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PAPETTI'S 17ª RACCOLTA (1974)

Original Released on LP Durium DUC 1055

(MOÇAMBIQUE, 1974)

One more Papetti's raccolta: the 17ª, from 1974.

And this one with some touch of nostalgia, 'cause it was made in my homeland (Lourenço Marques) by Teal Discs.

OS PAQUERAS: NA ONDA DO TREMENDÃO

Edição Original em LP Premier PRLP 1012

(BRASIL, 1967)

ARCHIE'S CLUB À GOGO (1967)

Original Released on LP Gallotone SGALP 10

(SOUTH AFRICA, 1967)

Be happy, my friends, 'cause here is, just for you, one more jewel recorded in South Africa. It's a very rare record with an excepcional sound, which probably you'll only find here, in Rato's hole. The players are Archie Silansky Orchestra at his very best, with the voices of Cathy Carole and Eddie Ellis. A douzen of great selections (in all 30 hits from 1967) that will put you jumping from the first track until the last one. I've being listen to this exciting sound all the weekend and I can't stop!

ALBUM-DOCUMENTO: AS DÉCADAS DE 60 E 70

RC PRA SEMPRE (ANOS 60)

Edição Original em LP CBS 37.475 (1966/12)

Gravado no estúdio CBS do Rio de Janeiro, entre Outubro e Novembro de 1966. Acompanhamento: membros das bandas The Jet Blacks, The Youngsters, Fevers e Renato e Seus Blue Caps, com participação do tecladista Lafayette. Produzido por Evandro Ribeiro. Fotos de Armando Canuto

Edição Original em LP CBS 37.525 (1967/11)

Gravado no estúdio CBS do Rio de Janeiro, entre Agosto e Outubro de 1967. Acompanhamento: membros das bandas Renato e Seus Blue Caps e RC-7, com participação do tecladista Lafayette e acompanhamento da orquestra de cordas e metais CBS. Produzido por Evandro Ribeiro. Técnicos: Ademar e Eugénio. Fotos de Darcy Trigo.

"See me, feel me, touch me, heal me..."

Original Releases:

US - 2 LP Decca DXSW 7205 (1969, May 17)

UK - 2 LP Track 613 013/4 (1969, May 23)

From the blows of the album’s opening number “Overture”, TOMMY makes its mark as a unique concept record. For one thing, at the time it was written, concept albums were scarce and wild, its predecessor only being Sgt. Pepper’s, from the Beatles. What’s so unique about TOMMY is that sounds different from the other Who records because of being volatile and electric, like the other Who records, TOMMY happens to be somewhat laid back in comparison. Townshend trades his electric guitar which he smashed on stage, for a humble acoustic guitar on a good percentage of the tracks on TOMMY. And when he does play his electric guitar, rather than making it raw, punky, and obnoxious by using massive amounts of feedback, his electric playing is made to seem grandiose and dramatic, with a thespian presentation by limiting the playing to explosive chords and by dividing them into quick picks of four.

John Entwistle has dropped his wowing bass playing for a more grounded role, more often than not standing silent in the background. But he adds his ox flair with his ostentatious trumpeting. He makes the militant theme with his flair on trumpet, and slowly emerges as quite the brass player. Keith Moon is what he’s always been - a coked up crazy man who drives his Rolls Royce into swimming pools, but justifies his actions with some absolutely insane drumming. Sure, it might be a little unruly and random, but his talent on drums is very well received and quite frankly, awesome. And another thing very different about TOMMY as well is that Townshend also takes up the role of lead vocals much more often than on other Who albums.

Pete Townshend's own candid telling of the story of TOMMY's conception. was the zenith (and, ultimately, the end) of his creative partnership with the band's producer / manager Kit Lambert. Lambert's utter belief in Pete's ability to take a bunch of West London mods into a studio to forge a coherent statement that came to be known as 'rock opera' was the fire that lit the fuse. Townshend had already attempted the concept format with his semi-successful A Quick One. In reality this and TOMMY had much in common. Both showed the composer to be fast outgrowing his r 'n' b roots to become an accomplished explorer of themes and moods. (TOMMY's true glory lies in its extended instrumental passages that, while being a little repetitive, blend themes gloriously). And both had librettos which were, somewhat shakey. Yet, while A Quick One concerned a woman's extra marital affair with a train driver, TOMMY took itself slightly more seriously. In fact, the quality so roundly hits you between the eyes that you wonder how on earth anyone put up with anything less over these three decades. Every slip, every bum note and every wobbly vocal merely makes it more precious. Tommy we can hear you…

Pete Townshend possibly feels a lot like David O. Selznick, the producer of the movie `Gone With The Wind' in fearing that he will only be remembered in his obituary by his creating that one work, as Townshend, like Selznick, seems to have been spending his time after completing their most important work in trying to top it. To my mind, Townshend should have no regrets about not topping TOMMY, as it is easily one of the two or three most important albums and works in the entire Rock canon, similar in importance and possibly superior in quality to Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and Blonde on Blonde, to name just two others high in the ranks of great Rock albums. Some writers have said that TOMMY is more like an Oratorio or a Song Cycle than it is an Opera, but I disagree. Neither of these other two genres requires a plot, and an Opera does, and TOMMY has a plot. I prefer to think of it as a selection of arias and instrumental passages from which some bridging dialogue has been left out. My biggest problem with this plot is that the actual event that triggers TOMMY's autism is only hinted at in the most vague of terms.

It is easy to believe that it was a murder, but the lyrics of "You Didn't Hear It" never come even close to saying exactly what the event was. On the other side of the coin, the great majority of the songs on the album TOMMY directly support carrying the story forward. Practically the only exception is the Sonny Boy Williamson classic "Eyesight to the Blind". It is probably symptomatic that only "Pinball Wizard", "I'm Free", and "Sensation" out of the 24 cuts in TOMMY really work for the Who outside the context of the whole work. It is also interesting to see that the two cuts describing episodes of sadism were written by Entwistle and not Townshend. Listening to this album reminds one just how much their performances were a collaborative effort between the original four, and how much we miss Keith Moon and John Entwistle today. We can only say that with TOMMY and numerous other works and recorded performances, the memory of The Who will live forever.

THOSE CLASSIC GOLDEN YEARS 47

"There must be some way out of here..."

Original Released in 1967, December 27

US: LP Columbia CS 9604

UK: LP CBS 63252

THOSE CLASSIC GOLDEN YEARS 46

THOSE CLASSIC GOLDEN YEARS 45

CANNES 1969

Há 40 anos, a grande sensação do Festival de Cannes foi um filme soviético, "ANDREI RUBLEV", de Andrei Tarkovsky. Completado em 1966, foi conservado nas prateleiras pelo governo da U.S.S.R. que, entre outras coisas, o considerou muito pessimista para poder ser estreado durante as comemorações dos 50 anos da Revolução de Outubro. O filme abarca 8 episódios imaginários na vida de Rublev, um pintor do século 15, durante as suas deambulações na Russia feudal. Filmado em Cinemascope a preto e branco, este épico impressionante acaba com uma sequência a cores que faz justiça aos magníficos quadros do artista. Mas os prémios do Festival foram para outras direcções.

O Grande Prémio foi ganho por "IF..." de Lindsay Anderson, um ataque ao sistema educacional inglês (com Malcolm MacDowell no papel de Mick Travis, personagem que o actor retomaria em 1973 no filme "O LUCKY MAN / UM HOMEM DE SORTE", também de Anderson, e que seria como que uma continuação lógica do primeiro filme), enquanto que o Prémio Especial do Júri (presidido por Luchino Visconti) foi para um filme sueco de Bo Widerberg intitulado "ADALEN 31", sobre uma greve ocorrida numa fábrica de papel de uma pequena cidade do norte da Suécia que culminou no assassínio de 5 trabalhadores pelas forças policiais.

Os prémios pessoais foram para Glauber Rocha (realizador em "ANTONIO DAS MORTES"), Jean-Louis Trintignant (actor em "Z", de Costa-Gravas) e Vanessa Redgrave (actriz em "ISADORA", de Karel Reisz). Finalmente um outro filme daria também que falar no Festival, tornando-se, com o passar dos anos, num genuíno filme de culto, representativo de toda uma geração: "EASY RIDER", pelo qual Dennis Hopper ganharia o prémio de realização por uma primeira obra. Produzido e escrito por Peter Fonda (em parceria com Hopper), o grande trunfo do filme acaba por ser a fabulosa banda sonora recheada de temas fundamentais da cena pop-rock da época. Com uma belíssima fotografia de Laszlo Kovacs, o filme daria ainda a conhecer ao grande público um grande actor: Jack Nicholson, cuja participação (numa figura inesquecível) seria nomeada para o Oscar de Actor Secundário. O filme teria ainda mais uma nomeação, para o Argumento-Original.

PINKUMMAGUMMAFLOYD

Original Released on LP EMI-Harvest STBB-388

(UK, 1969 October 25)

Primeira parte: frescos minuciosamente reproduzidos, quatro peças monumentais em valiosas versões «ao vivo». "Careful With That Axe, Eugene" é particularmente valiosa: o seu dramatismo, a sua catarse, o seu sangue..., sentem-se claramente. Segunda parte: mais irregular. Wright é vítima de acessos de desmedida grandiloquência; Waters brilha mais, embora as suas vinhetas caiam às vezes no simplesmente anedótico - sem discutir os seus méritos por aparecer no Guiness pelo título mais longo da história ("Several Spieces...") -; Gilmour hesita entre a "síndrome Steve Howe" e uma corrosão mais agradecida; e Mason arrisca mais do que ninguém embrenhando-se em passadiços um tanto claustrofóbicos. Balanço: vence a primeira parte. A capa do disco, obra da Hipgnosis, desenhadores gráficos muito na moda durante os anos setenta, mostra a evolução da banda, já distante da figura fantasmagórica de Syd Barrett: já não há caos surrealista nem sonho psicadélico, e no fim, tudo se reduz a quatro individualidades de imagem inatingível.

NOTA: Este histórico album só deveria aparecer por aqui nos finais de Outubro, altura em que se completa o seu 40º aniversário. Mas o pedido de um grande amigo da juventude é para atender sem demoras, até porque foi ele que naquela época me deu a conhecer estas novas e estranhas sonoridades. Portanto aqui fica esta antecipação para o Zé Ganza, com muita saudade.

ALBUNS RETIRADOS

Os posts que continham estes albuns foram removidos pelo Blogger devido a queixas recebidas da DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act).

THE BEAT OF THE POPS 26

MOVIE POSTERS

Rato's

Movie Posters Database

is growing everyday!

You have already a thousand pictures

of great quality to choose from.

TAKE A LOOK!

RATO'S NOSTALGIA COLLECTION Nº 54

DAN HILL: SOUNDS LATIN!

Original Released on LP RPM 1033-S

(SOUTH AFRICA, 1969)

In the beginning of 1969, and in response to popular demand Dan Hill and his Sounds Electronic have focused their attention on some of the all-time Latin-American hits. The result? One of the best latin instrumental albums that I have listened until now! A friend sent me this jewel from South Africa (thanks again Gideon!) with some others albums, that he discovered on a flea market. The sound has been cleaned up and I have also "polished" the covers a little bit. So, please enjoy this great music with Rato's compliments.

DAN HILL: SOUNDS ELECTRONIC 10

Original Released on LP RPM 1060-S (STEREO)

(SOUTH AFRICA, 1970)

And the Sounds Electronic Series ended here, with this 10th volume: a douzen more of medleys with 36 great hits from the second half of 1970. Once more the cover was very original: a poster divided in four parts, with the usual pin-up in the middle.

This collection, as many others in that turn of decade made history in the records business - today, as you may see if you are familiar with blogs and other music sites, many people are collecting this kind of music, mainly in the form of the original vinil albums. And of course I'm one of them too.

DAN HILL: SOUNDS ELECTRONIC 9

Original Released on LP RPM 1045-S (STEREO)

(SOUTH AFRICA, 1970)

The Sixties had ended but the Sounds Electronic Series still lived in those beginnings of 1970. But not for much longer, 'cause it would be released just one more volume later that same year. You'll have that last volume here too, but for the moment enjoy this number 9, with 44 hits from thirty-eight years ago.

DAN HILL: SOUNDS ELECTRONIC 8

Original Released on LP RPM 1037-S
(SOUTH AFRICA, 1969)

After the Latin album came this number 8, the first volume of the hit series released in 1969, and it is presented here for the very first time, 'cause only recently I had it transfered into CD. The "formula" is the same as ever: medley covers of the recent hits (this time 42 of them) and an attractive pin-up, wearing just jewellery and once more hidden by a partial gatefold (now with two suggestive pieces of lingerie - always thinking on the potencial buyer who didn't need to take those pieces off...)

DAN HILL: SOUNDS ELECTRONIC 7

Original Released on LP RPM 1025-S

(SOUTH AFRICA, 1968)

To go along with the flower power of the year, this third volume of 1968 was released with a psychedelic cover, and no pin-up at sight (well, she was inside the gatefold deflowering a white flower: love me... love me not...)

DAN HILL: SOUNDS ELECTRONIC 6

ORIGINAL RELEASED AS LP RPM 1008-S
(SOUTH AFRICA, 1968)

And here it is the 6th volume of the Sounds Electronic Series, with more twelve medleys of 38 hits from 1968, and again with a great sexy cover (yes, another original one, before the censors made their cruzade). Don't you think that black and purple go wonderfully together?

DAN HILL: SOUNDS ELECTRONIC 5

Original Released on LP RPM 1001S

(SOUTH AFRICA, 1968)

This Sounds Electronic nº 5 was the first of the three volumes released along 1968 and also the first in a new label, RPM Records. And the lady on the cover was much more fast than all those who quickly opened the gatefold to see the other side - during those brief seconds she put on her bikini!. But the music of this album didn't loose its appeal - forty years later is still very enjoyable to listen to, as it was told on the liner notes:

Some say «It's a pity something so creative has to be a business». Dan Hill says «Thank goodness! That's what separates the men from the boys». Record marketing is like any other. There must be a differential. The product must stand out. Albums without this aren't around too long. So what's the Hill differential? Craftmanship. Excellence.
Businessmen like to remember The customer is no fool. The customers gave Dan three Golden Disc awards on sales of three albums in 1967 alone. Yes, the Sounds Electronic Series. Is there a record collection without them?
And now the Big Daddy of them all. SOUNDS ELECTRONIC 5. When Johannesburg's plush new RPM studios opened, sound-man Geoff Tucker lovingly patted one of the most elaborate and expensive mixing desks in the world. He gazed through the glass upon 2,000 precious new accoustically treated square feet of studio. He sighed, now would come the sounds he had dreamed of making. Here was the equipment and the world had no finer. The first session. Musicians pick their way through the forest of microphones. Only the top men. Only the best. They are the new breed... Studio musicians, geared to working in recording conditions. Gone are the musty old studios and matey old blows. The busk is buried. It's arrangements now. Exact, like blueprints. Dan has heard every note they will play. He heard it when it took shape in his mind. He uses two guitars and bass guitar - Harpsichord - Electronic Tuba - Electric Piano - Two Electric Organs - Piano - Trumpets - Sax - Flutes - Clarinets - Flugelhorn and a whole battery of drums. The work now is to get a perfect reproduction of what's in Dan's head.
They are ready. Where's Dan's rostrum? How will he conduct? There isn't. He doesn't. Someone shouts One two... One two three. And they begin. Dan walks back and forth. He's at the bass-guitar, then a shouted suggestion at the piano, then over to the trumpets. He signals something to Geoff. They have worked together so long they speak without words. They hear things no one else hears. The boys get excited. There's a thrilling drive to the music and they are feeling it. Eyebrows shoot up as they discover nuances and key changes that lift the melody and make it fly higher. Now it's "Cabaret" - now it's "You've Not Changed" - now it's the "For A Few Dollars More" theme. Now each knows why he chose this living.
Beautiful and strong like burnished brass, the sound is coming. Now hard and driving, now so pretty. Listen and love it. It's SOUNDS ELECTRONIC!

DAN HILL: SOUNDS ELECTRONIC 4

Original Released on LP CBS ASF-1199

(SOUTH AFRICA, 1967)

And in the second half of that same year of 1967, the number four of the series was released. To please the moral censors of those times the beautiful pin-up (one of the sexiest) on the cover was hidden by a suitable gatefold. About the music in it, let's see what was said on the liner notes:

«This is Dan Hill's 4th SOUNDS ELECTRONIC long-player. It's the best! Because it has more tunes, better sounds. I promise you when you hear the first track you'll move. The rhythm of the first cut "There Is A Mountain" is so compelling you'd have to be a downright music hater to resist jumping up and down (like I did) or even tapping your toes.
Dan and Geoff (he's Dan's inseperable sound engineer and buddy) led me into the control room, set me down in front of three speakers and played me a sample cut from this LP. Silence. Then... "Puppet On A String" leaps out of the speakers, glorious saxes ring out the familiar hit-making notes, trumpets take over triumphantly and the Scene scoops me up. I'm on wheels rolling down the road of effervescence. Fun and games after Puppet and we go straight into Miss "Tabatha Twitchit" - the beat is out of this world, space travel has nothing on this. Before we know it - "Kaiser Bill" marches in to the shrill of military-whistles. He in turn is succeeded by a bit of Hang-On-Snoopy-type music which introduces "Snoopy Versus The Red Baron"... and Dan leads the band in the shouting. It's spontaneous. Shades of the Turtles as "She'd Rather Be With Me" glides easily onto the tail of Snoopy and I'm trying to identify the electronic instrument chatting happily with the cool trumpets. The medley is over.
Dan looks younger suddenly. He's smiling and obviously knocked out himself. Geoff Tucker stands around looking like a proud father. Together they've done it. Together they have utilized South Africa's best musical talent; 4 tape machines (two of them four-tracks jobs); 6 reverberation units; 14 microphones; the most modern recording techniques in Africa; the most modern mixer and studio (Geoff spent 500 brain hours designing and building that alf-transistorized mixer); 40 of the top hits to emerge from the second half of the year 1967; and the ingenuity of the whole recording organisation. This is Dan Hill's latest and greatest SOUNDS ELECTRONIC. And blended with the extraordinary technical developments to be found on this record is Dan's unique experience of dance bands. He plays regularly for dancers despite his recording commitments and he knows what dancers want and exactly what we like to hear. Success is a small word to use for this album... you have it in front of you now. I'd like you to sample it too. It is great. That's why I am one of Dan's many fans.» (Ronnie Wilson)

DAN HILL: SOUNDS ELECTRONIC 3

Original Released on LP CBS ASF 1188

(SOUTH AFRICA, 1967)

Here's the third volume, already in glorious stereo, and the first one to be released in 1967. Under titled "Music To Watch Girls By", It has always been my personal favourite from all of the series. In those times naked ladies on the covers were a little bit outrageous and the following editions appeared with this ravishing blonde wearing a black bikini. But, fortunetely for all of us, this is the original edition.

DAN HILL: SOUNDS ELECTRONIC 2

Original released on LP CBS ALD 6977

(South Africa, 1966)

Once more, and this time because of the sad departure of the South African maestro last Sunday, I'm going to re-upload all the Sounds Electronic albums. So, let's begin, not quite from the start ('cause I don't have the first one from the series) but with the 2nd volume, from 1966. Still in Mono, but the first one to have a gorgeous pin-up on the cover, which I guess helped to create and develop the great success of the collection. I was convinced that I wouldn't put my hands on this album again (my father had it in Mozambique and was the first one he got). Thanks to Gideon, a Rato's friend in South Africa, who discovered and sent it by what he called a snail mail (but it arrived!) I was lucky enough to have it again. After a little polish, in both the cover and the sound, here you have this rare gem from the mid-sixties to begin your Sounds Electronic collection.

DAN HILL: HE'LL NOT BE FORGOTTEN

BEATLES FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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