Ultra Lounge
(Capitol)
by Lex Marburger
Question: How long does it take for a freshly budding scene to flower and die?
Answer: About as long as it takes for major labels to cash in on it, usually by inundating the market with far too much music in the hope of making a quick buck.
Case in point: Lounge music from the ’60s has been burbling slowly as an alternative to “alternative” for more than a few years; classic vinyl discs of Esquivel, Martin Denny, and Yma Sumac slipping from hand to hand as guys like us drank Whiskey Sours and took in the amazing sounds from ancient synths, relaxed to sambas and shook to space surf. A few ‘zines do a piece on it (check out my interview with Robert Drasnin in issue #25), some corporate exec gets a whiff of it, and Boom! Eleven compilations are released in the space of a month. Eleven. I mean, really. It’s great to have this stuff on disc, but why flood it? How is anyone supposed to make sense of it all? Well, I’ll try.
First, we have the Ultra Lounge Series (Capitol), six discs that range from Bas Shiva‘s “Lust” to Wayne Newton‘s “Danke Schöen.” The Mondo Exotica disc has the classic Martin Denny “Quiet Village,” as well as Les Baxter‘s “Atlantis,” a wonderful aural travelogue under the waves in the calm blue of the sea. On Mambo Fever, we get the amazing pipes of Yma Sumac and a range the height of the Andean mountains she supposedly was found on. Although some say that this Incan Princess is really Amy Camus from Brooklyn, no one can discredit her amazing five octave range. On Space-capades, Les Baxter shows up again, with “Moon Moods,” and The Bobby Hammack Combo sets up a blistering marimba tune, “Power House.” Bachelor Pad Royale lays back the pace and kicks up its feet with The John Buzen Trio doing a slick version of “Caravan,” with a Hammond Organ, and Leslie Cabinet churning things up slightly, and Martin Denny arranges a buttoned-up version of “Harlem Nocturne” that swings in its own right, vibes laying it down smooth and easy. Wild, Cool, and Swingin’ brings out the singers, tall drinks in one hand, mic in the other. My favorite lounge man, Dean Martin, puts forth an inebriated “Ain’t That A Kick In The Head,” while Louis Prima‘s amazingly risqué song, “Closer To the Bone,” has lyrics like “Closer to the bone/Sweeter is the meat/Don’t talk about my baby/She’s slender but she’s sweet/’Cause closer to the bone/Sweeter is the meat.” Ahem. Moving on to Rhapsodesia, we wind down, slip off our shoes, and loosen our ties as Howard Roberts slips out “Girl Talk” and Julie London gets us ready for bed with her enticing and very sexy “Go Slow.” Mmmm. But wait. There’s more.
That’s right, there’s The Loungecore Experience (Sequel/Castle), a collection of favorites that differ slightly from Ultra Lounge. These five discs focus more on a rock context, more of a guitar, bass drums, synth/theremin combo. On 20 Loungecore Favorites, groups like Synthesonic Sounds give twisted Moog versions of “House of the Rising Sun,” while on The Sound Spectrum, Chico Rey and the Jet Set pull out more of a rock feel with “Stiletto.” Highly Strung hits the swirling space surf with The Ravens busting out “Ghoul Friend” and Ahab and the Wailers taking control of the high frequencies with “Neb’s Tune.” Meet James Bond showcases music from the old Bond films, like Sounds Orchestral‘s “Kissy Suzuki” with its ever-present “Oh, James!” Finally, on You Can be Wrong About Boys, Vol. One (Vol. Two not included), the girls have their say with Barbara Kay and “Someone Has To Cry (Why Must I),” and Peanut‘s touching “Thank Goodness For the Rain.” Wow. That’s a lot of music to digest. Like I said, Lounge music is a delicate flower, and if these CDs can be considered fertilizer to make the scene grow, these two companies have just buried it under a huge pile. Yeah, I know. I’m just jealous because these new kids don’t have to search for months to find a Felix Slatkin album anymore. I feel like being bitter, okay?
