Today, a short zip file of six pop-instrumental sides, beginning with Joseph Stefano's first-rate
Serenade in Soft Shoe, as recorded by Jack Pleis and His Orch. in 1957.
The late Joe Stefano, of course, was the screenwriter for Alfred Hitchcock's
Psycho and the producer of the classic first season of
The Outer Limits. His scripts for
Limits include the one about the giant alien ants in the desert, and the one about the ball of dust that feeds on a vacuum cleaner motor and emerges as a big, scary cloud of pure energy. Ed Asner starred (with hair) in the latter.
And Stefano wrote pop songs during the Fifties, a number of which I've featured here in posts past. I mean, pasts post. (Wait a minute....)
Serenade in Soft Shoe is the best of his musical creations (with
Wonder Struck, recorded by George Shearing, a close second), and I can't tell you how happy I am to finally land a copy. It's been years of searching.
You're glad I'm happy? Why, thank you!
The flip is Robert Wright and George Forrest's
The Carefree Heart, from the musical of the same name. I find it annoying and likable at the same time (annoyingly likable?). A great tune to blast while driving. Be sure to roll the windows down and whistle along. Ignore the people who yell at you.
The remaining four sides, all gems, come from the multi-titled Crown LP,
Hi-Fi Spectacular--Your Invitation to Stereo--The Sounds of a Thousand Strings. In spite of the usual cheap and noisy Crown pressing (complete with vinyl bubbles), the sound quality itself (apart from the analogue medium) is quite good--who knows where they got the masters from? The orchestra is conducted by Antoine de Treville, whoever he is/was. The kind of LP any sane person would take one look at and say, "Waste of money." Assuming it's a person who talks to himself while album-hunting.
Yes, the jacket promises little, but the grooves deliver astonishing sounds. And I wouldn't have bothered with it had the playlist not included something called
Journey Into Space. This is a "new" copy of an LP I allowed to slip out of my collection long ago, and it's not in as good a shape. Serves me right, I guess.
Oh, and here's the link I forgot to put up. It was suggested to me that it might help in getting to the zip file, and I'm forced to agree:
Serenade in Soft ShoePLAYLIST
SERENADE IN SOFT SHOE (Stefano)--Jack Pleis and His O., 1957.
THE CAREFREE HEART--Jack Pleis and His O., 1957.
A TEXAN IN PARIS--Antoine de Treville Orch.
LA CUCARACHA--Antoine de Treville Orch.
LOVE AFFAIR--Antoine de Treville Orch.
JOURNEY INTO SPACE--Antoine de Treville Orch.
Lee "It's Not Me, It's the Sinus Meds" Hartsfeld, 2008
