Heeresmusikkorps IV- Soldatenlieder

Well,  it is September, which means Oktoberfest is on us again. Technically, it started 3 days ago.  This, the celebration runs to October 3. For one reason or another, I seemed to really double down on the German records this year for this event,  Well, let;s kick it off with this that I got for $2.

Link to helpful hints regarding attending Oktoberfest in Munich

This is a record of soldier’s songs performed by a marching orchestra, occasionally accompanied by a choir.  I assume the IV signifies 4th division of what ever branch this band is from.  Not really feeling digging into to this much further.  Listening to an album of military marches was enough research for me. Not that I do not support the military but it is just there have been no real innovations in the field of marches.  Also, I am not sure there should be, at least not at this juncture.

Anyway, for a sample, I went with “Das Schonste Auf Der Welt’ which translates to “The Most Beautiful In The World”.  To what they are describing, I do not know.

I hate to give this meh since I knew what it was going to sound like before I bought it, but come on.  Rather bland record so meh.

Hank Thompson-The New Roving Gambler

This little gem was $2.50, way worth the price…nay, a grand bargain I say for a Hank Thompson record.  Also , this is the last regular record I am posting on thsi site for the next two weeks as things are about to get real German for Oktoberfest.

It seems that I probably would have mentioned this on the last Thompson post, but did I mention that Thompson’s Nudie suit is in the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix?

This is a compilation record from Hilltop, released in 1968, I believe (some sources point to 1966).  It is made up of earlier songs and is not doubt a budget label release.  Pretty decent stuff.  Some of his bigger numbers, including “Oklahoma Hill” are on this.

But it is the title track which got my attention.  I was quite familiar with the folk versions of this tune, including Rambin’ Jack Elliot’s.  Thompson put his own style on this track and the story plays out in full as compared o the other versions.  Pretty good rendition.  That’s why its our sample.

Good record. Satisfactory.

Jeff Beck with the Jan Hammer Group- Live

This was $2.80 and purchased to inject a bit of rock into the blog which I like to do on Saturdays.  I saw Jeff Beck live at Sam Houston Coliseum.  He was a split bill with Stevie Ray Vaughn,  The year was 1989.  I was still in high school and was 15.  Terry Bozzio played drums.  Tony Hymas was on keys.  I remember being pretty stoked about “Freeway Jam”.  That is about all I remember.

Set List to said show

Interview with Beck and Vaughn and crew

Well, there is this live album, with a similar set up with the Jan Hammer Group.  Hammer best known for his work with the Mahavishnu Orchestra and the Miami Vice theme. Recorded somewhere on tout in 1976 (sources say the Astor Theater in Reading, PA on August 31) and released in 1977, this record features 7 songs which highlight Beck’s guitar skills as well as the interplay with the group.

For a sample, I went with “Full Moon Boogie”, solely because it had vocals, provided by drummer Tony Smith.  Just to round out the personnel, Fernando Saunders plays bass and Steve Kindler plays violin.

Good little album.  Satisfactory.

Ernest Tubb- Ernest Tubb’s Record Shop

This was $2.  Big Tubb fan myself.  Part of me recalls going to his record store in Nashville, Tennessee during a summer trip as a youngster.  But I am not too sure if I am confusing reality with Coal Miner’s Daughter.

Regardless which narrative is true, Tubb’s Record Shop, located on 417 Broadway in Nashville, has been a fixture since 1947.  In its heyday, the store expanded to other Nashville locations as well as out of State but with the general decline in in person music sales, I believe this is the only store left.  Tubb used to host a Midnight Jamboree on Saturday nights in his store.  This was also shown in the movie referenced above.  It is the second longest running radio show.  It also has been moved out of the store.  It is still free however. At the time of writing this, frequent blog subject Connie Smith was the guest host.

Link to Record Store

Anyway, this album came out in 1960.  Pretty good collection of country songs.  I am pretty lazy today so I have linked the Allmusic review which also points out the contribution of the Texas Troubadors as well as the sessionmen on the record.  Easy way out?  Sure.  It is close enough to the weekend so keeping it brief.

Link to Allmusic review

For a sample, I went with “Pick Me Up On Your Way Down”.

Good little album.  Satisfactory.

Trio Del Norte & Trio Los Aquilluchos- Saludos Amigos

This little gem was a dollar.  I tried rolling the dice on this to see what kind of latin music I would be getting myself into.

I do not know much about this record other than what is on the sleeve. The title translates into “Greetings, Friend”.  Released on the Sutton label, a budget label who sold in supermarkets rather than record stores, this is a collection of latin music, mostly bolero and ranchera style.  My guess is that this came out sometime in the sixties.  I suppose if I was a bit more up to snuff on my latin cultures, I might be able to pinpoint where this music came from but not today, I am afraid. My money is Mexico.

For a sample, I went with “Vieja Celosa”.  It is a ranchera and reminds me of the music they play when Liberty Valance gets shot in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance although not shown below.

As far as this record goes, I got a lot of milage out of it.  I liked it.  Satisfactory.

Billy Vaughn and his Orchestra- Blue Hawaii

This puppy was a buck.  Got it for the songs, most of which I like.  What is going on this week, other than zipping thru posts?  Well, nothing as much to make note of but still too much to dedicate too much time to writing this.

On that note, Billy Vaughn has always been hit or miss with me.  Well this album from Dot Records, released in 1959, is pretty much a miss.  I found the arrangements to be a tad slow and boring and not really in the whole tropical vein.  Of course, exotica was never really Vaughn’s bag and perhaps this is not fair, but what do you expect me to do about it today?

Well, for a sample, I went with one of my faves, “Hawaiian War Chant”.

Meh. Sorry Billy.  I’ll get you the next time around.

 

Three Degrees- ST

This little gem was $4.  I got it to diversify the blog which is much needed given where the second half of September is heading.  What is this you say?  Well, stay tuned to find out.

Formed in Philadelphia, and rising up with the Philadelphia Sound of the 1970’s, The Three Degrees started their career in 1963..  This is the second studio album and the first on Philadelphia International Records, the label of Gamble and Huff (and Thom Bell).  Released in 1973, this features the group with the lineup that brought them their biggest hits.  This lineup, which formed from 1967- 1976, featured original member Fayette Pinkney along with Valerie Holiday, and Shelia Ferguson.  Consequently, a version led by Holiday still performs today.

Link to The Three Degrees’ Web Site

Anyway, back to the record, it was among one of their most successful and spawned four singles; “Dirty Ol’ Man”, “I Didn’t Know”, “Year of Decision” and ” When Will I See You Again”, which went to #2 in the US and #1 in the UK.

For a sample, I decided to go with “Can’t You See What You Are Doing To Me”.

Pretty good album.  Satisfactory.

 

Jo Stafford- Sings American Folk Songs

This was all of $1.  When I bought it, there was some tie in or something notable about the record, but whatever that was escapes me now.  It does have a bunch of good folk tunes on it.  Today, as I write this, the Great 2017 eclipse happened, which by now must seem like a distant memory to most.

Truly a historical day in Houston if one likes looking a clouds.

Well anyway, here is this by singer Jo Stafford (1917-2008).  Born in what is not a dirty word, Coalinga, California, Stafford was a singer who started in a group with her sisters before joining the Pied Pipers and then parlaying this into singing with Tommy Dorsey. She went solo in 1944 and her biggest hit was 1952’s “You Belong To Me”.  She retired in the mid-60’s with a few pop ups here and there until her death of heart failure at age 90.

During her solo career, many of Stafford’s works were backed by the Paul Weston Orchestra. Stafford and Weston would marry in 1952 and remain in union until Weston’s death in 1996.  The two did perform in a comedy routine, at first for friends and then for a bigger audience.  As two incompetent lounge performers Johnny and Darlene Edwards, the duo released five records.

This record was a 1962 re-release of an earlier record by Stafford.  The original released came out tin 1948, making it one of her earlier solo recordings.  Two years later a second version came out adding two songs.  Then in 1962, this came out with an additional 4, bringing the total to 12. With these songs conducted and arranged by her hubby, Weston, it should be noted that although these are conventional songs, none of these are conventional arrangements.  And I think that is what gives the album its charm.  Consequently, Judy Collins lists this album as highly influential in terms of her getting into folk music.

Lot of good choices on this album.  I really liked “Cripple Creek”, “Single Girl” ,and my perennial favorite, “Poor Wayfaring Stranger”.  However, I decided to go with “Sourwood Mountain”.

Good record.  Satisfactory.

The Ventures- The Colorful Venture

If my calculations are correct, this is post #800.  Here is a record from a group I put on this blog so much that I am running out of new pictures to accompany this.  This was $2 and bought at the Half Price on Veteran’s Memorial, which decided to raise its discount records from $1 to $2.50.  I got it last Memorial Day a couple months ago when HPB had its 20% sale.

This record was The Ventures 4th studio album, released in 1961.  It was the 3rd album they released that year.  It was somewhat successful compared to other releases around that period.  That is purely from a commercial perspective.  Music-wise, this is a fine album that plays on songs with colors in the title.  This album really has that classic Ventures sound.

For a sample, here is “Blue Moon”. Excellent album.  Satisfactory.

Sir Malcolm Sargent and the Pro Arte Orchestra- Gilbert & Sullivan- The Mikado, HMS Pinafore, and Patter Songs

This fine old collection was $5.  I bought it way, way right before I started writing this blog.  Yet, I still remember the cashier remarking how it reminded him of Raiders of The Lost Ark and the Indiana Jones franchise, as the minor character of Sallah, played by John Rhys- Davies, is fond of singing Gilbert & Sullivan numbers.  I found it a bit odd not only that the young tattooed clerk could connect this but could connect lines to HMS Pinafore.

On that note, a month back (or longer depending on when you read this), I attended The Houston Gilbert & Sullivan Society’s production of The Gondoliers.  I felt the production was quite good and very entertaining but as I went to the Sunday matinee, I was quite concerned that the audience was mostly over 85 and thought that perhaps appreciation for G&S was dying.  A friend of mine pointed out that Sunday matinees are mostly older crowds and the G&S are not going anywhere.

So then there is this record conducted by esteemed British conductor, Sir Malcolm Sargent (1895-1967) who participated in his first G&S production at age 10.  He conducts the Pro Arte Orchestra with assorted soloists and the Glyndebourne Festival Chorus.  I am not sure when this came out other than after Sargent’s passing but it seems to be a collection earlier recorded works, most notably two of G&S’s most famous works, The Mikado and HMS Pinafore.

So to start off with samples, from the Mikado, I went with my favorite song from this piece (which is never on any of the albums I buy), “The Sun Whose Rays…”.  It is sung my Elise Morrison.  From the HMS Pinafore, I went with “I Am The Monarch Of The Sea…. When I Was A Lad”, sung by George Baker.

In terms of the patter songs, I wanted to use a number from “The Gondoliers” to tie it in to  the story above but I felt the album should have put different numbers.  There are a couple good patter songs that involve the Gondoliers and their wives which I felt could have been used on this.  Oh well, In their place, here is “In Enterprise Of Martial Kind”, sung by Geraint Evans with the chorus.

I really wanted to post “My Eyes Are Fully Open” from Ruddigore, but I felt this version was to tepid and slow.  And for the most part, that is my criticism of this collection.  The patter songs as well as G&S’s catalog really works when done in rapid fire.  All the songs really could have used a but more speed.  So meh.  Sorry.