Scamp

Amazon.com
Jerry Jeff Walker had the misfortune of including songs about Texas pride, cowboy hats, wild women, itinerant musicians and desert roads on Scamp in the same year that Lyle Lovett tackled the exact same subjects on his The Road to Ensenada. Walker does a good job of turning these subjects into rousing, upbeat sing-alongs, but his approach can only suffer in comparison to the biting humor and rich irony of Lovett's versions. When Walker shouts that "Down in Texas, life is good!" there are no secrets hidden in the straightforward lyrics and bouncy country-rock formula. And Walker's glowing, sing-song eulogy, "Manny's Hat Song," makes his late friend, the hat-maker, sound like a saint without flaws. --Geoffrey Himes

Scamp,Jerry Jeff Walker,Tried & True,Country,Country & Western,Pop,Progressive Country,Singer/Songwriter

Average customer rating: It's what I wanted Tiki Party Music Magnificent! Bravo Martin Denny FLOAT OFF TO TROPICAL PARADISE Exotica/Exotica, Vol. I & II

The Exciting Sounds of Martin Denny: Exotica/Exotica, Vol. I & II Martin Denny Manufacturer: Scamp ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | International | Styles | Music Hawaii | Pacific Islands | International | Styles | Music Lounge | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music Retro Space Age | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music General | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music General | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music Easy Listening | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Quiet Village/Enchanted Sea Taboo: The Exotic Sounds of Arthur Lyman Forbidden Island/Primitiva Hypnotique/Exotica III Tamboo!/Skins! ASIN: B000000IAP Release Date: 1996-06-17

Tracks:

1. Quiet Village
2. Return To Paradise
3. Hong Kong Blues
4. Busy Port
5. Lotus Land
6. Similau
7. Stone God
8. Jungle Flower
9. China Nights
10. Ah Me Furi
11. Waipo
12. Love Dance
13. Soshu Night Serenade
14. Island Of Dreams
15. Japanese Farewell Song
16. Singing Bamboos
17. The Queen Chant(E Lili U E)
18. Wedding Song(Ke Kali Ne Au)
19. Escales
20. When First I Love
21. August Bells
22. Bacoa
23. Ebb Tide
24. Rush Hour In Hong Kong

Amazon.com

These early Denny creations cover his more wildly "exotic" career phase. The first album, presented in its original "Spectra-Sonic" mono, includes the hit title track in its entire eerie swamp-varmint splendor. Other standouts are the dreamy xylophone on "Lotus Land" and the absolutely wacky "Love Dance," which sounds more like an ornithologist's orgy. The second album, in stereo, gets more intricate and oddly romantic. The best is the opener, "Shoshu Night Serenade," with its ghostly textures and the persistent ringing of bells that suggest the carriage of a typewriter. The Denny arrangement of "Ebb Tide" is also a stunner. This double volume gives listeners a clear picture of how Denny was interested less in an "authentic" Hawaii and more intrigued by an imaginary and often surreal geography. --Joseph Lanza

Customer Reviews:

It's what I wanted.......2007-07-14

This is exactly what my Father wanted and this one was both Volume 1 and Volume 2 combined in one disc.

Tiki Party Music.......2007-05-14

This has always been regarded as one of those must have CDs if you ever wanted to throw a Tiki theme party or want to enjoy some memories of years past. It really is that good and worth having........even goes with Margaritas!

Magnificent! Bravo Martin Denny.......2006-01-05

My Dad introduced me to Exotica a long time ago. I had forgotten about it, until my brother brought it back into my life.

It combines rich layers of sounds that take you into a relaxing adventure - natural acoustic music with the healing sounds of paradise.

This CD represents the cheapest vacation you may ever take, $16. It soothes the senses while allowing you to explore an inner fantasy world elicited by the exciting sounds of tropical exotic places.

Jeff Labno
Los Angeles, California

FLOAT OFF TO TROPICAL PARADISE.......2005-07-16

I recommend all of Martin Denny's immortal albums if you want to relax into a time capsule of a different reality when things were so nice, pleasant and innocent.

Exotica/Exotica, Vol. I & II.......2004-09-09

I was so happy to find both of these great titles on one CD. Martin Denny is a must have for anyone into Exotica!

Average customer rating: Grows on you. MUSIC TO MY OLD EARS Classic style 60s Hawaiian music quiet village cd QUIET VILLAGE MARKS MARTIN DENNY

Quiet Village/Enchanted Sea Martin Denny Manufacturer: Scamp ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | International | Styles | Music Hawaii | Pacific Islands | International | Styles | Music Lounge | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music Retro Space Age | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music General | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music General | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music Easy Listening | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Exciting Sounds of Martin Denny: Exotica/Exotica, Vol. I & II Taboo: The Exotic Sounds of Arthur Lyman Forbidden Island/Primitiva The Exotic Sounds of Martin Denny Hypnotique/Exotica III ASIN: B000000IAS Release Date: 1997-07-29

Tracks:

1. Stranger In Paradise
2. Hawaiian War Chant
3. Coronation
4. Sake Rock
5. Paradise Found
6. Firecracker
7. Martinique
8. My Little Grass Shack In Kealakekua, Hawaii Cha Cha Cha
9. Tune From Rangoon
10. Happy Talk
11. Pagan Love Song
12. Laura
13. Quiet Village
14. Trade Winds
15. My Isle Of Golden Dreams
16. Stardust
17. Song Of The Islands
18. Flotsam And Jetsam
19. Beyond The Sea (La Mer)
20. Off Shore
21. Sentimental Journey
22. Beyond The Reef
23. Baubles, Bangles And Beads
24. Cross Current
25. The Enchanted Sea

Customer Reviews:

Grows on you........2007-07-10

I was infected by Enchanted Sea in the sixth grade 1972 (blame my parents).
It sounds corny today, but it's nostalgic for me. Just pretend you're "back in the day".
When I play it my kids grab their stuffed toys and bird puppets,
then whenever they hear some tropical critter in the background they squeeze their toys on cue as if they were people in the band "playing" the exotic sounds "live" using real animals.

MUSIC TO MY OLD EARS.......2007-03-17

THAT VILLAGE IS ANYTHING BUT QUIET...BUT GREAT CLASSIC MARTIN DENNY SOUND

Classic style 60s Hawaiian music.......2007-03-09

I purchased this CD for my parents. They had these albumns when I was a kid and loved them. Martin Denny presents Hawaiian influenced music in a easy listening, soothing style.

quiet village cd.......2005-07-28

Great easy listening music with the sound of birds and the tropics--puts you in the relax mode.

QUIET VILLAGE MARKS MARTIN DENNY.......2005-07-16

Perhaps what he's best known for, Quiet Village is an alltime classic marking the exotic islands fad of the fifties. At this time "Islands" tropical food restaurants sprang up with rocks, bamboo, streams and tropical prints with bird calls and Martin Denny music. Denny and Lyman surely made their mark of the enchanted islands. This was post-war America when people needed that lift--relaxation into peace was MD's tropical island gift.

Average customer rating: Oy, the schmaltz! Shop til you drop, baby! Great Memories I Hate Amazon Life(TM)..."it's the real thing!" (R)

Music For TV Dinners: The Sixties Various Artists Manufacturer: Scamp ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Lounge | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music Easy Listening | Compilations | Pop | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Television Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Instrumental Pop & Lounge | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music Easy Listening | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music General | Soundtracks | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Music for TV Dinners The Sound Gallery, Vol. 1 Music for a Bachelor's Den Easy Rhythms for Your Cocktail Hour: Music for a Bachelor's Den; Volume 4 More of Other Worlds, Other Sounds ASIN: B000000IAX Release Date: 1997-11-04

Tracks:

1. Disc A Go Go - Syd Dale
2. Pop Promotion - Gerhard Narholz & Jurgen Jaenner
3. The Free Life - James Clarke
4. The Riviera Set - Syd Dale
5. Shopping Centre - Manfred Minnich
6. Piccadilly Night Ride - Alan Hawkshaw & Keith Mansfield
7. Party Shaker - Wolfgang Kaltenbach
8. Rio Magic - Neil Richardson
9. Beauty Parade - Syd Dale
10. Holiday Commercial - Alan Hawkshaw
11. Sporting Highlights - Keith Mansfield
12. Convenience Shopping - Alan Hawkshaw
13. Mexican Ding Dong - Syd Dale
14. Chase That Car - Laurie Johnson
15. Roses Today - Johnny Scott
16. Pop March - Johnny Pearson

Customer Reviews:

Oy, the schmaltz!.......2007-07-07

Unstoppably toe-tapping. Embarrassingly addictive. Evokes memories of carousing Montgomery Wards and S.S. Kresge's in their heyday. Wow. Play the samples and you'll see what I mean.

Shop til you drop, baby!.......2007-05-19

If only shopping malls STILL played this kind of groovy stuff, shopping would be fun instead of tedious or irritating! Each track has its own style but it all gels. My only gripe is that there's not enough. I want MORE MORE MORE! They could have fit almost twice as much music on this CD. Anyway, if you like lounge music or a groovy 60s vibe, you'll be playing this over and over and over and over....

Great Memories.......2007-02-21

If you are fourty years old or over this music will bring back many good memories from your childhood.The yearly trips to the department store to buy schoolwear.Playing on the wooden escalators.Going to the grocery store on friday after school.Eating at the red barn and burger chef.This was the background music to our lives growing up in the sixties and seventies.

I Hate Amazon.......2005-08-22

once Amazon finally sent it to me, I loved it. Too bad I had to buy it from a terrible customer unfriendly zero help company

Life(TM)..."it's the real thing!" (R).......2002-01-03

This effervescent bit of production music hits can't help but charm!
Can't help but awaken that feeling that today the sky is gonna be blue, I'll meet the woman of my dreams, life is gonna be a cream-cherry pie and yes, I CAN have it all!
That's precisely what the music was meant to do and it works so well it's scary. A masterpiece of American cheeze, to be eaten in your hip pad with the thick pile carpeting and the orange couch. A blast!

Average customer rating: Wrap my World in Foil and Heat It Up CAN'T GET ENOUGH!!! Awesome Buy Entertainingly dated corporate music (3.5 stars) SONIC EQUIVALENT OF KLEENEX, AND EVERY BIT AS USEFUL!

Music for TV Dinners Various Artists Manufacturer: Scamp ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Lounge | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music Easy Listening | Compilations | Pop | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Television Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Instrumental Pop & Lounge | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music Easy Listening | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music General | Soundtracks | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Music For TV Dinners: The Sixties The Sound Gallery, Vol. 1 Music for a Bachelor's Den Easy Rhythms for Your Cocktail Hour: Music for a Bachelor's Den; Volume 4 Ultra-Lounge, Vol. 11: Organs in Orbit ASIN: B000000IAW Release Date: 1997-08-26

Tracks:

1. In The Limelight - David Lindup
2. Happy Go Lively - Laurie Johnson
3. Hackney Carriage - King Palmer
4. Trafficscape - Eric Winstone
5. Workaday World - Jack Beaver
6. Curley Shirley - Otto Sieben
7. Bell Hop - John Shakespeare
8. Man About Town - Laurie Johnson
9. Holiday Playtime - King Palmer
10. Bargains Galore - Stuart Crombie & Dennis Berry
11. Speaking Guitar - Gerhard Narholz
12. Shopping Spree - Laurie Johnson
13. Stop Gap - Wilfred Burns
14. Toys For Boys - Boris Schoska
15. Gala Performance - Laurie Johnson
16. Sleepy Shores - Johnny Pearson

Customer Reviews:

Wrap my World in Foil and Heat It Up.......2007-03-11

Music for TV Dinners is a compilation of music composed by artists working for KPM, a British firm that developed a niche for providing music scores for commercial and industrial films during the 1950's and 1960's. I purchased this CD so I could liven up my home videos by adding some campy music tracks to them. The CD is great and while you may not be able to listen to the disk in a single sitting, listening to a few tracks at a time can immediately transport you back to childhood days and the scratchy 1950's/1960's era educational films they were still showing in my grade school when I was growing up in the 1970's. After loading this disk on to my I-pod, I discovered it adds a certain surreal quality to my morning commute- nothing quite like walking through the streets of a large American city in the middle of a morning rush hour while listening to "Happy Go Lively". It's a hoot.

CAN'T GET ENOUGH!!!.......2007-02-14

I LOVE this CD. It's charming, bubbly, campy and just giddyly nostalgic.
I want more, much more of this. It makes great backgound music and is recognizable to any of us that watched television in the 1950's and 1960's and watched Ren&Stimpy. It's really the 1950's sound that I crave. I'm giving this CD as gifts. I LOVE IT!

PLEASE, SIR, MAY I HAVE SOME MORE TV DINNERS.

Awesome Buy.......2006-03-12

This item is great, I dunno why I find the 50's era so facinating. Is it the cars....? Nope. Is it the stylish appliances? Nope. I know....its gotta be the music.

Pop this CD in and prepare to be transported back 50 years. Some tracks make you feel like you are in one of those vintage infomercials, or even move you to go and bake a cake for your perfect family.

If you are a fan of this type of vintage music, I recommend you go and buy this one. You shouldn't be disappointed.

Entertainingly dated corporate music (3.5 stars).......2005-10-16

You gotta love an album where every song sounds like "Ren & Stimpy" music. One word comes to mind when listening to this music - industry. This music was prepackaged by industries for industries. It was most likely used in (but not limited to) commercials and early educational films (the really campy ones). Viewed today, this music is an entertaining slice of camp. Its so surrealistically dated, you can't help but love it. It conjures up images of middle class Americans sitting around the dinner table enjoying perfect food - you know, the "Leave It to Beaver"-style 50s that never existed. There isn't music like this anymore quite frankly. Even though they weren't made to have artistic merit, they are incredibly unique. Hey - hip hop producers, this stuff is great for sampiling (I've used it in my wanky audio collage work before).

SONIC EQUIVALENT OF KLEENEX, AND EVERY BIT AS USEFUL!.......2003-10-21

Do you know what "production music" is? It's disposable music (hence my allusion to Kleenex,) composed by lesser-known musicians, sort of like the indy MP3-download bands in our times. It is sold by the yard for use (and reuse after reuse) in TV shows, advertisements, industrial films etc.

You wouldn't expect a Ninth Symphony from this genre, at least by its definition, but this compilation of "TV Dinners" is fabulous! Every number is perfectly, splendidly evocative of memories that may not even be our own. If you buy the notion that we have a collective unconscious, this is what our collective unconscious whistles when it's the late night show.

Come to think of it, although the title says "TV Dinners", I use it as background music for studying, sleeping, doing laundry...it is a bit more psychedelic and thus interesting than jazz for instance, which is just another musical doctrine.

Open your mind, and give it a try. Especially if you like lounge music in general (K&D, Thievery, etc.)

Average customer rating: The Best Shadows Album of them all... In Humble Agreement 2 distinct phases Banned in the USA?? Classic Surf Instrumentals!!!

Shadows Are Go! The Shadows Manufacturer: Scamp ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music British Invasion | Classic Rock | Styles | Music General | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Thrills & Chills Beyond the Surf: The Best of the Tornadoes Lost Legends of Surf Guitar, Vol. 3 Lost Legends of Surf Guitar: Shockwave Lost Legends of Surf Guitar, Vol. 2 ASIN: B000000IAO Release Date: 1996-09-10

Tracks:

1. Apache
2. Man Of Mystery
3. The Stranger
4. FBI
5. Midnight
6. The Frightened City
7. Kon Tiki
8. 36-24-36
9. The Savage
10. Peace Pipe
11. Mustang
12. Wonderful Land
13. Guitar Tango
14. Dance On
15. Spring Is Nearly Here
16. Perfidia
17. Atlantis
18. Shotgun
19. Theme For Young Lovers
20. The Rise And Fall Of Flingel Blunt
21. Stingray
22. A Place In The Sun
23. Thunderbirds Theme

Customer Reviews:

The Best Shadows Album of them all..........2007-06-13

I am blown away...

I was unaware of the British group "The Shadows" until most recently while researching surf bands. I listened to a few sample clips and liked what I heard, so I bought the "Shadows are go!" cd. Man, I was blown away!

The performance of the group is clean, unpretentious and honest. No nerve wracking - hard driving distortion to melt your brain. No flat synthesiser sound here. It's a warm, crisp and refreshing sound, with pleasant reverb. I think I hear tubes instead of transistors, but considering these are from the early '60"s, probably so.

Old favorites like "Apache", "Wonderful Land" and my favorite - "Midnight" are on here. This cd is a great one to play along with on electric guitar, and being so clean, rather easy to follow. "Perfidia" is another of my favorites I first heard by the Ventures, but the Shadows glides this tune into a cha-cha-cha and is so cool. Makes me wanna turn on my Lava Lamps.

If you get this cd, there is really no reason to obtain the other shadow compilations, (unless to follow their evolution and round out your Shadow collection), their best is all here on the one cd. I got their other cds, ("Out of the Shadows" & "50 Golden Greats"), nice to have, but "Shadows are go!" is the cd to have. It's The Shadows at their peak, freshness and innocence.

My favorite surf group are the Ventures, but watch out...The Shadows are getting my attention.

Joe

In Humble Agreement.......2006-04-26

As a British fan of the Shadows, it is great to read all these reviews by US fans, who appreciate the great work done by Hank and the boys for many, many years. It takes a lot to make an instrumental successful, you not only need the melody to suit the guitar, ( and the other instruments ), but then you need inspiration in the studio, to further enhance the listening experience. Mr Lordan's brilliant guitar melody writing skills have already been mentioned, a few times actually and rightly so, ( there were other writers as well, we musn't forget them )but don't forget the Shadows' very own George Martin, for a few years, anyway, Norrie Paramore. He along with Jerry Lordan, is a candidate for the fifth Shadow, of sorts, as Harris, Meehan, Farrar, and maybe Tarney or even Liquorice are also candidates. Norrie was the man behind those fantastic string arrangements, and the clean, clear, lustrous presentation of them on the finished article, in his role as producer - a fortuitous combination of art and engineering if ever there was one. But, back to the boys. Although their occasional front man, Cliff, never really ended up with a catalogue of quality songs like he should have done, the Shadows moved in the same circles as Cliff, ( and still do ), and have used many of the same musicians as Cliff has done. These musicians have helped Hank, Bruce, and from 61, Brian, reproduce their sings on stage to absolute perfection. It is a heritage thing. It doesn't matter if it was Jet, Liquorice, Farrar or Tarney, if a bass line was played in a certain way in 1959, it was played exactly the same in 69, 79, 89, and then after a too long a gap, in 2005. This album represents the very best of the second best band in Britain, ever. At odd times, I think they may even really have been the best. For all of their writing brilliance and vocal range and finesse, the Beatles never had a hit like Apache, did they? As for their 'not wanting to be like the Shadows', well, I can only agree with a fellow reviewer, this was more to do with jealousy in competition than a dig at their art. I hope one day Mr M publicly praises his fellow chart busters, but from the Tyne, not the Mersey. A great album from a great band. Buy it. Today.

2 distinct phases.......2005-08-28

In essence, there were 2 distinct phases in the Shadows influential and long career. Their era before and after their sublime ballad single, 'Wonderful Land'(WL) was released.

When 'Apache' hit the airwaves in 1960, its sound was a revelation to British ears. Other than those few familiar with the Ventures and Duane Eddie hits in the US, nobody had heard this Fender Stratocaster twang ever done by a Brit guitarist, and what a record it was. It quickly shot straight to the top of the UK charts and remained there for 5 weeks. It is still a fresh and exciting performance 45 years on. All the singles such as FBI, Kon-Tiki (another UK no. 1), The Savage were big sellers in the UK and Europe. But it was WL where the Shadows really excelled themselves by trying something different. Totally superb WL was penned by Jerry Lourdan, the same man who wrote Apache their first no 1 hit. It was also the first A side ballad single and featured the Shadows with an orchestral backing, which upset some R&R purists at the time, yet it worked brilliantly. WL was their biggest hit staying at no 1 for 8 weeks. The Shadows had previously released 2 ballads as B sides, and Peace Pipe and Midnight are 2 very tasteful and early examples.

Although most people recognise Hank Marvin as the main sound of the Shadows, it was Jet Harris the original bass guitar player, who was much responsible for the driving sound and musical vitality that the group seemed to possess up to the time of his departure. Once he quit the band after the Shadows recorded WL, the group's sound slowly became more mainstream and tamer. Only their final no.1, 'Dance On' retained the spirit of the period before WL.

This record is very representative of the sound of the early '60s pre-Beatles, British beat movement, and the Shadows played a major part in it. The album is very good value and highly recommended.

Banned in the USA??.......2004-12-30

I often wonder why British groups don't get played
in the USA. I've listened to the radio in the 60s
and never heard any of these songs, which were
released between 1960 and 1966. It's a shame, a
pity, and a comment on our media manipulators
(are you listening Clear Channel?).
Anyway, this is a great album of guitar instrumental
rock hits in Great Britain in the early 60s. Some
people compare this group with the Ventures, sort of
like a British Ventures. I would have to say that
this group was vastly superior to the Ventures. The
lead guitarist, Hank Marvin, was truly an innovator
with the Fender Stratocaster and studio effects.
Every time that I play this CD, I can hear more
musical detail. They really did a nice job in the
studio in those days and the remastering work on this
CD is superb.
One reviewer states that the Beatles didn't want to
sound like The Shadows. But when you listen to this
CD, you can hear how they actually did influence the
guitar work of Harrison and Lennon. It's early British
rock sound--The Beatles before the heavy George Martin
influence.
If you want to hear the music that did influence the
Mersey Beat groups, get this CD. You will not forget it.

Classic Surf Instrumentals!!!.......2004-09-18

First, an aside from the great music on this CD: I could have easily picked this up purely for the fantastic cover giving salutations to Gerry Anderson's Thunderbirds! The Super-Marionation pic of The Shadows hanging with Lady Penelope in her too-cool futuristic car is absolutely a work of art in itself!

As for the music, this is one of the best pop-instrumental compilations I have ever heard. While the flavor of this music is sheer California surf guitar, The Shadows hailed from Great Britain, where they were well received in the early 60s, but were later often overshadowed by sensations like The Beatles and Herman's Hermits. Similarly, music lovers here in the U.S. never took to them beyond cult popularity, which is our loss. Like The Ramones, I have great respect for The Shadows' passion and work ethic, plugging away for years, despite the constant struggle to make a big splash in the music industry; these guys kept the gig going from 1960 through 1990, which is admirable.

The tunes on this CD are some of the crispest, cleanest, most powerful surf guitar you will ever hear. Their tunes tend more toward the exotic and romantic side of this genre, staying away from the high-octane surf hits like "Miserlou" or "K-39." What keeps these slower pieces intense ---instead of mellowing--- is the crisp detail you hear in every instrument. It is not just the lead guitar stealing the show; even a casual fanboy who knows zilch about playing or reading music ---like myself--- can appreciate the bass and drums. This in itself keeps me replaying each track multiple times, always finding another beat or "twang" that I previously missed.

The Shadows' rendition here of "Apache" is possibly the first recording of the song, and in my opinion, definitely better than any other of the many covers issued throughout the 1960s.

There is absolutely nothing lame in this collection, from slick exotica like "Man of Mystery" to the sweet "Atlantis" to the almost-title-track "Thunderbirds Theme." Even if you are just a casual fan of surf instrumentals, this CD is a must-buy for your collection.

Average customer rating: Some great but most grate Groovy hip sounds found here! Orchestral Funk at its Swankiest ! ! ! Agreed: the best collection of its type The best lounge/instrumental collection on the market!

The Sound Gallery, Vol. 1 Various Artists Manufacturer: Scamp ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music 1960s | By Decade | Pop | Styles | Music 1970s | By Decade | Pop | Styles | Music General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music Retro Space Age | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music 1960-1969 | Decades | Compilations | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music 1970-1979 | Decades | Compilations | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music General | Blues | Indie Music | Stores | Music General | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Music For TV Dinners: The Sixties Music for TV Dinners Mo'Hawk Soho Lounge Heat The In-Kraut: Hip Shaking Grooves Made in Germany 1966-1974 ASIN: B000000IAK Release Date: 1996-03-26

Tracks:

1. Oh Calcutta - The Dave Pell Singers
2. Black Rite - Mandingo
3. Punch Bowl - Alan Parker
4. The Night Rider - Alan Hackshaw
5. The Riviera Affair - Alan Hackshaw
6. Jet Stream - John Gregory
7. Half Forgotten Daydreams - John Cameron
8. Jaguar - John Gregory
9. Life of Leisure - Keith Mansfield
10. Girl In A Sportscar - Alan Hackshaw
11. Young Scene - Keith Mansfield
12. It's All At The Co-Op Now - Alan Hackshaw
13. Alan Morehouse and His Bond Street Brigade - Alan Morehouse and His Bond Street Brigade
14. Denny Wright and the Hustlers: - Denny Wright and the Hustlers
15. The Headhunter - Mandingo
16. Blarney's Stoned - Alan Hackshaw
17. The Earthmen - Paddy Kingsland
18. I Feel The Earth Move - John Keating
19. The Penthouse Suite - Syd Dale
20. The Snake Pit - Mandingo
21. Brian Bennett: Boogie Juice - Brian Bennett
22. The Detectives - Alan Tew
23. Jesus Christ Superstar - Johnny Keating
24. Music to Drive By - Joe Loss Concertium

Customer Reviews:

Some great but most grate.......2006-08-08

Although there are a few gems (Syd Dale's "The Penthouse Suite" being one of them) much of the music on this disc is pretty forgettable. It's the kind of stuff that cash-strapped TV producers in the 70s used when they needed to soundtrack hip party scenes without paying huge copyright fees. If you like kitschy yet high-quality lounge/easy melodies then you'd be much better served buying the two-disc "This is Easy" compilation from 2004. That set contains the good stuff from this album plus a whole host of memorable and evocative instrumental and vocal numbers to set your toes a tappin' and your heart a soarin'.

Groovy hip sounds found here!.......2006-03-25

This album is really hip! It features some tracks like Alan Hawkshaw's The Night Rider, Girl in a Sportscar, Neil Richardson's The Riviera Affair, John Gregory's Jaguar & Mandingo's The Snake Pit reminding you of music from Universal movies & television shows from the early seventies. Gregory's Jet Stream & Dave Pell's Oh Calcutta are the only tracks featuring vocals although they are not overpowering. Keith Mansfield's Young Scene, and Joe Loss' Music to Drive by has Herb Alpert tones harking back to The Dating Game. The tracks Funky Fever, The Headhunter & Boogie Juice have that Aaron Spelling's shows such as Starsky & Hutch flavor to it. Paddy Kingsland's The Earthmen has a spacey 70's game show like sound being emphasized by a Moog. Alan Parker's Punch Bowl has that wah-wah guitar deep bass driving groove sound. Mansfield's Life of Leisure & John Cameron's Half Forgotten Daydreams has that sexy slow mellow feel to it. For the era of music this CD is the best that I have found yet! Don't forget to also check out Easy Tempo, Music For TV Dinners: The 60's and Beat at Cinecittà CDs as well. If you are into this groovy scene then by all means grab it! You most definitely will not be disappointed! Peace!

Orchestral Funk at its Swankiest ! ! ! .......2005-08-27

The Liner Notes explain the album but don't really do it justice...They say, "This album is the first in a planned series that will explore the world of some of the most exciting *mood* music ever recorded." (*my emphasis.) - - Mood music... it that British slang for Groove and Funk ??? True, at the time this was marketed as ultra high fidelty quadraphonic lounge music... State of the art recordings to really test out that groovy bachelor pad stereo system on.... but in the end, what does it come down to... Orchestral Funk. 101 Strings was mood music... This is GROOVY baby !

The tracks, recorded between 1968 and 1976 mostly at Abbey Road Studio 2 featuring most of the best session men of the era features material similar to what you'd expect to find on the ULTRA LOUNGE SERIES, but with a heck of a lot more swank and groove... Yes, the strings and lush orchestra are there, but so too are mad *rse percussion, Shaft like guitars and other Jazzy, Disco, funk groove (and yes, there's some swanky Hammonds, brass and lot of ultra pumping Sergio Mendez meets Van McCoy meets spy movie type funk.)

As for the groups (or should I say "orchestras") present are The Dave Pell Singers, Mandingo, Alan Parker, Alan Hawkshaw, Neil Richardson, John Gregory, John Cameron, Keith Mansfield, Alan Morehouse and his Bond Street Brigade, Denny Wright and the Hustlers, Paddy Kingsland, Syd Dale, Brian Bennett, Allan Tew and the Joe Loss Concertium. - - Do I know half these guys ? Admittedly no... but that's what makes this CD so great... all the great discoveries...

I don't know if the folks at EMI and the DJs who picked out the tunes on this album have gotten around to Volume 2 yet, but I darn sure hope they have... or will...

Plenty of delights... musical kiche as well as some really interesting arrangemental hooks. -- Will music like this ever be made again ??? Probably not... and its a darn darn darn shame ! and listening to this wonderful music will make you want to close your eyes and dream that you're banging Claudine Longet or Cynthia Myers circa 1969 (not now, they've probably gotten quite old by now.) I guess that's what the liner notes meant by Mood Music !

Agreed: the best collection of its type.......2003-10-30

I seek out music like this, and although I am by no means an expert-- nor do I have an exhaustive collection-- this is still the best one BY FAR. I've got some of the Easy Tempo collection; Cinematic Soul Punch; a few Italian ones; a few other British ones (e.g. Sound Gallery v2 and Sound Spectrum); a couple German ones; the "TV Dinners" album; Shake Sauvage and Beretta 70; and some more that I'm forgetting. AND THIS ONE STILL SETS THE CURVE. So check those out, but again, do not miss this one. Unlike other albums which have some hits and some misses, each song on this one is a prize waiting to be discovered. You will not be disappointed.

The best lounge/instrumental collection on the market!.......2002-09-23

This CD contains the (in my humble opinion) best instrumental ever written: The Riviera Affair/Neil Richardson. Picture David Janssen and Diana Rigg cruising in a turquoise convertible along the open highway with the wind in their hair and the glorious possibilities of the future before them. This will give you just a small idea of how glorious and transcendent this tune is!! For this alone, I would have paid for the CD. But wait... there's more! The quality of the stereo is amazingly good--in fact, wonderful. Other great instrumentals are: Oh Calcutta (corny but suave -- touches of Brian Wilson instrumentals at his best); Black Rite (cool Bond-like theme style with electric guitar and horns; Jaguar (wow--this will sweep you away!! big bass beat, organ, strings); Life of Leisure (melody a bit like "Walk on By" -- amazingly beautiful mellow horn and strings--you'll float away); The Penthouse Suite (this one does it all--really rips--get out the go-go boots and start snapping your fingers!!); Music to Drive By (theme-type tune with happy strings, xylophone, flute--transcends typical themes). The others tunes are okay to excellent--depends on your taste. Some are TV themes or game show types. Some are groovy pseudo-psychedlic (Jesus Christ Superstar). Some are funky, jazzy (Carol King's "I Feel the Earth Move"), commercial (Shout About Pepsi). Yes, there's a lot here -- something for every taste! If you own only one instrumental/lounge CD, make this the one!! (BTW, Volume Two of this series is also very good and worth owning, but not quite as sublime as this first volume.)

Average customer rating: Forbidden Island & Primitiva ANOTHER EXOTICA GREAT DENNY'S MOST EXOTIC ALBUMS.MIND BLOWING INSTRUMENTATION.

Forbidden Island/Primitiva Martin Denny Manufacturer: Scamp ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | International | Styles | Music Hawaii | Pacific Islands | International | Styles | Music Lounge | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music Retro Space Age | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music General | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music General | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music Easy Listening | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Quiet Village/Enchanted Sea The Exciting Sounds of Martin Denny: Exotica/Exotica, Vol. I & II Hypnotique/Exotica III Taboo: The Exotic Sounds of Arthur Lyman Afro-Desia: The Exotic Sounds of Martin Denny ASIN: B000000IAQ Release Date: 1996-10-15

Tracks:

1. Cobra
2. Port Au Prince
3. Exotica
4. Little China Doll
5. Bali Hai
6. Narcissus Queen
7. Goony Birds
8. Sim Sim
9. Primitiva
10. March Of The Siamese Children
11. Sukara
12. Forbidden Island
13. Burma Train
14. Kalua
15. M'Gambo Mambo
16. Buddhist Bells
17. M'Bira
18. Flamingo
19. Llama Serenade
20. Akaka Falls
21. Bangkok Cockfight
22. Mau Mau
23. Dites Moi
24. Jamaica Farewell

Customer Reviews:

Forbidden Island & Primitiva.......2005-08-02

Great Marten Denny Style. easy to listen to... very enjoyable...

ANOTHER EXOTICA GREAT.......2005-07-16

You simply must get all of these priceless albums of Martin Denny, and while you're at it Arthur Lyman too. Then you will have a magic environment to relax into.

DENNY'S MOST EXOTIC ALBUMS.MIND BLOWING INSTRUMENTATION........2000-12-30

I bought all four of these 2 on 1 CD's from Scamp years ago when they first came out.They're all excellent.I love this one particularly for the extensive use of exotic musical instruments from every corner of the globe.These two albums are primarily led by the mallet percussion instruments with very little piano.The birdcalls are excellent;"Goony Birds"is one of the best songs.Every song is good.The melodies are beautiful and complex.The arrangements for this small group,featuring such exotic instrumentation,are brilliant.This group uses gongs,tam tams,drums,birdcalls,whistles,bells,bowls,japanese samisen(a stringed instrument)and much more with such artistry not heard since Spike Jones!This is truly what should be called "Exotica".

Average customer rating: ISLANDS EXOTICA DEFINES THE FIFTIES Tutti-fruity exotica from all over the proverbial continent

Hypnotique/Exotica III Martin Denny Manufacturer: Scamp ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | International | Styles | Music Hawaii | Pacific Islands | International | Styles | Music Lounge | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music Retro Space Age | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music General | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music General | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music Easy Listening | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Forbidden Island/Primitiva The Exciting Sounds of Martin Denny: Exotica/Exotica, Vol. I & II Quiet Village/Enchanted Sea Afro-Desia: The Exotic Sounds of Martin Denny Taboo: The Exotic Sounds of Arthur Lyman ASIN: B000000IAR Release Date: 1997-02-25

Tracks:

1. Jungle Madness
2. On A Little Street In Singapore
3. Voodoo Dreams
4. Chinese Lullaby
5. Hynotique
6. St. Louis Blues
7. We Kiss In A Shadow
8. Summertime
9. Scimitar
10. American In Bali
11. Japanese Sandman
12. Jungle River Boat
13. Harbor Lights
14. Manila
15. Mam Iti E Papa E
16. Bamboo Lullaby
17. Ringo Oiwake
18. Moon Of Manakoora
19. Limehouse Blues
20. Beautiful Kahana
21. Caravan
22. Congo Train
23. Hello Young Lovers

Customer Reviews:

ISLANDS EXOTICA DEFINES THE FIFTIES.......2005-07-16

I loved them when I was five and even more now. All ages appreciate Martin Denny as they stop to listen and then glisten.

Tutti-fruity exotica from all over the proverbial continent.......2003-01-13

"Hypnotique", one of Denny's own personal faves, runs hari-kari through the streets of Singapore to the tourist hot spots of Bali, and some of the comical arrangements are a little cornball, but when its right--its beautiful. The two opening tunes("Jungle Madness", with it's wild bird calls, and "On a Little Street", with it's shimmering sinuousness)set a standard that is hard to top, but many of the other numbers are wonderful in their own right; the second part of this CD, "Exotica III", is also captivating, beginning with the delicious "Jungle River Boat"(borrowed from quasi-competitor Les Baxter!)down thru one of my favorite tracks, "Congo Train"(also from Baxter!). These sessions proved to be maddening for Martin, who had a terrible time trying to get this record right. Maybe all the fatigue surrounding it's original taping is what produces a bit of malaise in the music(it might put you in a stupor before it's over). Still, Denny's collage of instruments dance around you in stereo with the tricky steps of a circus clown escaping an untamed leopard. It's a delightful excursion.

Average customer rating: Totally surpassed expectations! Shut your mouth, go away! A sunny good time! From a Logical POV, One of the Best LPs Ever You Won't Believe Your Ears!

Calypso Is Like So Robert Mitchum Manufacturer: Scamp ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Calypso | Caribbean & Cuba | International | Styles | Music Lounge | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music General | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music Traditional & Vocal Pop | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music Easy Listening | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: That Man, Robert Mitchum, Sings Tall Dark Stranger My Rifle, My Pony and Me (Western Movies Songs) Miss Calypso Thunder Road ASIN: B000000IAE Release Date: 1995-09-05

Tracks:

1. My Honey's Lovin' Arms

Customer Reviews:

Totally surpassed expectations!.......2006-10-16

I always thought this was a "Golden Throats" candidate, but had never before heard the album. When I did, I was amazed. Mitchum can really sing -- his tone is fine, his pitch is true, his rhythm is right in the groove, and his enunciation is spot-on. There's no way he was drunk (as he later claimed) when he recorded this -- it's just too clean. Trained musicians might have had trouble with these rhythms and lyrics, but Mitchum hits them out of the park. And the songs are delightful, as is his back-up band and singers. This album is a real delight, and though better calypso recordings undoubtedly exist, this record has to stand near the top of the list of best albums by Hollywood stars not otherwise known as vocalists.

Shut your mouth, go away!.......2005-07-02

So, how good does Robert Mitchum do de calypso, mon? Well, he's a more authentic calypso singer than Vanilla Ice was a rapper. He does a decent job on the tongue-twisting lyrics, especially on the up-tempo "What's This Generation Coming To?", a lament about how da crazy teenagers got da nation in a state of con-fyoo-shun wit' dere rockin' 'n' rollin'. On other tunes, his vocals aren't as powerful as his fists, but as Johnny Mercer once said, if Mitchum can't reach a high note, "he can act his way through it." And if that doesn't work...well, who's gonna tell him? Here is the track listing:

1. Jean and Dinah
2. From a Logical Point of View
3. Not Me
4. What is This Generation Coming To?
5. Tic, Tic, Tic
6. Beauty is Only Skin Deep
7. I Learn a Merengue, Mama
8. Take Me Down to Lover's Row
9. Mama, Looka Boo Boo
10. Coconut Water
11. Matilda, Matilda
12. They Dance All Night
13. The Ballad of Thunder Road
14. My Honey's Lovin' Arms

13 & 14 are bonus tracks. "The Ballad of Thunder Road" was a non-calypso single released about a year after this album, and "My Honey's Lovin' Arms" was it's b-side.

A sunny good time!.......2005-07-01

Whenever I'm feeling blue or in need of sunshine on a rainy day... THIS is the cd I put on. Tons of fun and guraunteed to make you smile.
I suspect that the people who DIDN'T like this cd don't have the kind of sense of humor needed to appreciate this album. So very tongue in cheek and just an all around good time. Too bad the art of subtle lyrics is lost on today's artists.

From a Logical POV, One of the Best LPs Ever.......2003-11-09

Forget "Sgt. Pepper's," "Electric Ladyland" and the third Kraftwerk album; for that matter, who needs the artiness of Veloso or Buarque when you have the Mitch? This 1957 effort is simply one of the best LPs ever recorded, and it works on many levels. The man who did the best version of "Sunny" ever recorded (sure beat Bobby Hebb) and who terrorized children, mothers and nubile teenagers in films like "Cape Fear" and "Night of the Hunter" (and who was one of the heaviest film-noir anti-heroes in classics like "Out of the Past" and "Angel Face") proves his versatility by tackling these calypso songs and rendering them to perfection. The angular, avant-garde banjo on "I Learn a Meringue, Mama" beats anything DNA or Robert Fripp ever put on wax; Robert Fripp never had Jane Greer or Jane Russell as a love interest, and he ever got busted for weed he wouldn't have taken it in stride as well as Mitchum did back in 1947. The fact is, this is one solid platter and anyone who snickers and laughs at this masterpiece, or tries to parade her "hipster" credentials by calling it a camp classic, needs to have a talk with the Mitch, who is still dispensing his brand of wisdom, and a nightly version of "Mama Look a Boo Boo," from the right hand of Yaweh up in tough-guy heaven. Buy this before you buy anything else, and if you're lucky, maybe you'll find a woman you can call "Chiquita!"

You Won't Believe Your Ears!.......2003-07-04

While vacationing in the Bahamas recently, my hotel's Muzak track played a Calypso song which was obviously entitled "From a Logical Point of View." Something immediately clicked, and the song was unquestionably a version of the early 60's U.S. hit "If You Wanna Be Happy" by one Jimmy Soul. As I listened intently, I found the Calypso version's lyrics funnier and far more clever; I suspected that it preceded the somewhat sanitized U.S. version.... but who was the singer?

My interest in the song was sidetracked until I returned from vacation, whereupon I promptly tracked it down on the web. Much to my surprise the vocal artist was Robert Mitchum! At first I thought it wasn't possible, but after repeated playings of the CD, I actually can manage to hear a tiny bit of Mitchum's real, actor's voice in the songs. Your first time through it, though, you simply won't believe your ears.

Mitchum does a surprisingly fantastic job. The tunes are catchy and infectious, and one is better than the other. Yes, they're politically incorrect, but that isn't a bad thing, IMHO. Sure, they're a tad "naughty" by 1950's standards, but hardly so by the standards of today. Thematically interesting, one song is about a group of popular bar girls' return to normal status after the American naval base in Trinidad is closed. Another concerns a father's musings over his kids disbelief that he's so darn ugly (and possibly that he's not their real father). A third is about a stolen watch and where it's hidden on (or should I say "in") a native lass' body. A particularly catchy tune recounts a lad's being taught the dance called "the merengue" (or could this be code for something else?) and of course there's the "Logical Point of View" number, which advises you to "always marry a woman uglier than you."

Happy, fun music from a bygone era. Great stuff!

Average customer rating: Elevator to the stars. Startling hip theme LP from 101 Strings Haze Back to Yesteryear This is a cult album!

Astro Sounds From Beyond the Year 2000 101 Strings Orchestra Manufacturer: Scamp ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | International | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music Orchestral Pop | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Love ASIN: B000000IAU Release Date: 1996-07-16

Tracks:

1. Flameout
2. Re-Entry To Mog
3. Space Obyssey
4. Astral Freakout
5. Orbit Fantasy
6. Barrier X-69
7. A Dissapointed Love With A Desensitized Robot
8. Where Were You In 1982?
9. Trippin' On Lunar 07
10. A Bad Trip Back To '69
11. Karma Sitar (Bonus Track)
12. Whiplash (Bonus Track)
13. Instant Nirvana (Bonus Track)

Customer Reviews:

Elevator to the stars........2005-06-28

101 Strings were know for their "elevator music" style instrumental albums. This album is something else entirely. The strings are still there, but they are pushed into the background. Instead, most of these tracks have rock guitars (heavy on the fuzztone) as the lead instruments. Lord knows what the little old ladies who were fans of 101 Strings thought when they heard this album. To my ears, it sounds like music from the soundtrack of an exploitation movie about hippies. Which is not necessarily a bad thing. The CD adds three bonus tracks from another offbeat album by 101 Strings, which featured "erotic" music. The most interesting of these tracks features the sound of a woman moaning while being whipped. This is a fun album that will appeal to people who like "offbeat" music.

Startling hip theme LP from 101 Strings.......2002-02-17

It's hard to imagine how the moribund stylings of the 101 Strings could mate with by-the-numbers psychedelic sounds (phase shifters, oscillators, etc.) and space themes to produce something as compelling as this 1969 release. But brilliantly compelling it is. Though certain to have confounded 101 Strings fans of its day, and failed in any appeal to the contemporary rock or jazz crowds, its reappearance as part of the lounge revival is a blessing.

There's a nearly unexplainable alchemy that makes this so hypnotically listenable. Once past the kitsch factor, listeners will find themselves enveloped in superb bubblegum melodies, rendered with orchestrated strings and guitars that range from crystalline to exotically fuzzed. The drumming would fill any discotheque dance floor, and the organs hum with the power of the Spencer Davis Group (whose "Gimme Some Lovin'" riff is borrowed for "A Disappointed Love With a Desensitized Robot").

Three bonus tracks from the 101 Strings erotic period (strings + moaning woman = wow!) fill out this reissue. "Karma Sitar" is a flavorful faux-Indian raga, while "Whiplash" adds daring (for a mainstream 1969 release) whip cracks to the erotic equation.

Unlike the hucksters who predict the future and then disappear when their prophesies fail to materialize, the 101 Strings laid theirs to tape, for all the world to revisit "beyond the year 2000." With Scamp's digital reissue (which, unfortunately, contains no production, playing or songwriting credits), one realizes that these Astro Sounds are still reaching into the future.

Haze Back to Yesteryear.......2001-06-09

My father purchased this record for me in 1970. I can still remember the feeling that it gave me back then. And listening to these cuts brings me back to the heyday years that followed - Streaking, Free Jam Concerts (In a world where NOTHING seems FREE anymore), Free Love and the Space Race. I highly recommend this 101 Strings Collection to anyone who wasn't a mote in Daddy's eye and those who can appreciate the growing pains of music in those days.

Note: Moog was just coming out when this album was produced...if this release or the original album is not a collector's item now, they should be...

This is a cult album!.......2000-03-27

Fans of Danny Elfman, Joe Meek and AIR should check this one out. Space Muzak with vintage synth sounds and fuzz guitars! One of those kitschy albums only the 60's could have produced, and only contemporary ears can fully appreciate its weirdness and (probably accidental) inventiveness.

Look at the price of this CD compared to the rest of the 101 strings catalog. Doesn't it tell you something? For a delicious bonus, three tracks have been added, with "Whiplash" being the obvious highlight: a woman moans and screams to the sound of whips! It'll make even Serge Gainsbourg blush.

This is one cool album, get it and tell all your friends about it! Build the cult.

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1. Served Live [Live]
2. She Cried/Come a Little Bit Closer [Import] [Original recording remastered]
3. Sing the Songs of Bill Monroe
4. Sweet Home Alabama: Tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd
5. Sweet in the Pants
6. Sweet Memories
7. Sweethearts in Heaven: the Complete Dot Recordings 1957 - 1964 [Import]
8. Swinging the Devil's Dream [Import]
9. The Best of Cliff Waldron
10. The Complete Columbia Hits and More [Import]

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