20,000 vinyl LPs 394: Laurindo Almeida ~ The Best of Everything

 

 ~  

Gian Carlo Menotti  ~ The Coach with the Six Insides

vinyl LP front cover 

 cover photo by 

photo of album cover by Styrous®

Today is the birthday of Brazilian guitarist and composer in classical, jazz, and Latin music, Laurindo José de Araújo Almeida Nóbrega Neto aka  Laurindo Almeida. He was born on September 2, 1917, in the village of Prainha, Brazil near Santos in the state of São Paulo. He was the first guitarist to receive Grammy Awards for both classical and jazz performances. His discography encompasses more than a hundred recordings over five decades.       

 

My favorite cut from the album has to be his cover of the Concierto de Aranjuez by Spanish composer Joaquín Rodrigo. At over twenty minutes it's a tour de force!

 

Almeida was a self-taught guitarist. During his teenage years, Almeida moved to São Paulo, where he worked as a radio artist, staff arranger and nightclub performer. At the age of 19, he worked his way to Europe playing guitar in a cruise ship orchestra. In Paris, he attended a performance at the Hot Club de France by Stéphane Grappelli and famed guitarist Django Reinhardt, who became a lifelong artistic inspiration.      

 

When he retured to Brazil, Almeida continued composing, performing and became known for playing both classical Spanish and popular guitar. He moved to the United States in 1947; a trip financed when one of his compositions, a song known as Johnny Peddler became a hit recorded by the Andrews Sisters. In Los Angeles, Almeida immediately went to work in film studio orchestras.              

 

   

Tracklist:
       
Side 1:

        

A1 - Love Theme From "The Godfather"
A2 - Aranjuez, Mon Amour
A3 - Fool
A4 - Sleepy Shores
A5 - Theme From "Nicholas And Alexandra"
A6 - Without You

       
Side 2:
       
B1 - I Was Born In Love With You
B2 - Theme From "Summer Of 42"
B3 - Hello Forever
B4 - Brian's Song
B5 - Love
        
Companies, etc.
       
    Marketed By – Polydor
    Printed By – E.J. Day Group
    Recorded At – RCA Studios, Hollywood
        
Credits:
       
    Arranged By, Conductor – Oscar Castro Neves*
    Art Direction – Ken Kim
    Artwork [Cover] – Peter Lloyd (4)
    Engineer – Mickey Crofford
    Liner Notes – Pepper Prothro
    Producer – Sonny Burke
        
Notes:
       
DR2013 appears on front sleeve; DR-2013 is on center label.

Original Cat. No. DR 2013

 

Laurindo Almeida – The Best Of Everything
Label: Daybreak Records – DR2013, Daybreak Records – DR-2013
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1972
Genre: Jazz
Style: Bossa Nova 

        
       

         

Viewfinder links:        

         

Laurindo Almeida           

the Andrews Sisters         

Stéphane Grappelli        

Django Reinhardt          

Joaquín Rodrigo          

        

Net links:        

        

         

        

        

         

        

        

YouTube links:        

         

Laurindo Almeida ~ Aranjuez, Mon Amour (20 min., 55 secs.)  

Andrews Sisters ~ Johnny Peddler (I Got)         

        

        

         

        

        

        

Styrous® ~ Tuesday, September 2, 2025        
       

 

 

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20,000 vinyl LPs 390: Devo ~ Are We Not Men?

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Devo - 1978 

photo by Ebet Roberts 

In 1977 five misfits from Ohio with a love of performance art, took the Mick Jagger classic (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction and mutated it beyond recognition.  

 

 

Devo - 1977, NY City
  photo by Ebet Roberts  

 

 

On August 28, 1978, Devo released their first album, Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!, a venture that fused the electronic music of the time with punk.      

Devo ~ Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!

vinyl LP front cover 

 cover design by John Cabalka & Erik Munsön 

photo of album cover by Styrous®

 

 

I remember seeing the video for Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! on MTV in the early 80's. At that time the channel broadcast 24 hours a day and they were desperate for videos to play and they played ANYthing! I saw the most amazing things before they eventually played only music videos.         

 

Recommendations from David Bowie and Iggy Pop enabled the group to secure a recording contract with Warner Bros. The album was produced by Brian Eno and featured re-recordings of their previous singles Mongoloid and (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction.         

 

                  

Devo ~ Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!

vinyl LP back cover 

 cover design by John Cabalka & Erik Munsön 

photo of album cover by Styrous®

The album was produced by Brian Eno at the Conny Plank studio in Cologne, Germany and the Different Fur Studios located in the Mission District area of San Francisco, California, with Patrick Gleeson.      

         

Devo ~ Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!

vinyl LP back cover detail 

 cover design by John Cabalka & Erik Munsön 

detail photo by Styrous®

Devo ~ Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!

vinyl LP back cover detail 

 cover design by John Cabalka & Erik Munsön 

detail photo by Styrous®

Tracklist:
       
Side 1:

        

A1 - Uncontrollable Urge - 3:08
A2 - (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction, written by Mick Jagger, Keith Richards* - 2:38
A3 - Praying Hands - 2:47
A4 - Space Junk - 2:13
A5 - Mongoloid - 3:42
A6 - Jocko Homo - 3:38

       
Side 2:
       
B1 - Too Much Paranoias - 1:56
B2 - Gut Feeling / (Slap Your Mammy) - 4:54
B3 - Come Back Jonee - 3:46
B4 - Sloppy (I Saw My Baby Gettin') - 2:37
B5 - Shrivel-Up - 3:05
        
Companies, etc.
       
    Copyright © – Warner Bros. Records Inc.
    Recorded At – Conny's Studio
    Mixed At – Conny's Studio
    Recorded At – Different Fur Studios
    Published By – Devo Music
    Published By – Virgin Music Ltd.
    Published By – Immediate Music Inc.
    Pressed By – KM Records Inc.
        
Credits:
       
    Design [Graphic Supervision] – John Cabalka
    Design [Package Production Design] – Erik Munsön
    Engineer – Patrick Gleeson (tracks: B3, B5)
    Engineer [Mix] – Conrad Planck*
    Graphics [Concept And Execution] – Devo Inc.*
    Performer – Alan*, Bob1*, Jerry*, Mark*, Bob2*
    Photography By – Bobbi Watson*
    Producer – Brian Eno
    Written-By – Bob Mothersbaugh (tracks: B2 [Gut Feeling], B4, B5), Gary Jackett (tracks: B4), Gerald V. Casale (tracks: A3 to A5, B2 [Slap Your Mammy], B3 to B5), Mark Mothersbaugh (tracks: A1, A3, A4, A6 to B2 [Gut Feeling], B3 to B5)
        
Notes:
       
This version was pressed at KM Records Inc.. Grey WB labels, slight variation from other releases listed here (see photos).

Issued with printed inner sleeve containing lyrics, credits, info and photos.

Runouts are etched.

       
Barcode and Other Identifiers
       
    Matrix / Runout (Run-out Side A): BSK-1-3239 KM1 Q: ARE WE NOT MEN?
    Matrix / Runout (Run-out Side B): BSK-2-3239 KM1 A: WE ARE DEVO!
    Rights Society: BMI

 

Devo – Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!
Label: Warner Bros. Records – BSK 3239
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, KM Pressing
Country: US
Released: 1978
Genre: Rock
Style: New Wave 

         

Viewfinder links:        

        

David Bowie         

Devo        

Brian Eno         

Patrick Gleeson            

Mick Jagger              

Mark Mothersbaugh            

Conny Plank               

Iggy Pop         

        

Net links:        

        

altrockchick.com ~ A: We Are Devo! – Classic Music Review        

Club Devo ~ Are We Not Men? We Are Devo! (re-mixes)         

NPR ~ Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo        

Proxy Music ~ Not Men: The story behind the devolved cover of Devo’s debut album         

        

        

YouTube links:        

        

Devo ~        

         (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction          

         Mongoloid       

David Bowie introduces Devo, (Max's Kansas City, NY City, 14 November '77)    

        

        

         

        

        

        

Styrous® ~ Thursday, August 28, 2025        
       

 

 

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20,000 vinyl LPs 389: Pink Floyd ~ A Saucerful of Secrets

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Pink Floyd  ~ A Saucer Full of Secrets

vinyl LP front cover 

 cover design by Hipgnosis 

photo of album cover by Styrous®

On June 28, 1968, the second album by Pink Floyd, A Saucer Full of Secrets was released by EMI Columbia in the UK and in the US by Tower Records. I'm having a hard time realizing it was over fifty years ago! I didn't actually discover Pink Floyd until 1971 with their Meddle album. A Saucer Full of Secrets, was my second album purchase by the English rock band.             

 

    

 

 

 

 

Pink Floyd  ~ A Saucer Full of Secrets

vinyl LP front cover details 

 cover design by Hipgnosis 

detail photos of album cover by Styrous®

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pink Floyd  ~ A Saucer Full of Secrets

vinyl LP back cover 

 cover design by Hipgnosis 

photo of album cover by Styrous®

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pink Floyd  ~ A Saucer Full of Secrets

vinyl LP back cover details 

 cover design by Hipgnosis 

detail photos of album cover by Styrous®

 

Pink Floyd  ~ A Saucer Full of Secrets

vinyl LP, side 1 

photos by Styrous®

 

 

Pink Floyd  ~ A Saucer Full of Secrets

vinyl LP, side 2 

photos by Styrous®

 

   

Tracklist:
       
Side 1:

        

1 - Let There Be More Light, written by Roger Waters - 5:32
A2 - Remember A Day, written by Rick Wright* - 4:27
A3 - Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun, written by Roger Waters - 5:23
A4 - Corporal Clegg, written by Roger Waters - 4:07

       
Side 2:
       
B1 - A Saucerful Of Secrets, written by Gilmore*, Mason*, Wright*, Waters* - 11:52
B2 - See Saw, written by Rick Wright* - 4:30
B3 - Jugband Blues, written by Syd Barrett - 2:57
        
Companies, etc.
       
    Manufactured By – Capitol Records, Inc.
    Published By – Essex Music, Inc.
        
Credits:
       
    Producer – Norman Smith
       
Notes:
       
Second pressing from 1968, "MANUFACTURED IN THE U.S.A. BY CAPITOL RECORDS, INC." printed at the bottom edge of labels.

Rear jacket includes number, "6" in bottom right corner.
Other jacket text: "Printed in U.S.A." (in circle), "Manufactured by Capitol Records, Inc., a subsidiary of Capitol Industries, Inc., Hollywood and Vine Streets, Hollywood, Calif. · Factories: Scranton, PA., Los Angeles, Calif., Jacksonville, Ill."

Typos and misprints:
David Gilmour's last name is misspelled as, "Gilmore" on jacket and labels
Catalogue number shown on jacket is "ST-5131" with "ST 5131" shown on labels
Track B2 is titled, "See-Saw" on the jacket and "See Saw" on the label

       
Barcode and Other Identifiers
        

    Matrix / Runout (Side A, variant 1): ST1 5131
    Matrix / Runout (Side B, variant 1): ST2 5131
    Matrix / Runout (Side A, variant 2, etched): ST 1 - 5131
    Matrix / Runout (Side B, variant 2, etched): ST 2 - 5131
    Rights Society: ASCAP 

 

Pink Floyd – A Saucerful Of Secrets
Label: Tower – ST 5131, Tower – ST-5131
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Repress, Stereo
Country: US
Released: 1968
Genre: Rock
Style: Psychedelic Rock, Prog Rock

         

Viewfinder links:        

        

all things Pink (Floyd)         

David Gilmore        

        

Rick Wright         

        

Net links:        

        

         

        

        

         

        

        

YouTube links:        

        

Let There Be More Light          

Remember A Day           

Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun            

Corporal Clegg                  

A Saucerful Of Secrets         

See Saw           

Jugband Blues           

        

         

        

        

        

Styrous® ~ Saturday, June 28, 2025        
       

 

 

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20,000 vinyl LPs 387: Jacques Offenbach - Gaite Parisienne

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Jacques Offenbach  ~ Gaite Parisienne

vinyl LP front cover 

 cover illustration by Steinweiss 

photo of album cover by Styrous®

Today is the birthday of French composer, cellist and impresario, Jacques Offenbach who was born on June 20, 1819. He wrote 100 operettas of the 1850s to the 1870s, and his uncompleted opera The Tales of Hoffmann (link below). He was an influence on later composers of the operetta genre, particularly Franz von Suppé, Johann Strauss II and Sir Arthur Sullivan. 

 

In 1858 Offenbach produced his first full-length operetta, Orphée aux enfers (Orpheus in the Underworld), with its celebrated can-can; the work was exceptionally well received and has remained his most played. 

 

His works from the 1860's include La belle Hélène (1864), La Vie parisienne (1866), La Grande-Duchesse de Gérolstein (1867) and La Périchole (1868). The risqué humour (often about sexual intrigue) and mostly gentle satiric barbs in these pieces, together with his facility for melody, made them internationally known, and translated versions were successful in Vienna, London, elsewhere in Europe and in the US            

Gaite Parisienne is a ballet in one act choreographed by Léonide Massine with a libretto and décor by Comte Étienne de Beaumont and costumes executed by Barbara Karinska, it was first presented by the Ballet Russe de Monte-Carlo at the Théâtre de Monte Carlo on April 5, 1938.        

 

Gaite Parisienne features various dances: ballet, waltz, bolero, gavotte, Barcarolle (which resembles ), etc., but the infamous Can-Can is  the gem and hilight of the work! The word  Can-Can in french originally meant "scandal," or edge, because the dancers performed on the edge of the stage. Very few people are aware that the 'X-Rated' construction of the gowns worn was what caused the furor! In the 19th century, women wore pantalettes, which had an open crotch, and the high kicks were intentionally revealing (links below).         

 

Jacques Offenbach  ~ Gaite Parisienne

vinyl LP back cover 

photo by Styrous®

 

 

This recording features Efrem Kurtz who conducted the original performance of Gaite Parisienne in 1938.                

 

Jacques Offenbach  ~ Gaite Parisienne

vinyl LP sides 1 & 2 

photos by Styrous®

   

Tracklist:
       
Side 1:

        

    Offenbach*    Gaite Parisienne    
A1 – Overture; Tortoni    
A2 – Gallop; Valse; March    
A3 – Grand Valse; Can Can No. 1    
A4 – Can Can No. 2; Quadrille    
        Russian Music    

       
Side 2:
       
B1 Prokofiev* – March, Op. 99, Arranged By Efrem Kurtz
B2 – Rimsky-Korsakov* –    The Flight Of The Bumble Bee    
B3 – Glinka* – Life Of The Czar-Mazurka    
B4 – Shostakovich* –The Age Of Gold-Polka    
B5 – Shostakovich* – Waltz (No. 2 Of "Les Monts D'Or" Suite)    
B6 – Tchaikovsky* – Eugen Onegin-Entr'acte And Waltz    
         

Credits:
       
    Conductor – Efrem Kurtz
    Cover – Steinweiss*
    Liner Notes – Morris Hastings
    Orchestra – Columbia Symphony Orchestra (tracks: A1 to A4), Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra Of New York (tracks: B1 to B6)        

 

Barcode and Other Identifiers
        

    Matrix / Runout (A side label): XLP 1490
    Matrix / Runout (B side label): XLP 1491
    Matrix / Runout (A side runout stamped): XLP 1490 B 2B
    Matrix / Runout (B side runout stamped): XLP 1491 2C G A

Offenbach*, Efrem Kurtz, Columbia Symphony Orchestra, The Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra Of New York* – Gaite Parisienne Ballet & Russian Music
Label: Columbia Masterworks – ML 4233
Format: Vinyl, LP
Country: US
Released: 1949
Genre: Classical

         

Viewfinder links:        

         

Ballet Russe de Monte-Carlo              

Comte Étienne de Beaumont                  

Efrem Kurtz           

Léonide Massine            

Jacques Offenbach        

        

Net links:        

         

Come To Paris ~ A History of the French Can-Can 

Comte Étienne de Beaumont         

Weebly ~ The Can Can Dance       

        

YouTube links:        

        

Jacques Offenbach -      

      Gaite Parisienne (2022) (43 mins., 21 secs.)       

      Gaite Parisienne (Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo)  

      Can-Can (dance)         

      Can-Can (instrumental)           

        

         

        

        

        

Styrous® ~ Friday, June 20, 2025        
       

 

 

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20,000 vinyl LPs 385: Arthur Schwartz ~ The Band Wagon

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Arthur Schwartz  ~ The Band Wagon

vinyl LP front cover 

photo of album cover by Styrous®

On June 3, 1931, The Broadway musical The Band Wagon opened at the New Amsterdam Theatre in New York City and concluded on January 16, 1932, running a total of 260 performances.    

 

In 1953, the musical was made into a film which not only featured the dancing of  Fred Astaire, but that of Cyd Charisse. Charisse had the most incredible legs that seemed to go on forever!              

 

 

Cyd Charisse
 date & photographer unknown 

 

 

MGM Records issued the soundtrack of the film in its series that featured albums with two soundtracks in each, a two for one deal.         

 

 

Arthur Schwartz  ~ The Band Wagon

vinyl LP back cover detail 

detail photo by Styrous®

 

  

The album covers were always in a gatefold format . . .            

 

 

Arthur Schwartz  ~ The Band Wagon

vinyl LP gatefold cover 

photo of album cover by Styrous®

 

. . . which gave tons of information about the film, the music, the actors, etc.             

 

Arthur Schwartz  ~ The Band Wagon

vinyl LP gatefold interior 

photo of album cover by Styrous®

  

            

The Band Wagon had many opportunities to showcase the incredible dancing and power of both Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse.           

 

 

 

Fred Astaire & Cyd Charisse 

The Band Wagon 

film still 

 

 

The Band Wagon  movie poster 
 

 

 

 

 

 Arthur Schwartz  ~ The Band Wagon

vinyl LP side 1 & 2 

photos by Styrous®

  

            
   

Tracklist:
       
Side 1:

        

A1 - A Shine On Your Shoes, Vocals – Fred Astaire
A2 - By Myself, Vocals – Fred Astaire
A3 - Dancing In The Dark
A4 - Triplets, Vocals – Fred Astaire, Jack Buchanan, Nanette Fabray
A5a - New Sun In The Sky, Vocals – India Adams
A5b - I Guess I'll Have To Change My Plan, Vocals – Fred Astaire, Jack Buchanan
A6 - Louisiana Hayride, Vocals – Nanette Fabray, 

       
Side 2:
       
B1 - I Love Louisa, Vocals – Fred Astaire
B2 - That's Entertainment, Vocals – Fred Astaire, India Adams, Jack Buchanan, Nanette Fabray
B3 - The Girl Hunt Ballet, Adapted By – Edens*, Narrator – Fred Astaire, Written By [Narration] – Minnelli*
        
Credits:
       
    Chorus – M-G-M Studio Chorus*
    Chorus Master, Conductor – Adolph Deutsch
    Music By – Schwartz* (tracks: B3)
    Orchestra – M-G-M Studio Orchestra*
    Producer – Arthur Freed
    Songwriter [Songs By] – Schwartz - Dietz* (tracks: A1-B2)
        
Notes:
       
1949-60 yellow / black MGM labels with "☆ LONG PLAYING MICROGROOVE ☆ UNBREAKABLE ☆ 33⅓ R. P. M. " rim text.

This release is a cover variation of Fred Astaire, Nanette Fabray • Jack Buchanan - The Band Wagon that has "A HIGH FIDELITY RECORDING" to the left of catalog number at top right and (after market) "DUST PROOF.." sticker.

       
Barcode and Other Identifiers
        

    Matrix / Runout (Side A stamped): E3051 S1 1 C
    Matrix / Runout (Side B stamped): E3051 S2 1 A 

Howard Dietz And Arthur Schwartz* / M-G-M Studio Orchestra* And Chorus* Conducted By Adolph Deutsch Featuring Fred Astaire, Nanette Fabray & Jack Buchanan – The Band Wagon
Schwartz & Dietz - The Band Wagon album cover
Label: MGM Records – E3051
Format: Vinyl, LP, Mono
Country: US
Released: 1953
Genre: Stage & Screen
Style:Soundtrack, Musical, Vocal

         

Viewfinder links:        

        

Fred Astaire         

Cyd Charisse          

Nanette Fabray        

        

         

        

Net links:        

        

         

        

        

         

        

        

YouTube links:        

        

The Band Wagon (1953) ~         

       The Band Wagon (film segments)

       Dancing in the Dark      

       I Guess I'll Have to Change My Plan     

       I Love Louisa        

       Recreation Center        

       That's Entertainment          

       The Girl Hunt Ballet     

       Final (That's Entertainment)           

        

        

         

        

        

        

Styrous® ~ Sunday, July 19, 2020       
       

 

 

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