Feb 02 2009
The Get Easy! Sunshine Pop Collection
Put this eclectic German import on your wish list! Released in 2003 on the Universal Jazz label, this 2-CD set is a fabulously offbeat collection of ’60s easy listening, lounge, and pop-rock. Some of these tunes are recognizable, while others are … well … not so much. You get the great sunshine pop anthems, such as Spanky & Our Gang’s “Like to Get to Know You” and The Critters’ “Mr. Dieingly Sad”, nestled among truly obscure tracks like “Always You” by The Sundowners. Now that’s what I call high-contrast living. Who were The Sundowners, anyway? More on this mysterious British trio in a future post.
There’s a smattering of schmaltz here and there (Doc Severinsen, anyone?) but it is quite admirable to see how no stone was left unturned. Universal Jazz really put together a glorious compilation of grooves. If you like American vocal groups (The Mamas & the Papas, The Cowsills, and The Sandpipers), you’re in luck. If you want to hear a French chanteuse (Claudine Longet) or the Doris Day of Germany (Heidi Brühl), they’ve got you covered. There’s something for everyone. And who can resist the cover art … come on, people.
To sum up, this is an astonishing set of 40 tracks, many of them almost impossible to find elsewhere. Believe me, you’ll be the envy of lounge and easy listening fans, who pride themselves on their acquisitions of uncategorized ’60s eclectica. Get it while you can … and get easy!
