Mandolin Club De Paris - Selection Espagnole

More mandolin magic from sunny Spain. Recorded in France with the Mandolin Club De Paris, more castanets, more mandolins - Ole!!

01 - Maria Morena
02 - Guayaquil
03 - Fandango Andalou
04 - Ole Jerez
05 - Concha Jerez
06 - Montes De Aragon
07 - El Chispero
08 - Ay Del Ay
09 - Caravane Du Reve
10 - Bolero Gitan
11 - La Corrida
12 - Cortijera

RS
Mandolin Club De Paris - Selection Espagnole

MU
Mandolin Club De Paris - Selection Espagnole

Mr Snookles

Rondalla Espanola - The Magic Of Spain

As you know, we like to do a little armchair travel here at Third Island, and today is no exception. So lets whisk off to sun-drenched Spain, and the romantic sound of mandolins, castanets and Spanish guitars. This album could well be called 'The 1001 Castanets' as the sound of them permeates the entire album.

A 'Rondella' is an instrumental group consisting mostly of strings, mandolins and guitars with a little light percussion added. Today, most Rondellas flourish in Aragon, Navarra and Valencia, and interpret the folklore of each region.

01 - Granada
02 - Si Te Vas A Calatayud
03 - Motivos Andaluces
04 - La Pilarica
05 - Pepita Creus
06 - Doce Cascabeles
07 - Sevilla
08 - Torremolinos
09 - Angelita
10 - Boda De Luis Alonso
11 - Panderos De La Flamenca
12 - El Vito

RS
Rondalla Espanola - The Magic Of Spain

MU
Rondalla Espanola - The Magic Of Spain

Mr Snookles

EEK!!! due to an error the tracks in this post have been incorrectly labelled. Side one and side two have been mixed up. The tracks should be named as follows...

01 - Sevilla
02 - Torremolinos
03 - Angelita
04 - La boda de Luis Alonso
05 - Panderos de la flamenca
06 - El Vito
07 - Granada
08 - Si vas a Calatayud
09 - Motivos andaluces
10 - La Pilarica
11 - Pepita Creus
12 - Doce cascabeles

You should really rename them as shown - sorry 'bout the hassle - Mr S.

TV Themes Orchestra - Great Australian TV Themes

Here's one for Sven Libaek fans - Australian TV themes arranged by Sven and played by the TV Themes Orchestra. Antipodean baby-boomers will recognise many of these tunes, folks overseas will probably recognise "Skippy (the Bush Kangaroo)". BTW "Skip" has become a colloquialism for "Australian" - a friend born in Greece informed me that she "Married a Skip" - i.e maried an aussie...

A range of australian composers on show, Sven himself wrote the music to track 5 - "Bush Theme From 'Nature Walkabout'"


01 - L. Lewis - Theme From 'This Day Tonight'
02 - G. Lyall - Theme From 'Woobinda'
03 - T. Tycho - Theme From 'You Can't See Round Corners'
04 - J. Eggington - Theme From 'Sue Becker'
05 - S. Libaek - Bush Theme From 'Nature Walkabout'
06 - E. Jupp - Skippy (The Bush Kangaroo)
07 - M. Martin - Mcgooley's Theme
08 - A. Popp - Theme From 'Motel'
09 - A. Butcher - Contrabandits
10 - F. Smith - Theme From 'Bellbird'
11 - A. Young - Welcome From 'Mavis Bramston'
12 - F. Smith - Theme From Hunter

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TV Themes Orchestra - Great Australian TV Themes

MU
TV Themes Orchestra - Great Australian TV Themes

Mr Snookles

p.s. mysterious thanks to ebullient co-blogger Lemoncat....

Stanley Black - The Latin World Of Stanley Black

Stan's back with his orchestra playing lightly flavoured Latin themes. Superb arrangement highlight the tone colours of the full orchestra Stanley has at his disposal. Lots of shakers maracas, and guiros underpin the mariachi oboes and bassoons that carry the themes. Actually there's plenty of smouldering trumpet as well, but Stan ekes the full range of sonorities from his orchestra. Top stuff.

01 - Siboney
02 - Ole Guapa
03 - El Truca De Pernambuco
04 - Flamingo
05 - Jungle Bird
06 - The Breeze And I
07 - Rustic Samba
08 - Adios Muchachos
09 - Baia
10 - La Comparsa
11 - Adieu Tristesse
12 - Alma Llanera

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Stanley Black - The Latin World Of Stanley Black

MU
Stanley Black - The Latin World Of Stanley Black

Mr Snookles

Hank Snow - Snow In Hawaii

From Nashville, Tennessee to the Beach at Waikiki - that's a fair conceptual leap. But I think it's fair to say that this album by Country'n'Western crooner Hank Snow does a fair job of bridging the gap. Produced by Chet Atkins, the delightful lap-steel guitar work is a highlight, and I suspect was played by Mr Atkins himself.

Another ancient and battered poece of vinyl that required heaps of restoration - the end result is surprisingly good - little surface noise and a purty darn good sound if I say so myself. The cover scans also reveal the work of some infant hand drawing biro additions to Hank's face...

01 - Hula Love
02 - Beyond The Reef
03 - On The Beach At Waikiki
04 - Hawaiian Sunset
05 - My Little Grass Shack
06 - Trade Winds
07 - Don't Sing Aloha When I Go
08 - Blue For Old Hawaii
09 - Hawaiian Cowboy
10 - To You Sweetheart, Aloha
11 - The Crying Steel Guitar Waltz
12 - Oahu Rose

RS
Hank Snow - Snow In Hawaii

MU
Hank Snow - Snow In Hawaii

Mr Snookles

Rawicz and Landauer - The Two Grands

I got a couple of comments about my post "Ferrante and Teicher - Rhapsody" - in particular the cover which raised a few eyebrows... Well, in sharp contrast we turn to an album by piano duo Rawicz and Landauer where they decided (some might say bravely) to put their own faces on the cover. Of course the fact that they look like a couple of British character acters who always played the inept criminal in all those 60's B movies has no bearing on the quality of their playing, but lets face it, it probably didn't help the sales of their album.

If you haven't heard of them before, they were famed for their 'near psychic affinity' which enabled them to play all sorts of virtuoso music in beautiful concord.

A quote from the lyrics of British folk-rocker Richard Thompson's song 'Let It Blow'...

He was a species on the verge of extinction
She was an Air New Zealand hostess
They were mystically joined, like Rawicz and Landauer
Like Pinky and Perky, like Porgy and Bess

Lots of notes in this one...

01 - Warsaw Concerto
02 - Waltzing With Strauss
03 - Thunder And Lightning Polka
04 - Arabesque No. 1
05 - Ritual Fire Dance
06 - Golliwog's Cakewalk
07 - Claire De Lune
08 - Waltz From 'Eugene Onegin'
09 - Rustle Of Spring
10 - Sabre Dance
11 - Waltz From 'Masquerade'

RS
Rawicz and Landauer - The Two Grands

MU
Rawicz and Landauer - The Two Grands

Mr Snookles

Klaus Wunderlich - Golden Sound Of Hammond

Once again Klaus returns to Third Island. Yes that inscrutable smile and incomparable Hammond artistry are back - many have tried to imitate Klaus' uncanny ability to to a Hammond organ into an orchestra, but in the end there's only one Wunderlich.


01 - Mondo Cane, High Noon
02 - Blue Heaven, So In Love, Amor Amor Amor
03 - Hey Jude, Saved By The Bell
04 - Oh Lady Mary, You
05 - Moulin Rouge, Limelight
06 - A Song Of Joy, Julie Do You Love Me, Teneriffa Song
07 - La Felicidad
08 - Summertime
09 - Darling, Come And Look
10 - Toselli Cha Cha
11 - Anema E Core
12 - Warsaw Concerto

RS
Klaus Wunderlich - Golden Sound Of Hammond

MU
Klaus Wunderlich - Golden Sound Of Hammond

Mr Snookles

Les and Larry Elgart - Wonderful World of Hits

Snappy swing band arrangements make this all-too-brief outing by les freres Elgart well worth a listen. While each tune is short (around two and a half minutes) there's plenty going on. The highlight for me is 'Ode To Billie Joe' which even has some psychedelic fuzz-tone guitar.

01 - Torino
02 - Tara Theme
03 - Camelot
04 - When I Look In Your Eyes
05 - The Bobo
06 - Ode To Billie Joe
07 - Lady
08 - To Sir With Love
09 - Live For Life
10 - What A Wonderful World
11 - Spanish Eyes

RS
Les and Larry Elgart - Wonderful World of Hits

MU
Les and Larry Elgart - Wonderful World of Hits

Mr Snookles

Stan Getz - The Dolphin

They say the two things people want to do before they die are to see the world from space and swim with the dolphins. Well, I don't think Stan's hopped aboard a Virgin Airways Star-liner just yet but it looks like he did get to fulfil wish no. 2. This album was recorded just after he moved the New York to San Francisco in the early 80's, and it looks like the new-age flavour of the times was rubbing off on him.

The jazz on offer is of the cool, swingin', cocktail sippin' variety, which is how we like it at Third Island. Laid-back quartet, Stan delivering those tasty licks and occasionally lifting the tempo and heading towards be-bop territory.

01 - The Dolphin
02 - A Time For Love
03 - Joy Spring
04 - My Old Flame
05 - The Night Has A Thousand Eyes
06 - Close Enough For Love

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Stan Getz - The Dolphin

MU
Stan Getz - The Dolphin

Mr Snookles

Fluegel Knights - One Of Those Songs

Short and sweet. The second side is ten minutes long... Can't tell you too much about these guys - I presume the Fluegel part refers to the fluegelhorn - a more mellow-sounding form of the trumpet. Any knowledgeable persons out there - feel free to share your pearls of wisdom in the comments

01 - One Of Those Songs
02 - Cabaret
03 - The Crusades
04 - Everybody Loves My Baby
05 - Horn Duey
06 - Castle Holiday
07 - In The Still Of The Night
08 - Camelot
09 - Miniskirt Waltz
10 - Who's Afraid Of The Big Bad Wolf
11 - A Lover's Concerto

RS
Fluegel Knights - One Of Those Songs

MU
Fluegel Knights - One Of Those Songs

Mr Snookles

p.s. wrongly tagged as Fluegal with an "A" not fluegel with an "E" - you may want to fix yer tags...

Ferrante and Teicher - Rhapsody

F & T slap the ivories in this collection of light classics. No orchestra, just 176 keys played with the usual F & T gusto. Stand-out track for me George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue in its original two-piano arrangement.

This album needed major restoration, and the many quiet passages make any surface noise glaring obvious. I've done my best, but you will hear the odd pop...

A sad day for all in Oz today. As you may have heard the worst bushfires in our history have devastated much of Australia. All the flags at school at half-mast this morning, and a sombre mood throughout. Please say a prayer and send you best wishes to those who have lost family and friends. Thanks.

01 - Hungarian Rhapsody
02 - Swedish Rhapsody
03 - Rumanian Rhapsody In A, Op 11 No. 2
04 - Cornish Rhapsody
05 - Rhapsody In Blue
06 - Hollywood Rhapsody

RS
Ferrante and Teicher - Rhapsody

MU
Ferrante and Teicher - Rhapsody

Mr Snookles

p.s. On a brighter note I have just discovered Kelly's Lounge Soundz and it's a cracker of a site... I'd like to extend a Furry Snookle welcome to Kelly, its Kiwi proprietor - Check it out.

Philip Green - Follow The Sun

Philip Green began his long recording career began with EMI in 1933, and during the following years he directed and played piano and harpsichord on 78s with many leading bands, including Teddy Foster, Henry Jacques, The New Mayfair Dance Orchestra, Harry Roy and Jack Simpson - as well as lesser-known ensembles with intriguing titles such as The Bravour Dance Orchestra, The Celestial Beings and The Bunkhouse Boys.

However the vast majority of his numerous pre-war records had his own name on the label, directing diverse groups like The Seven Kings of Rhythm, Busketeers, Swing on Strings, Rhythm on Reeds and Don Miguel and his Cuban Music (one of his many pseudonyms, some others being Louise Duke, Jose Belmonte, Ricardo Lamarr and Don Felipe). More Info...

When it comes to vinyl its often the case that older is better, and this album from 1958 shows why. Beautiful arrangements by Philip and friend and co-composer Norrie Paramor show why the Exotica craze became so popular. Evoking the atmosphere of far-away lands yet still inhabiting that cosy familiar BBC Light Orchestra sound world, this is armchair travel at its finest.

01 - Rendezvous In Rio
02 - Viva Venezuela
03 - Miami Beach
04 - Spring In Siam
05 - Honolulu Honeymoon
06 - Jamaican Jamboree
07 - Tangier Intrigue
08 - Baghdad Bazaar
09 - Midnight In Malaga
10 - Mexico Ole
11 - Venetian Blue
12 - Las Vegas Vacation

RS
Philip Green - Follow The Sun

MU
Philip Green - Follow The Sun

Mr Snookles

p.s. Welcome to new blog Portal Of Groove hosted by our friend Oracle. Lots of goodies to be found in his eclectic collection.

KPM 1104 - Electrosonic

This Library album is from KPM's 1100 series. The 1100 series features all sorts of cheesy synths and elctro-warbles. Great if you're into that sort of thing.... This album is from my Don Harper collection (actually Shadrac's), and I decided to post it after the success of the "Homo Electronicus" post which proved to be one of the most popular albums on the blog.

Updated info thanks to Keir

Not just Don Harper, but Harper/Russe/St. George - Li De La Russe and Nikki St. George being Delia Derbyshire and Brian Hodgson from the BBC Radiophonic Workshop under their contract-dodging pseudonyms they also used for the Standard Music Library.

01 - Quest
02 - Quest - Fast
03 - Computermatic
04 - Frontier Of Knowledge
05 - The Pattern Emerges
06 - Freeze Frame
07 - Plodding Power
08 - Busy Microbes
09 - Liquid Energy #1
10 - Liquid Energy #2
11 - No Man's Land
12 - Depression
13 - Night Walker
14 - Electrostings
15 - Electrobuild
16 - Celestial Cantabile
17 - Effervescence
19 - The Wizard's Laboratory
20 - Shock Chords

RS
KPM 1104 - Electrosonic

MU
KPM 1104 - Electrosonic

Mr Snookles

Ray Martin - Dynamica

Ray Martin's Dynamica is one of the defining albums of the Space-Age-Pop Genre. From RCA's Stereo Action series ("The sound your eyes can follow") it features exaggerated use of the new space age stereophonic sound.

As I only had a low-bitrate copy downloaded about two years ago, I was delighted to find this Australian vinyl reissue. Alas this album inexplicably omits two tracks from the original, even though they are listed on the front cover. Oh well - higher quality, less tracks... Grab it if ya want it.

01 - Flight Of The Bumble Bee
02 - Mood Indigo
03 - Bye Bye Blues
04 - Humoresque
05 - Stormy Weather
06 - Shadrack
07 - Indian Summer
08 - Malaguena
09 - The Moon Was Yellow
10 - Lullaby Of The Leaves

RS
Ray Martin - Dynamica

MU
Ray Martin - Dynamica

Mr Snookles

p.s. the cover shown is not the same as the original. I have included the original covers in the album.

Ronnie Aldrich - The World Of Ronnie Aldrich In Phase 4

Some thoughtfully arranged twin-piano offerings from Ronnie and the London Festival Orchestra. Released in the early Seventies, lounge music had morphed into 'Easy-Pops' in an effort to remain current, so the song choices are, to say the least, middle of the road. However the piano work lifts an otherwise mundane outing to a higher level, and those little touches of orchestration that make all the difference make this well worth a listen.

01 - Something
02 - Tie A Yellow Ribbon
03 - Song Sung Blue
04 - Clair
05 - I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing
06 - My Sweet Lord
07 - Good Morning Starshine
08 - The Candy Man
09 - Alone Again (Naturally)
10 - Killing Me Softly
11 - Theme From 'Love Story'
12 - Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head
13 - Sugar, Sugar
14 - Diamonds Are Forever

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The World Of Ronnie Aldrich In Phase 4

MU
The World Of Ronnie Aldrich In Phase 4

Mr Snookles

Webley Edwards Presents - Hawaii Today

Webley Edwards was the person who presented the famous "Hawaii Calls" radio and TV shows back in the sixties. This album showcases some of the local talent and was recorded in Waikiki.

Most of the album features the Hawaii Calls Chorus conducted by James Kaopuiki. See the back cover scan for the names of the soloists.


01 - Sweet Someone
02 - Hasegawa General Store
03 - Quiet Village
04 - Painted Sands
05 - Ho-Le Waimea
06 - Sands Of Waikiki
07 - Pearly Shells
08 - I'll Remember You
09 - Hawaii Tattoo
10 - Kealoha
11 - Just Oceans Away
12 - Beyond The Rainbow

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Hawaii Today

MU
Hawaii Today

Mr Snookles

p.s. welcome to new blog Bongos Flutes Guitars. Check it out...