Genre: pop
Rating: **** (4 stars)
Title: Enoch Light Presents Spaced Out
Company: Project 3
Catalog:
Year: 1969
Country/State:
US
Grade
(cover/record): VG+ / VG+
Comments: laminate on cover has begun to separate on the front; gatefold sleeve
Available: 1
GEMM Catalog ID: not yet listed
Price: $60.00
Though he's largely forgotten today, Enoch Light was quite a talented guy. He started out in the mid-'30s as a band leader, recording and touring the States and Europe as Enoch Light and the Light Brigade. By the mid-'50s Light's interests had migrated to the production and business sides of the house. He formed Command Records and leaping at the opportunities provided by the advent of stereo technology, recorded a string of big selling instrumental sets (you've seen
thousands of these babies in thrift stores - "Persuasive Percussion", as well as
throwaway soundtracks and classical sets). He also formed the Project Three label, using it as a base for less
commercial experiments such as The Free Design.
Okay, most of his catalog isn't going to appeal to psych fans, but there's
at least one exception. The exceptionally tacky lounge album cover art is alone worth the price of admission ... How can you not flip for an album showing a pair of hot redheads dressed in skimpy bikinis and boots that appear to be made of aluminum wrap? If that's not enough to get you interest, there's the liner notes that read "exploratory trips through the music of Bach Bacharach, and the Beatles, integrating the moog, the guitar scene, electric harpsichord, flugelhorns etc. ..." This is one of those album (like fringe leather jackets), that's bound to make some older parents turn beat red
with embarrassment when they recall owning a copy !!!
Released by Light's Project 3 label, the cover notes were pretty accurate.
"Enoch Light Presents Spaced Out Innovations in Stereo Sound" offered up a fascinating set of
Bacharach and David, Beatles and Bach covers. Largely instrumental, the twelve selections were accompanied by occasional snippets of Up with People-styled smiley face vocals (check out "A Little Fugue For You and Me"). For his part, producer Light didn't really tamper with the original melodies. What actually makes this such a timepiece classic are the bizarre arrangements. Almost impossible to accurately describe, material such as "Norwegian Wood", "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" and "What the World Needs Now Is Love" found Light mixing in equal parts of MOR/muzak moves and cutting edge (remember this was 1969), sounds (moogs, heavy fuzz guitar and some weird channel
hopping effects - great headphone LP). Anyone into The Free Design (one of Light's side projects), or the recent Lounge revival is bound to find this a blast !!!
"Enoch Light Presents Spaced Out Innovations in Stereo Sound" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Bond Street (Burt Bacharach) - 2:38
2.) Lover's Concerto (Denny Randall - Sandy LInzer) - 2:49
3.) Knowing When To Leave (Burt Bacharach - Hal David) - 2:48
4.) My Silent Song (D. Lieb - E. Drake) - 2:52
5.) Walk On By (Burt Bacharach - Hal David) - 3:02
6.) Eleanore Rigby (John Lennon - Paul McCartney) - 2:42
(side 2)
7.) A Little Fugue For You and Me (D. Lieb adapted from J.S. Bach) - 2:48
8.) Norwegian Wood (John Lennon - Paul McCartney) - 2:48
9.) Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da (John Lennon - Paul McCartney) - 2:54
10.) What the World Needs Now Is Love (Burt Bacharach - Hal David) - 2:40
11.) Pretty Paulette (D. Lieb adapted from J.S. Bach) - 2:44
12.) Get Back (John Lennon - Paul McCartney) - 3:40