The Addams Family

Vic Mizzy (January 9, 1916 – October 17, 2009) was an American composer for television and movies whose best-known works are the themes to the 1960s television sitcoms Green Acres and The Addams Family. He also penned top-20 songs from the 1930s to 1940s.

This is an album of incidental music from the original 1960s black and white American sitcom The Addams Family, based on the characters in Charles Addams' New Yorker cartoons. Mizzy did an admirable job on the music; it’s in keeping with the music of American TV shows of the time – think “I Dream of Jeannie” or “Bewitched” - just with added harpsichord. With a mix of blues, jazz, lounge and latin rhythms, it at times verges on Esquivel-levels of bachelor pad atmosphere, which is brilliant. I have happily put this on in the background whilst entertaining, and have drawn compliments and questions on my music choice. If you weren’t to listen to the theme tune, this would stand up on its own as a great lounge album; full of jazz flute, drum set, laid back sax and mixed chorus scatting. “Uncle Fester's Blues” could be the b-side to Quincy Jones’ Soul Bossa Nova; “On Shroud No. 9” sounds like it should have Ann-Margret purring over the top of it; and you get the theme tune twice, with and without vocals!

Download HERE (59mb)

The Postelfonia's BmG 223

Here is a special guest post from poet, knitter, gadabout: Señor Eddus.

Eddus curates a delightful new blog, entitled "Oh, Poetry!", about, well, poetry. Check it out!

Imagine it's the sixties and you have a new job in the National Post and Telephony Company. Also that you are Dutch. On your first lunch break you wander the halls, a little lost. But wait, there's singing coming from somewhere. You follow the sound of the female choir singing, as you get closer you hear the accompanying clumpy guitar and austere piano. You find them in an empty room, at practice. You have discovered The Postelfonia's.

They sing with the talent you'd expect from a hobbyist choir of Dutchwomen. They might be a little flat (individually and as a group) they might not quite remember which bit of the song comes next, or even how many times they're singing certain refrains, but gawd damn it, they had fun recording this.

There's such pleasure to be had from just singing, without the concern of rhythm or pitch. This is the pleasure these women are indulging in. The sound they make is not unpleasant, not at all. It's charming because of it's earnest amateurishness. Just listen to the faltering ending to "Puppet on a String", it's a terrible, but that's okay. They're a collection of well-meaning aunties, whose mistakes you can always forgive.

The whole album is a delight, but it's their medley of Mary Poppins songs that really cemented my love for The Postelfonias. It might just be because their Dutch accents are very distinct on this song, especially when trying to sound like chimney sweeps from London. The women go on to tackle "Congratulations", "Let the Sunshine In" and "Hava Naguila" with the reliability one expects from the postal service. Apart from a bit of clapping here and there, they play it very safe.

There's a lot of odd music on the internet. Most is unsettling, disturbing or confusing. But this odd music is reassuring, charming, homely. It's simplicity comforts me. I listen to this album and imagine a group of Dutch women having fun one lunchtime a week and it warms my heart.

Edward, of Oh, Poetry!, for The de Winter Family Album

Download HERE (34MB)

The Mariachi Brass featuring Chet Baker

When one thinks of Chet Baker, one doesn’t immediately think of “Tijuana Brass”. But by 1966 – after years of drug addiction, prison sentences, deportation, and a rather nasty case of having his teeth knocked out – Baker was in need of money. So, as was the norm for hard-up jazz musicians, he cashed in on whatever musical fad was about at the time. In 1966 it happened to be Herb Alpert’s Tijuana sound. I seem to have about five hours of music that is all people cashing in on this craze... not all of it stellar.

Four LPs were made, on which Chet played flugelhorn in order to support his family. The albums were surprisingly successful, considering that the content is often entirely devoid of Latin history. Songs such as “Pennsylvania 6-5000” and “In The Mood” are injected with only the slightest Latin flavour, making these albums delightfully kitsch lounge music. Never released to CD, you might be able to find them in your local charity shop; the covers feature beautiful females (always staring at you) in sultry locations, often sporting a large flower in their hair, or Cordobés hat about their person.

Here is a sampling of these tracks which, whilst they were made to cash in on a fad and make easy money, are still very pleasing and make excellent lounge or mood music. The Mariachi Brass’ version of “Flowers On The Wall” is one of my top played tracks out of my music collection.

Download HERE (35mb)

Fred Buscaglione

Fred Buscaglione (23 November 1921 - 3 February 1960) was an Italian singer and actor, popular in the late 50s who cultivated a public image in both his films and songs of a slick (if comical), ruthless gangster whose only weaknesses were whiskey and women. Taking inspiration from hardboiled detective stories and the gangster of New York and Chicago, his racy songs of gangsters and their molls caught the Italian public’s attention and by the late 50s Buscaglione was a national superstar, appearing in television, film, and advertising.

Il Favoloso is essentially a Best Of collection, putting together twenty of his hits from his 1955 debut single Che Bambola (What A Babe!) which sold over a million copies with almost no promotion and catapulted him to fame, to, well, I can’t say “his later recordings”, as he only recorded up to 1959. At the age of 39, in February of 1960, Buscaglione was killed in a car accident when his pink Ford Thunderbird collided with a truck in the early hours of the morning, in front the US Embassy in Rome. This compilation features all his hits, including Teresa non sparare (Theresa, Don't Shoot!), Eri piccola così (You Were This, This Little), Guarda che luna (Look, What A Moon),Love in Portofino, Porfirio Villarosa, Whisky facile (Easy Whiskey) and Che Notte (What A Night!).

The songs are great. This isn’t an album of an actor singing (which is usually a terrible, terrible sign), rather it is an album of a singer who also acted. Buscaglione attended the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory in Turin as a child, and as a teen he performed in night clubs, singing jazz, and was proficient in both the double bass and violin. During World War II he was incarcerated in an American internment camp, but soon found work in an allied radio station’s orchestra. It was perhaps this experience that allowed Buscaglione to experiment with American musical styles in a country that had banned most foreign music.

The American influence in his work is incredibly apparent in the tracks on this compilation. Buscaglione’s whole style was modelled on Chicago and New York gangsters, albeit with a comical touch, so the songs are replete with the hallmarks of American jazz and swing. Brushed snare, trumpets and sax all feature heavily, complimenting Buscaglione’s singing, which ranges from gravely spoken work (“Ciao Joe”, “Che Notte”) to songs where he actually displays a pleasing light-baritone (“Guarda Che Luna”). The songs are playful, brilliantly arranged songs about fights, whiskey and dames performed with aplomb by one of Italy’s most popular entertainers of the 1950s

Download HERE (74mb)

Mme. St. Onge

Judging by the subject material, this French-Canadian album by one Mme. St. Onge, may have been cut around 1967. On it are French renditions of popular hits from the time, such as The Beatles’ Help (re-titled “Il”) performed by a woman with no interest in tonality.

I say “woman”… the mysterious Mme. St. Onge appears an elusive character, with a strained falsetto, no other known works, and only one (rather masculine) photograph to her name. Some may posit that it is, in fact, a man doing this. If this is the case then the album has just been lifted from a mere wonder to something fucking amazing.

Evidence however seems to imply that Mme St Onge had a proper singing career in earlier times. Her real name was Francine Laplante, although she also recorded a couple of singles under the name of Maryse Marshall. It is possible that this album was done with the humour intentional to cash in the Mrs. Miller craze (St. Onge is a very common last name in Francophone Canada. Calling somebody Mme St. Onge in Canada would be similar to calling somebody Mrs. Miller in the United States).

Whatever the case regarding the provenance, the songs speak for themselves. Throughout the ten tracks Mme. St. Onge bleats her way through, supported by a competent backing band.

For fans of music to suffer by, this is a must.

Just listen to the first thirty seconds of Prends-moi (Try Me) if you need any convincing. Trust me on this.

01 Il (Help) (2:33)
02 Et maintenant (3:05)
03 C'est le Freddy (2:16)
04 Tant de choses a dire (3:10)
05 Prends-moi (Try Me) (2:53)
06 Demain (3:02)
07 C'est si triste que je voudrais pleurer (I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry) (2:05)
08 Les marionnettes (2:31)
09 La fille d'Ipanema (One Note Samba) (1:29)
10 Chez moi (Call Me) (2:50)

Download HERE(42mb)

Coplas!

I love vintage freestyle battles. Especially when they involve moustaches and fancy neckwear, let alone sombreros (sombreri?).

Exploring New Sounds In Stereo/Strings Aflame

Juan García Esquivel - Mexican bandleader, pianist and composer – was the king of what has come to be known as “Space Age Bachelor Pad Music”. On this, his fourth American released LP (here bundled alongside his fifth release), he does exactly what it says on the tin. Crafting sophisticated instrumental lounge music with jazz and Latin influences was his forte, but on this record he stretches his already varied and intelligent arrangements to include theramin, harpsichord and buzzimba (amongst others) to play alongside his usual brass section, Latin percussion, lush strings, mixed choir and virtuoso piano skills. Furthermore, it is interesting to note (for those of you unfamiliar with Esquivel) the use of voice on this album; whilst mainly instrumental, many songs do feature vocalists and choirs, but for the most part they are being used as percussion and non-lyric melodies, illustrated masterfully on a cha-cha-chá infused version of Boulevard Of Broken Dreams, replete with his signature zu-zus and ba-da-bas.

The whole album is incredibly varied, stretching from the theramin-led Spellbound (from the film of the same name), to a swinging harpsichord version of the theme from The Third Man, to fairly faithful interpretations of Greek folk tune Misirlou and Brahms’ Hungarian Dance #5. Throughout, the album is marked by fantastically creative arrangements and a constantly changing atmosphere, whilst retaining a cohesive, 60s lounge feeling.

It’s a bit redundant to say it these days, but it’s well worth listening to this in stereo. The album’s title wasn’t for nothing.

Twenty-two tracks of space age pop for your next cocktail party HERE (57mb)

Remembrance of Things Past #004

Saccharine, painful, infectious and utter, utter bliss.

Barbara Cartland's Album of Love Songs.

I'll Follow My Heart
Desert Song
A Nightingale Sang In Berkely Square
How Deep Is The Ocean
If You Were The Only Girl
I'll See You Again
Mr Wonderful
Dream Lover
Love Is My Reason
Always
If You Are But A Dream
Goodnight Sweetheart

Remembrance of Things Past #003

Not to be outdone by Cambodia, Thailand produced some brilliant tunes during the same period.

Sodsai Chaengkij - Shake Baby Shake
Johnny's Guitar - Kratae
Cat - Hit The Road Jack
Paiboon - Yom Pha Barn Norn Pahwaa
Silver Band - Kaw-Liga
Cat - Do The Watusi
Son of P.M. - James Bond Theme
Payom Moogda - Loomsia
Sodsai Chaengkij - Lady Madonna
Sakarin Boonpit - Kotmorn Yoop Yap (All Shook Up)
Sodsai Chaengkij - The Boat That I Row
Reasons - Shimmy Shimmy Ko Ko Bop

Remembrance of Things Past #002

During the 1960s, Cambodia produced some pretty great surf rock. Check it.

Ros Sereysothea - Chnam oun Dop-Pram Muy "I'm 16"
Ros Sereysothea - Tngai Neas Kyom Yam Sra "Today I Drink Wine"
Pan Ron - Rom Jongvak Twist "Dance Twist"
Liev Tuk - Rom Sue Sue "Dance Soul Soul"
Ros Sereysothea + Seang Vanthy - Jam 5 Kai Thiet "Wait 5 More Months"
Ros Sereysothea + Seang Vanthy - Jah Bong Ju Aim "Old Sour & Sweet"
Ros Sereysothea - Kerh Snae Kyoum Thai
Pan Ron & In Yeng - Sralanh Srey Chnas "I love mean girl"

Ihr Megt Gleybn Oder Neyn

Early Yiddish-American popular songs from NYC.

Russ Morgan And His Orchestra - Joseph, Joseph
Aaron Lebedeff - Roumania, Roumania (the classic)
Annie Lubin - Mayer!
Ted Lewis & His Orchestra - Egyptian Ella
Eddie Cantor - Palesteena
Mildred Bailey - A Bee Gezindt (As Long As You're Healthy)

La pendule fait tic-tac-tic-tic

Charles Trenet - Boum!

Let's Go Classics!

This stuff is shit hot. From 1967, we have some original Japenese surf-rock interpretations of classical music, courtesy of Takeshi Terauchi & The Bunnys.

Theme From Symphony No. 6
In A Persian Market
Flight Of The Bumblebee
Sabre Dance
Theme From Unfinished Symphony
Hungarian Dance No. 5
For Elise