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With his usual flair for choosing just the right tunes Victor Silvester has come up with an album that combines the best of such legendary American songwriting names as Cole Porter, Kern, Johnny Mercer and Hammerstein with. contributions from todays names, Henry Mancini and Francis Lai.
Label: Pye NSPL 18515
Album Design: Paul Chave/Tactics
Here’s yet another great pop L.P. from Pickwick. And as always, it’s packed with the latest, most up-to-datest chart sounds.
With twelve super tracks brilliantly performed and produced to the very highest standard, Top of the Pops is without doubt the best value for money to be found. If you prefer listening to your music on tape, then you can get this very album on Stereo Cassette HSC 290 or 8-track Cartridge H 8290.
TOP OF THE POPS VOLUME 51 …
another smash hit L.P. from Pickwick.
Label: Hallmark SHM 940
Hello Dolly, It Must Be Him, Soleado, Carmen, Moonlight Serenade, Tonight, Top Hat, White Tie And Tails, Aquarius, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
Francais Francais, Dancing In The Sun (Un Rayo Del Sol), Days Of Pearly Spencer, Mariachi, Love At First Sight, Love Said Goodbye, Yesterday, Fernando, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Bonanza
Label: EMI Studio2stereo TWOX 1054
Front cover photo: Raymond Kirby
It’s a homage to Julio Iglesias. No more no less. Did it appeal to Julio fans? Probably not. Does it have a cover worthy of inclusion within the Cover Heaven portals? I should say so!
Label: Gramusic GM 518
The 1950’s will be regarded all over the world as a decade of change and marriage of musical tastes. The effects of increased travel and exposures of people to new cultures and environment left a delightful indelible stamp on popular music everywhere. With such hit recordings as Patti Page’s Tennessee Waltz (American folk) • Volare (Italian) • Les Paul and Mary Ford’s Vaya Con Dios (Mexican) • Johnny Ray’s Cry (the blues) and a sprinkling of American ballads (Sinatra’s Young at Heart) we witnessed a healthy and expansive musical appetite attracted to programs of the broadest cultural areas in history. Such songs as Canadian Sunset and Autumn Leaves gave evidence of a mature and poignant style of song writing that will influence composers in all fields of music for years to come. The colorful orchestrating of these ten wonderful songs in this album capture all the divergent and stimulating change of our popular music tastes in the 1950’s.
Label: Alshire 5334
Art Direction and Design: Eric Michelson
Model: Robin Anne Michelson
Photography: Kent Marshall
HELLO from us all here at Pickwick. It’s time again for the latest, most up-to-datest, SPEC-TAC-ULAR, ‘TOP OF THE POPS’, Vol. 55. Yes, chart sounds abound on this the world’s best-selling regularly released L.P. We’ve got just the record to brighten up those dark grey wintry nights. Get your friends in and give it a spin. It’s top-tapping, Knee-knocking, mind-blasting music. So check it out while you can, if you’re not already a fan – join the ‘Top of the Poppers’ and have yourself a real fun time. You’ll be the envy of your friends when you play them these fantastic hit songs, together ONLY on this terrific L.P.
Label: Hallmark SHM 950
Bye, Bye Fraulein
Fly Robin Fly
Volare
Echame A Mi La Culpa
Save Your Kisses For Me
Quiero
La Ramona
Viva America
Tornero
Paloma Blanca
Fernando
Abrazame
Label: Gramusic GM-L0017
The above photo of Ray was taken as he was relaxing on the beach of the Kauai Surf Hotel on the garden island of Kauai, one of the Hawaiian outer islands.
Ray wrote all the arrangements for this album during his two-week stay at the Kauai Surf, and between arrangements the Hawaiians showed him how to strum the uke and taught him their own way of singing the Hawaiian songs, which in many cases is quite a bit different from the original.
“It was the most enjoyable two weeks work I’ve ever done in my whole career,” was Ray’s comment as he rejoined the Singers in Hollywood to record this album for your listening pleasure.
Label: CBS Records 63106
Cover Photo: Frank Bez
Why would someone choose to buy Abba hits performed by anyone but Abba? I don’t know but I’m guessing there were probably sufficient numbers of record buying people for whom the cheaper price of this budget offering more than offset the higher cost of hearing the original Abba tunes.
Label: Fanfare SIT 60082
Several big names from the world of country music on this fairly run-of-the-mill Country Gold release. Glen Campbell, Faron Young and Billie Jo Spears among them. The cover was clearly put together on a budget as both sides feature the same picture.
Label: MFP 50247
Photograph: Stockphotos International
Sleeve design: Tony Baldwin