Exotic Rock
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Exotic rock, the original jungle music, really means the "wild man" tendency among those making records in their heyday. Rock, rockabilly, the novelty impulse of 45s, crazed artists, bongos, and the popularity of Tarzan on big and little screens all made jungle-themed records inevitable. Every New York Dolls fan knows the Cadets' classic "Stranded in the Jungle," while The Big Game Hunters' funky "See the Cheetah" is the enduring high mark for DJs. One mixed blessing was 1963, The Year of the Monkey, meaning the dance known as the Monkey. It replaced 1962's Twist as the leading dance-rock thing to do. A torrent of singles cashed in on both "The Monkey" and related film and television icons, such as Tarzan's pet chimp. Some are just basic twist-like instrumentals with a primate reference in the title (exotic in name only), while others go to some length to stick out like an opposable thumb. But the very best, vine-swingin'est, "monkey" singles epitomize what crazy 45 fun is all about. Exotic rock enjoyed a revival of sorts, in the 1980s and 1990s, when a trove of Las Vegas "stripjoint" recordings came to light on a series of compilation LPs. While mainly inferior and never intended for commercial release, the best cuts do add to the idiom. Other examples are where you find them. In later rock, for instance, Sam the Sham made his persona if not career a bit of rock exoticism. The Guess Who's "Clap for the Wolfman" may qualify, as "horror rock" has everything in common with the spirit of jungle rock. Buying: LPs of exotic rock per se are too few to be identified as such where records are sold, so seek them out. Exotic-rock 45s are much easier, and 45 dealers can help track them down. |
Exotic Rock LPs
| Rating | |
| 8 | Georgie Auld & his Hula-gans: Hawaii on the Rocks; Jaro JAS-8003 (Hawaii rock) |
| 6 | Tony Smith & the Aristocrats: Maharajah Man; De Tone DT-2901; 1974 ("featured at Fred Allewgretti's 4 Horsemen Lounge," Chicago) |
| 6 | Theme from Tarzan; Tifton 78007; 1966 ("official TV Tarzan licensee") |
| 6 | Various: Jungle Exotica; Strip (compilation) |
| 6 | Various: Jungle Exotica Vol. 2; Strip ST-076 (compilation) |
| Various: Las Vegas Grind Vol. 1; Strip 001 (compilation) | |
| Various: Las Vegas Grind Vol. 2; Strip 002(compilation) | |
| 8 | Various: Las Vegas Grind Vol. 3; Strip 003 (compilation; exotic rock/rock/beatnik) |
Partly Exotic-Rock LPs
| Rating | |
| 7 | Paul Bonneau et son Gran Orchestre: Telecineradio Volume 6; Chappell Mood Music [no # or date] ("Foret Tropicale/Tropical Forest"; made in France) |
| 8 | Wade Denning & the Port Washingtons/Uncredited: The Amazing TV Themes; MGM/Leo the Lion CH-1023; 1966 (children's LP) |
| The Dials: It's Monkey Time; Time 2100; 1963 | |
| 4 | Bill Haley & his Comets: Rockin'; MCA CB-20015 (compilation from Decca) |
| 9 | Dickie Harrell: Drums and More Drums; Capitol ST-1502 |
| 8 | Harry Hoomele & his Island Orchestra: Hawaii Calls; Grand Award GA-237-SD/GA-33-405 (Hawaiian/exotic rock; original jacket face has blue at bottom) |
| 6 | The Kit Kats: The Very Best of the Kit Kats; Virtue LPV-102067 ("Quiet Village" & "Stranded in the Jungle") |
| 7 | Ray Martin: Comic Strip Favorites; RCA Camden CAS-2102; 1966 ("Tarzan"; mod/Batman/crime/exotic rock; w/Dick Hyman) |
| 7 | The Shangaans: Jungle Drums; EMI Studio 2 TWO-109; 1965 (South African/exotic rock) |
| 7 | Carl Stevens: African Sounds; Mercury PPS-6030 ("Tiana-Tche--The Jungle Roars"; African/exotic rock/exotica/mod twist; partly on Various: Hit Motion Picture Themes; Mercury SR-60810) |
| 5 | The Ginny Tiu Revue; Monument MLP-8030 (Chinese: "The Tiu Rock") |
| 4 | The Tornadoes: Telstar--The Sounds of the Tornadoes; London LL-3279 ("Jungle Fever") |
| 8 | Uncredited: New Original TV Themes--Green Hornet--Tarzan--The Man from U.N.C.L.E.; Cameo/Wyncote SW-9173 |
| 8 | Unknown [Thai]; Somchai SPC-3016 (Thai rock; English songs "San Francisco," "Shake Baby Shake," "This is My Song") |
| 7 | Various: King-Federal Rockabillys; Gusto/King 5016X; 1978 (Hank Mizell: "Jungle Rock") |
| 9 | Various: Original Surfin' Hits; GNP Crescendo GNP-84 ("Exotic") |
| 7 | Various: Rock and Roll; Grand Award GA-33-343 ("Stranded in the Jungle"; Ink Spots, Artie Malvin, Bob Eberly, Loren Becker, The Rhythm Rockets, Enoch Light) |
| 8 | Various: Rockin' Tokyo; Capitol T-10342 (The Three Funkies, Beni Sisters, Yuki Asaoka, Keijiro Yamashita, Kayoko Moriyama, Shigeru Katsumi) |
Exotic-Rock 45s
| Rating | |
| 8 | The Apes: Tarzan's Monkey/Don't Monkey with the Pony; Mercury 72219 (Rosengarden & Krause) |
| 9 | The Big Game Hunters: See the Cheetah/Swingin' Shepherd Blues; Uni 55008; 1967 (funky!; arr. Mort Garson) |
| 8 | The Cadets: Stranded in the Jungle/?; Modern; 1956 (the classic) |
| The Crew: The Jaguar Hunt/?; Brass | |
| -» | Xavier Cugat ("Rock Moruno") |
| 6 | The Darwins: The Monkey/The Monkey Sax; Vee-Jay VJ-508; 1963 |
| 7 | Diablito: The Jungle/Merengue Potatoes; Parkway P-850 |
| 6 | The Dials: Monkey Dance/Monkey Walk; Time 1068; 1963 (both sides from It's Monkey Time; Time 2100) |
| 7 | Don & Dewey: Jungle Hop/A Little Love; Specialty 599 |
| 6 | The Eternals: Rockin' in the Jungle/Rock'n Roll Cha Cha; Musictone MX-1111 |
| 6 | Buddy Hacket: Chinese Rock & Egg Roll/Ting Me a Tong; Coral 9-61594 (very "un-pc," narrated novelty) |
| 8 | Harry & the Croc-O-Dolls: Cheeta (Teach Me How to Do the Monkey)/Jungle Hootenany; RCA Victor 47-8244; 1963 |
| 8 | Harry Kari & his Six Saki Sippers: Yellow Rose of Oksaka/Ragtime Cowboy Joe; Capitol F-3257 (very "un-pc") |
| 6 | Hong Kong White Sox: Cholley-Opp/Brumley Prunk: He'd Better Go; Trans-World 4906 (A-side; very "un-pc") |
| 8 | The Individuals: Jungle Superman/Dear One; Red Fox RF-105 |
| 9 | Jerry & the Medicine Men: The Medicine Man Parts 1 & 2; Edco 101 (funky, jazzy exotic rock) |
| 8 | Jungle Rock: Down in the Jungle/instrumental; Sound Gems SG-108; 1975 (funky w/synth & bird cries, like Jimmy Castor) |
| 9 | Peter Laine & his Musical Sound: Tiger Walk/Casa Feliz; Soul Vista 1006; 1973 (A-side funky exotica/B-side mod) |
| 8 | The Kingpins: Ungaua Parts 1 & 2; United Artists UA-111-X; 1958 |
| 7 | Ernie Menehune: Minoi Minoi/Back in Aloha Land; Tani 41837 |
| 6 | Hank Mizell: Jungle Rock/?; King 5236 (rockabilly) |
| 6 | The Mogambo's: Bi-Aza-Ku-Sasa/Wa'tch You Mean; Sunbeam 107; 1958 |
| 8 | Morocco: Opa Kukla/Ela 'Tho; MGM K-13496 (Greek rock) |
| 7 | The Noc-A-Bouts: Jungle Safari/Session; United Artists UA-126-X |
| 7 | The Popcorns: Zero-Zero/Chinese Twist; Decca 31446 (exotic rock/politically incorrect/whistling; rec. in Sweden) |
| -» | Perez Prado (several 45s) |
| 6 | Milt Rogers: Lonely Road to Damascus/Let's Go Trippin'; Dot 45-16296 (exotic rock/surf) |
| 7 | Santo & Johnny: Caravan/Summertime; Canadian American 111 |
| 7 | Lalo Schifrin: Rhino Romp/Theme from "Rhino!"; MGM K-13251 (exotic rock/African/percussion) |
| 8 | Eddie Silvers: Katanga/The Party Rocker; Dootone 468 |
| 7 | Kay Starr: Voodoo Man/Bridge of Sighs; RCA Victor 47-7338 (exotic rock/twist) |
| 8 | Len Stuart Trio: Caravan/Moonlight Mambo; Rivoli R-8 (exotic/Mid-East/organ/Latin rock, like John Buzon Trio) |
| 6 | [Alan Kalani: A Touch of Pink/]The Surfers: Mambo Jambo; Orbit 538 (B-side ukulele instrumental w/Prado-esque grunts) |
| 8 | The Tornadoes: Telstar/Jungle Fever; London 45-LON-9561 (also on Telstar LP) |
| 8 | The Watusi Warriors: Wa-Chi-Bam-Ba (Valley of a Thousand Hills)/Kalahari; Prince PR-45-1206 |
| 8 | The Windsors: Caramba!/Saki Rock (sic); United Artists UA-128-X |
| 8 | The Yeaworths: The Ballad of the Christmas Donkey/Oky-Doky-Tokyo; RCA Victor 47-8480 |
Hyp Records is a 3-part guide:
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