VA- Great Motion Picture Themes Vol 2

DSCN4536This was 80 cents.  I got it mainly for the track I wanted to use as a sample.  I kind of got movied-out after going all soundtracks in February so I was not as excited to listen to it again as I thought I would be when I bought it.

et pour quelques dollars de plus

Normally, these compilations are easy to listen to, have a good range of material, and are fun to blog about.  This one, eh, not so much. It is ok.  Just a collection of popular instrumental titles from movies from the 60’s.  At first, I was not sure if these are all done by originally artists or not.  The album cover would suggest that some are.  Others I am not so sure about.  Even others, such as Ferrante & Teicher doing “Tara’s Theme” from Gone With The Wind, I am pretty positive are not original.  Some of the highlights to me include “You Only Live Twice”, “The Honey Pot”, “Alfie”, and of course, Quincy Jones’ “In The Heat of the Night”.DSCN4537

But I got this for the theme from “For A Few Dollars More”, the Sergio Leone western, so that is what I am going to sample, by gum.  Composed by Ennio Morricone, this version was done by XXX.  The movie, itself was a sequel to Fistful of Dollars and brought Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef together.  Despite Eastwood calling Van Cleef “Old Man” in the movie, there was really only five years between the two.  This was also Van Cleef’s first staring role, as he had long been a supporting role actor beforehand.  Leone approached Henry Fonda, Lee Marvin, and Charles Bronson before settling on Van Cleef, who cemented his role as a western bad ass in this and future movies to come.

ffdm8.jpg

IMDB Page for the movie

I did not know this but Leone broke many Hollywood rules at the time with this film, most of which if not all were unbeknownst to him.  This included a shooter and a victim being in the same shot, a horse getting gunned down, marijuana use, and a rape scene.  Anyway, with this being said, here is the theme from “For a Few Dollars More” by the LeRoy Holmes Orchestra.

LeRoy Holmes
LeRoy Holmes

Some information on LeRoy

What do I like about it so, besides being a Morricone number?  I think it it the organ part.  All good western theme music should have an organ part.  That was also what I was missing on yesterday’s post.For a Few Dollars More 25

As the album goes, it is really meh.  Probably just soundtracked-out after February but also probably would have liked the individual soundtracks more rather than this compilation.

 

 

Algerd Brazis w/ the Zibuokles Women’s Sextet- Favorite Lithuanian Hymns.

DSCN4546Ah, another busy day of work and hockey tonight which crams whatever home life I have into a short window.  As a result, I will try to breeze thru this post for this album I bought to diversify my blog. It was 80 cents.2722480122_3abd331740_b

This album is a collection of Lithuanian hymns, sung by baritone Algerd Brazis with the Zibuokles Women’s sextet.  Brazis died in 2007 at age 92.  He was recognized in his obituary for his 31 year stint with the Chicago Lithuanian Opera as well as his work with the Met in New York.   The Zimbuokles Women’s Sextet , on the other hand were from New Jersey. Louis Stukas was the director. Also a New Jersey native, he passed in 2005.  The organ, which I wish there were more of, was played by Algerdas Kacanauskas.  I had to translate his information.  He was born in St Petersburg in 1917, fled to Germany in 1944, moved to Brooklyn sometime in the 1950’s, and died in 1977.  Along the way, he became a accomplished international organist in Lithuanian circles. and I thought I was not going to do back stories today.2333684931_41bf1e4e24

These hymns were influenced by both Gregorian and Polyphonic singing, although I would argue this album lacks the first part, at least in the sense that makes it interesting.  German chorales and Polish religious hymns also shape this art form which was passed down not from sheet music but rather oral traditions.  If you are looking for rarities here you are out of luck.  These are popular hymns.  They are however not liturgical, which means according to the back of the album, they can be sung at home.DSCN4547

For a sample, I decided to go with “Sveika Marija” or Hail Mary, sung by the baritone, Brazis.VilniusHolyGhostChurch

Meh.  I guess I was expecting a bit deeper organ and a bit more chorus. At least I got this done in twenty minutes.

 

The King Sisters-Aloha

DSCN4544This was $2.40.  I thought I got it recently, that is to say within the last two months, but looking at the price tag, I must have gotten this on Labor Day.  I still have a bunch of records from last year’s Memorial Day that I still have not posted yet.  I am really not buying any new albums these days until I clear a good chunk of my backlog out, which I have not done as of yet.  Anyway, I got this one for the Hawaiian music .CNbZrR3UkAAtzc0

As another side note, this was from Moses Melody Shop on 3958 Westheimer which I assume has long closed down.  The first shop was in Little Rock, Arkansas and known as the”Hippest Record Shop” in town.  It was opened by Cleve Moses shortly after World War I.  His sons, Cleve JR and James ran it after Cleve Sr’s death.  Additionally, Cleve Jr moved to Houston after WW II and opened shop here.   Note that the picture above is from the Little Rock Store.King-Sisters-Mormon

The King Sisters were a popular vocal group of the 1930’s and 1940’s.  Born and raised in Pleasant Grove, Utah, where they were most likely Mormen, the sisters were part of their family band before making it on their own in radio, in big bands, and then in movies.  They also had a variety program on the TV for a while in the mid 60’s.  Six sisters have performed throughout various incarnations but from what I can tell the sisters started as a trio of Maxine, Luise, and Alyce. Donna, and Yvonne joined when Maxine retired to raise a family.   The line up on this album consists of Marilyn, Luise, Alyce, and Yvonne. They are all dead now, the last one, Marylyn,  passing on in 2013.King_sisters_1964

The King Sister’s Webpage

As stated on the cover, this album features music by slide guitar virtuoso, Alvino Rey.  Luise had married Rey in 1927 and remained so until her death.  If you have been reading this blog regularly, you may recall that Rey and Luise’s grandchildren are Win and William Butler of Arcade Fire.

HeadsMCAShot
The Sisters with Rey

Anyway, this album is full of good work from both Rey and the sisters.  Released in 1957,it is what you would expect.  There is a bunch of slack/ slide guitar parts and big band style vocals given to Hawaiian standards.  I was kind of thinking I would yawn throughout this album but I was actually quite amused.  Highlights include, “My Little Grass Shackin Kealakekua” and “On the Beach at Waikiki”.DSCN4545

For a sample, I went with the old favorite of mine “Hawaiian War Chant”.  After some thought on the drive home from work, I decided to throw in “On The Beach At Waikiki” as well.last-photo-bgr

Satisfactory Record.

Tom Jones- The Country Side of Tom Jones

DSCN4533This was $4.00.  I was not going to pass this up at any price, never less close to the top end of my purchasing limits.  You may have noticed this but I am trying to keep post construction down to 20 mins or less.cf16a7a69aa631c845ea9cca46e9ee94

Oddly enough, I have not come across a whole lot of Tom Jones, born in Wales in 1940.  I do not know if there is not a lot of records out there in the secondary market or if they are mostly over $5.00.  Either way, Jones had 36 Top Forty Hits in the UK and 19 in the US so he is no slouch.  He still performs here and there and was recently a judge on the UK’s version of The Voice.

Tom’s Web Page

LOS ANGELES - CIRCA 1978: Welsh singer Tom Jones poses for a portrait circa 1978 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry Langdon/Getty Images)

This album was released in 1978 as a compilation under London Records.  According to the back cover, all this material was previously released.  Many artists released country albums in the 1970’s.  I am guessing someone at the label wanted to ride the country and western fad with this release.king

The album is pretty good.  It has a decent collection of songs on it including “Little Green Apples” and “Wichita Lineman”.  The songs are mostly slower paced, taking advantage of Jones’ booming voice.  While the songs are C&W standards, the instrumentation is not.  It is safe to say that Jones puts his stamp on these and not vice versa.DSCN4534

For a sample, I went with “Cool Water” and “Ring of Fire” as I felt these were the best songs.Tom-Jones-4

Satisfactory record.

Steeleye Span-Parcel of Rogues

DSCN4506This album represents my big score from last year’s Memorial Day Sale at Half Price Books Sale.  I got it at the HPB at Hwy 6 and Veterans’ Memorial. They have a huge dollar section.  It was 80 cents with discount.  I was ecstatic.  There was a guy next to me in the dollar racks talking to himself.  He asked me a question if I was buying a certain album but it took me a while to answer.   I did not realize he was talking to me.Steeleye_span_mk42-600

This was Steeleye Span’s fifth album and the most successful to date (although it would be eclipsed soon thereafter).  This was made with its classic lineup that produced a good string of hit records in the seventies.  It was formed out of a theater project the band was working on at the time, a stage version of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Kidnapped.  The book and play focused on a time in the aftermath of the 18th century Jacobite Rising, where Charles Edward Stuart attempted to regain the British throne for the House of Stuart with a march south from Scotland. In preparation for this, the band became familiar with a good deal of 18th century Scottish poetry and songs.The_Battle_of_Culloden

Wikipedia page on said rebellion

DSCN4507

The albums title comes from the Robert Burn’s song, also on this album, “Such a Parcel of Rogues in a Nation”.  The song was a decry against the members of the Scottish Parliament who signed the Act of Union with England in 1707 and were suspected of taking bribes.  The song continues to this day to be associated with Scottish Nationalism.Photo-of-STEELEYE-SPAN-001

The rest of the album is pretty good.  It reached #13 in the UK.  The underlying theme of the album can be the contrast between the old and the new both in theme with song selection, song themes , and the interplay between acoustic and electric instruments which Steeleye Span is known for.  The album contains three of their classic numbers, “Allison Gross”, “One Misty Moisty Morning”, and “Cam Ye O’er Frae France”.  The latter is a satirical Jacobite song mocking the court of King George I or Geordie Whelps in the song.  I was tempted to write a summary about it on this page but my Lord is there already too many words in this post.  If you have any interested you can read about the song here.

Meaning of Cam Ye O’er for France

DSCN4508

For samples, I went with the above mentioned “Cam Ye O’er for France” because it is one of my favorite Steeleye Span songs.  I also decided to include “Parcel of Rogues” for what few Scottish friends I have and not to stroke any nationalistic fires.steeleye-span_2767432k

Anyway, this is the third Steeleye Span album I have posted so it should go without saying that I would call this a Top Rated Album.

VA- The Kitty Wells Show

DSCN4497This was either a dollar or three dollars.  I need to do a better job of documenting my purchases.  I am kind of leaning on this being a buck.  Either way, I do not see much Kitty Wells for cheap.e20b6211d118468899162fc28cecbbf2

Kitty Wells, the Queen of Country Music, was born in Nashville in 1919.  At 18, she married a aspiring country singer, Johnny Wright.  They formed an act along with Wright’s sister, and later, with Wright’s brother-in-law.  After various incarnations, including the male duo, Johnnie and Jack, Wells hit the big time with a slightly novelty number, “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels”.  The song was a response to Hank Thompson’s “Wild Side of Life” which borrowed the music from the same.  From here, Wells had a string of hits in the 50’s and 60’s.

Wells Web Page

KJi

Wells and Wright remained married and were 33 days away from thier 74th anniversary when Wright passed on in 2011 at age 97.  Wells would pass on a year later at age 92.kitty_johnny

 

This album was released by Decca in 1966.  I am guessing it was taken from a mid-60’s concert.  The sound quality is awfully good for a live recording.  At first I thought it might have been recorded from a TV or radio show but I could not see any evidence of Wells doing either around this time frame.  Regardless, the album features four tunes by Wells plus a few numbers by her husband, their son, Bobby Wright, instrumentalist “pickers” Paul Yandell and Odell Martin, and Bill Phillips, who despite being an accomplished singer, is probably best known today for introducing Dolly Parton to the world of country music.  Johnnie Wright, incidentally, serves as the MC on the album.

Bill Phillps
Bill Phillips

DSCN4498

Despite having only four Wells songs, the album is pretty good, giving an entertaining mix of mid sixties country and western.  For a sample, I went with the song that made Wells a star, “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels”.  I also went with one of my favorite numbers “Lonely Street” by Bill Phillips, although I don’t think it can hold a candle to Ray Price’s version.maxresdefault

Satisfactory record.

The Roger Wagner Chorale-Folk Songs of the Old World Vol 2

DSCN4519This was $2.40.  I should have probably read the back cover a bit before buying it.  I saw Folk Music of Europe and just went with it.bio-wagner-roger

Roger Wagner was born in Le Puy, France in 1914.  He died in Dijon, France in 1992.  In between, he went to America, where he directed the MGM chorus, the Los Angeles Master Chorale, and the Robert Wagner Chorale.  During his career, he was decorated with many awards and honors.

The Roger Wagner Chorale’s Web Page

Interestingly enough, the directorship of the Chorale was assumed by Wagner’s daughter, Jeannine in 1992.roger_wagner_at_piano_with_lamc_members_circa_1965

This album is a collection of vocal chorale songs from various countries in Western Europe, including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Holland.  The inclusion of songs from Scandinavia is what drew me to this originally.  As sated above, I saw folk music and just went with the album expecting something a bit different.  If I would have read the back cover, I would have known that this was going to be a collection of vocal works.  I guess I was expecting more instrumentation.  I can hardly fault this record for my lack of reading.  DSCN4520

That being said, the songs are ok.  I mean the album delivers what it promises, technically superior vocal chorus interpreting folk songs of yore.  I do really like the diversity of countries represented on this album.Wagner-w-singers4web

For a sample, I decided to go with a few numbers from different places.  First is “Ayer Te He Visto” ( I Saw You Yesterday), a love song from Spain.  Second, is “Rosa” a children’s skipping song form Holland.  The accordion in the track is one of the few examples of prominent instrumentation on the album.  Finally, mainly in part because I got some hits two days ago from Denmark, here is the Danish “Gaaer Jeg Udi Skoven”(I Wander Thru the Woodlands).  According to the back cover, Danish folk songs are rooted in the noble classes of the middle ages.  This song speaks of the Danish love of the outdoors.roger_wagner_recording

It is a bit unfair to shoot this record down because I did not read before I bought, but I am doing just that.  This album is meh to me.

 

Nancy Sinatra-Nancy

DSCN4538This was probably was $3.20. I imagine I got a discount on it on Labor Day.  I a lot of Nancy Sinatra’s work, mostly her work with Lee Hazelwood.  This album also had some decent songs on it.9b8082d8e591f7c90305916681422d05_532x768x1

 

Nancy’s Web Page

I am guessing this was Sinatra’s sixth studio album, released in 1969.  It was her first after ending her professional relationship with Hazelwood.  For why, I do not know.    The pair would apparently get back together for an album in 1971 for RCA.  Anyway, this album has been described as a “departure from her earlier work and all over the map stylistically”.DSCN4539

This album,indeed, is kind of all over the place.  Most of the numbers are laid back and slow.  It really isn’t one of my favorite of Sinatra’s work but there it is.  Highlights include “Big Boss Man”, “Son of a Preacher Man”, and “For Once in My Life”. “Son of a Preacher Man”, in particular, sounds like the musicians were drinking syrup before recording.  It should be noted that the famous Los Angeles session squad the Wrecking Crew played on these tracks including Hal Blaine, Billy Strange, and Carol Kaye.sinatra-nancy-517e242a14134

For a sample, I went with the “Light My Fire”.  Why not?1280-78rxm7mxgbbbfnt1rkzga63an62wdj3ztzte8c31

Nancy has much better albums out there but this one isn’t bad.  The variety of tunes keeps me from dumping on this so I am going to call it satisfactory enough.

 

Cliff Parman and His Boys- Country and Western Guitars

DSCN4523This was two dollars and 40 cents.  It looked like a decent record.  The song selection is good and it had the right people on it.promo251672394

After spending about 20 minutes on the subject, I have little information on Cliff Parman other than he was a band leader of sorts and he co-wrote Nat King Cole’s hit “Pretend” as well as some of Connie Francis’s tunes.  Oddly enough he is not really mentioned among the personnel on the record so I am guessing he arranged the album.  This record does, however, boast an extensive array of country music sidemen.  The rhythm section consists of Pig Robbins on piano, Buddy Killen on bass, and Willie Ackerman on drums .  In terms of guitarists, these luminaries include Fred Carter, Kelso Herston, Charlie McCoy, Wayne Moss, Jimmy Wilkerson, and my favorite, Jerry Reed .Jerry_Reed_Guitar-306x385

The album itself is a collection of instrumental versions of top country songs with a focus on guitar.  One criticism of this album is that it would be nice to know which guitarist plays on what songs.  Other than that, it is a pretty decent album which delivers on what it professes to be.DSCN4524

For a sample, I decided to go with Hank William’s “Jambalaya” which is done pretty well on this album.  I had narrowed it down between this , “Your Cheatin’ Heart” and “Sugarfoot Rag”.art-Vintage-Late-50-s-Country-Western-Acoustic-Guitar-w-Original-Case

This album is ok.  I will say satisfactory even.

Bert Kaempfert- Wonderland By Night

DSCN4511This was 80 cents.  After the last Kaempfert album I bought and posted, I became a fan.1923-header-72-2-1

I had written a post on Kaempfert last year.  The post focused on his role with the Beatles in the early days of their development.

Link to Earlier Post

This album was released in 1960 and contained his first big hit, the title track.  Unable to get a release in Germany, he took the single to the US where it made him an international star.  This song was #1 on the charts for three weeks.  I imagine this album followed that success.DSCN4512

Listening to it today, the record does sounds like dated soft pop instrumentals, but it did mark a radical departure from the 1950’s pop fare and as well as an indication of music before the 1960’s really begun.   It is kind of sandwiched between those two eras.  The album itself is pretty good and contains a good sample of Kaempfert’s arranging style.  Also, five of the twelve songs are written by Kaempfert. The album, like the single, also went to # 1.

For a sample, I went with “The Aim of My Desires”.  It is a pretty swanky number indeed.bert_kaempfert

Satisfactory Record