RIP Billy Strange

Another Wrecking Crew member gone........





Great version of Morricone's iconic theme.

Portrait of a Count- Stan Kenton featuring Conte Condoli

Kenton's 1953 album " New Concepts of Artistry in Rhythm" was not only Stan's return to a more accessible style, but also had work by some of the best of the new "California sound" that would continue on into the 60s on many pop/rock hits. I'm talking about Bill Homan, Gerry Muligan, Maynard Furguson, and the soloist on this song, Conte Candoli.

La Chanson d'Hélène-Romy Schneider & Michel Piccoli

Warning- Aynsley Dunbar

Today is Aynsley Dunbar's birthday (10 Jan 46).  He has worked with some of the top names in rock, including Eric Burdon, John Mayall, Frank Zappa, Ian Hunter, Lou Reed, Jefferson Starship, Jeff Beck, David Bowie, Whitesnake, Sammy Hagar, Michael Schenker, UFO, and Journey.
  He also wrote and recorded my favorite Black Sabbath song in 1967, 3 years before they did it.





Here's Geezer & Ozzie's version:

The Paisley Window Pane & more- Wendy and Bonnie

Many thanks to Mordi at the Blow Up Doll music blog for turning me onto this duo.




from Wikipedia:
Wendy and Bonnie Flower were an American singing sister duo, who recorded the album, Genesis, in 1969 for Skye Records.
The album was produced by Gary McFarland. At the time, McFarland was part owner of the Skye label, along with Latin percussionist Cal Tjader (who was Wendy and Bonnie's godfather) and jazz guitarist Gábor Szabó.
Wendy and Bonnie grew up in Millbrae, California, in the San Francisco Bay suburbs. Their parents, Art and Jeane Flower, were professional musicians. In 1967, Wendy played and recorded with an early San Francisco psychedelic band called Crystal Fountain; Bonnie later joined the band as drummer. The following year, Tjader heard some of the Flower sisters' acoustic home demos and arranged a recording session with Skye. The sisters, who were teens at the time the album was recorded, composed all the songs. McFarland served as arranger on the sessions, crafting a post-psychedelic soft rock sound with Brazilian overtones. Musicians who performed on the album included guitarist Larry Carlton, drummer Jim Keltner, and keyboardist Mike Melvoin.
The Skye label went bankrupt shortly after the album's release. In 1971, while planning for additional recording with the Flower sisters, McFarland was murdered in mysterious circumstances in a New York bar.
In the early 1970s, Wendy and Bonnie provided background vocals on two Cal Tjader albums for Fantasy Records. Thereafter, the sisters pursued separate careers in music and entertainment, but did not record together again.

I Feel The Earth Move - Bonnie Herman

demo recorded in 1970, before the formation of the Singers Unlimited.

Girl Talk- Bobby Troup, Julie London, Howard Roberts

This is no doubt one of the most sexist songs ever written, and this video just amplifies that a hundred fold. But it's done with such style and panache that ya just gotta love it. This song clip, 15 years or so before the term "music video" came along, was done by M*A*S*H director Robert Altman for a TV special in 1966.
I've always liked the tune, and had two versions in my collection before I even knew it had lyrics. The music is by Neal Hefti (the Batman Theme and many light jazz pieces) with words by Troup.
　　
　

Robert William "Bobby" Troup Jr. (October 18, 1918 - February 7, 1999) was an American actor, jazz pianist and songwriter. He's probably best known for writing the song ""(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66". He also was a TV actor, playing a doctor on the 70s show "Emergency". I liked his guest shot on Perry Mason as a murdering beatnik.

He was married to Emergency co-star Julie London, who did a more popular version of the song.

Here is the Howard Roberts instrumental version that was a favorite in my playlist for years before I knew there were lyrics.