Esquivel: Merry Xmas from the Space-Age Bachelor Pad

Merry Xmas: As much as I love Esquivel, I don't think this is among his best work. If you're looking for great lounge Christmas music, your best bet is the "Ultra-Lounge -Christmas Cocktails" series. I'd post them here but they are still in print. You can, however, buy them here.
1. Jingle Bells (Greetings From Esquivel!)
2. White Christmas
3. Here Comes Santa Claus
4. Parade Of The Wooden Soldiers
5. The Christmas Song
6. Frosty The Snowman
7. Snowfall
8. Sun Valley Ski Run
9. Blue Christmas
10. Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town
11. I Feel Merely Marvelous
12. Auld Lang Syne (Adios From Esquivel!)

The Three Suns: A Ding Dong Dandy Christmas

A Ding Dong Dandy Christmas: 1959 lounge/Christmas album recorded by the Three Suns before dragging that woman on the cover into a wooded area and having their way with her. [more informative write-up taken from the most exhaustive website on The Three Suns you will find] Is there one person you like? Not just like, but really like? Is he a pretty swingin' guy? A gal who gets a kick out of things? A kid who spends a lot of time learning that life, after all, is for fun? This album is for those people. It's a gone album, gang, with the kind of melodic surprises we've come to expect from The Three Suns.

The Suns have remained the same over the years. But, as on other of their recent hits, they've added instruments. They've got some novel ones here: chimes, bells, an oboe and two tubas.

The result of this lineup is a collection of melodic Christmas songs with a real crazy rhythm. The beat is Cha-Cha, Merengue and Rock 'n' Roll, all wrapped up in one. These are not carols, mind you, just songs. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer hangs out here, and so does Alvin, star of The Chipmunk Song. Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town in this album, going through a Winter Wonderland to the tune of Jingle Bells as he takes his Sleigh Ride -- all to the fun arrangements of Charles Albertine.

If, after listening to these, you think you've heard everything, hold still a minute as the Suns and their helpers bring a weird, exotic sound to White Christmas and such other lovely tunes as Skaters Waltz and The Christmas Song.

Santa Claus has been pushing his staff at the North Pole hard all year with only one thing in mind: fun. If you want to lend him a helping hand, give this album to someone you really like this Christmas. If he's spirited, if he's swingin', if he's a ding-dong dandy guy, he'll love it.

Heath vs. Ros: Swing vs. Latin, Rounds 1 & 2

Swing vs. Latin: this is a really interesting album. Apparently, both bandleaders recorded their respective parts separately with full bands (you can hear Heath's swing band in the left channel and Ros' latin band in the right) and the tapes were merged together to make this album. Best tracks: "Speak Low", "Desafinado".

1. South America Take It Away

2. Coffee Song

3. In the Still of the Night

4. Come Rain or Come Shine

5. Desafinado

6. Miserlou

7. Ted Meets Ed

8. Heat Wave

9. Malagueña

10. Speak Low

11. Anything You Can Do

12. America

13. There Once Was a Man

14. Baby, It's Cold Outside

15. Bye Bye Blues

16. Tiger Rag

17. Granada

18. Come to the Mardi Gras

19. Begin the Beguine

20. Daddy

21. Solamente Bob Efford

22. Friendship

Cocktail Mix, Vol. 1: Bachelor's Guide to the Galaxy

Cocktail Mix, Vol. 1:
1. Will You Still Be Mine? - Dean Elliott & His Swinging Big, Big Band!!
2. Fever - The Three Suns
3. I Get A Kick Out Of You - Felix Slatkin
4. Star Fire - Bob Thompson
5. Hansel And Pretzel - Henri Rene' & His Orchestra
6. Mood Tattooed - Les Baxter's Drums
7. Danny's Inferno - The Three Suns
8. The Penguin - Dave Harris & The Powerhose Five
9. China Boy (Go Sleep) - Lenny Dee
10. War Dance For Wooden Indians - Russ Case & His Orchestra
11. Hell's Bells - David Carroll
12. Early-Bird Whirly-Bird - Bob Thompson
13. Accidental Slip On An Oriental Rug - Robert Maxwell, His Harp & His Orchestra
14. Rock Gently - Alvino Rey
15. Che Si Dice - Ferrante & Teicher
16. Inch Worm - Jack Costanzo
17. Blue Rumba - Rolley Polley
18. Powerhouse - Bobby Hammack Quartet

VA: InFlight Entertainment

InFlight Entertainment: it's so m.f'ing cold here I figured I'd post something warm. This is another compilation from the Karminsky Experience, chock full of 60's-latin-lounge-pop. I think someone samples the intro beat on "I Like London in the Rain" but I'm not sure who. It sounds a bit like the beginning of "I left my wallet in El Segundo" by ATCQ but that sample was The Chambers Brothers. If you can place it let me know.
1. Bert Kaempfert & His Orchestra: Mambo Mania
2. Edmundo Ros: Light My Fire
3. Paul Mauriat: Il Fait Beau, Il Fait Bon (Freedom Come, Freedom Go)
4. Augusto Alguero: Discotheque
5. Max Greger & His Orchestra: Big Train
6. Pete Moore: Catwalk
7. Lalo Schifrin: Blues-A-Go-Go
8. Michel Legrand & His Orchestra: Come Ray And Come Charles
9. Roland Shaw & His Orchestra: The Look Of Love
10.John Schroeder: Paramaribo
11.Brigitte Bardot: St Tropez
12.Brigitte Bardot:Tu Veux, Tu Veux Pas
13.Chaquito Big Band: Theme From 'They Call Me Mr Tibbs'
14.Button Down Brass,Featuring Ray Davies: Tequila
15.Bert Kaempfert & His Orchestra: Cerveza
16.Augusto Alguero: Great Expectations
17.Michel Legrand: Di-Gue-Ding-Ding
18.Blossom Dearie: I Like London In The Rain
19.Roland Shaw & His Orchestra: Let The Love Come Through

Cocktail Mix, Vol. 3: Swingin' Singles

Cocktail Mix, Vol. 3:
1. The Lady Is A Tamp - Della Reese
2. Not Me - Robert Mitchum
3. Tequila - Stan Kenton & His Orchestra
4. Heart - Peggy Lee
5. One Mint Julep - Sarah Vaughan
6. Be-Bop The Beguine - Sammy Davis, Jr.
7. Come On-A My House - Rosemary Clooney
8. Come By Sunday - Diana Dors
9. Something For Cat - Henry Mancini
10. Forty Second Street - Mel Torme
11. A Fine Romance - Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong
12. That Old Black Magic - Louis Prima & Keely Smith
13. Fascinating Rhythm - Don Ralke & His Orchestra
14. Ain't That A Kick In The Head - Dean Martin
15. Guys And Dolls - Bobby Darin
16. Are You Havin' Any Fun - Count Basie & Tony Bennet
17. La Dolce Vita - Xavier Cugat & His Orchestra
18. Mademoiselle Kitt - Eartha Kitt

Cocktail Mix, Vol. 4: Soundtracks With a Twist

Cocktail Mix, Vol. 4:
1. A Man And A Woman (Un Homme Et Une Femme) - Francis Lai
2. Stripping Really Isn't Sexy, Is It? - Burt Bacharach
3. Bring Down The Birds - Herbie Hancock
4. Happy Feet - Quincy Jones
5. Come Live With Me - Johnny Williams (Vocal By Tony Scott)
6. Susan - Henry Mancini
7. Way Out Calypso - George Duning
8. At The Namkok - George Duning
9. Barney Does It All - Lalo Schifrin
10. Lolita Ya Ya - Nelson Riddle
11. Ad Ogni Costo (At Any Cost) - Ennio Morricone
12. The Boston Wrangler - Michel Legrand
13. Send Me Nicky - George Duning
14. Misfits Theme - Alex North
15. The Knack (Main Theme) - John Barry

Espresso Espresso: A Lightly Latin Blend

Espresso Espresso: out of print Latin Lounge compilation from The Karminsky Experience.
1. Serge Gainsbourg: Couleur Café
2. Teddy Randazzo: The Girl From U.N.C.L.E.
3. Corisco E Os Sambaloucos: Balancafro
4. Gimmicks, The: Roda
5. Marcos Valle: Pepino Beach
6. Baja Marimba Band: Flyin' High
7. Corisco E Os Sambaloucos: Carcara
8. Roberto Delgado & His Orchestra: Batucada
9. Roberto Delgado & His Orchestra: Mocoto
10. Ray Rivera: Bend Me, Shape Me
11. Gimmicks, The: The Joker
12. Stanley Black & His Orchestra: I Feel Fine
13. Xavier Cugat: Cugi's Cocktail (Hully Gully Cha Cha)
14. Cal Tjader & Eddie Palmieri: Modesty (Modesty Blaise)
15. London Jazz 4: Things We Said Today
16. Lill Lindfors: Mas Que Nada (Hor Min Samba)
17. Xavier Cugat: One Mint Julep (Cha-Cha Twist)
18. James Last: Happy Brasileira
19. Ray Rivera: Latin Workout
20. Wilson Simonal: Nem Vem Que Nao Tem
21. Burt Bacharach: Something Big
22. Berry Lipman Orchestra & Singers: My Heart Skips A Beat
23. Astrud Gilberto: Beginnings