De Vol - The Theme from Peyton Place and 11 Other Great Themes (1965)

This is yet another treasure from the HPB bargain bin! I think most of us are familiar with the music of Frank De Vol. We've heard it in lots of movies and lots of television series. Well, this album has some great movie and TV themes as played by Frank De Vol and his orchestra (but couldn't they have thought of a better, shorter album title?). He co-wrote three of the themes on this album - "My Three Sons" (one of my all-time favorites), "Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte", and "Give Me a Souvenir". And I absolutely love his arrangement of the theme from "Peyton Place" - one of my favorite TV shows when I was a very little girl (I barely remember it). And "Combat" - I LOVE this TV show, and watch it every evening on the ALN channel. When I was a little girl, my father bought me a plastic tommy gun and I used to play "Combat" in our backyard, hiding behind the bushes and waiting to ambush the enemy. "Bewitched" - always loved Elizabeth Montgomery as Samantha! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this album as much as I did!

Track listing for De Vol - The Theme from Peyton Place and 11 Other Great Themes:

Side 1:
1. Theme from Peyton Place (For Those Who Are Young)
2. The Addams Family
3. The Rogues Theme
4. Sunday Night at the Movies
5. Show Street
6. Combat

Side 2:
1. Bewitched
2. General Hospital
3. My Three Sons
4. Give Me a Souvenir
5. Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte
6. Hollywood Palace (Put On a Happy Face)

Frankie Carle - The Golden Touch (1960)

Well, this album really brought back memories for me. This is one of the albums that my mom played a lot when I was growing up. I'd forgotten about it until I started going through my albums to see which one to post tonight. As soon as the first song started playing, I was taken back in time to my living room in my childhood home (which I still own, but it's been remodeled so it doesn't look the same). Once again, I was a little girl playing with my Barbies or coloring in one of my coloring books, while my mother listened to this record. I even remember that I would always ask her which one of the serenades (Sunrise or Penthouse) was which - I always got them mixed up. I was also pleasantly surprised at how well this album sounded - very little clicks and pops considering that my mom played it a lot. She even marked the back cover - there are plus (+) signs by "Deep Purple" and "Diane", a note by "Diane" that says "from Seventh Heaven" (a movie), and two check marks by "Falling Leaves" (I guess she really liked it). So, it was kinda neat to listen to this, and to see my mom's scribbles on the back cover. I hope you like this album as much as I - the songs are great and it's wonderful piano music to listen to!

Track listing for Frankie Carle - The Golden Touch:

Side 1:
1. Roses in the Rain
2. Deep Purple
3. Diane
4. Falling Leaves
5. Missouri Waltz
6. The Golden Touch (of Love)

Side 2:
1. Sweet and Lovely
2. Sunrise Serenade
3. A Lover's Lullaby
4. Penthouse Serenade
5. If You Were the Only Girl
6. Rumors Are Flying

Summer Compilation Vol.2 (2008)

Happy Summer! I know it doesn't officially start until Friday, but I wanted to make sure that you start off your summer right with this new compilation I put together. I actually meant to post it last year (my first summer compilation was in 2006), but for some reason (that I don't know or remember), I didn't. So, I dusted it off, made some changes, and am now presenting it for your listening pleasure!

Summer is my very favorite time of the year. I have great memories of it from my childhood, and I love the hot weather. I know lots of people can't stand the heat, but it doesn't bother me at all. I remember as a little kid, we used to be just fine with fans in the house. My house didn't have central air, and it wasn't until we'd lived there a few years when my parents finally bought a couple of window units. Of course, those were also the days when it was perfectly safe to sleep with your windows open and leave your front doors unlocked. Those were also the days when it was perfectly safe for a little kid to walk (or ride a bike) alone down to the neighborhood candy store. We really had it made in those days, didn't we?

Anyway, I hope you like the songs I selected for this compilation. To download the first one I made, just click on the "summer" label and it'll bring it up. The link is still good.

Track listing for Summer Compilation Vol.2:

1. Summer Days - The Partridge Family
2. Can't Wait for Summer - Steve Lawrence
3. The Things We Did Last Summer - Jo Stafford
4. All Summer Long - The Beach Boys
5. Hot Summer Night - Les Baxter
6. Lazy Summer Night - Claudine Longet
7. The Green Leaves of Summer - The Brothers Four
8. Summer (The First Time) - Bobby Goldsboro
9. Summer Samba - Astrud Gilberto
10. The Door Into Summer - The Monkees
11. Summertime Dream - Gordon Lightfoot
12. Summertime - Sarah Vaughn
13. Groovy Summertime - The Love Generation
14. Summer Holiday - Cliff Richard
15. In the Good Old Summertime - Connie Francis
16. She's My Summer Girl - Jan and Dean
17. Summer Rain - Johnny Rivers
18. Summer Wine - Nancy Sinatra
19. Theme from 'A Summer Place' - The Lettermen
20. Summer Wind - Wayne Newton
21. Lost Summer Love - Shelley Fabares
22. Summer Means Fun - Bruce and Terry
23. Summer Love - Neil Diamond
24. Summertime Blues - Olivia Newton-John
25. Summer Means New Love - The Beach Boys
26. Summer Kisses Winter Tears - Elvis Presley
27. Summer is Over - Dusty Springfield

Father's Day Compilation

Happy Father's Day to all you dads out there! I know the day is almost over, but I hope you get a chance to download this and listen to the songs before the day is over. And for those whose dads have passed on (like mine), then I hope these songs bring back some happy memories of your time with your dad.

Most of my memories of Father's Day are either of my parents and me going to my uncle's house up valley, or my uncle and his family would come to our house. Whichever house we were at, we always had a cook-out (my father's favorite thing to do). After a meal of yummy steaks cooked on the grill, potato salad, and other delicious side dishes, my father and uncle would open their presents - usually ties, Old Spice or Brut cologne, and Arrow shirts. Those were the days...

Well, I hope you enjoy the songs I picked for this compilation. Some are very sentimental and moving, but there are also some fun ones. Enjoy!

Track listing for Father's Day Compilation:

Oh Dad, Poor Dad - Children's Chorus
Oh, My Pa-Pa - Eddie Fisher
Don't Cry Daddy - Elvis Presley & Lisa Marie Presley
That Silver Haired Daddy of Mine - Everly Brothers
A Father's Love - George Strait
Cat's in the Cradle - Harry Chapin
Papa's Got a Brand New Bag - James Brown
Daddy's Home - Jermaine Jackson
My Heart Belongs to Daddy - Julie London
Dance with My Father - Luther Vandross
Daddy - Pat Suzuki
My Dad - Paul Peterson
Papa Loves Mambo - Perry Como
Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast - Wayne Newton

Harry Belafonte - Belafonte (1956)

I really like Harry Belafonte, and I wish I had a better copy of this album. But, I haven't been able to find a posting of it, so I thought I would go ahead and record and post my copy. I ran it through the click removal five times, but there is still noise, and several of the songs have skips. So, if anyone out there has a better copy, please post it and let me know!

This is one of Harry's early albums (I think it was his second), and the liner notes say that "most of the songs in this collection will be familiar to all". Well, I've only heard three of them, but the entire album is good. As the liner notes say, "great folk themes are immortal and timeless". The three songs that I'm familiar with (and thus my favorites on the album) are "Matilda" (makes me want to sing along), "Scarlet Ribbons" (it's so sweet it always makes me cry), and "Unchained Melody" (always a beautiful song). I hope you like these songs, and the rest of the album!

Track listing for Harry Belafonte - Belafonte (link has been deleted - go buy CD on Amazon):

Side 1:
1. Water Boy
2. Troubles
3. Suzanne (Every Night When the Sun Goes Down)
4. Matilda
5. Take My Mother Home

Side 2:
1. Noah
2. Scarlet Ribbons (For Her Hair)
3. In That Great Gettin' Up Mornin'
4. Unchained Melody
5. Jump Down, Spin Around
6. Sylvie


BTW, the last four records (and this one) were recorded on my new ION USB turntable! I got the TTUSB05 and it works great! Also, I haven't received any comments on Sharlene Sharp. Doesn't anyone out there have any info on her or Sonny Look???

Barclay Allen - Latin and American Piano Rhythms (1957)

Here's an album cover with a couple of beauties! (I'm kind of partial to the blonde - she's so perky!) And the tunes are familiar standards performed by "one of America's foremost piano virtuosos", Barclay Allen. Allen was a pianist and bandleader whose brilliant career was tragically cut short by an auto accident. He was a mainstay with the Freddy Martin band before forming his own highly successful orchestra. He became popular for his Latin-esque theme song, ''Cumana,'' which he co-wrote with Harold Spina and Roc Hillman. In 1949 Allen was paralyzed when he lost control of his car while driving all night between performances. This copy of the album has had its share of being played a lot, and I tried to remove the clicks and pops the best I could, but it still has some noise. Also, the first song on the second side has some skips. But, I think it's still well worth a listen - Barclay Allen could really tickle the ivories!

Track listing for Barclay Allen - Latin and American Piano Rhythms:

Side 1:
1. Cumana
2. It Happened in Havana
3. September Song
4. At the Crossroads
5. Green Eyes
6. My Adobe Hacienda

Side 2:
1. The Whole World is Singing My Song
2. Old Lamplighter
3. Stardust
4. Linda
5. For Sentimental Reasons
6. That's My Desire

Sonny Look Presents Sharlene Sharp - Rare and Well Done

Well, here's a doozy of an album cover! My friends, Dan and Bradley, gave me this record this past Christmas, and they said they chose it because it was such a weird cover. They know me too well. I have to admit I was a little afraid to play this record for fear that it would be absolutely awful, but today I decided to record it for the blog and it's not as bad as I thought. I'm not saying it's wonderful - I'm just saying it's not as bad as I feared. But the cover makes up for it! Who the heck thought up this cover??? You can tell that Sharlene is pasted in there - she's not really sitting on that horse! And what's with the jousting outfit on the horse? Poor thing looks like he's one of the horses at Medieval Times. It's a pretty funky cover, all right - I'll be framing it and hanging it in my entryway - I'm serious!

I have absolutely no idea who Sharlene Sharp is (I'm assuming she's still with us), and I could find no information about her on the internet. But I did find out that Sonny Look had a famous restaurant in Houston called the Sir Loin Restaurant and Club, and that he died in 2003. I figure that Sharlene must've been an entertainer at his restaurant and he thought she was just wonderful so he had her record this album. The only other information I have on this album is that the liner notes were written by Mel Arvin (must've been a local Houston celebrity), and that the album was recorded by ACA Recording Studios in Houston. I don't know what year it was recorded but I'm thinking the late 60s, since "Sunny" was a Top-40 hit in 1966. If anyone has any info they can share about Sharlene and/or Sonny, please post a comment!

So, give old Sharlene a listen. Maybe (if she's still with us) we can track her down and convince her to come out of retirement and record another album.

Track listing for Sharlene Sharp - Rare and Well Done:

Side 1:
1. Your Nobody Till Somebody Loves You - (notice the misspelling of "you're" - but I put it the way it's on the album)
2. Where Are You?
3. Meditation
4. Might as Well Be Spring
5. Since I Fell for You
6. Hey Look Me Over

Side 2:
1. Born to Lose
2. Your Gonna Hear from Me - (again, "you're" is misspelled)
3. Masquerade is Over
4. Trolly Song - ("trolley" is misspelled)
5. There's a Tree in the Meadow
6. Sunny

Ethel Smith - Rhythm Antics!

Here's another gem from the HPB bargain bin. I'd never heard of Ethel Smith, but I love organ music and I couldn't resist the hilarious album cover - it just cracks me up! I have since found out who Ethel Smith was (good write-up on Space Age Pop), and have added this album as a must-play for my housewarming party. This is a great album to play at your next happy hour or cocktail party!

Track listing for Ethel Smith - Rhythm Antics!:

Side 1:
1. Desafinado
2. I've Got Your Number
3. What is This Thing Called Love
4. Rhythm Antics
5. Diga Diga Doo
6. Makin' Whoopee

Side 2:
1. By the Light of the Silvery Moon
2. Carioca
3. Ooh That Kiss
4. Moanin'
5. It Ain't Necessarily So
6. Baia

Here's a video of Ethel Smith (accompanied by a bevy of beauties!) playing her hit "Tico Tico":