A treat for

A new Cd has surfaced called "The Surfmen Studio 102 Essentials" This CD has all the tracks from The Surfman's 1st LP "The Sounds of Exotic Island" (Released about 1960) and the additional 6 tracks from the 2nd LP "Hawaii" AKA "Romantic Lure of Hawaii" (released about 1963).

The UP side - These tracks sound probably about as good as they have ever sounded (At least outside the studio). They may have had a very slight Noise reduction, but other then that, the mastering is lust like you remember it. All tracks from the first 2 LP's are all here.

The DOWN side - The 18 tracks on the CD are sequenced in alphabetical order. Also, it has a rather generic looking cover insert. It would've been great if they could have included the artwotk of the original "Sounds of Exotic Island" LP (Original cover art link follows)

http://artworkbymanicmark.blogspot.com/2010/07/sounds-of-exotic-island-surfmen.html

This disc is released by a company called Madacy Entertainment. It is really a CD-R made when ordered, however, it sounds great (NOT like one just copied from an LP). And the packaging looks as good as you might find in a retail store. (still miss that original cover, though)

With a little programming from your CD player, you can change the track order and listen to "The Sounds of Exotic Island" Look at the cover art on your monitor, and take a trip back in time!! Think of the additional 6 tracks from the 2nd LP (which sound more like standard "Hawaiian Music") as bonus tracks.

In case you don't have the old LP, the track sequence for "Sound of Exotic Island" is:

Quiet Village, Tahiti Sunrise, Bali Ha'i, Bamboo, Jungle Romance, Forbidden Island, Taboo, Moonlight in Paradise, Luau, Fire Goddess, Orchid Lagoon, Moon of Manakoora.

A few of other points.

1. The Original LP was later re-released as "Tradewinds-Romance from Hawaii to Tahiti"
2. The track sequence on the rear of the original "Exotic Island" cover has an error. Orchid Lagoon & Fire Goddess are switched. The LP label, however, is correct.
3. There is also an MP3 downloadable album (I don't think you can purchase a full fledged hard copy) of these tunes called "Hawaii Dreamin'" I can't comment on the sound quality, because I haven't downloaded it. The tracks are close to the proper sequence but still not quite right.

Also, Martin Denny lovers who haven't heard The Surfmen should definitely check this one out!

[ Edited by: thegalaxybeing 2012-07-31 19:31 ]

WOW!!!!!!!

That is very cool news.

I just ordered mine on Amazon.

Thanks galaxybeing!!! :)

Cheers and Mahalo,
Jeff

Thanks for the news,
I have both those LPs and love them.
will be good to have them on cd,
when lounging around and not wanting to get up and flip it over.
:wink:

Jeff(bigtikidude)

Thanks for the news!

The two tracks from the VERY FIRST Exotica music compilation -- DCC's 'Exotica' from 1995 -- has two Surfmen (credited to South Sea Serenaders) tracks on it, 'Taboo' and 'Tahiti Sunrise'. These were taken from the master tapes themselves and sound terrific. I'm wondering if this mysterious CD-R sounds as good as these two tracks. I'm also wondering that perhaps the two South Sea Serenaders (Surfmen) LPs were released on budget CDs with different artwork (e.g. -- Robert Drasnin 'Exotic Excursion'), sometime in the 1990s in a very limited run; and that perhaps the person selling these has simply ripped them from such, rather than going in and getting them from the master tapes (which would involve a lot of work, licencing, permissions, etc.), but yet would've produced a far more professional product with original cover art, liner notes, etc.

Good news, and I'm glad it's being offered. But there's something fishy about this.

The Surfmen albums are a strange lot. Cover variations, different song titles on the same record, etc, etc.

Here are a few choice covers.

Enjoy.............

Cheers and Mahalo,
Jeff

I don't know how these track were acquired, but they do sound great. I was very pleased. I was also happy that they were not altered in any way, except, perhaps, a slight noise reduction. The Exotic Island tracks were note for note perfectly faithful tho the LP. I didn't remember the 2nd LP quite as well, because Exotic Island was my totally favorite LP and I really played it to death!!

I'm curious to see what the other fans of this music will think of this CD once they hear it. When I got mine, the first thing I did was to make a back-up with the tracks in the correct sequence. Now I just put it in and drift off to the lure and spell of Exotic Island.

THIS IS THE REAR COVER OF "THE SOUNDS OF EXOTIC ISLAND" (although usually the logo, spectrum etc is in black and white)
SINCE IT IS A BIT SMALL, I WILL COPY THE SMALL PRINT:

Here are the sounds of far away Exotic Island.
This is music with the hypnotic enchantment of a jungle paradise filled with both the romantic and the forbidden. From the delicate eroticism of the "Orchid Lagoon," the calling surf of "Moonlight in Paradise," to the terror of the volcanic sacrifice in "Fire Goddess"; this is music of a unique and spicy flavor. This is the lure and spell of Exotic Island.

The arrangements of this album were scored by two very capable beachcombers-Joe Kuhn and Bob Louden. The Surfmen include such top notch west cost musicians as Paul Horn, Rowland Bundock, Al Hendrickson, Alvino Rey, Jack Sperling, Sam Weiss, J. Castonza, Milt Holland, Gene Estes, Ann Stockton & Emil Richards.

Special percussion instruments used were: Tahitian log, Chinese wind glass, Guatemalan Gourd, coconut shells, lava stones, bamboo rods from Hawaii, bamboo puppet shakers from Hong Kong, and congo drums from Tanganyika, Africa. Tropical bird calls, surf and jungle sounds are authentic recordings of the same.

Recorded under the direction of D. L. Miller at United recording Studios, Hollywood California. Cover photo George Pickow. Cover art Will Dressler.

Ask your dealer for these other Stereo-Fidelity albums

(then there is then the box of 16 Somerset record titles, then)

This stereophonic 331/3 R.P.M. long playing record has been mastered employing the Westex cutter head system driven by a Scully Lathe. We do not claim full fidelity when played on a monaural phonograph. This is a stereo recording manufactured to the highest stereophonic audio standards.

Stereo-Fidelity records are manufactured by Miller International Co., Media, Penn., U.S.A.

AHH!! SUCH WAS THE EARLY DAYS OF STEREO. (this was circa 1960)

The cover photo (& art) they refer to is, of course, the nude woman coming out of the orchid.

Something odd too. Note that the record jacket indicated that it was recorded in Hollywood. Now, when the LP was re-released under the name "Tradewinds - Romance from Hawaii to Tahiti" the group was now given the name "The South Sea Serenaders" Also in Big letters, it states "Recorded in Honolulu".

Maybe while in California, Mr. Miller jumped into a ship to Hawaii carrying the master tapes in his waterproof briefcase, and once in Honolulu he jumped off the ship, swam to shore, jogged to a recording studio and re-recorded the music onto a new blank tape. I guess he also couldn't remember the name he originally gave the band!! I mean after out swimming the sharks, dodging surfers (or should I say surfmen?? Ouch) and all.

Anyway, he did manage to produce one hell of an exotica album even if he was the PT Barnum of record producers.

I would bet that by the time the 2nd Surfman LP "Hawaii" (or "The Romantic Lure of Hawaii") was released, The Surfmen was made up of different musicians. The music on the new tracks sounds very VERY different. More like what we came to know as standard Hawaiian music.

During the past decade, Exotica has had quite a resurgence. So maybe Mr. Miller had the last laugh. Along with Martin Denny. Thanks for the great music you guys!!

I consider "Exotic Island" as really one of the BEST exotica LPs EVER made> Awhile ago, I picked up a Japanese CD with all the Surfmen "Exotic Island" tracks...by a different title...glad to see it out now. NOW, I hope someone will do a clean, clear CD re-issue of Milt Raskin's "Kapu"....but I'm not holding my breath on that one.

good news. I also have those 2 LPs, but I'd be happy to have it on CD for the car...

I am assuming that the two group names were owned by the label and used for any sort of group the label deemed appropriate.

I ask because I had one of the follow-up albums, and it sounded like generic Hawaiian easy listening, as opposed to the jazzy exotic sounds heard on the first album.

Did any of those west coast cats participate on the later albums?

I know some of them appeared on 2 Somerset LP's titled "Perspectives in percussion".

Also Rowland Bundock & Jim Rowles appear on the "Juntos" CD by The Nash Brothers. Tracks were from about 1954-1956. It's contemporary jazz (at least, so much as that term was known in that time). The CD houses the complete LP "The Brothers Nash" which was originally on the Liberty label, Plus 12 tracks from a couple earlier sessions.

Alvino Rey and Milt Holland are on the Dot LP "George Cates' Polynesian Percussion" (DLP 25355) It has not been released on CD yet, but the LP is worth seeking out IMHO. If interested, I would recommend the STEREO version. It's not exactly Exotica But it does have a unique sound. I would say it's a bit more "lounge" sounding. It has lots of slide guitar and interesting percussion. Novachord & flute are also featured. It was produced by Lawrence Welk & Released around 1963.

Some of these musicians also played for Henry Mancini, and appear on some of his LP's released from the late 50' to early 70's

Paul Horn, of course, did pretty well as a solo artist.

I'm sure there are more cases.

[ Edited by: thegalaxybeing 2009-07-07 14:04 ]

Thanks, but what I meant was are they on the other Surfmen/South Seas Serenaders albums.

Unfortunately, the later releases have little or no info on the music itself. Plus, since most of them included tracks from the first LP, the info wouldn't help unless it was given by track. There seems to be a total lack of info on line (at least on the more common Exotica sites) regarding The surfmen releases. I personally have had no luck finding info of the "Hawaiian" sounding tracks.

As time passed, Miller's record company cut costs more and more. The labels & packaging looked cheaper, dust sleeves were no longer used, there was very little info on the rear of the jackets (but more advertising of other releases). By the early 70's they were considered, very low end products. Quality of the records themselves also declined (I mean physical not artistic) The record surfaces often had a bump here and there. I personally purchased Somerset LP's with the wrong record inside on two separate occasions in 1971/72.

My point is that the company was producing a bear minimum product and no thought was given to keeping track of this info.

I would bet that the later tracks are mostly (if not completely) different studio musicians. Even the name of the group became merely a marketing tool (Hence The South Sea Serenaders & The Surf Serenaders) Probably an attempt to sell the same songs over & over. Once the "Alshire" label was used the practice remained. This is why I call D L Miller the PT Barnum of record producers. I once ordered a "Catalog" and got 3 sheets of paper with a list of titles.

I still search for info on this as I'm also curious. I have my doubt of finding it, though. Fortunately, Mr. miller produced some great stuff, especially early on, and much of these products are not that hard to find. Appearently there is a good amount of decent masters too.

I enjoy what I can of it. It's a wonderful (if somewhat confusing) page of American music history!

[ Edited by: thegalaxybeing 2009-07-07 20:05 ]