The last in the Exotica series, Vol. III, released in 1959 on Liberty Records, closes out a decade of fantastic space age pop excitement. Sure, Mr. Denny would go on to release other “Exotica” flavored releases with Exotica Today (1966), Exotica Classica (1967), and Exotica ’90 (1990), but Vol. III closed the book on this must-have, three LP series.
Tag Archives: Martin Denny
Quiet Tracks
If these tracks won’t convince you that Martin Denny’s Quiet Village is worthy of owning, then this off-handed, lazy review will: It’s good. Buy it.
E for Exotica
Completing a set is always something of a “cheers” moment. So when I finished off my Martin Denny Exotica collection (Volumes I – III) just the other day for only $0.92, well, that’s certainly cause for some sort of celebratory “cheers.” Yes, it’s Space Age Pop, yes there are birds, and yes, you’re gonna’ love it.
Denny in the Woods
Day 3: Martin Denny’s Afro-Desia… nothing but the essentials, kids.
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.
Quiet Village
We expanded the Martin Denny collection this weekend, tripled it actually, with the help of his 1959 album, Quiet Village – The Exotic Sounds of Martin Denny. Passed up Volume III of Exotica (stupidly), but managed to secure another 1959 classic of Mr. Denny’s, Afro-Desia. I don’t know what the hell was going on in the late 50s, early 60s, but things are getting out of control in a hurry!
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.
The Personality Sound of the Sixties!
According to Liberty Records Inc. (Los Angeles 28, California), Martin Denny’s Exotic Percussion, Around the World With the Chipmunks, Bud and Travis in Concert, and 60 Years of Music America Hates Best are definitively, the personality sounds of the 1960s.
Forget about The Kinks, 13th Floor Elevators, Tim Hardin, Silver Apples, The Monks, Them, The Zombies, and the man in black… and for that matter, forget about the entire UK Encroachment (that’s what it’s called, right?), because Johnny Burnette, The Fleetwoods, and Bobby Vee are decade-defining personalities that history has proved to be as monumental as the title of this record label.
Liberty Records, like a symbolic statue of freedom, knew personality when they heard it. And thank goodness, because I don’t know what I’d do without all the tree-hugging, acid-dropping, tie-dyed skirt wearing, marvelous wonders provided by Bob Wills and Tommy Duncan.
The Prudent Groove 