Luigi's 50's & 60's Vinyl Corner: June 2024

Sunday, 30 June 2024

Nancy Wilson

A really good set of Broadway Songs done as it says on the cover "Jazz And Blues Interpretations" by the classy singer !!!

1. A Lot Of Livin' To Do
2. You Can Have Him
3. Tonight
4. Make Someone Happy
5. I Believe In You
6. As Long As He Needs Me

1. Getting To Know You
2. My Ship
3. The Sweetest Sounds
4. Joey Joey Joey
5. Loads Of Love
6. I'll Know

3. Tonight

Eydie Gorme.

Another torn and battered cover but it's what is on the inside that matters...I think that Eydie Gorme along with Keely Smith are two of the most underrated singers we have today...okay I should think that at this point in time 2011 their voices will be past their best...BUT in the 50's 60's &70's boy could they sing...Just listen to the clarity of Eydie's voice on "Tea For Two"....OK song and style are a bit dated but can any female singer of now can be as clear as her...takes all my time to hear the words of some of the songs of today.

P.S. As you can see the above comments were made by me in 2011 when Eydie was still with us...These are some of the first recordings that she made and although they have released most of them on a CD compilation I believe that this L/P version even though it was recorded about 1958 making it 66 years old to be far more "Real"and clearer than the CD version even taking into consideration the "Snap Crackles & Pops"......Of course that is only MY opinion.....sooooooo the only way to agree or disagree with me is "Download" and have a listen !!!

1. Frenesi

2. Tell Me More

3. I'd Forgotten

4. Besame Mucho.....with Steve Lawrence

5. Fini

6. That Night Of Heaven

1. Tea For Two

2. I've Gotta Crow

3. Don't Tell Lies

4. Make Yourself Comfortable.......with Steve Lawrence

5. Close Your Eyes Take a Deep Breath......with Steve Lawrence

6. Give A Fool A Chance

7. Tea For Two

Stop The World I Want To Get Off

Did not manage to get to see this show which opened in London in 1961 which was a pity because it didn't make a comeback in London after about 485 performances...In 1962 it went to Broadway with the same cast and in 1966 there was a film made without the original cast it was'nt very successful and sank without a trace !!....The lyrics of all the songs are brilliant by Leslie Bricusse & Anthony Newley well worth a listen to !!

1. A.B.C.....Chorus

2. I Wanna Be Rich....Anthony Newley

3. Typically English....Anna Quayle

4. Lumbered....Anthony Newley....

5. Gonna Build A Mountain....Anthony Newley

6. Glorious Russia....Anna Quayle

7. Meilinki Meilchick....Anthony Newley & Anna Quayle

1. Typische Deutsche....Anna Quayle

2. Nag Nag Nag....Anthony Newley & Anna Quayle

3. All American....Anna Quayle & Anthony Newley

4. Once In a Lifetime....Anthony Newley

5. Mumbo Jumbo....Anthony Newley

6. Someone Nice Like You....Anthony Newley & Anna Quayle

DonHo577 January 2018 at 16:58

Newley is just never appreciated enough for his writing. Thank you, Luigi.

gregg11 January 2018 at 01:47

I remember seeing the filmed version of the stage play in about 1964 or 65 at Point Mague Naval Air Station in Oxnard California... I never knew there was a sound track...the theater was packed with myself and maybe 3 other people!!!

12. Mumbo Jumbo

Alma Cogan.

Now this one is one to go a bit crazy about.. Forget the Alma Cogan of the "Novelty Songs"....She does a fantastic job on these standard songs I urge everyone to have a listen you won't be disappointed...I feel that if she was still with us she would have achieved a lot more vocal wise and I recon this album proves it...Just listen to the last track "If Love Were All" Pure Magic!!!

1. I Can't Give You Anything But Love
2. I've Never Been In Love Before
3. The Lady's In Love With You
4. I'm In The Mood For Love
5. Somebody Loves Me
6. Can't Help Falling In Love

1. Hello Young Lovers
2. Our Love Affair
3. Love Me As Though There Were No Tomorrow
4. Love Is Just Around The Corner
5. let Me Love You
6. If Love Were All

12. If Love Were All

Friday, 28 June 2024

The Three Suns

The Three Suns was an American pop group, most popular during the 1940s and 1950s.

The group was formed in 1939 by brothers Al Nevins (guitar) and Morty Nevins (accordion) and their cousin, radio and vaudeville veteran Artie Dunn (vocals, electronic organ). They became a popular nightclub attraction; during a New York engagement in 1944, they were signed to appear in short musical films for the Soundies movie jukeboxes. They performed nine songs for the cameras.

In 1944, The Three Suns scored their first hit record, "Twilight Time"; their version was strictly instrumental and did not feature the lyrics written later by Buck Ram. "Twilight Time" sold over four million copies and was awarded a gold record.

During the 1950s the group continued to play "live" dates with the same personnel, but their recording sessions would often have studio musicians substituting for one or another, because keyboardist Artie Dunn did not read music and guitarist Al Nevins became more interested in the production end of the recording business. The group's popularity waned as rock and roll became popular, but the group reinvented itself by using its RCA Victor recording sessions as an audio laboratory, employing additional instruments and novel stereophonic effects. These new arrangements became popular among fans of lounge music and exotica. Al Nevins remained with RCA Victor as a producer and arranger until his death in 1965; Morty Nevins then hired studio musicians Fred Mendelssohn and Vinnie Bell and recorded a new stereo album for Musicor in 1966, using the Three Suns name. (Info Edited From Wikipedia)

1. Sweet Georgia Brown
2. Mean To Me
3. African Waltz
4. Georgia On My Mind
5. Honeysuckle Rose
6. A Taste of Honey

1. Ain't Misbehavin'
2. Sleepy Time Gal
3. Nite Trix
4. Ja-Da
5. Painted Desert
6. Lazy River

8. Sleepy Town Gal

Carol Kidd & Nigel Clark

Carol Kidd MBE (born 19 October 1945) is a Scottish jazz singer.

Kidd was born in Glasgow, Scotland. She came to prominence in the mid-1970s, as the vocalist in the band led by vibraphonist / saxophonist Jimmy Feighan. In 1990, she released her award-winning album The Night We Called It a Day. She has subsequently performed and recorded extensively on her own. She has won several awards at the British Jazz Awards. In 1998, she was appointed an MBE.

I never get tired of listening to this great lady !!..as I said in the Video below she definatly is one of my favourite singers... so if you folks out there have not heard her give your ears a treat !!

And with just a Guitar as accompaniment with the great "Nigel Clark" she's a knock out !!

Don't take my word ! here's some fellow singers great opinion's !!

For over a decade, jazz singer Carol Kidd has managed to consistently pull in accolades, "Best Awards," and honors from an arena consisting of all-time greats such as Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald, and Sarah Vaughan.

9. You Don't know Me

Carol Kidd

Here's a video of one of my favourite singers I have seen her live twice and she is great...one of the most underrated singers of today....she now lives in "Majorca" and she features most years in the "Edinburgh Jazz Festival"...as you can see from this video she's not scared of giving the musicians some play time which to me is a sign of greatness !!...I hope she come back to do some more concerts as I would love to see her again !!.....

Tony Bennett

Anthony Dominick Benedetto (born August 3, 1926), known professionally as Tony Bennett, is an American singer of traditional pop standards, big band, show tunes, and jazz. He is also a painter, having created works under the name Anthony Benedetto that are on permanent public display in several institutions. This album featured material from the Great American Songbook and presented Bennett in a way different from his hit parade material of the early nineteen-fifties using a combo of jazz musicians. The album was arranged by the featured guitarist, Chuck Wayne, and trumpeter Charles Panely and was recorded between August and December 1954.

B4. I Can't Believe That Your In Love With Me

Don Swan & His Orchestra

More on the kitschy easy listening side than the smooth, cool Latin recordings of Cal Tjader, Don Swan was nonetheless one of the better white musicians to make inroads into Latin jazz during the '50s. Swan was born Wilbur Clyde Schwandt in Manitowoc, WI, on June 28, 1904; he studied composition at the University of Chicago and became an arranger for various big bands, even working with comedian Bob Hope's touring show. In 1940, he was hired as an arranger for Xavier Cugat's orchestra, a post he would hold off and on for the next 20 years. Swan's resulting experience and familiarity with Latin music helped put his services in great demand – not only as an arranger, but also as a composer, for both white big bands (Skinnay Ennis, Freddy Martin) and Latin dance orchestras (Perez Prado, Desi Arnaz). Swan signed to Liberty Records as a recording artist circa 1956-1957, and recorded a string of five Latin lounge LPs, beginning with Mucho Cha Cha Cha. Subsequent LPs like All This and Cha Cha Too, Hot Cha Cha, and two volumes of Latino! found Swan heading up all-star groups of West Coast session men, walking the line between Latin jazz and exotic gimmickry. The success of his albums allowed Swan to form a touring group, and he played extensively in New York and Las Vegas. Swan retired from music in the mid-'60s, and eventually moved to Miami, where he died on July 23, 1998, at the ripe old age of 94.

( Artist Biography by Steve Huey at ALLMUSIC )

1. EL Cumbanchero
2. Chatita
3. La Paloma
4. Miami Beach Rumba
5. Once Ochenta y Uno
6. Razz-Berry Mambo

1. Linda Mujer
2. Betita
3. Hokey Joe
4. Grasias
5. A San Antonio Me Voy
6. Cha Cha In Alaska

6. Razz-Berry Mambo

Blossom Dearie.

Margrethe Blossom Dearie (April 28, 1924 – February 7, 2009) was an American jazz singer and pianist. She was physically petite, with a recognizably light and girlish voice. Dearie performed regular engagements in London and New York City over many years and collaborated with many musicians, including Johnny Mercer, Miles Davis, Jack Segal, Johnny Mandel, Duncan Lamont, Bob Dorough, Dave Frishberg and Jay Berliner.

After high school, Dearie moved to New York City to pursue a music career. Dropping her first name, she began to sing in groups such as the Blue Flames (with the Woody Herman Orchestra) and the Blue Reys (with Alvino Rey's band) before starting her solo career. She moved to Paris in 1952. She formed a vocal group, the Blue Stars (1952–1955), which included Michel Legrand's sister, Christiane, and Bob Dorough. In 1954 the group had a hit in France with a French-language version of "Lullaby of Birdland", arranged by Michel Legrand. The Blue Stars would later evolve into The Swingle Singers. On her first solo album, released two years later, she played the piano but did not sing.

After returning from France in 1957, Dearie made her first six American albums as a solo singer and pianist for Verve Records in the late 1950s and early 1960s, mostly in a small trio or quartet setting.

She performed frequently at New York supper clubs and in 1966 made her first appearance at Ronnie Scott's club in London. She recorded four albums in the United Kingdom during the 1960s that were released on the Fontana label, including a recording of her 1966 performance at Ronnie Scott's. She also performed regularly on Bernard Braden's TV show

On February 7, 2009, after a long illness and failing health, Dearie died in her sleep of natural causes at her apartment on Sheridan Square in Greenwich Village, New York City........( Info Edited from Wikipedia )

1. Little Jazz Bird
2. My Gentleman friend
3. It's Too Good To Talk About Now
4. Chez Moi
5. You Fascinate Me So

1. You've Got Something I Want
2. Boum
3. L'Etang
4. Hello Love
5. Someone To Watch Over Me.

10. Someone To Watch Over Me

Anne Phillips

Anne Phillips is an American singer, songwriter, and producer. She has worked with Burt Bacharach, Carole King, Mahalia Jackson and has arranged and produced jingles for the Four Tops and Martha and the Vandellas.

Phillips started working in demo recordings for songwriters in the 1950s. She was a member of the Ray Charles Singers on the Perry Como Show. In 1959, she recorded her first pop album, Born to Be Blue, for Roulette Records.

"Born to Be Blue received great reviews when it came out later that year. This was from Billboard:

'Miss Phillips has a willowy, wistful sound that is used to effect on an attractive group of tunes. Sparked by Kermit Levinsky’s fine arrangements she registers well on the album title tune, You Don’t Know What Love Is, There Will Never Be Another You, etc. Her phrasing is good and her approach to a song doesn’t invite comparison. A talent to watch.'

Phillips worked on demo recordings for Carole King, Burt Bacharach, and Neil Diamond. In 1962, she sang background vocals on Carole King's It Might As Well Rain Until September.

Phillips has worked as a singer, music arranger, conductor, writer, and producer for national commercials including Pepsi, Revlon, and Sheraton. For some campaigns, she did vocal arrangements in the style of other popular artists. Phillips composed music for a Pepsi campaign with BBDO in the 1960s called "The Taste That Beats the Others Cold, Pepsi Pours it On.The spot included The Turtles, The Four Tops, The Hondells, and the Trade Masters.

1. Lonelyville
2. I've Got To Pass Your House To Get To Mine
3. A Stranger In Town
4. I Don't Want To Walk Without You
5. There Will Never Be Another You
6. When Sunny Gets Blue

1. Born To Be Blue
2. Saturday Night Is The Loneliest Night of The Week
3. Easy Street
4. For Heavens Sake
5. It Could Happen to You
6. You Don't Know What Love Is

05 - There Will Never Be Another You

Thursday, 27 June 2024

Chris Barber's Jazz Band

We are staying in Belgium and listening to a band that will be well known to many !! and another one that might not be too well known....But both are great recordings in their own style !!

2. Everybody Loves My Baby

Clarinet In Gold..Jack Emersome & Orchestra

So we have a double helping of "Petite Fleur"

6. I Can't Stop Loving You

Al Martino.

"Golden Record" from across the channel via "Bob" and most of "Al Martino's Hits...One Compilation for all fans of Al's......A bit of "Music Trivia" coming up...."Here In My Heart" was the first British No 1 when the "Music Top Twenty" first started in the 50's!!

1. Volare

Brass Construction.

The year is now 1977 !!..and here is one of the many bands that took the "Disco" beat to a repetitive crescendo and made lots of money by just doing that !!....Can't say that I have heard any of the tracks before but I should think there are thousands out there in the wide world that has and enjoys the sound !!...so have a listen !!! to the sounds of a Era !!

1. Movin'
2. Peekin'
3. Changin'

1. Love
2. Talkin'
3. Dance