Marlene Dietrich at the Cafe De Paris (1954)

Any Marlene Dietrich fans out there??? Well, I love Marlene Dietrich - especially when she sang. I remember seeing her as Lola-Lola singing her signature song (and my favorite), "Falling in Love Again". (I'm proud to say that I can do a fairly good imitation of her singing this song!) And I loved her delightful role in "Destry Rides Again" and her singing "The Boys in the Backroom". She was beautiful and talented and sexy... sigh... I have a wonderful huge framed print of her wearing a tux and top hat, which will hang in my new house (as soon as I bring it up from my other house). Anyway, I'll stop gushing over Marlene Dietrich now, and I hope you enjoy this album, which was "recorded on her fabulous opening night at London's most famous night club with an introduction written and spoken by Noel Coward".

Track listing for Marlene Dietrich at the Cafe De Paris (link has been deleted - go buy CD at Amazon):

Side 1:
1. Introduction by Noel Coward
2. La Vie En Rose
3. The Boys in the Backroom
4. Lazy Afternoon
5. Lola
6. Look Me Over Closely
7. Das Lied ist Aus (Frag 'Nicht Warum Ich Gehe)

Side 2:
1. No Love, No Nothin'
2. The Laziest Gal in Town
3. Jonny
4. Lili Marlene
5. Falling in Love Again

Here's a clip from "Destry Rides Again" where she sings "The Boys in the Backroom":

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:

David Carroll - Let's Dance (1959)

Here's yet another gem from the HPB bargain bin! And - surprise - I bought it for the cover art. I actually thought that this album would have a Latin beat to it because of the way the girl was dancing on the cover, but it actually turned out to be more like a Lawrence Welk type of sound. But, luckily, I love Lawrence Welk, too! The songs on this album also reminded me of the years that I was ballroom dancing, so if any of you are into ballroom dancing, then I recommend this album. Plus, how can anyone not like an album that has "The Glow Worm" on it? That's one of my favorites! (I also think my mother had a dress like the girl on the cover.)

Track listing for David Carroll - Let's Dance:

Side 1:
1. Let's Dance
2. Cuddle Up a Little Closer
3. Yearning
4. A Gliss to Remember
5. The Glow Worm
6. The Trouble with Harry

Side 2:
1. My Sin
2. Dancing Tambourine
3. Euphrates
4. Puerto Rican Pedlar
5. Armen's Theme
6. Dixie Dawn Patrol

Buddy Cole - Powerhouse! (1959)

Today's offering is another one of my discoveries from the bargain bin at Half-Price Books. Of course, it was the cover that grabbed my attention - hello! I didn't even notice on the cover that it said Buddy Cole played the Hammond organ, and I love swingin' organ music! That brings up a memory from college... My friends and I would occasionally go out to dinner (we were poor college students and usually ate in the university refectory) and one of our favorite places was this little Mexican food restaurant called Los Barrios. They had the best "enfrijoladas" (like enchiladas, but covered in bean sauce instead of red or chili sauce), and this little man would sit in the corner playing the organ! The only song I remember him playing was "New York, New York" - it was great! Ah, memories...

Anyway, after I listened to this album, it just knocked my socks off! Buddy Cole really swings on the old Hammond! Wow! This is definitely an album I'll be playing when I have my housewarming. (BTW, my new sofa was delivered today so I now have a place for guests to sit!) So, give a listen to this album - it's a must for all you swingin' hep cats!

Track listing for Buddy Cole - Powerhouse!:

Side 1:
1. The Lady is a Tramp
2. I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart
3. What is There to Say
4. Ridin' High
5. Georgia on My Mind
6. Just You, Just Me

Side 2:
1. I'm Beginning to See the Light
2. Will You Still Be Mine?
3. Fulfillment
4. Don't Get Around Much Anymore
5. Powerhouse
6. Accent on Youth

Annette - Hawaiiannette (1960)

Aloha! I've been in a Hawaii state of mind this weekend (I have no idea why, but do I really need a reason?), so I played this record yesterday while I was putting my new dresser together (I should've gone ahead and paid for Eurway to assemble it, but that's another story). Then I thought I would go ahead and post it today (the album, not the dresser). I love Annette - her records, her beach movies, her other Disney movies. I even have several of the Annette series of Whitman TV books. Anytime I listen to one of her records or watch one of her movies, I just feel good! So, here I am sharing that good feeling with all of you - my blogger buddies! I have a couple of other Annette albums, which I'll post in the future, but if any of you have any requests, just post a comment.

Track listing for Annette - Hawaiiannette:

Side 1:
1. Hawaiiannette
2. Pineapple Princess
3. Hukilau
4. Blue Hawaii
5. Song of the Islands
6. Now is the Hour

Side 2:
1. Date Night in Hawaii
2. Blue Muu Muu
3. Luau Cha Cha Cha
4. My Little Grass Shack
5. Holiday in Hawaii
6. Aloha Oe

Danny Bonaduce (1973)

Hey there! Sorry for my absence these last couple of weeks - been busy with my job and with my class at church (had a take-home final exam and a final project to do - geez!). Still getting settled in my new house - bought a new bedroom set from Eurway and assembled it myself!

Anyway, I was looking through my albums trying to decide which one to post today and decided on Danny Bonaduce's self-titled album from 1973 - back in his hey-day when he was on "The Partridge Family". I always found Danny (as Danny Partridge) very annoying and never understood his appeal. I like him better as an adult, even if he is quite obnoxious. Maybe it's because of his reality show "Breaking Bonaduce" - I don't know. Well, back to this album... I bought this on eBay several years ago but I only just listened to it while I was recording it for this blog. It wasn't as bad as I had thought! In fact, I rather liked it! I had only heard his version of "The 59th Street Bridge Song" once, when he appeared on a musical variety special that aired on a Saturday morning. I'm thinking it was maybe a Sid and Marty Krofft production, but I don't remember any of the usual characters on it. All I remember is Danny being on it, singing (or rather, lip-synching) the song, and this other guy doing sound effects to the song "By the Time I Get to Phoenix". If this rings any bells for anyone out there, PLEASE let me know what that show was! If it's available on video, I would love a copy! So, here's Danny Bonaduce singing his little heart out (or at least, trying to) back in 1973 - enjoy!

Track listing for Danny Bonaduce:

Side 1:
1. I'll Be Your Magician
2. Save a Little Piece for Me
3. Turn-Down Day
4. Blueberry You
5. You're Old Enough to Fall in Love
6. The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)

Side 2:
1. Dreamland
2. A New Kind of Me
3. Colors of Love
4. Fortune Lady
5. All the Time in the World

BTW, I'm thinking of buying one of those turntables that you can connect directly to the computer with a USB cable. I've seen some ION turntables on Amazon. Can anybody tell me anything about them - whether they're great, okay, or trash? I want to get something like that so that I can return my receiver and turntable back to the stereo cabinet with the rest of my stereo components and listen to records through real speakers (not just the computer speakers). Oh, and here are my two little assistants helping me record an album!


Starbuck listens for skips, clicks, and pops on a record. He has excellent hearing.


Snickerdoodle supervises the recording software from her favorite spot. (Notice my Mr.Spock mousepad and Enterprise note holder?)

Leonard Nimoy - The Way I Feel (1968)

Well, since I've already posted three of my five Leonard Nimoy albums, I figured I might as well finish out the lot. I didn't post the very first album because, as I mentioned in the post for "The Touch of Leonard Nimoy", someone else already had it and I listed that link. But, if y'all want me to, I can go ahead and record my album and post it - just let me know! Today, I'm posting "The Way I Feel", which is probably my favorite of his folksy albums. I particularly like his version of "If I Had a Hammer". You're going to think I'm really weird (well, you probably already think that), but this version gets me all teary-eyed when he starts speaking towards the end - I think I start feeling all patriotic and stuff so I get all emotional. I don't know - maybe it 's just the menopause. Anyway, here's another to add to your Leonard Nimoy collection! (No cool liner or track notes on this one.)

Track listing for Leonard Nimoy - The Way I Feel:

Side 1:
1. I'd Love Making Love to You
2. Please Don't Try to Change My Mind
3. Sunny
4. Where It's At
5. Both Sides Now
6. If I Had a Hammer

Side 2:
1. Here We Go 'Round Again
2. Billy Don't Play the Banjo Anymore
3. It's Getting Better
4. Consilium
5. Love is Sweeter
6. The Hitch-Hiker

Leonard Nimoy - Two Sides of Leonard Nimoy (1968)

Well, after posting that last Leonard Nimoy album on Sunday, my buddy, Gordon, requested in his comment that I post this album. Ask and you shall receive (provided I have the album, of course)!

Anyway, in this earlier album (I forgot to mention on the last post that Leonard had gone on to be a regular on TV's "Mission: Impossible" when he recorded that album), "Star Trek" was on TV and Leonard recorded this album as Spock on one side and as himself on the other. Being the Trekker that I am, I like the Spock side better, although, I love "The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins"! It's just a hilarious song, especially if you watch the video of Leonard singing it! (If you want to watch the video, just click on the "Leonard Nimoy" label on this post, and it'll bring up all posts. I posted the video when I did "The Touch of Leonard Nimoy" a while back.) There is one song on here that I don't like - "If I Were a Carpenter". I've never liked that song (not even when Bobby Darin sang it) - I just think it's one of the most boring songs ever. Just my opinion. Some of you may love that song, and that's great, so I hope you like this version! Enjoy the album! Oh, and after each song, I've typed what it says on the record for that song.

Track listing for Two Sides of Leonard Nimoy:

Side 1:
1. Highly Illogical - Spock's reactions to some earth-behavior.
2. The Difference Between Us - Could Spock ever feel hidden, deep, emotional love problems? Could he react as a human in a romantic situation?
3. Once I Smiled - Once Spock's emotional barriers were broken down, and for a short while he tasted a bitter-sweet romantic experience.
4. Spock Thoughts - Some excellent vulcanian advice and philosophy.
5. By Myself - As "alien" to the planet earth, Spock is not always completely at home, and feels his loneliness at times.
6. Follow Your Star - Aim high in life. Make your goal a star and follow it.
7. Amphibious Assault - A surrealistic battle of the future. Will war come to this?

Side 2:
1. The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins - Long an admirer of the "Hobbits", Nimoy sings of the adventures of the bravest Hobbit of them all.
2. Cotton Candy - A modern, thought-image in musical setting, written by one of the camera crew of the Star Trek series.
3. Gentle On My Mind - The kind of song that Nimoy personally loves to sing.
4. Miranda - A lovely Bart Howard song in a classic-folk tradition.
5. If I Were a Carpenter - Another "modern" folk song, sung by Nimoy in an unusual rhythmic setting.
6. Love of the Common People - A song that Nimoy enjoys singing on personal appearances, since it reflects his own philosophy.

Leonard Nimoy - The New World of Leonard Nimoy (1970)

Before I get on with today's post, I just want to say thanks to everyone who has left their great comments on my past posts, and for the well-wishes for me and my new home! Thanks!

Okay... after I posted one of Leonard Nimoy's albums, I got some feedback asking for another album. I think I mentioned in the previous post that I was lucky enough to buy the entire lot of five albums on eBay (plus a Star Trek bloopers record)! I don't know what I value more - these five albums of his, or my autographed copy of his book "I Am Spock". Now that I've mentioned that, I have to digress a little and tell you about the sci-fi convention I went to a few years ago where Leonard Nimoy was the super-special guest. I went ahead and bought the VIP ticket so that I could be in the group of fans that would get his autograph. We could take one item and he would sign it, but not personalize it. That would've been nicer, but I was happy enough to just be able to stand across a table from him and have him touch and sign my copy of his book! I think after that day, I pretty much thought that I can now die happy (although, I'd rather not die just yet!).

On with this post - I've read that this is the hardest to find of the Leonard Nimoy albums, so I hope you are not disappointed. In addition to the usual covers, he also sings a couple of his own compositions. What a treat! I really like listening to Leonard - it really relaxes me. As the liner notes say: "This album is Leonard Nimoy. A very refreshing experience."

Track listing for The New World of Leonard Nimoy:

Side 1:
1. Time to Get It Together
2. Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town
3. The Mayor of Ma's Cafe
4. I Walk the Line
5. I Finally Saw the Two of You Today
6. Mary's Near

Side 2:
1. Abraham, Martin & John
2. Proud Mary
3. Let It Be Me
4. Everybody's Talkin'
5. The Sun Will Rise
6. Put a Little Love in Your Heart

House and Home Compilation

Hey, y'all! I'm all moved from my apartment to my new house! Woo hoo! I've officially been in the house for almost three weeks now - spent my first night here on February 23. Last weekend, I moved the final "big" things (futon, bicycle) from my apartment, so now all I have left to do at the apartment is clean it. I still have to bring all my stuff up from my house in my hometown, but that's another story.

Anyway, in honor of my new house/home, I decided to put together a compilation of songs with the word "house" or "home" in the title. There's a variety on here - classic standards, instrumentals from movie soundtracks, rock, country - so I hope you like them. The house in the photo is actually my new house. It's what's referred to as a "mid-century modern", or a "1950's soft contemporary", or an "atomic ranch" house. The inside is really cool - interior brick walls, very open, vintage kitchen, vintage bath - and it is in pristine condition for a house built in 1959. I'm very excited about my new house and plan to be here a long, long time!

Track listing for House and Home Compilation (in order by artist):

1. House of Love - Amy Grant
2. The House - Bernard Herrmann
3. Come On-a My House - Bette Midler
4. Feels Like Home - Chantal Kreviazuk
5. Our House - Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young
6. Come On-a My House - Della Reese
7. I'm Coming Home Again - Dusty Springfield
8. Around the House - Ivor Osborne
9. The Old House - Jerome Moross
10. Little Pink Houses - John Cougar Mellencamp
11. Come On-a My House - Julie London
12. Our House - Madness
13. Come On-a My House - Rosemary Clooney
14. This Old House - Rosemary Clooney
15. Homeward Bound - Simon & Garfunkel
16. Home - Stephanie Mills
17. House of the Rising Sun - The Animals
18. In My House - The Mary Jane Girls
19. This Old House - The Oak Ridge Boys
20. I'm Going Home - Tim Curry
21. That's My House - Toby Keith
22. Every Light in the House is On - Trace Adkins
23. White Houses - Vanessa Carlton

Sajid Khan - Sajid (1969)

Here's one you don't see too often! How many of you remember a television show in the late 1960s called "Maya"? It starred a teenage Jay North ("Dennis the Menace") and this teenage boy from India, Sajid Khan, and they rode around on this elephant named Maya. I barely remember it myself, but I do remember seeing pictures of Sajid on the cover of various teen magazines. Well, being that I especially like collecting celebrity vocal record albums, I searched and searched for this album until I finally got in on eBay last year! (Now, if I could only find the album Kurt Russell recorded around 1970...) The liner notes on this album were written by the editor of 16 Magazine, Gloria Stavers. (I'm very familiar with that name since I religiously bought that magazine for years!) So, you could say that it was the teen magazines that heavily promoted him as a "star", although he quickly disappeared after the show went off the air. Just last week, I was watching an episode of "The Big Valley" on the Encore Westerns channel, and Sajid was the guest star! I sometimes wondered what happened to Sajid, and it turns out that he returned to India and continued his acting career over there. If this brings back memories and you were a Sajid fan back in the day, you can check out his website and catch up on him!

(BTW, I'll be moving to my new house over the next couple of weeks, so I won't be posting anything until I get my computer and stuff all set up.)

Track listing for Sajid Khan - Sajid:

Side 1:
1. A Song Inside
2. Everything is You
3. Moon River
4. I Love How You Love Me
5. This Guy's in Love with You
6. Dream

Side 2:
1. Smile
2. A Closed Heart Gathers No Love
3. Someday
4. I Started a Joke
5. Ha Ram (Of Love and Peace)
6. Getting to Know You

I was trying to find a video of his appearance on "American Bandstand", but couldn't find one. I did, however, find this video on YouTube that someone put together to his song, "Ha Ram":

Steve & Eydie - We Got Us (1960)

My good friend, Vince, requested that I post an album by Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme, so, of course, I was happy to oblige! I love Steve and Eydie, and this album is absolutely fabulous! It won a Grammy for them back in 1960, and you'll see why when you give it a listen. There are lots of familiar standards on this album, and it's a joy listening to Steve and Eydie sing them. So, Vince, I hope you don't already have this album and that you enjoy it as much as I do!

"This monophonic record can be played on your stereophonic system. The sound will be even more brilliant."

Track listing for Steve & Eydie - We Got Us:

Side 1:
1. We Got Us
2. Side By Side
3. No Two People
4. Darn It, Baby, That's Love
5. Together
6. Flattery

Side 2:
1. This Could Be the Start of Something
2. I Remember It Well
3. Baby, It's Cold Outside
4. Two Lost Souls
5. Harmony
6. Cheek to Cheek

Steve & Eydie sing "This Could Be the Start of Something":

Eydie Gorme - Eydie in Love (1958)

I love Eydie Gorme. I mentioned in a previous post that I grew up listening to her "Amor" and "Mas Amor" albums, so that's how I was exposed to her wonderful voice and songs. Those were the only two of her albums that my mom had, so I had never listened to "Eydie in Love" until I bought this album. And, once again, it was the cover that caught my attention - I love the expression on Eydie's face! One should be so lucky to feel whatever she's feeling in that picture!

Well, this album does not disappoint. Eydie sings some wonderful pop standards and brings her own style of warmth and feeling to these songs. It's simply delightful! I was able to remove most of the clicks and pops, but you can still hear some, and there's a skip in a couple of the songs, but none that will detract from the overall performance. I hope you enjoy this album as much as I do!

Track listing for Eydie Gorme - Eydie in Love:

Side 1:
1. When the World Was Young
2. In Love in Vain
3. Here I Am in Love Again
4. Why Shouldn't I?
5. In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning
6. Love Letters

Side 2:
1. In Other Words
2. When I Fall in Love
3. Idle Conversation
4. Why Try to Change Me Now
5. Impossible
6. It Could Happen to You

Here's a video of Eydie singing "Johnny One-Note":

Myron Floren - Lawrence Welk Presents Myron Floren Polkas (1963)

Here's a treat for you polka lovers! I couldn't resist buying this album when I saw it because I grew up with "The Lawrence Welk Show" and loved Myron Floren. I remember watching the show with my parents and aunt every Saturday evening (the only other option was "Hee Haw" and we definitely were NOT a "Hee Haw" type of family) when I was a little kid in the 1960s and early 1970s. Myron was one of my favorite performers on the show, along with Bobby and Cissy (my very favorites), and the guy with the great tenor voice. My younger cousins, Abel and Sammy, also grew up with the show, and we used to play that we were on "The Lawrence Welk Show". Now, how many of you can say that you used to do that??? I would be Lawrence Welk (after all, I was the oldest and therefore, the boss), and then I would be several of the girl singers (mostly Ana Cani, because she was from Mexico). Abel and Sammy would be the various guy singers, but Abel would be Bobby to my Cissy (Sammy was the youngest and the shortest at the time - he's the tallest now). But the best performer of all that we all wanted to be was Arthur Duncan, the tap dancer. He completely wowed us! I remember we would dance ourselves into complete exhaustion trying to imitate him (none of us knew how to tap dance). Who knew that pretending to be on "The Lawrence Welk Show" could be so much fun? Years later (in the 1980s), my mother got to see Myron Floren at some festival back home. The venue was packed with all the other senior citizens that had arrived before her, so she watched the show from outside one of the windows of the place. She didn't mind - she loved it. After all, it was Myron Floren!

So, there's my trip down memory lane. Back to this album... There are some really fun polkas on this album and you'll recognize most of the tunes. You may even want to play this at your next polka party! After listening to this (and getting my aerobic workout by dancing around the room to it - and scaring my cats), I think that I'll have a polka party after I move into my new house!

Track listing for Lawrence Welk Presents Myron Floren Polkas:

Side 1:
1. Helena Polka
2. Hoop-Dee-Doo
3. Julida Polka
4. Pennsylvania Polka
5. Emilia Polka
6. Beer Barrel Polka

Side 2:
1. Jenny Lind Polka
2. Champagne Polka
3. Strip Polka
4. Happy Norwegian Polka
5. Medley: Little Brown Jug; Skip to My Lou; Polly Wolly Doodle
6. Medley: Tavern in the Town; Hot Time in the Old Town

And here's a video clip of Myron Floren on "The Lawrence Welk Show" playing "Dance of the Comedians":

Chad Everett - All Strung Out (1971)

"Paging Dr. Joe Gannon! Paging Dr. Joe Gannon!"

How many of you watched Chad Everett starring as "Dr. Joe Gannon" on the television series "Medical Center" back in the 1970s? I used to love that show! (Does anybody know if and when this is coming out on DVD?) And Chad Everett was the grooviest doctor ever! James Brolin was cool as the motorcycle-riding "Dr. Steve Kiley" on "Marcus Welby", but Chad Everett was G-R-O-O-V-Y! Remember the mod clothes he wore? I remember one episode where he was wearing these groovy furry boots - he definitely brought some style to doctors' wardrobes! And that hair - never a hair out of place! Even now when I see him in some commercial for insurance (or something like that), he still has that perfect hair (silver now) and is still a good-looking man. Sigh.

Well, our man Chad also recorded a couple of record albums back during his "Dr. Joe Gannon" days - and I have both of them! Many of you know how I have a particular fondness for celebrity vocal albums, and my Chad albums are two of my favorites. "All Strung Out" is his debut album and contains some familiar songs as well as some I've never heard of before. My favorite is "Hey Girl" (although my favorite version of this song is by a young Donny Osmond - before his voice changed). An interesting bit of trivia about this album is that it was produced by Nino Tempo (of Nino and April fame). Nino also arranged several of the songs and played the sax solo on "Hey Girl". Oh, and "All Strung Out" was first recorded by Nino and April in the 1960s.

So, here's groovy Dr. Joe Gannon crooning some tunes! Enjoy!

Track listing for Chad Everett - All Strung Out:

Side 1:
1. You're My Soul and Inspiration
2. Ain't No Sunshine
3. All Strung Out
4. I Can't Go On Livin' Baby Without You
5. Bayou

Side 2:
1. Can't Kick the Habit of Lovin' You
2. Jesus Hammer
3. Hey Girl
4. Speak of Love
5. Man from Nazareth

The Cascading Voices of the Hugo & Luigi Chorus - Let's Fall in Love (1963)

Yet another treasure from the HPB bargain bin, and that caught my attention because of the cover - the couple (especially the girl) just look so happy! I'd never heard of Hugo and Luigi, but when I googled them, I found out that they were pretty famous record producers. Learn something new every day. Anyway, I really liked this album - it's quite delightful! If you like vocal groups like the Norman Luboff choir, Ray Conniff Singers, Ray Charles Singers, and the like, then you'll like this album. I think the last paragraph of the liner notes says it all:

With the fresh style of the Hugo & Luigi Chorus caressing the senses, it's easy to follow the suggestion of the title song, Let's Fall in Love. Listen with a partner. Wonderful things may happen.

Track listing for The Cascading Voices of the Hugo & Luigi Chorus - Let's Fall in Love:

Side 1:
1. Tenderly
2. Let's Fall in Love
3. Melody of Love
4. I Don't Know Why (I Just Do)
5. True Love
6. Anniversary Song

Side 2:
1. Falling in Love with Love
2. As Time Goes By
3. Can't Help Falling in Love
4. Always
5. I'm in the Mood for Love
6. Let Me Call You Sweetheart

Dante & His Orchestra - Serenades for Sex Kittens (1958)

Is this a crazy cover or what?! I love it! Needless to say, when I saw this cover, I just had to buy this record - I didn't care who it was by or if I liked any of the songs. I mean, just look at this cover! Who comes up with some of these cover art ideas anyway? Well, this is one I'll be framing and hanging up on the wall of my new house (I'm in the process of buying a groovy mid-century modern house - I'll post pictures of it in a later post). And I just love the title of the album, too! The music itself is pretty good - I'd say this is an album to add to your lounge collection. I did my best to clean this one up, but you will still hear some clicks and pops, plus a couple of the songs have some minor skips.

Here are the liner notes by Jay Arcy - more of a free-form poem, really (kinda like what I would think they would recite in those beatnik cafes - love it!):

"SEX KITTENS"
... modern myrrh and mischief ...
flat-tummied, twin-turreted gamins ...
moist pouted underlips ... amoral pixies and confused carnivores
stuffed animals, jazz and racing cars ... lazy, lithe
child wastrels ... sic transit GINA and MARILYN
swiftly now, cross over the BRIGETTE.
Lush the sex kittens; lush their serenades ...
zee melodies Americaine burst like grapeseeds
from Paris terraces ... sweeping strings, tres hi fi, society brisk ...
whirring, purring ... gay, cyclical Sartrian
strains ... hers all hers ... her manner,
her madness ... HER MUSIC.

Track listing for Dante & His Orchestra - Serenades for Sex Kittens:

Side 1:
1. I'll Always Be in Love with You
2. Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree
3. But Beautiful
4. That's My Weakness Now
5. I Fall in Love with You Everyday
6. Suddenly It's Spring

Side 2:
1. When They Ask About You
2. The River
3. Bahama Buggy Ride
4. Going My Way
5. My One and Only Love
6. Please Don't Talk About Me

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

Steve Allen - Plays Bossa Nova Jazz (1963)

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and that 2008 is the best year yet!

This album by Steve Allen is starting off a new year of musical postings. It's called "Steve Allen Plays Bossa Nova Jazz" and is really cool! I do love bossa nova, although I was very small when it became the rage and don't remember ever listening to it until I became an adult. I've also wanted to learn to dance the bossa nova, but it wasn't offered at the various dance studios where I spent seven years learning ballroom dancing in the late 1980s and early 1990s. (If anyone out there knows of a video or something that teaches how to dance the bossa nova, please let me know!) Anyway, I really dig this album and it's perfect for cocktail parties or dinner parties. I posted another Steve Allen record last year (I love saying that when "last year" was only a few days ago), but I think I like this one better. You can read about the multi-talented Mr. Allen on Space Age Pop, where there's quite a detailed bio on him.

Here's the list of the other musicians that play on this album:

Donn Trenner, Leader
Bob Enevoldsen, Tenor Sax
Laurindo Almeida, Guitar
John Setar, Flute and Alto Sax
Herb Ellis, Guitar
Jules Bertaux, Bass
Bob Neel, Drums
Frank Rosolino and Jimmy Zito, Brazilian Rhythm instruments

Track listing for Steve Allen Plays Bossa Nova Jazz:

Side 1:
1. Dream
2. St. Louis Blues
3. This Could Be the Start of Something
4. Manhattan
5. The One I Love Belongs to Somebody Else
6. Sweet Georgia Brown

Side 2:
1. Mah Mah Limbo
2. Time After Time
3. Impossible
4. Lovely to Look At
5. Imagination
6. Let's Fall in Love

Various Artists - Great Songs of Christmas Album Six (1966)

Here's yet another treasure from the bargain bin at HPB! I understand there were ten of these albums that were "created exclusively for Goodyear" (it's a "Collectors Album Limited Edition" by Columbia Special Products). There were two of the others in the bargain bin, but the records were in pretty bad shape so I didn't get them. If anyone has the other nine albums or knows where I can go to download them, please let me know!

I'm surprised that my mother didn't buy any of these back in the day, since she bought all the other "special" Christmas albums (the Maxwell House one, the Radio Shack one, etc.). And a lot of my Christmas presents from Santa came from our local Goodyear (Does anyone remember when Goodyear sold more than just tires - like TVs, cool toys, etc.?), so that really surprises me that my mom didn't buy at least one of these albums.

Anyway, since this is a Goodyear record, I have to share a story about my mom's shopping at our local Goodyear. Back in the day, Goodyear had some awesome toys (my red metal pedal car and my tricycle, to name a couple), and on the morning after Christmas, my dad would drop my mom off downtown on his way to work, so that she could take advantage of the after-Christmas sales. (Remember, this is in the 1960s before we had shopping malls - and when most families had one car.) Well, my mom REALLY took advantage of those sales! At the end of the day, my dad would pick her up in front of Goodyear (I guess he knew that's where she'd really hit the jackpot), where she'd be standing on the sidewalk literally surrounded by all her purchases! My mom once told me that most of her purchases were toys and stuff for me (I'm an only child). I don't ever remember my parents arriving with a carload of toys on the day after Christmas, so I asked my mom what she did with all those things so that I never saw them. Well, parents have their special hiding places, and I just never snooped around looking for stuff (Why would I? I didn't know this was happening!). Throughout the year, my mom would give me toys from this hidden stash - for bringing home good grades, for my birthday, for when I seemed a little "blue" (my mom actually said this), etc. Those were the days!

Well, now that I've shared that with you, I hope you enjoy this record and have a very Merry Christmas! (I'll be back in a couple of weeks, after the holidays.)

Track listing for Great Songs of Christmas Album Six:

Side 1:
1. Silent Night - Barbra Streisand
2. Do You Hear What I Hear - Andy Williams
3. The Christmas Song - Johnny Mathis
4. The Holiday of Love/Caroling, Caroling - The King Family
5. Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring - Pablo Casals
6. O Little Town of Bethlehem/It Came Upon a Midnight Clear - The King Family
7. O Come, All Ye Faithful - Jan Peerce
8. Ave Maria - Barbra Streisand

Side 2:
1. Frosty the Snowman - Ray Conniff
2. We Need a Little Christmas - New Christy Minstrels
3. Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow - Steve Lawrence/Eydie Gorme
4. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing - Ray Conniff
5. Noel Nouvelet - Jan Peerce
6. March of the Kings - Mormon Tabernacle Choir
7. Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly - Mormon Tabernacle Choir
8. White World of Winter - Bing Crosby
9. Il Est Ne - New Christy Minstrels
10. Still, Still, Still - Mormon Tabernacle Choir
11. Away in a Manger - Mahalia Jackson/Percy Faith
12. We Wish You a Merry Christmas - Ray Conniff