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

Martin Denny - Exotica Volume II (1958)

Gotta love that exotica! After Martin Denny's success with the album "Exotica", it was inevitable that there would be another one to follow. So the following year there was "Exotica Volume II"! (There's also an "Exotica III", but I don't have that one.) If anyone has the third one, please share! I really don't think I need to say anything about Martin Denny - you all are quite familiar with his records! So... enjoy!

Track listing for Martin Denny - Exotica Volume II:

Side 1:
1. Soshu Night Serenade
2. Island of Dreams
3. Japanese Farewell Song (Sayonara)
4. Singing Bamboos
5. The Queen Chant (E Lili Ua E)
6. Wedding Song (Ke Kali Ne Au)

Side 2:
1. Escales
2. When First I Love
3. August Bells
4. Bacoa
5. Ebb Tide
6. Rush Hour in Hong Kong

Arthur Lyman - Hawaiian Sunset (1959)

Time to take a trip to Hawaii - musically, that is! Well, here's a great album by Arthur Lyman, one of the masters of exotica. The music is absolutely wonderful. Close your eyes and listen to this album and you'll be transported to paradise, the Hawaiian Islands, where "the native art of living gracefully, simply and happily seems to extend to all who visit or stay."

Track listing for Arthur Lyman - Hawaiian Sunset:

Side 1:
1. Hawaiian War Chant
2. Sweet Leilani
3. Imi Au Ia Oe
4. My Tane
5. Whispering Reef
6. Na Lei O Hawaii

Side 2:
1. Hiilawe
2. Isle of Golden Dreams
3. Mapuana
4. Waipio
5. Kawohikukapulani
6. Ke Kali Nei Au
7. Harbor Lights

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

Nestor Amaral and His Continentals - Holiday in Brazil (1957)

Well, the last post was some music from Mexico, so today I decided to go all the way down to South America and take you on a "Holiday in Brazil". I love the sound from Brazil - the baias, sambas, and bossa novas. And I would love to go visit Brazil some day - especially during carnaval!

This is a pretty cool album. Nestor Amaral introduced "Baia" in Walt Disney's "Three Caballeros", and "Brazil" in "The Gang's All Here". From what I read about him on the internet (and in the liner notes), he had a pretty full career. I'm sure that some of you know all about him and can educate me further on his music (I had never heard of him until I bought this record). Also from what I read, this album was originally released as an eight-song album and was simply called "Brazil". This particular version contains eleven songs, was renamed "Holiday in Brazil", and was released on one of the budget labels, Mayfair Records. The record itself is not black - it's yellow, and probably the reason I bought it. Most of it was in really good shape, as you can hear, except for several songs on Side 2 have more clicks and noise than the others, and one has a skip in it. But, it's still great music that'll get you dancing!

Track listing for Nestor Amaral - Holiday in Brazil:

Side 1:
1. Brazil
2. Pra Que Discutir
3. Currupaco
4. Porto Alegre
5. Ba Tu Ca Da
6. Tico Tico

Side 2:
1. Playtime in Brazil
2. Baia
3. Nossa Amizade
4. Belem Bayonee
5. Bamba No Samba

Here's the "Baia" number from Walt Disney's "Three Caballeros":

The Three Suns - On a Magic Carpet (1960)

Been abroad lately? Well, here's your chance to fly now and be enchanted forever. You'll be traveling first class all the way, on a magic carpet borne aloft by the artistry of the inimitable Three Suns.

So begin the liner notes on the back of this album. This is a great album! I can't believe I had never heard it before until I bought it (once again, from the bargain bin at HPB)! I had a few songs by the Three Suns, but this is the first album of theirs that I've bought. And, as usual, it was the cover that caught my eye - it's pretty crazy, and I love the girl's hairdo! And, the album is great - full of familiar songs! So, get on your magic carpet and give it a listen!

Track listing for The Three Suns - On a Magic Carpet:

Side 1:
1. Canadian Sunset
2. Lisbon Antigua
3. Terry Theme
4. High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me)
5. Moritat
6. The Poor People of Paris (Jean's Song)

Side 2:
1. Blue Tango
2. Meet Mr. Callaghan
3. The Song from Moulin Rouge (Where is Your Heart)
4. Ruby
5. The 3rd Man Theme
6. Fleur de Paree

Peter Ricardo and His Calypso - Hi-Fi Calypso (1957)

Yesterday, my friend, Bradley, and I went to Half-Price Books and had a very productive afternoon! I came away with two of the Retro series cookbooks ("Retro Diner" and "Retro Pies"), and fifteen records! Of course, I will share these albums with y'all on this blog!

Today I am sharing another gem from the HPB bargain bin (but not one of yesterday's finds). I bought this one some years ago for the album cover, and had it framed and hanging on my wall until recently. I just love that cover! And, the music is pretty good, too. According to the liner notes, Peter Ricardo was a "true 'calypsonian' - geographically because he was born on the island of Grenada in the British West Indies; musically because he composes his own calypsos, unlike the artist who is known simply as a 'calypso singer' and sings the songs of others exclusively." Well, this album was recorded in England, and I think this was England's idea of calypso music. Personally, I prefer Harry Belafonte's style of singing calypso, but this is still a fun album to listen to. You'll recognize several of the songs, too!

Track listing for Peter Ricardo - Hi-Fi Calypso:

Side 1:
1. Let's Go Calypso
2. Grenada (Land of Spice)
3. Mama Look a Booboo (Shut Yuh Mouth - Go Away)
4. Dohbi Day-Oh (The Native Washerwoman)
5. Caribbean Love Song (Ramona and Ricardo)
6. Rum and Coca Cola

Side 2:
1. Marianne
2. Capullito de Aleli
3. The Banana Boat Song
4. Calypso Beat
5. Don't Ever Love Me
6. Jamaica Farewell

Ferrante & Teicher - Pianos in Paradise (1962)

I have a goody for you today! This is yet another gem from the HPB bargain bin, and yet another album that I bought for the cover art. But I was already familiar with this piano-playing twosome, so I knew that it would be a great listen. Although classified as "easy listening", I would say that this also qualifies as "exotica". This would make some good music to play in the background while having dinner in your home with that special someone (hmmm, make note to self), or to play while reading, or just to relax. So, give this record a listen!

Track listing for Ferrante & Teicher - Pianos in Paradise:

Side 1:
1. Jungle Rhumba
2. Shangri-La
3. Misty
4. African Echoes
5. Adventures in Paradise
6. Claire de Lune

Side 2:
1. The Breeze & I
2. Flamingo
3. Ebb Tide
4. Taboo
5. Negligee
6. Moon of Manakoora

Here's a video of Ferrante & Teicher playing "African Echoes" from a TV special they did:

Les Baxter - Love is a Fabulous Thing (1958)

Here's a fabulous album filled with inventive portraits of the many moods of love, from a chance flirtation to moments of ecstasy. The melodies are sophisticated and dramatic, just the kind the world expects from one of its most popular composers, Les Baxter. He's adorned each theme with a provocative title, inviting your imagination to dream along with him. Les' thrilling orchestrations sparkle with fire in these richly romantic tributes to the universal emotions of love.

Well, I couldn't have said it better myself than those liner notes above! This is yet another gem from the HPB bargain bin, and the first thing that caught my eye was the cover - the girl certainly looks, er, uh, happy! Well, one listen to this album and you'll understand why she's happy - as usual, Les Baxter does not disappoint. This album is great! I'm not going to go into detail about Les Baxter, because most of you are very familiar with this musical god of exotica. So, just go to Space Age Pop and read a great bio about him there.

Track listing for Les Baxter - Love is a Fabulous Thing:

Side 1:
1. Love is a Fabulous Thing
2. Hot Summer Night
3. Cherchez La Femme
4. Our Kind of Love
5. Moonlight Stroll
6. Rush Hour Romance

Side 2:
1. Early Morning Blues
2. Paris Interlude: Mignonette - Femme du Monde - Gamin
3. My Love and the Sea
4. Afternoon Affair
5. Well, All Night Long
6. Dawn On the City

Martin Denny - Romantica (1961)

Well, yesterday, my friend, Bradley, and I made a much needed trip to Half-Price Books to look for vinyl treasures. I came away with thirteen albums, and one was a double-album, so I got fourteen records in all! And all from the dollar bin! Plus I had a 15% off coupon - what a deal!

One of the albums I got is today's share. This album presents "the lush and exotic sounds of Martin Denny" - and lush and exotic they are! There are some great standards, as well as some Denny originals, on this record, and they are all lushly romantic. As I listened to this record, I could imagine myself being whisked away to a beautiful island paradise (Hawaii, of course - where I hope to live some day) - sigh! I never get tired of listening to Martin Denny. He is indeed one of the true masters of exotica!

Now, remember - as always, I clean up these recordings the best that I can, but due to the age and the way they were stored by their previous owners, a lot of them aren't in pristine condition. But, that just adds character to them, in my opinion! Anyway, I hope you like this one!

Track listing for Martin Denny - Romantica:

Side 1:
1. And This is My Beloved
2. Love at Sight
3. Romance
4. Aloha, I Love You
5. La Pampa y La Puna
6. My Reverie

Side 2:
1. Love, Your Magic Spell is Everywhere
2. Magic is the Moonlight
3. A Fine Romance
4. Blue Paradise
5. My Romance
6. Tenderly