Teasing the Korean

Capitol rainbow (side logo), mono. Early Capitol stereo sessions were recorded with completely different mic setups and mixes. The mono version of this album has much more fullness and presence than the stereo. This copy is PRISTINE! Love the opening "wooosh" you hear in the lead-in groove on Capitol mono LPs of this vintage.

Sometime in the early-mid 80s, I remember a ripped John Phillips stumbling onto David Letterman's show. He said that Clark Burroughs was the greatest tenor ever. I'm inclined to agree.

Columbia 6-eye mono (my Dad's copy). RIP Gene Puerling. And also my Dad, who loved the Hi-Los.

Agree completely. Puerling seemed to be more about reharmonizing with the Singers Unlimited, and creating a lot of sustained, impressionistic sorts of chords and effects. Yes, I hear the "youthful arrogance" in the Hi-Los. My dad had some of the really early stuff from the Trend label (45s like "They Didn't Believe Me") but also some of the early Columbia LPs, mostly with (the great) Frank Comstock. My Dad (who was a WWII era guy and a professional group singer) also said that the Columbia stuff wasn't as good as the earlier stuff. I always liked the Columbia stuff just as well, and "The Hi Los and All That Jazz" has always been a favorite. Luckily, I've inherited my Dad's records, though I wish he were around to appreciate them with me. I should also add that I listen to SI and the HLs when I'm in completely different moods. SI would be good hangover music, but listening to the HLs with a hangover would be torture.

My copy is mono. Both "Moonlight on the Ganges" and "Eddie and the Witch Doctor" have long shown up on my exotica compilations.

The kind of harmonies Puerling used with the Singers Unlimited were a radical departure from the usual ii-V-I jazz/standard harmonies of the previous generation (this is not a slight against the Hi-Los, who were always very adventurous). SI seemed to owe more of a debt to Brian Wilson - himself influenced by the Hi-Los and Freshman - but who wasn't as tied to the standard chord progressions heard throughout the "Great American Songbook." This may sound weird, but there is an appealing emotionless delivery about the Singers Unlimited. There stuff is very MPS and conjures northern European snowscapes, for me at least. Go for the stuff recorded up to about 1975. It's all in Stereo Jack's dollar bin.

If I was forced to pick a favorite Beach Boys track, it might be "Let Him Run Wild." Capitol Rainbow, mono.

Does "Bull Session with the Big Daddy" really qualify as a "great new song written by Brian Wilson?"

I was always amazed at how Puerling's harmonic approach changed so radically between his work with the Hi-Los and Singers Unlimited; much like Richard Rodgers' melodic approach changed when he went from working with Hart to Hammerstein. I love both groups. I will spin them this weekend.

How is David Selby these days?

I started picking up their albums years ago. I can’t remember if the Jim Flora cover art first brought them to my attention, or the fact that they were on some compilations. Anyway, I have about 8 albums by them, mostly on RCA, but also 2 later ones on United Artists. It seems to me that they were – in a sense – RCA’s answer to Stan Kenton on Capitol and Pete Rugolo on Columbia (and later Mercury). What’s interesting about the albums that I’ve heard is they veer from incredibly modern, experimental, space age writing and arranging, to some really corny stuff that I never want to hear again. Like everyone else, they had to pay the bills, so I’m guessing some of the latter were intended to be novelty or commercial efforts. What I’m not clear on, though, is how many of those early RCA albums were intended as albums or simply compiled from singles. Assuming the latter, that would at least explain why those albums vary so much in quality of content. I know that Eddie Sauter later went on to work with Stan Getz on both “Mickey One” and “Focus,” but I’m not sure what else Sauter and Finegan did after this orchestra. Also, was this strictly a studio project or did they do live performances?

Their plans to do this were announced nearly a year ago. I would certainly attend, if I lived in England! I wonder if there is a plan to release a recording, perhaps a video? I believe there is a NY date this summer. I saw Colin and Rod live a few years ago and they did about half of the album, along with some of their other hits and misses. Colin's voice is amazing. It hasn't changed a bit.

http://www.music-news.com/ShowReview.asp?H...077&nType=3

I paid a whopping 25 cents for this in pretty clean shape. The cover is flawless. I should add that this is one of my favorites among the 6 or 8 records by them that I have.

Thanks for sharing. I have both of the Jim Flora books that Irwin Chusid put together, and I'm always happy to find albums with Flora covers.

Silver label, deep groove? Unfortunately, a later pressing, though I do have a few of the silver labels. Surprised that you didn't comment when I recently posted that I was spinning Goosens' recording of Antill's Corroboree with Ginastera's Panambi suite. Not only one of the greatest records ever made, but with a shrunken head on the cover to boot!

Berlioz - Symphonie Fantastique - Sir Eugene Goosens & LSO - Everest 35mm stereo. From the dollar bin at Stereo Jack's. Now that I'm not in Beantown, those stickers are staying on the album covers!

Ah, Sauter Finegan on vinyl with cover art by the great Jim Flora. Life is good.

Yes. My copy of the CD has the tracks both with the reverb and dry. I prefer the reverb.

Hope it works out, but I've known people that have had it, and their vision reverts back to where it was in a couple of years. Me, I'll stay happy with disposable contacts and stylish eyeglass frames.

I have some French compilations of CBS stuff on vinyl, and there are these crime jazz tracks on there (not Anatomy). Does anyone know what these are from, and if they've made it to CD?

Big fan of Uptown, Masterpieces, and Anatomy. Lve the two percussion pieces on Jazz Party.