Jim Reeves.

The record company's must have definately raided the "Archives" for this one!!...and it's a good job that they are able to do just that !! otherwise we will have lost some very good and interesting tracks !....once again they have "Mono" tracks "Electroniclly Created Stereo"..they always seem to come out a bit echoey to me !!....Its great to hear Jim "Swing" on one of the tracks make a change for the 1-2-3 waltz time that seems to be the staple CW time !!!....not telling you which track it is...download it and see for yourselves !!!!You will definately be surprised !!

1. Welcome To My World 
2. I'll Tell The World I Love You
3. Danny Boy
4. A Letter To My Heart
5. Have I Stayed Away To Long
6. Blue Skies 

1. I Wont Forget You 
2. Just Walking In The Rain
3. Am I That Easy To Forget
4. Have You Ever Been Lonely
5. Shifting Whispering Sands
6. You're The Only Good Thing

 

          2. Just Walking In The Rain

George Hamilton IV.

Not being into CW very much this is the first time I have really listened to George H...On this L/P he sings well known CW songs that have been hits for a few well known singers...now are these versions the original versions or are the other singers done the definitive versions....I should imagine that it is up to the individual listener to make that distinction !!!..Or am I wrong!!.......But getting back to the L/P..It's a good one and does a great job of all the songs his voice is good but I don't think individual enough to be instantly recognisable!!!

1. A Rose And Baby Ruth
2. Your Cheatin' Heart
3.  Loneliness All Around Me
4. You Win Again
5. I Can't Help It If I'm Still In Love With You
6. Even Tho'
7. I Heard That Lonesome Whistle
8. One Heart

1. A Walk On The Wild Side
2. Cold Cold Heart
3. Tremble
4. Half As Much
5. I Know Were I'm Going
6. Take These Chains From My Heart
7. I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry
8. Carolina Moon

 

 

          2. Your Cheating Heart

Stephane Grappelly & Friends

Here's some great tracks from about 1970 from one of the "Greats" of "Jazz Violins" !!...could listen to him all day !!...Pity That the back notes are in French might have to get the "Google Translation" on it  but then sometimes things get lost in translation !!!...but this is a great L/P and all the songs are well known so even when the "Friends" go off on an "improvisation" as well as "Stephane" it always goes back to the melody eventualy !!!...this one definatly gave me "Goose Bumps"!!!!!....will be playing it quite a lot in future...Thanks "Bob" !!!!...
"Surprise on Side 1 Track 3 !!!"

          6. My One And Only Love

           3. Like Someone In Love

Johnny Cash--Frank Simon--Jan Howard--Bobby Austin.

Here's some early "Johnny Cash" tracks and some other CW singers that I have not heard of...sometimes these "Budget" labels can throw up some interesting and good tracks and there are a couple on this L/P !!...Like "Luthers Boogie" and others !!!

1. Mean Eyed Cat... Johnny Cash
2. Story Of A Broken Heart...Johnny Cash
3. Luthers Boogie****Johnny Cash
4. Get Rhythm...Johnny Cash 
5. I Can See An Angel****Frank Simon

1. Honky Tonk Merry Go Round****Frank Simon
2. Weeping Willow...Jan Howard
3. I've Got My Pride...Jan Howard
4. Castle Of Love...Bobby Austin
5. Wall Of Loneleness...Bobby Austin

 

        3. Luthers Boogie

Val Doonican Vol 1.

A nice laid back singer singing a selection of some very well known songs....no gimmicks just an orchestra a microphone and his voice....nothing exiting about the arrangements except that I believe "The Mike Sammes Singers" was walking through the "Fair" and also strolling along the "Shore"!!!...If you like your songs in a gentle mood then you will enjoy this one !!

         5. Hold Me

Bobby Crush.

We now have a "Singalong"....Do people these days have "Singalong Parties" !!!...
Once again it is what it is !! a load of popular songs old and new played on a piano and sung by supposedly loads of people....I think the "little man" was at the control of the buttons and slides of the recording console !!!...the vocal sound does not sound right to me !!...and as for the piano playing its ok but very much in the background...it would have been better if the piano was featured first then the "Vocals"!!!!!....But I suppose it would then not be a "Singalong"!!
 "Tanktop" hope your dad enjoys this "Singalong" as well !!! 

 

Neil Sedaka.

Every so often the Record Company's do the listening public a good turn and deliver a good compilation L/P that lives up to its potential and this one does !!...Not only it contains some of "Neil's classic hits but also some great "Live" recordings....Now whether or not the "Live" tracks come from previous released L/P's or they are tracks that have been gathering dust in the RCA Archive's that's exactly how a compilation should be !!!.....AND its seems to be on a "Budget" Label  !!! Good on Yer "CAMDEN" !!!!!

1. Oh Carol
2. Calender Girl
3. The Farther Of Girls
4. Breaking Up Is Hard To Do
5. Proud Mary
6. Little Devil

1. Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen
2. Star Crossed Lovers
3. My World Keeps Getting Shorter Every Day
4. Stairway To Heaven
5. King Of Clowns
6. Everthing Is Beautiful 

 

        2. Star Crossed Lovers / My World Keeps Getting Shorter

Muziek Bij Uw Films

Now here's a funny strange one thought that it might be themes from films but no... after doing a "Google Translation" it comes up as "Music To Your Movies Frequently Requested Themes"so I guess the cover now makes sense....Its a soundtrack of your home movies that is if you need one !!!....By Golly these marketing guy's come up with some strange concepts for L/P titles and covers !!.....Anway apart from that it is a pleasant 40 odd minutes of music !!!...from "Bob"

          1. Happy Weekend

Frank Sinatra.

 One of Sinatra's very popular L/P's....nearly as good as "Swingin' Lovers"....On the British release of this L/P "On The Road To Mandalay"was not on it ..it was replaced by another track..I believe that it was something to do with the estate of "Rudyard Kipling" they did'nt like what Sinatra had done with it....this one is an American release so it's on it...Arn't we "Brits" picky!!!...if its true !!...Can anyone out there verify that !!


1. Come Fly With Me
2. Around The World
3. Isle Of Capri
4. Moonlight In Vermont
5. Autumn In New York
6. On The Road To Mandalay

1. Let's Get Away From It All 
2. April In Paris
3. London By Night
4. Brazil
5. Blue Hawaii
6. It's Nice To Go Traveling

 

          4. Brazil

The Rhine Band Of The Royal Tank Regiment & The Lemington Male Voice Choir.

Here's a fantastic surprise !!....when I first saw this L/P didn't have much hope for it BUT wow !! have a listen and tell me its not great...one of the best band and choir L/P's I have heard for quite some time....And it ticks the box for my moan about not much information on the back cover...NOW that's what every L/P should have !!!....Last Track is something to shout about !!!

1. The Luftwaffe March
2. Marching Memories
3. My Lord What A Morning
4. Trumpet Filigree
5. Speed Your Journey
6. Mulligans Musketeers
7. Grandioso

1. The Old Ark's A Movering 
2. O Mary Don't You Weep
3. Barb'ra Allen
4. Casatchok
5. Go Down Moses
6. Cavalry Of The Steppes
7. Soldiers Chorus
8. Instant Concert

          8. Instant Concert

Max Bygraves.

Phew !! that was a marathon listening curve !....I don't think that you could sit down and listen to the whole of this one and not keep still !!....I guess it is aimed for the "Party Sing Song" brigade !!...definatley not one to listen to with a coffee or brandy !!....But it is what it is...a non stop medley of 100 popular songs that people can join in and sing whilst "Partying" !!....There is everthing there  soooooooooo  folks Party Away !!!
 

          5. The Sheik Of Araby ( Medley)

Shakin' Stevens & The Sunsets.

Here's a young looking "Shakey"and his voice has not yet got the "tone" and "shades" of what he has now !!...It would have been a good one if it was not for the original recordings because they are not much different from them !!.....But it's good to hear these "earlier" recordings of singers just to hear how they manage to get there own "Sound".....I do assume that they are earlier recordings!!....There is no info on the back cover....

1. Roll Over Beethoven
2. White Lightning
3. One Night With You
4. Hi Heel Sneakers
5. Tallahassie Lassie
6. Yakity Yak

1. Mabellene
2. Hearts made Of Stone
3. Good Rockin' Tonight
4. At The Hop
5. Walking On The Water
6. Rip It Up

         4. At The Hop 

The Puppini Sisters

Another Re-mix !!

16 of electro-swing remixes from the likes of The Real Tuesday Weld and Bart & Baker and The Gentlemen Callers of Los Angeles.

   

         12. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious    

Old Pipes Organ--Fragema

Now we have something different I guess not to  everybody's taste but as "Variety Is The Spice Of Life" and it will remind you of the old "Fair's" that used to come around in time gone by !!...ahhhhh sweet memories of "The Goose Fair" at "Nottingham" in my teenage years !!!...I believe they do still have it but it's entirely different now what with "Health And Safety" restrictions we have in this "Time" !!!....This was a contribution from "Bob"

      2. Music Music Music

Bobby Crush.

First time I have listened to "Bobby" he seems to be a bit heavy on the keys but maybe that's his style !!...A pleasent enuff set of tracks but he aint' an "Andre" or "Winifred" !!!....Got another couple of L/P's of his to listen to and post so I'll leave it at that !!!....but it does come alive with "Slightly Latin" !!!

1. Lonely Ballerina
2. Pepe
3. Brendans Theme
4. Orville's Song
5. Memory
6. Dreamers

1. First Love
2. Up Where We Belong
3. Angelique
4. Father And Son 
5. Slightly Latin
6. On Golden Pond

 

        5. Slightly Latin

Jim Reeves.

Seems we have gone all country and western at the moment so here's one of the best  !!...I don't know to much about Country music so I won't make any comment about my favourite moan about the Record Company's sometimes misuse of L/P titles !! and presume that this IS some of his best recordings !!!....so enjoy another smooth sounding collection of popular songs !!

1. He'll Have To Go
2. Four Walls
3. Guilty
4. Blue Boy
5. I'm Getting Better
6. The Blizzard

1. Am I Losing You
2. Billy Bayou
3. Anna Marie
4. Stand At Your Window
5. Adios Amigo
6. Danny Boy

 

        2. Billy Bayou

Ella Fitzgerald.

Here is the second volume of "Irving Berlin".... Ella was at her peak when all the "Song Books" were recorded this one is from 1958....In the later years of her life when she became ill  her voice did suffer and at her later concerts she would always apologise that she couldn't do the "sweet" notes as she used to call them...even so the "magic" was still there !! and she was a great performer whatever she sounded like and did !!!

 1. Suppertime
2. How's Chances
3. Heat Wave
4. Isn't This A Lovely day
5. You Keep Coming Back Like A Song
6. Reaching For The Moon
7. Slumming On Park Avenue

1. The Song Is Ended
2. I'm Putting All My Eggs In One Basket
3. Now It Can Be Told
4. Always
5. It's A Lovely Day Today
6. Change Partners
7. No Strings
8 I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm

    4. Is'nt This A Lovely Day

Alice Darr

Not much info about this great singer...it seems that this is was the only studio recording that she made...along side a live performance in France...But I guess that this is the same for all the forgotten singers of yesteryear..... that the information is sparse....I agree with the review below about the influence of Julie London....its a great find and well worth a listen !

Alice Darr is another forgotten voice in the world of Jazz. Along with a host of others of forgotten yet talented vocalists of the era of the 50' and early 60s (Jerri Winters, Helen Carr and Jeri Southern come to mind) , she was a low key but thoroughly professional singer that reminds one of Julie London by the way of Carmen McCrae. As far as I know this was her only recording she ever made and what a good one it is. The album was recorded in one day which is somewhat of a minor miracle in itself (.Miss Darr was probably thinking I may not get a second chance at this) on May 18th, 1962 at the famed A & R studios with an unknown ,at the time, Phil Ramone at the helm.. She sings 12 songs that even I ,who knows the Great American Songbook well, have never heard of. Not a standard in the bunch which by no means is a bad thing , just that one song tend to meld into another with out any great distinction. 4 of the songs were written by the guitarist on the date , the great Mundell Lowe ...... but Darr's singing is so apropos of the time she transcends the so-so songs into sweet poetry . George Duvivier 's bass is a nice support for her . As far as I know , the album is out of print , originally recorded on the Charlie Parker Record label........( Review Courtesy Of.......Daddyojazz )

1. I only Know How To Cry
2. Yes He's Gone
3. Love Does Funny Things
4. Leave me Alone
5. Under The Smile
6. There He Goes

1. The Lost And The Lonely
2. I Can't Find My Way Home
3. It's A Lonely World
4. Try Try Again
5. Seasons Lost Love
6. You're So Far Away From Me

Alice Darr with Dean Martin 

    2. I Can't Find My Way Home 

                                                      

Frank Sinatra.

 When Sinatra joined "Capitol" records in 1953 he recorded a 10 inch L/P called "Songs For Young Lovers"with "Nelson Riddle" and that was the start of his "Swinging" style... before in the 40's he was known for his slow romantic songs....then in 1954 he made this one and the rest is history !!

1. Just One Of Those Things
2. I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself a Letter
3. Sunday
4. Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams

1. Taking A Chance On Love 
2. Jeepers Creepers
3. Get Happy
4. All Of Me

        3. Sunday