Higher Than Fi

The FAB Four(th) Dimension

2009-09-05T23:37:00.000-07:00

Greetings all!

We're back in action with a real gem of a record! Audio Fidelity's "The Beatles Hits in Brass and Percussion," arranged by Tony Esposito, and performed by the AF All-Stars.... Well, honestly, who really knows who the musicians are. It's one of THOSE LPs that don't bother to tell you who's playing on it.

Now this copy is the MONO copy, but that doesn't keep it from blasting you out of your coma. The Fab Fourth Dimension never sounded so good. My favorite is the almost Exotica version of A Hard Day's Night!

Track Listing:

I Feel Fine
All My Loving
Yesterday
A Hard Day's Night
Can't Buy My Love (sic)
Michelle
Help!
And I Love Her
We Can Work It Out
8 Days a Week

Migiani featuring the Sensationelle Vocalise of Anne Germaine

2009-02-04T20:32:00.000-08:00

"France is the home of vintage champagnes, choice Camemberts, the charm of sidewalk cafes and the warmth of old stones..."

Ok, enough of that crap. The liner notes of this LP make it sound like a forgettable slog down an EZ Parisian street. Sure, there's some sleepy moments, but this record has that little extra something -- in the form of Anne Germaine and her amazing vocalise .

Think Ray Martin combined with an Italian soundtrack (taking place in France), and you're getting close. If for no other reason, download this baby for Perdido -- best take I've heard of that tune, bar none.

The Action:

Rock a Napoli
Tenderly
Sunset
Flamenco Guitar
Juste en passant
Viendra le jour
Jealous of You
La chanson de Venise
The Song of the Promised Land
Perdido
Deux enfants au soleil
Romeo

Les & Larry's Nashville Country Sound

2008-11-09T19:33:00.000-08:00

Shortly after releasing a string of Now Sound classics--including Elgart Au Go-Go, Sound of the Times and Girl Watchers--the Elgart brothers fled to the podunk Swampfire record label to cash in on the inexplicable hillbilly craze of the early 1970s.

Bridge Over Troubled Water is the culmination of an entire series that was released on the label, all of which were aggressively touting the "Nashville Country Sound." Every one of the records features a cartoon moonshiner and his raccoon sidekick, both of whom seem almost apologetic for these albums in their long-winded thought bubbles. Larry seems like the one guy who is willing to own up to making this thing; on the cover you see him proudly posing in his biker leathers with some motorcycle vixens, straight-laced brother Les nowhere to be seen.

But there is nothing to be ashamed of; indeed, the fantastic arrangements would sound just as at home in a 60s go-go discotheque as they would in a Harry Novak Hicksploitation movie. Listen for the great now sound grooves, breathy wordless vocals, and of course plenty of banjo pickin'; and best of all, there's a stellar 1-2 punch of (almost) Beatles covers on side 2: Paul McCartney/Badfinger's Come and Get It, and John Lennon's Instant Karma!

Here's Larry Elgart's over-explanation from his thought bubble on the back of the sleeve:

The "race" was won. We had to work day and night--it was a race against time to get this recording ready. Our well-coordinated team of musicians and engineers worked with our friends in Swampfire to meet our target. We wanted this record out when all the tunes were fresh. Well here it is--the newest from our terrific studio in Swampfire--the style is unmistakably powerful and original--Pop Country versions of the most popular hits.

This is not just another band recording--these great musicians and arrangements will add snap to your party or pleasure to your listening. Whether you're young or old, from the city or country--you'll love it.

1. Walking Through the Country
2. Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head
3. Arizona
4. Bridge Over Troubled Water
5. Honey Come Back
6. Leaving On A Jet Plane
7. Rag Mama Rag
8. If I Were A Carpenter
9. Come And Get It
10. Instant Karma
11. Kentucky Rain
12. Tequila

The World of Kui Lee

2008-10-13T16:41:00.000-07:00

"I have lived quietly and intimately with every note and every word that make up this beautiful world of Kui's. Even though I shared his music before and knew him as a man, it took the experience of this album and its deep and intense involvement to teach me how much he was the poet of the islands. Poet of the sea. Of the sun. The stars. Of yesterday and tomorrow and eternity in these Islands of God.

In the beginning, I had no specific idea of the final form or shape of this project. But I knew that it had to be something more than just another album of 12 songs. As I became more deeply involved, a simple fact emerged. Kui's world was mine too . . . and yours." ~Jack de Mello

KUI !!!!!!

For all you Higher-Than-Fi fans out there, here is our hearty thanks to you! A powerful, 3 LP tribute from Jack de Mello, His Orchestra and Singers. Kui Lee was a wild man. He was a poet, a demi-god, a hedonist, a rock 'n roller, and a force of nature from the Islands of Hawaii. The second coming of Kamehameha? Perhaps. And Jack de Mello tells the entire story. Bow down you burnt believers! This is Kui's World.

Track Listing:

Sides 1 & 2 (the Poet)

Prologue (narration)
Lahainaluna
All I Wanna Do
Bout Lovin' You
Ain't No Big Thing
When It's Time to Go
One Paddle, Two Paddle
If I Had to Do It All Over Again
If You Want Me to
Git On Home
Yes, It's You
Song of Christmas

Sides 3 & 4 (the Rock 'n Roller)

Days of My Youth
Two By Two
Rain, Rain Go Away
Go to Him
In Another Spring
Suck "Em Up
I'll Remember You
I've Got a Way to Go
Going Home
She's Gone Again
Intangible Dream Came True
No Other Song

Sides 5 & 6 (the God)

The Sea - My Hawaii
Waikiki at Midnight
Faces
Surf - Rebel of the Rainbows
Clouds
Youth
Vibrations
Rain
Sun
Moon
Stars
Epilogue - No Other Song

And Now—The “Bongoson!”

2008-07-29T20:56:00.000-07:00

What can we say about Perez Prado that hasn't already been said? Except, maybe a conjecture on how much input he REALLY had on this record, which by all accounts could have been a phone-in. But what a phone-in! The Cha-Cha, the Rumba, the Bossa Nova! And best of all, a new beat called the “Bongoson,” a hybrid of the Twist and the Cuban “son.”

With the twist hybrid, Latin beat, and the Brazilian influence, this RCA classic provides all the raw materials for a taste of real Pre-Cambrian Now Sound. Add to that the energetic arrangements and Prado’s signature “UNGH,” and you have a wonderful Prado classic: Our Man In Latin America. And, I might add, one of the best records in the RCA cash-in Our Man In series.

Canto Siboney - Bossa Nova
Estrellita Del Sur - Bongoson
Campanitas De Cristal - Bongoson
Guadalajara - Bongoson
Ay Ay Ay - Cha-Cha
Gurare - Bossa Nova
The Peanut Vendor - Rumba
Tico No Fuba - Bongoson
Pachito E-Che - Bossa Nova
Uno - Cha-Cha
Alma Llanera - Bossa Nova
Compadre Pedro Juan - Bongoson

Jack de Mello - Voices in Paradise

2008-07-25T21:04:00.000-07:00

At long last, Jack de Mello's Voices in Paradise. I've been talking about this one for weeks now on the radio show and now it's yours to keep. Voices in Paradise might take a listen or two to sink in, but it's a beauty. Pour yourself a devilish drink, turn down the lights, and be transported to your somewhere else .

From the liner notes: "In the language of romance, there are words which, of themselves, create music; lyrical language so vividly expressive, so richly modulated, it becomes a rhapsody in its own right. The fabled names and places of Polynesia are singing words, gracefully endowed to enhance and compliment the poignant Island melodies. Jack de Mello's VOICES IN PARADISE lend wings to the songs of Paradise, lifting these magical, meaningful words from the shimmering surf to the tropical stars. With this lustrous collection, Mr. de Mello adds a definitive restatement of his personal musical values: profound understanding of the music of Polynesia, exacting and sensitive direction, supreme, inspirational affinity with his magnificent singers. For everyone who loves . . . or is learning to love . . . the Islands, VOICES IN PARADISE is an ecstatic recognition of the music in poetry and the poetry in music. Whoever - wherever you may be, this pure and living enchantment will linger long in your memory." ~ Kamokila

Track Listing

Waikiki
I'll Weave a Lei of Stars for You
Paoakalani
Diamond Head
Pua Carnation
Theme From Mutiny on the Bounty
Beyond the Rainbow (Waipio)
Love Theme From the Legend of Palehua
Singing Bamboos
Hana
Farewell Malihini

Call of the Tropics - Gene Rains & His Group

2008-07-05T09:19:00.000-07:00

In honor of the 2008 Hukilau held this past June in Ft. Lauderdale Florida, we present to you Gene Rains' Call of the Tropics.

This Exotica gem is a must-have for your backyard luau -- late night -- after the riff raff have gone home, and you and a handful of your closest rum-soaked friends are relaxing at the bar, reminiscing of Limbo contests lost, lawn darts thrown, and bikini bottoms and swimming trunks that went missing once-upon-a-time in the night.

Track listing

Ebb Tide
Harbor Lights
Strange Cargo
Bird of Paradise
Tropic Trade Winds
Jungle Drums
The Hawaiian Wedding Song
Tangi Tahiti (The Call of Tahiti)
Far Across the Sea
Sayonara

From the Future, a British Vision of the Now as Heard in the Past!

2008-06-21T21:32:00.000-07:00

The Higher-Than-Fi Collaborative has been busy lately, hot on the heels of new research and even more unearthing of lost treasures from the thrift store trove. One such item is this mysterious record: John Neel's Amazing Marching Machine. Apparently, it comes to us from an alternate future, where trans-dimensional 1960s London hipsters have constructed a giant marching cyborg capable of blasting the Now Sound through a rift in time to where it is needed most: NOW!

So sit back, douse your kidney pie in some HP sauce, tattoo the Union Jack on your chest (Union Flag, for all you hardcore anglophiles) and immerse yourself in the luxuriously flugel-heavy, snare drum-enriched sounds of the Amazing Marching Machine.

The Amazing Marching Machine
The Union Jack Jump
Club 17 or the Colorado Rag
I Should Have Owned a Fleet of Tankers
Big Sur Love-Set
Somewhere High
I Really Thought She Would
Peachtree Street Strutters' Strut
The Girl in the Picture
Hotel Street Saturday Night Dec. 6, 1941

Land of the BRASS

2008-05-26T09:18:00.000-07:00

Bobby Byrne was one of the masterminds of the Command Records post-Enoch Light era. He was instrumental in pushing the Now Sound envelope, co-producing such notable LPs as Brass Impact, The Corporation, and Doc Severinsen's New Sound of Today's Big Band. Byrne offered up his skills to Evolution Records, bringing with him his well-honed Now Sound chops and Dick Hyman's spectacular arrangements. The result: this gem of a record, complete with shiny metallic, weird-folding Brass Impact inspired cover.

A little funkier than the Command outings that preceded it, Shades of Brass features a trademark brass-heavy sound with an extra splash of Moog for futuristic effect. The sound is not unlike a hybrid of Tom Jones' touring group and the Max Rebo band from Return of the Jedi. It might even be the music that the dad from Land of the Lost listened to before his coke-addled wife split with the Beemer, leaving him with nothing but a closet full of plaid shirts, a couple snotty kids, and nothing to do but go camping every weekend and live off the royalties from his Playgirl spreads and Brawny modeling gig.

This Now Sound journey is more than just a routine expedition. So hop in that whitewater raft of brass and enjoy the ride!

Bone-a-fide Now Sound!

2008-05-19T17:35:00.000-07:00

The fat, juicy sound of the trombone is like a porterhouse steak to the potatoes of the 1960s Now Beat: meaty, succulent, and more than a little filling. But brother, you can't stop going back for more! Buddy Morrow delivers that menu, but adds a sweet dollop of strings, a salty slab of guitar, and some of the most savory hits of the time. This is medium rare Now Sound that'll have you sucking on the 'bone.

Tired of the steak references? Then go ahead and round third, and slide into home plate--a big HEAPIN' plate, fit for the most discerning Jet Set Carnivore! This ain't quinoa, pal.

The Letter
In the Heat of the Night
Sunny
A Natural Woman
Summer in the City
Rescue Me
Ode to Billy Joe
Gimme Little Sign
Blue Baroque
The Teacher

Les Brown and His Band of Re-NOW-n

2008-05-18T08:35:00.000-07:00

This is my kinda out-of-print record. Includes one of the GREATEST versions of Mack the Knife ever recorded. And definitely includes THE BEST VERSION of Alley Cat ever recorded. And Mr. Hornblast himself, Shorty Rogers, is responsible for all the madness.

Take Les Brown, a venerable, super successful big band leader who had his heyday in the 1940s but who is now, 20+ years later, staring down the barrel of late-middle ages. Times have changed. He can barely fit into the turtleneck he's got on, and the big gold medallion his manager asked him to wear is giving him a neck ache. He complains: "These days men look like women; and women wear pants and burn their bras. I'm confused and can't dance the Frug."

Worst of all is the fact that the money just ain't rolling in like it used to from those Big Band 78s. Whether you're Joe Chump or Les Brown , when the landlord comes a knockin' (or the bookie... or the pusher man) he don't care if you had a Band of Renown. He wants cold hard cash.

So what's an ex-big band man to do? Get hip with the kids, man. Replace all the old farts in your band. Bring in the electric guitar player, and hire a real Higher-Than-Fi swinger to do the arranging (that would be Shorty Rogers) . Stick your name on the thing and sell it to the establishment types who remember you from the 1940s and to the young kids who dig the new, NOW sound you're peddling.

Les Brown and HIs Band of Re-NOW-n. Indeed!

Zip-A-Dee-Do-Dah
On Broadway
Cotton Fields
Tower of Strength
Washington Square
Frankie and Johnny
Sally, Go Round the Roses
Bring It On Home to Me
Silver Threads and Golden Needles
Alley Cat
Mack the Knife
La Bomba

Think Young with Camarata and His Orchestra

2008-05-11T20:03:00.000-07:00

Nothing like a little "20-20 Sound," eh? For your listening pleasure here is Camarata and his Orchestra, featuring Tutti's Trombones, from the Coliseum Records release "Think Young."

From the LP jacket:

"20/20 SOUND: 20/20 is to sound what 20/20 is to vision. In its concept an equal division of musical content has been distributed on both channels, thus, as in the case of the eyes, the ears are able to focus for themselves and the listener is not required to sit directly center as in the case of the phantom center speaker."

"The music of today is really heard at its best with its original 'feel' in the exciting big band sound of the album..... THINK YOUNG."

It's Not Unusual
For Your Love
I'll Never Find Another You
A Ticket to Ride
All Day and All of the Night
Satisfaction
Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows
Little Things
Goin' Out of My Head
Cast Your Fate to the Wind
Tired of Waiting
Ferry 'Cross the Mersey
What's New Pussycat

Enjoy!

Greetings!

2008-04-26T20:01:00.000-07:00

Well, it's about time! The Higher Than Fi team is wading (belly flopping?) into the waters of blogdom and vinyl sharity. Here you'll find information about our radio show Jet Set Planet, as well as listen to some of the out-of-print records culled from the HTF stacks.