Quieter Villages

Not sure if this topic is suitable, but I thought I'd give it a try. If it isn't please let me know and I'll delete it.

My gateway drug into exotica music was probably the same as many people, Martin Denny's original Exotica album. The song "Quiet Village" really got into my head ... one of those songs that you hear for the first time and know you are going to be playing it again and again. Over a while I heard a lot of versions of this song, but in general they tended to follow the Martin Denny pattern of instrumentation and animal sounds and it's easy to think that the instrumentation and animal songs were what made the song "Quiet Village" so great in the first place.

I came across a couple of covers that challenged that. The first one was the harpsichord cover by Jonathan Knight from his 1967 exotica album "Lonely Harpsichord: Rainy Night in Shangri-La". There are other notable exotica standards on it like "Yellow Bird" "Flamingo" and "Bali Ha'i" on it as well. There's some light percussion and animal/weather sounds that follow the music, but in general it's played straight. The harpsichord makes it sound like chamber music which pulls it more into the classical territory than usual jazz, with the sound effects keeping it exotica. It's definitely different and it's on Apple Music and Bandcamp ( https://jonathanknight.bandcamp.com/album/lonely-harpsichord-rainy-night-in-shangri-la ) if you haven't heard it before.

The second cover that I just love is the slack key version of Quiet Village by Pancho Graham from his 2010 CD "Pine Tree Slack Key". I'm sure everyone has their favorite version of Quiet Village but this one is done on a single guitar and really shows that the song itself is really a wonderfully composed melody at its base. This version is also for me where the song meets Hawaiian slack key, and really illustrates the versatility of the song. The song is also on iTunes/Apple Music, but I was able to purchase a copy of the CD from his website at http://www.panchograham.com/ . Mr. Graham still plays live on the islands, and I will be sure to hear him the next time I visit.

Hearing these two versions was really eye opening to me, and helped me realize that "Quiet Village" is more than the bird calls and percussive instrumentation but at its heart a compositional masterpiece by Les Baxter. Could you please share any versions of this song that are notable?

The variant that immediately comes to mind to me as something dramatically different from the Denny or Baxter versions is the 1977 sexed-up disco version by the Ritchie Family: Check it out here

I’ve never heard that before … thank you!! I really can’t believe the background vocals, “you sexy thing, you turn me on” … that is way over the top but absolutely true to the era. Amazing.

Here’s another one I forgot to add — Quiet Village on steel drums for that nice Caribbean sound by the Toucans Steel Drum Band. https://toucans.bandcamp.com/track/quiet-village

These are great! It just proves that a great tune is a great tune regardless of the arrangement.

Fun thread! Five years ago--maybe more--DigiTiki devoted an entire episode of the Quiet Village Podcast to showcasing different versions of Quiet Village. That's more than an hour of various covers, and he's clear in the discussion parts that he omitted many other versions. When a song hits it big, everyone wants in on the action!

More recently he put together a bonus episode of Bali Ha'i covers, in pretty much the same format: www.digitiki.com

[ Edited by Prikli Pear on 2023-08-08 07:38:06 ]

Wow! "Lonely Harpsichord: Rainy Night in Shangri-La" is truly magical, thank you for sharing!

I checked it out this morning -- really enjoyed listening to all the Quiet Villages!! One I found particularly interesting was the live King Kukulele solo ukulele version -- would have been magical to be there for that!

Inspired, I went looking for more unique versions of QV and found one that actually made me want to light up instead of drink up -- the El Chicano version from their 1970 latin/psycheldelia album "Viva Tirado". Kind of makes me wonder what a jam band would have done with Quiet Village, has a kind of Santana meets Phish vibe to it. The jamming in the middle is fun and is just a great listen on these hot summer days. If you haven't heard it and want to take a listen, it's here on YT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eDstVCjPzI

I second the thanks for Lonely Harpsichord--it is very, very enjoyable.

I found a copy of that Pancho Graham Quiet Village on YouTube, please take a listen and imagine yourself on a white sandy beach with a cool ocean breeze.

https://youtu.be/DsKzRSLk93Y?si=ix_8mb9_jOn6cEBW

BONUS: here’s his slack key Bali Ha`i as well. Wish he’d release a whole album of these!

https://youtu.be/FAp6Ecbpxao?si=3uBBEeEv0eulqTM9

[ Edited by ClayBouTiki on 2023-08-24 21:10:40 ]

Okay…

I'm about to show my age here. Way back in the Dark Ages of the Innerweb there was a Blog concerning Exotica, and related, music called Xtabay's World.

It was out of Australia and it was Marvelous!

Xtabay (moniker used by the operator) would post Compilation Collections, occasionally, of Exotica, Exotic Jazz, Exotic Surf Guitar and Bongo Jazz.

In 2006 he posted two collections entitled "The Exotic Sounds of Quiet Village", Volumes 1 & 2. They contain 42 different recordings of the song including both Mono and Stereo by Les Baxter and four different by Martin Denny. The Jonathan Knight Harpsichord version is included on the 2nd volume. The artists and the musical styles included are probably as varied and original as any that had existed between 1952 and 2006.

These two collections are both listed (and their cover art displayed) on the Endless Exotica website at: Volume 1 & Volume 2

I have since collected 93 other versions of the tune (many recorded since 2006!) and created additional editions of "The Exotic Sounds of Quiet Village", Volumes 3 through 6.

These are also listed on Endless Exotica (it Truly Is ENDLESS) at: 3, 4 (featuring our own Bam Bam as Electrospinner), 5, & 6.

There are a couple of nice versions by The Martini Kings in this "extended" set as well.

I'm currently working on the next Volume (which will include the version by Seattle's Grooviest Steel Drum Band - The Toucans!, and Pancho Graham, as well as the Absolutely Crap-Ass Jimmy Buffet Live Recording featuring Martin Denny, at the age of 93, for an entire 1 minute and 23 seconds) but it may take a while to find enough versions to fill the entire collection.

Go ahead and check this one out (from Xtabay's Vol. 2): Quiet Village by My Skinny Wonderland

Now that I've started it, this could keep you busy for a while. Be Warned: It's a Sickness! More info soon!

[ Edited by Traitor Vic on 2023-08-27 22:10:00 ]

I've actually seen these compilations but do not know how I can listen to them ... but I am relieved to know that there are people even more intense on this particular tune as I am, it makes me feel less crazy!

Do these compilations exist anywhere they are listenable?

They Do! And They Are!

I do not know, however, of anywhere from which they are or which they've ever been.

These are crazy times, boy howdy!

I will, most likely, be posting all of these collections to my old blog, The Tuna Melt pretty soon.

Stay Tuned!!!

[ Edited by Traitor Vic on 2023-09-06 17:09:26 ]

Okee Dokee!!

I've begun posting The Exotic Sounds of Quiet Village Compilations to The Tuna Melt.

Y'all can come over there and download it if you'd like.

If you wouldn't like, then don't. Just sayin'.