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A rare set of offbeat tunes from the creator of Alvin & The Chipmunks – in the style of some of the pre-chip sounds that Ross was doing for Liberty in the late 50s! Nice cover shot of Ross using a gold phone outside of his Rolls Royce!... read more

A much more solidly American album than some of Vicki Benet's other efforts of the time – which were usually more French-styled than this one! This time around, Vicki's got a great breathy style that's right up there with Julie London on Liberty – a late 50s sexiness that perfectly... read more

Mad music from the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band – a brilliant mix of dada energy and psychedelic production – served up in these five classic Liberty albums from the cusp of the 70s! Frontman Neil Innes later went on to a lot of projects with Eric Idle in later years – including the... read more

The insane debut of the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band – an amazing late 60s Brit ensemble who were almost to music what Monty Python were to TV! This first effort by the group is a mad array of sounds and styles that come together with a great sense of play and joy – a real delight in quick... read more

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Lots of older songs, nicely messed up by the Chips – which creates lots of yelling from Dave! Titles include "Buffalo Gals", "The Alvin Twist", "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", and "Polly Wolly Doodle".... read more

The Chips take on a whole host of 60s pop tunes – worth it alone for their versions of "What's New Pussycat", "King Of The Road", and "I'm Henry VIII I Am".... read more

The Chipmunks take on The Beatles – in an early version of fab four fun! Titles are almost all early Lennon/McCartney numbers, sung by Alvin and the gang with a surprisingly nice groove!... read more

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A pair of killers from Dayton – two albums back to back on a single CD! First up is Dayton – the first album by this excellent 80s groove ensemble – and a key part of the Ohio funk scene of the end of the 70s! Forget the more famous funk acts you may know from Ohio, because... read more

80s groove galore – a pair of classic albums form Dayton! Hot Fun is a wonderfully sweet groover from Dayton – a group that's equal parts modern soul and 80s groove – and outta site all the way! The album's big title hit is a remake of Sly Stone's classic "Hot Fun In The... read more

Classic 60s pop from Jackie DeShannon – served up here with a massive batch of bonus tracks too! The core album was issued after Jackie's successful run opening up for The Beatles during their first American tour – but more than that easy association with the Fab Four, the record's... read more

A pair of late 60s albums from Martin Denny – back to back on a single CD! Exotic Love is an overlooked gem from Martin Denny – cut during a range of later sides for Liberty Records, but somehow a standout, thanks to some soulful undercurrents in the music! The arranger is billed as... read more

Denny's combo with Augie Colon and Julius Wechter groove their way through some nice numbers from films of the 40s, 60s, and early 60s – mostly in the vein of familiar tunes, but as always, redone in a groovy exotic way by Denny's unique approach to easy instrumentals! The vibes, piano, and... read more

Classic stuff from the man who brought the Exotica sound to the mainstream! We hardly need to tell you about these albums – as they're virtually the blueprint for countless exotica albums to come, a mixture of 50s easy listening, strange tropical rhythms, and odd little sound effects! Denny'... read more

A great illustration of the way that Martin Denny expanded his groove in the 60s – on some sweetly inventive records like this! On Latin Village, Martin Denny changes the rhythms from tropical to Latin – but the overall groove is still highly in his best exotica mode, and nicely... read more

One of Martin Denny's greatest albums – thanks to some extra special added elements! For the record, Denny's classic quartet is augmented by a wealth of odd added percussion – including gongs, cymbals, tuned logs, steel drums, chimes, and "chromatic bamboo"! All of these... read more

2 exotica classics on one CD! Quiet Village is an undisputed classic in the exotica field, and the record that yielded Denny his biggest hit – the title reworking of "Quiet Village", written by Les Baxter a few years earlier. The rest of the record's pretty darn nice, too –... read more

Back to back gems from Martin Denny – two albums on a single CD! Taste Of Honey is a great later moment from Martin Denny – a set that gave him a big 60s hit in a sweet version of "Taste of Honey"! Denny approaches the tune with all the great mellow moods that Bobby Scott... read more

Late 60s magic from Martin Denny – a pair of albums back to back on a single CD! On A Taste Of India, Martin Denny takes a tip from the sound of the East – adding some slight Indian flavors to his usual exotica groove – with the help of arranger George Tipton! Most of the music... read more

A mix of storming instrumentals and vocal tunes by The Eliminators – one of the great 60s studio creations tailor-made to rip it up on surf, drag and any kinda thematic grooves! This one includes some takes on the Liverpool sound, as well – and the players include a few soon-to-be... read more

An overlooked gem from the glory days of the west coast surf scene – the standout set from The Fantastic Baggys, a group who are also known for their backup work with Jan & Dean! There's a very Jan & Dean vibe going on here – right down to the backings from Hal Blaine and the... read more

A great bit of fusion from the start of the 70s – kind of a bridge between the late 60s "groovy" Japanese jazz, and some of the freer-thinking work to come! The group features excellent tenor from Takeru Muraoka, who plays with kind of a sharp edge that almost echoes more of the... read more

Some nice small combo groovers – with Ernie Freeman on organ! Titles include "Stone Rocker", "Gravy Waltz", "Jivin Around", "Gator Bite", and "Cool Play".... read more

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A standout early classic from Jan & Dean – and the record that really helped make them as much of a studio force as The Beach Boys! Jan arranged and produced the entire set – and he definitely gives Brian Wilson a run for his money – coming up with cool charts, sharp... read more

Incredible vocals from Jan & Dean – a set that really has the duo taking off wonderfully – with soaring harmonies that are even better than before! The pair were already great from the start, but their singing really hits the limit here – often working with a bit less... read more

A goofy title track, and a groovy little album from Jan & Dean – a set that has them settling nicely into their role as one of the most playful pairs in west coast pop – with a heck of a lot more staying power than some of their more surf-washed contemporaries! The album's got a... read more

A goofy title track, and a groovy little album from Jan & Dean – a set that has them settling nicely into their role as one of the most playful pairs in west coast pop – with a heck of a lot more staying power than some of their more surf-washed contemporaries! The album's got a... read more

Plenty of surf number stepping out here – but often with that great second-chapter Beach Boys mode – that pre-Pet Sounds style that's often got some darker currents underneath! The pair are great in the lead, and get a bit of harmony support from The Fantastic Baggys – and some... read more

The title track is one of the biggest hits ever from Jan & Dean – but the album's filled with other groovy numbers that really stretch out past familiar territory – including a number of other "city-based" tracks, all given the sweet Jan & Dean touch! The duo are... read more

One of their best LPs from the 60's, and a good mix of soul jazz grooves with a freer, post-Coltrane sound that gives the band a spiritual edge not always heard on the earlier records. The set's got some great long originals – like "Anita's New Dance", "Space Settlement",... read more

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Tight funky organ work from Billy Larkin and his hard-swingin Delegates combo! This stuff was the west coast equivalent of New Jersey organ combos – and you can bet your bippy that Billy & Co were blasting loud out of every jukebox on Central Ave during the 60s. This album's still got... read more

Standout sounds from the 60s pop scene in LA – classic tracks from jangle-pop genius of Gary Lewis & The Playboys! Gary's vocals are plenty catchy, as are the group's rhythms and guitars – but it's also the studio production that really grabs us too – much of which was... read more

A rare live session from Julie London – surprising in that most of her classic work for Liberty was put together with some real studio magic! Yet this time around, the live setting's a real charm – one that makes for a whole new side of London's personality – showing the singer... read more

One of the greatest early albums by Julie London – a record that features sublime jazz backings from the Jimmy Rowles Orchestra, in a mode that gets way past the "breathy girl with subtle guitar" sound of her first few for Liberty! Rowles' backings bring in some really nice horn... read more

A landmark album in 50s vocal jazz – spare, moody, and evocative tunes from Julie London – sung in a stripped-down setting that few other singers would dare at the time! The sound of the set is as sexy as the cover – intimate, personal, and breathily sung in a mode that comes... read more

Looking like she does on the cover, it's hard to imagine Julie London being a lonely girl – as she's very seductively posed, with that slinky bare shoulders look that no doubt helped many of her early Liberty sides sell so well! But apart from the cheesecake, the record's one of Julie's... read more

A set that has Julie London still working in the breathy and mellow style of her late 50s classics – with very spare backings that really let Julie's vocals take center stage, and often a nice guitar line in the front of the mix, picking its way through the tunes right behind Julie's voice! ... read more

Hard to imagine that Julie London would ever have to ask anyone to make love to her – at least not when she looks as sexy as this on the cover! The album's a key early classic for Liberty – still very fragile, personal, and up-close enough to make you think you might just be able to... read more

Money, minks, and a diamond tiara – whatever Julie wants, it's pretty well laid out in the album's cover image! The set's a slinky swinger that definitely follows in the spirit of the title track "Whatever Lola Wants" – that postwar vampy sort of groove that Peggy Lee was... read more

The first-ever album from Henry Mancini – and a wonderfully spooky set! The style here is quite different than most of Hank's better-known film work and instrumental hits – as the record is very moody and laidback – cut with a slow-moving, dreamy sort of darkness that's really... read more

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A groovy set of surfing stomps performed by The Marketts – some of the best Liberty surf rock ever! This record finds these players pairing up rumbling rhythms and raw percussion with nicely grooving piano and some sweet sax – with some tight, punchy guitar grooves to keep it well... read more

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A sexy gal, stretched out on a couch, with two drinks on the coffee table – that should give you plenty already to guess what this set's about! The album's a killer from late 50s Liberty – sultry vocals from Meg Myles, set to these gently jazzy backdrops from Jimmy Rowles that are... read more

A fairly straight album of piano tracks for Liberty, but with a subtle Polynesian feel to it. The cover would imply more, though – since it's got a beautiful underwater shot of an exotic looking model hiding behind some coral! Titles include "Hana", "Black Coral", "M... read more

One of the few albums ever cut as a leader by crack drummer Charlie Persip – and a great record that you might have missed because Howard Rumsey's name is bigger on the cover than Charlie's! The album's one of Rumsey's "Lighthouse Series" sides of the 50s – but it's a lot... read more

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A surprisingly trippy record by Del Shannon! The set is way different than the simpler pop you may know from Shannon's bigger hits – and the album's a rare late 60s gem with great British touches that include production by Andrew Loog Oldham and backings by Arthur Greenslade! There's a... read more

Lots of percussion – and loud! Slatkin's normally a bit sleepy, but this record's filled with drums and chimes and vibes and loads of exotic percussion instruments – and swings with a groove that's in the best of the Liberty easy styles from the late 50s. Titles include "Night... read more

Raucous drag strip rockers and driving R&B-fueled instrumentals by The T-Bones – killer material on Liberty from a group of young session wizards – including Hal Blaine, Glen Campbell, Leon Russell, Dave Pell, Steve Douglas and others! It's wildly fun stuff that goes all in with... read more

Nice groovy instrumentals from one of the best little combos of the 60's. The record includes their big hit "No Matter What Shape (Your Stomach's In)", plus a number of other tracks that have a similar "TV commercial" feel – like "Chiquita Banana", "Pizza... read more

Very hip work from one of the coolest cats of the 50s – the amazing Bobby Troup, heard here at the height of his powers in a very sweet setting! The group's actually a quartet – given that Bobby's on piano, alongside Howard Roberts on guitar, Bob Enevoldsen on bass, and Don Heath on... read more

Early 70s albums from Ike & Tina Turner – later material from the together years – 1970's Come Together & '71's Nuff Said in a single package! Come Together includes the title high profile cover and others in "Honky Tonk Women" "I Want To Take You Higherr",... read more

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A pair of late Ike & Tina albums in a single package! Workin' Together is a pivotal album – one that has them still retaining some of the earthiness of earlier years, yet also honing their groove for the crossover audience that was digging them big at the end of the 60s! The best... read more

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If anybody could take a great tune and make it better, it was The Ventures – as you'll hear on this album's killer version of "Hawaii Five O" – as well as a host of other groovy goodies too! The set's still got the core sound of the quartet – loads of fuzzy guitars... read more

Wild work from The Ventures – a set that really has them trying to change with the times – and coming up with some excellent sounds in the process! The inside cover features a cool "photo story" of the group – very unusual, as it shows the aging quartet trying to act... read more

Wild work from The Ventures – a set that really has them trying to change with the times – and coming up with some excellent sounds in the process! The inside cover features a cool "photo story" of the group – very unusual, as it shows the aging quartet trying to act... read more

Wild work from The Ventures – a set that really has them trying to change with the times – and coming up with some excellent sounds in the process! The inside cover features a cool "photo story" of the group – very unusual, as it shows the aging quartet trying to act... read more

Si Zentner back to back – two nice ones from the 60s on a single CD! From Russia With Love is one of the grooviest Si Zentner albums of the 60s – thanks to a host of hip spy themes that keep things interesting throughout! The material really brings out the best in Si – as does... read more

A pair of overlooked gems from Si Zentner – both from the Liberty Records scene of the 60s! First up is Right Here Right Now – a mod swinger from bandleader Si Zentner – a talent who's always ready to groove with the times – which in this case means that he's got a sweet... read more

Two of the grooviest Si Zentner albums of the 60s – both of them great, but in very different ways! More is Si's attempt to follow up on the Italian soundtrack hit of the time – but the album also features loads of other great tracks from the time, done as very jazzy instrumentals by... read more