Sunday 10 April 2011

Non Stop Dance Party - The Exciting Sounds Of Chico Arnez [1974]




#Request#

By request is this fine album related to my previous posts of Sparkling Sounds and Non Stop Pepsi Party.

Containing a mix of vocal and instrumental tracks, I imagine it would have livened up any party in the 70s with its set of 70s pop songs (Resurrection Shuffle), 60s soul (Land Of A Thousand Dances, In The Midnight Hour), and party favourites (The Locomotion, Hava Nagila).

My pick though, is a nice version of Love's Theme, with flute, brass and voices being used instead of strings.

I hope you enjoy it and please comment if you do!

ALBUM PREVIEW - LOVE'S THEME

6 comments:

  1. You're right, that version of Love's Theme is amazing.

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  2. This was one of the first albums that acquainted me to this genre last year. I still hold it dear, it is so much fun, and I play it regularly for my own enjoyment. (Like a party for myself)

    I have only 2 albums of Chico Arnez, so if anybody knows any source, I would really appreciate any hints... (I have this one and "The New Sounds of Chico Arnez" of 1972, which is actually still available on Spiral as his LP 051)

    Mark, so great that you bring this up here, it is so much fun!

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  3. It seems the link for downloading this Chico Arnez album does not work anymore. It's a pity.. I wanted to listen to this music so much!
    Could something be done.....?

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  4. Hi there fellow lovers of mature, ripe cheese! Being a session musician myself, and knowing a bit about the ins and outs of what goes on in the business, I may be breaking some hearts here, but Chico Arnez is a fictious bandleader that was created to satisfy the demand for instrumental easy listening music. The music publishing companies were looking for new ways of exploiting their catalogues. They would commission established arrangers e.g. Geoff Love, Keith Mansfield, Barry Forgie etc to come up with fresh versions of the hits of the day (plus a few evergreens) in whatever style was 'popular'. They were mostly performed by 'creme de la creme' of London session guys, e.g. Herbie Flowers, Barry Morgan, Dave Richmond, Les Hurdle, Alan Hawkshaw, Duncan Lamont, Roy Willox, Derek Watkins, Tony Fisher, Don Lusher, ie stalwarts of the golden age of recording in the UK. These guys also can be heard on the classic KPM, DeWolfe, Bruton sessions that library buffs will be familiar with, along with loads of classic 70s and 80s UK TV theme tunes. The guys would probably get the stuff onto tape 1st take, such was their level of expertise.
    On this particular LP, Alf Bigden is the drummer. He also played on the Two Ronnie's Theme, Are You Being Served, Only Fools & Horses, Reginald Perrin, in fact most of the classic Ronnie Hazlehurst BBC themes. Knowing what I do about the UK session scene, it's probably Jim Lawless or Frank Ricotti on marimba.

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    Replies
    1. You obviously know what you are talking about but I can remember a Chico Arnez Band playing a summer season at the 5* Imperial Hotel in Torquay back in the early '70s.

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