If, like me, you're a fan of that 70's score style that fuses a little soundtrack music with baroque jazz, then I stumbled across this album the other day which really has that vibe. It's probably widely known, but this was the first I'd heard of it. It's called 'Winter Consort' by Paul Winter.
Here's an overview of the album from YouTube. Does anyone else think it has the title track has a Stepford Wives vibe?
Trivia Time (from a YouTube comment). This album was referenced in George Martin's book "All You Need Is Ears", (published in 1979), which I just finished reading. He produced it and said he felt it was "the finest record I've ever made". He went on to say that the cello player, David Darling, had a space scientist brother who gave the album to one of the Apollo crews, and "that was how it came to be the first record taken to the moon, though I don't think they had the facilities for playing it!"?
Since a lot of us Star Trek fans open these threads, have to share this for people who don't know about it. (Kind of extends the science fiction trend of the thread title, anyway.)
Leonard Nimory participated with Paul Winter and some members of the Consort in an album honoring Star Trek IV The Voyage Home - Whales Alive. I myself only found out about this a year or so ago - it's a delightful time capsule from 1987 mixing music, whalesong and spoken word. https://play.spotify.com/album/40mFpfXtJbM121Jss1TBB7
Paul Winter & Paul Halley - Whales Weep Not!
The Consort was a public radio staple in the 1980's, which is where I first got to know it, and many of their albums incorporate animal and nature sounds in the grand new age manner.
Thanks for that, pooter - I only had the chance to hear the first five minutes, but it does remind me of SILENT RUNNING - and STEPFORD WIVES, in fact Michael Small in general. It's almost into the kind of "twisted Americana" of PARALLAX. It's sort of "homely", with the guitars, open intervals and stuff, but off-kilter too. Great stuff. Will find time later to hear it all.
I'm sure I have some of those LPs lying around somewhere. Cellist David Darling certainly appears on some of those things I'm thinking about. Maybe John Abercrombie too. I'll try to make the connection (if there is one) when I get a mo'.
Graham, I think it's Ralph Towner you're thinking of on guitar, not John Abercrombie. I can't find an association between Winter and Abercrombie. Towner of course also a founding member of Oregon, and an ECM label mate of Abercrombie.
I did not remember David Darling's association with Winter, thanks for that - I associate him with the cellist Eugene Friesen, who is also on the Whales album I clipped aove.
Thanks Sean, I'm getting all mixed up here. All in the attempt to humanise the Board by not doing any research at all beforehand. Makes it more earthy and down-the-pub.
Yes, Ralph Towner. I've got a stack of John Abercrombie too, but without having a look I'm very much in the dark. Memory's going.
