Music for Sunady Date # 5

Hallo, friends, here's Karel and radio "Manzerock" is on the air! Today is the last day of the year 2006. I want to say Happy New Year to all of you, retro lovers. Hope the next year will bring you lots of nice music.

The first artist today is Alfi Kabiljo Ensemble. Alfi Kabiljo, composer, arranger, songwriter and producer, was born on December 22, 1935. He wrote, and still writes, lots of music for film and TV, arranges dance and classical music. The track is called "Morning Twist" (hope it will make you wake up ;)

El Toro et les Cyclones is a French beat group, they released a few EP's in the early 1960's. This song is "Twenty Flight Rock" with French lyrics was released in 1962.

I still wonder how many music lovers aware of Icelandic artists? I think they are just amazing. For example, female singer Ási í Bæ.

István Selmeczi, a Hungarian organist, plays a famous tune called "Green Fields". I don't know who's accomponied to him on this early 1960's track. It could be Koltay-Papp Együttes or Körmendi Vilmos ensemble... Anyway, this track is wonderful.

Hugo Strasser was a famous German clarnetist, formed his big band in 1955 and still in active. He was also successful as a composer, his "Lonely Trumpet" with Ray Anthony became a world hit.

There are more interesting tracks here, like "Santa Lucia" by Vico Torriani - very nice piece of Italian origin, "Hello, Mr. Sir..." by Austrian obscure beat band called The Hubbubs, Margareta Pâslaru - romanian music and film star, Camillo Felgen from Luxembourg, Mimi Nikolova backed by Bulgarian Radio and Television Orchestra conducted by M. Leviev.

The last track is Alexander Zatsepin' masterpiece from the motion picture "Tak Rozhdautsya Tosty". It was recorded by Zatsepin' ensemble in 1961.

Here's the full track list:

Ansambl Alfija Kabilja Jutarnji Twist (Yugoslavia)
El Toro et les Cyclones Vingtième Étage (France)
Ási í Bæ Sólbrúnir Vangar (Iceland)
István Selmeczi Zöld Volt a Mező (Hungary)
The Bachelors Only You (Ireland)
Hugo Strasser-Tanzorchester Popocatepetl Twist (Germany)
Margareta Pâslaru Doua Rindunici (Romania)
The Hubbubs Hello, Mr. Sir... (Austria)
Vico Torriani Santa Lucia (Switzerland)
Camillo Felgen Petit Bonhomme (Luxembourg)
Mimi Nikolova Sinee (Bulgaria)
L'ensemble de Zatsepin Prazdnichniy Vals (USSR)

Have a Happy New Year and all the best wishes to all of you!
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Music for Sunday Date # 4

Hallo, friends, here's Karel and radio "Manzerock" is on the air! First of all, I wanna say "Merry Christmas"and all the best wishes to all of you!

Today I continue to acquaint you with European retro music. Today I decided to start with the Dutch "A.V.R.O. Dansorkest". This is one of the best swing orchestras from the 1930's, and the first more or less dance orchestra employed by Dutch A.V.R.O. Radiostation back in the early 1930's. The song is called "Copper Colored Gal" and the singer is Freddy Johnson, american swing vocalist and pianist. The song was recorded in 1937.

Hula Hawaiians is a Swiss band from Basel, formed with inspiration from Dutch band Kilima Hawaiians. This is an instrumental number and it's called "The Chimpanzee Rock", recorded back in 1957.


Marino Marini e il suo Quartetto was the first European quartet that gained a fantastic popularity in the 1950-1960's. The song "Sei Bella" ("You're Wonderful") was released on a USSR record in the late 1950's.

Pompilia Stoian is a Romanian singer. With her fantastic vocal she was very popular in Europe.

Larissa Mondrus was a young singer who has recorded some very lively tunes with Egil Schwartz Orchestra. They are from Latvia.

There are some instrumental/big beat bands, like Crveni Koralji, Meteor, The Nightrunners and Hitmakers.

Johnny Hallyday sings a wonderful love song "Retiens La Nuit". Karel Vlach Orchestra is very good with the swing tune "Say It Softly to Me", and Caterina Valente with Peter Alexander sings in duo a funny song "Sing, Baby, Sing", recorded in 1955.

There are more interesting tunes to come, just keep on tuning.

Here's the track listing:

A.V.R.O. Dansorkest & Freddy Johnson Copper Colored Girl (Holland)
Hula Hawaiians The Chimpanzee Rock (Switzerland)
Marino Marini ed il suo Quartetto Sei Bella (Italy)
Pompilia Stoian Kiss Me Quick (Romania)
Crveni Koralji Tema Mladih Ljubavnika (Yugoslavia)
Johnny Hallyday Retiens La Nuit (France)
Karel Vlach Orchestra Say It Softly to Me (Czechoslovakia)
Larissa Mondrus Miliy Moi Fantaser (Latvia)
Meteor A Gardista (Hungary)
The Nightrunners Riders In the Sky (Sweden)
Hitmakers Jambalaya (Denmark)
Caterina Valente und Peter Alexander Sing, Baby, Sing (Germany/Austria)

Goodbye and have a nice weekend!

Download "Music For Sunday Date, 4" now.
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Music for Sunday Date # 3

Hello friends, "Music For Sunday Date" is on the air. This time it's been uploaded to the server which provided dirct links to files, so you do not have to write comfirmation numbers and see all that ads. Thanks to The WishMaster and Meloman forum.

Again, you'll travel all over Europe. Little Gerhard from Sweden sings a nice love song from 1958, Jacob Sisters presented their hit "So Ein Boy" from 1964, Radmila Karaklajic from Jugoslavia wrote her own lyrics for Louis Prima "Angelina Zooma Zooma" and sings it here... Well, lots of lovely songs.

Here's the full track listing for the party:

Karel Duba & His Band Aerotaxi (Czechoslovakia)
Little Gerhard All Right (Sweden)
Sheila Pendant Les Vacanses (France)
Jacob Sisters So Ein Boy (East Germany)
Laila Halme Muistojeni Laulu (Finland)
Jan Høiland Inden Sol Finner Vei (Til Min Gate) (Norway)
Vamosi Janos Csini Baba (Hungary)
Werner Müller mit sein Orchester Music Box Favoriten (West Germany)
Vello Orumets Kui Kõnnib Mannekeen (Estonia)
Radmila Karaklajić Angelina Zumba Zumba (Jugoslavia)
Oleg Anofriev Suppose that... (USSR)
L'ensemble Electron Guarda Come Dondolo (USSR)

Have a nice weekend!
:-)

Music for Sunday Date # 2

Hello, friends! Here you are – the second issue of the European Sunday compilation called "Music For Sunday Date". I enjoy making this, so and you, I hope.

Some tracks here are rather obscure. The Cliffters is a Danish band, very popular in the 60's, ofthen called as the Danish Shadows. The track "Sleepwalk" is from their early demo.

Anita Traversi song is not the best sound quality, but I doubt there is a better one anywhere?

Burt Blanca is my favorite Belgium guitarist, was very popular with his band in the 1960s. This version of "Telstar" has English lyrics, with magic organ at the beginning (and at the end of the song, too).

And again Lehel Németh presented Hungary here – I can't help it, I like him. And the same goes for Ivo Robić.

Elisabeth Granneman sings a funny song called "Square Waltz", she is from Norway.

Sile Dinicu and his Orcestra was transcribed from LP, so expect a little hiss. This Romanian swing band make a good point at the end of my new compilation.

The full track listing looks like this:

The Cliffters Sleepwalk (Denmark)
Adriano Celentano e I Ribelli Rip It Up (Italy)
Anita Traversi Cielo e Terra (Switzerland)
Burt Blanca Magic Star (Telstar) (Belgium)
Ivo Robić Stranci u Noći (Jugoslavia)
Lehel Németh Ramona (Hungary)
Oliver Twist & The Happy Twistler Twist fur Gina (West Germany)
Elisabeth Granneman En God Gammel, Firkantet Vals (Norway)
Milan Chladil Snění, To Pro Mne Není (Czeskoslovakia)
The Caretakers Caravan (Sweden)
Sile Dinicu et son Orchestre du Radio Romaina Potpourri from Romanian Composers, Part 1
Sile Dinicu et son Orchestre du Radio Romaina Potpourri from Romanian Composers, Part 2 (Romania)

Have a nice weekend!
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The Amphibian Man (Mosfilm, 1961)

This is a nice film and one of my favorites. It is called "The Amphibian Man" ("Chelovek-Amfibiya") and based upon the novel of sci-fi writer Aleksandr Belyayev.

The great cast including Anastasiya Vertinskaya, Vladimir Korenev, Mikhail Kozakov... Great underwater signs, nice atmosphere and, offcourse, the music.

The music was written by Andrew Petrov, young composer, who was unknown at the time. The producer asked him to write a sci-fi soundtrack. And Petrov came up with the fantastic music that was so nice and wonderful! Sometimes I still hear it on radio and TV.

I love this short soundtrack. It was released on a 33 RPM sampler vinyl shortly after the pciture release, and here's only music, no singing. Just great music.

Alexander Vladimirtsov et son Orchestre
Themes from the motion picture «The Amphibian Man»
Melodiya Records D 17315-6

Music for Sunday Date

I'm starting a new wave of my Retro Nostalgia Show: retro party called "Music For Sunday Date". It's compiled of 1960's music to listen, dance and relax to.

Have a nice weekend!

The Shadows Cosy (UK, 1962)
Peter Alexander Rocky-Tocky-Baby (Austria, 1957)
Wenche Myhre La Meg Være Ung (Norway, 1964)
Josef Vobruba se svým orchestrem Píseň pro Kristinku (Czechoslovakia, 1963)
Vico Torriani und Das Sunshine Quartett In der Schweiz (Switzerland, 1955)
Rein de Vries Patsy (Holland, 1962)
Lehel Németh Ó Serenella (Hungary, 1961)
Andromeeda Minu Vanem Vend (Estonia, 1970)
Richard Anthony Toi, L'ami (France, 1964)
The Bachelors Whispering (Ireland, 1963)
Danuta Rinn i Bohdan Czyzewski Bądź Wiosną Cały Rok (Poland, 1965)
Peppino di Capri Roberta (Italy, 1963)

Here's the link to download the whole party (79.8 Mb)

Baby Gate & The Happy Boys

That's the singer who is very original, I think. Her name is Anna Mazzini Maria, or Mina, and she's one of the biggest stars on Italian scene.

Mina was born on 25 March, 1940 in Busto Arsizio. In 1943 her parents moved to Cremona. There Mina started to study accounting, but not too long, because she decided to dedicate herself to music. That was in the middle 1950's when she heard rock'n'roll and started to sing with the local band The Happy Boys.

One summer evening of 1958 David Matalon, the head of Italdisc/Broadway records, noticed her and thought that she has a real talent. He signed her with his labels. In December two singles have been released. One, under the name Baby Gate & The Happy Boys, and another, under the name Mina.


Soon, The Happy Boys decided to make it their own way, and Mina formed a new band called Solitari. With Solitari Mina appeared on the first Italian Rock'n'roll festival and received a huge appreciation from the public. And the rest is history.

Listen to her first single from 1958, which was recorded under the name Baby Gate & The Happy Boys (Baby was Mina, and Gate came from her favourite gospel group Golden Gate Quartet). Really smashing record, here she goes!

Baby Gate & The Happy Boys
When // Be Bop A Lula
Broadway Records, B-1010 [1958]
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