs-Minor Chaos/23 Kan Dells-Cloudburst/24 KHJ Radio Jingle (1963)/25 The Roadrunners-Quasimoto

DISC 2-01 The Emotionals-Miserlou/02 The Revelairs-The Cruel Sea/03 The Surfaris-Kick Out/04 The Velvetone-Mr X/05 Robin and the Hoods-The Marauder/06 Vox Instruments Radio Commercial/07 The Ric-A-Shays-Turn On/08 The Travelers-Windy and Warm/ 09 The Vulcanes-Cozimoto/10 King Rock and the Knights-Scandal/11 Reveliers-Hanging Five/12 The Hollywoods-Scramble/13 The Mockers-Madalena/14 The Royal Coachmen-Loophole/15 Rich Clayton and the Rumbles-Flip Side/16 The Losers-Snake Eyes/17 The Carnations-Scorpion/18 The Gestics-Rockin Fury/19 Pipeline Pete-Commercial/20 The-Ron-De-Voos-Pipeline "66"/21 The Torquetts-Side-Swiped/22 Sinders-Sinner/23 The Royal Flairs-One Pine Box/24 The Nautiloids-Nautiloid Reef/25 Surfing Soft Drink Commercial

DISC 3-01 The Squires-Batmobile/02 The Roadrunners-Roadrunner/03 The Rhythm Surfers-502 (Like Getting Pinched on a 502)/04 The Ree-Gents-Downshiftin'/05 The Tradewinds-Gotcha/06 Irredescents-Swamp Surfer/07 The Creations-The Crash/08 Jerry and the Silvertones-Ce'ny/09 The Monzels-Sharkskin/10 THE HORROR OF PARTY BEACH TRAILER/11 The Vy-Dels-Unknown/12 The Countdowns-Do It/13 The Avants-Wax 'Em Down/14 The Cherokees-Uprisin'/15 The Royal Flairs-One Pine Box (Unreleased/Undubbed Version)/16 JAMES BOND TRAILER/17 The Twilights-.007/18 The Debonairs-High Wall/19 The Motivations-Motivate/20 The Persuaders-City of Atlantis/21 The Sherwoods-Tickler/22 TheSting Rays-One Mo' Gin/23 The Tempests-Lemon Line/24 Bobby Fuller-Stringer/25 The Vibrants-Scorpion/26 Newport Nomads-Blue Mallards /27 The Breakers-Jet Stream

DISC 4-01 Manuel and the Renegades-Rev-Up/02 The Telstars-Spaghetti Strap/03 THE BIRDS MOVIE TRAILER/04 The Motivations-The Birds/05 The Frogmen-Beware Below/06 The Hollywood Surfers-King of the Stomp/07 Charades Band-Sophia/08 Calvin Cool-El Tecoloto/09 Dave and the Customs-Ali Baba/10 Jim Head and his Del-rays-Harem Bells/11 The Fugitives-The Fugitive/12 The Tourquays-The Other Side/13 BAJA CALIFORNIA RADIO ID/14 the Turks-Baja/15 St. John and the Cardinals-The Rise/16 Five More-Avalanche/17 The Mosriters-On the Run/18 Elite UFO-Tarantula/19 The Buddies-Pulsebeat/20 The Vasqueros-Desert Wind/21 The Dantes-Desert Walk/22 The Decades-Strange Worlds/23 The House on Haunted Hill Movie Trailer/24 Kenny and the Fiends-House on Haunted Hill/25 Marlow Stewart and the Illusions-Earthquake!/26 The Toads-Morpheus/27 The Vistas-No Return/28 (Untitled)

surfint 1
surfint2
surfint3
surfint4


 

Tom Lehrer - An Evening Wasted With Tom Lehrer

An Evening Wasted With Tom Lehrer (1959)

A classic - In 1959, when the so-called "sick humor" of Lenny Bruce, Mort Sahl, and Shelley Berman was the new rage among America's hipsters (and would-be hipsters), the acid-penned musical satire of Tom Lehrer doubtless seemed to be daring indeed, as he worked his audiences for laughs with tunes like "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park," "Oedipus Rex," and "The Masochism Tango." Thankfully Lehrer's humor still works well thanks to its considerable skill and its charm, even if its ability to shock isn't what it once was. Recorded before an enthusiastic audience at a concert at Harvard University (where Lehrer spent his days teaching mathematics), An Evening Wasted With Tom Lehrer finds him in superb form as a performer, able to dissect various musical forms for their comic potential with the skill of a surgeon and displaying not merely dead-on comic timing in his vocals but a easy élan as a pianist; for a guy who picked musical comedy as a part-time job, he sure had a knack for the trade. And while Lehrer's songs no longer shock, that's not to say they've entirely lost their sting, as the bitter twists of "Bright College Days," "It Makes a Fellow Proud to Be a Soldier," and "A Christmas Carol" hit their target just as well as ever, while inspiring no small amount of laughter. And it's worth noting that the album's final punch line, "We Will All Go Together When We Go," is just as apt today as it was in 1959, for good or ill. While the work of many of his contemporaries today sound like the products of their time and place, Lehrer's best songs are still slyly funny and corrosively charming, and An Evening Wasted With Tom Lehrer ranks with his finest work on record. Highly Recommended.

1 Poisoning Pigeons in the Park
2 Bright College Days
3 A Christmas Carol
4 The Elements
5 Oedipus Rex
6 In Old Mexico
7 Clementine
8 It Makes a Fellow Proud to Be a Soldier
9 She's My Girl
10 The Masochism Tango
11 We Will All Go Together When We Go

tomisfunny

Rondo Hatton Breaking the Sound Barrier

More Rondo:
 Surf music from Louisiana? Really? Yep, a quick listen to Rondo Hatton and you'll almost smell the salt air, feel the ocean's breeze on your face and the sand between your toes. Rondo Hatton is an all instrumental quartet based in Baton Rouge, LA. The group plays a variety of music styles including surf, spy , hot rod, westerns, TV themes , Latin and just about anything else, even polkas!

Track List:

01. Zero Hour [03:20]
02. Blast Off [02:46]
03. Cervesa On Dee Mesa [03:34]
04. Juliana [03:08]
05. OK Boys, Let's Get Western [03:32]
06. Riding The Coffin [03:14]
07. No Tell Motel [02:58]
08. Untitled Pop Anthem [02:39]
09. Fishtail [02:27]
10. Cortina del Fuego [03:42]
11. Socorro [03:43]
12. Storm Surge [02:14]
13. Surf Party [02:33]
14. Backfire [02:46]
15. Switchblade [01:27]
16. Roast That Pig [02:12]

zoundz

Rondo Hatton Destination Fun

More Rondo Hatton. Surf music from Louisiana? Really? Yep, a quick listen to Rondo Hatton and you'll almost smell the salt air, feel the ocean's breeze on your face and the sand between your toes. Rondo Hatton is an all instrumental quartet based in Baton Rouge, LA. The group plays a variety of music styles including surf, spy , hot rod, westerns, TV themes , Latin and just about anything else, even polkas!

The group is fronted by guitarist Bruce Lamb, who also composes the band's original songs. His musical background includes Blugrass and Country, Blues, R & B, Cajun, Exotica and Tex-Mex Conjunto. He has backed the likes of blues greats Silas Hogan and Lazy Lester, as well as Conjunto legends Flaco Jimenez, Mingo Saldivar and Eddie "Lalo" Torres.

Guitarist Johnny Rossetti has a diverse musical background having played Country, Cajun, Blues and Swamp Pop. He was a member of David Allen Coe's road band and spent many years touring with The Copas Brothers and with Hamonica Red.

Bassist Les Leblanc has been the go to guy for groups all over Louisiana for over 40 years. Equally at home on bass, guitar and keyboards, Les has been in demand with R&B and Swamp Pop bands throughout the south.

Louisiana Music Hall of Fame inductee, Joe Miceli is the man behind the drums. Joe played with John Fred and the Playboys for years. Remember "Judy in Disguise"? It was Joe keeping the beat on this Number 1 hit. Joe has also played with the Copas Brothers as well as Sauce Picante(which featured guitarist Mike Loudermilk, son of famed songwriter John D. Loudermilk).

While Rondo Hatton has limited their performances to the Gulf Coast region, they are now branching out to the rest of the U.S. and at the same time are gaining international recognition.

~ cdbaby

Track List:

01. Thunderbird Beach [02:02]
02. Miramar [02:13]
03. Leo's Roller Rink [03:27]
04. Weekend Getaway [03:50]
05. Cookin [03:43]
06. Quiet Surf [02:39]
07. Big Mack Attack [03:32]
08. Maria Elena [03:43]
09. Oceanside Drive [02:13]
10. Sagebrush Serenade [03:08]
11. El Roll-o [04:22]
12. Tu Besitos [03:35]
13. The Breeze And I [03:17]
14. High Country Surf [02:02]
15. Leadfootin [03:48]
16. Tu Besitos acoustic [03:28]
17. La Bikina [02:12]
18. La Trenecita [02:45]
19. Danson Juarez [03:20]

funfunfun

John Ford - No Talkin'

John Ford, UK, guitarist in a number of bands over the years - Strawbs, Blackmore's Night, Hudson Ford plus.

This album is 100% instrumental, with many tracks hinting to the sound of the UK 60's instrumental bands.

 The album’s cover is telling as every string plucked here belongs to a Fender, the only implicit thing about the record being the homage it pays to THE SHADOWS. This becomes obvious once the muscular chord of “The Reaper” starts hugging its gently rippling strum. Ringing in the years, its echo takes Ford down the memory lane, as no matter how long John’s been living on the other side of the Pond, the reminiscences he puts in “Granny Takes A Trip” still bear an imprint of foggy-eyed English psychedelia and “Tomorrow’s World” contrasts its futuristic self with an air of nostalgia, while out of the title cut the same axe carves a prime example of surf rock. The veteran also introduces exotic flavors to the mix, although the acoustic undercurrent makes the retro-jazz of “Looking For Django” and Mariachi-shaped “Spanish Jive” sound so cinematic they come out deliberately humorous.

But if the delicately swinging “36-34-36” provides a skeletal rock bottom to it all, “Dead Ending” grooves wildly – it’s so infectious, no words are needed, indeed. Music does all the talkin’ here, and this conversation that lasts less than half an hour speaks volumes of its creator’s singular talent.



Some great foot/finger tapping tunes & some beautiful melodies - if you have headphones on, I challenge you to listen to the track titled Joyce's Song and not succumb to the urge to stop what you're doing, sit back, close your eyes & dream of clouds.

Highly recommended.

 Track List:

01. The Reaper [02:50]
02. Spanish Jive [02:20]
03. No Talkin' [02:41]
04. Tomorrow's World [03:31]
05. Granny Takes a Trip [03:16]
06. Looking for Django [02:27]
07. Joyce's Song [03:15]
08. 36-24-36 [02:19]
09. Lost Horizon [02:41]
10. Dead Ending [02:31]
nochat

Harvey Mandel - Shangrenade (1973)

Harvey Mandel - Shangrenade (1973)

Blues rock with funk and jazz rock fusion elements

In the mold of Jeff Beck, Carlos Santana, and Mike Bloomfield, Mandel is an extremely creative rock guitarist with heavy blues and jazz influences. And like those guitarists, his vocal abilities are basically nonexistent, though Mandel, unlike some similar musicians, has always known this, and concentrated on recordings that are entirely instrumental, or feature other singers. A minor figure most known for auditioning unsuccessfully for the Rolling Stones, he recorded some intriguing (though erratic) work on his own that anticipated some of the better elements of jazz-rock fusion, showcasing his concise chops, his command of a multitude of tone pedal controls, and an eclecticism that found him working with string orchestras and country steel guitar wizards. Mandel got his first toehold in the fertile Chicago white blues-rock scene of the mid-'60s (which cultivated talents like Paul Butterfield, Mike Bloomfield, and Steve Miller), and made his first recordings as the lead guitarist for harmonica virtuoso Charlie Musselwhite. Enticed to go solo by Blue Cheer producer Abe Kesh, Harvey cut a couple of nearly wholly instrumental albums for Phillips in the late '60s that were underground FM radio favorites, establishing him as one of the most versatile young American guitar lions. He gained his most recognition, though, not as a solo artist, but as a lead guitarist for Canned Heat in 1969 and 1970, replacing Henry Vestine and appearing with the band at Woodstock. Shortly afterward, he signed up for a stint in John Mayall's band, just after the British bluesman had relocated to California. Mandel unwisely decided to use a vocalist for his third and least successful Philips album. After his term with Mayall (on USA Union and Back to the Roots) had run its course, he resumed his solo career, and also formed Pure Food & Drug Act with violinist Don "Sugarcane" Harris (from the '50s R&B duo Don & Dewey), which made several albums. In the mid-'70s, when the Rolling Stones were looking for a replacement for Mick Taylor, Mandel auditioned for a spot in the group; although he lost to Ron Wood, his guitar does appear on two cuts on the Stones' 1976 album, Black & Blue. Recording intermittently since then as a solo artist and a sessionman, his influence on the contemporary scene is felt via the two-handed fretboard tapping technique that he introduced on his 1973 album Shangrenade, later employed by Eddie Van Halen, Stanley Jordan, and Steve Vai. (By Richie Unterberger)

   

Tracklist:

01. What the Funk (Victor Conte) 03:06

02. Fish Walk (Victor Conte) 04:46

03. Sugarloaf (Harvey Mandel) 04:16

04. Midnight Sun II (Harvey Mandel) 03:42

05. Million Dollar Feeling (Coleman Head) 03:32

06. Green Apple Quick Step (Harvey Mandel) 03:09

07. Frenzy (Victor Conte, Coleman Head, Paul Lagos, Harvey Mandel) 04:32

08. Shangrenade (Harvey Mandel) 04:14

harveyman

Elliot Easton's Tiki Gods Easton Island

Elliot Easton's Tiki Gods Easton Island

Easton Island's thirteen original instrumentals incorporate many different strains and influences: John Barry's spy music, Mancini's crime jazz, the exotic sounds of Les Baxter, Ennio Morricone, Jerry Goldsmith, surf music, martini lounge, and space age, merged with the lush, romantic sophistication of Hollywood 60's movie soundtracks, filtered through the sensibilities of musicians who grew up pop-culturally obsessed with the 60's and '70's. This CD release includes the bonus track "Monte Carlo Nights" from the Quentin Tarantino classic motion picture "Jackie Brown".
Wonderfully conceived album. Every musician that played on this album played their instruments impeccably. For those of you who remember Elliot Easton's work as lead guitarist of the Cars you won't recognize his work here. What the listener gets is a blend between the Shadows, Ventures, Polynesian, a bit of Dick Dale, and beatnik sound all rolled into one. The really reminds me of a sound that is more like something I would have heard in the 60's then in 2013. Having said that I really like what Easton has done here. Lovers of this type of genre will enjoy this music. Each of the songs has a different cadence and beat. They are close enough so one song flows well into the next. This is in no way a concept work it just takes you on a ride through your own image of Polynesia from Tiki Gods to surfing.

This is one of those works of music that I like more each time I play it. I hear something new. I get a newer and deeper appreciation for what I am hearing. Tiki Gods reminds me of why I like instrumental music so much. No words to guide you just the spirit of the music. Tiki Gods has a great vibe to it. Try it.

1. Tiki Gods Theme
2. Rarotonga
3. Blue Lava
4. Mu Empire
5. Tabu
6. Jill's Theme
7. Sir Surfalot
8. Sydney's Samba
9. Sabotogia (I Say Sabotage)
10. Isle of Canopic
11. Ballad of Cowboyardee
12. Nocturnia, Moon Goddess
13. Monte Carlo Nights

tikkitavi

Rondo Hatton - ST

Rondo Hatton - ST

Named after an actor with brutish features that appeared in many B-movies in the black n’ white era, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rondo_Hatton  this Louisiana based surf/instro combo has a light, twangy sound that really fits perfectly with the summery beach vibe that’s so associated with the genre. Pipeline Magazine sez, "There's plenty to enjoy here on an album that has sufficient quality and variety to keep the listener interested. 15 original tracks of surf music at its finest!" Playing a variety of music styles including surf, spy, hot rod, westerns and TV themes, you can, almost, smell the salt air, feel the ocean's breeze on your face and the sand between your toes as Rondo Hatton bathes you in their spectacular, musical salt water. This band is gaining international recognition with their classic sound and their extremely, well-crafted originals. Bruce Lamb - lead guitar- refers to some of the bands' covers as "odd ball instrumental songs". Very enjoyable.    

1.Pedal Pusher 2.Sea Breeze 3. Paso De Cascabel 4. Saguaro 5.    Little Ruby 6. Chiqhuahuac Point 7. Gaucho 8. Gale Force 9. Agave 10. The Devil's Reef 11. Lover's Cove 12. La Bahia Azul 13. Danger Zone 14. Skee-Daddle 15. 12 Corrido Rock

rodhatr5

The Raymond Scott Quintette - Microphone Music

The Raymond Scott Quintette - Microphone Music (2003)

Microphone Music is a 2003 double CD compilation by The Raymond Scott Quintette. It is "a collection of unreleased titles, radio performances, first-rate rehearsals and forgotten gems by the Raymond Scott Quintette recorded between 1936 and 1939." (The sizes of each version are correct, these are mono recordings converted to each format.)

Warner Bros. licensed his music for the Looney Tunes cartoons. Powerhouse and few others will be familiar to fans of these classic cartoons. Enjoy.

Jazz music, always known for its spirit of improvisation, was hardly the medium for composers or producers during its first 50 years. Even the greatest early arrangers – Duke Ellington, Fletcher Henderson, Don Redman – allowed plenty of room for solos, and would've been deserted by most of their musicians if they hadn't. All of which explains why Raymond Scott was never considered a jazz artist. His pieces, impressionistic yet rigidly composed, did use all the same components of a jazz band and exhibited close superficial similarities to Duke Ellington's early jungle band and the Benny Goodman Orchestra. The difference lay with his insistence on perfection, in his recording techniques and the members of his band. The Raymond Scott Quintette was a clean, technical, utterly precise swing machine – the logical progression, in his mind, of the noisy jazz racket originally delivered on record by the Original Dixieland Jazz Band in 1917. Microphone Music, another Scott-related reissue by the Basta label, is a two-disc bonanza of unreleased titles, rarities, and rehearsals from the late '30s that will taste of manna from heaven for listeners who spent a decade in the wilderness after Columbia's greatest-hits volume, 1992's The Music of Raymond Scott: Reckless Nights & Turkish Twilights. These certainly don't sound like afterthoughts, either; Scott took quality control very seriously, and the result is a set of 40 splendid, fascinating songs that often sounds better even than the Columbia release. Most of the songs are new to CD, and even the familiar titles (like the Scott perennial "Dinner Music for a Pack of Hungry Cannibals") are presented in radically different interpretations. Drummer and percussionist Johnny Williams (father of composer John Williams) is revealed as an extraordinary talent, not just keeping time for the quintette, but splitting it into halves and quarters with his brisk, perfectly timed fills. As for Scott, who's usually recognized solely as a compositional or arranging genius, the focus here is on his talent for sound reproduction. The title is a nod to the importance of engineering and microphone placement in his music – a reprint of a Popular Mechanics article appears in the liner notes – and his constant recording experiments produced dynamic music utterly unlike anything heard before, since sound had never been picked up and amplified the way Scott did it. The relative scarcity of Quintette recordings is enough to boost this set into recommended status, but the bounty of fabulous music inside makes it essential for fans and highly recommended for the uninformed. Really fun with headphones.

oooops- for you early adopters - disc1 is now fixed.

DISC 1
1. Egyptian Barn Dance (April 1938)
2. The Penguin (December 1938)
3. Christmas Night In Harlem (March 1939)
4. Pretty Petticoat #1 (April 1939)
5. Square Dance For Eight Egyptian Mummies (1938)
6. Moment Whimsical (December 1938)
7. Devil Drums (June 1939)
8. A Little Bit Of Rigoletto (APril 1939)
9. Hypnotist In Hawaii (April 1939)
10. Dinner Music For A Pack Of Hungry Cannibals (April 1937)
11. The Toy Trumpet (December 1936)
12. Suicide Cliff (December 1939)
13. Siberian Sleighride (1938)
14. Steeplechase (April 1939)
15. Peter Tambourine (March 1939)
16. Celebration Of The Planet Mars (January 1938)
17. Brass Buttons And Epualettes (January 1938)
18. Bumpy Weather Over Newark (June 1939)
19. Pretty Petticoat #2 (May 1939)
20. Turkish Mish-Mush (March 1939)
(UNLISTED TRACK)
21. Powerhouse (rehearsal) (1940)
DISC 2
1. Microphone Music (January 1938)
2. Twilight In Turkey (February 1939)
3. New Year's Eve In A Haunted House (December 1938)
4. Tobacco Auctioneer (April 1939)
5. The Girl With The Light Blue Hair (January 1939)
6. Sleepwalker (March 1937)
7. The Happy Farmer (April 1938)
8. Oil Gusher (January 1939)
9. Boy Scout In Switzerland (March 1939)
10. Reckless Night On Board An Ocean Liner (April 1937)
11. Swing, Swing Mother-In-Law (December 1936)
12. Girl At The Typewriter (1939)
13. Yesterday's Ice Cubes (March 1937)
14. Pretty Petticoat #3 (April 1939)
15. War Dance For Wooden Indians (February 1939)
16. Dead End Blues (January 1937)
17. Harlem Hillbilly (June 1939)
18. The Quintet Goes To A Dance (March 1939)
19. Bugle Call Rag (March 1937)
20. Powerhouse (June 1939)
(UNLISTED TRACK)
21. A Happy Frenzy At Aquackanack

wowser d1

wowser d2

Jesus Christ Surferstar

Hi all - busy with Holy week so a quickie - as our tradition here at FCCL get your religious groove on with one of the best surf tributes out there.

Easter - time for those who celebrate the occasion to have something other than the standard pious muck to listen to. Grab this and give to the minister, preacher, bishop, evangelist of your choice and freak them out. Hey, now is your chance to "spread the word" --
heeheeheee

Phil Dirt:What a cool concept! Andrew Lloyd Webber's controversial rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar goes to the beach - mostly. 21 instrumentals and a handful of interesting vocals. Most of the instros are surf. The whole package is well done. Vocal tracks on this amazing CD include a delightful faux-pomp performance of "Strange Things Mystifying" by Prawns With Horns, the traditional surf backtracked "Simon Zeabotas" from Pipelines, the heavy garage fuzz and organ pound of Babyshaker's "Damned For All Time / Blood Money," the dry edged power of "The Arrest" from the HiFi Ramblers, and the Texas heavy fuzz of Johnny Vortex's "Juda's Death." Phil DirtThe songs are quite strongly melodic which play very well to the surf structure – they stand up as instrumentals. I wind up adding the lyrics in my head. One of the few tributes that stand out as a solid collection on it’s own and in some ways – depending on your mood – improves on the original. Get the original below and go with the flow on Easter, however the wind blows.
Disc 1
1. Overture - Daikaiju2. Heaven On Their Minds - Urban Surf Kings3. What's The Buzz - The Waistcoats4. Strange Things Mystifying - Prawns with Horns5. Then We Are Decided - Breakfastime6. Everything's Alright - Susan & Surftones7. This Jesus Must Die - Atomic Mosquitos8. Hosanna - El Ray9. Simon Zealotas - Pipelines10. Poor Jerusalem - Lava Rats11. Pilate's Dream - 3 Piece Suit12. Temple, The - Ward 6913. I Don't Know How To Love Him - Crime Factor Zero14. Damned For All Time/Blood Money - Babyshaker

Disc2
15. Last Supper, The - Hypnotic IV16. Gethsemane (I Only Want To Say) - Surfones17. Arrest, The - HiFi Ramblers18. Peter's Denial - Fabulous Planktones19. Pilate & Christ - Capacitors20. King's Herod's Song - Susan & Surftones21. Could We Start Again Please - Noseriders22. Judas Death - Johnny Vortex23. Trial Before Pilate - The Supertones24. Superstar - The Atlantics 225. Crucifixion - Longhorn Devils26. John Nineteen Forty One – Aqualads

set as separate dls for ease 

jcss 1

jcss 2

Ixtahuele - Pagan Rites

This is a new release, by a modern band, but the sound is brilliantly-made classic exotica. If you love the holy trinity of the genre: Martin Denny, Les Baxter, and Arthur Lyman, then this album is definitely for your ears. Most definitely the best exotica recording in a decade. These all-original compositions sound so clear and intoxicating you would swear they were a lost Martin Denny record. Instead, we have an ensemble performing exotica the way it was meant to be played - organically without synthesizers or computers. 

There are some killer tracks. While this Swedish group has captured the *sound* of those great recordings, these aren't retreads of old standards. There's no "Bali Hai," "Yellow Bird," "Quiet Village" or "Hawaiian War Chant." Instead, Ixtahuele -- named for a group of Polynesian islands -- has written & recorded ten all-new instrumental numbers. And though the band and album are modern, the music is decidedly classic in feel.

Here's the test: Put Pagan Rites in a mix with classics by the masters, punch "random," and see if you notice when Ixtahuele is playing. It blends beautifully!

Buy Pagan Rites. Put on your aloha shirt and/or fez. Mix up a Mai-Tai. Relax, and let the exotic sounds of Ixtahuele take you away...

Tracks

1. Black Sand
2. Rarohengen Dance
3. Brugmansia
4. Stone Gods of Bimini
5. Orust Luau
6. Lotus Eaters
7. Searching the Souq\
8. Huahine
9. Dengue Fever
10. Garden of Mu
11. Untitled bonus
    
    
    exoticsoundz
    
    

Don Tiki - the Forbidden Sounds Of Don Tiki

If you're an exotica fan and like the music of Martin Denny, Les Baxter, Arthur Lyman, Robert Drasnin, Eden Ahbez, or Hawaiian music you'll love this too. Martin Denny himself even makes a guest appearance on 2 of the tracks and his wonderful piano solo on "Forever and Ever" is alone worth the price of admission. Here is all the best of exotica - bird calls, jungle sounds, sultry female vocals, congos, bongos, xylophones, vibraphones, flutes and much more. Jim Howard's use of the flute, alto flute, and bass flute is particularly enjoyable and refreshing. There are a pleasing mix of styles and rhythms, some are slow and soft and others have a beat that will make you want to get up and dance. This is perfect music for your next Tiki party or Hawaiian luau, or you can play it like I do to just relax and let your mind pleasantly wander. For pure listening pleasure, it's like MaiTai for the mind.

1. Exotica '97 2. An Occational Man 3. Barbi In Bali 4. Hot Like Lava 5. Close Your Eyes
6. Maidenhair Fern 7. Terminal 8. Polyamore 9. Clutch Cargo Cult 10. Bam-Boozled
11. Itchy Palms 12. Da T'ing He Grow 13. Forever And Ever

 forbidden

Skinny Dip with Don Tiki

 The follow-up to Forbidden Sounds, Don Tiki's 2nd album again combines sweeping range of exotic, mellow, upbeat, and loungy tunes, moving the art of Modern Exotica forward into the new millennium. The vocals are more native/island sounding that your typical mainland-produced track from the 60's, but here it only adds to the atmosphere. It has my most favorite non-pc track of the genre – the very cool “The Natives Are Restless Tonight.” The liner notes are written by none other than Sven Kirsten, author of the Book Of Tiki. This is a must have for any Exotica collector to add to their collection. Pick this album up and listen to it, now. It's another glimpse into the almost non-existent genre of Modern Exotica.

1. All Quiet Flows The Don 2. The Natives Are Restless 3. Primitiva 4. Heat 5. Flower Humming
6. Bwana Banana 7. The Other Side Of The Moon 8. Wet Cave 9. Pinakbet 10. El Producto
11. Sweet And Sour 12. Axolotl 13. That Hypnotizing Man

 

skinnykinney

Don Tiki -- Adulterated - The Remix Project

Every couple of years we are treated to a new neo-Exotica treasure from Honolulu's Don Tiki. The new album, Adulterated, is a remix project featuring 11 tunes from their first two albums. Now I'm sure some of you are thinking this is a recipe for disaster (we are all too aware of failed "lounge" remix projects, right?). In this case, Don Tiki have done it the right way. As implied by the title, this is a remix of classic Don Tiki sounds, which pay homage to Martin Denny, Arthur Lyman and all the forefathers of exotica. Even repertory tracks have been mixed, reshaped, refined and re-invented by a coterie of top deejays - call it Martin Denny for the millennium - and the tunes take on new sass.For the most part, the remixes stay true to the vibe of the original songs, so things are mellow and relaxing and not hyper and kinetic. Some good tracks in this mode are All Quiet Flows the Don, remixed by 8FatFat8, and Close Your Eyes, remixed by A Certain Frank. Adulterated features three standout tracks, starting with DJ Jimmy B's remix of The Natives Are Restless. Now, we're big fans of the original song but Jimmy B's remix takes it up a notch. Extremely effective remix effects and nice spoken word pieces highlight this mix, along with chanting to die for. Br Cleve contributes a HiNRG "Bongo Congo" mix of Bwana Banana that somehow fits in even though this has a much higher BPM than the rest of the album. "The Other Side of the Moon," remixed by Ursula 1000 of NYC as heard on the Samsung Electronic worldwide TV campaign. Lastly, Clutch Cargo Cult gets a great remix from 8FatFat8 that includes a nice rap by Julio Davis. Now, things aren't all Mai Tai's for Adulterated. An Occasional Man has a syncopated remix style that I found annoying (honestly, I'm not a fan of the original version either) with several grating effects.

There's a mix of sultry, intermittent vocals with inventive instrumentals. This is party music that collates a myriad of styles, from exotic jazz to ska, from funk to pop. Light the tiki torches, turn on the lava lamps, haul out the tiki mask and start groovin!'

A review in Time Out/NY states, "Don Tiki have a sexy allure along with flair and a good sense of humor." The Honolulu Advertiser says, "Don Tiki captures exotic sounds, party spirit...this is Martin Denny for the Millenium!" This sensuous, flowing piece of work is an instant classic.

1 The Other Side of the Moon 2 Clutch Cargo Cult
3 Heat [Jack Fetterman's Tabuzack Mix] 4 Da T'Ing He Grow
5 An Occasional Man 6 Close Your Eyes 7 The Natives Are Restless
8 Polyamoré 9 Bwana Banana 10 Terminal [Perry Coma's Comatose Mix]
11 All Quiet Flows the Don

 

dadonad