I couldn't resist picking up this little gem from the HPB bargain bin, especially with a name like Texas Jim Robertson. And since I went on my dude ranch vacation last year, I just can't seem to get enough of cowboy songs! Listening to this record made me want to go back to the dude ranch (and I will - it was great!). And since this record has my very favorite song in the whole world, "You Are My Sunshine", well, I just had to buy it. (I think I now have 48 versions of that song.) My other two favorite songs on this record are "Slipping Around" and "Old Time Religion" - such fun!
Side 1: 1. If You've Got the Money 2. I Love You So Much It Hurts 3. Slipping Around 4. Kentucky Waltz 5. You Are My Sunshine 6. Till the End of the World
Side 2: 1. It Makes No Difference Now 2. Lonesome Whistle 3. Night Train to Memphis 4. Columbus Stockade Blues 5. A Cowboy's Dream 6. Old Time Religion
Remember those great K-tel commercials on TV? And how many of you bought K-tel records? I know I have several in my collection! I loved the K-tel records because they were mostly compilations of "20 great hits from 20 great original singers"! Many times, I just liked the hit song that played on the radio, and I didn't want to buy the whole album of a particular musician for that one song, so K-tel records were just perfect compilations for me! Well, this particular record is not one that I bought back in the day, but I couldn't resist it when I saw it at an estate sale. I do love a good polka! And how could I pass up a record with the polka king, Frankie Yankovic, AND Myron Floren from "The Lawrence Welk Show", AND the Six Fat Dutchmen?! Apparently though, there seem to have been several versions of this record - I found three different ones on the internet, all from K-tel with the same name and same number (NC 420). Side 1 seems to be the same on all three versions that I found, but side 2 varies. Maybe they released different versions in different countries or markets? Anyway, it's a fun album and sure to get you up on your feet and polka-ing around the house!
Side 1: 1. Lichtensteiner Polka - Six Fat Dutchmen 2. Too Fat Polka - Frankie Yankovic 3. Pennsylvania Polka - Frankie Yankovic 4. Champagne Polka - Six Fat Dutchmen 5. Under the Double Eagle - Frankie Yankovic 6. Hoop De Doo - Myron Floren 7. Emilia Polka - Frankie Yankovic 8. Barbara Polka - Captain Stubby & The Buccaneers 9. Jenny Lind Polka - Myron Floren 10. Clarinet Polka - Captain Stubby & The Buccaneers 11. Ohio Polka - Frankie Yankovic 12. There's a Tavern in the Town - Six Fat Dutchmen
Side 2: 1. Beer Barrel Polka - Frankie Yankovic 2. Who Stole the Kishka - Frankie Yankovic 3. In Heaven There is No Beer - Polka Padre 4. Blue Skirt Waltz - Polka Padre 5. Helena Polka - Polka Padre 6. Jolly Musicians Polka - Bernie Roberts 7. Cuckoo Waltz - Polka Padre 8. Milwaukee Polka - Frankie Yankovic 9. Rush Hour Polka - Polka Padre 10. Ellen Polka - Six Fat Dutchmen 11. Mexican Doll - Polka Padre 12. I've Been Working on the Railroad - Frankie Yankovic 13. Indiana Polka - Six Fat Dutchmen
Here's the commercial that advertised one of the versions of this record:
Here's the Singing Rage, Miss Patti Page singing the title song from the movie "Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte". (If you've never seen the movie, try to catch it on TCM sometime or rent it - it's great!). In addition to that song, Patti sings some old favorites such as "Scarlet Ribbons" and "Danny Boy". I have yet to find a Patti Page record that I didn't like - they're all great! As a little girl, one of my favorite songs was "Doggie in the Window" (which was also the first song I heard on my favorite local AM radio station, KAAM), and when I was doing the ballroom dance thing, I danced many a waltz to her songs. I also had the privilege of seeing her perform here in Dallas back in the mid or late 1980s, and I particularly remember her singing HHSC.
Side 1: 1. Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte 2. Try to Remember 3. The Green Leaves of Summer 4. Jamaica Farewell 5. Croce di Oro (Cross of Gold) 6. Who's Gonna Shoe My Pretty Little Feet
Side 2: 1. Black is the Color of My True Love's Hair 2. Longing to Hold You Again 3. Danny Boy 4. Can't Help Falling in Love 5. Scarlet Ribbons (For Her Hair)
How about some barbershop quartet harmonies by the Osmond Brothers (before Donny)? Do any of you remember them on "The Andy Williams Show"? (I was too young to have seen them or remember them - don't even know if my parents watched the show.) Well, they were all just as cute as can be and, although I'm not really a big fan of the way little kids sound doing barbershop (voices too high - sound like chipmunks to me), I have to say that I am impressed at how well they sang those harmonies - real professionals! The songs are great - they take me back to a much simpler time, and they do make me feel quite nostalgic. Of course, we know what the Osmonds (with Donny) sounded like years later, and some of us may have had our bedroom walls plastered with their posters (Donny was my longest love and was on my walls for several years, and he still makes me swoon). It's impressive that these brothers have celebrated over 50 years in show business, and it's a lot of fun to hear how they got their start. So, take a trip down memory lane with the (original) Osmond Brothers...
Side 1: 1. Be My Little Baby Bumble Bee 2. Mightly Lak' a Rose 3. Keep Your Eye on the Girlie You Love 4. Just a Song at Twilight 5. I Wouldn't Trade the Silver in My Mother's Hair (For All the Gold in the World) 6. Kentucky Babe
Side 2: 1. By the Light of the Silvery Moon 2. Aura Lee 3. In the Good Old Summertime 4. Take Me Back to Babyland 5. Down Our Way 6. Bye Bye Blues
Here's a great video of the young Osmond Brothers singing at Disneyland (love the audience reaction!):
How many of you grew up watching Jim Nabors as Gomer Pyle, first as the gas station attendant on "The Andy Griffith Show" and later as the goofy marine private on "Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C."? I absolutely loved Gomer and never missed the show. And remember the first time you heard that baritone singing voice come out of that goofy guy? What a surprise! I used to love to try to imitate his singing (imagine a little girl doing that) and really got a kick out of it. (Come to think of it, I still try to sing "O Holy Night" in my best Jim Nabors voice.) My mom thought he was a wonderful singer and loved his version of "O Holy Night", so she did not appreciate my attempts to sing it the way he did ("Stop singing! You're ruining the song!"). Anyway, I still get a kick of listening to old Jim Nabors records, and he sings a lot of very familiar songs on this album. This is his second album (he recorded his first album in character as Gomer Pyle).
Side 1: 1. Love Me With All Your Heart (Cuando Calienta el Sol) 2. You're Gonna Hear from Me (from "Inside Daisy Clover") 3. You Don't Know Me 4. Somewhere My Love (Lara's Theme from "Dr. Zhivago") 5. Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody 6. Strangers in the Night
Side 2: 1. The Impossible Dream (from "Man of La Mancha") 2. On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (from "On a Clear Day You Can See Forever") 3. Swanee 4. I'm Yours 5. What Now My Love
Here's one in a category that I don't usually post - a record of Mario Lanza songs. I got this record during one of the several times that I was in one of those mail-order record clubs. I had seen a movie starring Mario (where he sings "Arrivederci, Roma") and just fell in love with him. To this day, that song brings tears to my eyes because he sings it so beautifully. I know my mom was pleased that I liked this kind of music - thought I was growing out of that "rock and roll" stuff!
Mario Lanza, tenor. He was around for too few years. Legendary performer. Legendary personality. He stamped his image on his times and left the sound of his voice for a world to enjoy.
If you like music with lots of lush string arrangements, then you'll like this album. I mostly bought this record for the album cover, but I also like all the songs. And I have fond memories of dancing to Wayne King songs at the practice parties of the dance studio where I took ballroom dancing for several years. All the songs on this album are well known and often-requested standards of the time, but I have to admit I had to chuckle when I heard "Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life" because I associate that song with the movie "Young Frankenstein"! Well, the liner notes do refer to these songs as mood music, after all. (I couldn't find a release year for this album, but I'm guessing 1960s.)
And now, get set for a wonderful treat in high fidelity... as Wayne King and his orchestra show you how to put the "mood" in mood music.
Side 1: 1. Sweet and Lovely 2. L'Amour, Toujours L'Amour 3. I'm a Dreamer, Aren't We All 4. To Each His Own 5. Silver Moon 6. Sleepy Lagoon
Side 2: 1. They Say It's Wonderful 2. Harbor Lights 3. Laugh! Clown! Laugh! 4. Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life 5. Prisoner of Love 6. The One Rose (That's Left in My Heart)
The music that is shared here is old and assumed to be out-of-print or otherwise not easily available for purchase. It is shared here to educate others about the artists and their music; there is no commercial purpose involved. Should anybody holding a copyright claim to any of these materials object to their presence here, please post a comment, and I will promptly remove the download link.
