Author Archives: Little Danny

Midnight in the Naked City

The common tropes of Asphalt Jungle, Peter Gunn, D.O.A., The Maltese Falcon, This Gun for Hire, Johnny Staccato and dozens of other classic crime and detective serials and movies are well documented.  Watching how certain motifs – the chase scenes, … Continue reading

Posted on by Little Danny | Posted in Exotica/Space-Age, Instrumentals/Surf, Jazz Obscura | 4 Comments

You’re No Good

“You’re No Good” was written by one Clint Ballard (1931-2008), an El Paso-born musician, songwriter-for-hire and band manager who enjoyed his greatest success in the mid-’60s.  “You’re No Good” is one of Ballard’s best-known, if not best, compositions.  (Other well-known … Continue reading

Posted on by Little Danny | Posted in Soul | 4 Comments

Journey into Mellow

A shorter post this week, owing not to lack of enthusiasm but rather to the scarcity of specifics about the subjects, as well as to their somewhat unclassifiable nature. In the late ’60s there seemed to briefly prevail a commercial … Continue reading

Posted on by Little Danny | Posted in Garage Bands, Instrumentals/Surf, Miscellaneous Flotsam, Psychedelic/Pop | 6 Comments

Daughters of Yma

The inimitable South American vocalist Yma Sumac is one of the figureheads of ‘50s exotica, often if not always mentioned in the same breath as Les Baxter, Martin Denny and Arthur Lyman. And for good reason.  Sumac was exotica’s ultimate … Continue reading

Posted on by Little Danny | Posted in Exotica/Space-Age | 8 Comments

Early country rock

Country rock is largely, and probably accurately, identified with late ‘60s Los Angeles. The new sensibility drew its earliest and most influential adherents from a variety of musical quarters and pedigrees.  In 1966 and ’67, when it first began to … Continue reading

Posted on by Little Danny | Posted in Country, Psychedelic/Pop | 4 Comments

Office Naps Summer 2010 Psychedelic Pop mix

The fifth installment of the Office Naps psychedelic pop mix. Sunshine dreams, bad trips, and modern astrology for Today’s Teen. Office Naps Summer 2010 Psychedelic Pop mix Pinnochio & the Puppets, Fusion (7″ 45, Mercury) Jackie & Gayle, Remember (7″ … Continue reading

Posted on by Little Danny | Posted in Garage Bands, Mixes, Now Sound, Psychedelic/Pop | 7 Comments

The Exotica Project

I’m pleased to announce the Exotica Project, my new 45-related website. The Exotica Project explores a somewhat disparate collection of one hundred exotic-themed 45s through the motifs that unite them.  The site approaches “exotica” more as a style, and a … Continue reading

Posted on by Little Danny | Posted in Exotica/Space-Age, Miscellaneous Flotsam, The Exotica Project | 10 Comments

Back again

Well now, been a while. First of all, if you’re reading this, thanks.  Especially for those who’ve emailed, left encouraging comments, and otherwise continued to work through the site’s archives. It seems like for over six months now I’ve been … Continue reading

Posted on by Little Danny | Posted in Personal natter | 7 Comments