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exotica-digest         Thursday, July 16 1998         Volume 02 : Number 154



In This Digest:

Re:  Re: (exotica) Lurkers
Re: (exotica) Into the next millenium...
[Lou Smith: (exotica) fwd: hot four-stringed instrument of the week]
(exotica) CDnow Update - Import Sale!
(exotica) Loungecore
Re: (exotica) hot four-stringed instrument of the millenium
Re: (exotica) Lurkers
(exotica) Do you actually like this stuff?
Re: (exotica) Loungecore
Re: (exotica) Do you actually like this stuff?
Re: (exotica) Do you actually like this stuff?
(exotica) ...and we didn't even need to have a seance for this Houdini!
Re: (exotica) Do you actually like this stuff?
Re: (exotica) ...Ray Conniff -- fact or fiction???
(exotica) SUSHI 4004 compilation
RE: (exotica) ...Ray Conniff -- fact or fiction???
(exotica) Re: Barry Adamson
Re: (exotica) Lurkers
Re: (exotica) ...Ray Conniff -- fact or fiction???
Re: (exotica) ...Ray Conniff -- fact or fiction???
Re: (exotica) ...Ray Conniff -- fact or fiction???
Re: (exotica) ...Ray Conniff -- fact or fiction???
Re: (exotica) ...Ray Conniff -- fact or fiction???
Re: (exotica) Do you actually like this stuff?
(exotica) cheap records part one

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Tue, 14 Jul 1998 21:52:30 -0700
From: Steve Sando <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re:  Re: (exotica) Lurkers

At 11:23 PM 7/14/98 -0400, Nat Kone wrote:
> Would it make any difference if someone included a
>thumbs up or down?  A description?  That could make the posts pretty long
>but I would like to see that occasionally myself.

Not for me, but again, I'm in the minority and really don't mind hitting
the delete button. If one of these Lps was really swell, a seperate post
and some info is always appreciated.

But again, I'm not complaining about these posts. It was just the
suggestion that the lurkers are lurking to pass the insights here as their
own when I suspect a lot of it is lack of interest.

MisterLUCKY, published by Coconut Grove Media
Visit MisterLUCKY on the web: http://www.mrlucky.com
PO Box 78146, San Francisco, CA 94107
"Strange how potent cheap music is" - Noel Coward


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------------------------------

Date: Wed, 15 Jul 1998 02:40:35 EDT
From: <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: (exotica) Into the next millenium...

In a message dated 98-07-12 23:10:37 EDT, [e-mail] writes:

<< I just hope that when they throw away all the old records, they give them
 to Goodwill and not send them to the landfill sites which I know does
 happen occasionally already. >>

Well I hate to make your cringe but a friend of mine at work who's an original
Martin Denny fan from the Denny days told me about a shit load of lounge he
saw in the trashcan of a neighbor's.  Had he known I would have been
interested, he would have intervened.

- - Michele


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------------------------------

Date: Wed, 15 Jul 1998 12:11:01 +0100
From: Peter Hipwell <[e-mail]>
Subject: [Lou Smith: (exotica) fwd: hot four-stringed instrument of the week]

> Lou Smith <[e-mail]> quoted:

>      Hey, if swing can come back, why not the ukulele? The folks at Rhino,

[snip]

> number from 1959. The best numbers on 'Legends' tend to be the earliest,
> from the '20s and '30s, including "My Ukulele" by British singer George
> Fromby, who played a banjo uke. It would be nice to have a whole disc from
> this era. Later ukulele songs tend toward the lounge ("Misty" by Nelson

While the mention of Formby might cause certain British heads to
simply explode, I'll just mention that there are several George Formby
CDs available. Check out the George Formby Society at
http://freespace.virgin.net/peter.pollard/ for a discography. On this
count there are 30(!), but I don't know which are in print. (There's
also a 78s discography, but not one for LPs).

He's still a superstar over here.

- -- Pete (digs Roy Smeck too).



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------------------------------

Date: Wed, 15 Jul 1998 10:07:52 -0500
From: Lou Smith <[e-mail]>
Subject: (exotica) CDnow Update - Import Sale!

I just received this notice from CDnow. FYI. Standard disclaimer: I have no
personal interest or association with CDnow.
- -Lou

>..........................................................................
>       T H E   C D N O W   U P D A T E --
>..........................................................................
>
>            All Imports on Sale Now!
>
> More than 70,000 titles available at 30% off! Limited time offer from July
> 13th through July 20th at noon EST. There's never been a better time to
> build up your record collection. Browse our vast collection of import
> titles and take advantage of this SPECIAL offer now!
> Go to:  http://cdnow.com/from=reX:X:cdn:up153




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------------------------------

Date: Wed, 15 Jul 1998 07:51:26 PDT
From: "Robert McKenna" <[e-mail]>
Subject: (exotica) Loungecore

'Loungecore' is definately a later, and i think English, construction. i
believe it is an ironic take on hardcore and suchlike labels for various
dance music types. It relates to the way the lounge scene in europe is
dance orientated (possibly because cocktails are soooo expensive and
measures in england are a pitiful 1/6 gill). Loungecore, to me, refers
to Now Sound and modern sampling artists eg. Tipsy, Stock, Hausen and
Walkman, Jimi Tenor Dmitri form Paris etc. as well as sounds such as the
Easy Tempo series, basically funky but often with large bands and more
intricate arrangements than standard r&b / pop.
btw i largely lurk as most questions are answered by the time i get the
digest. i do this mainly to find out about music, so thrift scores are
cool by me, so long as it is informative. I've scored Baxter, Esquivel,
Denny and Enoch Light records in charity shops, but are they rare over
here!
As for a swing scene in England, there's one (that definately doesn't
include me!) in Ireland, mainly late teens early 20s, so i assume it
must be in Britain too.
thanks
robert

______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com


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------------------------------

Date: Wed, 15 Jul 1998 11:15:30 -0400
From: "m.ace" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: (exotica) hot four-stringed instrument of the millenium

Some ukulele links...

Ukulele Diner
http://world.std.com/~syphers/ukediner/

Riot Ukes
http://www.speakeasy.org/~marks/riot/

Brudda Bu's Ukulele Heaven
http://www.geocities.com/~ukulele/

Elderly Instruments (in Michigan) has been pushing ukes for years. Here's their
listing of new ukes currently in stock (there are also a few in their "vintage
& used" listings). No photos unfortunately. How about a Konablaster electric
uke?
http://www.elderly.com/new_instruments/UKE.htm

m.ace  [e-mail]
OOK   http://www.voicenet.com/~ecam/


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------------------------------

Date: Wed, 15 Jul 1998 11:54:45 -0500
From: "Mark D. Head" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: (exotica) Lurkers

[e-mail] wrote:

> Good for you Nat top challenge the lurker "Mark Head" (and he's not the ONLY
> one<no offense personally to you Mark>)

I take no personal offense, but I didn't really view this as a "challenge" as much
as a question.

> .....Part of the purpose of this digest
> seems to be to define what its all about, this whole sound we all seem to be
> exploring. If the lurkers already know what its all about, why are they
> lurking? My guess is that they want to incorporate new ideas into their
> repetoires and try them on for size. What is lacking is their own
> participation and sharing of ideas and--yes--taking a risk. In short, ball-
> free, they take ideas from cyberspace free of charge and give nothing
> back....Its better to have 42 strong participants than 329 people, 75% of whom
> just watch

I have no concern about "taking a risk" to say what I think, just am very
selective about what I choose to discuss.  One of the great things about the
internet and this discussion list is the ability to be as much or as little
involved as I choose.  To make an ongoing commitment to always comment
thoughtfully, deeply, etc. is admirable and I appreciate those list members who
do.  However, I enjoy the right/ability to cherry-pick the items that are of
particular interest to me - and to ignore posting about them if I'm busy!  Which
is often!

- --

     Mark D. Head
_________________________________________________
     Cogito cogito.  Ergo, cogito sum.




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------------------------------

Date: Wed, 15 Jul 1998 13:39:05 -0400
From: Nat Kone <[e-mail]>
Subject: (exotica) Do you actually like this stuff?

Yesterday I was going through a recent pantload of thrift store purchases,
still considering whether to post them here.
And I was listening to this double Frank Chacksfield record as I talked to
a friend online via ICQ.  And I kept stopping and thinking "This is really
good".
His version of "Bali Hai?"  And it's not like it was a particularly cool
version either.  Not like the Johnny Keating Combo version, also part of
the latest haul.  It was a pretty straight arrangement but I really enjoyed
it.
Frank Chackfield?  Really good?  It's not that I'd never experienced that
with him before.  I like his version of "Get Back" on his Beatles record
but still...
Good.  Not just fun or kitschy or perversely pleasurable.  Genuinely good.
Genuinely enjoyable.
Then I had one of those moments where I thought to myself "With all your
discerning taste, you really can listen to anything, can't you?  Not just
listen but enjoy."  (Anything that is, except "The Night Chicago Died".)
But today, going through the same pile, I was forced to take off a
latter-day Ray Conniff record - boy did he lose it or what?? - and then I
was relieved to find that I still had some "standards" left.
Not that I don't occasionally listen to stuff as bad as that Ray Conniff
record ("Happiness Is") but I don't genuinely enjoy them.
I didn't start listening to this stuff because I genuinely enjoyed it.  I
mostly listened to it because I was buying it.  And I was buying it for the
most part, because it was there.
And then I realized I was listening to it a fair bit, if only to see what I
had bought.  A lot of the time I just thought of it as "pallet-cleansing"
music.  If you couldn't find anything else you really wanted to hear, you
could always turn on a lounge record.  And afterwards, anything else you
played sounded great.
At a certain point, I did come to accept that I genuinely liked some of it.
 But I was still pretty sure that I was liking "the better stuff".  The
cooler stuff, the groovier stuff.  The stuff that was a little closer to
jazz or rock n roll or just closer to "real music" as opposed to
"background music"... which all music is but anyway...

You guys who have been listening to this stuff for ten years or more.  Is
this how it goes?  You wake up one day and it's not only Esquivel and Jean
Jacques Perry and Mancini you like but you're standing there at the records
going "What should I play?  Curtis Mayfield or Frank Chacksfield?"

Hoping for redemption,

Nat



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------------------------------

Date: Wed, 15 Jul 1998 14:19:28 -0400
From: Nat Kone <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: (exotica) Loungecore

At 07:51 AM 15/07/98 PDT, Robert McKenna wrote:

>'Loungecore' is definately a later, and i think English, construction. i
>believe it is an ironic take on hardcore and suchlike labels for various
>dance music types. Loungecore, to me, refers to Now Sound and modern
sampling artists eg. Tipsy etc.

Well this makes sense to me.  I'm sure this was the ORIGINAL meaning of the
word or what they meant when they first coined the term.  But CD
compilations like the EASY PROJECT "20 Loungecore Favorites" are referring
to Sounds Orchestral and Johnny Keating.
I've incorporated THAT meaning into my everyday references now and
basically if the record has songs like "Frenesi" or "Third Man theme", I
call it lounge and if it has instrumental versions of Beatles tunes or
"Light my fire", I call it loungeCore.

But still, within that definition, there are way groovier cover tunes like
by Bob Thiele, Bud Shank, Howard Roberts, Gabor Szabo.  Then there are
mildly groovy things like Sounds Orchestral, and some of the Living
Guitars, Living Jazz and Brass Ring stuff.  Then you take a little step
"down" and you're at Ronnie Aldrich and his two pianos.  Another step down
and you've got Kostelanatz doing "Me and Mrs.Jones".

And then, kind of in a parallel universe, there's Sandy Nelson doing a
really cool version of "Time won't let me" or "Mendocino".

I call it all loungecore.  The Kostelanatz and the like, I call "sucky
loungecore".  The Sandy Nelson I call rockin loungecore.  Or instrumental
rock.

Or just music, right man??  What do we need labels for?  Labels suck.
Labels are for the marketing people.  Music belongs to the people.

Nat



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------------------------------

Date: Wed, 15 Jul 1998 11:25:03 -0700
From: Jeff Phillips <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: (exotica) Do you actually like this stuff?

At 01:39 PM 7/15/98 -0400, Nat Kone wrote:

>You guys who have been listening to this stuff for ten years or more.  Is
>this how it goes?  You wake up one day and it's not only Esquivel and Jean
>Jacques Perry and Mancini you like but you're standing there at the records
>going "What should I play?  Curtis Mayfield or Frank Chacksfield?"

Oh hey, pal, it gets worse!  Speaking of the following...

>But today, going through the same pile, I was forced to take off a
>latter-day Ray Conniff record - boy did he lose it or what?? - and then I
>was relieved to find that I still had some "standards" left.
>Not that I don't occasionally listen to stuff as bad as that Ray Conniff
>record ("Happiness Is") but I don't genuinely enjoy them.

The title track of this album is one of my favorite Ray Conniff tunes.  As
the singers tell what "happiness is" to different people, you just can't
help but get perked up along with them!  "To a beatnik, it's his beard,
beard, beard..."  And do you have the album (I forget the title...Alone
Again?) with "Brandy" and "Where is the Love?"  I tell ya, they're *almost*
better than the original versions to me now.

I was recently accused by my galpal as I was digging Ray's "Laughter in the
Rain" on headphones - she said, "I do believe you're actually *enjoying*
that stuff now!  It's not just for kitsch value anymore!"  I had to agree.

EZ does it,

Jeff Phillips

          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
          ~~ Jeffrey D. Phillips ~ [e-mail] ~~
          ~ Director of Concert Production ~ 333 Market Street ~
          ~~~~ Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra ~ Plaza Suite ~~~~
          ~~~~~~~~ San Francisco, California 94105~2102 ~~~~~~~~
          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~





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------------------------------

Date: Wed, 15 Jul 98 15:40:44 -0500
From: recliner <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: (exotica) Do you actually like this stuff?

>You guys who have been listening to this stuff for ten years or more.  Is
>this how it goes?  You wake up one day and it's not only Esquivel and Jean
>Jacques Perry and Mancini you like but you're standing there at the records
>going "What should I play?  Curtis Mayfield or Frank Chacksfield?"


This is why I keep going on and on about keeping those records around
that might not presently be to your liking. You just may come around to
ejoying them.

I think the exotica listeners/thrift shop denizens are unique to most
misic appreciation crowds. They are more willing to take a chance on
something and more appreciative of the care some arranger put into a
tune. Yes, I'm generalizing to a degree, but it's to make the point that
lounge/exotica appreciation is inherently adventuresome in its tastes.

It can also get to the point of being self-punishing. Take for example my
Calypso fetish.
For years I've been buying those albums that, presumably, folks brought
back from their Jamacian/Bahamas vacation. (You wanna talk about signed
covers!).
But, honestly I just don't like them, I keep hoping that I'll come across
the missing link that will make all this calypso stuff make sense to me
but instead I just keep getting these horribly inane records. I do enjoy
the Mitchum album and the movie Bop Girl Goes Calypso is a hoot. I also
really like the old stuff, Wilometh Houdini, et al. Consequently I keep
thinking there is still hope. In the mean time I have about thirty
calypso albums that I never listen to, but will I get rid of them? As
long as I have room, NO!

Frank

My Vinyl Recliner - Music from the in-seam of the 50's and 60's
Every Tuesday night from 10 - 11:30 on WMPG 90.9fm, Portland Maine!



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------------------------------

Date: Wed, 15 Jul 1998 16:06:59 -0400
From: "Brian Phillips" <[e-mail]>
Subject: (exotica) ...and we didn't even need to have a seance for this Houdini!

>I also
> really like the old stuff, Wilometh Houdini, et al.

So nice to see a mention of Wilmoth Houdini on the list!  My father had a
couple of his 78's, such as "Popcorn Man".

As far as the "as I get older, will I dig Ray Conniff?"  Never!!!!

Brian Phillips




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------------------------------

Date: Wed, 15 Jul 1998 16:39:13 EDT
From: <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: (exotica) Do you actually like this stuff?

In a message dated 98-07-15 14:58:41 EDT, you write:

<< The title track of this album is one of my favorite Ray Conniff tunes.  As
 the singers tell what "happiness is" to different people, you just can't
 help but get perked up along with them!  "To a beatnik, it's his beard,
 beard, beard..." >>

this song is soooooooo goofy you just gotta love it.  the nostalga station i
listen to plays it on the weekend some times.  i haven't got a copy for myself
yet.

robert


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------------------------------

Date: Wed, 15 Jul 1998 16:44:05 EDT
From: <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: (exotica) ...Ray Conniff -- fact or fiction???

In a message dated 98-07-15 16:05:09 EDT, you write:

<< As far as the "as I get older, will I dig Ray Conniff?"  Never!!!!

 Brian Phillips
  >>

i dunno, i love all those idealistic hummers and do-do-da-da-ers in the back
ground.  ever heard "Ring those Christmas Bells" by Fred Waring and the
Pennsylvanians -- they have a snip of it on Ultra Lounge Christmas Cocktails
I.  The wholesome attitude trips me.

robert


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------------------------------

Date: Wed, 15 Jul 1998 19:12:45 +0000
From: the_curator <[e-mail]>
Subject: (exotica) SUSHI 4004 compilation

=46olks

Wanted to let you all know about the new Sushi compilation which is very
good though i've only given it a couple of listens so far ... all the info
is below ... also there's a couple of events which people in the UK might
be interested in ...

=2E.. and no, i don't work for Bungalow ... yet ;-)

Sem Sinatra

**************************************************************

LIVE SUSHI?
Top Japanese DJs to visit uk

Two launch parties have been confirmed to celebrate the release of SUSHI
4004 - The Return Of Spectacular Japanese ClubPop. The nights will
feature four of the finest exponents of ClubPop, three of them having
flown over especially from Japan for the parties.

Present will be Konishi from Pizzicato 5, who will be joined by Tanaka
>from Fantastic Plastic Machine and Yoshinori Sunahara, solo artist for
Bungalow and member of platinum selling Denki Groove. Bungalow Records
=FCbermeisters Le Hammond Inferno will also be present, their first stint
since their memorable set for The Big Chill at Brixton Academy in April.

The two nights take place as follows:

Sat Aug 15th    The Wag Club, Soho, LONDON W1
in association with Blow Up
Sun Aug 16th    The Ocean Rooms, 1 Morley Street, BRIGHTON         in
association with Caf=E9 Expos=E9

YOSHINORI SUNAHARA releases his second solo album, a concept album about
Tokyo Underground Airport entitled 'Take Off And Landing', in late
September on Bungalow Records. His first, much delayed album for the
label, 'Crossover', was released at the beginning of the year.

=46ANTASTIC PLASTIC MACHINE released their debut album The Fantastic
Plastic Machine earlier this year. An exclusive track is also included
on the forthcoming Pussyfoot compilation 'Suck It And See'.

PIZZICATO 5's most recent album was Happy End Of The World on Matador
Records. A remix album, entitled Happy End Of You is also available.

LE HAMMOND INFERNO run Bungalow Records from their Berlin suite, and
have also released two highly acclaimed limited edition 12" singles,
=46ormula 1 and East Of Suez. They are currently working on an album, in
between parties.

AND HERE'S SOME INFO ABOUT THE ALBUM ITSELF!!!

SUSHI 4004
THE RETURN OF SPECTACULAR JAPANESE CLUBPOP!

Release Date: 31 August 1998    Format: LP/CD   Cat #: BUNG36-1/2

Bungalow Records is proud to bring you the SUSHI
4004: A Spectacular Collection Of Japanese Clubpop. Now you're
talking...

If ever a nation deserved respect for its musical culture and
willingness to adopt  both new and old ideas, then Japan is it. SUSHI
4004 is as good an indication of this as you could ever hope for. Over
the last two years, Bungalow Records has helped spotlight the
extraordinary talent of the east. They began with the original SUSHI
3003 compilation, and followed with the release of the genre crossing
DOB album, the mellow techno vibes of YOSHINORI SUNAHARA and the
fabulously entertaining retro futuristic pop of FANTASTIC PLASTIC
MACHINE.

Now all three artists are included on SUSHI 4004, the second collection
of what compilers Le Hammond Inferno like to refer to as 'clubpop'. They
sit alongside artists like PIZZICATO 5, the band that first brought The
Land Of The Rising Sun into the limelight and who inspired Le Hammond
Inferno's obsession, and CORNELIUS, whose stunning debut album for
Matador, Fantasma, has helped emphasise the incredible diversity of the
Japanese scene. Ex Deee-Lite man Towa Tei is also present in his SWEET
ROBOTS AGAINST THE MACHINE identity, KAHIMI KARIE returns with another
softly spoken work of genius - her contribution to SUSHI 3003 is one of
its highlights - whilst TAKAKO MINEKAWA offers the Buffalo Daughter-
produced 'Fantastic Cat'. Liner notes offer the full line up and details
of who is who.

In total, Le Hammond Inferno have handpicked sixteen of the finest
examples of Japanese Clubpop. They have saved you not only the cost of a
journey to Tokyo's Zest Records, where they have scoured the racks for
the most memorable sounds of the east, but also the need to listen to
any more Oasis wannabes ever again. If ever proof were required that pop
is a universal language, then SUSHI 4004 is a document that would stand
up in any court of law. Not only that, but it would make jurors sing
with joy, the defendant renounce all thoughts of evil and harm ever
again, and the judge shake his flabby ass with wild abandon.

Quite a claim. But then this is quite a record...




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------------------------------

Date: Wed, 15 Jul 1998 17:01:46 -0400
From: "Brian Phillips" <[e-mail]>
Subject: RE: (exotica) ...Ray Conniff -- fact or fiction???

Then my thrifting won't damage yours in ONE area!

Truth be told, the man used to be hip.  I have a 78 by Cozy Cole, Concerto
for Cozy b/w Jericho on Savoy.  Very nice Jazz/drum specialty sides.  The
label actually lists the personnel and the trombone player is none other
than...Ray Conniff!

So my dirty little secret is out.  Don't hate me because I'm beautiful,
either.

About Fred Waring, the best version of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" is
theirs, even above Autry's.  Why?  The version I am thinking of has sound
effects:

"Rudolph the Red-Nosed *HONK-HONK*,
Had a very shiny *SNORE*"

And so forth.

Brian Phillips, Son of a *BANG*

> i dunno, i love all those idealistic hummers and do-do-da-da-ers
> in the back
> ground.  ever heard "Ring those Christmas Bells" by Fred Waring and the
> Pennsylvanians -- they have a snip of it on Ultra Lounge
> Christmas Cocktails
> I.  The wholesome attitude trips me.
>
> robert
>




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------------------------------

Date: Wed, 15 Jul 1998 14:24:06 -0700
From: Thom Heileson <[e-mail]>
Subject: (exotica) Re: Barry Adamson

> From: [e-mail] (Jonathan M Perl)
>
>> ...he's got a new album that just came out called,
>> "As Above, So below", this one features a little more singing than
>> some of his past efforts...its real good if you like dark, eerie,
>> creepy stuff.
>
> I was personally seriously disappointed by the new album.  One, maybe two
> cuts that I liked - to my ears, the rest had an unpleasant industrial
> edge.

As in, darker? Is this album more along the lines of Moss Side Story (a
big fave of mine) than other Adamson works?

Thanks in advance for any info; please cc- any replies to
[e-mail] as I'm not always able to go through my
digests...

Thom


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Date: Wed, 15 Jul 1998 18:16:02 EDT
From: <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: (exotica) Lurkers

In a message dated 7/15/98 1:59:27 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
[e-mail] writes:

>  Would it make any difference if someone included a
>  >thumbs up or down?  A description?  That could make the posts pretty long
>  >but I would like to see that occasionally myself.
>
For me personal, I love reading any reviews, observations, critiques on LP's.
Not only does it help alert me to things to seek and avoid, but I enjoy seeing
the other people's opinions of records I enjoy. In a way, it's just nice to
see these records discussed at all, reassuring me that I am not the only one
who appreciates how great some of the things really are.

Larry


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Date: Wed, 15 Jul 1998 21:16:35 EDT
From: <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: (exotica) ...Ray Conniff -- fact or fiction???

In a message dated 98-07-15 17:00:18 EDT, Brian wrote:

<< Truth be told, the man used to be hip.  >>

Weren't we all ????  My kid won't believe it tho.

Ray also arranged some of Johnny Mathis' biggest hits. Johnny was a seminal EZ
singer (excuse the pun) who was probably responsible for the unplanned
existence of my oldest nephew and a lot of the later cohort baby boomers. And
Ray's early "S" records with the ba da da's (S'Wonderful etc.) can be quite
enjoyable.

"Happiness Is" has previously been mentioned here as one of those insidious
brain-attacking songs that takes days to flush out once you listen to it.
Maybe that's why it was used for a Kent cigarette commercial, or did the
commercial become the song ?  The way TV is appropriating tunes anyway these
days makes watching commercials like listening to the radio.

JB


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Date: Wed, 15 Jul 1998 21:48:31 EDT
From: <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: (exotica) ...Ray Conniff -- fact or fiction???

And what about Ray's Latin record ("A Touch OF Latin" I think)?  Great one. A
band I used to be in played "Besame Mucho" in a version closely based on the
one from that album.

Yes, I listed to this stuff because I LIKE IT. Otherwise, why would I bother?

I think for lounge fans, maybe it is not that we are more adventurous than
other music fans, but more OPTIMISTIC. We will search through bins of crap
records hoping to find that elusive gem, buy tons of records that we know 50%
+ of them will probably blow, because we know that one of them is going to be
mind blowingly good!

Or, maybe not.

Larry


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Date: Thu, 16 Jul 1998 01:37:09 -0400
From: "Br. Cleve" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: (exotica) ...Ray Conniff -- fact or fiction???

At 9:48 PM -0400 7/15/98, <[e-mail]> wrote:

>I think for lounge fans, maybe it is not that we are more adventurous than
>other music fans, but more OPTIMISTIC. We will search through bins of crap
>records hoping to find that elusive gem, buy tons of records that we know 50%
>+ of them will probably blow, because we know that one of them is going to be
>mind blowingly good!
>
>Or, maybe not.

That's it exactly! Thank you!!

br cleve




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Date: Thu, 16 Jul 1998 02:49:57 -0400
From: Nat Kone <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: (exotica) ...Ray Conniff -- fact or fiction???

At 09:16 PM 15/07/98 EDT, [e-mail] wrote:
>Ray's early "S" records with the ba da da's (S'Wonderful etc.) can be quite
>enjoyable.

That's the thing.  Seems like as soon as his singers started singing actual
words, everything fell apart.
Words kill.
You stop making the singers just another instrument in the band, push them
out front and make them sing a song, everything goes to hell.

I only knew Ray Conniff records from Born Free and the like and when I kept
hearing him mentioned as cool or interesting, I just thought another sign
of the Apocalypse was coming to pass.  But yeah, then I tried one of those
S records and it was so different yet so similar yet so so much cooler.
In fact those records were cool enough to make me see if I had changed my
mind about the Born Free type records.
No.
Sorry.
They suck.
But I can see why some people here like them.  Some people would get sugar
injected directly into their brain if the service was offered.

Nat





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Date: Thu, 16 Jul 1998 02:55:59 -0400
From: Nat Kone <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: (exotica) ...Ray Conniff -- fact or fiction???

At 09:48 PM 15/07/98 EDT, [e-mail] wrote:
>
>I think for lounge fans, maybe it is not that we are more adventurous than
>other music fans, but more OPTIMISTIC. We will search through bins of crap
>records hoping to find that elusive gem, buy tons of records that we know 50%
>+ of them will probably blow, because we know that one of them is going to be
>mind blowingly good!

I think that's the very definition of optimism.
Or delusion, take your pick.

I search through bins of crap because I like searching through bins of
crap, occasionally stopping and going "Gee, I don't know if I've ever seen
this particular brand of crap before".

Then taking it home, listening and putting it into a box in a dark corner
because people tell me that one day my taste will get so bad that I'll be
glad I have that record.

And they're right.

Except for Ray Conniff doing Born Free.

But the New Christy Minstrels doing "What the world needs now", that rocks!

Nat



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Date: Thu, 16 Jul 1998 10:03:19 +0100
From: "Charles Moseley" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: (exotica) Do you actually like this stuff?

Charles Moseley@MCKINSEY-EXTERNAL
07/16/98 05:03 AM


To:   [e-mail] @ MCKINSEY
cc:
Subject:  Re: (exotica) Do you actually like this stuff?


I've only been buying records for 10 years now but I've learned one
important lesson:

ONLY buy records that you want.




There we go. It's simple - if you go off and buy any LP that looks
interesting or might be good, you'll waste your money and end up with a
pile of crap records.
Use your listening experiences and recommendations from others to determine
what to buy, then go off and find it. If a record doesn't turn up for 10
years, keep looking, but don't buy a Ray Conniff record because you're
bored and there might be something interesting on it.
This rule also allows you to spend more money on the records that you
really do want. e.g., If you finally see a copy of The Italian Job and its
on your list, buy it. If it costs a lot (within reason), do it anyway. Its
better to spend $100 on a record that you really want than $5 on one that
might be good - and 20 crap records at $5 is $100 anyway (and you're left
with 20 records you never play).




Charlie





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Date: Thu, 16 Jul 1998 05:30:28 -0400
From: Nat Kone <[e-mail]>
Subject: (exotica) cheap records part one

Monday I knew I was overdue for a swing through the Goodwill stores at the
western fringes of the city.  And I was right.
Three hours door to door.  Five stores.  65 records.
One place I bought three; another place I bought thirty.

The exotica/lounge highlights:

Richard Shores "EMOTIONS"  (Mercury, some time in the fifties I'm sure)
All I really needed to see was the anguished naked woman on the cover.
A record made back in the day when "gay" was still an emotion.
I love stuff like this.  "Hey people are starting to talk about their
emotions, maybe we should make a concept record..."  Each of the ten cuts
is a different emotion.
It sounds like a pretty good overwrought soundtrack for a film that was
never made.  When is this being reissued?

ROGEN-DENJEAN and CO.
How many times have I passed this record up?  You see it a lot, at least
around here.  But now, with my new knowledge, I think "Denjean?  Could it
be Claude Denjean?"  And sure enough it is.  I don't know much about this
except that it was made in Montreal and probably in the seventies since
they cover "Saturday in the Park" by Chicago.  Some over-the-top synth, a
lot of organ, electric piano..
A couple of the original cuts are okay but I almost want to start DJ'ing
just so I can play this version of "Backstabbers".

Claudine Longet "CLAUDINE"...
Yeah just like people here said, you can pick them up.  She can shoot me on
the slopes anytime she wants.
It's not on this record but does anyone know anything about that song (on
"Look of Love") called "Man in a Raincoat"?  Is that a flasher fantasy or a
rape fantasy?

Henry Jerome BRAZEN BRASS GOES LATIN
Well who wouldn't pick this up?  My third Brazen Brass record and possibly
the best so far.  I almost sold one the other day but it was just too
brazen for me to let it go in the end.  Heavy percussion...

Ferrante and Teicher PIANOS IN PARADISE
I guess this is some of that early "good" F&T but then I like their version
of "Lay Lady Lay" on a later record so I don't much care.  I don't think
the piano is "treated" like on that "Soundproof" record I have of theirs.
But this is good old fashioned straight exotica.

Leo Addeo HELLO DOLLY
I skipped the title song which I'd prefer never to hear again.
The other day I mentioned Leo Addeo in the same sentence as Esquivel.  He's
hit and miss and he's not as extreme as Esquivel but you can never ignore
Leo if you like over the top arrangements.

Norrie Paramor NEW YORK IMPRESSIONS
Another concept record.  And a cool cover shot of a busy New York street.
Maybe they should have saved the words "Recorded in London" for the back of
the record.  I like this as much for what it says about the times as for
what it sounds like.

The Peanut Vendors SWINGING LATIN NIGHTS (United Artists 1958)
I didn't even look at the band to tell you the truth.  And I'm still not
sure if I recognize any names except Don Lamond.  But Charlie Palmieri and
Eddie Costa do ring a bell.
This is a great record.  The perfect mix of Latin cheese and Latin jazz.
I'll have to check but I don't think I have another Latin version of "Swing
Low Sweet Chariot"
(It could be in better shape.  I'd even pay a little for this record.)

Juan Torres y sus ORGANO MELODICO vol.18
This is the ringer in the bunch.  Never heard of him and this is volume 18!
I think this could be an exotica classic, sort of... emphasis on "sort of"
It doesn't look that old. It's like a mariachi band with an organ player
who doesn't know how to blend in. I think I'll be getting in touch with his
people and reissuing this myself.

Some non-exotica highlights (part one):

Grand Funk "We're an American Band".
I never had this.  Stone classic.  I totally understand the critical
reassessment of Grand Funk now.

MASEKELA (on Uni) I guess this is an early Hugh Masekela record.  If I
started to DJ, I think I'd get around to this record soon.

Lena Horne "Feeling Good"  I think she made a lot of mediocre records so
I'm never too excited to see them.  This is a pretty good one.

Petula Clark "Downtown" Lots of songs I've never heard. Do you know her
"Memphis" record by the way.  I guess everyone did a Memphis record.  Check
out the song "Goodnight Sweet Dreams" from that record.

Up With People "In Hollywood"
My third U.W.P. record.  A record that appeals to the optimist somewhere
buried inside me.  I haven't played it yet but I already know I'm going to
love the cut "I'm going to be strong"

part two follows next.  Get your delete finger ready..

Nat






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End of exotica-digest V2 #154
*****************************