Hey cool cats. I'm sorry I haven't been around the last few days. I've just been too busy. I'll be back really soon. Meanwhile...
Domenic Ciccone (AKA Martooni) just informed that one of the mixes (A Daily Excursion at The Bachelor Pad: Let's Lounge!) will be streamed at "The Flamingo Lounge" over at Lounge King Radio this Monday evening at 7 P.M. Mexico City time (CST, UTC-6). The station has been streaming for a year now. Check it out! And thanks again Domenic. đ
16 More Groovin' & Rockin' Instro Library/Lounge Music from the '70s
NOTE: Revised Edition!
This mix needed it bad. All (what was needed) fixed, replaced, etc. About this mix - too many favorites. They're all really good tunes. Biggest favs? Probably Rainbow Orchestra's Seven Days Later, and Johnny Pearson's Saturday Off. Enjoy!
Popcorn Mania 8: Work It Out!
And the corn keeps poppin'! I think this one is more rare than the others. About the sub-title... I noticed a theme amongst half (or more) of the tracks. As usual, I like to use a play on words/phrases (polysemous or ambiguous, whichever word you prefer) and there you have it. 20 popcorn favorites from the sixties. And before I forget - my two big favs are The Untouchables' Lovely Dee, and Timi Yuro's What's a Matter Baby. The latter isn't rare but the former is because... I haven't heard it before lol! I LOVE IT! Enjoy!
Progressive Epicness! Rare 70s Colossal Gems
10 tracks! BUT... they are epic! And why is that? Because I still listen to them. I normally make mixes with songs I like/love. No sub-par tracks. No crap-ola. Anyway, 10 awesome melodic prog rockers. We have bands from the US (Gypsy), UK (Druid, Rare Bird), Switzerland (Krokodil), Netherlands (Finch, Alquin), Germany (Sunbirds, Volker Kriegel, Virus), and Australia (Sebastian Hardie). I'd say the majority are more or less rare compared to the usual bands associated with progressive rock. Enjoy!
Sweet Psych-Pop's Garage: 1967
I spent more time with the mix title than the mix itself. I usually come up with titles quicker than a whim, hence my often infantile and inept previous mix titles. After an exhaustive amount of wasted time, I came up with the simple, yawn-inducing title. I don't like it. I can't say the same for the music inside. 20 awesome tracks (I'm always using awesome - I'm pretty sure I rarely utter the word) with about half possibly rare to the casual listener. My top 3 you ask? Mugwump Establishment's I Can't Keep from Cryin' (track 3), Uncle Sam & The War Machine's Hold On (track 10), and The Attack's We Don't Know (track 4). Enjoy!
P.S. I may not like the mix title, but I still chuckle at the cover.
More '50s Boppin' Stompin' Swingin' Jumpin' Oldies!
Plenty of jump blues, a big genre fav. A couple of big-time favorite artists included too - Bill Haley & His Comets, and Wynonie Harris. Enjoy!
Rockin' Heavy, Hard & Steady 3: Even More 70s Hard Rock Unsung Scorchers
80 minutes of unsung tracks. I'd say out of the 16 tracks, more than a dozen would be rare to the casual hard rock fan. Check out the lengthy epic track by Japanese band Bow Wow. Also solid rockers from New York's Stark Naked, Canada's Warpig and others. Crank it up, and enjoy!
Note: Track 3 on original 45 label has the name spelled Blitzkreig. I've read somewhere that it was spelled in error. I'm not even sure now if that is correct. I have it tagged Blitzkrieg, so I must have been convinced enough for the change. It's been so long that I haven't bothered to recheck the facts ergo, my apologies if it's wrong.
Popcorn Mania 7: Double Dippin' Sixties
20 more rare sixties (1960-66) tracks by 10 artists, hence the name of compilation. Favorite? I'll go with the first track - Sonny Knight's Saving My Love. Enjoy!
The Pretty Side of Progressive Rock II
It should really be called "The Emotional Side..." but it's not a stretch. I find beauty in it all but I can understand if others think "Pretty" is not the best adjective to warrant the set.
I ran into the same deal as the first volume - track sequencing. Yes, I'm a stickler but I do like how this one turned out. All are great tracks. All of 'em. Most are rare and from the 70s. My favorite? Can's Mary, Mary So Contrary. It's also my favorite Can track. Enjoy!
Music Power [Canadian Edition] - 22 Original Hits, 22 Original Stars
I have a surprise for you! Remember K-Tel? How about an up-to-date blast from the past? Now, other blogs have done this as well. I haven't checked every single (blog) version out there but from what I've encountered, the Canadian editions are incomplete. This needs to be fixed, lol. Many of the tracks are remastered and as usual, normalization (does not decode/re-encode original file whatsoever) ergo eliminated brickwalled audio output.
I do believe this was my first K-Tel album purchase. I don't think I played it all that often, compared to the other K-Tels I owned. Enjoy!
Note: Love Unlimited Orchestra's Love Theme is the album version, not the single. It's a half-minute longer. The longer the better.
Awesome Downtime 18: Summers
This mix contains one of my ultimate all-time favorite songs of all time. I have so many favs but if I had to choose my all-time top 3, then Lemon Jelly's Closer would be amongst the elite (for the curious, the other tracks are Zebra's Who's Behind the Door? and Starbuck's Moonlight Feels Right). It's the last track in the mix. Enjoy!
Popcorn Mania 6: Cool Breeze! 1960-1966
And once again, I went for the rare tracks. Well, I don't know about rare but I've never heard them on the radio before. The highlight here is Pat Clayton's I Said No. I love it when she growls her voice. Enjoy!
Note: While listening to the tracks, I noticed Jericho Brown's Bluebird may not be considered popcorn. I still kept it in, and set it as the last track.
Canada Digs, You Dig!!!
I didn't add the sub-title to the files (O, Say Can-A-Da!). It was an afterthought and had no intention for inclusion.
Anyway, I'm sure most would be familiar with the artists, and perhaps the tunes themselves. Several tracks were big in the lands of the Great White North. Some tracks didn't see the (music) charts at all, aka the deep cuts. Big, big fan in Leroy James' You Look Good in Denim, Triumph's Hold On, and Valdy's Rock 'n' Roll Song. LOVE the lyrics in the latter. Enjoy!
A Daily Excursion at The Bachelor Pad: Let's Lounge!
When I think of a location for lounge, library, exotica, et al, I tend to lean towards a swingin' dude's apartment, and not some far away Tiki bar on an exotic island. I picture that dude's place similar to what you'd find in a simple search, plus Maxwell Smart (Get Smart); one cool, swanky, yet often-inept secret agent, and a bachelor to boot!
And here we are - 20 tunes set to the images aforementioned, or whatever pleases your palate. I have the set sequenced (carefully) from the guests first entering and the usual meet & greet, segue to the dancing, dining, drinking, lounging, chit-chat (not in any specific order) and finally to the evening's conclusion. All tracks from the glorious 70s (sans one track from '69). Enjoy!
Awesome Downtime 17: Fresh Air
A couple of big, big favs here in Future Loop Foundation's A Very English Summer & Bachelors of Science Can't Let Go. Ingo Herrmann makes another appearance. How did I come across Ingo's music? It was either from listening to the background music off the weather channel (TV) or an ambient visual/audio channel on Stingray, when we used to have cable.
Anyway, a lot of good stuff. As usual. Enjoy!
Boob Vision 4: And Yet More '70s Funkin' Groovin' Instro Rare Gems
Back to the groove. Back to the funky grooves. I don't think I've mentioned how I came up with the title. Honestly, I didn't. I found a photo (see volume 1 in series) and someone already had it titled Boob Vision. I went with it, and that's the scoop. Enjoy!
Sunshine, Rainbows & Bubblegum Farts: Unsung Classic Gems 1967-71
Wait, shouldn't this be volume 4? Haha, I changed the title. Instead of popsicle farts (they are a real thing, right?), it's now bubblegum farts (they are a real thing too, right?).
Lots of goodies in this mix. Big, BIG fav of Roger Nichols' Let's Ride. Check out the awesome deep cuts in SRC's Show Me, and The Oxfords' Come on 'Round. The Kit Kats' Distance is another sleeper, oh sooo good. And Boffalongo's Dancing in the Moonlight would probably be the main highlight. It's the original version, before the more well known AM classic hit by King Harvest, released a year or two later. I love both versions but if I had to pick between the two... really a tough call. I'll chicken out and call it a tie.
As a special treat, you can play karaoke for the last track. It's the backing track to the big Monkees' hit. I also added the lyrics that'll appear on your mp3 player. It's not synchronized, so you'll have to scroll the lyrics. HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! Enjoy!
Popcorn Mania 5: Turn on the Moonlight! [1960-67]
Another super installment (says me, lol) of Popcorn. When naming comps, I often tend to use track titles or variations. I couldn't pass up on Ray Smith's Turn on the Moonlight. What a great title. Anyway, 20 more. Lots of goodies. Favs? Hmmm let's see... Eartha Kitt's A Lady Loves, The Sherwood's Monkey See, Monkey Do, and Teddy Randazzo's Cherie. That's just three. They're all good. Enjoy!
Rockin' Heavy, Hard & Steady: 70s Hard Rock Unsung Scorchers
Psychedelia & The Spacey Sixties 2: Made in USA [1968-69]
I love listening to albums, especially those unsung/deep cut tracks. More often than not, I'd favor them over the hit singles. But what do I know - if radio programmers think Bread's "Baby I'm-A Want You" is better than "Down on My Knees" (both tracks from same album, but the latter was never released as a single), then again, what do I know lol.
Anyway, here are sixteen more tracks that all may not be radio material, but they're good enough for me! I hope for you too. Enjoy!
Psychedelia & The Spacey Sixties: Made in USA [1967-69]
I had a lot of fun creating this mix. I kept (mix) more in the psychedelic realm (rock, pop, folk), with a few dabs of heavy psych and acid rock. As for the tracks, I aimed for the (album) deeper cuts, or sometimes referred as the 'unsung' gems. And gems they are. Not a weak track (of course) in the bunch, with Silver Apples' Program, Neighb'rhood Childr'n's Long Years in Space, and Tangerine Zoo's The Flight = big favs. They all are. Enjoy!
Note: The cover was meant for another mix. I didn't notice (duh on me) until three quarters complete. I didn't ponder all that long, and went with it. And that's good enough for me. :)
Drive Baby Drive, Vol. 8: Early 80s Cruisin' & Parkin'
This comp is very nostalgic. It takes me back to many good times while cruisin' around with friends and girlfriends. And yes, a few parking tracks included as well. A few notes...
- The Eddie Rabbitt and Charlie Dore tracks are from 1979. For many years, I've always thought they were from the 80s. It's quite possible I've never heard them when first released.
- All tracks were heard over the radio (awesome AM radio) except the last track (Rick Springfield's Inside Silvia). One evening, an old girlfriend had the album and she mentioned the track (we both had similar tastes in record albums' deeper cuts). Once heard, it never left. I still listen to it from time to time, and never tires.
- Several tracks were hits in Canada, some big. A few years ago, I hosted an online audio/video party, mostly AM classics. After I played Chilliwack's My Girl (track 5), not one person recalled the tune. I have a feeling a few other tracks in this comp are possibly rare if you live outside the Canadian border.
Enjoy!
Popcorn Mania 4: Candy & Gum, Yum Yum! 1960-66
I couldn't abandoned this series with just 3 volumes, so here's number 4, and possibly more to come! Out of the 20 tracks, I'd say 15 of 'em are rare as rocking horse poop (haha, I've used that line before - redundancy is good). My biggest fav? How about two of 'em - Johnny Lytle's The Loop, and Alder Ray's unreleased track, I Don't Need but One Man. Anyway, they all good. Enjoy!
Listen Here! Rare 70s Prog with a Groove!
As the name of the blog pertains, I love the groove in music. In just about any artist, you'd find a groovin' tune or three. I'm sure you're sittin' there thinkin', "Groovy prog?" Why not! There's a ton of prog out there (that goes for just about any other genre), and a lot of it isn't just long-winded (in a good way) or experimental. Can's Soul Desert (included on Progressive Rock: The Rockers and The Groovers) is an excellent example of a groovin' tune performed by a progressive/experimental band. And that's what we got here. Now, not every tune is like aforementioned, but it's close enough for me.
16 tracks, over 90 minutes. Enjoy!
Awesome Downtime 16: Moça Formos
As I've said in previous versions, I love all the tracks. Track #15 goes back to my soaking-in-the-tub days.
About the first track - it's not the Chris Cross dude, although I've seen it tagged on various sites (I think on the tube too). I know remixers can alter the vocals and such, but I did find out who the actual(?) singer was. However, I didn't bother to note it and just kept the track tagged to the mixer who goes by the name of DJ Yves. For all we know, it could have been someone else. I've seen in multiple cases other mixers/DJs taking the credit from others. Okay, enough of that useless banter... on the original remix, the tune begins with the percussion. For this comp, I added the original tune's orchestra intro, the stretches, The Office quips, repeats, flanging, and all other effects (all of 26 seconds), then segued into the original remix.
Big favs #1, 6, 10, and 15. Enjoy!
Sunshine, Rainbows & Popsicle Farts 3: Even More Gems from the '60s & '70s
Lots of goodies here. Actually, all goodies. My big fav is Technicolour Dream. LOVE that tune! Enjoy!
Awesome All Right Nows & Other Assorted Covers
I've always enjoyed puns/play in words, the more inept the better. There are a total of 9 covers of (Free's) All Right Now in this comp, and the original title was either going to be "ASI(9) Cover Versions..." or "ASI-9 Cover Versions..." or "Asi-NINE Cover Versions...," etc. Sometimes simplicity is the way to go hence, the basic and to-the-point title of this comp [for those unsure of original titles, the variations are from the word Asinine. It means really dumb, stupid, etc. The joke works a couple of ways ie, dumb titles throughout musical history]. Anyway...
There are probably a gazillion versions of All Right Now. I happen to really like nine of them, and those nine are all included along with seven other covers that are unrelated other than they're also covers. My favorites? It has to be the first track. It kicks ass! I'd love to be at a sporting event and the band rocked it out of the auditorium. As for the non-All Right Now tracks, track #13 because I sometimes enjoy it over Paul's own version. Wow, you've read it here. Enjoy!
Guitar Wankery Allowed!
I'll come right out and say this comp may not be for everyone. When it comes down to the guitar, we all have our favorite players and those players are generally well known. But how about those unsung players that are nary a blip on a radar screen? They certainly got the chops, which brings us to this comp...
Wankery?!? Isn't that an insult? lol, it's tongue-in-cheek. I dig this stuff. Now, why did I say this comp may not be for everyone... There are 18 tracks in total (all instrumentals, with only a couple of short tracks that are solo acoustic) with a few from the progressive metal genre and mathcore. Several of the tracks are more progressive/hard rock with a couple tinged in melancholy [it should also be noted that musical proficiency exceeds in all the instrumentations]. I guess what I'm saying is about half this comp may be new territory for those unfamiliar with the genres, and possibly unimpressed or startled with the unlikeness to the more familiar classic favs. I'll stop there but like to remind you that this is really good stuff! I should know - I listen to it, lol. Tracks 3 & 6 are big favs. Enjoy!
A Baker's Dozen of Forgotten '70s Prog Rock Gems II
Another comp of awesome rare 70s prog. 85 minutes worth! Enjoy! (if you missed the first edition, click here)
Halloween Monster Mix 2021
NOTE: Revised Edition! Also to note the year in title. Shouldn't it be 2022? Yes and no. It's an old mix that I've revised a couple of times, finalized in 2021. For 2022, I set the tracks as one complete mix ala DJ mode. For this update, both comps are named as above. However, you can name it anything you please. Anyway...
By request, all separate tracks. You still have the choice for the original all-in-one-file mix or both (keep in mind, the updated version does not include the various sound effects from the original mix). Enjoy!
Rare Gems from the Gravel Pit 6: It's a Sixties Thing!
I was listening to Nick Garrie's Little Bird and Shy Limbs' Trick or Two and thought why not another comp of rare sixties gems. I figured to do something new before the new year. And that's what I just did. If I don't have another comp by the end of the year - A HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!
NOTE: For the start of the new year, I'll try to finish up working on previous comps that need to be revised. I also have a request for one of the Halloween comps that I'll get on first thing.
Awesome Downtime 15: 'Tis the Christmas Season
I never planned at all for a Downtime Christmas mix. It wasn't until I noticed that several of my most listened tracks during this holiday season could fall into the category of "Downtime." It didn't take long to round up 16 tracks, but I wanted 20. As per my custom, I just don't add tracks for the sake of it and after adding, editing, sequencing, a few nuts & bolts, and a blow-torch, I managed to come up with 18 (imo) awesome tracks.
I absolutely love this mix. What are my favorites? Well, the biggest standouts are Vic's remix of Winter Wonderland, nPc's lo-fi remix of Santa Claus Is Coming to Town, and Monte La Rue's I Saw Santa Kissing Mommy (A Time for Lovin'). The bass riff/runs in the latter are similar or possibly sampled from the replay background music in Pilotwings 64, the video game. Regardless, I absolutely positively LOVE IT! Anyway, enough of the chit-chat... Enjoy!
Joyeux Noël à tous: Volume 4
A continuation from volume 2, but this time all tracks are from the '50s. Standards, traditional & swingin' pop, and as usual, all unsung gems. Enjoy!
The '60s Christmas Bachelor Pad
I really like this one. I spent quite a bit of time on it too. I wouldn't say the tracks are rare, but the majority are hardly heard on the radio, from all what I listen to. Did I say I really like this one? My favs are #1, 2 (a big BIG fav, one of my all-time Christmas favs), 6, 10 (same deal as #2), and #14. They are all good. All sixties space age pop, easy listening, etc. Enjoy!
Joyeux Noël à tous: Volume 3
The third in the series. 20 tracks of rock 'n' roll, rockabilly, etc, from 1955 to 68. As usual, all unsung tracks and most are rare when it comes to radio airplay. You're asking for my top three? Hmm, I'll go with track #3, 8 (love it!), and 20. Enjoy!
Joyeux Noël à tous: Volume 2
Continuing with the series. This one is all early standards, traditional & swingin' pop, from mid-40s to late-50s. And as usual, all unsung gems. Enjoy!
