Post #535836 by DejaVoodoo on Sat, Jun 12, 2010 2:52 PM

I LOVE me some Ultra-Lounge! :) I have the whole series and was really into them about 6 or 7 years ago, long after the height of their popularity. I may have discovered them late, but I'm so glad I found them at all! I think the "Christmas Cocktails" comps were my gateway Ultra-Lounge, and lounge/easy listening, CDs. Once I caught the sickness, there was no cure in sight! Still isn't, sometimes! :)

If I'm not mistaken, the Leopard skin sampler uh...samples two tracks from roughly the first half of the series, and the Tiki sampler does the same for the last half of the series, including the few in-depth single artist compilations released after the initial 18 volumes. So, it most certainly is NOT Tiki music. Any association that comp has with Tiki and Polynesian Pop ends with the artwork and packaging. In this case, don't judge a book by its cover! You'll be sorely disappointed if you do! LOL!

I am glad that since the initial release of the Ultra-Lounge series, quite a few full albums by the included artists have trickled out of the vaults over the years...on CD, no less! Namely:

*"Warm Brandy" by Dolores Gray (her song, "You're My Thrill" is featured on "UL Vol. 6: Rhapsodesia" and was reissued by DRG records.)

*"Christmas Favorites" by The Hollyridge Strings (a bunch of their syrupy, reverb laden easy listening orchestral takes on holiday standards were featured on the "UL: Christmas Cocktails parts 1 & 2" and the full album was reissued by Collectors' Choice Music.)

*"Softly" by Wanda De Sah (a slew of her songs wound up on "UL Vol. 14: Bossa Novaville" and the full album was reissued TWICE, first by Rev-Ola in the UK and then as a twofer with a Brasil '65 album on DRG records)

*"Cha Cha De Amor" by Dean Martin (yep, the title song was apparently the inspiration for "UL Vol. 9: Cha-Cha De Amor" and thanks to Collectors' Choice Music, you can own the full album WITH bonus tracks!)

There are probably a ton more, as this is by no means a definitive list! I just mentioned the ones I was most interested in seeking out.

Most all of the Julie London and Jackie Gleason UL tracks can be found on their respective albums reissued on CD either as imports or domestic releases. Half the fun, frustrating as it may be, is tracking this stuff down! Nine times out of ten, though, the full album CDs are out of print. :( However, every once in a while you get lucky, like I did with Jimmy McGriff's "Christmas With McGriff." Those "dirty" organ renditions of Christmas songs on the "Christmas Cocktails" comps are mostly played by Mr. McGriff and can be found on the full album released on CD by Collectables Records.

Ah, what a thread! Like I said at the beginning, I love me some Ultra-Lounge! Now which volume should I listen to next? :)