Fred Miebach & Karl Kuhns Holzhacker Dixie [Badabou] by Hector Delfosse & co - ca. 1954 78rpm MrXnews2 2024-06-25 | Admittedly this isn't my favorite version [that goes to Kurt Henkels & Leipzig Radio Dance Orchestra!], but it's a fun musette-orchestra cover of a German hit from the 1950s. Delfosse was relatively popular for several decades, and songwriters Miebach, Kuhn, and Blecher wrote a number of popular pieces [Blecher translated and/or wrote German lyrics to numerous tunes]. From archive.org/details/78_badabou-holzhacker-dixie_hector-delfosse-et-son-ensemble-musette-f-miebach-k-ku_gbia0449138a
Why Couldnt It Be Poor Little Me? - California Ramblers on 1925 acoustic Columbia 78rpm & HMV 102 MrXnews2 2024-06-22 | Acoustically recorded in January 1925, right before Columbia fully implemented Western Electric's recording system, this fun piece is one of many fantastic sides from the California Ramblers! Much has been written about them, but their name was intended to mask many members' origins in the Midwest and East Coast, giving an "exotic Western" flair. The personnel varied a bit, but eventually settled on an ensemble led by Ed Kirkeby. Adrian Rollini's bass saxophone features prominently, and despite the wear, the band sounds great!I'm always amazed at the HMV 102 portable gramophone's ability to put out a huge sound with great fidelity, thanks to the Victor Orthophonic-type exponential folded horn - and even acoustic records sound good! Oddly, a new medium-tone needle caused excessive drag early on [in another video take], but the Decca Glider worked completely smoothly. Cameo of #Cheems #plush [y'know, the #cheemsdog #cheemsdoge #cheemsmeme #cheemsmemes etc.]
Arrivederci Italia side A by Ray Colignon, Hammond organ - Philips vinyl LP MrXnews2 2024-06-13 | From the Workhorse of the Hammond Organ himself, Ray Colignon [Рей Колиньон], and this collection has quite the "summer" feel...!
Arrivederci Italia side B by Ray Colignon, Hammond organ - Philips vinyl LP MrXnews2 2024-06-11 | ...and at 4:20, hear a higher-quality version of what the Soviets pirated! youtube.com/watch?v=IP7gaRDOQMI - they often relied upon albums by the Workhorse of the Hammond Organ himself, Ray Colignon [Рей Колиньон], and this collection has quite the "summer" feel...!
Sugar, Sugar on Seeburg 1000 16⅔rpm disc R 78 BA-126A, post-1975 MrXnews2 2024-06-07 | Somewhat inspired by [but not nearly as creative as] @JuiceOne's Simpsons Sugarposting...! Instead we have some clips of Fips Fleischer, Horst Fischer, and Kurt Henkels with the Leipzig Radio Dance Orchestra from the 1957 film "Spielbank-Affäre".The highs were rather distorted, so I had to turn them down to keep the sound from being overly crackled...
Walter Murphys More and More Love funk/disco on Seeburg 1000 16⅔rpm disc R76 BA-125A, post-1975 MrXnews2 2024-06-06 | "Oh yeahm - very fumky" - rather upbeat funk/disco with the "orchestral" French horn interlude, originally issued on discogs.com/release/3158060-Walter-Murphy-Tom-Manoff-Production-Music - [somewhat badly] reissued at youtube.com/watch?v=wclzlIlC3_w
Walter Murphys The Shuttle funk/disco on Seeburg 1000 16⅔rpm disc R76 BA-125B, post-1975 MrXnews2 2024-06-04 | "Oh yeahm - very fumky" - basic saxophone melody over a bassline that I swear was sampled later on, originally issued on discogs.com/release/3158060-Walter-Murphy-Tom-Manoff-Production-Music
Demo Sunshine of Your Smile by Sam Ash on Emerson universal-cut 78rpm, ca. 1916 MrXnews2 2024-06-03 | Samuel Howard Ash (1884-1951 - not the music store namesake) made a decent recording career in the 1910s and 1920s before becoming an actor doing bit parts and musical numbers in Hollywood. His sentimental-song repertoire was huge, and this rendition competes well with those by Ernest Pike, Lambert Murphy, and isn't half-bad even for John McCormack [though Ash is definitely at his limit on the high notes]. While not credited on the label [somewhat typical for this series of Emerson discs], this is unmistakably Sam Ash's voice - one of his hallmarks is pronouncing "you" as "yew", possibly influenced by his English-immigrant parents raising him in northern Kentucky, not far from Cincinnati, Ohio where they moved later. Once he was recording in the 1910s, he joined a large crew of studio artists who fleshed out Emerson's early catalog.Victor Hugo Emerson began his career in the 1890s, as a member of the Columbia recording staff. He became influential as a studio manager, recording director, and engineer, developing a mechanical cylinder duplicator and helping to start the Columbia-produced Little Wonder 7" budget label in 1914. Henry Waterson also helped to make Little Wonder a reality, and the low price helped the little discs take off. This set in motion one of the major themes of Emerson's products: small records at low prices.When Emerson left Columbia a few years later, he started his own firm to produce...little records. He had invested in Pathé's American branch a few years prior, and would soon call upon them for their mechanical duplication capabilities and repertoire.He also marketed various models of disc phonographs, ranging from a $3 external-horn machine with lateral/vertical sound-box to spruce-horn "Music Master" furniture pieces, worthy of rivaling the Victrola series. Because Victor and Columbia held a patent duopoly on lateral recording, all lateral discs had to come from their facilities or those of subsidiaries. Upstarts like Emerson had to either adopt a vertically-cut groove, or find a creative workaround. Emerson chose the latter, licensing a diagonally-cut "universal" groove - it played equally poorly in either lateral or vertical playback setups! This indirectly laid the groundwork for stereo recording years later, however, since the diagonal groove concept was adopted as the standard we know today. I anticipated this record would have more signal in the Left channel, and when dubbing at low-speed, it definitely favored it. However, it didn't sound especially different once sped up - it's roughly as clear as playing it back on my HMV 102 gramophone. The tiny label and Audio-Technica turntable design meant the tonearm wouldn't reach the end, but I was able to nudge it at the end, with the panning issue helping illustrate the interesting/suboptimal setup. Unfortunately it wasn't any good on the AudioTronics mono player...Emerson combined his marketing strategy with various sizes of mini-discs in an ambitious effort to become one of the Big Three record producers. As patent litigation led to the termination of Victor and Columbia's duopoly by 1919, Emerson also adopted it, switching to larger disc sizes as well, ending their 7" series by December 1919. Some universal-cut masters were reissued on the budget Melotone series [possibly with Pathé's involvement], before the concept went dormant until stereo.
Louis Hirschs Tickle Toe & Do It For Me - Victor Military Band 78rpm on HMV 102 gramophone MrXnews2 2024-06-01 | I'm always amazed at the HMV 102 portable gramophone's ability to put out a huge sound with great fidelity, thanks to the Victor Orthophonic-type exponential folded horn - and even acoustic records sound good! Yes, the midrange "honk" endemic to acoustic Victor 78rpm discs is still prevalent, but the result is loud, clear, and enjoyable nonetheless. It's still a decent dancing accompaniment! Recorded January 29, 1918 with 11 additional musicians, directed by Josef Pasternack! The Victor Military Band was a studio ensemble from the "Victor Orchestra" times in the early 1900s, often directed by Walter B. Rogers or Edward T. King. After Rogers left Victor, a few others began leading the studio orchestras, including Pasternack and Rosario Bourdon. The name was phased out in the mid-1920s as large brass band dance music fell out of favor, and established names like Conway and Sousa overtook those of studio "military" bands. These catchy ragtime-esque dance numbers were from a Louis A. Hirsch show, arranged by longtime Victor director R. L. Halle - the Broadway influence stuck even as the styles changed.Cameo of #Cheems #plush [y'know, the #cheemsdog #cheemsdoge #cheemsmeme #cheemsmemes etc.]
[test] Seeburg 1000 16⅔rpm disc R-77 BA-127B, full side MrXnews2 2024-05-30 | 0:14 - "Pajaros Tropicales" Bossa Nova - Angel "Pocho" Gatti's Orchestra3:40 - "Pop In" - Wolf "Brenk" Niggeling6:07 - "One Off for Fred" - Reg Tilsley8:26 - some pop hit I've heard somewhere before11:00 - "All My Love" Bolero (Paul Durand) - youtube.com/watch?v=YSR51t9r-SE18:21 - "As You Like It" - Klaus "Köster" Werker21:00 - "Alma, Corazón y Música" Medium Bossa - Angel "Pocho" Gatti's Orchestra23:47 - "Baby Love" - 1964 Supremes hit; ID from @evelynavdalyan658 26:27 - "Pancho" - Julius Steffaro28:41 - "Rosa Negra" - Gerhard Quaas37:48 - "Flip Top" - Alan Parker
[test] Seeburg 1000 16⅔rpm disc R-77 BA-127A, full side MrXnews2 2024-05-28 | 5:13 - "Music Boutique" - Werner Drexler as "Tony Ringman"7:40 - "All My Loving" - Los Norte Americanos12:40 - "You Know the Way" - Hans-Günther Bunz15:19 - "Beach Party II" from Sylvester LP library24:09 - "Moon River" (Henry Mancini)26:44 - "A Summer Day" - Claudius Cojocar as "Hendrik Haydegg" & Werner Drexler as "Tony Ringman"29:28 - "Tiky-Bum" Bossa Nova - Angel "Pocho" Gatti's Orchestra
Adiós Muchachos (Julio Sanders) by Adolfo Pancho Roquellas Orchestra - 1938 Decca 78rpm, HMV 102 MrXnews2 2024-05-25 | While early American Decca 78s weren't especially impressive in their recording fidelity [or pressing quality], they have an interesting mix of well-known and obscure artists, assembled in the early Great Depression when the recording industry was not doing well. By the later 1930s, the fidelity had improved.Established labels weren't happy about another upstart offering their main-line label at nearly budget-label prices. On top of that, both the British and American Decca branches acquired defunct pressing plants, labels, masters, and patents, giving the young label an edge."Pancho" was the name Adolfo Roquellas of Argentina used to head his popular orchestra. Already a musician, he was well-placed when his family in Argentina lost their money. He came to the USA in 1927 to work in the music industry. His first records were for Victor, then later Decca. This quaint rendition of the classic [and depressingly-worded] Argentine tango from 1927 was one of a large batch the Pancho ensemble recorded in 1938. I'm always amazed at the HMV 102 portable gramophone's ability to put out a huge sound with great fidelity, thanks to the Victor Orthophonic-type exponential folded horn - and when combined with this microphone, the results are pretty good.Cameo of #Cheems #plush [y'know, the #cheemsdog #cheemsdoge #cheemsmeme #cheemsmemes etc.]
[test] Seeburg 1000 16⅔rpm disc R 78 BA-126B, full side MrXnews2 2024-05-23 | 0:15 - loosely based on Tea for Two Cha-Cha melody & chords2:55 - I Can't Give You Anything But Love - Alex Brown's Orchestra5:37 - Here We Go Again - Frank Pleyer12:02 - Sweet Thing [DeWolfe LP library]14:27 - Gioiello - Giovanni Ferroni as "G. Raimero" [credited to Raimero, Ferroni, Litoz, Miglioli, Ninety]17:20 - Times Square - Jerry Mengo [Kosinus library]20:23 - Mamy Blue23:14 - Take Off [DeWolfe LP library]25:18 - Big Band Club - Jerry Mengo [Kosinus library]34:50 - Poco Pazz - Bill Potts
[test] Seeburg 1000 16⅔rpm disc R 78 BA-126A, full side MrXnews2 2024-05-21 | I'm surprised the Content ID bot didn't catch 37:47 - can't help but recall @JuiceOne's "Simpsons Sugarposting" with that classic hit...!0:12 - might be a Count Basie tune?2:56 - "Swivel Hip Snap" - Heinz Hötter5:38 - "Trains and Boats and Planes"8:18 - "Recuerdos de Tijuana" - Frank Pleyer's Orchestra as "Bob Kayser's Marimba Band" - not a Swing-Era hit, but possibly has Rudy Risavy, Hans Ehrlinger, and others on the track! IDed by @SimonMcLean-gp9pw 10:50 - "You Are My Lucky Star" - Alex Brown's Orchestra19:23 - "Palace Hotel" - Alfred Jack22:09 - "Starting the Day Right" - Steve Gray30:26 - "Smooth Touch" - Hermann Impertro as "Rolf Glasen"32:51 - "Cherish"37:47 - "Sugar, Sugar"- the classic, also on 1972-7-1 BA-128 A: youtube.com/watch?v=ahISeqaGC9o
[test] Seeburg 1000 16⅔rpm disc R76 BA-125B, full side MrXnews2 2024-05-16 | The AudioTronics record player isn't in the best shape; there's some wow-and-flutter, but not too bad...so here's Seeburg's answer to Muzak! I'm pretty sure this side is already on YouTube somewhere...As with others of the era, Seeburg was licensing library music as well as recycling older in-house recordings...0:20 - "The Shuttle" - Walter Murphy [oh yeahm - very fumky]4:08 - "He Ain't Heavy - He's My Brother"6:36 - "Lucky" from Hudson Music Library [the DeWolfe sublabel?]9:30 - "Borsalino" theme22:04 - "Rose of Washington Square" chorus melody in a mod-samba arrangement24:26 - "Ill Wind" in a rather unusual string format - thought I heard this version before: youtube.com/watch?v=25i3eTsPrx430:57 - "Song for Anna"33:48 - "Venus" - Frankie Avalon hit Opening track licensed from discogs.com/release/3158060-Walter-Murphy-Tom-Manoff-Production-Music
Extremely goofy Hewlett-Packard Pavilion computer promotional video SVR.MOV, ca. 1997 MrXnews2 2024-05-15 | [disc root]\A.PAQ\HP\HPSCRE~1\MOV\SVR.MOV - not sure what the names of the background music are, but it looks like @content_machine's first computer purchase here From archive.org/details/HPPavilion8160RecoveryCracked - poking around the contents in 7zip is fun, and seeing the ZipCrypto method gave me an idea...I needed a password to extract files. What could it be? ZipRipper/JohnTheRipper should be able to figure it out. I could extract the ".paq" data packet files from the ISO without issue, but extracting the .paq contents was an issue, so I changed the extension to .zip, due to the ZipCrypto piece. Then I had the password tool do the rest - it's "pandora", possibly referring to the Pandora U system board in old HP Pavilion PCs.
[test] Seeburg 1000 16⅔rpm disc R76 BA-125A, full side MrXnews2 2024-05-14 | The AudioTronics record player isn't in the best shape; there's some wow-and-flutter, but not too bad...so here's Seeburg's answer to Muzak! I'm pretty sure this side is already on YouTube somewhere...As with others of the era, Seeburg was licensing library music as well as recycling older in-house recordings...0:20 - "More and More Love" - Walter Murphy [oh yeahm - very fumky]5:38 - "The Old-Fashioned Way (Les plaisirs démodés)" - Charles Aznavour classic7:50 - jazz waltz arrangement of a piece that I don't think was a waltz originally9:39 - appears on other Seeburg discs11:56 - "Ode to Joy" from Ludwig van Beethoven's Ninth Symphony - interesting swinging vocal version15:14 - appears on other Seeburg discs, I think19:24 - no idea, but it sounds like motifs from "La Paloma" and "El Manisero" meet Herb Alpert20:43 - appears on other Seeburg discs, I think31:43 - "Somewhere in the Night"The "very fumky" opener, Walter Murphy's "More and More Love", reminds of this Valentino track: youtube.com/watch?v=C_o4BBHgsNI ...because they're both licensed/reissued from discogs.com/release/3158060-Walter-Murphy-Tom-Manoff-Production-Music
Hewlett-Packard sound check MIDI, SOUNDCHK.MID [FALL4YOU.MID on IBM OS/2] - jazz piano music MrXnews2 2024-05-11 | I call it the "Snoopy Walk Cycle Music" as it resembles a Vince Guaraldi track with Snoopy in profile walking down the street...This was the MIDI music that played when using the OEM setup on the HP Pavilion 6465 PC, running Windows 98. I found it catchy and was able to newly extract a copy from archive.org/details/hewlett-packard-pavilion-6465-system-recovery-discs - in [System Recovery Disc 1 root HP_RECOVERY.ISO]\F.PAQ\HP\HPCOACH\SOUNDCHK.MID - and for 7zip users, the password is "pandora" [without quotes]. More on that later...Soundfont is whatever FreeConvert uses [I miss SolMiRe]...but the HP Pavilion 6465 had a Rockwell sound card. The file itself apparently dates to 1996, but the song is probably older.The OS/2 version is youtube.com/watch?v=RgHd7V5GlMo "Fall for You" [probably early 1990s to be included with MMPM/2], and it's the backing track of "Come with Me" by "Ella Baker" - youtube.com/watch?v=Uk4qZqRCh24 - with the recording copyright credited to...Henry J. Waleczko...? The album cover image is stock, so who knows where this vocal was from...So how did I extract it? 7zip points out that it's encrypted via ZipCrypto, and trying to extract files from the ".paq" data packet file loads a password prompt, but ZipRipper/JohnTheRipper should be able to figure it out. I could extract the ".paq" data packet files from the ISO without issue, but extracting the .paq contents wouldn't work at first, since the extension is incorrect. I changed the extension to .zip [as it uses ZipCrypto], then I had the password tool do the rest. Password "pandora" probably referring to the Pandora U system board in old HP Pavilion PCs.
[test] Seeburg 1000 16⅔rpm disc R79 BA-108B, full side MrXnews2 2024-05-09 | The AudioTronics record player isn't in the best shape; there's some wow-and-flutter, but not too bad...so here's Seeburg's answer to Muzak! I'm pretty sure this side is already on YouTube somewhere...As with others of the era, Seeburg was licensing library music as well as recycling older in-house recordings - some of the names here are quite known among production music fans:0:00 / 0:16 - "Bonjour Princess" - Werner Boehm [technically Böhm, but he's not the same as pianist/vocalist Werner Böhm from Thorn]5:03 - "Hollywood Premier" - Keith Mansfield8:33 - "Sally" - Frank Pleyer32:38 - "Music Lover" - Paul Rothman34:45 - "Land of Nod" - Syd Dale
[test] Seeburg 1000 16⅔rpm disc R79 BA-108A, full side MrXnews2 2024-05-07 | The AudioTronics record player isn't in the best shape; there's some wow-and-flutter, but not too bad...so here's Seeburg's answer to Muzak! I'm pretty sure this side is already on YouTube somewhere...Many are licensed from music libraries, so some Sonoton/Selected Sound affiliates will show up now and then! 0:00 - might be a West German recording2:36 - I have absolutely no idea5:50 - still not sure9:11 - "Flying High" - William Gardner Orchestra12:00 - "Je t'aime...moi non plus" - 101 Strings Orchestra & Bebe Bardon15:04 - "The Now Sound" - Buddy Merrill17:30 - pop tune?25:29 - "Give Me a Song" - Hartmut Kiesewetter30:54 - "Friend Setter" - Bertram "Benny" Gebauer as "Joe Meiling"34:02 - "For Example" - Frank Pleyer36:54 - "As Long as He Needs Me (from 'Oliver!')" - 101 Strings Orchestra
[test] Seeburg 1000 16⅔rpm disc R78 BA-102B, full side MrXnews2 2024-05-02 | The AudioTronics record player isn't in the best shape; there's some wow-and-flutter, but not too bad...so here's Seeburg's answer to Muzak! I'm pretty sure this side is already on YouTube somewhere...For what I presume was cost-saving, Seeburg seems to have licensed more production music tracks as well as recycling older in-house arrangements, if Content ID is correct:0:00 / 0:17 - "Shuffle it Softly" - Henry Mayor [sic - Heinz Meier as "Henry Mayer"]2:54 - "Sucker Punch" - Heinz Hötter4:47 - "Me and My Shadow" - Alex Brown Orchestra7:18 - might be recorded in West Germany9:28 - might be based on a folk melody?11:51 - "Bostrizione" (feat. Nando De Luca) - Franco Cerri15:00 - might have lyrics17:02 - "Honkey Tonkey Dixie" - Werner Drexler as "Tony Ringman"19:15 - "Talk, Talk, Talk" - Frank Pleyer as "Bob Kayser"21:11 - "Her Name is Amy" - Charles KalmanThe first track is from an album Seeburg sourced several pieces from: discogs.com/release/5406306-Tonys-Dixie-Club-The-Swingin-Formation-From-Dixieland-To-Shuffleland
[test] Seeburg 1000 16⅔rpm disc R78 BA-102A, full side MrXnews2 2024-04-30 | The AudioTronics record player isn't in the best shape; there's some wow-and-flutter, but not too bad...so here's Seeburg's answer to Muzak! I'm pretty sure this side is already on YouTube somewhere...The ever-improving Content ID has a few track names on-hand, and a few others were familiar. These later discs seemed to license more stock tracks, while recycling old Seeburg-specific tracks - huge thanks to @backgroundmusicprogram for many of the IDs:0:00 / 0:10 - "Felice incontro (Slow Rock)" - Angel "Pocho" Gatti's Orchestra05:46 - "Just an Old-Fashioned Love Song" (Paul Williams)10:50 - "(They Long to Be) Close to You" (Burt Bacharach)15:55 - "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)"21:42 - "Here, There and Everywhere" (The Beatles)24:08 - "I Feel the Earth Move" (Carole King)26:10 - "Shuffleland" - Werner Drexler & "The Swingin' Formation" studio orchestra30:42 - "Groovin'" from the late 1960s
*Intense* music category - Samsung Video Editor background music MrXnews2 2024-04-18 | Continuing with these stock tracks, here's this...intense collection of background music available in Samsung Video Editor 5.0.80.2
*Mystery* music category - Samsung Video Editor background music MrXnews2 2024-04-16 | Continuing with these stock tracks, here's this...mysterious collection of background music available in Samsung Video Editor 5.0.80.2
Pierino Codevillas Ramiro tango by Piotr Szymanowskis Tango Orchestra, 1950s MrXnews2 2024-04-10 | Another great tango selection composed by Pierino Codevilla, performed by Piotr Szymanowski's Tango Orchestra, on a 1950s Polskie Nagrania Muza 45rpm EP!
Latin Dance Party commercial album - Juan Erlando [Hans Ehrlinger] band MrXnews2 2024-04-03 | This one was issued in Germany/Europe, Canada, and Japan...and it has quite a connection to the latter. Seems that Ehrlinger or an associate decided to make Latin arrangements of Japanese pop hits, so a number of Japanese composers appear here. This re-imagining turned out well!"Mambo Barairo" [Barairo No Kumo]...this is interesting. Apparently it was a hit in Japan, one of the first from composer Kyohei Tsutsumi. However, it was a pop tune before Ehrlinger gave it a mambo makeover, and the Japanese pressing of "Latin Dance Party" keeps the original titles to reflect the nature of the album [Latin covers of Japanese hits].youtube.com/watch?v=fA9FJ-azlG8 is the James Last cover [!] closer to the original style.
Studio One 18 vinyl album - Fernando Mendoza & Antonio Santos Latin bands MrXnews2 2024-03-27 | Definitely pseudonymous, but some fantastic classic tracks used in Nickelodeon [especially SpongeBob SquarePants] and other productions! These are probably the same session musicians that worked with Sonoton, possibly with Heribert Thusek and Charly Antolini adding to the percussion section...
Studio One 10 vinyl album - Juan Erlando Band [Hans Ehrlinger] MrXnews2 2024-03-20 | The complete album - classic music from a classic library, with some top-notch German studio musicians!
Jack Glogaus The A.O.H.s of the U.S.A. by Edward Meeker on Edison Diamond Disc, 1915 MrXnews2 2024-03-12 | One of the first UCSB Cylinder Library items I heard, and now the disc version is available - https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/detail/2000151276/3632-The_A.O.H.s_of_the_U.S.A Meeker is probably best known as one of the announcers on Edison Gold Moulded Records, the popular 2-minute "black wax" phonograph cylinders made from 1902 to 1912, and early Amberol cylinders, the 4-minute wax records made from 1908 to 1912. The story goes that he was hired as a laborer or engineer of some kind at the Edison works, and was speaking loudly and joking with some other laborers in his stentorian voice. One of the recording managers pulled him aside and said he would be an excellent choice for an announcer role, which had only previously been filled by Arthur Collins on some band records, and Len Spencer later on. Meeker also was the sound effects lead for the duration of the Edison recording studio's existence, but his "dialect" baritone vocals and vaudeville skits are probably his best-known pieces today. But his best-known piece of all is probably baseball's anthem itself, "Take Me Out to the Ball Game".This piece, done in a sort of Irish dialect, sort of pokes fun at social clubs that "take initiation fees" while endorsing the Ancient Order of Hibernians of the United States. What led Jack Glogau to compose this, I'm not sure [maybe his own background?], but it's an entertaining piece that seems appropriate for the upcoming St. Patrick's Day, I suppose.
Gerhard Narholz & Manfred Minnichs Panamericana [Panamerica] - Minnichs Orchestra, Studio One LP MrXnews2 2024-03-07 | Many of these pop-string orchestra pieces wound up on Sonoton Archival reissue compilations. The Minnich sound is mildly different from what I could tell, with more flutes and strings on this album [yes, the arrangers have different styles!] though they consist of many of the same session players and were recorded in the same studios. Initially recorded in 1970 and released on Tip [budget label of Deutsche Grammophon/Polydor, made in West Germany], this was reissued on Berry Music's Studio One label in 1973. Enjoy this fun samba!
Manfred Minnichs Toys for Boys, by Minnichs Orchestra - Studio One vinyl LP issue, 1973 MrXnews2 2024-03-05 | This classic track, featuring trumpets, strings, and light percussion, was syndicated by Associated Production Music through Sonoton, and it appeared in classic 1990s Nickelodeon cartoons. The composer, Manfred "Boris Schoska" Minnich, also conducted the orchestra.The Minnich and Narholz sounds are mildly different, though they consist of many of the same session players and were recorded in the same studios. While also issued on Tip [budget label of Deutsche Grammophon/Polydor, made in West Germany], this was issued on Berry Music's Studio One label. This was originally recorded in 1970, issued here in 1973.
Popular Dance Melodies Potpourri [Попурри Популярных Танцевальных Мелодий] - Ryszard Damrosz Orch. MrXnews2 2024-02-29 | Ryszard Damrosz [Richard Damrosh, Рышард Дамрош, Рышарда Дамроша conjugated] was a light music, pops, and jazz conductor. This medley of Polish/European tunes is completely in the first category - here's a bit of light background music from Polskie Nagrania Muza!The tracks all run together, and this side does not have an eccentric runout groove [unlike the flipside]. The titles are in Polish and Russian, indicating an export version for the Soviet Union.
Popular Dance Melodies Potpourri [Попурри Популярных Танцевальных Мелодий] - Ryszard Damrosz Orch. MrXnews2 2024-02-27 | Ryszard Damrosz [Richard Damrosh, Рышард Дамрош, Рышарда Дамроша conjugated] was a light music, pops, and jazz conductor. This medley of Polish/European tunes is completely in the first category - here's a bit of light background music from Polskie Nagrania Muza!The tracks all run together, and this side has an eccentric runout groove [unlike the flipside]. The titles are in Polish and Russian, indicating an export version for the Soviet Union.
Gerhard Kneifels Charleston-Charlott by Günter Oppenheimers Novelty Five, 1966 MrXnews2 2024-02-22 | Charlotte's dancing bests even Josephine Baker! This was originally recorded by the prolific baritone Fred Frohberg with Günter Oppenheimer's orchestra, so it's fitting for the latter to cover it instrumentally. I'm not sure who's behind the creepy laugh*, but it's otherwise a fun record.*a strange feature of various German recordings, even the Herbert Lom-esque one in the remastered Sonoton recording of Konrad Wolf's "Manzanita"Technically this isn't the group name, but "Die Schräge Drahtkommode" just credits the group members on the sleeve, and pianist Günter Oppenheimer is leading instrument in most cases. He's joined by Dieter Resch (banjo), Horst Schütze (clarinet), Peter Sterzel (bass), and Günter Kiesant (drums). You may have noticed these guys were all veterans of the Leipzig Radio Dance Orchestra, long-timers who [in some cases] had joined when Kurt Henkels was still directing. All of them appear on later recordings, immortalized in an early 1980s photograph on the back of "Jumping at the Woodside - Instrumental-Erfolge" album. Oppenheimer [no known relation to the infamous one] had left around 1960 to head his own ensembles, often pickup groups consisting of the rotating cast of Leipzig-based studio artists, all of whom were in Walter Eichenberg's ensembles as well. Oppenheimer lived into the 20th century as many of his contemporaries, though less is known about Resch. Students like Matthias Fröhlich remember him fondly, as a patient and kind instructor with a great depth of knowledge, and surviving photographs show a rather jolly guitarist [as are Resch's recordings], but other than being deceased by 1999, little about his life is known. Schütze also is a bit mysterious, appearing as a session musician, saxophonist, and occasionally other roles. Sterzel was another individual deceased by 1999, and his bass playing is on numerous Eichenberg-associated recordings, and it looks like he's the bassist in the 1989 photo of Eichenberg and the Leipzig Radio Dance Orchestra at a stage performance. Resch is replaced by Peter Peuker in that performance, but it seems Günter Kiesant is present on drums in that session. Kiesant [still alive as of this writing!] continued his career up until the present day, nearly, working alongside Eberhard Weise and Henry Walther in performing and education capacities. Of note is Kiesant's recording debut, featuring his drum work on Horst Reipsch's "Tornado", with Kurt Henkels directing. While the album title apparently means "tilted/slanted wire dresser-drawers", this phrase seems to refer to detuned tack piano/"honky-tonk"-style pianos. And in true East German fashion, they were a bit behind that aspect of the ragtime revival in the 1950s, where that piano treatment was popular in the West, with pieces like "Die beschwipste Drahtkommode" with characteristic "scordatura" - youtube.com/watch?v=-8YYt9DcR2c - and this album takes a number of East German hits and gives them the ragtime ensemble flair! The label design also makes it clear how Amiga took inspiration from other labels [Telefunken comes to mind, but several other labels used that wedge pattern prior and since].
Harry Seegers Das Lied vom alten Plattenschrank by Günter Oppenheimers Novelty Five, 1966 MrXnews2 2024-02-20 | "The Song from the Old Record Cabinet", by Harry Seeger & Willy Schüller, was the East German smash-hit for Ruth Brandin [Langhammer] & Monika Grimm, but Grimm managed to marry someone from Munich, using this opportunity to flee East Germany as well. Petra Böttcher was assigned as Grimm's replacement, but not with the same popularity. The "chemistry" of the original recording was considered absent from the re-recorded version, but the original survives for us to hear! This instrumental cover is fun as well.Technically this isn't the group name, but "Die Schräge Drahtkommode" just credits the group members on the sleeve, and pianist Günter Oppenheimer is leading instrument in most cases. He's joined by Dieter Resch (banjo), Horst Schütze (clarinet), Peter Sterzel (bass), and Günter Kiesant (drums). You may have noticed these guys were all veterans of the Leipzig Radio Dance Orchestra, long-timers who [in some cases] had joined when Kurt Henkels was still directing. All of them appear on later recordings, immortalized in an early 1980s photograph on the back of "Jumping at the Woodside - Instrumental-Erfolge" album. Oppenheimer [no known relation to the infamous one] had left around 1960 to head his own ensembles, often pickup groups consisting of the rotating cast of Leipzig-based studio artists, all of whom were in Walter Eichenberg's ensembles as well. Oppenheimer lived into the 20th century as many of his contemporaries, though less is known about Resch. Students like Matthias Fröhlich remember him fondly, as a patient and kind instructor with a great depth of knowledge, and surviving photographs show a rather jolly guitarist [as are Resch's recordings], but other than being deceased by 1999, little about his life is known. Schütze also is a bit mysterious, appearing as a session musician, saxophonist, and occasionally other roles. Sterzel was another individual deceased by 1999, and his bass playing is on numerous Eichenberg-associated recordings, and it looks like he's the bassist in the 1989 photo of Eichenberg and the Leipzig Radio Dance Orchestra at a stage performance. Resch is replaced by Peter Peuker in that performance, but it seems Günter Kiesant is present on drums in that session. Kiesant [still alive as of this writing!] continued his career up until the present day, nearly, working alongside Eberhard Weise and Henry Walther in performing and education capacities. Of note is Kiesant's recording debut, featuring his drum work on Horst Reipsch's "Tornado", with Kurt Henkels directing. While the album title apparently means "tilted/slanted wire dresser-drawers", this phrase seems to refer to detuned tack piano/"honky-tonk"-style pianos. And in true East German fashion, they were a bit behind that aspect of the ragtime revival in the 1950s, where that piano treatment was popular in the West, with pieces like "Die beschwipste Drahtkommode" with characteristic "scordatura" - youtube.com/watch?v=-8YYt9DcR2c - and this album takes a number of East German hits and gives them the ragtime ensemble flair! The label design also makes it clear how Amiga took inspiration from other labels [Telefunken comes to mind, but several other labels used that wedge pattern prior and since].
Enrico Caruso singing Verdis La donna è mobile, from Rigoletto - 1908 repress 78rpm on VV-50 MrXnews2 2024-02-15 | The Victrola No. 4 soundbox and Spearpoint needle [this time in a different orientation] are a nice match for the Victor Victrola VV-50 portable gramophone...at least for acoustic opera records! The singer & record need no introduction, nor does the player - while not perfect, it embodies a standard of quality that made Victor famous, even if the design has its quirks. After all these years, this late 1910s-early 1920s Red Seal "Batwing" pressing still has presence!Cameo of #Cheems #plush [y'know, the #cheemsdog #cheemsdoge #cheemsmeme][okay, it's a Victrola 4A, hence the cracks, but it was worked on and plays well]
Robert King & Ted Fio Ritos Love Bird by Leo Reismans Orchestra - Columbia A3366 78rpm on VV-50 MrXnews2 2024-02-14 | For the Hallmark holiday, here is one of the first Reisman recordings, over 102 years old! King is credited as "[Mary] Earl" on the label, his pseudonym for hits like "Beautiful Ohio". Violinist Leo F. Reisman was a popular bandleader in the 1920s and 1930s [even beyond], recording primarily for Columbia, Victor, and Decca. Some of the early Columbias are a bit sparse-sounding, but by the next round with "My Electric Girl", they amped up the group a bit. Cameo of #Cheems #plush [y'know, the #cheemsdog #cheemsdoge #cheemsmeme]
Rudy Wiedoefts Vision dAmour - saxophone solo with orchestra - 1923 Brunswick 78rpm disc MrXnews2 2024-02-13 | Might as well release this given the Hallmark-holiday! Wiedoeft composed many of his own pieces, and this more "concert"-lyrical offering was meant to showcase his versatility.
Studio One 35 vinyl album - Juan Erlando Band [Hans Ehrlinger] MrXnews2 2024-02-07 | The complete album - classic music from a classic library, with some top-notch German studio musicians!
Nie Znajdziemy Tej Samej Miłości - Tadeusz Skrzypczak & Piotr Szymanowskis Tango Orchestra, 1950s MrXnews2 2024-02-01 | Again featuring music by Jerzy Harald, this tango with vocal is well-executed by a lesser-known artists, Tadeusz Skrzypczak, with orchestra accompaniment directed by Piotr Szymanowski. They appear on various 1950s and 1960s Polish records, and this is another nice record in the Szlagier [Schlager] vein!
W Ogrodzie [In the Garden] by Jerzy Połomski & Polish Radio Dance Orchestra - late 1950s Polish 45 MrXnews2 2024-01-30 | Written by Jerzy Harald & Jan Gałkowski, this easygoing swing piece is well-executed by Polish tenor Jerzy Połomski, accompanied by Kazimierz Turewicz's Polish Radio Dance Orchestra. Flipside of "My z Tobą Sam na Sam" in a similar style - great Polish Szlagier [Schlager]!In the postwar era of Communist Poland, Połomski (1933-2022) was able to carve a niche as an actor and singer. His tenor voice graces numerous Polskie Nagrania Muza discs, this included.
Verdis La Donna e Mobile by Enrico Caruso, tenor - 1908 redubbed & reissued on 45rpm vinyl MrXnews2 2024-01-25 | Even acoustic recordings such as this maintained their staying power in the Victor catalog years after being technically obsolete in 1925. This was subject to the overdubbing process where an electrically-recorded orchestra was added, and this reissue of the 1908 classic recording definitely sounds like it.RCA Victor color-coded 45rpm vinyl discs when they first appeared, rather than just using different label colors to denote series - red was for classical music, in the vein of Red Seal.
Gaetano Donizettis Una furtiva lagrima by Enrico Caruso, tenor - 1911 recording reissued on 45rpm MrXnews2 2024-01-23 | Even acoustic recordings such as this maintained their staying power in the Victor catalog years after being technically obsolete in 1925. The dynamic range is impressive, but unfortunately means the recording is rather dull in the soft passages, with Caruso's voice being the only clear portion. While this was subject to the overdubbing process where an electrically-recorded orchestra was added, this reissue of the 1911 recording does not sound like it received that treatment.RCA Victor color-coded 45rpm vinyl discs when they first appeared, rather than just using different label colors to denote series - red was for classical music, in the vein of Red Seal.
Carolin-Carolina by Perikles Fotopoulos & Gollaschs Orchestra, 1962 Amiga 45rpm EP MrXnews2 2024-01-18 | Written by the multi-talented Heinz Alisch & Walther Richter [who had work in both West & East], here's another easy piece by Perikles Fotopoulos with Günter Gollasch and his orchestra. The Fotopoulos family wound up in East Germany seeking political asylum after the Greek Civil War, and Perikles established quite a career singing the "popular" music of the time along with staples of GDR dance bands. Günter Gollasch, of course, almost looks like Amiga's house conductor. He technically wasn't, but his near-constant appearance as the bandleader on records was probably due to his prominence in East Berlin, and easy access to the main recording studio. He was extremely prolific and maintained a reputation beyond the borders of the GDR, both east and west of it.
Sweet Georgia Brown (Maceo Pinkard, Ken Casey, Ben Bernie) by Benkó Dixieland Band, 1977 Pepita LP MrXnews2 2024-01-16 | Clarinetist Sándor Benkó (1940-2015) founded his own Dixieland jazz [trad jazz] ensemble in 1957. In Hungary behind the Iron Curtain, it seems this wasn't considered threatening to the regime [and Hungary had a bit of autonomy...some]. Perhaps this was due to the age of the material? They performed abroad and seem to have played Western instruments [not unusual with these sorts of groups], underlined by a French Selmer trumpet on the cover!His ensemble doesn't really seem to have stopped performing even after his death, and there are videos of the Benkó band performing with others through 2020. This Pepita album was recorded in 1977, featuring classic tunes from the 1920s. Besides Sándor Benkó leading the band and playing clarinet, we have Béla Zoltán on trumpet, Iván Nagy on trombone [and vocals], Tamás Dávid on piano, Jenő Nagy on banjo, Sándor Vajda on bass, and János Járay on drums. Pepita was the state-owned jazz, pop, and rock label in Hungary from 1970 to 1991.
Adiós Muchachos (Julio Sanders) by José Ramos Tango Orchestra - 1935 Decca 78rpm on 1932 HMV 102 MrXnews2 2024-01-13 | While early American Decca 78s aren't especially impressive in their recording fidelity [or pressing quality], they have an interesting mix of well-known and obscure artists, assembled in the early Great Depression when the recording industry was not doing well. Established labels weren't happy about another upstart offering their main-line label at nearly budget-label prices. On top of that, both the British and American branches acquired defunct pressing plants, labels, masters, and patents, giving the young label an edge.José Ramos is a mystery to me, and his ensemble was sometimes credited as the International Orchestra directed by José Ramos - but the group is solid! This quaint rendition of the classic [and depressingly-worded] Argentine tango from 1927 was one of a large batch the Ramos outfit produced in mid-1935. In fact, their only Decca recordings were made in this 1935 batch... I'm always amazed at the HMV 102 portable gramophone's ability to put out a huge sound with great fidelity, thanks to the Victor Orthophonic-type exponential folded horn - and when combined with this microphone, the results are pretty good.Cameo of #Cheems #plush [y'know, the #cheemsdog #cheemsdoge #cheemsmeme #cheemsmemes etc.]
Bobb Goldsteinn & David Shires Washington Square by The Village Stompers, 1963 MrXnews2 2024-01-11 | Named for the park in New York City, this piece [backed by a re-imagining of Mozart] put The Village Stompers on the charts! Number 2 on Billboard's Top 100, to be exact, with another spot topping Billboard's Easy Listening. Given that, it makes sense these guys recorded this piece. The Village Stompers ame from Greenwich Village in New York City and recorded in a sort of folk/Dixieland jazz/ragtime style - they consisted of Dick Brady, Don Coates, Ralph Casale, Frank Hubbell, Lenny Pogan, Al McManus, Don Steele, Mitchell May, and Joe Muranyi. They recorded a number of hits in this style [almost hearkening back to Windsor square-dance records] as well as older standards.
Mozarts Turkish March × Dixieland jazz/ragtime - Turkish Delight by The Village Stompers, 1963 MrXnews2 2024-01-09 | The Village Stompers recorded in a sort of folk/Dixieland jazz/ragtime style - they came from Greenwich Village in New York City, consisting of Dick Brady, Don Coates, Ralph Casale, Frank Hubbell, Lenny Pogan, Al McManus, Don Steele, Mitchell May, and Joe Muranyi. They recorded a number of hits in this style [almost hearkening back to Windsor square-dance records] as well as older standards. Here's their interesting take of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's "Rondo alla Turca", the flipside of their defining hit "Washington Square"!
Вальс - waltz medley Im Drowning My Sorrows & La Môme Aux Boutons - Ray Colignon, Soviet 78rpm MrXnews2 2024-01-05 | Eddie Brandt & Paul Frees wrote "I'm Drowning My Sorrows", Jacques Lecome & Pierre Louki wrote "La Môme Aux Boutons", and the Latin bit should be "Return to Me"... Always keeping up with the times, the Soviet Union continued production of 78rpms throughout the 1960s! These seem to be made with some plasticine mixture [maybe vinyl & smooth shellac?] as they have some flex, but are still thicker than standard vinyl records. I presume they were made not for the HMV/Thorens-style gramophones in the country, but for later electrical machines. For whatever reason, a few 8" Миньон [mignon] were released just as the Soviet record industry was being reorganized as Мелодия [Melodiya] in 1964. These particular discs are numbered 0042233/0042234 and 0042235/0042236, and others aren't directly adjacent numerically, regardless of prefix - a number with no prefix indicates a 25cm (10") record, one zero indicates 30cm (12"), two zeros 20cm (8") and three zeros 17.5cm (7"), from the Medtner page below. There are other 8" singles, often truncated, such as Lipsi records dubbed in 1959/1960...For source material, they often relied upon albums by the Workhorse of the Hammond Organ himself, Ray Colignon [Рей Колиньон] - in this case, "Danser Sur 32 Succès Prestigieux". In true fashion, not only did the Soviets mask the titles by just assigning a [vague] genre name, they didn't even credit Colignon! Instead they list the format as "electroorgan" / "instr[umental] ensemble", Электроорган / Инстр. Ансамбль.This is a pressing from the Riga pressing plant [Рижский Завод Грампластинок, formerly Bellacord Electro], with their factory-specific Melodija label, with a G treble clef & disc logo strangely recalling the Emerson one from the United States. Later labels would be the Melodiya label in the style of the manufacturing plant. Some more neat details here - medtner.org.uk/melodiya.html
Zez Confreys Kitten on the Keys boogie, by Jack Fina & his Orchestra - 1947 Mercury 78rpm MrXnews2 2024-01-04 | I thought it sounded a bit like a Freddy Martin recording - Jack Fina was Martin's pianist, who started a separate orchestra with Martin's backing! Clearly talented, as these recordings show! This Mercury recording has decent fidelity also, giving a nice impression of the ensemble.
