Pedro Garcia and his Del Prado Orchestra - Cha Cha Cha (1956)

This is an album I've had for about 20 years. I bought it when I was into the ballroom dancing thing. I love the cover! At first, it looks like the legs are not attached to a body, but if you look really closely, you'll see a torso in the background. The chick is wearing a light (white or beige) top so it blends right into the colors on the album. The back of the album has a small diagram that shows how to dance the Cha Cha Cha. The music is great, too. My favorites are "Rico Vacilon" and "Mi Lo Dijo Adela". So, if you're in the mood for some Latin dancing, this is the one for you!

Track listing for Pedro Garcia and his Del Prado Orchestra - Cha Cha Cha:

Side 1:
1. Cha Cha Paganini
2. Luna De Miel En Puerto Rico
3. Las Clases De Cha Cha Cha
4. Cha Cha Chavela
5. Rico Vacilon
6. Nicolasa

Side 2:
1. Abrete Sesamo
2. Senorita Catalina
3. Pedro Y Pablo
4. Mi Lo Dijo Adela
5. Pimpollo
6. Mi Cha Cha Cha

Percy Faith - The Columbia Album of George Gershwin, Vol. 1 (1957)

This is another of my mom's albums that I grew up listening to. As I've mentioned before, my mom really liked Percy Faith, so I like his music a lot, too. I posted another album of Gershwin tunes a couple of weeks ago, as played by Frank Chacksfield and his orchestra, but I much prefer Percy Faith's version, probably because of the memories it brings. This album is a mono version, but I would love to have a stereo version, if anyone out there has one to share! Even in mono, the orchestrations and sound are absolutely wonderful. Enjoy!

Track listing for Percy Faith - The Columbia Album of George Gershwin, Vol. 1:

Side 1:
1. Fascinatin' Rhythm
2. A Foggy Day
3. Soon
4. Clap Yo' Hands
5. Embraceable You
6. Mine
7. Somebody Loves Me

Side 2:
1. I Got Plenty o' Nuttin'
2. Summertime
3. Bess, You Is My Woman Now
4. My Man's Gone Now
5. Nice Work If You Can Get It
6. For You, For Me, For Evermore
7. Liza

Jack Elliott At The Piano-With His Orchestra - Are You Lonesome Tonight? and The Wonderful Melodies Of The Sixties (1961)

Here's another gem I dug out of the HPB bargain bin. I'd never heard of Jack Elliott and his orchestra, but I liked the album cover (of course) and liked all the songs. And it's a good album - very soothing and melodious. This is also the first recording of "Greenfields" that I've liked, too. I always found the vocal "hit" version very gloomy, but it's done here with a little more nighttime jazzy feel. All the songs are familiar, having been the "best songs of 1960" per the liner notes, and some are bouncy while others are more mellow. All in all, a good addition to your easy listening collection!

Track listing for Jack Elliott with His Orchestra - Are You Lonesome Tonight?:

Side 1:
1. Are You Lonesome Tonight?
2. Wonderland By Night
3. Mack The Knife
4. It's Now Or Never
5. The Theme From A Summer Place
6. My Little Corner Of The World

Side 2:
1. Calcutta
2. Main Theme From Exodus
3. Sailor (Your Home Is The Sea)
4. Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini
5. Greenfields
6. Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home

Martin Denny - 20 Golden Hawaiian Hits (1965)

How many of you are experiencing freezing temperatures right now? We had some very cold days in Dallas just a couple of days ago, but today it's rather nice out. Anyway, to help warm you up a little, how about some Hawaiian tunes? ("How about a nice Hawaiian Punch?" - remember that commercial?) Well, here are twenty tunes that'll take you away to the sunny beaches of Hawaii (warming up yet?), and played by none other than the king of exotica himself, Martin Denny. Aaahhh... Feel the balmy breeze on your face and see the palm trees lining the beach? Well, go pour yourself a Mai Tai or a Blue Hawaiian, and sit back and listen to Martin Denny (another treasure I picked out of the bargain bin at HPB).

Track listing for Martin Denny - 20 Golden Hawaiian Hits:

Side 1:
1. Hawaiian Village
2. Little Brown Gal
3. The Cockeyed Mayor Of Kaunakakai
4. To You, Sweetheart, Aloha
5. The Hukilau Song
6. Diamond Head
7. Lovely Hula Hands
8. Across The Sea
9. Princess Poo-poo-ly
10. On The Beach At Waikiki

Side 2:
1. My Little Grass Shack
2. Off Shore
3. Hawaiian Paradise
4. Pagan Love Song
5. The Hawaiian Wedding Song
6. The Moon Of Manakoora
7. Aloha Oe
8. Now Is The Hour
9. Hawaii Is Waiting For You
10. Hawaiian War Chant

Frank Chacksfield - The Music of George Gershwin (1957)

This is the second of two Frank Chacksfield albums that I have. I bought this a number of years ago when I was still doing ballroom dance. I had already bought the other album (which I posted last year) and really liked the lush orchestrations of that album, so when I saw this one, I had to buy it. Plus, this was an album of George Gershwin classics and I absolutely love George Gershwin. There isn't a song on this album that won't be familiar to you all, and they're all great. My personal favorites are "Someone To Watch Over Me" and "Rhapsody In Blue". I remember growing up that my mother would sometimes pull out her sheet music of "Rhapsody In Blue" and play it on the piano. She played very well, but she never did quite master it (it's pretty long and not that easy). I took classical piano for five years, but I never even attempted to play that song (I was only a mediocre pianist anyway). I hope you enjoy this one!

Track listing for Frank Chacksfield - The Music of George Gershwin:

Side 1:
1. Fascinatin' Rhythm
2. Someone To Watch Over Me
3. Beginner's Luck
4. The Man I Love
5. Do, Do, Do
6. They Can't Take That Away From Me
7. S'Wonderful

Side 2:
1. Embraceable You
2. Lady Be Good
3. I'm Bidin' My Time
4. I Got Rhythm
5. Love Walked In
6. Somebody Loves Me
7. Rhapsody In Blue

Belafonte - The Midnight Special (1962)

Today I'm posting the last of my Harry Belafonte records. This is the first one I actually bought, and it was because of the beautiful album cover. Love that cover. And I also love the way he sings. This one is different from the other two I have (and have posted) in that he's not doing the calypso thing (and that accent). It's a really great album, and even features Bob Dylan's first appearance on record, playing harmonica on the title track, "Midnight Special". Another interesting thing about this record is, that according to the liner notes, "a large proportion of the words are his (meaning Harry's), written in dressing rooms on tour, wrestled with for hours in his workshop". This is the mono version (if anyone has the stereo version, please share!). Go give it a listen!

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

Side 1:
1. Midnight Special
Let the Midnight Special shine in everlovin' light on me
2. Crawdad Song
You don't miss water till the well runs dry
And you don't miss your man till he says good-bye
3. Memphis Tennessee
I got a new way a-spellin' Memphis, Tennessee
4. Gotta Travel On
There's a lonesome freight at 6:08
Comin' through the town
And I feel like I've got to travel on
5. Did You Hear About Jerry?
Timber, Timber, Lord this Timber's gotta roll

Side 2:
1. On Top Of Old Smokey
If you ever see a dark cloud rollin' in the sky
It's my woman goin' to heaven, with a teardrop in her eye
2. Muleskinner
I can carve my initials on any ol' mule's behind
3. Makes A Long Time Man Feel Bad
My baby sister keeps writin', "Come on home"
And my tears run down because my time's so long
4. Michael Row The Boat Ashore
So Christian soldiers off to war, Hallelujah
Hold the line in Arkansas, Hallelujah

Paul Anka's 21 Golden Hits (1963)

Here's an album I've had for awhile... I first heard Paul Anka back in the 1970s when he sang "Having My Baby" (geez, remember that one?). I liked that song and his subsequent 1970s hits so much, that I bought this album (can't remember where) of his old hits from the 1950s-60s. Some of his older hits were familiar to me only because Donny Osmond had recorded them (Puppy Love, Lonely Boy). I must admit that I prefer Donny's versions of both these songs, probably because I heard his versions first. Listening to this album took me back quite a number of years - I can remember listening to it on my little portable record player in my room back home. And I can remember singing along to the songs and really emoting during the part that goes "someone help me, help me... help me please!" in "Puppy Love". What can I say - I was a weird kid (still am). Well, I hope that listening to this record brings back fun memories for you, too! (Having problem's uploading a picture of the album, so I'll post that later.)

Track listing for Paul Anka's 21 Golden Hits (link deleted - go buy CD on Amazon):

Side 1:
1. Diana
2. Put Your Head On My Shoulder
3. Lonely Boy
4. Time To Cry
5. Puppy Love
6. I Love You In The Same Old Way
7. You Are My Destiny
8. Crazy Love
9. Don't Ever Leave Me
10. Summer's Gone

Side 2:
1. Adam And Eve
2. Don't Gamble With Love
3. I'm Still Waiting Here For You
4. I Love You, Baby
5. It Doesn't Matter Any More
6. Tonight My Love, Tonight
7. My Home Town
8. Cinderella
9. Love Land
10. Dance On Little Girl
11. The Longest Day

BTW, if anyone out there has the album that Paul Anka did with Annette Funicello, please share it!

Here's a nostalgic video of Paul singing a medley of his hits (what a cutie!):

Something NEW Compilation

Greetings and HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone! I hope y'all had a restful and joyful holiday season. Now it's on to a NEW YEAR - 2009. Did y'all make any New Year's resolutions? I gave up on that years ago. But, I am starting something new this year and that is that I'm going back to school this semester (while working full-time) to pursue yet another degree. Well, I wish you all the best for 2009... and I wish you lots of groovy music!

To start off the new year, I thought I'd put together a compilation of songs with the word "new" in them. Turns out that I didn't have as many (in digital format) as I thought, but there were just enough to put this together. (I know I have more that this, but there are only so many hours in the day to which I can dedicate to digitizing my record collection!) There's quite a variety - some you've heard and some you probably haven't - and my favorites are the ones by the Partridge Family (mainly because I'm still in love with David Cassidy). I hope you enjoy these as much as I had putting this together. And, again - HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Track listing for Something NEW Compilation:

Open A NEW Window (From "Mame") - Angela Lansbury and Company
City Of NEW Orleans - Arlo Guthrie
Weekend In NEW England - Barry Manilow
There's A NEW Moon Over My Shoulder - Bill Haley and The Comets
I Found A Brand NEW Baby - Damita Jo
A NEW Kind Of Me - Danny Bonaduce
A Brand NEW Me - Dusty Springfield
NEW York, NEW York - Frank Sinatra
What's NEW - Jackie Gleason
I Happen To Like NEW York - Judy Garland
There's A NEW Girl In Town (Theme from "Alice") - Linda Lavin
What's NEW - Linda Ronstadt
Sunday In NEW York - Mel Torme
Brand NEW Key - Melanie
NEW World In The Morning - Roger Whitaker
You Make Me Feel Brand NEW - Stylistics
Brand NEW Me - The Partridge Family
Something NEW Got Old - The Partridge Family
What's NEW Pussycat - Tom Jones
So What's NEW - Walter Wanderley