Hey there, Martin Denny fans!

For those of you out there with a warm place in your heart for Martin Denny, I've stumbled across a rather obscure, yet still available compilation of Denny's stuff on CD. It's actually a Japanese import on EMI entitled "Martin Denny / The Very Best of Martin Denny The Exotic Sounds". Sounds like broken English and probably is, but this disc has several songs I've never heard before as well as some alternate recordings of all the familiar stuff. It has "Happy Talk" from South Pacific, a Dennyfied version of "Over the Rainbow", a real 60's hipster version of "Sukiyaki" (one of my favorite songs ever), a way-gone track called "Sake Rock" with trashy, garage-band drums, and a completely hilarious version of "Quiet Village" with a full-on, synthesizer treatment that'll make you bust a gut when you hear it. There's also a lot of other really cool material I haven't seen elsewhere (on CD at least) and has an intro track of an MC announcing Martin Denny, presumably from his stint as the headliner at Henry Kaiser's Hawaiian Village resort on Waikiki. The liner notes are mostly in Japanese, but it does have a listing of Denny's discography which is absolutely staggering and a list of recommended exotica recordings of other artists I never knew existed (worth further investigation). Who knows how much more obscure Denny stuff is out there waiting to be mined.

[ Edited by: quickiki 2007-02-24 08:41 ]

That sounds really interesting! Is this it?

The Very Best of Martin Denny

Yup, that's it alright. I think a lot of people overlook this one because the cover is the ubiquitous "Bamboo Girl" from the first "Exotica" record and subsequent rehashed compilations. I bought it through deepdiscount.com, but other outlets carry it as well.

that's the first martin denny album I ever had.

Ah, thank goodness for the Japanese Imports! Actually, 20 songs from this compilation can be found found on CD elsewhere:

'Quiet Village', 'Jungle Flower', and 'Japanese Farewell Song' can be found on the Scamp dual release
'Exotica/Exotica II' CD;

'Forbidden Island', 'Mau Mau', and 'Bangcock Cockfight' can be found on the Scamp dual CD 'Forbidden Island/Primitiva';

'American In Bali', 'Hypnotique', 'Bamboo Lullaby', 'Manila', and 'Jungle Madness' on 'Hypnotique/Exotica III';

'Ma'chumba' on the Scamp single disc 'Afro-Desia'

'Sake Rock', 'Happy Talk, 'Firecracker', 'Cross Current', 'Paradise Found', and 'Stardust' can all be found on the Scamp dual release 'Quiet Village/The Enchanted Sea'.

All the above are from the original albums the songs originally appeared on.

And 'Exotic Moog' -- bringing the number of songs off this compilation that can be found currently on CD to 20) can be found on several compilations, including the Ultra Lounge compilation 'Bottom's Up!' -- possibly the first time to appear on CD (though there may have been some moog comp prior this release).

The remaining 9 tracks cannot -- to my knowledge -- be found on CD (unless Japanese or a bootleg from vinyl).

'Moon Light And Shadows' is off of 'Exotic Percussion';
'Indrani' is off of the 'Taste Of India' album; and so and and so forth. (If anyone wants to pick up my listings slack, please help yourself!)

A good compilation, if for only the previously-unreleased-domestically-on-CD tracks. Frankly, I would only be tempted to buy this compilation if the previous 20 songs were replaced by 20 songs off of Denny's currently unreleased albums, as the domestically unreleased to CD tracks I already have on CD from vinyl. Still, it's more of a pleasure to hear these songs taken from the master tapes and not vinyl (if, indeed, they are! Sometimes master tapes get destroyed or lost).

Why don't these record company chumps get on the ball and release Denny's other albums from the 1960s? Remaster, market, sell, immortalise. Niche market, my ass!

On 2007-03-08 12:51, DJ Terence Gunn wrote:

Why don't these record company chumps get on the ball and release Denny's other albums from the 1960s? Remaster, market, sell, immortalise. Niche market, my ass!

A man after my own heart!!!

Cheers and Mahalo,
Jeff

For some reason the record companies have not released all of Denny's albums intact in his vinyl discography, but instead rehash the material in various compilations and permutations repeating the same tracks over and over again (enough of the Quiet Village, already!). I don't know if it's a licensing issue or they just don't feel that there is market for the stuff, but in either case it's pretty sad considering the absolute dreck they choose to publish as contemporary music these days (don't get me started).

I don't own any of the Ultra Lounge discs as mentioned by DJ Terence Gunn and only own a few of Denny's compilation discs, including the excellent double disc collection which was issued in the Ultra Lounge series about ten years ago. Despite some overlap with the tracks on other CD's, I feel there is enough unusual material covered on this Japanese import worth the price, especially if you don't want to shell-out for all the individual albums.

As for the sound quality, it seems pretty good, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of manipulation or remastering/remixing here. I can't tell if they were lifted from vinyl or not, but there are no obvious clicks, and pops. The CD's released from the Capitol Ultra Lounge series definitely seem "cleaner" than this disc, although they also may not be as faithful to the original recording.

Considering that this import goes in and out of print and there is almost a third of the material on this disc not found on CD (to my knowledge), I think it's still a great disc for Denny fans, even though it has a rather steep price tag.

On 2007-02-23 19:02, quickiki wrote:
For those of you out there with a warm place in your heart for Martin Denny, I've stumbled across a rather obscure, yet still available compilation of Denny's stuff on CD. It's actually a Japanese import on EMI entitled "Martin Denny / The Very Best of Martin Denny The Exotic Sounds". Sounds like broken English and probably is, but this disc has several songs I've never heard before as well as some alternate recordings of all the familiar stuff. It has "Happy Talk" from South Pacific, a Dennyfied version of "Over the Rainbow", a real 60's hipster version of "Sukiyaki" (one of my favorite songs ever), a way-gone track called "Sake Rock" with trashy, garage-band drums, and a completely hilarious version of "Quiet Village" with a full-on, synthesizer treatment that'll make you bust a gut when you hear it. There's also a lot of other really cool material I haven't seen elsewhere (on CD at least) and has an intro track of an MC announcing Martin Denny, presumably from his stint as the headliner at Henry Kaiser's Hawaiian Village resort on Waikiki. The liner notes are mostly in Japanese, but it does have a listing of Denny's discography which is absolutely staggering and a list of recommended exotica recordings of other artists I never knew existed (worth further investigation). Who knows how much more obscure Denny stuff is out there waiting to be mined.

[ Edited by: quickiki 2007-02-24 08:41 ]

I bought this in Tokyo when it first came out around 1990 . Early synth version of Quiet Village WILD ! Hehe...

Martin Denny is the best singer in my opinion.

Convert DVD to iPhone whenever you want.

[ Edited by: crespowu 2007-07-05 23:09 ]

Maybe you are thinking of SANDY Denny of Fairport Convention ???

Bought a cheap but huge box of 50s and 60s 45rpms from Ebay here in UK ... the listing didn't name any of them! It arrived today... only replacement paper sleeves though...

And in it (amongst some rockabilly gems...) were:

:)

Lucky dawg.....I would frame those babies. :D

Hey kids, I've created a Martin Denny / Exotica theme for the Blackberry Pearl:

Tonight I was dreaming of an exotic South Seas getaway -- some far off dreamland littered with stone tikis, thatch-roofed houses, Leetag prints, green skinned dancing girls, and exotic cocktails sipped from upside down skulls emitting a slow-moving fog. It is to such places that my wild, barbarous imagination yearns to travel.

If you too care to sail away on a boat populated by scantily dressed pleasure slaves each and every time somebody calls, accompanied by a backdrop of primordial toucan sqwuaks, monkey screeches, and a very mean vibraphone, just do the following to install Exotica! for Blackberry Pearl:

Download the Martin Denny Exotica album cover optimized for Blackberry Pearl screens:

(Go to www.desertmodernism.com/exot300.jpg , then Right click and Save As, then add to your Blackberry's Media folder and set as Wallpaper)

Download the Martin Denny Quiet Village ringtone (Right click and Save As, then add to your Blackberry's Media folder and set as Ringtone)

Tropical ersatz is now a local call. Aloha.

[ Edited by: tikidude3 2007-08-28 19:09 ]

Just picked this CD up last night. I about fell over when I found it at the local Bestbuy, not known for the exotica they DON"T carry around here. Great CD with a cool little book inside with lots of info on Martin.

Just got around to listening to the new CD last night in my home lounge. Made mai tais for the wife and I. As always the music made the mood. As we sat sipping our cocktails and enjoying the music a cool thing happened. I thought the CD was over when a voice started talking that kinds freaked us out at first. I was mister Denny talking about the old days and his music. An interview on track 19 of the CD. I didn't even read the song list before I popped it in the player. Great CD.

Sounds exiting uncletrav... I'm on the hunt for that first thing in the morning!

On 2007-07-18 13:29, 54 house of bamboo wrote:
Bought a cheap but huge box of 50s and 60s 45rpms from Ebay here in UK ... the listing didn't name any of them! It arrived today... only replacement paper sleeves though...

Thats funny HOB..... you're signature about the Stevenson wedding mug. That's my last name. I guess I'll need one of those for when I get married. lol!!

Johnny Sokko once said, "Giant Robot!! Atomic Punch!!". I thought that meant add more rum to it.

[ Edited by: GiantRobotTiki 2007-09-17 21:37 ]

Hi from Berlin, Germany!

Have you read the last book by Haruki Murakami "Afterdark"? Well, inside is a song mentioned called "More", by Martin Denny. I have been looking for this song, but could not find it. Any ideas? BTW, end of the year I will visit Maui with my girlfriend - any suggestions for really good places? Also, music, of course :)

keep on surfin

Volker