With a jacket this weird and cool (if not a bit creepy!), and with the "Contemporary composers interpreted" claim, I figured the music couldn't possibly be as good as the packaging. Luckily, I was wrong. These are expert arrangements (by Larry Wilcox) which do justice to the mostly lite rock titles in question. This LP affirmatively answers the question, "Can late-60s Top 40 be effectively rendered in a high-quality EZ style?" A question we've all asked ourselves, and probably two or three times a day, I'm sure.
"Gosh, can late-60s Top 40 work in a pop-instrumental vein? I wonder..." "Honey, the Gorton's fish pieces are burning!"
But... one misfire in the bunch, and I can only guess that there wasn't time for a retake. I refer to MacArthur Park (which Richard Harris insisted on calling "MacArthur's Park"). It starts with the harpsichord player hitting a series of wrong chords, and later we hear the pianist almost getting Webb's tricky syncopation as-written. As if the performer were sight-reading his chart. Park does have the feel of an "almost there" run-through. Too bad, as it could have been terrific.
Because the excellent stereo is best experienced through headphones, I was unimpressed after my first boombox playing: The arrangements seemed lacking, and the stereo not properly balanced. Wrong on both counts, as revealed by my decent quality phones. This is the sort of stereo which, played through a middle-quality boombox, loses much of its detail. I guess this is a classic example of a "headphone" stereo mix.
This LP is unlike any similar pop-instrumental effort I've heard to date--from Ken Thorne on Reader's Digest to the famous (Who was) Terry Baxter on his many Columbia Record Club releases. The same pro-level playing, and the same level of creatively in the charts, but.. with a sound almost wholly consistent with that of the originals. There's little sense of genre transplantation. And, of course, I've always wanted to type "genre transplantation." Finally, my wish fulfilled.
This set even got me to liking America and Little Green Apples, whose melodies are quite superior. I just needed to hear them in the right setting, I guess. But, why oh why did they have to retain the fumbled intro to MacArthur Park, plus the miscounted piano passages? Oh, well.
I'd have to rate this as the best LP of its type (which I've heard to date), if only because it sounds (after all these years) every bit as contemporary as the source hits. It promises an up to date sound, and it delivers. Excellent engineering by Bill MacMeekin, even if it doesn't sound right on my middle-quality boombox. I'm sure Bill wasn't thinking in terms of early-2000s boomboxes. The probability seems quite remote.
Let me end with some awful word play: "This symposium doesn't seem very sound." "Well, it's an old building. And we didn't expect such a huge turnout." Sorry.
DOWNLOAD: The Sound Symposium--Contemporary Composers Interpreted (Dot DLP 25909; 1969)
You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'
Darling Be Home Soon
Medley: Respect/(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay
If I Were a Carpenter
Hey Jude
Don't Think Twice
Medley: Alfie/The Look of Love
America
Medley: Honey--Little Green Apples
MacArthur Park
Lee
16 comments:
In case you don't know, the Sound Symposium also has albums devoted to Paul Simon and Bob Dylan (with the titles having the same "... Interpreted" format). Definitely among the better such albums of the era.
Good one, Lee! Wasn't Larry Wilcox the other guy from CHiPs? The one that wasn't Eric Estrada?
I already HAVE this splendid LP. Just sayin'... It's a must for anyone whom does not possess it. Keep up with the wonderful work!
Well, this one is certainly new to me, that's for sure! I think Larry Wilcox also arranged and conducted material for other Dot acts, like the Mills Brothers and Billy Vaughn, during this period. However, I am not sure. The name sounds familiar.
I can tell you for a fact that Paul Tannen is primarily best-known for his production and occasionally songwriting work with Johnny Tillotson, primarily during Johnny's MGM years from 1963 to '67. He did co-write a couple of tunes with Johnny during his Cadence years, however, during that time, Cadence label head Archie Bleyer also served as his producer.
Looking forward to trying this one out, Lee. Thanks for surprising me with a new post. PS: Hopefully you will post the SPC "Fibbin" fake on Lee's Fake Hits, along with their take on Andy Williams' "Promise Me Love" soon.
Brett,
Yes, I saw those two at Discogs. Hope to encounter them sometime in the thrifts! I'll know not to pass them up.
Ernie,
(Smile face) Definitely not the same Larry. Though the CHIPs LW does have a single listed at Discogs!
Timmy,
Thanks. And "splendid" is the word!
musicman1979,
I think you'll love this. And I'm not surprised to discover that the folks behind this were part of the contemporary scene. It's obvious from the "authentic" feel. I'll make a note on those two SPC titles, neither or which ring a bell (I must be unfamiliar with the originals). But they're easily enough located in my piles and rows. (Hard to believe my 45s were ever in order...)
Fibbin', originally a #39 hit for Patti Page, is on the same Prom EP as I Wish, your most recent post on Lee's Fake Hits.
So far, like what I have heard. It has got the flavor of some of the Billy Vaughn albums of the same time period, right down to the harpsichord.
"You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" is kind of along the lines of Marilyn Maye's much more Pop-oriented cover on her "A Taste of Sherry!" album on RCA. However, arranger Wilcox goes all over the place style-wise on this tune: Opening verse done in the Duane Eddy Twangy guitar style, bridge in late-'60's Billy Vaughn minus the saxes, bridge in Phil Bodner Brass Ring mode with the flute (one of the funkiest I have ever heard) before ending with the type of sound you would have heard on the cover albums of Andy Williams's albums of the same time period.
"Darling Be Home Soon", written by John Sebastian of the Lovin' Spoonful and covered by the Association in the early '70's on Columbia (RIP Terry Kirkman) begins with a Victorian-style introduction, making sound like 1878 than 1968, before the band takes the tune into late-'60's terrtiory, making it sound like a cross between the Midnight String Quartet, Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, and the Charles Albertine-arranged albums of Sammy Kaye. If this was cut in California, that could be Julius Wechter of the Baja Marimba Band playing the marimabas.
At the time, "Respect" was not a top choice for Easy Listening orchestras to cover; Paul Mauriat would cover a year later on his The Soul of Paul Mauriat album. Arranger Wilcox does "Respect" in the Billy Vaughn style, while he gives the Duane Eddy treatment (with a lot less twang and reverb) to "Sittin' On the Dock of the Bay", which the Sound Symposium's labelmate Billy Vaughn covered on his True Grit album. It certainly has much more Rock energy than most covers of the period. There is also a chance that James Burton is one of the supporting guitars players on this album; I noticed some of the licks that he used with Rick Nelson and Dean Martin here.
"If I Were A Carpenter" is one of the more unique covers on this album. Being that he never got the chance to record it during their heyday, this could have been how Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass would have interpreted it the song, with the exception of the harpsichord, which briefly takes the song into Lawrence Welk/Midnight String Quartet territory. A pretty good musical mash-up that works surprisingly well.
With an introduction that sounds like it was lifted from a Tom Jones hit (and he did record this tune on his This Is Tom Jones album) Hey Jude has some great horn solos on this, while the overall sound is similar to what Percy Faith was cooking up with this type of material over at Columbia during this same time period, with the exception of the Tijuana Brass-styled horns. There are several unique solos to make this cover of "Hey Jude" stand out from amongst the pack. Great take on the classic ending.
If this was cut in California, that could very well be legendary Wrecking Crew guitarist Tommy Tedesco doing the guitar solo on "Don't Think Twice" One of the more unique covers of this tune, being that it has got the flavor of a TV Western theme song than a Bob Dylan number. By far one of the best and more unique covers of this Dylan classic, better than the Four Seasons' "homage" of the song as the Wonder Who? earlier in the '60's.
"Alfie" and "The Look of Love" are two of four cuts on this album that were covered by the late Tony Bennett, the former on his I've Gotta Be Me LP, while "MacArthur Park", "The Look of Love" and "Little Green Apples" appeared on his infamous Tony Sings the Great Hits of Today! LP. "Alfie" is done in the Herb Alpert style, with the uncredited trumpet player doing a great job of imitating Herb's licks. Their take on "The Look of Love", on the other hand, is done in the Henry Mancini style and done very well. It has got a lot of the class and sophistication most of his movie soundtracks (and non-soundtrack LP's) of this period have.
I don't think a lot of people covered "America" for the Easy Listening market. This Simon and Garfunkel cut (I think it was on Bookends) is a unique Jazz/Classical hybrid. Very elegant and sophisticated, with a touch of Space Age Pop-style percussion and Doors "light My Fire"-styled organ thrown in for good measure. This is probably the one cut on the album that sounds the most Easy Listening, at times bordering on Muzak, yet still very nice.
Bobby Russell medley time next! You can tell it's the late-'60's when a Sitar plays the verses of "Honey" while the band gives "Little Green Apples" the flavor of a hip Jazz club thanks to the bongos. By far one of the most unusual Easy Listening musical mash-ups I have heard. This selection certainly pushes the genre a little bit, probably one of the few authentic Rock-sounding songs in the entire set.
The infamous "MacArthur Park" is nice and pleasant. For a run-through, it is not too bad, but llke you said, it could have been a lot better. The pianist plays his solos and supporting parts in the Liberace-Henry Mancini style; I do like the violin playing alongside the piano in the "After all the loves of my life" part of the song. If you would like to hear a really good cover of the entire tune the way Richard Harris did it, check out this version from Sammy Davis Jr, from his classic Now album in 1972:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbMsXY0ypS0
Also, a better Rock-styled Easy Listening cover (albeit abridged) is the one done by Andy Williams that appeared on his Love Theme From the Godfather album:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xofltSgjBX4
Overall, a great Easy Listening album that in one sense is typical of the kind of music in this genre Dot was putting out during this time period, yet also goes in an entirely different direction on several cuts, like the "Honey/Little Green Apples Medley" and "Darling Be Home Soon." Yes, I did like this. Good enough for me start looking for this album in my record hunts, and excellent enough to give it a four-and-a-half out of five star rating from me.
You are living the life, Lee. Getting to type everything you've ever dreamed! How much do I love your writing? (Much.) And this sounds so groovy, man . . .
I have to suggest the bigger tragedy about this version of MacArthur Park is the omission of the finale. It fades out? Noooo!
Whenever I tire of 'professional' renditions - I scour Youtube for High School Band versions.
An example is the one by the John T. Hoggard HS Jazz Ensemble, Wilmington, NC, from 1973. Although the youngsters run out of steam towards the end - for me - that is part of its charm.
I agree. The ending seems like a copout. The song's three-part structure--especially, with the upbeat instrumental chorus--demands a more satisfying close.
I collect high school concert LPs whenever they show up in the thrifts (which is not as often as we'd think), but I never thought to check YouTube. I guess that was too obvious an option to occur to me! Thanks.
Thanks for uploading "Promise Me Love" onto Lee's Fake Hits. The artist hiding under the Michael Reed moniker does a great job aping Andy's vocal style. That song tends to be one of Andy's forgotten Top 40 hits: have a scratchy original Cadence 45 in my collection.
Also, for some reason you erased my MacArthur Park comment that had my rating for this album. I do agree that the rest of the album was better than MacArthur Park and it garnered a four-and-a-half stars out of five from me.
PS: another great "Jennie Lee" fake is the Broadway/Gilmar one credited to "Jack and Ceci", yet it mostly "Jack Richards", "Steve Marks", etc. Plus, it's longer than the SPC version.
musicman1979,
Yes, that "Promise Me, Love" cover is excellent. And sorry about your comment! I must not have published it, or...?
It's up now. I apologize for the oversight. And I agree with your 4.5 star rating.
I'll be posting (postin'?) "Fibbin'" soon. It's a pretty good approximation of the Patti Page hit, which reminds me of the lightly rocking Guy Mitchell singles from that period.
musicman1979,
And apologies for giving a late thank-you for your reviews. I was totally absorbed in blogging and YouTube-ing. I think half the time was spent with "Where the (bleep) did I put that??" I should have started earlier with my Halloween material, though I think it was workupload's purge which inspired me to honor the howl-iday. I'm liking Sammy Davis Jr.'s "MacArthur Park." I appreciate that he doesn't do the put-his-own-stamp-on-it routine. That can be a road to disaster, especially when a single is perfectly produced to begin with. Like, somebody's going to improve on Webb's charts?
An outstanding example of staying with the original feel. And Davis was one hell of a singer. And impressionist, as you probably know.
And the Williams cut is superb! I see that LP all the time, and I don't think I've ever grabbed it. My bad. Two to-die-for vocalists, and neither taken seriously by the cool crowd. But great vocal chops are great vocal chops, whether acknowledged as such or no. (And I almost expected Andy to go for that last note. But that would have been straining even his range.)
Thanks!!
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