The Wild World of Reel-to-Reel Tape

After the Tony Mottola LP, I found some VERY nice reel tapes at the ARC store. This is one of them, Les & Larry Elgart's "Warm & Sensual" album.

Just Friends
Soon
Goodbye Is A Lonely Word
I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)
Here's That Rainy Day
Bermuda Concerto
Ill Wind (You're Blowing Me No Good)
Harlem Nocturne
Hush-A-Bye
Bluesette
Soldier In The Rain

This was produced (mostly, with the exceotion of a couple of cuts) by the legendary Teo Macero on Columbia Stereo Tape, and it shows the smooth-as-silk values he used. I thought this was gonna be just-another-loungey-buncha-tones, but there's some real meat in here! Larry Elgart's Alto Sax, featured in most of the cuts, sails through the material quite nicely. A neat little surprise, even if it is more appropriate for Martini Time than The Swingin' & Stompin' Show....

And the cover... another topless lady with the "Come hither!" expression (don't worry, she covers herself.... sensuously...)...


So.... what else did I find at the ARC store...

Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra! Ooo! Playing music from Meredith Wilson's "Here's Love"! Ooo! On London Stereo Tape! Ooo! Mastered by Ampex... eww.

Yes, folks, Ampex screwed this one up ROYALLY. The right channel is gloriously brilliant, but the left channel sounds like someone sprayed hairspray on the record head. I managed to remaster SOME of the top end back into it, but boy-howdy, I really want to find this on LP to see how bad Ampex screwed the pooch on this one.

Anyway, here are the cuts...
Here's Love
Look Little Girl
That Man Over There
My Wish
Expect Things To Happen
Dear Mister Santa Claus
Love, Come Take Me Again
The Big Clown Balloons
The Bugle
My State, My Kansas, My Home
Pine Cones and Holly Berries
You Don't Know
Adeste Fideles March

Yes, kids, it's a musical about the winter holiday season... but it's May! Consider this a bit of air-conditioning (it has been over 90 degrees the last few days here) for you.... no cover scan available on this one, sorry, but the mandatory female IS cute...



Sorry about the lousy pic, I'll post a better one when I can figure out this damn camera.

Enjoy the douple-play, and if you ask nice, I'll post the Buddy Rich tape I also got in this batch.

Cheers!