• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

Ray Coniff Singers and Other Observations

Schanz

Schanz

Well-Known Member
They must have been a popular group because every GW and SA bin has a butt load of it. Same for engelbert and mathis

Getting into vinyl again has opened up music to me that I wouldn't have tried before. Taking chances on some 50¢ lps had led me to eydie gorme, jo stafford, sammi smith, etc. of course my wife thinks I'm nuts. Picked up some herb albert today so who knows. I guess when you evolve from listening to appreciating music you always want to find something new. You can only listen to top 40 for so long. Who knows, maybe I'll drop 50¢ on the conif singers. Well, maybe not...

So, what other gw mainstays are worth trying?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using Tapatalk
 
Register to hide this ad
I really like most of the Ray Conniff stuff. Is that bad? It was what was always 'on' in my single-digit years, so it's not my fault!
 
Just today, I invested in Herby as well as Tony Bennett. I will get more of Bennett and will be happy with the one Alpert LP- a little of that sort of music goes a long way with me but it has its place.

Previously took chances on Harry Chapin, Ray Price, Mac Davis, "Hits Of The 40's", and yes... Ray Conniff (out of respect for my youth- mom's album back then)- not too bad.

Tyler
 
I like Ray's better Columbia LP discs. Very well. Last night, I listened to my UK CBS pressing. Love Story, very nice record. Tony Bennett made some excellent albums as a jazz singer, "I Wanna Be Around" is an excellent introduction.
 
Some of that stuff I like...

Jo Stafford's hit version of "You Belong To Me" absolutely sends me. I have two copies of the 78!

Tony Bennett did some terrific stuff too, especially the ones where he hired jazz musicians to back him. "The Beat of My Heart" and "Cloud 7" are my favorites.

Steve & Eydie, Ray Conniff, etc. I can only enjoy on a schlock level in small doses. Just a little too lightweight and sappy for me.

I totally dig, however, so-called 'space age bachelor pad music' and exotica, by such artists as Esquivel, Martin Denny, Arthur Lyman, Les Baxter, Enoch Light, etc. etc..
 
Ray Coniff's Christmas album is a classic.

Musicals or soundtracks: South Pacific, Oklahoma, Sound of Music, Jesus Christ Superstar, Gone With the Wind, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum ...
Connie Francis, Doris Day
Anything Frank Sinatra, Julie London
 
Al Hirt, Ray Conniff, Bert Kaempfert, Herb Alpert, Ray Price, Chet Atkins, I got those and others from my dad's albums. I actually spin the Herb Alpert now and then. I boxed all the Buck Owens up and sent it to a buddy who likes Buck Owens.
 
Some of this stuff is indeed great--Tony Bennett, Herb Alpert, Johnny Mathis, in particular. I even picked up a copy of a Ray Conniff best-of from a thrift because it was NM and a buck. Barbara Streisand's Greatest Hits, Judy Garland at Carnegie Hall, Paul Mauriat's Love Is Blue, anything by Henry Mancini, Martin Denny's Quiet Village and some others are pretty great thrift-store standbys are well. That said, there's a lot of stuff like that I would avoid like the plague.
 
Oh, and Sammi Smith is a bit of a different type of artist, being a straight country singer. Her debut album for Mega, Help Me Make It Through the Night (AKA He Is Everywhere) is a stone classic.
 
goldwax said:
Oh, and Sammi Smith is a bit of a different type of artist, being a straight country singer. Her debut album for Mega, Help Me Make It Through the Night (AKA He Is Everywhere) is a stone classic.
Click to expand...

Love this album. Has a blues feel. With Pen in Hand is my fav.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using Tapatalk
 
Schanz said:
They must have been a popular group because every GW and SA bin has a butt load of it.
Click to expand...

Depending on how you look at it, possibly the most UNPOPULAR group, because everyone is trying to unload it!

I read somewhere that the most common album at thrift stores is Whipped Cream and Other Delights by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass. Can't say that I can argue with that, although I also see a lot of Sergio Mendes, Ferrante & Teicher, Perry Como, Robert Goulet, Enoch Light (boy, I could go on forever!)

Occasionally, I'll pick up an album that I see constantly and figure "what the heck, let's give it a try". I've found that I actually like the Bill Black Combo (kind of twangy countrified/rockabilly instrumentals) and some of the earlier Boots Randolph albums. Great background music. I grab exotica anytime that I can find it (recent scores include Arthur Lyman's "Taboo" and a Martin Denny greatest hits LP). :D Exotica is pretty easy to find.

Another type of album frequently encountered in thrifts are ones (usually from the 1950's) that people listened to while learning any one of several "exotic, tropical" types of dancing (mambo, samba, and my personal favorite - the chachacha!). Again, great background and/or tropical-themed party music. Anything with "bongos" in the title can also be fun!
 
The people who bought these originally are
1- Dying or dead. Heirs are cleaning the place out.
2- No longer have a TT and are fixing to move to Florida. Why carry Records that can't be played with you?
As the boomers retire, more and more of these jewels should end up in the Garage Sales....

Having said that....I'm still here. And I already live in Florida.

Try Anne Murray. Beach Boys. Bobby Darrin. Carl Perkins. Dusty Springfield. Lacy J Dalton. Almost any group with "Four" in the title...Aces, Freshmen, Preps, Tops.....Jerry Lee Lewis. Joni James. Nancy Sinatra was better than we realized at the time.......
Like a little jazz...try some of the cool jazz vocalists.....
June Christy, Chris Connor, Kenny Rankin, Julie London......
 
Jeffery said:
Al Hirt, Ray Conniff, Bert Kaempfert, Herb Alpert, Ray Price, Chet Atkins, I got those and others from my dad's albums. I actually spin the Herb Alpert now and then. I boxed all the Buck Owens up and sent it to a buddy who likes Buck Owens.
Click to expand...

Jeez, you kept Al Hirt and shipped off the Buck Owens? :wtf:
 
Here's a common one that is killer, IMO: Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66 -- on Herb's A&M records. Very cool stuff, and very common. Also pretty common is Henry Mancini, and a lot of it is top notch, with very good players. Off the top of my head, I'd say Peter Gunn, Charade, Pink Panther (of course) and Combo! are worth seeking out.

Some other less common but cool things you might find at the thrift are Anita Kerr records -- particularly We Dig Mancini and my favorite, Velvet Voices and Bold Brass. The latter is like a space age bachelor version of Blood Sweat & Tears.
 
I also have noticed a very large amount of Irish and Scottish LP's (vocal and instrumental) around here- way more so than polka. What's that about?
 
You guys can't go wrong with Sammi Smith. I started listening to her when she hit with Thru the night. have all her stuff. Damn shame she is gone.
 
GreatTone said:
Also pretty common is Henry Mancini, and a lot of it is top notch, with very good players. Off the top of my head, I'd say Peter Gunn, Charade, Pink Panther (of course) and Combo! are worth seeking out.
Click to expand...

Great suggestions. A lot of the Mancini stuff is great, and as you say not uncommon. Fun thread!

WFMU's "Beware of the Blog" has a lot of odd and off-beat music culled from thrift stores, garage sales etc. I could spend all day there.
 
My 21 year old son, who is new to vinyl, and a musician who plays bass in a hard core metal band, brought home Burt Bacharach on vinyl a couple of weeks ago. I didn't know he knew who BB was, but apparently, he did a cameo in one of the Austin Powers movies, I'm told.
 
Last edited:
I recently picked up "Stan Kenton in Hi-Fi" and love it. Great big band jazz. It was one of the first 33 rpm micro-groove pressings. It's in mono.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom