From “Children’s Music” like Danny Kaye and Winnie the Pooh, to “Movie and Broadway” with Oklahoma and Song of Norway, you can bet that Decca Records really does offer “a new world of sound.” Perhaps popular vocalists like Rick Nelson or Brenda Lee is more your bag, or escape the continental US with a handful of great “Hawaiian Music” with Alfred Apaka or The Honolulu Symphony Orchestra. Whatever your flavor, Decca has you covered.
Monthly Archives: December 2017
Tis the Season
This holiday season, why not give the gift of record coasters? This set was gifted to me by my wonderful and thoughtful parents. Save your woodwork in style. They make the perfect gift for any cocktail enthusiast, and are great stocking stuffers.
I’ve Got A Plan
This is what I told my wife… I’ve got a plan. No, it’s not a secret plan to fight inflation, but instead a plan to emerge from chaos with strict, binary organization. The plan worked, I’ll have you know, but please notice a few things during this, my “transition” period… an age that lasted something like four hours. The most obvious is the Dead Cross LP. I’d just finished spinning that when this moment was stolen from time. There’s a TMBG Flood CD, Rocket from the Crypt dice, the Boss DR-5, two unopened sixers of NOFX’s punk in drublic beer, and of course, the Alternative Tentacles “What would Jello do?” bumper sticker. All things, somewhat music related, that have now found a new home. Cheers to being OCD!
Best of the Best
Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra released a riveting collection of Afro-Cuban-infused jazz for Mercury Records on his / their 1961 album, The Best of Cugat. Having been recording and releasing material since the early 1940s (Rumbas, released in 1941), it must have been painstakingly difficult to find only 12 tracks from Cugat’s vast, hip-swaying catalog to fill this compilation. If you haven’t heard of Xavier Cugat, climb out from under your rock and check out this “best of” comp. It’s a great place to start, and can be had for under $3.
Colorful Percussions
Arthur Lyman’s 1962 classic, The Colorful Percussions of Arthur Lyman, is a festive little listen that showcases, yet again, the many and varied talents of this Space Age Pop legend. Sandwiched between 1960’s Percussion Spectatular! (a reissued as Yellow Bird) and Many Moods of Arthur Lyman (also 1962), The Colorful Percussions of Arthur Lyman is as vivid and explosive as the title and cover art suggests. This, like with any Lyman album, comes highly recommended.
‘Torn Curtain’
Torn Curtain, Hitchcock’s 1966 classic starring Paul Newman and Julie Andrews, has slowly become one of my favorite Hitchcock films, in no small part due to John Addison’s riveting soundtrack. Released by Decca the same year, this 12-track record clocks in at just under 30 mins, and serves as a perfect mini adventure for the ears as well as the imagination. If you haven’t watched it in while, I suggest taking some time during the holiday, and if you find a copy of the soundtrack on vinyl, I highly recommend picking it up.
DC
Super excited for a few reasons here. One, that my copy of Dead Cross came in record time (no pun intended). Two, because I’m able to spin yet another collab between Slayer mainstay Dave Lombordo and golden throat magician Mike Patton. And finally, three, because Ipecac Recordings (Patton’s label) releases their records with digital download cards. Lots to be excited about.
On This Day, 61 Years Ago
Storms of rumors surround this “historic” day in Memphis, TN some 61 years ago. It is alleged, with some photographic evidence (take the cover, for example), that during a Carl Perkins recording session at Sun Records, Jerry Lee Lewis (then a young-fresh-fellow on the brink of superstardom), Elvis Presley, and the Man in Black, Johnny Cash recorded 30+ minutes of (mainly gospel) material for what turned out to be dubbed, The Million Dollar Quartet. The recording is heavy Elvis, and sounds much more like an unscripted, haphazard practice session of studio musicians than anything resembling a million dollars ($9,068,492.65 today). Johnny Cash’s presence is all but nonexistent, which raises questions to the album photo’s legitimacy (the official Sun Records release from 1981 has Marilyn Evans, Elvis’ then girlfriend, removed from the photo altogether). This bootleg version was released a year earlier by OMD, and is the only known release by the unknown label. Regardless of the recording’s legitimacy, it’s an educational spin and a gem of a find. Take it with a grain of salt, but enjoy nonetheless.
Mocha Latte, or Zeppelin on 8-track?
No deals were to be had on Johnny Cash albums, but $3 for Led Zeppelin II on (working) 8-track? Don’t mind if I do! Also included in the 8-track haul were George Gershwin, Jim Croce, and The Kinks.
CAUTION!
Much needed caution should be observed when casually spinning your coveted records. Consider, for a moment, the quality of your needle. “It is better to replace your needle than your record collection.” You have Capitol Records to thank for this kind warning, one I’m sure will not fall upon deaf ears.
Dirt Music
Another day, yet another Johnny Cash acquisition. This one, Songs of Our Soil, comes all the way from 1959. Look how young he is! Anyway, we’ve been slicing a sizable chunk out of our needed J.R. Cash discography lately, so this weekend, we’re going to try and keep that train a’rollin! (Heading to an old stomping ground for some cheap, quality, used records.) Wish us luck!
The Prudent Groove 