The Three Suns

Country Music Shindig is a departure for the Three Suns in that their typical instrumental medley style is applied to a program of country songs – 34 of them in total. The selections seem to reveal a thorough knowledge of country music.

"A Ding Dong Dandy Christmas" is nuts all the way through. There is at least one other Three Suns Christmas record, but nothing approaches this one. Santa's sleigh is hauling fast with this all-uptempo platter of holiday mayhem. And for a stocking present, there is an extra track on each side.

The instrumental trio The Three Suns had been around for about two decades, capturing fans as far-ranging as First Lady Mamie Eisenhower and the Platters (who took their Twilight Time to the top of the charts), when they cut this record for RCA s famed Living Stereo series in 1959. And, no doubt inspired by the new-fangled recording technology in RCA s Studio A, they turned in one of the most wacky and entertaining Christmas albums of the era, adding rock and roll guitar and instrumentation as varied as chimes, bells, oboes and two (!) tubas to create a Space Age stereophonic spectacular suitable for the Jetsons next holiday party. This record s long been cherished by Christmas music devotees, and our Real Gone worldwide CD debut reissue features a sparkling remastering job by Maria Triana at Sony s Battery Studios and liner notes by Joe Marchese. Every bit as fizzy as the champagne you re going to open to toast the season!

Even in the splendor of monophonic, the bubbling exuberance of the Three Suns' musical atmosphere is a joy to behold. The soundscape whisks you to far off fantasies and can provide just the right mood enhancement for that impress-the-ladies cocktail bash you've been postponing for months. "Danny's Inferno", "Autumn Leaves", "Dancing With Tears in My Eyes", "Jungle Drums", and the title track – jukebox favs, all – will have your guests pounding down the mango juice between dance-steps, making your holiday mixer the hottest topic around the water cooler come Monday morning.

Country Music Shindig is a departure for the Three Suns in that their typical instrumental medley style is applied to a program of country songs – 34 of them in total. The selections seem to reveal a thorough knowledge of country music. For example, the set includes songs that wouldn't be readily identified with country music today, like "Jingle Bell Rock," "Crying in the Chapel," and "Blue Suede Shoes," all of which were country hits. Then there are obscurities like the Sons of the Pioneers' "Roses" alongside crossover hits and an occasional oddball like the Broadway tune "Wagon Wheels." The album is heavier on electric guitar than some of the Suns' earlier efforts, and is also the last album they recorded with longtime producer and conductor Al Nevins, who died shortly afterward.

With classics such as "The Great Pretender," "Only You," and their rendition of "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes," the Platters were one of the preeminent doo wop groups of the rock & roll era. Under the guidance of manager and producer Buck Ram, the Platters churned out hit after hit during the 1950s, bridging the gap between more traditional vocal-group stylings and the popular R&B grooves of the early '50s. Their sound was unique, marked by lead singer Tony Williams' powerful vocals and the feminine touch of singer Zola Taylor. Although competing versions of the Platters confused the public for many years, original founding member Herb Reed eventually solidified his rights to the name and the group continued recording and performing into the 2010s.

'The Last Mile Home for Christmas' is one of two 2018 spectacular sets: a balance of sacred and secular songs by leading artists of the 1940s, '50s, and '60s that can be added to Jasmine's collection of great Christmas compilations. Here are large segments of tracks by Pat Boone, Fred Waring, Sammy Kaye, Billy Eckstine, and The Andrews Sisters.

2015 two CD collection. A veritable cornucopia of 60 tunes as spun by Lux Interior on his radio shows or lurking within his and Poison Ivy's collection. From cool instrumentals and rockabilly weirdness through to female rock 'n' rollers, devotees of voodoo and all around devil worship and purveyors of the newest dance trends. With more than a hint of esoteric exotica, with added jungle sound effects, tributes to Tarzan, dragsters and rabbits and a host of dazed and confused survivors to boot. Rampant with riffs, overflowing with deranged ideas and sullen sideswipes on the soap opera of life. Complete with hip jive from 'Ginchy' to 'Gumbo', an aural extravaganza that's relentlessly groovy! Remastered from the original sound sources with sleeve notes by Mojo magazine's Dave Henderson.