60s/70s Soft Rock Weird/Cool Vocal Arrangements

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i'm looking for stuff along the lines of the Free Design, Mike Curb Congregation, some David Axelrod (Earth Rot specifically)

stuff that's smooth and dreamy, kinda star treky that sounds chipper and happy but is really creepy creepy underneath it all

― JasonD (JasonD), Thursday, 7 August 2003 04:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Post-Pet Sounds Beach Boys for quite a few years would fill the bill.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 7 August 2003 04:14 (twenty-one years ago)

the inner dialogue - "yesterday the dog"

― your null fame (yournullfame), Thursday, 7 August 2003 04:18 (twenty-one years ago)

i couldn't find anything on amg about The Inner Dialogue, but then found this site with the full album in real audio.

kick ass!

this is exactly the kinda stuff i'm looking for.

― JasonD (JasonD), Thursday, 7 August 2003 04:37 (twenty-one years ago)

"Cherish"
totally.

― Orbit (Orbit), Thursday, 7 August 2003 04:41 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=MISS70305141706&sql=Aht67mppj9f5o

this oughta do the trick.

― scott seward, Thursday, 7 August 2003 05:17 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=MISS70305141706&sql=Aypdfylojxpeb

also this.

― scott seward, Thursday, 7 August 2003 05:20 (twenty-one years ago)

the fifth dimension
had radical arrangements,
almost avant-garde

seek and find the song
(more like a hippie tone poem)
called "dimension 5ive"

― Haikunym, Thursday, 7 August 2003 05:21 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=MISS70305141706&sql=A8cotk6hxrkr0

and while you're at it...

― scott seward, Thursday, 7 August 2003 05:23 (twenty-one years ago)

wendy & bonnie!
sampled by the SFA
on phantom power!

― Haikunym, Thursday, 7 August 2003 05:29 (twenty-one years ago)

and have someone make you a cd of all the soft weird cool Rotary Connection songs. there are a lot of them.

― scott seward, Thursday, 7 August 2003 05:32 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm loving the Inner Dialogue LP,thanks for the link.The Groop are worth checking out-their only easily available track at the moment is 'A Famous Myth' on the Midnight Cowboy soundtrack.I just got a CDR of their ultrarare LP,very nice.I think it's gonna come out on Re-vola soon.Check out their website,great label.

― Paul R (paul R), Thursday, 7 August 2003 05:43 (twenty-one years ago)

the association, maybe?

also, doom-e to thread!

― zebedee (zebedee), Thursday, 7 August 2003 10:25 (twenty-one years ago)

You to start off with Yma Sumac. She is pre-sixties but it's fairl bizarre and weird, the vocal arrangements. Moving on, and something I am astonished that was not mentioned would be 'The Millennium' - nothing beats Curt Boetccher (the association, etc) for his vocal arrangements. Other favourites include Mark Eric and Richard and Thomas Frost. But basically Joe has released all of the classic soft-pop records on revola. You just need to close your eyes and click.

― doom-e cool kid of death, Thursday, 7 August 2003 11:17 (twenty-one years ago)

and you should try Chris Lucey, his album, at one time was mooted to be better than Forever Changes. Also on Revola.

Hold on:

http://www.poptones.co.uk/interviews/interview20030512.shtml

Read that - Joe Foster (revola) guide to soft pop.

― doom-e cool kid of death, Thursday, 7 August 2003 11:27 (twenty-one years ago)

i provided a link to the millennium/ballroom recordings doom-e. never fear. (as well as the sagittarius album)

― scott seward, Thursday, 7 August 2003 11:45 (twenty-one years ago)

Wendy & Bonnie: Genesis seconded (shameless plug: we got a namnecheck in thre liner notes!)

Tomorrow's World ;-)

Strawberry Alarm Clock

Association also seconded

Also (& it's not 'dark', so maybe doesn't count), I'd recommend Electric Prunes' Mass in F Minor...even though the vocals are a bit, erm 'wobbly' at times...

― Jez (Jez), Thursday, 7 August 2003 12:25 (twenty-one years ago)

left banke too. can't forget about the left banke.

― scott seward, Thursday, 7 August 2003 13:24 (twenty-one years ago)

Since we're on the Curt Boettcher tangent, I would also vote for his Misty Mirage, which has at least 6 or 7 really great tracks and a spectacularly cosmic production. I might even argue that some of the best stuff on there is better than the Millennium...

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Thursday, 7 August 2003 13:35 (twenty-one years ago)

why do you think that? i'm always up for a curt discussion.

― doom-e cool kid of death, Thursday, 7 August 2003 13:37 (twenty-one years ago)

Ah, doom-e cool kid of death, this could be a good one.

Well, for one, I think tracks like "Sometimes" and "Misty Mirage" have an emotional resonance that most of the Saggitarrius and Millennium tracks--as incredible as they are--lack. I'm particularly talking about those great leads of his, where he goes off into the abyss at the end. Granted, "emotional resonance" is not what you turn to Curt Boettcher for, but it really takes all those incredible productions to the next level.

Also, even though they're apparently nicked from other hard-to-find records he worked on, the songs on Misty Mirage are generally really strong.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Thursday, 7 August 2003 13:52 (twenty-one years ago)

naive teen idol, am going to listen to all the curt tomorrow and be around for a massive curt discussion.

― doom-e cool kid of death, Thursday, 7 August 2003 14:01 (twenty-one years ago)

more into the seventies, but i'd throw in 10cc's "I'm Not in Love" with its infinite amount of breath tracks and whispering femme voice.

― andybeta, Thursday, 7 August 2003 14:03 (twenty-one years ago)

doom-e cool kid of death, deal...

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Thursday, 7 August 2003 14:04 (twenty-one years ago)

Not exactly pop, but pretty hard to overlook when you're talking about 60s vocal arrangements: The Swingle Singers. Their leader was actually named Ward Swingle, and, yes, they could get wierd. You might try the album they made with the Modern Jazz Quartet, Place Vendome.

― Curt (cgould), Thursday, 7 August 2003 15:32 (twenty-one years ago)

these are all great. thanks everyone.

i've got Rotary Connection & Electric Prunes (that was arranged by Axelrod, of course i have it - i actually prefer Release of an Oath way more). i heard the Millenium disc years ago and thought it was pretty cool (especially that total dj shadow sounding intro to one of the songs) and i've had Sagittarius' "Blue Marble" sitting on my shelves for years collecting dust until this morning. (anyone wanna buy an near mint copy of it, email me). i bought it in the midst of my Beach Boys obsession, but brought it home and wasn't really too into it (this morning it doesn't sound too bad, especially all the hot analog synth action)

i heard Wendy & Bonnie's name mentioned in an article the other day and i spaced out and thought it refered to that spacerock band Windy & Carl. duh.

any more stuff more in the 70s?

― JasonD (JasonD), Thursday, 7 August 2003 16:48 (twenty-one years ago)

The White Noise LP is pretty weird,also David Stoughton's 'Transformer'(Elektra '68) is very odd.

― Paul R (paul R), Thursday, 7 August 2003 19:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Yes White Noise "Love Without Sound" fits this perfectly. What a strange record.

― Mark (MarkR), Thursday, 7 August 2003 19:35 (twenty-one years ago)

here are a few more i'm adding to my lil mix:

the happenings "i'll see you in september", the kingston trio's "the wreck of sloop john b" and maybe a track or two from the four freshmen or the four lads

― JasonD (JasonD), Thursday, 7 August 2003 20:20 (twenty-one years ago)

The Beach Boys - 'Friends' LP

― CNWB, Friday, 8 August 2003 12:12 (twenty-one years ago)

I sorta said that! But that is a good specific choice. :-)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 8 August 2003 14:28 (twenty-one years ago)

oh yes, the records / artists mentioned on this thread might fit the bill:
The Groop Played "Midnight Cowboy" Music

― zebedee (zebedee), Friday, 8 August 2003 14:37 (twenty-one years ago)

I haven't seen a track listing and I don't know this kind of music all that well, but the second disc of DJ Shadow's Diminishing Returns sounds a lot like a mega-mix of all this stuff to me...

― Ben Williams, Friday, 8 August 2003 14:44 (twenty-one years ago)

This thread is causing me to have consumer anxiety, thanks.

― dleone (dleone), Friday, 8 August 2003 14:58 (twenty-one years ago)

beach boys 'friends' is my favorite of all their albums

― JasonD (JasonD), Friday, 8 August 2003 16:23 (twenty-one years ago)

The Beach Boys own this thread!

― William R Henderson (Cabin Essence), Friday, 8 August 2003 17:58 (twenty-one years ago)

What about stuff like the Cowsills or Partridge Family?

― dleone (dleone), Friday, 8 August 2003 18:08 (twenty-one years ago)

i forgot the poppy family.that first album is a wonder to behold.

― scott seward, Friday, 8 August 2003 18:34 (twenty-one years ago)

doom-e cool kid of death, any word?

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Friday, 8 August 2003 18:37 (twenty-one years ago)

And Dom, Cowsills are all over this thread, mos def. And it won't hurt your credit card -- they've got monstrously cheap comps out.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Friday, 8 August 2003 18:38 (twenty-one years ago)

for the cowsills, i'd rec "we can fly"... (esp: wrt = creepy)

― gygax! (gygax!), Friday, 8 August 2003 18:42 (twenty-one years ago)

AHH 60's rock... :) Now yer talkin' turkey! :) Some of the best that I heard and played back then was Peter& Gordon ( World Without Love)
Jay & the Americans. ( Cara Mia) Freddy& the Dreamers. (I'm Telling You Now.)The Righteous Brothers (unchained Melody) Marcy Blaine (Bobby's Girl) Roy Orbison (Pretty Woman) Dave Clarke Five (Glad All Over) Cyrcle (Red Rubber Ball) Herman's Hermits (Henry The Eighth)
Miss Brenda Lee(I'm Sorry)The Beatles (She Loves You, P.S. I Love You,
A Hard Day's Night,Ticket To Ride) Diana Ross & the Supremes ( Baby Love)Tommy Roe (Sheila) Paul& Paula (Hey Paula) Bobby Vee ( The night Has A Thousand Eyes) Roy Orbison ( Blue Bayou) Beatles ( From Me To You)
Ther were a lot more and a much wider variety and better quality of music compared to most of the music of today.( In my opinion)

― Gale, Sunday, 10 August 2003 02:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Paul Williams - Someday man LP (pretty rare)
Roger Nichols and the Small circle of friends (this one two)
American Breed - track Always You
Harpers Bizarre - their version of The Drifter
and a lot more

― Jens (brighter), Sunday, 10 August 2003 07:03 (twenty-one years ago)

Just heard "Never My Love" in a bar and that belongs here, what a nice record.

― amateurist (amateurist), Sunday, 10 August 2003 08:02 (twenty-one years ago)

Not sure that much of this stuff is "creepy" per se (Wendy & Bonnie notwithstanding). For the ultimate creep trip, listen to Wind Chimes off the Beach Boys' Smiley Smile LP very loud in the dark. (Wonderful & You're Welcome from the same CD also does the trick) Also try Linda Perhacs' Parallelograms. Oh, & Poppy Family seconded.
I want to hear more dark-yet-harmonious stuff like this (the 'big boys don't cry' break in I'm Not In Love is absolutely OTM). Any more suggestions?

― harveyw (harveyw), Sunday, 10 August 2003 11:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Linda Perhacs is fucking awesome.

― amateurist (amateurist), Sunday, 10 August 2003 16:42 (twenty-one years ago)

Julie Tippetts' Sunset Glow is an all-time classic
in this vein.

― Dave Segal (Da ve Segal), Sunday, 10 August 2003 19:23 (twenty-one years ago)

one year passes...

this was reccomended to me on another thread about 6 months ago:
Medical Mission Sisters: knock knock knock or joy is like the rain.

this record is verging on the "valuable obscure" but is mostly the "99cents"

i've seen it on ebay for $1 and $20
"joy is like the rain" is worth more in my opinion.

it's just a matter of time before yo la tengo covers them and prices skyrocket.

― ddd, Thursday, 9 September 2004 13:30 (twenty years ago)

i just discovered the inner dialogue's second album, "friend." it's not nearly as twisted and odd as the s/t, but it does have the world's catchiest cover of "cry baby cry." with a funky lurch.

― el sabor de gene (yournullfame), Thursday, 9 September 2004 21:21 (twenty years ago)

five months pass...

i bought the inner dialogue lp, today! the first one, that is

― charltonlido (gareth), Saturday, 26 February 2005 22:05 (twenty years ago)

If I'd seen this thread before I would have noted Orpheus. Some of their arrangements were fantasic (I'll Stay With You, Walk Away Renee).

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Sunday, 27 February 2005 01:19 (twenty years ago)

Billy Nicholls, "Would You Believe," recorded around '67 by Andrew Loog Oldham, never officially released until '99. Called "the British answer to 'Pet Sounds' " but really more like the Left Banke or the Kinks. The Small Faces help out Billy on this record. Billy Nicholls wrote some tunes for Del Shannon in the mid-'60s during Del's most psycho period, too.

And the Bee Gees, "Horizontal," totally mad.

― edd s hurt (ddduncan), Sunday, 27 February 2005 02:59 (twenty years ago)

There's a really good web radio station called the Technicolor Web of Sound, which plays all mid/late 60s psych, loads of cool stuff I'd never heard before. Orpheus is on the playlist, nothing from Inner Dialogue. The last four songs were 13th Floor Elevators, Paul Revere & the Raiders ("Kicks"), Electric Flag and CSN ("Marrakesh Express").

http://www.techwebsound.com/

― Curious George Rides a Republican (Rock Hardy), Sunday, 27 February 2005 03:15 (twenty years ago)

two years pass...

This discussion brings to mind a mix I've been compiling for a while. I'm trying to capture a certain aesthetic of sunny pop songs with a dark heart. Here's the tracklist so far:

1. Lulu, "To Sir, With Love"
2. Ruby and the Romantics, "Our Day Will Come"
3. The Flamingos, "I Only Have Eyes For You"
4. The Rascals, "How Can I Be Sure"
5. Mary Love, "Baby I'll Come"
6. The Bee Gees, "I Started A Joke"
7. The Happenings, "See You In September"
8. Gene Pitney, "Town Without Pity"
9. Spanky & Our Gang, "Sunday Will Never Be The Same"
10. Linda Ronstadt, "Different Drum"
11. Skeeter Davis, "The End Of The World"

Having drawn a blank while trying to think of a name, I dubbed the mix "Mechanized Sex and Death", after a description that writer Jim DeRogatis made of painter H.R. Giger's work. It makes no sense, but somehow it fits. Anyway, this thread looks like it'll prove priceless for my uses. I'm glad I found it. (I Googled "cover of cry baby cry", because I'm looking for a cover of that song by a female group that I know I heard in the '80s or early '90s.)

― souldesqueeze, Saturday, 17 March 2007 20:41 (eighteen years ago)

gentle soul

― gershy, Saturday, 17 March 2007 22:10 (eighteen years ago)

Having drawn a blank while trying to think of a name

"We'll Die in the Sunshine"

― Joseph McCombs, Sunday, 18 March 2007 00:03 (eighteen years ago)

you should throw "Witchi Tai To" by Harpers Bizarre into that

― jaxon, Sunday, 18 March 2007 00:16 (eighteen years ago)

You reminded me of "We'll Sing In The Sunshine", which is absolutely perfect. Thanks for that. I'll definitely look for "Witchi Tai To", too. Keep 'em coming!

― souldesqueeze, Sunday, 18 March 2007 03:07 (eighteen years ago)

I also forgot to include "A Summer Song" by Chad & Jeremy, which I put between "Sing In The Sunshine" and "Different Drum".

― souldesqueeze, Sunday, 18 March 2007 04:04 (eighteen years ago)

two years pass...

you should throw "Witchi Tai To" by Harpers Bizarre into that

― jaxon, Saturday, March 17, 2007 5:16 PM (2 years ag

you certainly should!

― cherry blossom, Tuesday, 28 July 2009 15:40 (fifteen years ago)

The Inner Dialogue page mentioned up top has the mp3s.

http://weirdsville.com/featured1.html

― The Magical Moods of (herb albert), Tuesday, 28 July 2009 16:35 (fifteen years ago)

recently picked up the Jim Pepper album with the original "Witchi Tai To" on it. very cool. jazz and native american chanting. worth seeking out.

― jaxon, Tuesday, 28 July 2009 18:04 (fifteen years ago)

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