Label / Cat. No: Music For Pleasure MFP 1266
First Released: 1968

What The Album Blurb Says…

Christmas is the most joyful festival of the Christian year, when we celebrate at the same time the turning point of the winter and the new hope that was brought to men with the birth of Jesus. Christmas is a time when we make up for the bleakness of the weather outside with the warmth of our spirits, and it is no coincidence that the songs which have come to be particularly associated with Christmas should be carols, which have always been the most cheerful and often the most secular of Christian songs.

On this record you find your favourite carols in an unfamiliar guise–we’ve called the album ‘Tijuana Christmas’, but you will find the mariachi sound taking on a richer and more varied flavour as the Toreo Band bring out the charms of our most beautiful carol tunes in imaginative brand new arrangements. ‘The Holly and the Ivy’ sets the pace with a bright, sparkling beat that even adds to the gaiety of one of our oldest and liveliest carols; ‘Silent Night’ a much more recent and a more devout carol, is given a quite contrasting treatment, slow and tender. ‘Hark, the Herald Angels Sing’ sets off again at a brisk, bouncy pace–and if you feel like dancing, why not? It may come as a surprise to you that our oldest carols used to be dances, and that the word itself described a form of circular dance.

In the preface to the Oxford book of carols you will find carols described as songs with a religious impulse that are simple, joyful, popular and modern. You’ll never have heard them sounding more joyful, popular or modern than they do on this exciting and original L.P.

BLASE MACHIN

What I Say

Christmas is a time for miracles, so they say, and the discovery of this album is another little miracle which may just find it’s place in the canon of Christmas Tales. You see, I was all ready to review a completely different album. Last January I picked up a copy of Mitch Miller’s ‘Holiday – Sing Along With Mitch’ which had a cover that both intrigued and terrified me. Look, surely that man must be Satan. There can be no other explanation. The picture on that album cover (here, go go look at it again) can only be a coded message. Mitch is wearing a ‘Santa’ hat. Santa is a well-known anagram of Satan. I think I’ve made my point.

Anyway, the point is that while researching a bit about Mitch, I realised that although he’s pretty much unknown in the UK, his profile in other parts of the world is significantly higher, and people might actually catch me out in the rubbish that I write here.

So it was a strange quirk of fate when last week I happened to be in a charity store, looking for something to put my TV on, when I noticed this album, Tijuana Christmas, staring at me from the record shelf. I can only assume that some enterprising shop-hand had tried to do a touch of seasonal promotion and put this on prominent display. Well, there was no choice, I had to buy it. Wouldn’t you?

But that’s not the miraculous part. Oh no!

When I got it home, and proudly showed it off to my wife, The Very Lovely Mrs. McDingo, she was delighted to inform me that this very album had been a significant part of her childhood. It seems that, when growing up, it was her family’s tradition on Christmas Eve to go out to the local woodland, find a tree, hack it down, take it home, and decorate it to the delightful strains of this album. Christmas Eve’s soundtrack in her childhood was this set of tunes.

It would therefore be churlish of me to be anything but lavish in my praise of this masterpiece of Mexican Musicala, surely? Hmmm…. well, as it’s the season of goodwill, I’m prepared to overlook the fact that the chances are that The Torero Band (whose name doesn’t even appear on the front of the album – it’s in smallish print on the back) have probably never been further south than Croydon. MFP, the label, boasts of it’s offices in Amsterdam, Brussels, Johannesburg, Cologne, London, Paris and Sydney. It has no offices, it would seem, anywhere on the American continent. Of course, that doesn’t necessarily mean that ‘The Torero Band’ is really a front for a bunch of session musicians from Welwyn Garden City, but I think you’d have a hard time proving me wrong.

And then, just this morning I was reading Bill Bryson’s The Lost Continent when I found this pertinent comment:-

It had never once occurred to me in thirty-six years of living that anyone listened to Mexican music for pleasure… there would be another song. Or rather, it would be the same song again, as far as I could tell. That is the unfortunate thing about Mexican musicians. They only seem to know one tune.

Which just about sums up the album. There is a clear formula to the songs – introduction, featuring the key melody line (or occasionally a variation thereupon), which lasts for four bars. Then the main tune comes in hitting with full Mariachi orchestration, playing the song with a strong swing beat with that distinctive raspy brass, sweep you along for 2 minutes, then start with the next song.

I’ve complained time and time again about the homogenisation of music on albums like this, but in this case it’s the overarching style that is the reason for the samey feel – of course the tunes all sound the same. That’s the whole point. It took me a while to understand that, but I think I’m there now!

But the real acid test came when I put this album on this morning to listen to it again. It was early – certainly before 7:30. I and two bleary eyed boys aged 6 and 4 were looking to start the day. The moment I put this album on, both the boys started dancing. Really grooving to the tunes, and of course, I couldn’t help but join them. So for once I followed the instructions on the front. And it was ace.

Merry Christmas to you all.

Tracks

Side 1

1. The Holly And The Ivy
2. Silent Night
3. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
4. While Shepherds Watched
5. O Little Town Of Bethlehem
6. Good King Wenceslas

Side 2

1. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
2. Away In A Manger
3. The First Nowell
4. Christians Awake
5. Once In Royal David’s City
6. O, Come All Ye Faithful

No Soundclips this time. Oh no. You lucky people, you can download the whole album. Why not play this forgotten gem during your Christmas lunch, eh? Click HERE to download (38 Mb)

Final score:

9 out of 10

Label / Cat. No: HIRA HL 8536
First Released: 1972

What The Album Blurb Says…

In the grooves of the record contained within this sleeve is a wealth of talent performed by one family of four people – mother, father, daughter and son.

Don’t run away with the idea tha this highly popular family foursome became a versatile show overnight. What they are today is the product of many years experience in the world of entertainment. The mother and father, Ellen and Eddy, were both playing individually in concert parties when they met and married in their early 20’s. Ellen is an organist and vocalist and Eddy is an organist, accordionist and pianist.

The musical twosome continued for a number of years but it was a forgone conclusion tha their two children, Sharron and Adrian, would follow in their parents’ footsteps.

Sharron had just reached the age of 10 when she was considered proficient as an alto saxophonist and was introduced into her parents’ well-presented show. As years went by, she added clarinet, soprano and tenor saxophones, bass guitar, vibraphone and her contralto voice and is now a very accomplished young lady – a versatile musician with a charming personality.

Adrian was introduced into the show two years later at the age of eight and his terrific personality showed through in his ability as a percussionist and guitarist. Now he is a young man with a wealth of experience behind him and is a very polished performer.

It was at this point that “The Kaye Family” was born and Sharron and Adrian soon proved their worth by helping to obtain rave notices in “The Stage” and other newspaper media.

The family went on to appear at many top venues throughout the country in every field of the variety entertainment industry – theatres, halls, commercial studios, clubs, cabaret, restaurants and the like.

success followed success and now HIRA RECORDS place The Kaye Family before you to perform at your command in your own home. This high quality long-playing record shows clearly some of the many facets of this fascinating family.

Sit back and relax and dwell in the wonderland of sound that the Kaye Family presents to you – and you alone!

Drift along on clouds of romance, feel philosophical, hear the swirling colours of sun-drenched Spain, linger upon lonely seashores, fly amongst the stellar constellations, go for a trolley ride, swing with the up-tempo big band style beat.

yes, all this comes to you everytime you fall under the magical spell of the sound of The Kaye Family.

Happy listening!

Martin Philips

What I Say

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand we’re back. Hello. Sorry for the delay…. The real world took over for a while. I’ll try not to let it happen again.

And what a way to come back, a return visit to The Kaye Family everyone’s favourite family musical combo.

After hearing the ‘Live!’ album, I just had to go back to the charity shop where I’d bought it to see if there were any others there, and Bingo!, this little beauty was in my hands in a matter of moments.

Pre-dating ‘Live!’ by a couple of couple of years, this album is so much more fulfilling. The production values here are vastly superior, and we have a clear sound rather than the somewhat muddy live recording. Having said that, I’m not sure if that’s entirely a good thing. After all, you can actually hear Sharron (note, two ‘r’s – very showbiz) and Ellen’s arch vocals, combining to provide a sound that I find slightly scary. Listen to ‘You’re Just In Love’ and tell me you haven’t been even slightly traumatised.

The album is of course worth every penny, if only for the sleeve notes. At last I get to know all their names. Ellen and Eddy – what a pairing. A partnership made in the stars, names that chime together. And let’s not forget the second generation, Adrian and Sharrrrrron, virtuoso musicians in their own right. And please note, I’ve been very realistic here, and made sure that I didn’t run away with the idea tha this highly popular family foursome became a versatile show overnight. Only a fool would do such a thing.

Musically there’s not much of a surprise – I can’t see that they took any major direction changes between this and ‘live’. I mean, I would love to have found that this was their forgotten psychedelic masterpiece, or they’d made an experimental jazz album. But this is again simply a series of standards set to a bontempi bossa nova beat.

Which takes me back to Adrian. I may have suggested in my last review that he was conceived just because Ellen and Eddy needed a drummer for the band. I take it back of course. After all, he’s not exactly prominent – throughout the whole of side one I couldn’t tell if it was Ade or the organ’s built in rhythms that were providing the percussion – some of the fancier fills during Telstar testify to a human hand. His playing is subdued, almost unnoticeable. If only Keith Moon had been more like Adrian Kaye, things would be very different today. Ah, the benefit of hindsight.

The choice of songs seems to show their club roots – a couple of ‘modern’ tracks, and plenty of old favourites for the mums and dads. Of course, with Sharrrrrrrrrrrrrrrron being a clarinettist, ‘Stranger on the Shore’ was a given – I suspect she’d just taken her Grade 5 exam, and that was one of the set pieces, so the family recycled it into their set, chuck in a bit of an inappropriate fancy rhythm and Bob’s your uncle. You know, Bob Kaye. Everyone knows Bob.

So, er…. yes. This was pretty much as I’d expected. I’m glad I revisited this fine family. I can’t decide if it’s a good or a bad thing that this kind of act isn’t around any more. Or maybe it is – maybe I should’ve been watching ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ to discover the 21st Century’s ‘Kaye Family’ rather than listening to 35 year old oddities. All I know is that my world is marginally richer thanks to Ellen, Eddy, Sharrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrron and Adrian. Thanks guys, you’ve been great.

As a special treat, you too can listen to ‘The Kaye Family Album’. I’ve stuck the whole thing up HERE though you may have to endure some scantily clad girls in your area to download the file. Sorry. Just scroll down a bit, wait for the counter to hit zero (it’s only a few seconds delay), type in the code, and there you have it, The Kaye Family Album in all its glory. I’m good to you people, I really am. Oh, and you can see the full size cover by clicking on the image at the top of the entry. Really, I should stop being this good. It hurts.

Tracks

Side 1

1. The Wonder Of You
2. Blowin’ In The Wind
3. Stranger On The Shore
4. You’re Just In Love
5. Telstar

Side 2

1. Trolley Song
2. You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me
3. Espana
4. The Wedding
5. Ticket To Ride / ‘A’ Train / Chattanooga Choo-Choo

Final score:

7 out of 10

Label / Cat. No: D&M Sound DML 1
First Released: 1976

What The Album Blurb Says…

As one Disc Jockey Said – “The Vast Majority is not just wall to wall sound; it is city block to city block sound – and babe, it’s all disco heat and color!”

That’s where T.V.M. is at! Sixty of the greatest players and down home singers that ever hit a speaker system. They start by working out driving funky rhythm charts and tracks – add strings, brass, reeds and then finally their great blues and salsa vocalists. You name it! From funky blues to symphonic jazz – sensuous salsas to hard rock. The vast majority has it covered.

What I Say

I believe that there is a transatlantic and generational gap in understanding of the word ‘Disco’. Clearly for our American cousins in the 70s, Disco was an exciting, energetic movement. It was a scene, with its own rules, its own dress code, its own moves and its own drugs of choice. It was cutting edge, it was, frankly, funky.

For me, hitting my teens in the early 80s, the word ‘Disco’ means a school organised event once a term, where teenage boys fuelled on Mars Bars and Coca-Cola would act like pillocks on the dance floor until the slow set started, when they suddenly became stuck to the walls.

American 70s Disco had Studio 54, Tavares and Shep Pettibone. English 80’s Disco had middle-class white guys called Tim who’d play a selection from that weeks Top 40, plus ‘The Birdy Song’ and ‘The Can Can’.

I can still clearly remember my first Disco, in the main hall of Causton Junior School, Felixstowe in July 1982. It was still light outside, and all the P.E. equipment had been moved to the side of the hall to make room for a dance floor. I even recall that two of the songs that were played were ‘Green Door’ by Shakin’ Stevens (who, I’m sure I needn’t remind you, was dubbed ‘The Welsh Elvis’…. hah!), and ‘The Hucklebuck’ by ‘Coast to Coast’. A happening scene, it was not.

And all this background flavour is only to point out that I am the last person who should try to review a Disco album. I am thoroughly unqualified to make any assessment as to what’s good and what’s not. To be fair, I know that’s never stopped me before in my reviews.

I’ve spent some time trying to find out if this is a proper, genuine Disco album, or some cheap cash-in. I started with the assumption that it was probably the latter, not least because it has the words ‘Disco Dynamite!’ plastered across the back of the sleeve. I thought that a genuine part of the Disco movement wouldn’t need to state it so boldly. I then discovered that the scores were by Colin Fretcher and Roy Budd. Now, Roy Budd may be a respected film score arranger, but he’s also from South Norwood, which is just round the corner from where I was born, and most definitely not Disco Central. The other chap, Colin Fretcher, is credited as producer on this album which is hardly going to do his credibility any good.

But the producers, Dave Miller and Marty Wilson seem to have a good enough reputation, and know what they’re doing. The catalog number of DML 1 made me think this might be some fly-by-night outfit, but D & M records were set up in 1975, just in time to get in on the early days of Disco, and according to some sources, they invented the concept of the 12″ single. Yikes!

So, I’m prepared to accept that this is the genuine article – an album from the early days of Disco. But is it any good? Well…. I enjoyed it well enough. It didn’t make me want to get up and dance, though very little does these days. You know, what with my aging bones and everything. But what really struck me was the slightly unpolished nature of the songs. They seemed slightly plodding, pedestrian almost. None of the high polish and perfect production that marks the later Disco sound. I suppose for me that that’s what gives this its authenticity. It’s a snapshot during the development of Disco. It’s not the finished article, but a work in progress. All the elements are there, but it would take a while for this professional shine to be applied.

And that’s about it. It’s OK. Actually, it’s quite good. But of course, Disco gave rise to Disco Dancing, which was always a challenge. Until now….

And those tracks from my first school Disco…

Tracks

Side 1

1. Love For Sale
2. Move It!
3. Pain Dealin’ Woman

Side 2

1. Muddy Sneakers
2. Salsa Woman
3. Take It!
4. Oceans Apart

Final score:

6.5 out of 10

Label / Cat. No: CBS / MONO BPG 62822
First Released: 1966

What The Album Blurb Says…

“There is a New Sound in town and it is provided by LOS VEGAS, a gifted quintet of Mexican troubadors.” – Nick LaPole, New York Journal American

“The Los Vegas Quintet, on the Ed Sullivan Show are nothing less than sensational.” – Ben Gross, New York Daily News.

Here are Los Vegas, five tremendously talented young Mexicanos with a tasteful, exciting and swinging new sound. A gratifying blend of jazz-rock-pop-Latin, this electrifying group is “turning on” audiences from New York to San Juan. The combo included a pianist, two guitarists, a timbales-bongo player and a drummer.

Los Vegas sing with finesse; their smooth harmonies are reminiscent of North American groups like the Pied Pipers and the Four Freshmen. Their instrumental beat is groovy – the lads really swing. And wait until you hear the virtuoso sounds they get from guitars, timbales, bongo, bass and flute.

Also, the Los Vegas repertoire is well rounded. It has quality, pace and variety. The selections in this album are nicely balanced between Spanish and Yankee tunes. From People to La Cucaracha, the combo projects each and every number with polished pipes, faultless musicianship and unbridled enthusiasm.

Barry Authors of Bel-Aire Artists Corp., Ltd. brought Los Vegas to album producer Teo Macero’s attention, and your excitement is bound to match his from the moment you first hear them too. Olé!… you’re off and swinging with Los Vegas, The Newest Sound in Sounds!

What I Say

You know, they’re really setting themselves up for a fall when they call their album ‘The Newest Sound in Sounds’. For a start, what the hell does that actually mean? After all, I’ve heard pretty much all the sounds present on this album before, and a lot of them in the same mix and blend as they are presented here. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that there isn’t a single new or surprising sound to be found whatsoever on this album.

Which is a shame. I really did want to enjoy this album though I think that’s because of the claim that their instrumental beat is groovy – the lads really swing. I’m not sure that I’d call this album ‘groovy’ or ’swinging’. The word I think I’d use is ‘dull’. And ‘cliched’. I know people don’t always want to push barriers, and if you want a nice, gentle, unthreatening album of mid 60s latin tinged easy listening, then I’m sure that this would represent a good investment.

The problem for me though is that this promised so much. I mean, come on, there’s a Timbales-Bongo player. That surely means that things are going to ROCK. We’ve been promised a heady blend of “jazz-rock-pop-Latin”. Throw in prog and country and you’ve got the whole bally set. This should be music that tears down those staid barriers, sticks two fingers up to ‘the man’, and presages punk by a decade. But it isn’t.

If you recall, there’s a scene in the ‘Blues Brothers’ where Jake & Elwood go to find Donald ‘Duck’Dunn, and he’s playing bass in a jazz lounge band. The Brothers are appalled that such an incredible musician should be playing such wallpaper fripperies. This is what this album reminds me of – cocktail lounge jazz at its blandest. Just listen to ‘I Wish You Love’ to see exactly what I mean.

Where there are songs that I should recognise, they are so draped in Mexicana that it’s impossible to dig out the original tune. Even ‘La Cucaracha’, which is a Latin song is so Mexicaned-up (is that a word?) that it’s in danger of collapsing in on itself under the weight of bongos.

I think that Barry Authors of the wonderfully corporate sounding Bel-Aire Artists Corp., Ltd. thought that because the five members of The Fantastic Los Vegas had matching Tuxes, bow-ties and cheesy grins, that they would be a saleable commodity.

I’d like to think that we’re all a bit older and wiser now. But I doubt it. Westlife anyone?

Tracks

Side 1

1. Sunshine
2. People (From “Funny Girl”)
3. La Cucaracha
4. A Poor Millionaire
5. A Taste Of Honey
6. The Sinner

Side 2

1. The Shadow Of Your Smile
2. Hidden Place
3. Cuando Calienta El Sol (Love Me With All Your Heart)
4. I Wish You Love
5. What You Will Do

Final score:

1 out of 10 for describing these gentlemen well on their way to middle age as ‘lads’.