The Exotica Group: November 2023

Sunday, November 26, 2023

Remastered Rips of Vintage LPs - Part 5

The zip archive for each album contains: the audio files for each track in lossless FLAC format, with 24-bit samples @ 96 KHz, and also images of the front and back covers. No guarantee how long the links will be valid, so get them while you can.

These albums were remastered to have the best listening experience over loudspeakers.

Technical Information:
Turntable: VPI Scoutmaster.
Cartridge: Hana SH
Phono Preamp: Cambridge Audio Alva Duo
ADC: MOTU UltraLite Mk5
Capture Software: AlpineSoft VinylStudio Pro
Cleanup And Remastering Software: iZotope RX and Ozone
LP Cleaning Machines: VPI 17 and KLAudio - KD-CLN-LP200

NOTE: Clicking on the album covers below will take you to the DropBox download page for the album. Click on the download icon ⭳ in the upper-right corner of the DropBox page to get the zip file.

Paul Conrad

1963 - Exotic Paradise (Stereo)

Mahalo Records - M-3010

Click the cover photo to download the album zip file.

More info from Ambient Exotica and Discogs

George Cates

1961 - Polynesian Percussion (Stereo)

Dot Records - DLP25355

Click the cover photo to download the album zip file.

More info from Ambient Exotica and Discogs

Shelly Manne

1967 - Daktari (Stereo)

Atlantic - SD8157

Click the cover photo to download the album zip file.

More info from Discogs and Wackypedia

Charlie Byrd

1967 - More Brazilian Byrd (Stereo)

Columbia - CS9492

Click the cover photo to download the album zip file.

More info from Discogs

Elisabeth Waldo

1959 - Maracatú (Stereo)

Barbary Coast Records - BC33022S

Click the cover photo to download the album zip file.

More info from Discogs

Sunday, November 19, 2023

Remastered Rips of Vintage LPs - Parts 3 and 4

These albums were remastered to have the best listening experience over loudspeakers.

Ralph Font & His Orchestra

1959 – Tabu (Stereo)

Westminster – WST15012

Click the cover photo to download the album zip file.

More info from Ambient Exotica and Discogs.

Don Swan And His Orchestra

1959 - Latino (Stereo)

Liberty - LST7123

Click the cover photo to download the album zip file.

More info from Discogs.

Miriam Burton

1962 - African Lament (Stereo)

Epic - BN26011

Click the cover photo to download the album zip file.

More info from Ambient Exotica and Discogs.

Frank Comstock & His Orchestra

1962 - Music From Outer Space (Stereo)

Warner Bros. - WS 1463

Click the cover photo to download the album zip file.

More info from Journal Into Melody and Discogs.

Norrie Paramor

1959 - Jet Flight (Stereo)

Capitol Records - ST 10190

Click the cover photo to download the album zip file.

More info from Ambient Exotica and Discogs.

Part 3 got deleted (long story). Attaching it here...

Bob Romeo And The Jungle Sextet

1956 - Aphrodisia (Monaural)

Sunset Records – LP 304

Click the cover photo to download the album zip file.

More info from Discogs.

John McFarland

1959 - Provocatif (Stereo)

United Artists Records – UAS 5053

Click the cover photo to download the album zip file.

More info from Ambient Exotica and Discogs.

John Scott Trotter And His Orchestra

1958 - Escape To The Magic Mediterranean (Stereo)

Warner Bros. Records – WS 1266

Click the cover photo to download the album zip file.

More info from Ambient Exotica and Discogs.

The Out-Islanders

1961 - Polynesian Fantasy (Stereo)

Capitol Records – ST 1595

Click the cover photo to download the album zip file.

More info from Ambient Exotica and Discogs.

Ted Auletta And His Orchestra

1962 - Exotica (Stereo)

Cameo – SC 4008

Click the cover photo to download the album zip file.

More info from Ambient Exotica and Discogs.

Tuesday, November 14, 2023

Remastered Rips of Vintage LPs - Part 1 Redux

I made the first post in this series on the sister Facebook group for this blog, That post is no more, so I decided to reproduce it here.

I have been working with another person who is highly skilled with the iZotope software suite to produce some amazingly good digital versions of these rare LPs. The objective here was produce rips that are de-clicked without damaging the original audio (cleanup), and to introduce any improvements to the sound, if possible (remastering).

The first set of downloads are the three LPs by The Gene Rains Group. I will go out on a limb and say that these are probably the best digital versions of these LP available to date, which includes any releases on CD, web downloads or on the streaming services. Listen and see if you agree.

These albums were remastered to have the best listening experience over loudspeakers.

The Gene Rains Group

1960 - Lotus Land (Stereo)

Decca – DL 740643

Click the cover photo to download the album zip file.

More info from Ambient Exotica and Discogs.

1961 - Far Across The Sea (Stereo)

Decca – DL 74164

Click the cover photo to download the album zip file.

More info from Ambient Exotica and Discogs.

1962 - Rains In The Tropics (Stereo)

Decca – DL 74348

NOTE: On track 4, Mapuana, @ 2:12, you can hear someone knock something over and then whisper “Sorry!” You will need to use headphones or earbuds to make out this blooper.

Click the cover photo to download the album zip file.

More info from Ambient Exotica or Discogs.

Addendum March 17, 2024:

I found this cool article about The Gene Rains group in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin from March 13, 1960. Click on the photo to read it on Newspapers dot com.

Wednesday, November 8, 2023

Meco - Encounters Of Every Kind

It is hard to see in the Discogs linear notes but EXTRATERRESTRIALS were involved in creating this record.

I've done only 2 tracks as it was difficult see see where one track began or ended.

From the Wiki:

Encounters Of Every Kind is an album by Meco, released in 1978. It was recorded after the success of Meco's platinum-selling album Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk and contains two sides of linked songs. In contrast to the previous album (which dedicated a full side to the music from Star Wars) and contrary to an album title that suggests a similar focus on the music from Close Encounters of the Third Kind, this album is presented as a musical trip through time with stops in the age of the Dinosaurs, ancient Rome, medieval England, the Old West, 1920s Chicago and others, with no special focus on any particular film until the final track which is a version of the theme from Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

Encounters of Every Kind was the last Meco album to gain significant prominence on the Billboard charts, though he continued to record film tie-ins with disco-inspired albums for The Wizard of Oz, Superman & Other Galactic Heroes (a tie-in with Superman, which was another John Williams score) and ''Music From Star Trek & Music From The Black Hole (tie-ins with the 1979 films Star Trek: The Motion Picture and The Black Hole). None of these releases other than the Star Wars album have been released on CD, though some tracks from Close Encounters were available on the Best of Meco compact disc.