The Styrous® Viewfinder: Cole Porter

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July 22, 2024

20,000 vinyl LPs 370: Manhattan Transfer ~ Pastiche

Manhattan Transfer ~ Pastiche 1978

front cover Art Direction, Design,

Photography By Fayette

photo of album cover by Styrous®

Today is the birthday of multiple grammy-winning, American jazz singer, Janis Siegel of The Manhattan Transfer. The group was originally formed earlier but when Tim Hauser met Siegel at a party and after recording some demos, she agreed to join the group, and on October 1, 1972, the Manhattan Transfer was reformed.

Manhattan Transfer ~ Pastiche - 1978

back cover Art Direction, Design,

Photography By Fayette

photo of album cover by Styrous®

The Manhattan Transfer has covered songs from the 1930s through the 1980s in a variety of genres including jazz fusion, R&B, pop, and doo wop. The group has received 10 Grammy Awards during Siegel's ongoing tenure, and was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003.

Manhattan Transfer ~ Pastiche - 1978

record sleeve front

photo of record sleeve by Styrous®

I have almost every album the group has produced and this one is my favorite because it was their first one I bought and I love all the songs on it but my favorites are A Gal In Calico written by Arthur Schwartz with words written by Leo Robin in 1946, Love For Sale written by Cole Porter in 1930 and, of course, my very favorite song on it, On A Little Street In Singapore, written by Peter DeRose and Billy Hill in 1939. Alan Paul sings the lead in the very best tradition of the swoony crooner.

Manhattan Transfer ~ Pastiche - 1978

record sleeve back

photo of record sleeve by Styrous®

Manhattan Transfer ~ Pastiche - 1978

record labels side 1 & 2

photo of record sleeve by Styrous®

Tracklist:

Side 1:

A1 - Four Brothers
Bass – Andy Muson
Drums – Art Rodriguez
Guitar – Ira Newborn
Piano – Jon Mayer (2)
Saxophone – Al Cohn, Jimmy Giuffre, Lee Konitz, Lew DelGatto*
Trombone – David Taylor, Hurbie Green*, Wayne Andre
Trumpet – Alan Rubin, Marky Markowitz, Marvin Stamm, Randy Brecker
Written-By – Jimmy Giuffre, Jon Hendricks - 3:47

A2 - A Gal In Calico
Bass – Stu Woods
Drums – Art Rodriguez, Steve Gadd
Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes] – Don Grolnick
Guitar – Dick Frank, Ira Newborn
Percussion – Tommy Vig
Steel Guitar – Buddy Emmons
Voice [Rodeo Yell] – David Banks (5)
Written-By – Arthur Schwartz, Leo Robin - 2:41

A3 - Love For Sale
Bass – Andy Muson
Drums – Jim Gordon
Fiddle – Hubert Hester*, Johnny Gimble, Shorty Lavender
Guitar – Ira Newborn, Pete Wade
Harmonica [Mouth Harp] – Charlie McCoy
Piano – John Barnes
Reeds – Don Menza, Jay Migliori, Joe Roccisano, Peter Christleib*, Willie Schwartz*
Steel Guitar – Buddy Emmons
Trombone – Garnett Brown, Jack Redmond, Vince Fanuele*
Trombone, Soloist [Solo] – Britt Woodman
Trumpet – Chuck Findley, Don Rader, Gene Goe, Oscar Brashear
Written-By – Cole Porter - 3:57

A4 - Je Voulais (Te Dire Que Je T'Attends)
Bass – Andy Muson
Cymbal [Crash Cymbals] – Larry Emerine
Drums – Jim Gordon
Piano, Harpsichord, Organ [Calliope] – David Wallace (3)
Trombone – Britt Woodman, Jack Redmond, Vince Fanuele*
Written-By – M. Jonasz*, P. Grosz* - 4:20

A5 - On A Little Street In Singapore
Bass – Andy Muson
Drums – Steven Schaeffer*
Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes] – Jon Mayer (2)
Guitar [Guitars] – Ira Newborn
Reeds – Don Menza, Jay Migliori, Joe Roccisano, Peter Christleib*, Willie Schwartz*
Synthesizer [Oberheim] – Mike Boddiker*
Trombone – Garnett Brown, Jack Redmond, Vince Fanuele*
Trumpet – Chuck Findley, Don Rader, Gene Goe, Oscar Brasher
Written-By – Billy Hill, Peter De Rose - 3:15

A6 - In A Mellow Tone
Bass – Andy Muson
Drums – Steve Schaeffer
Guitar – Ira Newborn
Piano – Dave Frishberg
Written-By – Duke Ellington, Milt Gabler - 3:12

Side 2:

B1 - Walk In Love
Bass – Andy Muson
Drums – Steve Schaeffer
Guitar – Ira Newborn
Harp – Jeanne Ashby*
Keyboards – Mike Melvoin
Percussion – Bobbye Hall
Synthesizer [Oberheim] – Mike Boddiker*
Written-By – David Batteau, John Klemmer - 3:04

B2 - Who, What, When, Where, Why
Arranged By [Rhythm Tracks] – Jay Graydon
Arranged By [Strings And Horns] – Ben Benay
Bass – Scott Edwards (2)
Drums – Jeff Porcaro
Engineer [Assistant] – Joe Laux, Stephen Marcussen
Guitar – Ben Benay, Jay Graydon
Percussion – Victor Feldman
Piano – David Foster
Producer – Steve Barri
Recorded By, Mixed By [Re-mixed By] – Phil Kaye
Synthesizer [Oberheim] – Michael Omartian
Written-By – Rupert Holmes - 3:28

B3 - It's Not The Spotlight
Acoustic Guitar – Ira Newborn
Bass – Donald "Duck" Dunn
Drums – Willie Hall
Electric Guitar – Steve Cropper
Mixed By [Re-mixed By] – Larry Emerine, Steve Cropper
Organ – Booker T. Jones
Piano – Booker T. Jones, Richard Tee
Written-By – Barry Goldberg, Gerry Goffin - 3:37

B4 - Pieces Of Dreams
Arranged By [Rhythm Tracks] – Jay Graydon
Arranged By [Strings And Horns] – Ben Benay
Bass – Scott Edwards (2)
Drums – Jeff Porcaro
Engineer [Assistant] – Joe Laux, Stephen Marcussen
Guitar – Ben Benay, Jay Graydon
Percussion – Victor Feldman
Piano – Tom Hensley
Producer – Steve Barri
Recorded By, Mixed By [Re-mixed By] – Phil Kaye
Synthesizer [Oberheim] – Michael Omartian
Written-By – Dick Addrisi-Don Addrisi* - 2:53

B5 - Where Did Our Love Go
Arranged By [Strings], Conductor – Gene Page
Baritone Saxophone [Baritone Sax] – Don Roberts
Bass – Michael Schnoebelen
Drums – Peter Johnson (3)
Guitar – Wayne Johnson (4)
Piano – David Wallace (3)
Written-By – E. Holland-L. Dozier-B. Holland* - 2:45

Companies, etc.

    Record Company – Warner Communications
    Manufactured By – Atlantic Recording Corporation
    Pressed By – PRC Recording Company, Richmond, IN
    Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Atlantic
    Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Atlantic Recording Corporation
    Copyright © – Atlantic Recording Corporation
    Recorded At – Studio 55, Los Angeles
    Recorded At – Atlantic Studios
    Recorded At – A&R Studios
    Recorded At – Clover Recorders
    Recorded At – EMI Studios 301
    Recorded At – Kendun Recorders
    Recorded At – The Sound Lab, Nashville
    Remixed At – Studio 55, Los Angeles
    Published By – Edwin H. Morris & Co.
    Published By – Warner Bros. Inc.
    Published By – Heen Publishing
    Published By – Marouani Music
    Published By – Shapiro, Bernstein & Co., Inc.
    Published By – Robbins Music Corp.
    Published By – Almo Music Corp.
    Published By – Shiver & I Music Ltd.
    Published By – Remohj Music
    Published By – Widescreen Publishing, Inc.
    Published By – Wb Music Corp.
    Published By – Screen Gems-EMI Music Inc.
    Published By – Musicways, Inc.
    Published By – Flying Addrisi Music
    Published By – Stone Agate Music Division

Credits:

    Arranged By [Musical Arranger], Conductor – Ira Newborn
    Art Direction, Design, Photography By – Fayette*
    Concertmaster [Concert Master] – Gerry Vinci*, Paul Shure, Sid Sharp*
    Contractor – Jules Chaikin, Olivia Page
    Engineer [Additional Recording, Atlantic Studios / A&R Recording Studios] – Gene Paul
    Engineer [Additional Recording, Clover Recording Studios] – Toby Scott
    Engineer [Additional Recording, EMI Recording Studios] – Gerry Nixon
    Engineer [Additional Recording, Kendun Recorders] – Phil Kaye
    Engineer [Additional Recording, The Sound Lab] – Larry Emerine
    Engineer [Re-mix Engineer, Assistant] – Stephen Marcussen
    Engineer [Recording Engineer] – Howard Steele, Larry Emerine
    Engineer [Second] – Stephen Marcussen, Tim Kramer
    Management [Asst. To Manager] – Joanna FitzPatrick
    Management [Manager] – Brian Avnet
    Management [Road Manager] – David H. Banks*
    Mastered By [Mastering] – Alan Zentz*
    Performer [The Manhattan Transfer Is] – Alan Paul, Janis Siegel, Laurel Massé, Tim Hauser
    Photography By [Cover Photos] – Gai Terrell, Gary Merrin, Roger Sandler
    Producer – Tim Hauser
    Producer [Associate], Arranged By [Vocal Arranger] – Andy Muson (tracks: A1, A3 to B1), Janis Siegel
    Recorded By [Chief Recording], Engineer [Re-mix Engineer] – Larry Emerine

Notes:

"PRC" in runouts denotes a PRC-Richmond pressing.

Recording was done between December, 1976 and September, 1977.
The majority of recording and re-mixing was done at Studio 55, Los Angeles, California.
Additional recording was done at the following studios: Atlantic Studios, New York, N.Y.; A & R Recording Studios, N.Y.; Clover Recording Studios, Los Angeles; EMI Recording Studios, Sydney, Australia; Kendun Recorders, Burbank; The Sound Lab, Nashville.
The album was mixed using the Aphex Aural Exciter.

℗ © 1978 Atlantic Recording Corporation
Printed in U.S.A.

A1. Edwin H. Morris & Co., ASCAP
A2, A3. Warner Bros. Inc., ASCAP
A4. Heen Publishing / Marouani Music, ASCAP
A5. Shapiro Bernstein & Co. Inc., ASCAP
A6. Robbins Music Corporation, ASCAP / To Ella, with love - Janis
B1. Almo Music Corp. / Shiver & I Music, Ltd., ASCAP - Remohj Music, BMI
B2. Widescreen Publishing, Inc. / W B Music Corp., ASCAP
B3. Screen Gems-EMI Music Inc., BMI
B4. Musicways Inc. / Flying Addrisi Music, BMI
B5. Stone Agate Music Div., BMI

Barcode and Other Identifiers

    Rights Society: ASCAP
    Rights Society: BMI
    Matrix / Runout (A side label): ST-A-774003
    Matrix / Runout (B side label): ST-A-774004
    Matrix / Runout (A side runout, etched, var 1): ST-A-774003-C-1-11 AZ PRC
    Matrix / Runout (B side runout, etched, var 1): ST-A-774004-C-1 AZ - 111 PRC
    Matrix / Runout (A side runout, etched, var 2): ST-A-774003-C-1 AZ PRC
    Matrix / Runout (B side runout, etched, var 2): ST-A-774004-C-1 AZ PRC

The Manhattan Transfer – Pastiche
Label: Atlantic – SD 19163
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, PRC
Country: US
Released: 1978
Genre: Jazz, Pop
Style: Swing, Vocal

Viewfinder links:

Peter DeRose

Billy Hill

Manhattan Transfer

Cole Porter

Leo Robin

Arthur Schwartz

Janis Siegel

Net links:

YouTube links:

A Gal In Calico

Love For Sale

On A Little Street In Singapore

On A Little Street In Singapore (live)

Styrous® ~ Tuesday, July 23, 2024

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20,000 vinyl LPs
MAIN MENU - Blog Articles
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October 19, 2021

45 RPMs 65: Sammy Davis Jr. – Six Bridges To Cross & George Nader

Sammy Davis Jr. ~ Six Bridges To Cross

45 RPM record

photo by Styrous®

Today is the birthday of George Nader who was an American actor and writer. He appeared in a variety of films from 1950 to 1974, including Sins of Jezebel (1953), Congo Crossing (1956), and The Female Animal (1958). During this period, he also did episodic television and starred in several series, including NBC's The Man and the Challenge (1959–60). In the 1960s he made several films in Germany, playing FBI agent Jerry Cotton. He is remembered for his first starring role, in the low-budget black-and-white 3D Sci-Fi film, film Robot Monster (1953), known as "one of the worst films ever made".

Robot Monster poster

I remember seeing Robot Monster and was wowed by the 3D effects but even though I was only thirteen, I realized the acting of the cast, including Nader, was pretty sketchy and the special effects and costume of the "Monster" was really cheesy, so, it's in pretty stiff competition with Plan 9 from Outer Space, which was directed by Ed Wood and starred Bela Lugosi, for the number one spot.

Plan 9 from Outer Space poster

The film, Six Bridges To Cross is a 1955 American film noir crime film directed by Joseph Pevney and starring Tony Curtis as Jerry Florea, George Nader and Julie Adams. It is based on the famous 1950 Great Brink's Robbery of Boston, Massachusetts in which the thieves made off with roughly $2.5 million.

Six Bridges To Cross poster

It was a pretty good film (link to plot below) with decent writing and acting by the cast, which included Sal Mineo as Jerry Florea as a boy in his first film role; he would appear in the film classic, Rebel Without a Cause, later that same year. Both Tony Curtis and Clint Eastwood made screen tests for the major male role; it was Eastwood's first test but Curtis got the part.

Six Bridges To Cross - 1955

Tony Curtis & George Nader

film still

Sammy Davis Jr. ~ Six Bridges To Cross

45 RPM record sleeve

photo by Styrous®

The title song, which is sung by Sammy Davis Jr. is a ballad in the fifties tradition and Davis does a really nice job on it with his typical lyric phrasing. Dinah Washington did a cover of the song in 1961; hers is a bit slower and more lush but her staccato phrasing makes it her very own (links below). The music was written by Henry Mancini and actor Jeff Chandler wrote the lyrics. Chandler had been considered for the main role but turned it down.

Sammy Davis Jr. ~ Six Bridges To Cross

45 RPM record

photo by Styrous®

Sammy Davis Jr. ~ All of You

45 RPM record sleeve

photo by Styrous®

Sammy Davis Jr. ~ All of You

45 RPM record sleeve

photo by Styrous®

Tracklist:

Side 1:

A - Six Bridges To Cross, written by Henry Mancini, Jeff Chandler (5) - 2:59

Side 2:

B - All Of You, written by Cole Porter - 2:39

Companies, etc.

Manufactured By – Decca Records, Inc.

Notes:

Variant labels include, but not limited to, label matrices

A Side: From the Universal-International Pictures "Six Bridges To Cross"
B Side: From the Musical Production "Silk Stockings"

Barcode and Other Identifiers

    Matrix / Runout (Side A Runout): 45 8065 5 3
    Matrix / Runout (Side B Runout): 45 8066 5 3
    Matrix / Runout (Center label, side A): 8065
    Matrix / Runout (Center label, side B): 8066

Sammy Davis Jr. – Six Bridges To Cross / All Of You
Label: Decca – 9-29402
Format: Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM
Country: US
Released: 1955
Genre: Jazz, Stage & Screen
Style: Theme

Viewfinder links:

Jeff Chandler

Tony Curtis

Sammy Davis Jr,

Clint Eastwood

Bela Lugosi

Sal Mineo
George Nader

Cole Porter

Ed Wood

Net links:

Cast

Plot

YouTube links:

Sammy Davis Jr. ~

All of You

Six Bridges To Cross

Joseph Pevney
Dinah Washington ~ Six Bridges To Cross

Styrous® ~ Tuesday, October 19, 2021

45 RPMs Archive
MAIN MENU - Blog Articles
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August 18, 2021

20,000 vinyl LPs 303: Enoch Light ~ Musical Explorations In Sound

Enoch Light ~ Musical Explorations In Sound

vinyl LP front cover detail

illustration by Andy Zito

album design by Tim Bryant

detail photo of album cover by Styrous®

Today is the birthday of Enoch Henry Light who was born on August 18, 1907, in Canton, Ohio. He was an American classically trained violinist, danceband leader, recording engineer and famed as an easy listening musician long before the term was ever invented but unlike most easy listening artists, Percy Faith, Jackie Gleason, etc., his music was meant to be listened to rather than just as background or "elevator" music. There are sonic gymnastics in each performance with tempo variations as well that are used for “standards”. Musical Explorations In Sound is especially successful with this.

I have mentioned in previous articles that many albums I purchased was simply because of the album cover artwork. This album is definitely in that category. The illustration is by Andy Zito and the album design is by Tim Bryant.

Enoch Light ~ Musical Explorations In Sound

vinyl LP back cover detail

album design by Tim Bryant

detail photo of album cover by Styrous®

The front cover illustration is a perfect visual representation of the music as Light, with his Command All Stars, performs sonic orchestral gymnastics that are really quite wonderful.

Enoch Light ~ Musical Explorations In Sound

vinyl LP front cover

illustration by Andy Zito

album design by Tim Bryant

photo of album cover by Styrous®

Just One of Those Things by Cole Porter is jazzy and bouncey with plenty of solo instruments allowed to play freely. September Song by Kurt Weill is lush and beautifully performed but not sappy. Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart Heart by James F. Hanley has the strings doing just that, ZIPPING along. The Man I Love by George Gershwin opens with a dramatic and thunderous orchestra then is picked up by a soft and dreamy oboe and vibraphone duet with the orchestra coming back with a nice dance beat. With a Song In My Heart by Rodgers and Hart with a cello and french horns goes into a lovely Fox Trot and closes side one.

Side two opens with It's Only A Paper Moon by by Harold Arlen with bongos, organ and flute featured; it is bouncey and lively. This is followed by The Hawaiian Wedding Song by Charles E. King with marimbas and, of course, steel guitar the main sound for it. Next comes Swamp Fire! It is a jazzy, fast and frenetic with bongos. Adios has a Latin flavor (surprised?) with a subtle cha-cha beat and castanets. For All We Know by J. Fred Coots, normally a slow ballad, is jazzy, syncopated and has the big band sound accompanied by bongos and organ.

Side three ushers in Autumn Leaves by Joseph Kosma with brass, organ a great trumpet is featured; it is not the normal slow ballad but bouncey and lively and was great fun to dance to back then. Bye Bye Blues & Rain by Fred Hamm, brings back a cha-cha beat with tambourine, organ and flute. Tonight by Leonard Bernstein from West Side Story is anything but traditional, it is jazzy, with bongos (again) and lively. Caravan by Juan Tizol and Duke Ellington (a favorite song of mine since I was a kid) is bouncy, jazzy and moves; Martin Denny, Arthur Lyman, and Gordon Jenkins all covered it. Never On Sunday by Manos Hatzidakis is very nicely interpreted with castanets (why?), double bass, tambourine and Bouzouki (both make sense).

Side four begins with South Rampart Street Parade by Bob Haggart and Ray Bauduca traditionally a dixieland jazz standard is done with a VERY frenetic big marching band feeling; it is syncopated and jivey with lots of brass. The Sound Of Music by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II is as would be expected, slow and dreamy with lush strings but with chimes thrown in to boot. Talk To The Animals by Leslie Bricusse is a bit silly with trumpet mute, tuba and xylophone but I've never been fond of this song so I'm prejudiced and it is my least favorite on the album. Spanish Eyes (originally Moon Over Naples, go figure) by Bert Kaempfert opens with an orchestra florish and features marimba, oboe, xylophone and castanets; it is languidly fast. March Of The Space Cadets is a fast march vaguely reminiscent of Listen To the Mocking Bird; my second least favorite song on the album.

My only disappointment with this album are the two numbers mentioned but as I've said before, there are always a song or two on an album I'm not crazy about.

Enoch Light ~ Musical Explorations In Sound

vinyl LP back cover

illustration by Andy Zito

album design by Tim Bryant

photo of album cover by Styrous®

His album covers were generally designed with abstract, minimalist artwork that stood out boldly from other album covers. Light was so interested in the sound of his music that he included lengthy prose describing each song's sounds. In order to fit all of his descriptions on to the album sleeve, he doubled the size of the sleeve but enabled it to fold like a book, thus popularizing the gatefold packaging format. The gatefold sleeve became extremely popular in later decades, and was used on albums such as Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (link below) by the Beatles and Dark Side of the Moon (link below) by Pink Floyd.

He founded the Command record label in 1959, which gave him an outlet for his sonically adventurous records. Light happened to begin the label around the time stereo became widely available, and he exploited the new technology to its fullest, creating albums that used the full sonic spectrum of stereo. One of the most notable features of these albums were their "ping-pong stereo," which featured the music jumping from the left speaker to the right, and vice versa. During this time, Light and Command also pioneered the use of using 35mm film as a recording method instead of tape. Light remained the managing director of Command until 1965. While he was the head of the label, he recorded classical albums, big-band records, and collections of film themes. After 1965, Command was bought out by ABC Records, who in turn was quickly bought out by MCA Records. MCA made Command into a budget label, pressing the albums on poor vinyl and putting them into discount stores. By 1970, the label was no longer profitable and MCA shut it down.

Light released 25 albums over 12 years (1959–71), with two of them reaching number one on the U.S. Billboard album chart. He holds the record for having the most charting LPs without having a Top 40 single, as reported by Casey Kasem on the American Top 40 broadcast of October 14, 1978, the year Light died.

Enoch Light was among hundreds of artists whose material was destroyed in the disastrous 2008 Universal fire (link below).

Enoch Light ~ Musical Explorations In Sound

vinyl LP back cover details

detail photos by Styrous®

Enoch Light ~ Musical Explorations In Sound

vinyl LP labels, side A & B

detail photos by Styrous®

Enoch Light ~ Musical Explorations In Sound

vinyl LP labels, side C & D

detail photos by Styrous®

Tracklist:

Side 1:

A1 - Just One Of Those Things - 2:48
A2 - September Song - 3:36
A3 - Zing Went The Strings Of My Heart - 2:28
A4 - The Man I Love - 4:11
A5 - With A Song In My Heart - 2:57

Side 2:

B1 - It's Only A Paper Moon - 2:45
B2 - The Hawaiian Wedding Song - 3:00
B3 - Swamp Fire - 2:21
B4 - Adios - 2:36
B5 - For All We Know - 2:40

Side 3:

C1 - Autumn Leaves - 2:54
C2 - Bye Bye Blues & Rain - 2:57
C3 - Tonight - 2:29
C4 - Caravan - 2:46
C5 - Never On Sunday - 2:08

Side 4:

D1 - South Rampart Street Parade - 2:53
D2 - The Sound Of Music - 4:06
D3 - Talk To The Animals - 2:34
D4 - Spanish Eyes - 2:54
D5 - March Of The Space Cadets - 3:07

Notes:

Re-Produced for Two-Fer's by Don Thorn

Enoch Light, Command All Stars* – Musical Explorations In Sound
Label: Command – RSSD 970-2
Format: 2 x Vinyl, LP
Country: US
Released: 1973
Genre: Jazz

Viewfinder links:

Harold Arlen

all things Beatles

Leslie Bricusse

Leonard Bernstein

Martin Denny

Duke Ellington

Percy Faith

George Gershwin

Jackie Gleason

Oscar Hammerstein II

Manos Hatzidakis