1957’s Skins! is an adventurous 10-track soundscape sure to please the easy-listening-lazy-demon within every needle-dropper. Skins! grooves, baby, and with all of Baxter’s mid-late 50s / early 60s cuts, is essential Space Age Pop spinning material.
Category Archives: 1957
Golden Instrumentals
Originally released in 1957, this reissue by Billy Vaughn (and His Orchestra) titled Golden Instrumentals is a decent orchestral blanket for those in need of sophisticated warmth. Not necessarily my cup o’ tea, but she fits a certain niche from time to time. Spin with disdain and extreme caution.
Tricks & Treats
While I sit here, eagerly listening to Jericho Sirens, you know, the new Hot Snakes album, I feel an urgent need to mentally frolic over this goofy-ass Bing Crosby cover from 1957 titled, New Tricks… I mean, just look at that dog’s disapproving glare! And the characteristic hat and pipe?! It’s just too much! Well, after you’ve had a good laugh, just think… that dog is dead now. What, you think dogs can live to be 60 years old?! What world do you live in, and how do I get there? But in all seriousness, New Tricks… is a pretty straightforward Bing Crosby record. Nothing too flashy, and a lot more of the same shtick that made Mr. Crosby the household name that he is. Buy it for the cover, but that’s about it. RIP funny dog.
The Cha
Pleasantly surprised by this random $1 purchase of Pupi Lopez and his Orchestra’s 1957 Cha Cha Cha Merengues and Mambos release. Acquired for the cover (despite the water damage), she’ll stay for the outrageous Latin flare.
Spectra-Sonic-Sound
Double your desire for Exotica with these (slightly) varying album covers from Denny Martin’s 1957 classic, Exotica (you remember… the album that spawned the genre, and subcategory to Space of Pop?! No?! Well, get with it, man!). Spectra Sonic Sound is not just a Nation of Ulysses track (as it turns out), and was apparently “the ultimate in High Fidelity” in the mid-to-late 1950s, or at least had legal rights to such a claim. With the same catalog number, I couldn’t tell you which version (left or right) came first, though I will say I find it hard to believe that one would consciously move away from the multi-color Spectra-Sonic-Sound logo on the bottom of the right version. Essential. Listening. Material.
4 Altos
Let’s jazz it up with a bit of Zoot Sims and his 1957 record, Zoot Sims Plays 4 Altos. A little jazz now and then never (really) hurt anyone, so don’t be afraid. Embrace the smooth, vibrant, horny, saxy sounds of jazz. Your children will thank you.
Sings of the Caribbean
We’re happy to (finally) bring home, into the collection, Harry Belafonte’s 1957 album of Caribbean lullabies, Belafonte Sings of the Caribbean. She was once the black hole among the early Belafonte releases, the only missing LP from Harry’s first five years, and is arguably one of his all-time greatest records, aside from 1956’s Calypso and 1961’s Jump Up Calypso. Anyway, I was happy to find it for a cool $4 this weekend. Cheers.
‘S Marvelous
A precursor to 1958’s ‘S Awful Nice, 1957’s ‘S Marvelous features another pack of serenaded love woos, and another “girl tells hilarious joke while pack of horny lapdogs rigidly struggle to bury their bones” cover. It’s 1957 sweet as candy living room music by Ray Conniff and His Orchestra, and it’s spectacular.Without a Key
In order to open a door of dreams, one must prominently present their hopes and aspirations in the most whimsical of ways. And, let’s thank Joe Reisman and his Orchestra for his 1957 pop jazz lullaby, for both producing the door, and the seminal key.
Ellis in Wonderland
Minimal set dressing with scantily clad vixens looks an awful lot like my company holiday party, so let’s just say that Ray Ellis knew what the hell he was doing for his 1957 album, Ellis in Wonderland.
Exotica
It’s Thursday, which means, it’s hot-damn time for Exotica. Martin Denny and his space-age, late 50s collection of easy listening goodness comes at the perfect, unexpected, stress-relieving moment. The looming stress cloud is swiftly approaching, so let’s ease into flu season with some well earned, Exotica.
Polly, No Pockets
I know absolutely nothing about Polly Bergen (sorry, Polly), but this 1957 Columbia records release, at one point, and likely very briefly, graced her hands. I imagine a 1957 year old Jane was a lover of Polly’s early film career, or perhaps Jane was just a monster fan of The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse (Polly hosted from 1954 – 1955 before getting her own show, The Polly Bergen Show in 1957). I found this copy at a Goodwill in the valley and decided I had to have it. Maybe I should give it a spin sometime…
… For Your Listening and Dancing Pleasure
60 tracks on one LP… are you kidding me? “Hells no” says Dick Hyman with his 1957 release, 60 Great All Time Songs Vol. 2 For Your Listening And Dancing Pleasure. As far as I can tell, there are four volumes total in the Great All Time Songs library, none of which I currently own, with the exception for the Vol. 2 you’re currently looking at. So, you know, there’s that.
The Prudent Groove 