Unbeknownst to me, this 1951 10″ by Mexico City’s own, Pérez Prado is considered his first “proper” album. Released the year before as a 3x 7″ box, Plays Mucho Mambo for Dancing houses both Mambo No. 5 AND Mambo No. 8, and although this particular copy skips more than an 8-year-old at a semi-finals hopscotch tournament, it was a no-brainer for a cool $1. Dollar bin hunter level up.
Tag Archives: Perez Prado
The Voodoo That You Do
So, Voodoo Suite Plus Six All-Time Greats somehow jumped into my Discogs Wantlist. I don’t remember if it was the cover, another Perez Prado discovery, or if I read somewhere online about the off-shoot Space Age Pop and Exotica records worthy of hunting down, this being one of them. I’m not sure if any, or all of these are true, but it really doesn’t matter. I was willing to shell out $15+ (before shipping) for this gem, but stumbled across it the other day for a cool $1. The Wantlist is shrinking, one cosmic, dollar bin, Space Age Pop find at a time.Sofa King Groovy
Skipping or not, a 10″ Latin jazz EP by Perez Prado and His Orchestra is always worthy of your $1. Titled Mambo By the King, this 1953 release featured a sister, pressed as a 12″ (which also contains four additional tracks). This, slightly shorter version still manages to contain some of Prado’s well-known, and unforgettable classics (Perdido, Cuban Mambo, and Mambo Jambo come to mind). Released the same year as his famed Havana, 3 A.M., By the King was one of the many (extremely cheap, yet skippable) gems I recently found in the bargain bin at my local hut. Let the fun begin.
Blast
Well, the time has come. We finally completing the “Ten Basic Space Age Pop Albums” according to Space Age Pop Music with Ferrante & Teicher’s 1958 offering, Blast Off! If pressed to say, Blast Off!, with its brilliantly campy cover aside, will likely get the least amount of spins when compared to the other classic albums on this custom checklist. I mean, it’s hard to compare Perez Prado’s Havana 3 A.M. or Les Baxter’s Ritual of the Savage with the experimental and ear-piercing Blast Off!, but that being said, the cover alone is worth the price of admission.Roughing It Day 2
Some choice selects for our end of the year camping extravaganza. From Arthur Lyman to the Kinks, and Perez Prado to Radiohead. Some great spins to round out 2017.
“Prez”
Good things come in small packages. If you don’t believe me, take for example this 45rpm by Perez Prado on RCA Victor Records (1958) titled, “Prez.” Only four tracks, but this little 7″ packs a heavy Space Age Pop punch in full, living stereo. ESP-4314 for those keeping score.
Havana, 3 A.M.
Havana, 3 A.M. is another fundamental and necessary Space Age Pop album from the late 1950s / early 1960s, or so spaceagepop.com would have you believe from their 10 Basic SAP Albums, my current checklist. This Afro-Cuban collection, a “New Orthophonic” High Fidelity Recording, spans 12 Mambo-tastic tracks and is sure to get you on (or off) your feet, regardless of the time of day. Havana, 3 A.M. was Perez Prado and His Orchestra’s fifth album, released in 1956 on RCA Victor (LPM-1257), and is a perfect place for any up-and-coming Space Age Pop-stronaut to start. Happy hunting, kids.
The Prudent Groove 