Eddie Drennon

Artist: Eddie Drennon

LP: It Don't Mean a Thing
Song: "Disco Jam"
[ listen ]

Bomb kills 49 civilians in Peshawar, Northern Pakistan; at least 180 dead after tsunami hits Samoa islands; scores killed by earthquake in Indonesia; hundreds dead and thousands left homeless in Philippines after double-typhoons Ketsana and Parma. Let's keep dancing!!

The Diaspora Yeshiva Band

Artist: The Diaspora Yeshiva Band

LP: The Diaspora Yeshiva Band
Song: "Esah Eynai"
[ listen ]

Someone dumped their collection of '70s Jewish/Yiddish/Israeli records at Golden Oldies... and now they're mine! You can learn the history, methods and goals of the Diaspora Yeshiva here, read about The Diaspora Yeshiva Band here and for a short bio of group founder Avraham Rosenblum (aka. "the father of Jewish Rock"), go here. These notes come from the back of this 1976 LP:

ESAH EYNAI—Psalm 121: often recited to ask for Hashem's
protection over mother and child during and after childbirth.
This melody came and was sung at the birth of the author's
son, Yehuda Chiya; that the newborn infant hear, at birth,
his first words of Torah and Bracha.

* * * * * * *

In 1967, Rabbi Dr. Mordecai Goldstein founded the Diaspora
Yeshiva on Mt. Zion in Jerusalem, with the help of Rabbi Dr.
S.Z. Kahana. Since then, the Yeshiva has grown to become
a vibrant center for spiritual growth; an educational institute
known throughout Israel and the Diaspora.

Rabbi Goldstein, the Rosh HaYeshiva and Dean, uses modern
methods to transmit the Masoretic traditions and the eternal
Oral Law, together with a close student-teacher relationship.
This methodology encourages honesty, truth, justice, morality
and piety, while developing the student's potential to become
a Jewish spiritual leader capable of actualizing genuine
Torah values in today's world.

* * * * * * *

PERSONNEL:

Avraham Rosenblum — acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass, mandolin, vocals
Moshe Shur — mandolin, acoustic guitar, vocals

Ben Zion Solomon — fiddle, banjo, guitar, trumpet, vocals
Simcha Abramson — clarinet, vocalsShimmie Green — twelve string guitar, vocalsDavid Saracik — acoustic guitar, vocalsZvi Miller — vocalsAvraham Goodfriend — hand drums
Yochanan Lederman — drumsYoel Goldstein — snare drum
Beryl Glaser — piano, organYossi Cornfeld — banjo, trumpet, fiddleAmram Hakohen — trumpet, vocalsTed Glaser — vocalsS. Ziman — violin

Robert Derby

Artist: Robert Derby

LP: I'm Normal
Song: "Take a Pill"
[ listen ]

A few days ago my new doctor gave me a prescription for Docusate Sodium Stool Softeners. When I picked up the pills at the pharmacy, I was surprised to find that the manufacturers had selected a Barnum & Bailey Circus font for the label on their bottle.

Are they trying to make this seem fun? I would be hard pressed (so to speak) to come up with an event less circus-like than the ingesting of poo-softeners. Although I do hope they will "make me feel alright," it's unlikely Robert Derby had Docusate Sodium pills in mind when he wrote and recorded this catchy tune. Impressively, according to the notes on the back of his 1980 LP, Derby handled all songs, instruments, voices, production and engineering on the record, which was "recorded in a Greenwich Village basement with the help of two 4-track Teac machines"...and probably a 6-pack, some Chinese takeout and a bag of Doritos.

Stan Wolowic and the Polka Chips

Artist: Stan Wolowic and the Polka Chips

LP: Stan Wolowic and the Polka Chips Play the Million Seller Polkas
Song: "Hoop-Dee-Doo"
[ listen ]

Hoop-Dee-Doo is right! Even when you think you're in no mood for dancing, Stan Wolowic and the Wilson Sisters will polka you in the ribs and get you up on your feet and twirling. That's what happened last night, anyway... and I discovered that my apartment floorplan (living room, dining room and kitchen connected in a circle with an island of stove, counter and fridge in the center) is a great setup for polka dancing.

"We sure do hope all the people will enjoy this album,"
says Stan Wolowic, whose idea it was to gather together
these all-time favorites and present them in the
style of his famous polka band.

"Actually, the songs aren't all polkas, because every good
polka set has a few waltzes. We like to think of these as
polka-style waltzes—polka lovers will all know what I mean.

"Because we wanted to have plenty of singing and fun in
every single tune, we've called on the Wilson Sisters to
sing along with the regular members of the Polka Chips
gang. They are almost regulars with us, for these are the
two wonderful girls who appear with us on television.

"This is a very special album for all of us, one that was a
lot of fun to make. And when we listen to it ourselves, or
play these songs for dances, we'll be thinking about our
friends all over the country who may be thinking of us,
too, while they dance to our versions of these
wonderful songs."

The Bloomsbury Set

Artist: The Bloomsbury Set

LP: 7" single
Song: "Sweet Europeans"
[ listen ]

Ever wonder what Patrick Swayze (R.I.P.) would have looked like in the early '80s if he'd been a scrawny bisexual English lad with a pop band?

"THE BLOOMSBURY SET" come from Birmingham
and have been together for about a year. Their first
single "This Year, Next Year" was released in February
1982 on the Graduate Record label. National and regional
airplay, including a session for Radio One's Peter Powell,
led to an appearance on BBC TV Midlands pop show
"Track One" further increasing their large
following in that area.

During April and May the band toured the UK with Judy
Tzuke and following this prepared for the recording of
this record with Andy Taylor of "Duran Duran."

"The Bloomsbury Set" are:
Andy Lloyd (Vocals)
Jim Simpson (Drums)
Paul Faulkner (Guitar)
Gary Lloyd (Bass)

Sergio Cuevas

Artist: Sergio Cuevas

LP: The Artistry of Sergio Cuevas
Song: "Maria Elsa"
[ listen ]

There's not much info about Sergio Cuevas on the internet, but according to the liner notes on this 1969 LP (included below), he toured with Sophie Tucker in the 1960s! The LP notes also inform us that the harp is the official instrument of Paraguay—and according to the LP photos, the instrument has also become a popular Paraguayan sex toy. I hope you all enjoy the extraordinary listening experience caused by the harp-playing of virtuoso Sergio Cuevas, but please do guard against the spell often cast by his palpitating rhythms and the very close throbbing of the music.

THE ARTISTRY OF SERGIO CUEVAS

VIRTUOSO OF THE HARP
AN EXTRAORDINARY LISTENING EXPERIENCE

The harp, coming from the Greek work harpè or
faulx which described its original shape was, in
Ancient times, shaped like a sickle.

The indian harp is an instrument, which was introduced
into South America by the Spanish and Irish Jesuit
missionaries, as a means to accompany the popular
songs allowed in the churches with new...words.

The harp has become the national instrument of Paraguay
where SERGIO CUEVAS was born, in 1939, at Villarrica.

From the age of fifteen he devoted himself entirely
to the study of this instrument. In 1958, he was
selected by the Paraguayan Government to be the
musical Ambassador of his country at the Latin
American Festival in Miami. In 1962, he left
for South Africa with the Sophie Tucker show.
Today, he travels throughout the world interpret-
ing this mulatto music which is full of charm and
nostalgia. When the record is played, it casts a
spell which is due, doubtlessly, to this extraordinary
virtuoso, to the palpitating rhythm, the fantastic
and close...very close throbbing of the music.

[ Sergio Cuevas: 1939 — 1987 ]

Ole Hoyer

Artist: Ole Hoyer

LP: Eric Soya's "17"
Song: "Reflections In the House"
[ listen ]

I picked up this soundtrack for a few bucks when I was in New York City earlier this year. It's evidently from a sexy 1965 Danish film chronicling the transformation of a naive seventeen-year-old boy who, through a series of erotic escapades, gradually turns into a man. I like this track in particular because you can actually hear young Jacob drifting innocently, lazily, nakedly through his house at dusk—when suddenly he sees his reflection in the hallway mirror and notices his jutting erection! Puzzled and bewildered, he fondles it and it responds by nodding in silent approval. This both excites and confuses Jacob, so he touches it again and... well anyway, it's a nice song. Here (in green) is a Danish person's film review from IMDB, with the soundtrack liner notes in pink below that. I've also included photos from the back of the LP with captions of dialogue taken from the film.

I first saw Sytten in Denmark when I was about 19. Being
the right age and in the right place, I LOVED it. It captured
the Denmark I had come to love better than any other Danish
film. Back in the States at age 23, the film turned up in my
college-town theater, so I took my fiancé in order to "share
some of my Danish experience." What I thought was a fun,
boyish romp, was for her, the dirtiest thing she had ever seen.
Now that my own sons are past that age, I'd love to see it
again to see how it plays in my memory. I particularly re-
member the funniest scene with the lad struggling with
masturbation and the local priest trying to, literally, help
him out with it, "So we can repent together later." Then,
after his own awkward experience with one of the farm
girls, entering the farm house and seeing the maid on her
knees scrubbing the floor. She had been coming on to him
even though she was old enough to be his mother, but now
with some experience under his belt, he quietly sneaked up
behind her and gave her the thrill of her life. The older
woman/young boy is a recurring theme in the Danish
coming of age novels I've read, and this supposed
autobiographical portrait of the writer fit right in.


* * * * * * *

Eric Soya's "17" — The Motion Picture for people over 18!

"ERIC SOYA'S '17'" is, as the name implies, a very personal
film. Soya, a 71-year-old Danish author, wrote the autobio-
graphical novel '17' in such a way as to recapture the confusing,
sometimes humorous time in a young man's life when he
passes from adolescence to manhood.

The film is a faithful study of the teen-ager's sexual awakening.
Annelise Meneche, in her debut as a film director, has created a
remarkable "period piece." That is, she has brilliantly recaptured
the aura of relaxed and gracious living so much a part of pre-
World War I Denmark. Critics have applauded the handsome
costumes, and the delightfully Edwardian atmosphere,
lovingly photographed in color.

The film's hero is Jacob Petersen, a widowed Professor's son,
who finds himself in that awkward stage of youth, keenly aware
of the presence of lovely girls, but still too immature and inex-
perienced to know what to do about them. But before the motion
picture runs its course, with the aid of several enthusiastic
young ladies, he learns his lesson well. Some of the scenes
reach the epitome of film frankness. Miss Meneche, in de-
lineating Jacob's sexual breakthrough, places "Eric Soya's
'17'" in the same controversial category as Mai Zetterling's
"Loving Couples" and Jorn Donner's "To Love."

But while some may find the film slightly shocking, no one
will fault the unusually excellent music. Setting the mood for
this story of young love, Ole Hoyer has purposely composed
a brilliant score. His title theme is tender and wistful, very
much in the same mood as Max Steiner's popular
"Theme From a Summer Place."

There are other enchanting highlights: the bouncy, barrel-
house piano of "Pioneer Express," the carnival gaity of "Danish
Pastry." "Erotic Imaginings In the Garden" comprises a variety
of themes. Beginning with a Mancini-like romantic piece (later
reprised in the love theme "Jacob and Vibeke") that flows into
the out-of-kilter chords, signifying the young man's confusion,
it eventually leads into sedate chamber music—an amazing
melding of three entirely different musical styles.

Hoyer's film score is indeed something different. Just as
Ingmar Bergman made moviegoers the world over take note
of the cinema of Scandinavia, so Hoyer now takes it a
step further with the first important Danish film score
ever to be recorded in America. Deservedly so. Listen!

"I've never been sexually awakened before."

"I will awaken you!"

"Nice ruffles."

"Hey, what's this?"

"Hold on.... I think I just started my period piece."

"It says here that we're invited!"

"You ain't nuthin' but a hound dog!..."

"Jacob, please!... must you always reach the epitome of film frankness!?"

Bruce Scott

Artist: Bruce Scott

LP: They're All Raving About Bruce Scott

Song: "Soon It's Gonna' Rain"
[ listen ]
Song: "You Can't Lose Something You Never Had"
[ listen ]

Here's something for the rainy transition into autumn here in Seattle these past few days. Though he evidently failed to live up to the stellar expectations everyone had when his debut LP was released on MGM Records in 1965, Bruce Scott does have a wonderful voice and the record is indeed a treasure. He may not be entirely out of the picture though, since this guy seems to have the same name and face, though some 40 years later. You can get an autographed copy of Bruce's debut LP for $10 here and I've included the notes and review quotes from the back of the LP below. All the stars' raves are legit except one. Can anyone spot the fake?

Bruce Scott on YouTube (thanks, Sue!):

[ "Save Your Heart For Me" ]

When a new singer comes along who generates wide
acceptance from fans and professionals of all tastes,
it is a major show-business event. When that singer
happens to be only 17 years old, though,
something sensational has happened.

Well, Bruce Scott is that something sensational. During
the past year he has thrilled millions of TV viewers with
his renditions of everything from bossa novas
by Jobim to belters from the Beatles.

What invariably amazes everyone is the apparent
ease with which Bruce shifts from one style to another.
None of these moods of singing seems put on. Rather,
each flows from him naturally—much as the fashion
by which a young athlete seems just as comfortable
throwing either a baseball or a football.

Of course, his background is a tremendous asset. He
has been a boy soprano with some of the best children's
operas in America, a rock-and-roll singer in a Greenwich
Village coffee house for almost a year and, of late, a
friend and student of some of the top jazz musicians to
be found anywhere. Yet, even this background does not
fully account for Bruce Scott's remarkable versatility.

He has an innate gift for understanding what a song
is all about—where its essence lies. If the lyric is
meaningful, he tells the story. If rhythm is the key—and
this is the pulse of his generation—he's with it all the way.
And when that unusual commodity, a good melody, is placed
before him, his basic musicality serves him in good stead.

Whether he has been in the "In-Group" environs of
"The Merv Griffin Show," the youthful tumult of
"Hullabaloo," or the "show-biz" glitter of "The Al
Hirt Show," Bruce has always performed beyond
expectations. Whether he sang a rock-and-roll hit, an
all-time standard or a show tune, Bruce has invariably
received heavy mail from fans saying they felt his version
of the song was the best they had ever heard. Whether
or not we accept their praise at face value, there can
be no doubt that Bruce Scott's singing has given these
people much pleasure, and what better criterion is there
for a popular vocalist than the ability to provice the greatest
amount of pleasure for the greatest number of people?

In this, his first L.P., Bruce Scott has chosen tunes—
many of them from his TV appearances—that he
feels will provide the best listening for his fans.
Some are pop hits, some standards and some originals.
Some will rock you, but some will soothe you. A few
are so beautiful, they may make you cry. Included is
one of the loveliest ballads of recent years, Yesterday
by Paul McCartney of the Beatles, also the bossa
classic, Quiet Nights by Jobim, and the all-time
teenage standard, Venus, with a 1965 style orches-
tration, as well as several other wonderful tunes.

For any Bruce Scott fan this album should be a treasure.
For anyone who likes to hear the sound of the 60's—in
all its varieties—sung well, this album is a must.

* * * * * * *

"The first time I saw and heard Bruce Scott I immediately
became a big fan. I see a bright future for this young performer."
FRANKIE AVALON

"...he is more in tune and tempo than any of the
young singers so far that I've heard..."
PEARL BAILEY

"Bruce Scott is undoubtedly the most promising young
talent of the decade. One of my favorites on the show..."
MIKE DOUGLAS

"Oh, he's going to do his first album?...It's not enough
we have screaming mobs every time he's on the show. Now
we'll have to call out the Marines! He's that great, you know!"
MERV GRIFFIN

"...when gold is discovered news travels fast...young
America has discovered Bruce Scott."
AL HIRT

"Bruce Scott's voice has the clear, angelic tone
of a modern-day castrato, but with balls!"
DIANA ROSS

"Bruce Scott is one of the most exciting 'new
faces' I have seen in years."
LEONARD SILLMAN

Irv Cottler

Artist: Irv Cottler
LP: Around the World In Percussion

Song: "Arab Dance"
[ listen ]

Today I thought we'd peek through the beaded curtains of Arabia via this wonderful 1961 Irv Cottler record that seems to feature a fistful of fruity jello being thrown at a hanging globe. Irv was the drummer Frank Sinatra worked with during the last few decades of his career... until Irv died on August 8, 1989. It's weird, but I happen to remember exactly what I was doing on that day. I was in Arcadia, California as a Mormon missionary; it was my 20th birthday and a naive family of Letter-Day Saints who'd been transplanted from Utah brought me a birthday cake in the form of a bikini-clad woman's torso. We had a little impromptu birthday party and they informed me that their cake was the closest I was allowed to come to touching a sexy lady. And then Irv Cottler died. You can read more about this fabulous drummer at Space Age Pop here and I've included the LP liner notes below—along with a neat clip of Cottler performing at the Hollywood Palace with some other percussionists while Caterina Valente tap-dances wildly.

Irv Cottler on YouTube:
[ At the Hollywood Palace ]
w/ Louis Bellson, Philly Jo Jones, Shelly Manne, Caterina Valente

The Romance and Exotic Sounds
AROUND THE WORLD IN PERCUSSION
with IRV COTTLER
and Hollywood's Leading Percussionists

PERCUSSION INSTRUMENTS FEATURED:
bongos — timbales — gourd — cowbell — vibes
shaker bells — Chinese bell tree — finger cymbals
tambourine — xylophone — marimba — orchestra bells
triangle — chimes — hanging cymbal — castanets
timpani — temple block — Tahitian log — puppet shakers
bamboo rods — Trinidad steel drums

* * * * * * *

Here is all the spice and romantic intrigue of sounds
heard in intimate cafes around the world. These sensuous
arrangements by Irv Cottler and Marty Paich take us to
ports of pleasure from Singapore to Madrid...a glimpse
through beaded curtains of Arabia to a moon-bathed
paradise in the Pacific. Musical sounds that dreams
are made of...your passport to the fascination of
exotic places around the world.

RECORDED IN HOLLYWOOD UNDER DIRECTION
OF D.L. MILLER

* * * * * * *

Irv Cottler is considered by record and film producers
as one of the greatest drummers in the U.S.A. He has
played in the top bands of the golden age of dance
bands—Tommy Dorsey, Les Brown and Claude Thornhill.

Born in New York, he studied at Radio City and after
leaving the bands, he moved to the West Coast. He cur-
rently plays the Dinah Shore show and records with top
acts in the country, including Billy May and Frank Sinatra.

[ Irv Cottler: February 13, 1918 — August 8, 1989 ]

Pedrito Altieri y su Banda de Acero

Artist: Pedrito Altieri y su Banda de Acero

LP: Pedro Altieri and His Steel Band

Song: "Irene and Judy"
[ listen ]
Song: "Colonel Boogey"
[ listen ]

I always find it sexy and excitingly international when a record features an airplane on the cover—especially when there's a cluster of handsome Caribbean men standing on the tarmac in the foreground. And after listening, I have to agree that this is one of the best steel bands in the Virgin Islands. The LP has liner notes in both Spanish and English, so I've included both sets here:

Pedrito Altieri se identifica como compositor, artista y director
de Banda de Acero, siendo a la vez el primer puertorriqueño en
tener y dirigir su propia banda de esta clase.

Es increíble como Pedrito y los miembros de su banda obtienen
notas y ritmos de esos drones de acero que ellos mismos preparan.

Este disco contiene música variada oriunda de las Islas Vírgenes,
Trinidad, Puerto Rico, Santos Domingo, etc., tales como Calypsos,
Merengues, Boleros y Guarachas, de los cuales Pedrito y sus
muchachos hacen verdaderos éxitos.

Esta banda y ha recorrido las Islas que rodeo el Mar Carribe, Estados
Unidos y Canadá habiendo sido muy aplaudida en todas partes.

Con esta grabación tanto Pedrito como los componentes de su
banda se consagran como los máximos ejecutantes de esta clase
de instrumentos y los más fieles intérpretes de la música de
las Antillas Menores.

* * * * * * *

Pedrito Altieri's Steelband of St. Croix, Virgin Islands is an
outstanding favorite of listeners and dancers throughout the
Caribbean and the United States. This band has toured the
islands that surround the Caribbean Sea, the United States
and Canada and have won many acclaim at all appearances.

Pedrito is composer, artist and director of this great band.
He is also the first Puerto Rican to own and direct
a band of this class.

All the other members of the band are natives of St. Croix, V.I.

This record consist of a variety of music from the Virgin
Islands, Trinidad, Puerto Rico and Santa Domingo.

Such numbers as Calypso, Merengues, Boleros and Guaracha,
which Pedrito and his boys play with perfection and
rhythm as never heard before.

On this recording the band is giving its best performance so
that you will agree after listening, that it is one of the
best Steelband in the Virgin Islands.

Gangsters of Love

Artist: Gangsters of Love

LP: Gangsters of Love
Song: "Never Is Too Soon"
[ listen ]

Song: "Sympathy For the Devil"
[ listen ]

This is one of the best '70s rock albums in my collection. In fact, a couple mixing buddies and I have been known to adopt identities of some of the group when making and posting musical mixes detailing the fantastic and elaborate adventures of the Gangsters of Love—as you can see here, here and here. If any of the real Gangsters of Love are reading this, I would love to know more about your band, the recording of this LP and to hear what y'all are up to nowadays. You can get your own sealed copy of this incredible 1973 self-titled Gangsters of Love LP here, and this list of who's who is from the back of the LP:

Louis Hollingsworth — Keyboards, Lead Vocals
Dennis Dillon — Lead Guitar
Lawrence Harrison, Jr. — Trumpet, Flute, Background Vocals
Ralph Torres — Tenor Sax, Alto Sax, Flute, Background Vocals
Roland Padilla — Drums
John Brown — Congas
Steve Sanchez — Guitar
David Day — Bass

Stewart Levine — Producer

[ Gangsters of Love ]

Lulu Santos

Artist: Lulu Santos

LP: O Ritmo Do Momento

Song: "O Ritmo Do Momento"
[ listen ]

Did you ever wonder what it would sound like if Rick Springfield had been born in Rio de Janeiro and sang in Portuguese? (At least I think Lulu's singing in Portuguese, though it kinda' sounds like Spanish. Will someone please verify?) You can read about Lulu Santos here and visit his Portuguese-language website here (to turn off sound, click the top button on the pink radio down in the corner). My Portuguese is a little rusty, but I'm a bit disappointed that it doesn't seem like his website contains any anecdotes about the grade school traumas suffered by a pretty-faced pre-teen laddie named Lulu—who later exacted revenge on his tormentors by becoming a rock star heartthrob with brazillions of screaming fans.

Hamilton Bohannon

Artist: Hamilton Bohannon

LP: Keep On Dancin'

Song: "Dance With Your Parno"
[ listen ]

Hamilton Bohannon was first hired on to play drums for Stevie Wonder's touring group before going on to become bandleader and arranger for some of Motown's big acts. You can read more about Hamilton Bohannon here. All songs on Bohannon's 1974 "Keep On Dancin'" LP are superb, as Wayne Joell says, but I especially like "Dance With Your Parno" for using chain-gang-type call-and-response in a funky dance number. Here are the LP liner notes:

Keep on Dancin' is the title of a new collection of songs
written, arranged, directed, produced and performed by
Hamilton Bohannon. Bohannon, who was Motown's Band-
leader for a number of years is finally coming into his own.
Bohannon's ability is amazing. I would like to know why
has he been hid from the public all these years. He is truly
a new Star. Check out this album, it's superb! Make sure
you listen to the beautiful ballad "Have a Good Day," it has
to be one of the best ballads of the year. Along with Hamilton
Bohannon one Rad Lumpkins, Fernando Sanders, David Pruitt
and Lorenzo Brown, truly all Giants. Bohannon makes his debut as
he sings for the first time. Check him out. Ladies and Gentlemen,
boys and Girls, Have a Good Day and Keep on Danging with the
unique rhythms of Bohannon.

"WAYNE JOEL"
Program Director
WDAS—FM Phila.

[ Hamilton Bohannon ]

Dick & Dee Dee

Artist: Dick & Dee Dee

LP: Thou Shalt Not Steal

Song: "Thou Shalt Not Steal"
[ listen ]
Song: "Thou Shalt Not Steal" (slow version)
[ listen ]

"Thou Shalt Not Steal" is one humdinger of a song—it reached #13 on the Billboard singles charts back in 1965. The track's super-fast, high-pitched vocals had me wondering what it would sound like at a slower speed, so I gave it a try and found it to take on a soulful, circumspect quality. (Sorry about the warbles; it was late and I was spinning with my finger, but at least you get the idea.) You can find neat photos, videos and lots of other info on the official Dick & Dee website here. (Be sure to check out Dee Dee's blog, which says I missed a Dick & Dee Dee show here in Seattle earlier this year—with Michael Dunn singing the male parts, since, sadly, Dick St. John fell off his roof and died back in 2003.) You can read about Dick & Dee Dee and their string of hits on Wikipedia here and I've included the LP liner notes below. This video of the duo singing "Where Did All the Good Times Go" is one of the best things I've laid eyes on in a while; it's perfect for the end of summer:

Dick & Dee Dee on YouTube:
[ "Where Did All the Good Times Go" ]

Take two attractive singers from Santa Monica, California.
A few years back, they were sitting in cheering sections,
making a different kind of sound. Now the cheering sections
are making welcome sounds for Dick and Dee Dee. Through
a string of hits, these two unique vocalists have made them-
selves a lot more than a couple of Santa Monica teens.
"Thou Shalt Not Steal" is making up a major part of
the difference that's their uniqueness.

A few years back, Dick and Dee Dee began in a small, West
Coast way. A couple of hits, then a Dick Clark Caravan tour
began to spread the word 3,000 miles across the U.S. about
the wild, new sound of D&DD. They became national
favorites. Today, their sound's gone international, and it's
not unusual to find them fastening their seat belts on a plane
heading for, say, England for recording dates and concerts.

That kind of living's a long way from the surfing
shores of Santa Monica, friends.

It all began back with "The Mountain's High," a hit made by
Dick and Dee Dee just ten days after they joined forces to
become a vocal duo. Dick St. John and Dee Dee Sperling
(they're not related; they're not married; they're great friends)
followed with his like "Tell Me," "Turn Around," and a couple of
fist-fulls more. "Thou Shalt Not Steal" is their latest, a
remarkable song in a remarkable album.

One thing about this album. It's not a one song LP. Every song
Dick and Dee Dee (and their producers, The Wilder Brothers,
and arranger Don Ralke) perform has their patented hit
sound all the way through it.

From Santa Monica...to the United States...to the world...to
"Thou Shalt Not Steal"...to this hit album. It's a great trip
you're sharing in this album. Listen to it greatly.

Noro Morales & His Orchestra

Artist: Noro Morales & His Orchestra

LP: Latin Rhythms For Dancing [7" EP]

Song: "Rhumba Fantasy"
[ listen ]

Here's one from Puerto Rican pianist/bandleader Noro Morrales, who you can read about on All About Jazz here. The good news: this 4-track 7" EP is on beautiful red vinyl! The bad news: there's a little warp toward the end of the track, so I had to put a dime on the needle to keep it from skipping. You can still hear it bumping a little when the needle hits the warp. I had to post it anyhow since Noro Morales has one of the sexiest mugs in the history of show business. Look at those lips!

[ Noro Morales' Lips: January 4, 1911 — January 14, 1964 ]