Wow! I have been consuming a lot of baroque pop and jazz recordings lately, and while some of them are just nice, this one is astounding! Just imagine Bach-boogaloo, and you have most of the picture here. This piece sounds as fresh today as it did in the 60's! The arrangement is wild as all hell, and has to be heard to be believed. They also do great versions of "Sunshine Superman" & "Up, Up and Away"!
from Mariano & The Unbelievables (Capitol ST 2831)
08 Nov 04 ·delicado: This does indeed sound fantastic. The harpsichord break in the middle of your clip sounds very like Hugo Montenegro's 'Lady in Cement' theme. I understand they had other albums; have you heard them? Are there any vocals? Thanks! 08 Nov 04 ·konsu: Yes. They did another for Capitol the same year called "The 13th Hour". Haven't gotten around to picking it up yet, but from what I can gather it's the same affair, no vocals I'm afraid... Hugo's stuff is great for funky harpsichord cuts, I love that soundtrack!! 08 Nov 04 ·konsu: Sorry delicado, it's "The 25th Hour". I had it mixed up with another album, and another increment of time it seems...
The perfect example of the kind of soft pop song I love. Heavy with melencholy. The strings and clarinet on this track break my heart. The fadeout is one of the greatest in history.
from Roger Nichols@ The Small Circle Of Friends (A&M) available on CD - The Complete Roger Nichols & The Small Circle Of Friends
06 Mar 05 ·olli: hmm, just made me curious. i generally hate fadeouts..they always seem to obscure some kind of interesting or trippy stuff that was starting happen in the studio:)
gotta check it out though, thanks. 07 Mar 05 ·eftimihn: This one was arranged by Bob Thompson not Nick DeCaro. Actually i just wanted to recommend this, because today i received my newly reissued copy by Rev-Ola. An even more complete 20 track edition, fantastic remastering, extensive essay and at a reasonable price tag. Awesome. 07 Mar 05 ·laughingmood: Thanks for the info on Bob Thompson's arrangment on this track. All I've ever had is the Japanese reissue and I've never been able to fully read all the info! I'll have to change that. I really need to get that new reissue. I've heard the liners and photos are all really nice. 07 Mar 05 ·delicado: I also have the japanese issue. Are there extra tracks on the Rev-Ola one? 07 Mar 05 ·eftimihn: The Rev-Ola one has one additional track compared to the japanese 19-track version and it's "St. Bernie The Sno-Dog". It was Roger Nichols' first ever recording in 1964 and is, quite frankly, absolutely forgettable (waltzing child-like song, with yodeling and funny voices, makes you feel rather uncomfortable after the preceding soft rock bliss). Nichols refers to this as "a pile of crap" in the essay/liner notes, a track he never really wanted to do. Just read the essay and must say it's wonderfully done. I have to stress that the sound quality on the new Rev-Ola issue is absolutely amazing, surpassing the japanese one on every level: Virtually no background noise, clearer highs, bass is rendered deeper and better, the harmonies got even silkier, overall better dynamics and resolution. It just won't get any better than this. So, kudos to Rev-Ola... 07 Mar 05 ·laughingmood: Wow! That is very cool. Generally I think Rev-Ola's remasters tend to be a bit on the trebley side but of course I'll pick this up. Mainly for the liners by Steve Stanley. This album has been in my top five since I heard it, yet...I know very little of the detailed background because of the japanese liners. Steven Stanley also did the Bergen White reissue liners and is the head of LA-based pop act, The Now People. 07 Mar 05 ·konsu: Hmmm... Once again no mention of Smokey Roberds. He was in the closely related A&M group The Parade. He claims partial writing credits for this in an interview : http://www.doctorroberds.com/parade.html ... If you like this album you owe yourself a listen of that "other" great one-off long player. They do a great version of "Kinda Wasted Without You" thats more raw with less overdubs. Really a magical time at A&M!
The amount of 80s talent was really incredible on Electronic's debut single: Bernard Sumner (New Order) doing vocals and synths, Johnny Marr (Ex-The Smiths) on guitar (pulling off a wonderful solo in the middle of the song), Neil Tennant (Pet Shop Boys) providing background vocals and Anne Dudley (Art Of Noise, arranger on ABC's legendary "Lexicon Of Love") orchestrated a wonderfully lush string arrangement. The outcome is a fluffy, elegant, slightly melancholic and almost timeless piece of british pop music (except for that dated, rather bland sounding electric piano).
from Getting Away With It (Single) (Factory FACD257), available on CD
16 Mar 05 ·delicado: odd - I was thinking about this song just yesterday. The B-side, 'lucky bag', was also quite good as I recall. 28 Mar 05 ·Mike: Electronic could be very good indeed when they started out and I'm a big fan of a number of their songs from this period. Tennant and Marr went on to work together on the last PSB album, but I'd like to hear more collaborative work from Tennant and Sumner.
"Frontier Psychiatrist" by the Avalanches was built around the �bercool vocal hook from this. catchy and simple tune, the feel lies somewhere in between go-go, epic drama and mariachi music. Dig the way the drums and piano work together. (Is that a harpsichord later on?) Never seen the film this is from, but i'd be dissappointed if this song wasn't used in a great scene.
available on CD - Svegliati E Uccidi & Sacco E Vanzetti
25 Mar 05 ·delicado: Thanks for recommending this! I actually really like the avalanches song, and of course however much Morricone I think I know/have, there's always more! 02 Jul 06 ·dominb: The "Svegliati e Uccidi" s/track is available at allofmp3.ru,though the best version of Lisa Gastoni singing "Una Stanza Vuota" is not on it only a 7" single version which omits the guitar section which makes the song IMO,the better version of this song features on the "Canto Morricone 60's" record.
Yes!!!! Found it!
I live in England (nearly 20 years, but am originally from Holland. Saw twice a new commercial the last 2 days on tv here (can't remember what it was for), but regonised the song that was played in it (although it wasn't the original version). I knew it was a hit in the sixties. And always liked it. But hadn't heard it for years! My partner ,who's english, knows and does remember a hell of a lot about (popular)music and whenever a song is played HAS to announce WHO, WHAT and IN WHICH YEAR IT WAS A HIT! Get's a bit annoying at times.
He said he knew it from a "chill"-album, but I told him I was certain that it had been a hit in the sixties.
After surfing the web for an hour orso tonight, and not even quite sure if the title was "Daydream" and not knowing at all what the bands name was. At some point I found out that it could be Wallace Collection, but eventually after finding your website, and you were the only one I was able to hear that song, I got it right!
Thank you so much. The song brought back so many memories! I will keep your website in my favorites list. It was a great help.
Thanks again, Trijnie
25 Mar 05 ·delicado: Yes, I think Ron, who recommended the original version, did us and the Wallace Collection a great service! The song is well known here in the UK via a remixed version by a band called 'I-Monster', who sampled and rejigged a version by the Gunter Kallemann singers (available on a common charity shop record here in the UK, 'Easy Listening' - 2LP set on Polydor). Further 'daydream' trivia fact: the melody for the middle section is lefted from a famous Tchaikovsky piece. There's a version by the 'Baker Street Philhamonic' that's also kind of cool.