Ferrante & Teicher Tribute: Space Age Bachelor Pad

Space Age Bachelor Pad with Ferrante & Teicher

Written by Joe Viglione

Thursday, 24 September 2009 15:45

The artistry of Ferrante & Teicher: the darlings of Space Age Bachelor Pad Music

PIANOS IN PARADISE

On Pianos in Paradise Lou Teicher and Art Ferrante develop a concept of sorts, music for the tropics co-designed by the man conducting their orchestra, Nick Perito. Titles like "Taboo," "Shangri La," "The Breeze and I," "Jungle Drums," and "Adventure in Paradise" move the cocktails from out of the lounge and onto the beach. This isn't Roger Williams doing battle with Liberace; these maestros work in unison to blend a unique sound that at times reflects bits of Jerry Goldsmith's soundtrack work. "African Echoes" rumbles with sound, a different sort of rumble than what they give to "Ebb Tibe." It's exciting stuff setting the duo apart from the muzak schlock that garage rockers of the day avoided. Read more here:

Close to a dozen artists used the title Broadway to Hollywood, but this early disc by the "duo-pianists with orchestra" (a description Columbia Records slapped on the front cover) made the most of the cliche. Four Cole Porter tunes and four selections from Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II make this album -- as advertised in the liner notes -- Ferrante & Teicher without the frills and explorations in sound they became known for. Read more here:

LeRoy Holmes produced the piano duo on this installment of United Artists Fabulous Fifties series, recordings which featured artists like Otto Rodriguez crunching 50 Fabulous Latin Favorites onto two sides of a vinyl album, Sir Julian performing 50 Fabulous Organ Favorites, and so forth and so on. This 1964 release is called "a major advancement in the art of recording!" by Bob Rolontz in his liner notes -- "...50 selections, far more than have ever been included on any one LP since the Long Playing record was first introduced 15 years ago" is hyperbole supreme. Read more here:

Notice how the label used the same cover for Al Caiola and his Orchestra:

By Popular Demand (1965)

The follow-up to Ferrante & Teicher's The People's Choice disc, By Popular Demand is a very mainstream collection of 12 titles that are predominantly taken from film and Broadway shows. Interestingly enough on this Larry Holmes produced disc, they include the themes from the films Jessica, The Greatest Story Ever Told, and Goldfinger, all published by United Artists, the label they were recording for. No Top 40 hits emerged from this brew and the experimentation that made the duo so very special is absent. Read more here:

A BOUQUET OF HITS (Compilaton)

Skillfully blending Nick Perito's orchestrations with the duo's always clever attack on their respective Baldwin pianos, A Bouquet of Hits strikes a delicate balance that gives a true musical definition for the term "middle of the road." The craftsmanship is evident with their taking composers Jimmy Webb and Bobby Hebb to different realms on intuitive readings of "MacArthur Park," "By the Time I Get to Phoenix," and a dramatic Perito arrangement of "Sunny." Read more here:

On Getting Together, Louis Teicher and Art Ferrante go back to movie themes and show tunes as well as popular songs that Bob Crewe and others were bringing to life on the airwaves. In doing so they hit a home run with this LP. Getting Together is just the album title, so don't expect a cover of the Tommy James & the Shondells' hit of the same name, or the different tunes called "Getting Together" released by Bobby Sherman and Charles Mingus. Recorded at National Sound with production by Dr. George Butler, the boys bring back that "water guitar" found on the Box Tops "Cried Like a Baby," and their own "Midnight Cowboy," giving it to the Bob Dylan cover "Lay Lady Lay. Read more here:

Last Updated on Thursday, 24 September 2009 18:38

Beatles: The Second White Album by Joe Viglione

Vol 2: The Beatles - Proposed White Album Vol. II

Written by Joe Viglione

Monday, 21 September 2009 19:49

http://tinyurl.com/vol2thewhitealbum is the direct link to this page.

As some of the Gemmzine critics were sitting around watching old Beatles videos (courtesy of Bob Boyd) on a Saturday night. we got to thinking..."What if you culled the great, immediate post-Beatles songs by John, Paul, George and Ringo? Just as parts of "The White Album" (a.k.a. The Beatles) and Abbey Road had songs that were platforms for the individual Beatle members but still had the "aura" of The Fab Four, the most relevant Beatle-styled songs by the four musicians were the songs that appeared during and after their break-up. "All Things Must Pass" was actually recorded by The Beatles which is why a separate "Beatles" album with some of those immediate tracks is so very necessary.

Gemmzine writers are invited to give us their ideas on a superb follow-up to "The White Album", proposed re-mixes of classic post-Beatles songs - or re-takes to give another look at The Fab 4 as they truly would have been in 1971-1972.

1)Instant Karma - original John & Yoko early mix released in England

2)What Is Life - George Harrison

3)Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey - Paul McCartney

4)Photograph - Ringo Starr

5)Isolation - John Lennon

6)Maybe I'm Amazed - Paul McCartney

7)Isn't It A Pity - George Harrison

8)It Don't Come Easy - Ringo Starr

9)Oh Woman, Oh Why (flip of "Another Day")

10)All Things Must Pass - The Beatles (pre-George Harrison solo take)

11)Mother - John Lennon

12)I'm The Greatest - Ringo Starr

13)Too Many People - Paul McCartney from RAM

14)How Do You Sleep - John Lennon

15)Back Off Boogaloo - Ringo Starr

16)Wah Wah - George Harrison

As the three "other" Beatles all gave Ringo some help over his solo career, nuggets can be culled from his solo discs to give a snapshot of material with at least two Beatles involved in the process (a la "The Ballad of John & Yoko").

It would also take Ringo recording Harrison's "All Those Years Ago" and Lennon's "Nobody Told Me", songs which were, according to Beatles legend, originally supposed to be recorded by him.

Bonus Disc - Ringo Sings the Beatles songs written for Ringo

17)(It's All da-Da Down To)Goodnight Vienna - Ringo Starr (Written by John Lennon)

18)Six O'Clock - Ringo Starr (written by Paul McCartney)

19)Sunshine For My Life (Sail Away Raymond) - Written by George Harrison

20)Early 1970 - Written by Ringo Starr

21)Private Property - Ringo (Written by Paul McCartney, from Stop & Smell The Roses, 1981)

22)Attention - Ringo (Written by McCartney/Starr, from Stop & Smell The Roses)

23)Wrack My Brain - Ringo (Written by George Harrison)

24)Nobody Told Me - Ringo (Written by John Lennon for Stop & Smell The Roses)

25)All Those Years Ago - Ringo (Written by George Harrison for Ringo Starr)

Last Updated on Monday, 21 September 2009 19:57

More Miscellaneous

Peter Paul & Mary

Written by Joe Viglione

Sunday, 20 September 2009 15:53

It's In Every One Of Us

Garland Jeffreys

Written by Joe Viglione

Sunday, 20 September 2009 18:28

Escape Artist is veteran Garland Jeffreys sounding very Elvis Costello, with clean Bob Clearmountain production and guest stars like David Johansen, Nona Hendryx, Lou Reed, Adrian Belew, Randy and Michael Brecker, and many others. It is a very satisfying pop disc. Jonathan Richman has his band Modern Lovers, Willie Alexander wrote a song with the same name, and David Bowie wrote "Modern Love"; Jeffreys' "Modern Lovers" has nothing to do with any of them except that he comes from the same underground scene as all of the above. A good idea is a good idea, and this is another good song with that title. Read more here:

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:39fwxq95ldke

Last Updated on Sunday, 20 September 2009 18:51

The Pixies

Written by Joe Viglione

Sunday, 20 September 2009 18:37

The Pixies: Club Date Live at the Paradise in Boston

Squidodelic by Squiddly Diddly

Written by Joe Viglione

Monday, 21 September 2009 12:59

Squidodelic by Squiddly Diddly

Pseudo Girl

Going To Germany

Oriental Bondage

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:kxfuxq80ldse

Leonard Cohen

Leonard Cohen Under Review

Written by Joe Viglione

Sunday, 20 September 2009 15:42

For Leonard Cohen items please click on the DVD/CD covers.

Direct link here: http://tinyurl.com/leonardcohenunderreview

Leonard Cohen - Under Review 1935-1977 from Sexy Intellectual and Music Video Distributors is a wonderful biography and well-deserved documentary on the life of Cohen from his 1934 birth in Montreal to his interest in literature and poetry during his college years, and beyond into his success as an underground musical icon. The 90 minutes or so give much to the viewer detailing the world of this legend, with important and compelling interviews ranging from biographers to those who have worked with him.

The Albums of Leonard Cohen