Cool and Strange Music! Magazine - 07 - Nov 1997-Feb 1998

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COOL AN1J STRANGE•:>!.i;;;;.i~~i~~~~~l ·:·:·:·:·:·:·:~~!¥-~:·:·:·:~:·:·:·

MARTIN DENNY

MEL HENKE

Quiet Village & The Enchanted Sea "A jungle soundscape full of oddball percussion" ·Spin

La Dolce Henke "The musical equivalent of a Playboy magazine~ -David Garland, WNYC

THE SOUND GALLERY VOLUME TWO (Various Artistes) "Proudly polyester, frankly flared, seriously sidebumed.. "

-On The One Includes "The Zodiac" featured in the film "The Full Monty"

For a free catalog. please write to: Scamp Records, 104 West 29th Street, 4th Floor, New York, N .Y. 10001 Visit the Scamp site: http://www.scamp-records.com -

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ndre Popp was born in France in and Saxo, an educational set about the sym1924 The French have a history phony orchestra, complete with narrator and muof distinctive music, and Popp was sical examples penned by Popp. Hmm .. sounds born to musical parents and given like he was still doing radio, only on vinyLbut doa musical education, but it could be said that ing it extremely well--the series won the prestiWWII started AP on his musical career.. when his gious Grand Prix du Disque. And that kind of recfather was called into service, the 15-year old ognition probably brought with it the clout to alPopp took his old man's place at the A DVE pipe organ. It seems like a logical pro- 15. ---·· · · -·· · · S··· · · -· · · · · ·-·N--· ·-·T ·U· -··'iRE gression from church music to radio music--both kinds provide an accompaniment to specific actions; both have a purpose. In addition to the purpose of the T ·- - · music, the nature and quality of the U ~~i\:~b~t:Dd lier sound itself is a major concern; Popp R was well aware of where his audience was: not anywhere near the live sound of the orchestra itself. The vagaries of microphone placement, radiowave transmission, and cheap radio speakers had to be taken into account. Popp says that at one point he tried acombination of jazz and classical orchestras to get a stronger sound: 5 saxophones, 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, 4 cellos, 3 flutes, bassoon, oboe, and rhythm section. The man must love his work ... in a 1993 interview, Popp said he was still writing low him go wild in the studio. 195 7 was the year that Popp unleashed music for French radio. But it appears that it was Delirium in Hi-Fi on the world. Maybe he felt that when Popp got the opportunity to write music for records, music that exists for its own sake, that he had gone just awee bit too far, because he and his talent got a chance to really burst out. An early co-perpetrator Pierre Fatosme hid behind the success was the series of records called Piccolo nom de disque 'Elsa Popping' -- aplay on the title

~- DELIRIUM

NIN HI-FI

Seventh Issue! •Nov '97 · Feb '98

of the wild stage show Hellzapoppin'. This record defined the cutting edge of what creative minds could do with the darling of the 1950sstudio the tape recorde[ No digital wonders then; armed with razor blades and afertile imagination, Popp's compositions were turned into other worldly music designed to make the listener.. well, delirious. With Popp's talent for creating auditory scenes allowed to claim full attention, from the grooves came pictures- like a carousel shrunk to music box size, and hosting a party of mice ('Perles de cristal' ); several French ghosts waltzing ('Java'); and a drunken elephant ('La Paloma') The genius behind creating these very musical but very strange sounds was given life by clever manipulation of tlie tape--creative splicing, varying tape speeds, multi-tracking, echo-lags and charts played backwards--but without the genius of the arrangements, all that work would have been for naught. Popp's arrangement of 'Jalousie' presents the most wonderfully un-together orchestra I have ever heard. Each instrument gets a couple of notes before another takes over..in amanner as totally unlike Ravel's Bolero as can be imagined. (I'm at a loss to describe that instrumental sneeze at the end.) And in' Adios Muchachos', the melody is hinted at, like in Schedrin's Carmen Ba/Jet--it's there even when it isn't. And (just to keep everyone on their toes), one orchestra member is reprimanded for his

CAJol And Strange Music!" ------~Magazine

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performance ... by being shot' /ir1um in Hi-Fi reissued (a selected discography is All this talent and work was released origiat the end of this article) nally in the US as part of Columbia's Adventures Delirium is not the only bit of Poppiana that InSound series--an apt title--and worldwide sales Blom has produced. He also recorded anew colwere underwhelming. Such is often the fate of lection of Popp's (slightly) more traditional origitrue genius. But it was never forgotten, and original compositions under the title La Musique Qui nal copies still command high prices. Fait Popp. Featuring titles such as 'Hey, Gaucho'', Fortunately for the world, The 'Sexy Sax', and 'Bop Polka', it is agood sampling Netherland's Gert-Jan Blom discovered one of of Popp's music. (The disc was reviewed in the those copies. According to graphic designer and last issue of Cool and Strange Music' Magazine.) music historian Piel Schreuders, 'Gert-Jan is a There are many othe1· delightful stories asmusical fanatic with an astute instinct for good sociated with the collaboration between Blom music, regardless of current musical tastes. He and Popp Popp says that he learned a lot of the is a musical archaeologist, tirelessly seeking out tricks of the trade from fellow French composer obscure material of 'unjustly forgotten' musical Roger Roger, aman whose music Blom also 'disllllUPS masters.' As founder of the historically-oriented Beau to the listening public. Hunks orchestra, Blom has The Chappell Mood been responsible for bringMusic Company in Loning the music of Leroy don specialized in providShield, Raymond Scott, ing orchestral recordings and Ferde Grafe' before to be used later in producmodern audiences. It ing radio, TV, and moviesseems inevitable that -the same sort of evocaAndre Popp's equally mastive pieces Popp wrote. terful and evocative music These recordings were would become a special never meant to be availproject for him. able to the general public. Blom located Popp Roger composed thouin Paris and found him desands of such themes lighted at the prospect of which were used whenreviving interest in his muever the producers sic. Popp provided original needed music to immedisheet music, and in 1986 ately evoke traffic, indusBlom assembled an ortry, or other scenes. He chestra to recreate the managed to infuse a original arrangements on unique eccentric style into stage. Blom also worked to pieces like 'Scenic RailAndre' Popp conducts the orchestra on Fre·nch radio's La Bride sur le cou, 1954. get the hair-raisingly deteway', 'Lunar Landscape,' riorated master tape of Deand 'The Grip of Fear'. In covered' and championed. Roger Roger the 10-year period 1955 to 1964,Roger filled as owes his unusual name to a whimsical im- many as 20 LPs, and went on to do more such pulse on his father's part. He, too, came music for Parry Publishers in Canada. from a musical family, and the mixture of Gert-Jan Blom created the first recordings whimsy and musical talent would serve him of Roger's music to be made available to the genwell. eral public. All new recordings, using Roger's Like Popp, Roger worked in radio, original charts. In fact, that project got started composing, playing the piano, and leading when Blom mentioned to Popp how much he an orchestra. Said Rog:er, 'My greatest pleathought Roger's music sounded like Popp's. sure was to write scores with my own ideas, Popp replied 'I learned alot about the tricks of the my own touch--1 tried to arrange with pertrade from Roger, who is ten years older and was sonality, bringing something fresh to the already an established arranger and respected basic composition. That is what I've been chef d'orchestre when I came on the scene. I doing all my life.' His radio work led directly must confess he has been a great influence.' to what would become Roger's main claim Blom presented Roger with acopy of the new reto fame. Ironically, it was to be by writing cording three weeks before Roger died. It had 'stock music', designed to be anonymous made him very happy, in fact he said that it was

Cool And Strange Music!" ------~ Magazine

Seventh Issue/•No11 '97 ·Feb '98

the best versions of his music he had heard. Andre Popp and Roger Roger represent the most exotic (to these American ears) music that Gert-Jan Blom has been responsible for reviving, but he with his Beau Hunksorchestra have brought several American composers back from obscurity as well. And all this music is obviously of the same (if unnnamed) genre, and yet each composer's work is unique and distinctive. The first project for bassist/ producer Blom's new orchestra wa s to resurrect the music of all-but- forgotten composer Leroy Shield. Shield practically single-handedly created the distinctive sound of the Hal Roach Studios comedies in the 1930s. Laurel and Hardy, The Little Rascals, and many others made the world laugh while Shield's music accompanied the action. Laughing clarinets, shocked trumpets, and happy trombones combined to produce instantly recognizable tunes that up until thisproject, no one had been able to play at will. At first, no sheet music was available, and so all the parts were transcribed from the films by music historian Piet Schreuders. Raymond Scott received amajor tribute in these pages last year. Theinteresting thing about his most famous music is that. quite the reverse of Popp and Roger, he composed devilishly difficult works as stand-alone piecesto be performed for their own sake, and they ended up in soundtracks. Most notably, Scott's music was

adapted into the soundtracks for many of the classic Warner Brothers cartoons. In an apparent logic reversal, these pieces evoked such strong images, I wouldn't be surprised if having them in the soundtracks saved the animators some workl Scott also had a long career in radio, but he found accompaniment too restrictive and worked hard to break freewith his own band performing his own compositions. His work was of such genius that there is hardly a person in this

household name. His specialty was the orchestral 'suite'; a group of composition unified under a single idea, usually consisting of four or five 'movements'. His most famous is the 'Grand Canyon Suite' which includes the famous 'donkey music' written as part of the 'On The Trail' movement But he wrote so much more: Mississippi Suite, Niagara Suite (for the NY State Power Authority, to commemorate the opening of the Niagara Falls power plant), Symphony in Steel (for the American Rolling Mill Corporation ), Wheels (commissioned by Henry Ford), and the World 's Fair Suite (for the 1964 New York World's Fair). The earlier works by Grote' are currently being performed by the Beau Hunks in concert, and a recording is scheduled for next year. Another upcoming project is an album of cartoon music featuring such composers as Carl Stalling, Scott Bradley, and Sammy Timberg. All these composers, all these different backgrounds, but the music is definitely of one genre. Individual, distinctive, but of the same mind. The music of the 20th century collective consciousness. - © 199 7 Craig Andersen

country that does not know his music, and yet it was unavailable for 30 years or more. Now, Blom's Beau Hunks Sextette has two CDs of Scott's music available. Ferde Grofe' was a major American composer whose career lasted over 40 years, beginning in the 1920s. He provided the original orchestral arrangement for George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, and yet his is not exactly a

00000 (Sincere gratitude to Piel Schreuders ofBASTA for providing the quoted material and much other useful information for this art1de, including photographs, and the information in the following discography)

Selected Discography Delirium in Hi-Fi - Andre Popp and his orchestra• BASTA CD reissue 30-9031-2 (1996) La Musique Qui Fait Popp! , Highlights from th e wo rks of Andre Popp played by the Metropole Orchestra• BASTA 30-9057-2 Soothing Sounds for Baby Raymond Scott CD reissue of 1963 Epic Record s' LPs • BASTA 90642, 90652, 90662) (1997) Grands Travaux, The Music of Roger Roger Recorded by the Metropole Orchestra • BASTA EW 9521 (1995) Dennis Farnon's Mother Magoo Suite The Metropole Orchestra co nducted by Jan Stulen. Cover artwork by Wayno • VPRO Eigenwijs EW 9631 / BASTA (1996) The Beau Hunks Play the Original Laurel & Hardy Music Holland• BASTA 30-99003 (1992) The Beau Hunks Play the Original Laurel & Hardy Music 2 Holland • BASTA 30-99025 (1993) The Beau Hunks Play the Original Little Rascals Music compilation of the previous two albums USA• KOCH 3-8702-2 (1994) Celebration on the Planet Mars: A Tribute to Raymond Scott BASTA I KOCH (1994) On to the Show! More Little Rascals Music 50 compos itions by Leroy Shield (new reco rding s) KOCH 3-8705-2 (1995) Manhattan Minuet - The Music of Raymond Scott Beau Hunks Sextette BASTA 30-9036-2 (1996)

Seventh Issue!• Nov 97 ·Feb '98 1

And Strange Music!" CJJOI -------Magazine

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by david /cl-tClfpr os Angeles, a city known for cultural diversity and it's magnetism to natural disasters, is also a rich source for accumulating records. I recently moved to L.A. from N.Y.C. just over a year ago, and feel as though I have only begun to scratch the surface by gelling out to the remote fringes. It seems my collecting habits take me into record stores less and less these days, partially because the Internet has permanently altered the way in which obscurity is gathered and sought after. In addition to the m0i!er11t,e"ll uni of stores I do visit, I JJlso acquire r.e~otds throu h the mail, the Internet, and from dealers' lj.ttjn,gs. Prior iO~roni ... u · atuali!>njds vary. On $, ' · · ' Rock://111wui.kepeat.eoat/~

Seventh Issue!• Nov '97 ·Feb '98

___6.oL-somethilig cool to to· sell or looking for something hard to find? Strange Classifieds are the best way to reach others who have pie same musical interests as you. 20 cents a word. Ten Dollar minimum. COLLECTING VINYL: MOOG, ELECTRONIC AND SITAR POP. Searching for the following: Great International rhs!Balsara an his Singing Sitars, Pierre Henry, Mort Garson, etc. David Schafer ph/fx 213-667-2620, [email protected] WANTED: JACK COSTANZA - LATIN FEVER• Xavier Cugat - Mambo!· Soundtrack - "I Want To Uve!" • Mrs. Miller -Any Sing besides "Downtown" • Dana Countryman, Editor, Cool And Strange Music Magazine, 1101 Colby Ave., Everett, W~ 98201 THINNING OUT PERSONAL COLLECTION of 32,000 records. I have 45s, LPs, 78s, and EPs in many categories: iJ luding pop, rock, jazz, easy listening, and soundtracks. No list available at this time. Please send your wants, along with a self-adliressed, stamped envelope, to: Margie Schultz, P.O. Box 9371, Cinninatti, OH 45209

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Well, that's it for our SEVENTH issue of Cool And Strange Music Magazine! Hope you liked it. If you d op me a line and let me know what you thought of it. _ We're really excited about .the next issue (#8), due out at the end of February. Our cover story will feature the wonderful Stan Freberg (in particular, his music!). Iwas able to arrange for cartoonist, J.R. · W'llioms to interview with Mr. Freberg recently, and J.R. got lots of inside info on Mr. Freberg's music. (Did you know that he composed both the words and music to almost everything he recorded?) It's on honor to feature Mr. Freberg, !Ji on of m~personol heroes! Mr. Freberg and his wonderful wife, Donna (who acts as his manager) really bent over /,1 backwards to accommodate us with photos, and two exclusive interviews. We so have on exclusive interview slated for the some issue with the daughter of the late Les Baxter, Leslie Baxter. She was also extremely helpful, sharing loads of info and anecdotes about her father 's career. Jeff Cheno It conducted the interview with her, and he was the perfect choice for the assignment, being an e pert o the music of Les Baxter. Lots more scheduled for that issue: Claudine Longe!, the influence of Herb Alpert and the TJB on copycat bonds, the career of science fiction music guru Neil Norman, and who knows what else will turn up before that issue's deadline!! Stay Cool! (See you in 90 days!)

Seventh Issue! I Nov 197 .feb 198

C1JOI And StrangeMMusic!" agazin e

47

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