Enoch Light Presents: Patterns In Sound Volumes 1 & 2 (1966, 1967); Original Project 3 LP Transfers

As I've been on a massive Enoch Light kick recently, I decided to post a special two-fer of Light LPs. 1966 found Enoch Light heading a new label, Project 3, after his Command Records label had been bought and sold by ABC-Paramount in '65 or early '66 (I believe). As discussed in previous posts, Light had recently began experimenting with the use of master recording his records on 35mm film rather than tape to achieve maximum sound quality, or as Light called it, "total sound". He had released an LP of film themes and scores as early as 1962 that were mastered on 35mm film. He continued his experiment on Project 3, by producing a slew of records featuring his usual line up of "All-Star" session musicians and orchestral accompaniment, one of the most prolific periods of Lights recording career. By end of year 1966, Light had enough material released on his still brand new label that he began to compile what he considered to be the label's best material, and the best examples of "total sound". The result was Patterns In Sound: An Emotional Experience In Musical Communication, a series of compilations that would eventually reach nine volumes in total. Presented here are the first two, which were probably the most commercially successful of the series, although they did not chart.

The music here is typical Enoch Light, cinematic, bold, swinging and sweeping, as the first track on Volume 1 sets the stage for whats to come perfectly with a rousing take on "April In Portugal", with propulsive strings and and crisp, clear bongo rolls. The sound quality, as expected, is fantastic throughout both volumes, Enoch Light fans will certainly enjoy these records. Note: I removed two tracks (5 and 6) from Volume 1 by the Kissin' Cousins because they are already included on my earlier post here: http://caseysway.blogspot.com/2012/05/enoch-light-presents-kissin-cousins.html

These LPs were flat transferred to .mp3 @ 320vbr by using EAC's .WAV editor and compressed with dbpoweramp using LAME 3.97. Enjoy:

Vol.1: http://depositfiles.com/files/ocdv0c0sx

Vol 2: http://depositfiles.com/files/gz8l5spxe

-Casey

The Mystic Moods Orchestra: Mexican Trip (1967) Original Phillips Records Stereo Vinyl Transfer

Another fun Easy Listening record, this time from audiophile and found-sound innovator Brad Miller (not to be confused with the former NBA center of course...). A couple years before this record had come out, Miller and the Mystic Moods released an album called One Stormy Night a mostly instrumental album with orchestral covers of jazz tunes mixed with sounds of real rain and thunderstorms that Miller had recorded himself with primitive portable recording equipment. For the time it was quite innovative in terms of it's concept and ended up selling surprisingly well.

In 1967 the Mystic Moods Orchestra released their 3rd found-sound infused Easy Listening record, with the theme of the record being the sounds of Mexican beaches, villages and town squares, all mixed in with a Latin-esque orchestral pop sound ala Herb Alpert. Gorgeous strings, luxuriant flamenco guitars, mariachi trumpets setting the stage a midst a backdrop of the sounds of crashing waves and the bustle of Mexican city life indeed make this an easy, and fun, listen. The material here is a mix between traditional Mexican music and Mystic Moods originals, written by the Orchestra's conductor and arranger Don Ralke. Is it a bit cheeseball at times? You bet your ass it is. But it's a fun concept, and immaculately arranged and performed. A must have for fans of the Mystic Moods material and the A&M Latin pop acts like Alpert and the Baja Marimba Band.

This vinyl rip was flat transferred to .mp3 @ 320 vbr using EAC's .WAV editor and compressed using dbpoweramp and LAME 3.97. Enjoy: http://www.mediafire.com/?bm8y39aux1d6fe5

-Casey

Enoch Light Presents: The Kissin' Cousins Sing with Lew Davies And His Orchestra (1966) Original Project 3 Records Vinyl Transfer

An excerpt from the liner notes:

"THE KISSIN' COUSINS...a new vocal group with arrangements by one of America's greatest innovators in pop music development; Lew Davies enjoys the enthusiastic cooperation of the "top pros" who perform on this record. The exposé of musical patterns and the development of harmonic ideas will, we believe, give you the great pleasure of personal involvement in performances of unusual color.


All the essentials of good stereo are brilliantly present...sharp definition of solos and sections...warm presence of musical colors and instrumental characteristics...plus the excitement of "in-depth," Total realization of orchestration and dynamics."


In 1966, Enoch Light began the infamous record label Project 3, which would take his audiophilic obsessions to new heights. This time he recorded all the master reels on 35mm magnetic film, as opposed to the traditional 12.65mm (10 1/2 inch) Ampex tape that was the standard for most audio recording back then. Here's Light's explanation for the use of 35mm tape, given on the back of the LP jacket:


"Project 3 albums are master recorded on 35mm magnetic film. In spite of the fact that the film is fifteen times more expensive than most studio tape, the advantages of recording on film are irrefutable. The use of 35mm magnetic film recording equipment, because of its sprocket-driven, closed-looped recording, insures driven extremely stable , flutter-free sound. The film, with it's wider tracks, allows for improved signal to noise ratio; and the substance and solidity of the magnetic film completely eliminate print-through, a form of distortion."


Yes, that's a hell of a lot of technical jargon to be on the back of a record sleeve in 1966, or any year for that matter. This Enoch Light guy fascinates me, he was already approaching 60 when this record came out and he was still obsessed with refining the studio recording process to achieve what he called "Total Sound", the idea of having recorded music sound like it was being played live, in front of you. This record is definitely an odd one, even for Enoch Light. Most of his work up until this point was instrumental, Big-Band based pop music, but this record incorporated the Kissin' Cousins, a studio vocal ensemble that bares more than just a wee bit of resemblance to the Ray Conniff Singers. The singers old timey male-female harmonies are fine, but the instrumental textures are where this record stands out. The percussion is beautifully clear and precise in typical Enoch fashion and the brassy punches from the sax and trumpet players add just the right amount of that classic Light Big-Band flavor, seen on Provocative Percussion to things. Tony Mottola's guitar hasn't sounded better to my ears than on this record, a bit of warm tremolo is added to his already rich sound and it really adds the perfect accents to these jazz-lite pop songs. Pretty positive Light's favorite studio musicians, the All-Stars, were all present on this recording.


The material I'm not familiar at all with. These are probably standards from the 30s and 40s, or show tunes but I really haven't done much research so any help identifying the tunes would be awesome. Overall, it's just a fun record and a great listen for those who are as enchanted with Enoch Light as I am. I think this record represents the transition between Light's Big-Band driven material and the more modern pop sound he tried to capitalize on with the Free Design and the Critters, both of whom were signed to Project 3 Records a year after this record was released. 


This LP was flat transferred to .mp3 @320vbr using EAC's .WAV editor and compressed using dbpoweramp with LAME 3.97. Enjoy: http://www.mediafire.com/?gamdwdddudmah2v


-Casey

Enoch Light: Provacative Percussion Vol. 1 (1959) Original Command Records Stereo Vinyl Transfer

Perhaps Enoch Light's most famous releases, the Provocative Percussion series weren't so much albums as they were an experiment in exploring the possibilities of stereo sound, as I alluded to on my previous post. Enoch Light was a notorious audiophile and went to the greatest lengths possible to achieve top sound quality. The liner notes on the LP sleeve, where typically some record label promo guy would wax poetic about the content of the record, is instead filled with details on which microphones were used to the record the instruments, which kind of tape head and amplifiers were used to cut the master reel, and directions on how to properly weigh and calibrate your turntable as to not damage the record.

The music itself is deceptively simple, the record is mostly comprised of jazz standards and instrumental versions of show tunes. The selections are immaculately arranged and performed but they sometimes feel as though they are merely an excuse to show off Light's high tech studio wizardry. There's an almost sparse feeling to the songs as Enoch Light typically shows off one instrument at a time, almost like a demonstration for the listener to hear how incredible the clarity of each individual sound is. The clarity is indeed stunning, the brass play very loud and yet there's zero evidence of clipping or distortion, quite a feat for a recording studio in 1959. And as the album title suggests, crystal clear bongo drum rolls, shakers and scratchers zip back and forth between the left and right channels seemingly at random as a further demonstration of Light's prowess with the newly discovered stereo format. Tony Mottola's guitar is as smooth and silky as ever, as he picks the perfect spots to put his precise, jazzy touches on.

Highlights are the Cole Porter cover "You're the Top", "Somebody Loves Me" and "Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps."

The LP was transferred to .mp3 @ 320vbr using EAC's .WAV editor and compressed with dbpoweramp using LAME 3.97. Enjoy: http://www.mediafire.com/?lvv8bo1w7x2606j

-Casey

Enoch Light: Big Band Bossa Nova: The New Beat From Brazil (1962) Command Records RS33-844 MONO Vinyl Transfer

The legendary audiophile, record producer and band leader Enoch Light released this Bossa Nova-influenced big band record on his very own Command Records in 1962. Light had built a reputation as one of the first true audiophiles in the era of recorded music by going to extreme lengths to achieve what he would later call "total sound", an attempt to replicate the experience of actually listening to music live in person. He used cutting edge studio technology and top of the line microphones, and was one of the first producers to explore the possibilities, and limitations, of stereo sound.

This album found Light, who was in his 50s at this point in his life, dabbling in Bossa Nova, while still keeping true to his Big-Band roots at the same time. The result is a fun, bold and brassy record, perfect for hot summer evening drives. The songs, a mix of traditional Brazilian jazz tunes and Light originals, are performed superbly by Command Record's staff musicians, the Command All-Stars. The blasting trumpets are crystal clear along side the thick sax lines and the crisp guitar playing of Tony Mattola. The rhythm section stands out in particular though, with the All-Stars using all the slappy, echoey percussive tools they could get their hands on.

The sound quality of the recordings is obviously fantastic. But the mix of this record I'm presenting here is the rare mono edition of record, which was printed in smaller numbers than the stereo mix due to Light's desire to show off his proficiency at mixing sound in the newly developed stereo format. And while Light was certainly a pioneer in the field of stereo recording, he often mixed things so hard left and right that it makes for a sometimes clumsy listening experience, especially on headphones. This mix proves Enoch's productions sounded just as fantastic in a mono mix as it did in stereo. The thing that stands out the most to me about the mono mix, this sucker is one LOUD record. But despite the volume, the clarity remains intact, a very impressive feat, especially for the era in which this was recorded. A very satisfying, and fun, listen. Highly recommended for fans of the Exotica and Space Age Pop music genre's.

Ripped by EAC's .WAV editor and converted in to 320vbr .mp3 with dbpoweramp using LAME 3.97.
Enjoy: http://www.mediafire.com/?xxxdo909x34gdwh

-Casey

Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass: Whipped Cream & Other Delights (1965) MONO MIX Original A&M Records Vinyl Transfer

The definitive Easy Listening album, this record swept the nation in 1965 with it's provocative cover art and breezy, brassy pop songs. This album also transitioned Alpert away from the faux mariachi sound he had developed with the early Brass, and more toward an LA studio-pop sound that Herb's label, A&M, would soon be so known for. The songs here are as lightweight, and as fun, as they come. Alpert's punchy trumpet is responsible for carrying most of the songs summery, Latin-esque melodies and the rhythm section does an excellent job of adding just the right amount of swing to the proceedings. Highlights are the sweeping samba numbers "A Taste of Honey" and "Bittersweet Samba", and the haunting "Tangerine" with it's laid back groove and Spector-like percussion. But it's the drop-dead gorgeous "Ladyfingers" that steals the show here, with it's sorrowful, lilting melody, delicate vibraphone playing and ghostly strings. The most stunningly beautiful song the Brass ever did.

This mix I'm presenting here is the original mono mix which has been out of print for over forty years. I found a decent copy at my local record store recently and wanted to share this now rare mix of this classic record. There are some noisy spots, but overall it's a nice way to hear the mono version. For the audiophiles out there, if this record is too noisy, I would recommend checking out your local record or thrift store for a copy of it, it sold in the millions back in the 60s and is easy to find in the bargain bins.

Ripped from vinyl to .mp3 @ 320vbr (this one is mono so LAME ended up encoding it around 200kb/s in actuality) using EAC's .WAV editor and LAME 3.97. Enjoy: http://www.mediafire.com/?y4voszvcf3ahp0e

-Casey

Burt Bacharach: Reach Out (1967) Original A&M Records Vinyl Transfer

Burt Bacharach's first album for A&M was Reach Out released in 1967, it mostly contains jazzy, orchestral instrumental arrangements of songs that he had written prior to releasing this record for other artists or for film soundtracks and plays. Don't let the Easy Listening tag fool you, this album is full of sophisticated and exquisite moments, lots of time changes, different movements within songs and gorgeously clear production. The soulful opening number "Reach Out For Me" is an immediate highlight, a blast of orchestral pop amid the serene and jazzy chord changes, with a fantastic instrumental blend including clarinet, piano, strings, trumpets, harpsichord, booming drums and the sultry "Bacharach Singers" (who sound like a more adult version of the Ronnettes). The record's best moments are in a similar vein, "Bond Street" turns from a bouncy jazz tune to a string laden, symphonic jewel in a matter of minutes. The arrangement of Bacharach's most famous song "What The World Needs Now Is Love" is absolutely brilliant. The unmistakable piano chords ring out loud and clear among Bacharach's orchestral and horn arrangements as the song suddenly takes a turn in to a be-bop styled jazz number mid-way through, only to return to the crashing and thunderous chorus with a Spector-esque touch.

This record is very different from the other material I've posted here. It's probably the music farthest removed from rock 'n' roll I've shared on the blog, and it's probably the most "adult oriented" music as well, as this music was not intended for the teen audience, or even the young adult audience. Some may find it bland, but it's anything but, Bacharach's arrangements are truly remarkable and always interesting. This copy is ripped from an original A&M Records vinyl pressing @ 320vbr using EAC's .WAV editor and LAME 3.97. No EQing, no pop removal, just a flat transfer. Enjoy: http://www.mediafire.com/?3qodb2f8d154bai

-Casey