Readers Digest - James & Bert Boxed Set Pt. 3

Part three of the instalment. The boys are feeling the tugging of the heartstrings as they experience l'amour....

Disc 5 - Kaempfert In Love


01 - I'll See You In My Dreams
02 - Gone With The Wind
03 - Strangers In The Night
04 - My Love For You
05 - Don't Forbid Me
06 - I'm Getting Sentimental Over You
07 - I Love How You Love Me
08 - Lullaby For Lovers
09 - Drifting And Dreaming
10 - This Song Is Yours Alone
11 - One Morning In May
12 - Autumn Leaves

Disc 6 - James Last In Love


01 - Time After Time
02 - Games That Lovers Play
03 - Moonglow
04 - Elizabethan Serenade
05 - Passion Flower
06 - You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling
07 - Secret Love
08 - Mr. Tambourine Man
09 - Help Me Girl
10 - Close Your Eyes
11 - Fly Me To The Moon
12 - Happy Heart

Readers Digest - James & Bert Boxed Set Pt. 3

Mr Snookles

Readers Digest - James & Bert Boxed Set Pt. 2

Discs 3 and 4 for your further easy-listening pleasure...

Disc 3 - Dance Time - Bert Kaempfert


01 - Time On My Hands
02 - Living It Up
03 - So What's New
04 - Pussy Footin'
05 - Stepping Pretty
06 - The Sheik Of Araby
07 - The Happy Trumpeter
08 - Every Sunday Morning
09 - La Cumparsita
10 - Mister Sandman
11 - Tricky Trombones
12 - Stompin' At The Savoy

Disc 4 - Latin A La James Last


01 - La Paloma
02 - Tico Tico
03 - Cherry Pink And Apple-Blossom White
04 - Java
05 - Un Poco Rio
06 - La Cucaracha
07 - Patricia
08 - Delicado
09 - Siboney
10 - O Cangaceiro
11 - Fandango
12 - Brazil

RS
Readers Digest - James & Bert discs 3 and 4

Mr Snookles

Readers Digest - James & Bert Boxed Set

OK!! Time for the swinginest box-set of them all. Your favourite artists - your favourite tracks - in a different order!!


Nine discs - four of Bert, four of James, and one live disc featuring both artists. Lots of candystripe cover art an some gushing liner notes. This is EaZy...


Disc 1 - The World Of Bert Kaempfert

01 - Swingin' Safari
02 - Spanish Eyes
03 - Wimoweh
04 - The Portugese Washerwoman
05 - Weiderseh'n
06 - Cha Cha Brazilia
07 - Tahitian Sunset
08 - Danke Schoen
09 - Poinciana
10 - A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square
11 - Skokiaan
12 - The Japanese Farewell Song


Disc 2 - The World Of James Last

01 - Granada
02 - Mexico City
03 - Canadian Sunset
04 - That's Life
05 - Espana
06 - (I Left My Heart) In San Fransisco
07 - Guantanamera
08 - April In Portugal
09 - Havah Nagila
10 - The Pearl Fishers
11 - Malaguena
12 - Around The World

Note - an eagle-eared reader noticed some skips on tracks 11 and 12 of the james last album. I have re-upped the post with the tracks fixed. if you have already downloaded the albums I have also upped the fixed tracks as a separate dl so you don't have to download the whole shebang all over again.
RS
James & Bert Boxed Set discs 1 and 2

James Last - tracks 11 and 12
Mr Snookles

Kenneth Grahame - The Wind In The Willows

I'm feeling in a prosaic mood at the moment - the spoken word is my mot juste. Here is a recording from the early 60's of everyone's favourite children's book 'The Wind In The Willows'. Lots of plummy British accents as Ratty, Mole, Badger and the gang discover automobiles and river picnics.


Timeless fun even if Mole does sound like Quentin Crisp...


01 - The River Bank - The Open Road
02 - The Wild Wood - Mr. Badger - Dolce Domun
03 - Mr. Toad's Adventures
04 - The Further Adventures Of Toad - The Return Of Ulysses

Two Discs in one dl.

RS
Kenneth Grahame - The Wind In The Willows

Mr Snookles

Stanley Black - France

More classic lounge from the master. Phase 4 sound, huge orchestra, hundreds of singing Mormons, and the quirky and inventive arrangements of M. Noir. I have also included an interview with Tony D'Amato, producer of the phase 4 series. D'Amato goes on record to state that our Stan was the most brilliant arranger he ever worked with. High praise, but I for one have to agree - Stan's the man...

01 - I Love Paris
02 - What Now My Love
03 - Hi Lili, Hi Lo
04 - At Last, At Last
05 - Gigi Medley
06 - La Normandie Can Can
07 - Madmoiselle De Paree
08 - La Mer
09 - Plasir D'amour
10 - Soldiers' Medley

RS
Stanley Black - France

Mr Snookles

Peter Ustinov - Babar The Elephant

Hi Folks. Well - you know how it is - nothing is certain in the ephemeral world of blogdom. It seems that I might get around to posting the odd curio on the site - I still find time to rip the odd speck of vinyl, so perhaps I will share a few things with you, gentle reader...

So, here we go.... First up, more spoken word. The golden tones of Peter Ustinov, the sparkling music of Francis Poulenc, and the delightful story of Babar the Elephant by Jean de Brunhoff - 'nuff said.


01 - The Story Of Babar
02 - The Story Of The Little Tailor

RS
Peter Ustinov - Babar The Elephant

The New Mr Snookles

Dylan Thomas - Under Milkwood

Thanks to all the people who "signed the guest book" in my signing off post - it took me by surprise, and I'm touched by all the well-wishers. By way of thanks for all the kind comments I thought I'd leave this final offering, though it's a bit of a departure from the lounge and exotica that formed the staple fare of this blog.

To quote the liner notes:

This is the record of Dylan Thomas' final, bawdy, beautiful work, of its premiere performance on May 14, 1953, with Thomas, a cast of five American actors, and an audience.

It is the only recording ever made with Thomas in the cast, and it owes its existence to the chance thought someone had just before curtain time of setting up the little tape recorder that was at hand and laying a microphone on the floor at the center of the stage. The later performances were not taped because a studio recording for Caedmon was planned, though Thomas did not live to do it. That this recording was not erased or lost or thrown away remains some kind of miracle.

Set in the town of Llareggub (try spelling out the letters in reverse order) it tells of the trials and tribulations of a motley crew of variously henpecked, overbearing, drunken and promiscuous townspeople. It shows Thomas at his most masterful in his command of the English language.

At the end, Thomas, who was unsure of the success of his play and armed with a dozen good reasons for failure is met by a stormy ovation. His shy and stammered "Thank you, thank you" is lost in the shouts of the audience.

While not as witty, I am equally surprised by the thanks from all the supporters of this blog. So I shall echo Dylan's thanks and share this master-work by a great 20th century literary figure in response.

And now it's time for a holiday...

RS
Dylan Thomas - Under Milkwood

Mr Snookles

p.s. this double album was one of the first ever ripped by me, way back before the bog started. My audio restoration technique wasn't as good back then, so there a couple of imperfections, and it's only at 128kbps - still, you've got to love hearing Thomas' golden tones reciting the work he loved best...

Don Tiare - Strings Over Hawaii

Owing to the kind comments I received over the two previous orchestral exotica outings published last week, I thought I'd dig another out of the vaults, although this one dates from an earlier era.

01 - Blue Hawaii
02 - I'll Be Thinking Of You
03 - Lovely Hula Girl
04 - Sea Breeze
05 - Hawaiian Love Call
06 - Hawaiian Guitar
07 - Hawaiian Wedding Song
08 - Mapuana
09 - Forevermore
10 - Beyond The Rainbow
11 - Silhouette Hula
12 - Lilue-Leahi-Aloha

Don Tiare - Strings Over Hawaii

Mr Snookles

p.s. Owing to changing personal circumstances this blog will be closing shortly. Thanks to all those who have supported Third Island; I hope you have a few musical items to brighten your lives as a result.

Black Watch - War Pipe and Plaid

All Right!! Together at last - 1st Battalion The Black Watch (RHR) of Scotland, and 2nd Battalion The Black Watch (RHR) of Canada. Yes Scotland's most famous pipe band and its Canadian namesake combine to get the reels skirling and the airs keening.

That's the great thing about running your own blog, you get to post whatever tickles your fancy. Most people run for cover at the thought of massed bagpipes, but not me. I rate massed bagpipes third behind Yodelling Harmonists (The DeZurik Sisters), and Blind Religious Whistlers (Fred Lowry) in my list of Favourite Musical Eccentricities.

Download it if you dare...

01 - Fanfare For Heroes
02 - Highland Laddie
03 - Medley-Lord MacPherson of Drumochter-Old Adam
04 - Sarafand
05 - Tribute To John F. Kennedy-Mist Covered Mountains-John F. Kennedy
06 - Impression Of A Scottish Air
07 - Medley-The GairLoch-Farewell to Gibralter-All The Blue Bonnets
08 - The Longest Day
09 - Medley-Donald McIvor-Loch Loskin-Calum Campbell
10 - Eriskay Love Lilt - Road To The Isles
11 - Medley-Sir Colin Campbell's Farewell To Crimea-Collins Cattle-I See Mull
12 - Fridericus Rex
13 - Medley-Morag of DunVegan-Lady Madeline Sinclair-Piper Of Drummond-High Road To Linton-Deil Among The Tailors-Reel O'Tulloch

RS
Black Watch - War Pipe and Plaid

Mr O'Snookles

ps MegaUpload appears to be defunct....

Living Strings - Hawaiian Memories

It seems the 101 Strings weren't the only ones to visit the Isle Of Golden Dreams. The timeless fascination of Hawaii spread far and wide, as this English recording attests. Languid and tropical, it's the perfect summer companion. (Too bad it's the middle of winter down here in Oz...)

01 - To You, Sweetheart, Aloha
02 - My Isle Of Golden Dreams
03 - Beyond The Reef
04 - Now Is The Hour
05 - Hawaiian Memories
06 - Tiny Bubbles
07 - Aloha My Tani - Aloha Oe
08 - My Little Grass Shack
09 - Pearly Shells

RS
Living Strings - Hawaiian Memories
MU
Living Strings - Hawaiian Memories

Mr Snookles

101 Strings - The Romance Of Hawaii

And here's a dash of orchestral exotica to round off the evening. how they get those strings to sound like lap-steel guitars is beyond me...

01 - Sleepy Lagoon
02 - Moon Of Manakoora
03 - Paradise
04 - Pagan Love Song
05 - South Sea Serenade
06 - Sweet Hawaiian Kisses
07 - Hawaiian Bells
08 - 'Neath Azure Skies
09 - Hawaiian Magic
10 - Aloha Oe

RS
101 Strings - The Romance Of Hawaii
MU
101 Strings - The Romance Of Hawaii

Mr Snookles

Steptoe and Son - More Junk

A bit of nostalgia for lovers of British Comedy... The antics of the two co-dependent rag-and-bone men used to attract viewer audiences in the millions back in the sixties. That mixture of biting Cockney wit and pathos had a universal appeal. Music fans should note the theme and incidental music by Ron Grainer...

Interestingly, when I was looking online for a year for this album (1965) I noticed that second-hand copies at auction sites were asking around $60... I'm sure that 'Arold would be proud of me for picking it up for $8 from my friendly neighbourhood music store...

Part 1 - The Stepmother
Part 2 - The Musical Evening

RS
Steptoe and Son - More Junk
MU
Steptoe and Son - More Junk

Mr Snookles

ps - lots of kind comments appearing - it's nice to know people are finding the blog for the first time and having a good trawl...
pps - someone asked me for a Clive Dunn album that I mentioned in passing in a previous post. Sorry guys, this blog is dedicated solely to rips of vinyls from my own collection. The album in Question originally came from the legendary XYZ Cosmonaut blog. Perhap a request on the new Cosmobells site my help...

Charles Magnante - Carnival

Another fine release from Command records, this time featuring accordion virtuoso Charles Magnante along with a host of Command regulars such as Al Casiamente on guitar, Dick Hymen on piano plus Dick Dia, Doc Severinson, Phil Krauss and a host of others.

One must never underestimate the importance of the accordion in Space-Age Pop music. Charles actually designed his own accordion (The Eldorado) and kept a special laboratory for his researches into sound.

As with many Command releases the liner notes provide exhaustive detail on each song, ecstatically describing each pluck, strum or thwack as it occurs. I have of course reproduced all the notes for your further enjoyment... So sit back and enjoy the accordion exotica of Charles as he weaves his way amongst a collection of oh-so-familiar favourites.

01 - Carnival
02 - Two Guitars
03 - Brasilia
04 - Anna
05 - April In Portugal
06 - Yellow Bird
07 - La Cucaracha
08 - Never On Sunday
09 - Espana Cani
10 - Czardas
11 - Under Paris Skies
12 - Just Say I Love Her

RS
Charles Magnante - Carnival
MU
Charles Magnante - Carnival

Mr Snookles

Billy Vaughn - The Musical Wonderland of Billy Vaughn

Originally called "Chapel By The Sea", this album is the Australian version re-released with a different name and cover. It livves somewhere between the field of big-band pops and light classics. Easy and smooth, but with a bit more spice than the Ray Conniff - Percy Faith type of generic easy listening. Won't trouble you too much, but it's a pleasant enough outing from the prolific arranger.

01 - Chapel By The Sea
02 - Petite Fleur
03 - Exodus
04 - Can't Help Falling In Love
05 - Moon River
06 - Don't Break The Heart That Loves You
07 - Midnight In Moscow
08 - The Twist
09 - Tuff
10 - Route 66 Theme
11 - Bonanza Theme
12 - Wonderland By Night

RS
Billy Vaughn - The Musical Wonderland of Billy Vaughn
MU
Billy Vaughn - The Musical Wonderland of Billy Vaughn

Mr Snookles

Monique and Louis Aldebert - American Hits Sung In French

And here's one from the Snookle vaults. Released on the Australian Astor label around 1960, it features Monique and Louis performing Martini-friendly versions of your favourite lounge classics sung in Seductive French. Smooth and mellow, this is exactly what a lounge album should be. Turn down the lights in your space-age bachelor pad, put the pommes-de-frittes and coq-au-vin in the oven and invite that special mademoiselle over for an intimate evening a-la Francais...

01 - Moon River
02 - I Could Have Danced All Night
03 - Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing
04 - Bill Bailey
05 - Stardust
06 - Manhattan
07 - Volare
08 - Always
09 - Adieu Gars
10 - Over The Rainbow
11 - The Breeze And I
12 - Never On A Sunday

RS
Monique and Louis Aldebert - American Hits Sung In French

MU
Monique and Louis Aldebert - American Hits Sung In French

M. le Snookle

p.s. French titles on the back cover...
p.p.s. many great comments still coming in despite the lack of posts - thanks folks.
p.p.p.s. Some folks have been asking for re-ups of expired links. These links have expired because some-one has objected to them. My policy is not to re-up an album that has been removed, so sorry to those people that missed 'em...

Tim Hart - My Very Favourite Nursery Rhyme Record

Here's one of those curios that Shadrac is so expert at finding. The cream of the British folk scene sing nursery rhymes...

Shadrac says:

In the late 70's early 80's I was a fan of Steeleye Span, the folk-pop group that had a hit, in the UK at least,with 'All Around My Hat'.
One of the original members of Steeleye, along with Maddy Prior, was Tim Hart, your architypal dyed in the wool nasal voiced stick yer finger in yer ear folk revivalist. Actually I thought he was very good at what he did and was sad when he left the band in 1982.
He seems to have been airbrushed out of the pantheon of britfolk revivalists.
He apparently retired to the Canary Islands and has given up performing.

Anyway This album of kiddy nursery rhyme songs features many ex Steeleye members including Maddy Prior, John Kirkpatrick, Rick Kemp etc. Also features the pedal steel guitar of BJ Cole. Wow.

And like all the best folk records 'All titles trad. arr.'

01 - The Grand Old Duke Of York
02 - Sing A Song Of Sixpence
03 - Once I Caught A Fish Alive
04 - Medley Hey Diddle Diddle; Little Jack Horner; Little Miss Muffet
05 - Little Bo Peep
06 - Mary, Mary Quite Contrary
07 - Old Macdonald Had A Farm
08 - There Was An Old Woman Tossed Up In A Blanket
09 - Twinkle, Tinkle Little Star
10 - Boys And Girls Come Out To Play
11 - Nick Nack Paddy Wack
12 - Baa Baa Black Sheep
13 - Bobby Shaftoe
14 - Hush-A-Bye Baby
15 - Humpty Dumpty
16 - Lavender's Blue (Dilly, Dilly)
17 - London Bridge Is Falling Down
18 - Oranges And Lemons
19 - Oh Dear What Can The Matter Be

RS
Tim Hart - My Very Favourite Nursery Rhyme Record
MU
Tim Hart - My Very Favourite Nursery Rhyme Record

Shadrac Blintz via Mr Snookles

Stanley Black - Spain

Well you've probably noticed this is a part-time blog these days. Alas, life just gets in the way sometimes, and I don't have so much time for restoring vinyl, and so there's not so much music to post.

Still, we love our Stan here at Third Island, and when a friend gave me a copy of "Spain" by the maestro I had to rip it, even though it's appeared in other blogs around the blogosphere.

You know what to expect - sizzling arrangements, castanets a-plenty, maracas by the bushel and fiery Andalusian rhythms to get yer feet tappin'.

01 - Valencia
02 - Ay, Ay, Ay
03 - Malaguena
04 - Bullerias
05 - Ritual Fire Dance
06 - Granada
07 - Estrellita
08 - Macarenas
09 - Sevillanas
10 - Carmen Suite

RS
Stanley Black - Spain

MU
Stanley Black - Spain

Mr Snookles

Band of the Irish Guards - Marching With The Beatles

Remember many moons ago when Mr Snookles posted compilations called 'Break-Through'

If you have really good recall you will remember his request, upon hearing the arrangement of 'Michelle', contributed by the Band of the Irish Guards to the compilation, for a rip of the original album 'Marching with the Beatles'.

Well. thanks to the machinations of co-conspirator Shadrack Blintz, I now have a top-quality vinyl copy in my hot little hand and a first-class rip for your good selves.

If you're into alternative arrangements of Beatles songs, then this album is for you. Besides the martial bombast the big numbers, the Guardsmen tune into their softer inner selves, and side two has quieter exotica-tinged arrangements, and a hint of boogie as well. Delightfully orchestrated and cleanly recorded. Enjoy!

01 - She Loves You
02 - Yesterday
03 - I'll Keep You Satisfied
04 - From Me To You
05 - A Hard Day's Night
06 - All My Loving
07 - Can't Buy Me Love
08 - Things We Said Today
09 - Michelle
10 - It's For You
11 - I Want To Hold Your Hand
12 - Help

RS
Band of the Irish Guards - Marching With The Beatles
MU
Band of the Irish Guards - Marching With The Beatles

Mr Snookles

Frank Chacksfield - The World Of Frank Chacksfield

Broad, sweeping themes and a powerful orchestral sound. Frank new how to make his orchestra sound big. This comp shows some of his finest works, but I have to warn you, it came from a battered and scratched old piece of vinyl. The majority of it has restored well, but be aware that track 6 is distorted and you may wish to remove it from the collection.


01 - Ebb Tide
02 - Moulin Rouge Waltz
03 - My Prayer
04 - Fascination
05 - Jealousy
06 - Born Free
07 - Theme From Limelight
08 - Temptation
09 - The Blue Danube
10 - Love Letters In The Sand
11 - Cuban Boy
12 - Theme From 'Laurence Of Arabia'

RS
Frank Chacksfield - The World Of Frank Chacksfield
MU
Frank Chacksfield - The World Of Frank Chacksfield

Mr Snookles

D'Artega - The Breeze And I

Some tasty easy-orchestral sounds from Alfonso D'Artega. Ernesto Lecuona, whose music is featured here, is a major figure in the Space Age Pop scene. He brought the first successful Latin orchestra to the United States, fostered the careers of many of the most influential artists in Latin music, and composed many of its most enduring songs. His compositions Malaguena, La Comparasa, and The Breeze And I appear on numerous records. (Thank you again, Space Age Pop)

As far as I can tell, this record was recorded in 1946, though the info is a bit hazy. Any informed listeners out there - please give us the benefit of your wisdom in a comment...

01 - Malaguena
02 - Ante El Escorial
03 - Jungle Drums
04 - Armor Que No Es Verdad
05 - Aragonesa
06 - La Comparasa
07 - The Breeze And I
08 - Maor Que Bonito Has Vuelto
09 - No Tienes Corazon - El Merinaque
10 - Say 'Si Si'
11 - Gitanerias
12 - Cordoba

RS
D'Artega - The Breeze And I
MU
D'Artega - The Breeze And I

Mr Snookles