Paul Weston - The Sweet and the Swingin´ (1960)

Another album from 1960 is Paul Weston´s "The Sweet and the Swingin´". A great record which is very hard to find these days. But now you´re lucky, ´cause you´ve found my website, right? Here it is, some more Mood-music from the master himself...

Bert Kaempfert - Combo Capers (1960)

Another one of Germany´s greatest composer, this time it´s an early one. "Combo Capers" from the year 1960 features melodies from all over the world, ranging from original compositions and arrangements of folk melodies to classical music and the "Jolly Peasant" (Fröhlicher Landmann) from Robert Schumann. Please enjoy this rarity, since it is Bert at his best. He played either clarinet or piano himself, by the way...

Bob Thompson - Mmm Nice! (1960)

Shortly after Christmas, here´s another great album. Bob Thompson´s "Mmm Nice!" from the year 1960 is one of the greatest instrumental-with-vocals albums ever heard. Please enjoy this rare little gem. This is the Stereo-version, now you can consider yourself lucky, ´cause you may only have had it in Mono...

Frank Hunter - White Goddess (1959)

This is another request from a supporter. "White Goddess" by Frank Hunter from the year 1959 is a perfect example of Exotica crossing over to the Space Age by using new electronic instruments of that time. Chromatic bongos and log drums, the "Buzzimba" and Chinese bells sit with wordless female swoons and Ondioline in a small orchestra and do the job. 8 of the 12 titles are original compositions, and standards like "Poinciana" and "Jungle Drums" add up to a nearly perfect record. That should give you a hint of the quality of this work, which made this record one of the holy grails of Exotica music. Very hard to find, but now the search has ended.

Paul Weston - Mood For 12 (1955)

Paul Weston, born in 1912 as Paul Weststein, was one of the most diverse and talented arrangers and conductors of the '40s and '50s, moving from mainstream swing and jazz to instrumental easy listening pop in the course of his career. Though he began his career playing hard swing, Weston is considered to be the father of mood music. He worked as an arranger for Tommy Dorsey and was married to Jo Stafford. He also wrote arrangements and conduct sessions for artists like Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Shore, and Doris Day. During this time, he and Jo Stafford recorded a handful of albums as "Jonathan & Darlene Edwards". The "Jonathan & Darlene"-albums were comedy records that parodied nightclub acts. On each record Stafford sang offkey and Weston horridly played out of time and out of key. This album contains lush arrangements and is a perfect example for his so called "mood music". Paul Weston died in 1996...

James Last - Christmas Dancing (1966)

This is THE record. Christmas record, I mean. This is exactly the music, my parents played on Christmas-eve, when me and my brother came into the living-room for the presents. Well, that one brings back so many memories... *sniff*... But anyway: After almost 40 (!) years, this one hasn´t lost a bit of its charme. Love it or hate it, but to me this is one of the greatest Christmas albums of all time. I added 1 Bonus Track to this album, because I think it fits. The "Petersburg Sleighride" is from 1966 too. You can cut it out if you want to. Now please enjoy James "Hansi" Last with the sound of my childhood...

And here´s the Tracklist:

01 Kling, Glöckchen, klingelingeling / Lasst uns froh uns munter sein / Oh, du fröhliche
02 Leise rieselt der Schnee / Schneeflöckchen, Weißröckchen / Auf dem Berge da wehet der Wind
03 Morgen, Kinder, wird´s was geben / Alle Jahre wieder / Fröhliche Weihnacht überall
04 Am Weihnachtsbaume die Lichter brennen / Es ist ein Ros´ entsprungen
05 Ihr Kinderlein kommet / Der Christbaum ist der schönste Baum / A, a, a
06 White Christmas / Midnight in December / Jingle Bells
07 Kommet ihr Hirten / O Tannenbaum / Christnacht
08 Morgen kommt der Weihnachtsmann / O Wunder über Wunder / Wenn der Schnee vom Himmel fällt
09 Süßer die Glocken nie klingen / In dulci jubilo / Joseph, lieber Joseph mein
10 Schlittenfahrt im Winterwald / Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht
11 Petersburger Schlittenfahrt (Bonus Track)

The Three Suns - A Ding Dong Dandy Christmas! (1959)

Just like the guy from Hipwax puts it: Christmas comes but once a career, in most cases, usually as a resuscitation attempt. When all else fails, when diehard fans have every song in every format, when DJs refuse to supersaturate the airwaves, along comes the Christmas album. Some are heroic, progressive efforts and mind-bending high points like this one, while others are sentimental snoozes like Christmas celebrations themselves. Since most Christmas records cannot be given away, looking through piles of dirt for a gem is a form of self-abuse. But the great ones are worth it, once a year anyway, and this one is such an album. Here they are again, the Three Suns with one of the craziest Christmas records ever heard. Happy Holidays!