There was a time
when I only worked 4 days a week.
Granted, they were 10 hour days, but Monday –Thursday was my work
week. My wife was also working as a
nanny and she had Fridays off as well.
Each Thursday night was the end of our actual work week and most of our
friends still had to plow through Friday, so my wife and I would enjoy what we
dubbed “Secret Friday.” This primarily involved
whiskey sours on the back porch and lots of records. The three records I remember us listening to
the most were “Di Doo Dah” by Jane Birkin, “Histoire De Melody Nelson” by Serge
Gainsbourg, and “Kee-Ka-Roo” by Walter Wanderley. I can’t put on any of these without
remembering our “Secret Fridays.”
Normally, we would
get our drinks together during the first two songs. “Amazonas” kicks off side one with a low wandering
flute and Walter playing the organ in his “Bop Bop ba ba Bop Bop” style. I
have heard a lot of great organ players, but Walter is just so darn sure of himself. Nothing crazy, nothing out there, just
satisfying, like a good handshake. His
playing is delightful, it’s laid back, and it’s deceptively simple. You forget very quickly that this is very complex
music, both harmonically and rhythmically. Some may find this type if organ music a little cheesy, but I highly encourage you to give it a listen with fresh ears. This is top notch Bossa Nova.
By the time we
made it to the back porch and sat down, our favorite song would start. “Canto De Ossanah” begins with piano, organ
and a donkey jawbone. Like a heart
bursting with love, this song pumps for a full minute before letting loose on
the main theme, but it’s the transition that is so exciting. It’s like the curtain gets pulled back and
you realize you’re alive again. I’m not
being dramatic about this. This song is
really that good. It will let you forget
about your garbage week and help you remember that you have a lot of good things
in your life to enjoy. This is why we
listen to music, these types of songs.
After this song,
it’s just like coasting down a mountain.
I have always been a fan of songs that move quickly, but are still
quiet. Walter does this style so well. “Sambao” is a nice example of this. Listen to the drums. It takes years to master this kind of
stuff. It also has some cool background
vocals that are not really sung, or spoken, but more whispered. It goes “Ahhhhh,” with a heavy emphasis on
the “H” sounds.
I briefly have to mention the song “Wait until
Dark.” It is the only vocal on the
record and it is pretty darn hokey to me.
The music is nice, but the lady singing, Marge Dodson, sounds like a
cocktail singer, and not in a good way.
It’s bad, but it’s entertainingly bad, so I always just smile and give
it a pass.
Tones: Walter’s organ tones are
soft, percussive, and almost bell like. Nothing
ever cuts. It’s easy to forget he’s playing
with two hands and two feet as well. Although
he is know primarily as an organ player, he also uses an electric piano on “Sensuous.” What a warm and inviting sound he gets out of
that thing.
Price Paid: $3.00 at an antique
store that has a ton of records, however many are hit or miss. Over the past few years they have steadily raised
their prices from $3.00 to $5.00 to $7.00.
I told my buddy Dave (who has a very different record collection than
mine, but is excellent just the same) about this and he said “For $7.00 I want them
clean and alphabetized.” I think that is
very fair.
Cover Note. This one has a great
colorful painting that wraps around all the way to the back.
There are flowers and birds and peppers and I think a dog. It’s wonderful.
Bottom Line: I do a see a lot of
Walter Wanderley as I shop, but this one does not pop up too often. Knowing how much I like it, I would probably
pay up to $7.00 if I needed to replace it. More people should know about
how good Walter's music is, so if you see any of his other stuff, go ahead and pick it
up, especially if it’s on the cheap. Buy
it and have your own “Secret Friday.”
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