Articles by RockyCH

Frank Chacksfield and his Orchestra - South Sea Island Magic

Frank Chacksfield and his Orchestra – South Sea Island Magic

This album by Frank Chacksfield was issued in both mono and stereo versions as many albums were during the sixties. Which one you bought was determined by whether you wanted to pay a dollar or pound more for the stereo version and/or whether you owned the equipment needed to play stereo records. Records released in the popular music (pop) genre were often given a stereo release as an after thought, if at all, especially during the first half of the sixties. The majority of teenagers who were the main audience for pop music owned simple mono records players such as the famous Dansette and with limited budgets buying mono was a sensible decision. Those who bought the first Beatles album “Please Please Me” on release in stereo would have made a very sound investment as a mint copy now fetches upwards of £4500 ($6000) when coming up for auction. If you fancy owing one of the Dansette record players be prepared to find several hundred big ones.

Sleeve Notes:

Here in the bountiful islands of the South Seas there is magic in the very air that surrounds us. It soaps us round softly and soothingly, touching the skin with an infinite gentleness.
At night the whole symphony changes into a minor key. This is the time for the magic of music which grows out of the South Sea Islands as naturally as do the palm trees. The Indolent, wandering sound of the guitar carries far in the night as reaching out in the darkness to those who wish to hear without being seen. The touch of the tingling strings is carried on the light breeze along the beach and the plaintive call of the horn speaks out to express what words cannot. This is the music of a happy and friendly people; it is, like the traditional garland of flowers, a gift with which they greet the visitor; it is the magic by whose means they share their blessings with all the world.
Chief dispenser of all this magic is our own Frank Chacksfield, a man who understands as well as anyone in the world how to paint a landscape in music. Not all of us can visit the South Sea Islands and that is why Frank Chacksfield has devoted his life to bringing harmony and relaxation to those who must stay at home. He was born at Battle in Sussex and studied music from the age of seven, first the piano and then the organ. Before he was fourteen he had appeared as soloist at the Hastings Music Festival. At the age of fifteen he formed his own dance band, but his parents were against his embarking on a musical career and he started working in a solicitor’s office.
Undaunted, Frank worked all day at the Law and at night he studied music. In 1940 he joined the Army and his chance came when, after being transferred to the Southern Command Entertainments Section at Salisbury, he became Staff Arranger to the War Office shows “Stars in Battledress.” Sharing the same office was comedian Charlie Chester and the next step for Frank was a job as musical director with “Stand Easy” at Blackpool. Later he became a composer, arranger and conductor for a number of famous B.B.C shows and from that time onwards his place in the public eye could be said to be firmly established. Frank’s particular virtue is the presentation of popular music, or, as we see here, the imparting of magic to the score. His version of the theme from Limelight recorded for Decca in 1953 became one of the most notable best-sellers of that memorable year. Here once again he proves that even the best of music can benefit infinitely under the baton of the best of conductors.

Frank Chacksfield and his Orchestra - South Sea Island Magic

Label: Eclipse Records ECM 2002
Cover photograph David Wedgbury

1969 1960s Covers

Howard Blake - That Hammond Sound

Howard Blake – That Hammond Sound

You may be under the impression from this cover alone, should you be unfamiliar with Howard Blake’s career, that this is just another throwaway cheapie like many others from the 60s and 70s. However this album is but one small piece of the Howard Blake jigsaw of career spanning highlights. Mr Blake is also the composer of the famous “Walking In The Air” song from the animated children’s film “The Snowman”. But alongside this Goliath of the music world he also wrote countless numbers for TV, radio, commercials and films. Those of a certain age may remember, for example, the Bounty chocolate bar TV adverts (“a taste of paradise”) and if you do you’ll almost certainly recall the tune that accompanied it. Hear it here for a quick reminder. In the meantime – “Sink back into that comfortable armchair and savour ‘That Hammond Sound’.

Sleeve Notes:

FOLLOWING THE INCREDIBLE SUCCESS OF HOWARD’S FIRST ALBUM, “HAMMOND IN PERCUSSION”, IT WAS DECIDED THAT A FURTHER ALBUM IN THIS SERIES SHOULD BE MADE AVAILABLE. “THAT HAMMOND SOUND” ONCE AGAIN DEMONSTRATES THE SUPERB ‘STUDIO 2 STEREO’ SOUND, AIDED BY THE MOST UP-TO-THE-MINUTE RECORDING TECHNIQUES AND BRINGING INTO YOUR OWN HOME THE EXCITING SOUNDS PRODUCED BY THIS GROUP OF LONDON’S TOP MUSICIANS. EVERY TRACK ON THE ALBUM HAS BEEN SPECIALLY ARRANGED BY HOWARD HIMSELF AND HE ALSO COMPOSED THE VERY WISTFUL TITLE, SCORPIO. SO, SINK BACK INTO THAT COMFORTABLE ARMCHAIR AND SAVOUR “THAT HAMMOND SOUND”.

Personnel: Organ / Vibes / Xylophone / Piano / Marimba / Celeste: Howard Blake: Drums: Dick Harward: Guitar: Johnny McLaughlin: Bass: Russ Stapleford / Ron Seabrook* © 1966

Howard Blake - That Hammond Sound

Label: Studio2Stereo TWO 192

1966 1960s Covers

Paul Mauriat and his Orchestra - A Taste of Mauriat

Paul Mauriat and His Orchestra – A Taste of Mauriat

Paul Mauriat was a hugely successful easy listener purveyor on a par with those other giants of the easy listening genre Bert Kaempfert, James Last and Herb Alpert. His canvas was popular hits of the time and on many of his albums he covered many Beatles songs. In fact one such album, released in Japan, was devoted exclusively to Beatles songs and the cover was a pastiche of the Fab’s “Let It Be” cover. Japanese audiences loved Mr Mauriat, he was the only international artists to sell out the Budokan stadium twice in one day.

Sleeve Notes:

For those who are perhaps having their first taste of Paul Mauriat in this LP here are some tips for catching the full flavour. Try it tonight with your coffee after dinner, relaxing in a softly lit room. First let the warm romantic bouquet of the music drift round you before you sip at the individual tracks and savour them, for they have subtle gradations of flavour – each one excitingly different, yet all unmistakably vintage Mauriat. You will find, as in all fine liqueurs, that the basic sweetness is counterbalanced in every number by a special piquancy which lingers warmly long after the track is over. Like Mauriat himself, it is something very French yet as completely international as fine champagne or cognac. A lot goes into the fine blend of a Mauriat arrangement for the Mauriat orchestra. The connoisseur, who recognises Mauriat’s music as something unique in the world of popular music, can sense ingredients that have been maturing for a lot longer than Mauriat’s lifetime. This dual element in his arrangements, for instance – this element of contrast with a small group of instruments such as guitars, piano and harpsichord in the foreground adding the piquant element to the larger body of strings (hear it on the first track “A taste of honey”; – has roots in the concerti grossi of the seventeenth-century composer Corelli and of Handel and in the Brandenburg Concertos of Bach. Surprising?

Not really, for Paul Mauriat is one of a handful of creative men in the world of music who might be described as total musicians. It is a handful that includes such names as Leonard Bernstein and Andre Previn. Each is a classical musician who is completely conversant also with the music of our own time-with jazz and popular music. They do not see music divided up into superior and inferior types. For them there is only good music and bad music of whatever kind. But things being what they are, each has had to have a base camp. Bernstein and Previn have made their base camps in classical music. On the other hand Mauriat, a conservatoire graduate at 14 who seemed then to have an assured future as a classical concert pianist or conductor, decided to settle in the field of popular music. How much popular music has benefited from Mauriat’s classical background becomes apparent when you examine his arrangements closely. Take that harpsichord in “Michelle,” for instance. Mauriat is well aware of the unique texture of the sound of the harpsichord (which is not as many people think a kind of primitive piano but instrument which produces its sound by plucking strings instead of hammering them) And he knows how to use a to best effect. Merely using it at all tells us something about the mastery of Mauriat’s orchestral writing. One might think the delicate sound would be lost in the sound of a big orchestra, but the mark of good orchestration is that every part that is written, down to the tiniest triangle tinkle, should make a positive contribution – and be heard. That is the kind of principle that marks Mahler’s brilliant orchestral writing in his vast symphonies, it is the kind of principle that applies in a Mauriat arrangement – this is a test he never fails. But there is lot more to his blend than that. Mauriat puts to full use his long experience and wide knowledge Jazz and Pop music. The way he can make a big orchestra swing when he wants to suggests an intimate knowledge of the work of the big bands in the swing era of the ‘thirties and perhaps some keen listening to the way Count Basie uses his piano, guitar, and drums tightly and efficiently to generate swing. Nor is Mauriat too proud to learn from the younger generation’s pop styles Listen to the hypnotic electronic beat in “Capri c’est fini” and the clever electronic effects in his piano presentation of another “slow rock” number “Il silenzio”. Listen, too, to the way Mauriat uses his instruments like human voices, particularly his ever-singing strings And listen. too. to his vividly delicious -Long live love-this is part of the essence of Mauriat. It is, in fact, very much the music of today and in all these things we can recognise the touch and feeling of a master musician. But analysing Mauriat’s music is a little like analysing a fine wine chemically On this record we could mention the fact that he has brought together an international blend of melody from various periods, memorable themes by leading composers in France, Italy, Germany. America, and Britain-and, of course, those most international of popular composers. Lennon and McCartney, for whom Mauriat has great respect. But that, in its tum. is like identifying the vineyards and the vintage when what really matters is that he has made them into something very specially his own for our lasting pleasure. It is after all the final quality of the finished blend that counts, and whether you are sampling for the first time or have already developed a connoisseur’s palate for Mauriat’s music, this collection has the kind of quality that is sure to make you want more of the very special taste of Mauriat.

Paul Mauriat and his Orchestra - A Taste of Mauriat

Label: Philips XL2 88218 DY

1967 1960s Covers

Various Artists - Vuoi Ballare Con Me?

Various Artists – Vuoi Ballare Con Me?

Sleeve Notes:

Anche questo disco appartiene alla “Serie Night-Clubs” e si prefigge come unico scopo quello di far ballare e di divertire portando nella casa quella speciale atmosfera del “Night” in cui i cantanti, l’orchestra e “la gente” si fondono in una atmosfera particolare. Su di esso non abbiamo raccolto le voce e gli strumenti di una singola orchestra, ma abbiamo scelto alcuni fra i complessi piu noti da Marcellos Feria!” a “Franco Vicini”, da Beppe Cordite” a “Nini Rosso”. Come avviene in ogni locale notturno, abbiamo intercalato balli gia affermati – e sempre graditi – a novita, siamo partiti  dallo slow per concludere in un crescendo di ritmo del hully-gully e del twist. Un disco che naturalmente e dedicato al giovani e che pertanto raccoglie quei motive e quelle canzoni che essi hanno mostrato di preferire canzoni che parlano dei loro problemi dei loro sentimenti che talvolta possono essere piu facilmente espresso nell’ascolto di un “successo” che non con frasi e parole ormai fuori moda. “VUOI BALLARE CON ME?” vuol anche dire: “ascolta con me questa canzone e stammi vicino perche ti senta piu mia.

Buona serata.

[English translation of VUOI BALLARE CON ME?]
This record also belongs to the “Night-Clubs Series” and its sole purpose is to make dancing and entertaining in your the house similar to that special atmosphere of the “Night” in which the singers, the orchestra and “the people” come together in a special atmosphere. We have not collected the voices and instruments of a single orchestra on it, but we have chosen some of the most famous ensembles from “I Marcellos Ferial” to ” Franco Vicini “, from Beppe Cordite” to “Nini Rosso”. As happens in every nightclub, we have interpreted already established dances – and always welcome – to new, we started from the slow to conclude in a crescendo of rhythm of the hully-gully and of the twist. A record that is naturally dedicated to young people and therefore collects those motives and songs that they have shown to prefer songs that talk about their problems of their feelings that sometimes can be more easily expressed in listening to a “success” and not with phrases and words now out of fashion.” DO YOU WANT TO DANCE WITH ME?” can also mean: “listen to this song with me and stay close to me because you feel more like me”.

Good evening.]

Various Artists - Vuoi Ballare Con Me?

Label: Durium DRL 50001
History of Durium Records

1965 1960s Covers

World of Phase4 Stereo - attractive record covers from Cover Heaven

Various – The World of Phase 4 Stereo

By 1969 the phase4stereo series was well established and somewhere  north of 180 albums had been released in this format. Titles included “The Spectacular Trumpet of Kenny Baker” (stop giggling at the back), “Sputniks for Orchestra”, “Bongos from the South”, and “Strictly Oompah”. But what exactly is phase4stereo? Let Decca Records explain:


I think that pretty much explains it in a nutshell but for those of you hungry for more here’s a description of the phase4stereo process:

“Phase 4 stereo” can only be described as a marvel of sound, a radically new and dramatically potent concept in the art of high fidelity reproduction. It is Decca’s trademark for the most advanced and flexible of all stereo recording techniques; it stand for motion and an uncanny sense of spatial realism unapproached by conventional disc standards; it is your assurance of unmatched quality control, rigorously applied from studio to finished disc, throughout every single step of the manufacturing process. perhaps the most remarkable innovation of “phase 4” is the use of Decca’s custom built 20 channel console mixer. this complex and forbidding-looking machine permits sounds from no less than twenty separate sources to be combined and blended in precise perspective. Each instrument can be pinpointed to exact locations from extreme left to extreme right along a horizontal plane, or forward and back through an astonishingly large depth of field. This, of course, is only part of the “phase 4” story. The making of the master tape, the cutting of the master lacquer disc, production of the final copy for the consumer-all are done with custom equipment, under the constant supervision of both engineers and musicians. the state that the 500,000th record produced is identical in sound performance with the very first copy pressed is no boast; it is part of the unique and proud redo of “phase 4 stereo”.

Of course that’s all very interesting. But it doesn’t address the attention paid to creating such an attractive cover.

Label: Decca SPA 32

1969 1960s Covers

The World of "Your Hundred Best Tunes" - The Top Ten

The World of “Your Hundred Best Tunes” – The Top Ten

Sleeve Notes:

The ten items on this record are so well known that they require no commendation from me. They are the chosen favourites of my large audience on BBC Radio 2 on Sunday nights These are the tunes that occupied the first ten places in a recent nationwide poll, when listeners to my programme were asked to nominate their hundred best tunes. The response was quite remarkable, and the many thousands of letters clearly show what the mass of music lovers were ready to accept and appreciate. As one listener put it “Music that speaks to us in straightforward terms”. The selection presented here affirms that impression, and gives us a choice of music that cannot fail to delight. You will hear music as varied in mood and character as is possible to find on any one record.

Who is not moved by Sibelius’s tone-poem – Finland. As stirring a piece of nationalistic music as was ever written. Or who can resist the joyful outburst of the finale of Beethoven’s – Pastoral-Symphony There is no need for me to attest to the popularity of the enchanting song. – Sei nicht bos – “Don’t be cross”, from Zeller’s operetta, or the famous chorus from Verdi’s “Nabucco”. Nor need I remind you of the heartfelt melodies of the Violin Concerto in G minor by Bruch. These and the others in the list that make up the top ten of – Your Hundred Best Tunes are familiar to all who listen to what might be termed “more serious music”.

Here is a chance to hear these favourites in your own time, and as often as you wish. And always, I am sure, with the greatest pleasure. …

Sibelius: Finlandia
This famous tone poem was original, the finale of an earlier orchestral suite that Sibelius composed in 1899 and though for a time performances of “Finlandia” were prohibited by the Imperialist authorities, it nevertheless came to represent the defiance of the Finnish nation struggling for independence from Czarist Russia It was generally assumed that some of the themes In “Fintandia” had been based on actual folk melodies, but Sibelius emphatically denied this.
Johann Strauss: Casanova – Nuns’ Chorus. When the English version of “Casanova” was presented at the London Coliseum in 1932, with book and lyrics by Harry Graham, it was described as a musical play of Adventure and Love. The score was arranged by Ralph Benatzky from Johann Strauss’s music. But the only reminder we have of it today is The Nuns’ Chorus, which is still as popular as it was almost forty years ago.
Mascagni: Cavalloria Rusticana – Intermezzo. This Intermezzo is perhaps the most famous piece in the opera. It follows a dramatic encounter between Santuzza and Allio who rush from the scene, leaving an empty stage. In this tense and hushed stratosphere, the orchestra softly begins the Intermezzo.
Zeller : Der Oborsteiger – Don’t be cross. A song about a miller\’s daughter who is wooed by a fisherman. Thinking that she can improve her status in life, she rejects him, saying “Don’t be cross, it cannot be”. When later, having experienced the outside world and returned disillusioned, she asks the fisherman to comfort her, only to be paid back in her own coin.
Beethoven Symphony No. 6, “Pastoral” Final movement. It was Beethoven himself who subtitled his Symphony No 6 in F major. “The Pastoral: Recollections of life in the country”. The last of the five movements he called A Shepherd’s Song of happy and thankful feelings after the storm. A hymn of gratitude, as shepherds gather their scattered flocks, and the sky is again serene.
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No.14, “Moonlight”. The name “Moonlight” by which the C sharp minor Sonata is known, was not Beethoven’s. Legend has it that a critic of the time had said that to him, the music suggested Lake Lucerne in the moonlight. Presumably he was only referring to the first movement, Adagio. But though none of the numerous explanations are to be taken seriously, it may be that the nickname has contributed to this sonata’s popularity with the general public.
Verdi: Nabucco -Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves. One of Verdi’s most celebrated choruses, this fervent plea by the Hebrew slaves held in bondage never fails to impress its listeners. On the Banks of the Euphrates, by the Waters of Babylon, they sing “Va pensiero sull ‘ali dorati – “Go, our thoughts on golden wings”.
Bruch: Violin Concerto No.1 in G minor.Through this violin concerto alone, Max Bruch’s reputation will remain secure. It is a standard work in the violinist’s repertoire. The warm expressive melodies of the Adagio have led some to regard this movement as one of the most rewarding pieces of music ever written for the violin. Indeed, its main theme has been called “a melodic glory of the nineteenth century’.
Bach: Cantata No.147: Jesu Joy. No one section of any of Bach’s Church Cantatas is better known than “Jesu, Joy of man’s desiring”, the final chorale of Cantata No 147. This tune is familiar too, in transcriptions for the keyboard.
Elgar: Enigma Variations – Nimrod. In discussing the Enigma Variations, Elgar once said that in his music he sketched the idiosyncrasies of thirteen of his friends The ninth sketch, or variation, refers to Elgar’s friend A. J. Jaeger. “Jaeger” is German for “hunter”. And the Bible says Nimrod was a mighty hunter.
The World of "Your Hundred Best Tunes" - The Top Ten

Label: Decca SPA 112
Cover photograph by David Wedgbury

1970 1970s Covers

Chartoppers top sellers from the record charts

Chartoppers

Sleeve Notes:

This business of trying to predict just what will top the record charts from week to week is probably one of the most thankless and frustrating tasks facing anyone. Especially those who make their living through selling pop. Yet glance down at the twelve titles on this album, listen to the lyrics and the strong melodies that emerge and you may find yourself wondering just why the experts didn’t sit back and wait for success to happen. These are, after all, good songs by writers who know about popular appeal and some have been around long enough to ensure that the essential ingredients of a good pop song-catchy, simple melody and easy-on-the-ear lyrics are there. But in the end it’s the record buyer who decides that a song like “In the million-plus seller and that the haunting delicacy of Cat Stevens’ melody for “Lady D’Arbanville” isn’t overlooked. And that’s just what pop is all about, so settle back, turn on the record player and listen to some of the most successful chartoppers of the year! summertime” becomes a phenomenal.

A DAMIL U.S.A. PRODUCTION

Chartoppers top sellers from the record charts

Label: Stereo Gold Award MER 324

1970 1970s Covers Stereo Gold Award Collection

Today's Pop Hits 12 Tops Vol. 2

12 Tops – Today’s Pop Hits Vol. 02

One of our more risqué covers and a fine example of the cover’s importance in compensating for the unremittingly poor versions inside of the “pop hits” of the day. The model on this cover is Ingrid Steeger who also appeared on similar covers some of which were more revealing than this one. How many copies were bought solely for the pleasure of its very attractive cover model? That’s kind of a rhetorical question we will never know the answer to.
A look at the back cover will reveal the name DL Miller as Recording Director. David Miller was a prolific releaser of records in the budget genre and his name appears on hundreds of records from the sixties and seventies. He set up the Stereo Gold Award label examples of which feature prominently in our archives. For more on Mr Miller read his Wikipedia entry here.

Sleeve Notes:

Here are the very latest chart hits – sung and played in the same arrangements as the original versions – Enjoy on this one record TODAY’S TWELVE TOPS

Today's Pop Hits 12 Tops Vol. 2

Label: Stereo Gold Award MER 358

1972 1970s Covers Stereo Gold Award Collection

The Hiltonaires - Dance To Beatles Hits In The Glenn Miller Sound

The Hiltonaires – Dance To Beatles Hits In The Glenn Miller Sound

Sleeve Notes:

Here’s a dance party with two favourite ingredients – the great, nostalgic sounds of Glenn Miller and hit songs by The Beatles. These sweet and swinging arrangements were written by Bill Holcombe (an old T. Dorsey sideman), who has taken these British bred hits and written the inimitable Glenn Miller style around them. The Hiltonaires under the baton of Stan Reynolds are joined by the vocal stylings (a la Modernaires) of Tony Mansell and his group. Here’s big band beat at its best – with familiar hit songs.

Recorded Under Direction of D. L. Miller

The Hiltonaires - Dance To Beatles Hits In The Glenn Miller Sound

Label: Stereo Gold Award MER 336

1971 1970s Covers Stereo Gold Award Collection