Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 - Fool on the Hill (1968)

I was listening to "When Summer Turns to Snow" the other day (now that summer is over and winter looms ahead), so I thought I'd share this album. LOVE the whole Brazilian sound that became popular in the mid-1960s. Something interesting about this album is that this is the second version of the band. Sergio Mendes got rid of all the original band members, with the exception of lead singer Lani Hall, for this album. I don't know what the reasoning behind that was, and if anybody is in the know, please do tell. Anyway, I do love the sound of this band, and Lani's voice is always a pleasure.

Track listing for Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 - Fool on the Hill:

Side 1:
1. Fool on the Hill
2. Festa
3. Casa Forte
4. Canto Triste
5. Upa, Neguinho

Side 2:
1. Lapinha
2. Scarborough Fair
3. When Summer Turns to Snow
4. Laia Ladaia (Reza)

Mantovani - Mantovani Film Encores Volume 1 (1957)

This is one of my mom's albums that I listened to many a Saturday when growing up. My mom loved to play her records on her General Electric console stereo almost every Saturday while doing some house cleaning, or working on lesson plans, or making banners for our church. This was definitely one of her favorites. The album jacket is very worn - masking tape all around the edges, major scuffing, plus my mother's handwriting all over - so the picture above is one I found on the internet. But the album itself is in really good shape. My mom did try to take good care of (most of) her records (still trying to figure out what that clear red liquid was that she used to clean them). Anyway, both my mom and I really liked this record because they are all songs from movies. And besides a love of music, a love of movies is something else we shared. My mom's favorite from this album was "Theme from 'Limelight'".

Track listing for Mantovani Film Encores Volume 1:

Side 1:
1. My Foolish Heart
2. Unchained Melody
3. Over the Rainbow
4. Summertime in Venice
5. Intermezzo
6. Three Coins in the Fountain

Side 2:
1. Love is a Many Splendored Thing
2. Laura
3. High Noon
4. Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo
5. September Song
6. Theme from "Limelight"

Arthur Lyman - Yellow Bird (1960)

It's a beautiful, lazy Sunday in Dallas, Texas, and this is the perfect album to go with it! So easy to listen to, to read by, to just sit on the porch sipping a cool one... ahhh! Arthur Lyman is truly one of the kings of exotica. If you're a long-time fan/collector of exotica, then you probably already have this one, but if you're just starting your collection, then you definitely need this one. Enjoy! (BTW, if you think some titles are misspelled, I just typed them the way they are listed on the back cover.)

Track listing for Arthur Lyman - Yellow Bird:

Side 1:
1. Havah Nagilah
2. Yellow Bird
3. Ravel's Bolero
4. Autumn Leaves
5. Arrive Derci Roma
6. Sweet and Lovely

Side 2:
1. Bamboo Tamboo
2. Andalusia
3. Adventures in Paradise
4. Granada
5. September Song
6. John Henry

Julie London - Julie Is Her Name Volume Two (1958)

I was listening to this album the other day so I decided to go ahead and post it. I only have one or two more albums by Julie, and I'm sure I'll get around to posting those in time. Besides being a beautiful WWII pin-up girl, Julie was quite a talented singer and recorded around 40 albums. Her sultry voice is certainly pleasing to the ears and her albums make great mood music. Enjoy!

Track listing for Julie Is Her Name Volume Two (Link has been deleted. Go buy CD on Amazon.):

Side 1:
1. Blue Moon
2. What Is This Thing Called Love
3. How Long Has This Been Going On
4. Too Good to Be True
5. Spring Is Here
6. Goody Goody

Side 2:
1. The One I Love (Belongs to Somebody Else)
2. If I'm Lucky
3. Hot Toddy
4. Little White Lies
5. I Guess I'll Have to Change My Plan
6. I Got Lost in His Arms

The Keymen - Dance with Dick Clark Volume One (1958)

Here's a little gem I picked up at my favorite resale store down the street from my house, and it was only 50 cents! Besides HPB, I find some real treasures at this little shop. They don't have very many records, but the ones they have are usually ones I don't see at HPB.

I have to say that the main reason I bought this was for the cover of a young Dick Clark. He's a legend for all of us baby-boomers! How many of us grew up watching "American Bandstand" every Saturday morning (that's when it showed in my hometown) and learning new dance steps? Then of course, we started ringing in the New Year with Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve (and left our parents to watch the Guy Lombardo New Year's show). This cover will definitely be hanging on my wall. The album itself is very nostalgic. I thought it was going to be a compilation album with the songs performed by the original artists, but when I got home I saw that it was actually the songs played as instrumentals by the Keymen. Lots of sax and twangy guitars - which I love. And they definitely "have a beat and you can dance to them"!


Track listing for The Keymen - Dance with Dick Clark Volume One:

Side 1:
1. Willie and the Hand Jive
2. Drifting and Dreaming
3. Gazackstahagen
4. Short Fat Fanny
5. Dawn
6. Love is Strange

Side 2:
1. Isle of Capri
2. Miss You
3. Goggles
4. Sentimental Journey
5. Like Help Man
6. Long Tall Sally