101 Guitar

John W. Duarte was born in Sheffield, England on 2 October 1919. His father was a Scottish soldier, who died in 1919, and he was raised by his mother and maternal grandparents. He started playing the ukulele, but soon moved to the guitar at the age of 15.

The 101 Strings Orchestra established a reputation as one of the finest ensembles in the easy listening genre. Yet the group actually never existed as a performing orchestra: it was a recording-only ensemble made up of musicians whose personnel often changed from one recording to the next. Moreover, many early albums released under the name 101 Strings were actually reissues of recordings made by such groups as the Rio Carnival Orchestra, New World Orchestra, and others. Under its now-familiar name, more than 100 recordings were issued by two labels – both of which owned the name, hired the players in the ensemble, and, most importantly, provided for the music arrangements that have been crucial to maintaining the orchestra's familiar sound – a dreamy, silken sound not dissimilar to that of Mantovani.

The 101 Strings Orchestra established a reputation as one of the finest ensembles in the easy listening genre. Yet the group actually never existed as a performing orchestra: it was a recording-only ensemble made up of musicians whose personnel often changed from one recording to the next. Moreover, many early albums released under the name 101 Strings were actually reissues of recordings made by such groups as the Rio Carnival Orchestra, New World Orchestra, and others. Under its now-familiar name, more than 100 recordings were issued by two labels – both of which owned the name, hired the players in the ensemble, and, most importantly, provided for the music arrangements that have been crucial to maintaining the orchestra's familiar sound – a dreamy, silken sound not dissimilar to that of Mantovani.

Swirling guitars and proto-ambient electronica sounds from many light years away! The Astro-Sound of Magnificence, From Beyond the Year 2000…a unique capsule of a funky, psychedelic rhythm section jamming, with snarling, stabbing and swooshing cranked-up-to-infinity electric guitar voyages piloted by Wrecking Crew veteran Jerry Cole, polished and primed for takeoff with a string section playing eerie, beckoning melodies in unison. These are the sounds of epiphanies concerning the future, space and sounds on the horizon, circa 1969. The tracks for this album were recorded by Cole and other players during sessions for a separate longplayer and were deemed to be outtakes; the details as to how they became Astro Sounds From Beyond the Year 2000 are dark and distant, but the 10 tracks here were first issued sans strings in 1967 as The Animated Egg, with alternate song titles. Two years later the recordings were overdubbed with the swirling, piercing phase-shifted strings mix you hear here, creating a spectacular fusion of psych-rock, R&B, easy listening and fuzz guitar, with hints of the coming worlds of ambient and electronica. These truly are the far out sounds of tomorrow’s unchartered trip, as the original album jacket proclaims "come aboard, launch and listen."

Swirling guitars and proto-ambient electronica sounds from many light years away! The Astro-Sound of Magnificence, From Beyond the Year 2000…a unique capsule of a funky, psychedelic rhythm section jamming, with snarling, stabbing and swooshing cranked-up-to-infinity electric guitar voyages piloted by Wrecking Crew veteran Jerry Cole, polished and primed for takeoff with a string section playing eerie, beckoning melodies in unison. These are the sounds of epiphanies concerning the future, space and sounds on the horizon, circa 1969. The tracks for this album were recorded by Cole and other players during sessions for a separate longplayer and were deemed to be outtakes; the details as to how they became Astro Sounds From Beyond the Year 2000 are dark and distant, but the 10 tracks here were first issued sans strings in 1967 as The Animated Egg, with alternate song titles. Two years later the recordings were overdubbed with the swirling, piercing phase-shifted strings mix you hear here, creating a spectacular fusion of psych-rock, R&B, easy listening and fuzz guitar, with hints of the coming worlds of ambient and electronica. These truly are the far out sounds of tomorrow’s unchartered trip, as the original album jacket proclaims "come aboard, launch and listen."

Swirling guitars and proto-ambient electronica sounds from many light years away! The Astro-Sound of Magnificence, From Beyond the Year 2000…a unique capsule of a funky, psychedelic rhythm section jamming, with snarling, stabbing and swooshing cranked-up-to-infinity electric guitar voyages piloted by Wrecking Crew veteran Jerry Cole, polished and primed for takeoff with a string section playing eerie, beckoning melodies in unison. These are the sounds of epiphanies concerning the future, space and sounds on the horizon, circa 1969. The tracks for this album were recorded by Cole and other players during sessions for a separate longplayer and were deemed to be outtakes; the details as to how they became Astro Sounds From Beyond the Year 2000 are dark and distant, but the 10 tracks here were first issued sans strings in 1967 as The Animated Egg, with alternate song titles. Two years later the recordings were overdubbed with the swirling, piercing phase-shifted strings mix you hear here, creating a spectacular fusion of psych-rock, R&B, easy listening and fuzz guitar, with hints of the coming worlds of ambient and electronica. These truly are the far out sounds of tomorrow’s unchartered trip, as the original album jacket proclaims "come aboard, launch and listen."

The 101 Strings Orchestra established a reputation as one of the finest ensembles in the easy listening genre. Yet the group actually never existed as a performing orchestra: it was a recording-only ensemble made up of musicians whose personnel often changed from one recording to the next. Moreover, many early albums released under the name 101 Strings were actually reissues of recordings made by such groups as the Rio Carnival Orchestra, New World Orchestra, and others. Under its now-familiar name, more than 100 recordings were issued by two labels – both of which owned the name, hired the players in the ensemble, and, most importantly, provided for the music arrangements that have been crucial to maintaining the orchestra's familiar sound – a dreamy, silken sound not dissimilar to that of Mantovani. Some 101 Strings' albums featured brass instruments, piano, and guitar, though the string section always remained the dominant part of the sonic fabric.

The 101 Strings Orchestra established a reputation as one of the finest ensembles in the easy listening genre. Yet the group actually never existed as a performing orchestra: it was a recording-only ensemble made up of musicians whose personnel often changed from one recording to the next. Moreover, many early albums released under the name 101 Strings were actually reissues of recordings made by such groups as the Rio Carnival Orchestra, New World Orchestra, and others. Under its now-familiar name, more than 100 recordings were issued by two labels – both of which owned the name, hired the players in the ensemble, and, most importantly, provided for the music arrangements that have been crucial to maintaining the orchestra's familiar sound – a dreamy, silken sound not dissimilar to that of Mantovani. Some 101 Strings' albums featured brass instruments, piano, and guitar, though the string section always remained the dominant part of the sonic fabric.

The 101 Strings Orchestra established a reputation as one of the finest ensembles in the easy listening genre.