LOOK WHAT I HAVE FOUND vol 177
"Don't monkey with Tarzan" - 16 long forgotten hidden treasures

 

In The Trashcan Records       GARBAGE177
"Under a cocoanut tree, at the other side of the beach, there's a party with Tarzan eating gator tails and monkey ribs...
"

1. don't monkey with tarzan - the pygmies

One of my all time fave jungle exotica instrumentals. These Pygmies have only this single, I'm told. Too bad. A 1963 Liberty release.

9. the other side - the pygmies

On the other side you'll find "The other side", another instrumental titty twister for Las Vegas on a dark night in 1963.

2. beach party - the fendermen

Jim Sundquist and Phil Humphrey met 1957 and formed The Fendermen in Wisconsin. Their debut 45 was this guitar instrumental on Soma Records, in 1959, a couple of months before they cut a hit record with their version of "Muleskinner blues". This is the flipside to "Don't you just know it".

10. justine - don & dewey

No version can beat The Rangers' from , but this original version is undoubtedly the second best. Don Bowman (who later changed his name to Don Harris) and Dewey Terry formed The Squires in the mid-50s. Whey they broke up, they formed this successful duo, and recorded severel splendid records for Specialty.

3. in the hall of the mountain king - nero & the gladiators

The most famous composition of Edvard Grieg in a rock 'n' roll instrumental is absolutely normal when it's 1961.

11. the trek to rome - nero & the gladiators

Typical British guitar instrumental band, between Joe Meek and The Shadows. In the US 1959 was instro year; in the UK it was in 1961. In that year Decca released two more 45s by this combo. Then they dropped Nero and became The Gladiators.

4. el rancho rock - the champs

Built around Dave Burgess and his saxophone "El rancho rock" never reached the success of Tequila. I think the flipside "Midnighter" is even better. A Challenge release from 1958.


12. on a slow boat to china - (unknown)

The original vocal version was from 1948 by Kay Kyser. Emile Ford and his Checkmates had a big hit with it. I don't know who this is.

5. gator tails and monkey ribs - the spats

My two fave Spats songs are the garage stomper "She done moved" and "Go go Yamaha", featuring Dick Johnson. And third comes this strollin' r&b frat rocker from 1964 on ABC-Paramount.

13. the roach - the spats

B-side of "Gator tails", "The roach" is the next on their menu. Both songs also appear on their sole album "Cookin' with The Spats".

6. jerk a cha cha - (unknown)

Mix a jerk tune with a latin flavour and the result is this: "Jerk a cha cha", an instrumental boogaloo orchestra song.

14. blues moderne - (unknown)

A bluesy jazz swinger with marimbas, double bass and a saxophone in a fast rhythm for jivers and swingers on the dance floor.

7. doin' 'em up - the treniers

A saxophone fighting a double bass while the four vocalists are singing "Doin' 'em up" all the time. A 1955 release on Epic.

15. go!go!go! - the treniers

Horns announce it's swing time. Go! Go! Go! With the Treniers. Go and jive in '55.

8. wiggle wobble - (unknown)

Uknown artist. Do the wiggle and do the wobble all night long with this r&b instrumental. Slowed down it's the perfect popcorn tune. This is not the same version as the one on vol 178.

16. ti mon bo - (unknown)

What an excellent mambo instrumental version of the Tito Puente song from 1958, which he recorded with the help of Willie Bobo and Mongo Santamaria.