The Don Baker Trio - Hammond for Dancing

What a fun album to listen to! I have to admit that I am one of those people that finds organ music pretty darn groovy - especially when played like this! You can really get down and dancin' with tunes played on the Hammond organ! I love it! I remember when I was in college in San Antonio, my friends and I would sometimes go eat dinner at this Mexican food restaurant and they would have this guy playing the organ for entertainment. He'd play tunes like "New York, New York" and "Mack the Knife" - it was great! That's what this album reminds me of - only much better. And, you haven't heard anything until you've heard "Mule Train" played on the Hammond! I don't know what year this was produced, but it's Capitol T1357, if that helps. So, here I share with you "Hammond for Dancing" - "a fine and unusual blend of Hammond organ, piano, celeste, and rhythm by the Don Baker Trio."

Track listing for Don Baker Trio - Hammond for Dancing:

Side 1:
1. I Won't Dance
2. Dansero
3. Moritat
4. Jungle Drums
5. When Day is Done
6. Frasquita Serenade

Side 2:
1. I Could Have Danced All Night
2. Carinoso
3. The Old Refrain
4. Cherokee
5. Taboo
6. Mule Train

Eddie Albert - High Upon a Mountain (1958)

Everybody remembers Eddie Albert as the star of the television series, "Green Acres", or movies such as "Oklahoma!", "Roman Holiday", "The Joker is Wild", and "The Longest Yard", to name a few. But, before making films and TV shows, he was a successful singer performing in clubs and theatre. This is one of about eight albums he recorded, and it contains songs of "spiritual substance - but which were still songs, not sermons". According to the liner notes, "These are songs with a soaring, top-o'-the-world feeling. 'They do something for me,' Eddie Albert says. And he, in turn, does something wonderful for them." Eddie did have a pleasant singing voice, and I think he did a very nice job on these songs. Some are familiar to me (I remember learning "Let There Be Peace on Earth" when I was in grade school), and others are not, but I liked them all. And, on the cover, Eddie looks somewhat rugged standing on that mountain in his jeans and plaid shirt!

Track listing for Eddie Albert - High Upon a Mountain:

Side 1:
1. A Still Small Voice
2. You'll Never Walk Alone
3. The Best Things in Life Are Free
4. Without a Song
5. I Believe
6. Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'

Side 2:
1. High Upon a Mountain
2. No Man is An Island
3. Let There Be Peace on Earth
4. Look for the Silver Lining
5. Ask Your Heart to Show the Way
6. I May Never Pass This Way Again

Me and My RC (1975)

"Me and my RC, me and my RC. 'Cause what's good enough for other folks ain't good enough for me! Me and my RC, me and my RC!"

How many of you remember those commercials from the 1970s? They were among my favorite commercials back in the day, and probably one of the best ad campaigns ever! I remember riding my skateboard (back when they were skinny little wooden things) and drinking an RC Cola as I rode along, sometimes singing the little jingle. Ah, the memories that this record brought back as I listened to it! This record is another of the gems I've found in the Half-Price Books clearance bin. (Actually, I give credit to my friend, Bradley, for finding it but letting me buy it for my collection.) Once again, the cover caught my eye - the girl just epitomizes the wholesome, girl-next-door type of the 70s! Well, this is the music from several TV commercials, but I don't know if the record was given to radio stations or what. The record only has tracks on one side and says "Not for sale, broadcast, or public performance", so I don't know what else anyone would do with it - maybe it was just part of a media kit or something like that. Whatever - it's really cool! In fact, I think I'll go have a Moon Pie and an RC right now (it's a Southern thing)!

Track listing for Me and My RC:

1. Overture; Stock Car
2. Truck Driver
3. Lawyer; Theme Music; Freckle-Face
4. Executive Decision
5. Blacksmith
6. Crop Seeder; Theme Music; Farm Girl
7. Basketball
8. Riverboat; Theme Music; Georgia Nights
9. Fiddler

P.S. For you fans of RC Cola and/or Moon Pies, check out some great collectibles at the Moon Pie website!

And here's one of the commercials for you (the one called "Executive Decision")!

An Affair to Remember OST (1957)

One of my favorite movies of all time is "An Affair to Remember", starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. And, yes, I do cry each and every time I see it. Actually, I start crying before the sad or sentimental parts even start! And sometimes even just talking about the movie and the sad or sentimental parts will start me crying. I'm as bad as Rita Wilson was in "Sleepless in Seattle" when she was describing the movie. This is one of the movies that my mother introduced me to when I was growing up, and we would often watch it together when it was on TV. I also grew up listening to this soundtrack, so this record has been played A LOT. This record belonged to my mother (I believe she bought it in 1957, when it came out), so it is now 50 years old! Wow! The cover is quite worn, and you'll still hear quite a bit of clicks and pops (especially on side 2) even though I ran it through the click and pop removal software. But, Vic Damone still sounds loud and clear on the title song (make me swoon!).

Other info about this album... Lionel Newman conducting the 20th Century-Fox Orchestra and Chorus; Music - Harry Warren; Lyrics - Harold Adamson and Leo McCary (the director of the film); Incidental Music - Hugo Friedhofer; Soloist - Marni Nixon; title song sung by Vic Damone. Harry Warren, Harold Adamson, Leo McCary, and Hugo Friedhofer were all Academy Award winners for various other works. The title song was nominated for Best Song at the 1957 Academy Awards but didn't win ("All the Way" from "The Joker is Wild" won instead). Hugo Friedhofer was also nominated that year for Best Score for "An Affair to Remember", but Malcolm Arnold won for "The Bridge on the River Kwai". "An Affair to Remember" had two other nominations - Cinematography and Costume Design - but didn't get those either.

Track listing for An Affair to Remember OST:

Side 1:
1. Main Title - An Affair to Remember (Our Love Affair) - vocal by Vic Damone
2. Continue - instrumental
3. "Villefranche" and "In the Chapel" - instrumental
4. Tomorrowland - vocal and instrumental
5. Pink Champagne - instrumental
6. Revelation - instrumental
7. You Make It Easy to Be True - instrumental
8. Proposal - instrumental

Side 2:
1. Continue - vocal and instrumental
2. Night Club Affair - vocal and instrumental
3. Empire State Montage - instrumental
4. Return to Villefranche - vocal and instrumental
5. Tiny Scout (He Knows You Inside Out) - children's chorus
6. Ballet - instrumental
7. End Title - An Affair to Remember (Our Love Affair) - chorus and instrumental

Various Artists - 18 Top Hits (1957)

Here's yet another album I bought for the cover alone - LOVE the girl dancing by the jukebox! The cover was kind of weird though because the back is completely blank - no track listing or names of the artists. So how did people know whether or not they wanted to buy this if they didn't know anything about what was on it? Did they buy it for the cover alone, too? Strange. And, although it's called "18 Top Hits", there are actually 23 songs on it. Well, this album is on the Waldorf Record Corp. label, which was a budget record label started in 1953 or 1954 by Enoch Light (which explains why he and his orchestra play several of the songs on this album). The records were sold exclusively in Woolworth stores (ah, how I fondly remember the Woolworth in my home town). Anyway, this album contains the hits of the day, but not recorded by the original artists. This is probably one of the albums I've had the most fun listening to and recording - it's just so...nostalgic! Listening to albums like this makes me wish that I had been around back in those days - sigh. Well, the album was pretty beat up when I bought it in the clearance bin at my favorite place (Half-Price Books), and four of the songs have skips. I did do the click and pop removal but there's still quite a bit of clicks and pops, so y'all may want to clean it up further if you can. Overall, this is a fun album!

Track listing for 18 Top Hits:

Side 1:
1. Around the World - Enoch Light & his Orch. (skips)
2. A Fallen Star - Bobby Sykes & The Country Five (skips)
3. Send for Me - Bob Eberly with Enoch Light & his Orch.
4. Long Lonely Nights - Keith Textor & The Monarchs
5. Star Dust - Loren Becker & The Monarchs
6. What Will I Tell My Heart - Jimmy Blaine with Enoch Light & his Orch.
7. Fascination - Sylvia Textor with Enoch Light Orch.
8. My Heart Reminds Me - Sylvia Textor & The Monarchs
9. Please Send Me Someone to Love - Loren Becker & The Monarchs
10. Tammy - Dottie Evans
11. There's a Gold Mine in the Sky - Bob Eberly, Enoch Light Orch. & Chorus
12. Chances Are - Keith Textor

Side 2:
1. Diana - Jerry Duane with The Monarchs
2. Rainbow - Loren Becker, Enoch Light Orch. & Chorus (skips)
3. Love Me to Pieces - Dottie Evans with The Monarchs (skips)
4. Honeycomb - Jerry Duane
5. Whispering Bells - Brigadiers with Enoch Light & his Orch.
6. That'll Be the Day - Artie Malvin with The Zig Zags
7. Passepartout - Enoch Light & his Orch.
8. Invitation to a Bullfight - Enoch Light & his Orch.
9. Entrance of the Bull March - Enoch Light & his Orch.
10. Paris Arrival - Enoch Light & his Orch.
11. Pagoda of Pillagi - Enoch Light & his Orch.



BTW, the 20,000 site hits mark came and went and I didn't even notice! Thanks to all of you who have been visiting, browsing around, and downloading the albums I'm sharing! If y'all have any requests, please let me know and I'll see if I have it. And I'm looking for the following "celebrity vocals" albums - Peggy Lipton's self-titled album from 1968; Sajid - by Sajid Khan in 1967; Kurt Russell's self-titled album from 1970; Clint Eastwood - Cowboy Favorites from 1959. There are many more, but these are the only ones I can think of for now.

Paul Weston and His Orchestra - Mood for 12 (1955)

Here's yet another gem from the Half-Price Books clearance bin! The cover is what definitely caught my eye (ooh - doesn't she look lovely?!), but when I saw that it was a Paul Weston album, I absolutely had to buy it! Paul Weston was one of my mom's favorites, so I grew up listening to his music - makes for great mood music to be playing in the background when you're with your lovely lady! This album features some great solos by Ziggy Elman, Eddie Miller, Matty Matlock, Babe Russin, Ted Nash, Clyde Hurley, George Van Eps, Bill Schaefer, Stanley Wrightman, Barney Kessel, Paul Smith, and Joe Howard (noted on each song below). I must admit that I'm particular to the ones that have sax solos - they just have such a sexy sound! Enjoy!

Track listing for Paul Weston and His Orchestra - Mood for 12:

Side 1:
1. It's the Talk of the Town - Tenor Sax solo by Babe Russin
2. I'm Comin' Virginia - Trombone solo by Bill Schaefer
3. Memories of You - Trumpet solo by Clyde Hurley
4. Nice Work If You Can Get It - Piano solo by Paul Smith
5. My Funny Valentine - Guitar solo by Barney Kessel
6. Emaline - Tenor Sax solo by Eddie Miller

Side 2:
1. Skylark - Tenor Sax solo by Ted Nash
2. Judy - Clarinet solo by Matty Matlock
3. Louisiana - Guitar solo by George Van Eps
4. Georgia on My Mind - Trombone solo by Joe Howard
5. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea - Piano solo by Stanley Wrightman
6. Confessin' - Trumpet solo by Ziggy Elman

Billy Vaughn and His Orchestra - Melodies in Gold (1957)

Today's post is one of Billy Vaughn's many recordings on the Dot label - "Melodies in Gold". Having played the sax myself, I'm especially fond of Billy Vaughn (and others who played or featured the sax in their recordings). This album contains great standards by such composers as Hoagy Carmichael, Johnny Mercer, Jerome Kern, and Cole Porter - some of my favorites! Check out Space Age Pop for a great bio on Billy Vaughn. Oh, yeah - I guess I should mention that it was the album cover that first grabbed my attention when I bought this album (yet another gem from the Half-Price Books clearance bin)!

Track listing for Billy Vaughn and His Orchestra - Melodies in Gold:

Side 1:
1. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
2. Indian Love Call
3. Dream
4. Sweet and Lovely
5. Time on My Hands
6. Night and Day

Side 2:
1. I'm in the Mood for Love
2. My Melancholy Baby
3. Moonglow
4. Intermezzo
5. I'll Get By
6. Stardust

Francis Scott and His Orchestra - Moods for Candlelight

Well, Happy New Year! I hope y'all had a great holiday season and that 2007 brings only good things to you! I took a little holiday from the blog, but I'm ready to get going again! Thanks to all who have been leaving comments - I have read them, but I just haven't gotten a chance to respond. Thank you all for your nice wishes and comments.

The first album I'm posting for the new year is called "Moods for Candlelight" by Francis Scott and His Orchestra. It's a very soothing album - perfect to listen to when you're all stressed out and need to relax. After all the hectic-ness (is that a word?) of the holidays, I know I needed something soothing to listen to, so that's why I picked this album. It's also great to listen to while reading or working (I'll be loading it to my MP3 player so I can listen to it at work). I couldn't find any information on it as to what year is was produced, but it's on the Capitol label, number T304, if that helps. Here are the liner notes:

The beauteous hue of radiant candlelight Reflected on the face of one so dear... Treasured moments that reach their height of rapture ... amid soft strains of music near.

Picture a setting of gleaming candlelight... alluring melodies painting a romantic backdrop for these lovely leisure moments with one close to your heart.

In this album, the talented young arranger-conductor Francis Scott, has carefully preserved the melodies of these songs you know so well... yet has artfully fashioned them into exquisite and sentimental musical moods.

Capitol presents this very special music for that very special occasion. Romantic, mood-inspiring melodies to provoke softly-spoken words and understanding glances.

Light your candles - enjoy your Moods for Candlelight!

Track listing for Francis Scott and His Orchestra - Moods for Candlelight:

Side 1:
1. The Touch of Your Lips
2. I'll Get By (As Long As I Have You)
3. It's a Blue World
4. It Had to Be You
5. How Deep Is the Ocean (How High Is the Sky)
6. My Heart Stood Still

Side 2:
1. Just a Memory
2. I Hadn't Anyone Till You
3. Dream a Little Dream of Me
4. More Than You Know
5. Remember
6. This Love of Mine

Walter Brennan - 'Twas the Night Before Christmas...Back Home (1962)

Here's an album from one of my favorites - Walter Brennan! I don't know why, but I just loved this man - in all his movies, in his TV shows, and on record (I have several of his albums!). My favorites of his songs are "Old Rivers" and "Old Shep" - they both bring me to tears because they're so sad and he was such a good story teller. For those of you who aren't familiar with Walter's recordings, he didn't sing - he spoke along to background music and sometimes background singers. Walter just seemed like such a nice man - sort of like a kindly grandfather. And his voice was perfect for telling stories, especially sad or sentimental ones - something about the timbre of his voice, I guess. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this Christmas album - "Just Three Letters for Christmas" will be sure to bring a tear to your eye.

Track listing for Walter Brennan - 'Twas the Night Before Christmas...Back Home:

Side 1:
1. White Christmas
2. Just Three Letters for Christmas
3. A Farmer's Christmas Prayer
4. Henry Had a Merry Christmas
5. Old Time Christmas Stories
6. (There's No Place Like) Home for the Holidays

Side 2:
1. Silent Night
2. Christmas Together
3. Let the Bells Ring Out
4. A Good Year for Santa Claus
5. O Come All Ye Faithful

Patty Duke & Norman Vincent Peale - Guideposts for Christmas (1963)

Now here's a vinyl rarity for you. This record was produced by the Guideposts magazine back in 1963 but, according to the liner notes, was not for sale. I'm guessing that folks who subscribed to the magazine must've received it as a Christmas freebie. The reason I have this record is that I'm a big Patty Duke fan. But, for those of you who are looking for cheery Christmas songs sung in that Patty Duke style, this record is not that! This is a spoken word record. Patty Duke and Norman Vincent Peale take turns reading "some of the most treasured Christmas stories ever written". Patty Duke was only 16 at the time and was starring in her own weekly TV series when she recorded this. Since this is spoken word, I did not break down the record into the individual stories; instead what you'll get when you download is Side 1 and Side 2. But, as always, I'm listing the tracks below. Enjoy!

Track listing for Patty Duke and Norman Vincent Peale - Guideposts for Christmas:

Side 1:
1. The Star and the Shepherd Boy - Dr.Peale
2. The Christmas Thief - Patty Duke
3. The Man Who Missed Christmas - Dr.Peale
4. The Surprise Feast - Patty Duke
5. The Masterpiece - Dr.Peale
6. A String of Blue Beads - Patty Duke
7. The Deputy - Dr.Peale
8. Toys for a King - Patty Duke

Side 2:
1. Let's Go Neighboring - Dr.Peale
2. A Brother Like That - Patty Duke
3. Santa Rides the Bus - Dr.Peale
4. You Can Keep Christmas - Patty Duke and Dr.Peale
5. The Stubborn Unbeliever - Patty Duke
6. A Boy's Finest Memory - Dr.Peale
7. The Best Part of Giving - Patty Duke
8. The Greatest Christmas Story of All - Dr.Peale

The Lennon Sisters - Christmas with the Lennon Sisters (1960)

Last time I presented a quartet of young brothers singing Christmas songs; today I present a quartet of young sisters! The Lennon Sisters were featured on "The Lawrence Welk Show" back in the day. I have to admit that I watched the show when I was a little kid (it was either that or "Hee Haw" - blecht!), and now sometimes catch reruns of it on our local PBS station. Gotta love those polyester suits! Anyway, this is a nice album to sing along with, and definitely one to add to your Christmas collection. Hope y'all enjoy it!

Track listing for Christmas with the Lennon Sisters:

Side 1:
1. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
2. The Little Drummer Boy
3. Christmas Island
4. Adeste Fideles
5. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
6. Silent Night
7. White Christmas

Side 2:
1. Jingle Bells
2. Away in a Manger
3. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
4. Winter Wonderland
5. O Little Town of Bethlehem
6. Joy to the World
7. I'll Be Home for Christmas

The Osmond Brothers - We Sing You a Merry Christmas (1962)

Before Donny and Marie, and before Jimmy, there were the Osmond Brothers - Alan, Wayne, Merrill, and Jay, the four oldest singing Osmonds. The Osmonds Brothers first appeared on the Andy Williams TV show back in the early 1960s, and then got a regular spot on the ABC TV series, "The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters". It was during this time that they recorded this Christmas album, which was "brought to you with the cooperation of AC Spark Plug Division" which "sponsors 'The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters' on ABC-TV Sunday night". At this time, the Osmond Brothers sang in a barbershop quartet style, and this is how most of this album sounds. They were very young on this album, and I believe Alan is the one with the lowest voice on this record - the other three sound absolutely adorable, kind of like little chipmunks! Anyway, I've been an Osmond fan since forever (I gave up drinking caffeine for an entire week once because I loved Donny so much!), and it gives me pleasure to share this album with you!

Track listing from The Osmond Brothers - We Sing You a Merry Christmas:

Side 1:
1. Silent Night
2. Winter Wonderland
3. The Little Drummer Boy
4. Jingle Bells
5. O Little Town of Bethlehem

Side 2:
1. Joy to the World
2. White Christmas
3. Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly
4. Christmas Means More Ev'ry Year
5. The First Noel
6. O Come All Ye Faithful

Bobby Sherman - Bobby Sherman Christmas Album (1970)

Who out there remembers Bobby Sherman? He starred in the TV shows "Here Come the Brides" and "Getting Together" and had a string of hits such as "Hey, Little Woman", "Julie, Do Ya Love Me", "Easy Come, Easy Go", "Cried Like a Baby", "The Drum", and several others. (I have all of his albums!) Well, this is the Christmas album he recorded - has some familiar tunes as well as tunes he wrote himself - a MUST for any Bobby Sherman fan!

I had the pleasure of meeting Bobby Sherman several years ago when he came to Dallas for a book signing - he was promoting his autobiography. That morning, he was the guest on a local radio station and they had a contest to win an autographed CD of his. Guess who won - me! I even got to speak to him on the phone and it was broadcast - omigod! That evening I drove to the bookstore where he was going to appear - me and a bunch of other 30-something women who wanted to get a glimpse of their fave! It was really something - for a little while, we were all just a bunch of young teenagers again, all giddy and giggling. We all had stuff for him to sign - old teen magazines, record albums, books, and - the creme de la creme - a lunch box! (I was the one with the lunch box - what can I say?) Besides the CD I had won earlier that day, and the lunch box, he also signed one of my record albums, and a copy of his book. Plus, I got to have my picture taken with him! It was indeed one of the best days of my life! So, needless to say, I LOVE Bobby Sherman!!!

Track listing for Bobby Sherman Christmas Album:

Side 1:
1. Jingle Bell Rock
2. Christmas on Her Mind
3. Blue Christmas
4. Love's What You're Gettin' for Christmas
5. Christmas Wish
6. Amen

Side 2:
1. Prologue
2. Santa Claus is Comin' to Town
3. Yesterday's Christmas
4. Christmas Is (Make It Sweet)
5. A Song of Joy (Himno a la Alegria)

The Littlest Angel - Original Cast Album (1969)

Hope y'all had a great Thanksgiving holiday! Now that we're officially in the Christmas season, I'll be posting Christmas albums until Christmas. To start off, I decided to post the soundtrack to the Hallmark Hall of Fame Special, "The Littlest Angel", from 1969. This TV special starred Johnnie Whitaker (Jody on "Family Affair") and Fred Gwynne (Herman on "The Munsters"), with appearances by Cab Calloway, Tony Randall, Connie Stevens, E.G. Marshall, John McGiver, and George Rose. I remember watching this when I was a little kid and loving it! I don't know when they stopped showing it on TV, but a Google search revealed that it is available on DVD (I currently have a bid on a copy on eBay). Johnnie Whitaker was such a cutie-pie in this special, and on "Family Affair". Later on, he starred in the Sid & Marty Krofft show, "Sigmund and the Sea Monsters", and in several Disney movies. (At a later date, I'll be sure to post the album he recorded when he was on "Sigmund".) Hope y'all enjoy this!

Track listing for "The Littlest Angel":

Side 1:
1. I'm Master of All I Survey (Johnnie Whitaker & Chorus)
2. Where Am I (Johnnie Whitaker & Chorus)
3. The Heavenly Ever After (Cab Calloway & Chorus)
4. Where is Blue (Johnnie Whitaker & Fred Gwynne)
5. You Can Fly (Connie Stevens & Angel Chorus)
6. Once Upon Another Time (Fred Gwynne)

Side 2:
1. You're Not Real (Tony Randall & Corinna Manetto)
2. What Do You Do (Fred Gwynne)
3. I Have Saved (Johnnie Whitaker & Chorus)
4. I Bring You Good Tidings (Angel Chorus)
5. May It Bring Him Pleasure (Angel Chorus)
6. I Have Saved - Reprise (Johnnie Whitaker)

ABC Fun Fit Featuring Mary Lou Retton (1985)

Okay, here's an album I will never listen to again. It's not that it's bad; it's just that I am not that motivated to exercise to records or videos. I admit that the only reason I bought this (another dollar gem from the HPB clearance bin) was for the celebrity factor. I mean, who knew that Mary Lou Retton, 1984 Olympic champion, would record an album??? I was one of those people who was completely enthralled with this little dynamo back during those Olympics. I even braved the crazy crowds to go see her and other Olympic athletes (plus Ricky Schroder) make a special appearance at the grand re-opening of Irving Mall later that year. The things we do to catch a glimpse of celebrities - crazy.

Anyway, the reason I decided to post this album today is that I had a lot of nervous energy pent up and needed a way to release it. What better way than through exercise? I didn't feel like walking over to the gym, so I thought I'd give this album a try. Needless to say, I still have a lot of nervous energy pent up inside me. (I still don't feel like walking over to the gym, so I think I'll just do a bunch of jumping jacks and push-ups until I exhaust myself.) Besides, the target audience for this album is kids. So, if there are any elementary school teachers out there, this may be an album you may be interested in. If anyone out there does download this, I would appreciate a comment telling me why you downloaded it!

Track listing for ABC Fun Fit Featuring Mary Lou Retton:

Side 1:
1. Fun Fit Theme
2. Mary Lou Retton's Intro
3. Spine Tinglers
4. Working the Joints
5. Isolation Warm-Ups
6. Rock-Easy, No-Bounce, Floor Stretch
7. Legs Up

Side 2:
1. Like a Tiger
2. Reach for It
3. Muscle Makers
4. It's Your Move
5. Rhythm Rockers

Joe Quijano And His Orchestra - Latin Joe (1962)

I have been in a really good mood all day today - the kind where I just want to get up and dance! So, in keeping with that mood, I decided to post this album, which is great to get up and dance with someone, or just by yourself! In fact, I was dancing around the room by myself as I recorded this album (I do love ballroom dancing!). This album is quite delightful and was released when bossa nova was the "new" dance craze. There's also cha-cha-cha and mambo on this album, but Joe seems to be emphasizing the bossa nova. I have been enamored by this style of music for many years (could very well be my own latin blood!) and can listen (and dance) to it for hours on end!

According to the liner notes, Joe Quijano was only twenty-seven years old when he recorded this album. He was an accomplished pianist at the tender age of six! At a very young age, he joined a mambo group as an instrumentalist and vocalist and later formed his own pachanga band. On this album, "in several numbers you hear him joyfully exhort his orchestra". (BTW, the album cover says it's stereo, but the actual record was mono - someone must have switched the records, because that's how I bought it at the HPB clearance bin.) Hope you all enjoy this record as much as I have!

Track listing for Joe Quijano And His Orchestra - Latin Joe:

Side 1:
1. Corcovado
2. Desafinado
3. Menina Moca
4. One Note Samba
5. In a Little Spanish Town
6. Alaska

Side 2:
1. South of the Border
2. Lamento Borincano
3. Cha-Cha Chornia
4. Never Too Late
5. L'Apache
6. Hava Nagilah


BTW, I received an email that Megaupload is hard to use for those of you that don't live in the U.S. I've seen from my site meter stats that I get quite a few folks from overseas that download my shares. Are any of you having problems downloading my shares from Megaupload? If anyone has other suggestions, please let me know. I chose Megaupload because I found it pretty easy to use, but I'm certainly open to suggestions. Thanks!

Les Paul and Mary Ford - Lovers' Luau (1959)

Today I have another album of Hawaiian music, this time by that guitar-playing husband and wife team of Les Paul and Mary Ford. If you're used to their songs like "How High the Moon" and "Bye, Bye Love", you'll find that they play the songs on this album at a much slower pace. You can even imagine yourself on one of the Hawaiian islands, just lying in a hammock, enjoying the breeze and sipping a cool drink out of a coconut. Sigh. I'll go back to my day-dreaming now...

Track listing for Les Paul and Mary Ford - Lovers' Luau:

Side 1:
1. Blue Hawaii
2. Drifting and Dreaming
3. King's Serenade
4. Song of the Islands
5. Sweet Leilani (has a skip)
6. To You Sweetheart, Aloha

Side 2:
1. On the Beach at Waikiki
2. Golden Sands
3. My Little Grass Shack
4. Hawaiian Charms (has a couple of skips)
5. Pacific Breeze
6. Farewell to Thee (Aloha Oe)

New World Theatre Orchestra - The Pajama Game and Silk Stockings

I have been dying to post this album ever since I bought it a month or so ago (from the clearance bin at Half-Price Books, of course!), not so much for the music, but because of the cover! I love it! Talk about cheesecake! Couldn't you just come up with some fabulous stories based on this cover? This photo could have been the cover for some cheesy pulp novel of the 1950s - I love it! (Did I say that already?) That little redhead sure is getting lots of attention from both the blonde and the brunette. I didn't know one could get so excited over a pair of stockings; or do you think they're admiring each other's pajamas? Oh, to let our imaginations run wild - I love it! (There I go again.) Thank you, Frank Zimmerman (if you're still alive), for taking this cover photo and bringing much joy to many of us (well, me, anyway)!

Anyway, about the record itself... This is one of those "high fidelity" records that was put out by one of those budget labels (Somerset Records, P-3300) back in the 1950s or so. I couldn't find any other information on it, such as the date. Side One is all "The Pajama Game", played as one long selection of the various songs blending into one another. Side Two has "Silk Stockings" (also played as one long selection of its various songs), and "Curtain Time". It's the kind of album you can listen to while reading or just relaxing - it's all instrumental. This album is definitely one that I'm going to frame and hang on my wall - the cover is just so fabulous! I LOVE IT!

Track listing for "The Pajama Game and Silk Stockings":

Side 1:
1. The Pajama Game

Side 2:
1. Silk Stockings
2. Curtain Time

Cheryl Ladd - Cheryl Ladd (1978)

Today I hit the 5000 mark for number of hits on this site! Woo hoo! Thanks to all of you who have been visiting and downloading some of the music I've posted. I welcome your comments, too!

To celebrate this 5000 mark, I decided to post one of my favorite albums from my teen years. I was a MAJOR fan of the "Charlie's Angels" TV series. You could say that I was obsessed with it. (Have y'all noticed that I tend to become obsessed with stuff a lot? Hmmm...) Like many people, I was very sad when Farrah left the show, but once I saw Cheryl Ladd come on board as "Kris Munroe", I was hooked again. (Not that I would've stopped watching the show - I liked all the Angels. Okay, I did stop watching when Kate Jackson left.) Anyway, I was so obsessed with the Angels that I would go down to the 7-11 every day and buy out their supply of "Charlie's Angels" gum just so I could get the trading cards. As a result, I am the proud owner of ALL the trading cards and stickers that came in those packs. I also have several toys (had to sell the dolls on eBay when I needed money - sniff), and posters. Okay, enough about all that - I know I'm probably scaring some of you.

Anyway... Cheryl Ladd. Many of you know that Cheryl Ladd was also one of the voices on "Josie & the Pussycats" - she was the voice of Melody. She and the other two vocalists are pictured on the "Josie" LP that was released. (Unfortunately, I do not have this LP in my collection, but would certainly appreciate it if someone out there would post it!) So, Cheryl was not new to singing (as so many other TV and movie celebrities were). In fact, besides the singles she released as part of "Josie", she released a couple of other singles ("Mama Don't Be Blue" in 1974, "Country Love" in 1976) before she released her first LP. Of course, when this self-titled LP was released in 1978, I had to run right out and buy it! (And, when she released her next LP, "Dance Forever", in 1979, I bought that one, too. ) The single released from this album, "Think It Over", peaked at number 34 on August 26, 1978 on the Billboard charts, so it wasn't as big a hit as Cheryl and her camp probably expected. But it made many of us Angels fans happy. After the show went off the air, Cheryl went on to star in many a TV melodrama and mini-series, and continues to act (is "Jillian" on "Las Vegas"!) and captivate us with her beauty. She is also an author now - "Token Chick: A Woman's Guide to Golfing with the Boys". I can go on forever about her, but just go to her website - www.cherylladd.com.

Track listing for Cheryl Ladd - Cheryl Ladd:

Side 1:
1. Think It Over
2. Walking in the Rain
3. Skinnydippin'
4. I Know I'll Never Love This Way Again
5. Lady Gray

Side 2:
1. Good Good Lovin'
2. You Turn Me Around
3. I'll Come Runnin'
4. Here is a Song
5. The Rose Nobody Knows

Harry Kaapuni & His Royal Polynesians - Aloha Hawaii

As I mentioned on a previous post, I am obsessed with Hawaii and anything Hawaiian. So, today's album is one from my expanding Hawaian collection (I've had this one for several years). I have to admit that the reason I bought this one was primarily for the cover. I mean, how can you resist the cute girl on the cover? She just looks so darn...perky! (Everyone who likes cheesecake covers, raise your hands!)

I don't know the year this album was produced. There's no date anywhere on it, and I couldn't find any information about it on the web. The only information I have is that it's from Coronet Records, CXS 43. Must be from the late 1950s or early 1960s. Anyway, here are the liner notes:

The music of Hawaii is a mixture of many varied elements. First and paramount, is the music of Polynesian heritage; music that is rooted deep in the history of the Hawaiian people, music that was composed by Hawaiians of a civilization long since vanished. Supplimenting this heritage is music that has been brought to the islands by migrating races from foreign lands, and music composed by visiting artists who became enchanted with the well known magic of Hawaii.

All of these elements have contributed to the music of Hawaii and we have endeavored, through this album, to present you with an exciting selection of Hawaiian music. This treasured album, beautifully performed by Harry Kaapuni and his Royal Polynesians, will hold an eminent place in your collection of enjoyable music.

Track listing for Harry Kaapuni & His Royal Polynesians - Aloha Hawaii:

Side 1:
1. Red Sails in the Sunset
2. Hawaiian War Chant
3. Harbor Lights
4. Hawaiian Holiday
5. Luau Lei
6. Drowsy Waters

Side 2:
1. Hawaiian Love Song
2. Kula Ha
3. To You Sweetheart Aloha
4. Hawaiian Starlight
5. Aloha Oe