When I shared Sounds of the Unexpexted last month, A different Dave sez:
"...my artist pick from the compilations to get more of would be The Tornados. I only ever hear single tracks of theirs, but I always find them exciting."
I have quite a bit of The Tornados. The original "Telstar". Couldn't decide what to share, but because A different Dave (not Mr.Dave) asked so nicely, I think I'll hit' em hard with this double CD anthology (contains "Hot Pot" from Weird & Wacky...
The Tornados were an English instrumental rock group of the 1960s that acted as backing group for many of record producer Joe Meek's productions. They were also the backing band for singer Billy Fury. They enjoyed several chart hits in their own right, including the UK & US no. 1 "Telstar" (named after the satellite, composed & produced by Meek). "Telstar" was the first US no. 1 single by a British group. Their instrumental material often featured a futuristic sound, reflecting Meek's interest in electronics & sound manipulation.
decryption codes in comments
CD 1 -
Love & Fury
Popeye Twist
Telstar
Jungle Fever
Globetrotter
Locomotion with Me
Ridin' the Wind (US version)
The Breeze & I
Robot
Life on Venus
The Ice Cream Man
Theme from 'The Scales of Justice'
Dragonfly
Hymn for Teenagers
Joystick
Hot Pot
Monte Carlo
Blue, Blue Beat
Exodus
Blackpool Rock
Granada
Ragunboneman
Early Bird
Stompin' Through the Rye
Stingray
Aqua Marina
Pop Art Goes Mozart
Too Much in Love to Hear
Is That a Ship I Hear?
Do You Come Here Often?
CD 2 -
Ridin' the Wind (UK version)
Dreaming on a Cloud
Red Roses & a Sky of Blue
Earthy
All the Stars in the Sky
Swinging Beefeater
Chasing Moonbeams
Theme from 'A Summer Place'
Ready Teddy
My Babe
Blue Moon of Kentucky
Long Tall Sally
Indian Brave
Flycatcher
Dreams Do Come True
Lullaby for Gulia
Costa Monger
Lonely Paradise
Chattanooga Choo Choo
Rip it Up
Alan's Tune
Cootenanny
Night Rider
Lullaby of the Stars
Shakedown
Party Spirit
Sidewalk Serenade
Alright
Fortune Teller
Telstar (live)
Exodus (live)
Czardas (live)
Lawrence of Arabia
No More You & Me
Look what the spice dragged in,
NØ
Ridin’ the Wind CD1
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Ridin’ thw Wind CD2
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I have a lot of Joe Meek-related choonz, but 'Telstar' in particular has a very primal significance for me: it was one of the very first singles my mum bought for me when i was about 6/7yrs old. I mean, talk about a good start, right? Why she did so i don't know as her own tastes ran to Deanna Durbin, Harry Secombe and the Batchelors, but she got me into the Beatles, Dave Clark 5, Searchers etc. Imagine listening to Telstar as a 6yo in 1963 or so. Mind. Blown. Thanks mum!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tremendous insights. Sounds like Mum was a peach.
DeleteCan you remember your first record, or the first one to make an impression on you?
DeleteI’ve told this story before in some detal when I was doing the Musick Around the World project (the intro to the project is February 28, 2013 - the first country is Greenland March 02, 2013) in which I travelled around the globe sh aring music from every country in the world. It was 219 posts, finally arriving back in the United States on November 14, 2013.
DeleteFor that US share I told the story of my first record & what started me on this crazy musick journey that I blindly persue.
It started like this...Nothin’ sez:
“I have decided to tell you the story about the first record I ever bought. Then I’ll feature the band that started this whole nothin’ thing. I believe that will be appropriate to this journey around the world, end at the beginning, so to speak.”
The entire story rambles along after the section headed “So on to Plan Q”
https://nathannothinsez.blogspot.com/2013/11/united-states.html
Check it out & let me know what you think.
Hell's teeth Nate, that knocks my 'origin story' into a cocked hat! Talk about, "i've seen things you people wouldn't believe"! But seriously, it sounds like you've lived through momentous times, and for which i'm somewhat jealous. Lancashire is truly a parochial backwater by comparison. For radio i basically had Radio 1, growing up in the late 60s/early 70s. Mine was a conventional start and (i'm proud to say, as the journey is conventionally reversed as we age) i only took flight as i got older. I have few musical turn-offs now: commercial pop and jazz fusion, though even there i'm open to persuasion.
DeleteSpeaking of the Fugs & Ed Sanders though, i have a few of their albums; i've not played them for a while though. I first came across Ed Sanders reading his book on the Manson Family back in the 80s. Much better than Bugliosi's. And i first became aware of the Holy Modal Rounders, as i imagine many did, through their contribution to the Easy Rider ost, 'If You Want To Be A Bird'. Great song, that.
Haha, I love that picture of them in the radio station. Like a mad organist in a 50s scifi cooked up some clones in his lab to make a backup band. Reading the bio, I guess that's kinda true, too! I didn't know they were a house band, and it explains how energetic they sound. They're built for playing live, so every recording is trying to get you on your feet.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the compilation, it's the perfect introduction. I like 'em best when the organ just overpowers everything else and transforms the scene into a retrofuturist dancehall: "News flash! Signals have been received from the planet Venus. These resemble sounds similar to those created by a musical instrument such as an organ." Too right. I'd love to go back in time and party all night with The Tornados.
Glad you enjoyed what I did with your request. Thanks for making it happen.
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