Imagine Sammy and friends doing a medley of “Chim Chim Cheree” and “The Rain In Spain Falls Mainly On The Plain.”

I don’t know what’s funnier. When the lads speak in their Newcastle Northern-English accents, or the great translation in Swedish. Especially when Sammy says “Ni driver med mig!”

Here we have a 1961 performace of ‘Take Five’, the most notable hit single from The Dave Brubeck Quartet.

Not only is it my favorite candy bar in the world, its by far the most recognizeable jazz song for just about any set of ears. You’ve heard it in countless films, commercials and TV shows.

Wikipedia notes that Take Five was released on The Dave Brubeck quartet’s 1959 album Time Out. Composed by Paul Desmond, the group’s saxophonist, it became famous for its distinctive, catchy saxophone melody and use of quintuple time, from which the piece gets its name. While “Take Five” was not the first jazz composition to use this meter, it was the first of any mainstream significance, becoming a hit on the radio at a time when rock music was in fashion. “Take Five” is also known for the solo by noted jazz drummer Joe Morello.

I think its one of the few jazz songs I can think of that has a 45 pressing used for jukeboxes.

Regarding the show, Jazz Casual, For National Educational Television (now known as PBS), a gentleman named Ralph Gleason produced a series of twenty-eight programs on jazz and blues that featured B.B. King, John Coltrane, Dave Brubeck, the Modern Jazz Quartet, Jimmy Witherspoon, and Sonny Rollins, among others. The series ran from 1961 to 1968. He also produced a two-hour documentary on Duke Ellington, which was twice nominated for an Emmy. Other films for television included a four-part series on the Monterey Jazz Festival, the first documentary for television on pop music, Anatomy of a Hit, and a two-hour performance and documentary on San Francisco rock, Go Ride the Music and A Night At The Family Dog.

Brel was the quintessential French Cabaret singer from the 50’s until his death in the late 70’s. For those who love Edith Piaf and those other classic torchlight French singers, Jacques is the man.

He was such an influence not only to Scott Walker, but his songs were also performed in English by people like Shirley Bassey, Glen Campbell, John Denver, Robyn Hitchcock, Cyndi Lauper, Nana Mouskouri, Olivia Newton-John, Dusty Springfield, Bobby Vinton and Andy Williams.

Grab a glass of pernod or cafe creme, light up one of your cherished Gauloises and engulf yourself in the dark-yet-lovely poetry of Jacques Brel Brel.

This time its Frank Sinatra and Antonio Carlos Jobim performing a medley of duets on a tv show from November 1967. I especially love Frank’s Intro as he’s fiddling with a cigarette in his hands and says:

The instrument – guitar
The beat – Bossa Nova
The artist – One of the inventors of this exciting, all new sound, Antonio Carlos Jobim.

This is a great intro to one of my favorite albums of all-time (I have both the LP and CD – I’m such a nerd). I’d highly recommend purchasing it for your bachelor pad, study hall, next party, office cube, home collection or whatever. I love the fact that Frank seems to one-up Jobim by referring to himself in his full name as well.

So sit back, relax, pull up a wicker chair and, sure, take a smoke break like Frank does in the performance.

I’ve searched far and wide for the most interesting stuff on wax, and this has to be one of my favorite recent discoveries. After several searches on every possible corner of the internet, the only place I’ve found this record is when someone’s selling it on eBay because of its “cheesecake” cover that looks like Penelope Cruz from the 1960’s. The artist isn’t listed in Allmusic.com and as far as I know, the record hasn’t been released on CD anywhere. Ladies and Gentlemen, I bring you Pancho Purcell and his Bambuco Players!

The back of the record describes the music as such (note the heavy-use of 60’s marketing phrases):

“Bambuco Moves In” – The exciting new Pop-Latin Sound of Pancho Purcell and His Bambuco Players

BAMBUCO, The Exciting New Pop-Latin Sound, is wild and primitive! It can be soft and tranquil, it can be fast and frenetic. It is always spontaneous and dynamic. When you hear BAMBUCO you must move – dance, or beat out the rhythm with your toes, fingertips or hips. Indifference is impossible!

Born in the Andes of South America, the BAMBUCO pulsebeat surges in distinctive and overwhelming waves of sound. Its influence is Afro-Indian, its basic rhythm is tribal, and its intensity is ritualistic, pagan and voluptuous. Although undisciplined, when BAMBUCO’s hard driving sounds are combined with the more sophisticated music of Latin America, Nashville or Anytown, U.S.A., a rhythmic and melodic blend emerges: subtle on one level, barbaric and frenetic on the other.

In this unique album, you’ll hear Pancho Purcell and his Bambuco Players transform today’s hits like Rainy Day Women #12 & #35, The Shadow Of Your Smile and Michelle into the BAMBUCO sound – a fantastic experience.

A new beat, an exciting rhythm, a new synthesis of the tribal and the sophisticated. BAMBUCO, The Exciting New Pop-Latin Sound, is here to stay!

After a few listens, its not bad. Its definitely some sort of musical foray for the bachelor pad record buyer. The cover’s obviously a given for sales, but the music itself is mostly cover songs. Its as if Columbia Records wanted to introduce the music to America with cover songs of popular hits first, then if the record sold well, we’d hear more original stuff. Alas, I’ve seen no sequel and this is all we have from Pancho’s offering.

Please enjoy these fine songs for your aural pleasure and remember, Indifference is impossible!

Bambuco on Wikipedia