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 Posted:   Aug 15, 2010 - 6:58 AM   
 By:   OnyaBirri   (Member)

Capitol has just re-mastered all of the Les Baxter exotica albums and put them on iTunes. There are 8 albums available now, and supposedly 4 more will be added soon.

Yes, I know it's not film music exactly; but it sure sounds like film music, and these albums were a huge influence on a generation of film composers. Plus, recent Les Baxter film score releases have sold out, so there is a demand.

Assuming Capitol would grant the rights, it would be easy to do a box set of, say, 10 albums, with 2 albums on a disc, 5 discs total. They've just been remastered by Capitol, so no one would have to spend significant money on remastering.

Most of the currently available CD versions of these albums are mastered from vinyl. Even on the compressed format, the iTunes remasters sound better than the vinyl transfers. I would buy this box set immediately.

What do you think?

 
 Posted:   Aug 15, 2010 - 7:05 AM   
 By:   Jim Phelps   (Member)

Hell, I'd be interested. Ports of Pleasure, Jungle Jazz, and the masterpiece of them all, Ritual of the Savage are some of the best albums ever recorded.

 
 
 Posted:   Aug 15, 2010 - 8:09 AM   
 By:   MikeP   (Member)

Hell yes. I'd be there. I'd want it. An excellent idea

 
 
 Posted:   Aug 15, 2010 - 8:27 AM   
 By:   OnyaBirri   (Member)

My suggestions for inclusion/pairings are as follows:

Ritual of the Savage/Tamboo
Caribbean Moonlight/Ports of Pleasure
African Jazz/Jungle Jazz
The Passions/The Sacred Idol
Space Escapade/Jewels of the Sea

If there was a 6th disc, maybe it could be Skins/Teen Drums.

 
 
 Posted:   Aug 15, 2010 - 8:37 AM   
 By:   Bill Cooke   (Member)


I'm in.

 
 
 Posted:   Aug 16, 2010 - 4:32 PM   
 By:   OnyaBirri   (Member)

4 pre-orders taken, 996 to go...

 
 Posted:   Aug 16, 2010 - 4:42 PM   
 By:   kjoseb   (Member)

Great idea! The sooner I can place my pre-order the better!

 
 Posted:   Aug 16, 2010 - 5:22 PM   
 By:   Jim Phelps   (Member)



The world could do with a Plas Johnson renaissance.

 
 Posted:   Aug 16, 2010 - 5:28 PM   
 By:   Gary S.   (Member)

Count me in for such a box as well.

 
 Posted:   Aug 17, 2010 - 1:58 PM   
 By:   shicorp   (Member)

Sign me upwink

 
 
 Posted:   Aug 17, 2010 - 2:02 PM   
 By:   John McMasters   (Member)

Yes!

 
 Posted:   Aug 17, 2010 - 2:07 PM   
 By:   Mark Ford   (Member)

I've already got all of Baxter's Exotica CDs, but if the ones you mention that were taken from LPs could be re-mastered from better non-LP sources, then I'd surely be in for a box set.

 
 Posted:   Aug 17, 2010 - 2:07 PM   
 By:   Maleficio   (Member)

Pity ITUNES does not offer lossless, I would have bought them all without thinking twice.

 
 
 Posted:   Aug 17, 2010 - 2:37 PM   
 By:   Disco Stu   (Member)

I love old school exotica. I'm game for anything that gives me that feel of the "Thunderbirds" and "Man from U.N.C.L.E." luscious sumptuous luxury oozing with class.

D.S.

 
 Posted:   Aug 17, 2010 - 2:47 PM   
 By:   John-73   (Member)

Les Baxter is THE BOSS for exotica, and I'd buy a box set of his work in an instant! Of course it would have to come in a bamboo case with leopard print interior & a free cocktail cabinet, plus one of those 50s exotica models to make them for me! wink

 
 
 Posted:   Aug 17, 2010 - 4:25 PM   
 By:   OnyaBirri   (Member)

Looks like we've got 12 pre-orders.

If "Beach Blanket Bingo" is a viable release, there is no excuse not to do this box set. wink

 
 
 Posted:   Aug 17, 2010 - 4:52 PM   
 By:   haineshisway   (Member)

Looks like we've got 12 pre-orders.

If "Beach Blanket Bingo" is a viable release, there is no excuse not to do this box set. wink


All I can say is, if you like Les and you like that style, be afraid, be very afraid - we've got something coming that will make at least twelve people happy.

 
 
 Posted:   Aug 18, 2010 - 5:06 AM   
 By:   OnyaBirri   (Member)

All ll I can say is, if you like Les and you like that style, be afraid, be very afraid - we've got something coming that will make at least twelve people happy.

I hope you're referring to exotica rather than Frankie/Annette beach movies! If so, I'll buy. Is it "The Bride and the Beast?"

 
 
 Posted:   Aug 19, 2010 - 9:09 PM   
 By:   OnyaBirri   (Member)

All ll I can say is, if you like Les and you like that style, be afraid, be very afraid - we've got something coming that will make at least twelve people happy.

I CERTAINLY hope you're referring to exotica rather than godawful beach movies! If so, I'll buy. Is it "The Bride and the Beast?"

 
 
 Posted:   Aug 19, 2010 - 10:32 PM   
 By:   Ed Nassour   (Member)

My dad hired Les Baxter to score a feature called "The Sacred Idol." Capitol issued themes from the soundtrack on LP in both stereo and mono.







The film had been brought to my father partially completed. Actor Jeffrey Hunter had served as a producer. My father supervised added scenes filmed in Mexico, but the project was never released.

Later on after my father passed away, my uncle Bill sold it to an independent producer who shot yet more footage with actor Marshal Thompson, changing the title to "The Mighty Jungle."

The newer incarnation bears little resemblance to the original. But for some reason Baxter's score was retained.

It's very exotic sounding, albeit somewhat commercial.



The LP version was recoded in a studio, probably Capitol in Hollywood. The actual soundtrack was done at Goldwyn. For some time I had a 1/4" open reel mono copy of the actual soundtrack, but somehow it got lost. The soundtrack is more dramatic, less album sounding.

Baxter was a talented composer/arranger of the Martin Denny variety.

 
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