Sunday, December 14, 2008

Christmas Rhapsodies for Young Lovers

ChristmasRhapsodies_Front

ChristmasRhapsodies_Back

Album: Christmas Rhapsodies for Young Lovers

Artist: Midnight String Quartet

Year: 1967

Label: Mistletoe Records

Liner Notes: "The Midnight String Quartet presents the Christmas album of the year, and for every year to come! What better instrumentation could be found to project the spirit of the holiday season. The selection of Christmas songs and carols were carefully picked by the producer, "Snuff" Garrett to give everyone their favorite song of the season. The Midnight String Quartet has now arrived at a position of great prominence among the successful instrumental groups of the world. I hope that you will find this album to be both inspirational and entertaining -- it should prove to be just one important step in the new but successful career of this most enjoyable ensemble. -- Ed Silvers"

Track Listing:

  1. White Christmas
  2. Sleigh Ride
  3. Christmas Rhapsody
  4. The Christmas Song
  5. Silent Night
  6. The Little Drummer Boy
  7. Oh Holy Night
  8. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
  9. First Noel

Sunday, December 7, 2008

In the Mexican Bag

InTheMexicanBag_Front

InTheMexicanBag_Back

Album: In the Mexican Bag

Artist: Billy Strange and the Mexicana Brass

Year: 1966

Label: GNP Crescendo Records

Liner Notes: "Billy Strange is the unsung hero of the music business. He digs music inside and out. And he knows how to take even the most complicated things and put them into a language that everybody digs. Needless to say, he sure gets thru to this girl! He's given me direction. A SOUND! Billy's like a short wave radio. He not only sends out his message loud and clear, but he receives everybody else's. So when you ask Billy to write something, you can be sure that there will be a part of you in it too. Because he can pick up on you, like nobody else! He figured me out in a fast five minutes. I OWE HIM A LOT! AND I LOVE HIM A LOT! -- Nancy Sinatra"

Track Listing:

  1. These Boots Are Made for Walking
  2. Crying Time
  3. Flowers on the Wall
  4. Michelle
  5. Caliente
  6. Tijuana Taxi
  7. The Shadow of Your Smile
  8. Guillermo's Guitar
  9. Adios
  10. Spanish Eyes
  11. A Touch of Tabasco
  12. Hava Tequila

Monday, November 24, 2008

Persuasive Percussion

PersuasivePercussion_Front

PersuasivePercussion_Back

PersuasivePercussion_Inside

Album: Persuasive Percussion (Volume 1)

Artist: Terry Snyder and the All Stars (featuring Tony Mottola, Willie Rodriguez, Dick Hyman, Jack Lesberg, Teddy Sommer, Artie Marotti, Stanley Webb, and Dominic Cortese.

Year: 1959

Label: Command Records

Special Features: Cover art by Josef Albers. Also, reportedly, the first use of gatefold packaging.

Liner Notes (excerpt): “This is the most unusual record you have ever put on your turntable. It is a unique mixture of entertainment, excitement, beauty, and practicality. It will show off the marvelous potentials of your stereo equipment – potentials that you may not even have realized were there before – and at the same time it will enable you to adjust your equipment so that you will get the best possible performance from it.”

Track Listing:

  1. I’m in the Mood for Love
  2. Whatever Lola Wants
  3. Misirlou
  4. I Surrender Dear
  5. Orchids in the Moonlight
  6. I Love Paris
  7. My Heart Belongs to Daddy
  8. Tabu
  9. The Breeze and I
  10. Aloha Oe
  11. Japanese Sandman
  12. Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Hammond Hit Parade

HammondHitParade_Front

HammondHitParade_Back

Album: Hammond Hit Parade

Artist: Harry Baumann

Year: Unknown

Special Features: Two cocktail recipes on back.

HammondHitParade_Recipe

Side 1:

  1. Congratulations / Rock Around the Clock / Warst Du doch in Dusseldorf gebliedben
  2. Harlekin / Mony, Mony / Jumpin’ Jack Flash
  3. Bells of Love / Young Girl / Hohe Tannen
  4. What a Wonderful World / Hurdy Gurdy Man
  5. Help Yourself / Alle Blumen wollen bluhen / Cotton Fields

Side 2:

  1. Arrividerci Hans / Simon Says / Yummy Yummy Yummy
  2. Sehnsucht / A Man Without Love / Choo Choo Train
  3. Happy Harry / Sunny Morning / My Name Is Jack
  4. Honey / Du solst nicht weinen
  5. Der Computer Nr. 3 / Lazy Sunday / Last Night in Soho

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Show and Tell

ShowAndTell

Album: Show and Tell

Artist: Ed Powell, Kay Lande, and the Golden Orchestra

Year: Unknown

Label: Golden Record

Special Features: Show and tell wall chart included to guide your child in do-it-yourself activities with numbers, letters. clock, yardstick, and calendar.

ShowAndTell_WallChart_Side1 ShowAndTell_WallChart_Side2

Track Listing:

  1. Show and Tell
  2. Days of the Week
  3. Relativity (It’s Amazing!)
  4. Numbers (Five Little Fingers & The March of the Ants)
  5. Color Magic (Red, Yellow & Blue)
  6. Pretend (Be a Birdie in a Nest)
  7. Let’s Measure Things (Yardsticks)
  8. Months of the Year
  9. Letters ! of the Alphabet
  10. How to Tell Left and Right
  11. Shapes (The Story of Poor Billy Blob)
  12. How to Tell Time