From Billboard, March 1958: This is an intriguing change from run-of-the-mill mood or background music sets. Norrie Paramour, British composer, a&r man and arranger, has created a new sound by using strings, woodwinds and solo female voice (Patricia Clark). Tempo is relaxed and the sound is excellent.
Here is a 10 inch Paramor Essex label I found titled I Love that sports a great cheesecake jacket image.
This album was a surprise. Inside the budget label, lackluster jacket there lives a pleasing atomic age recording. Apparently the LP was also release on another budget label, International Award.
The record features a small combo light jazz approach spiced with some ping-pong and enough unusual musical twists and turns to hold your attention.
Produced when artists and record companies, noting good sales for "exotica" albums... set about experimenting with blends of musical styles. In this case, and for the most part, the blend is koto (traditional Japanese stringed instrument) and western easy listening.
According to Nakamura's wiki page he formed a jazz band in 1953. He charted #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for Sukiyaki in 1963.
One of a number of Hollyridge Strings "Beatles" cover albums.
Arranged and produced by Stu Phillips.
From the back cover: Provocatif is a mystical combination of oriental, african and latin instrumental sounds, plus natural effects gathered from the sea, sky and forest, all mixed with the whimsical genius of John Leslie McFarland. Although John McFarland has been at large in the Tin Pan Alley music jungle for some several seasons, and is a well-known composer, this album is the first full expose of his talent as pianist, and arranger.
I found a reference to McFarland in historical Billboard magazine (January 1986) article about The Brill Building. Apparently McFarland also may have worked as Johnny Jungletree.
There are other online references to a John Leslie McFarland as a song writer.
This record was reviewed in Billboard, November 1959 as having good sales potential: ...John McFarland's six man group plays some strikingly original numbers with jazz motifs, a couple of humorous items, and understated treatments of "Tangerine" and Where or When" that are truly lovely.
This album was released several years after Martin Denny's Exotica, Liberty 1957, but in the same year as the Denny's successful, Quiet Village. The number 1 A side track, Jungle Bells sound an awful lot like a Denny tune, but the recording then takes on a life of it's own.
The sample above, The Chimp And The Bumble Bee was composed by McFarland.
10 inch 33. Jacket labeled "Varsity", but record labeled "Royale 1887"(below).
Here's an interesting find. Side one is conducted by Felix Slatkin who would go on to produce space age pop stuff including this excellent LP: Fantastic Percussion.
The vibe is a blend of moody classical with some subtle percussion that comes across as an attempt to create and market a record that might appeal to early concept/avant grade album buyers.
The sample above is band from side one.