Space Age Bachelor Pad Music: Vinyl, Radio, Zines, Lounge Culture

• Radio
• Zines
• Acquiring Vinyl

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Radio

• WFMU, 91.1 FM, East Orange, New Jersey, broadcasting throughout the New York City area, is partly to blame for the renewed interest in Space Age Bachelor Pad Music. Go immediately to the station's Web pages to check out the schedule and to order SABPM online. Irwin Chusid's show is Wednesdays from noon until 3 pm, and Irwin plays lots more than SABPM. You'll also want to listen to The Cocktail Hour on Thursdays at 7pm, hosted by Tom Schmitz.
  
  
• Jack Diamond's show on KFJC-FM 89.7 in the San Francisco Bay Area airs Sundays from 9am to noon, and he describes it as "mostly pop instrumentals incuding TV & Film Soundtracks, Beatnik & Private Eye Jazz, Exotica and a collage of sounds from the space/cool-age." Jack vies for the title of World's Greatest Esquivel Fan. Drop Jack a line for more details.
  
  
• THE RETRO COCKTAIL HOUR, airing at 7pm Saturdays on KANU-FM, the public radio station at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, features recordings by Esquivel, Martin Denny, Les Baxter, Perry & Kingsley, Andre Popp, plus TV jazz, '50s soundtracks, cartoon music, etc. Stop by their new Web site which features album covers, sound clips, play lists!
  
  

• Does host Michael Clifford create a brilliantly dada-esque mix of genres (including Space Age Bachelor Pad, cheesy '70s Funk, Disco and Pop, Noise, Children's story records, Spoken Word, Jazz, Rawk and Avant Garde experiments) on Expando Radio? Or is he just self-indulgently showing off his thrift-store record collection and weird musical tastes? Only one way to find out! Judge for yourself. Expando Radio. Thursdays from 10 pm until midnite, KRUX 91.5 FM, Las Cruces, New Mexico (also hitting El Paso, TX., if the wind is blowing in the right direction).
  
  
• 'My Vinyl Recliner,' Frank's Lounge, airs Tuesdays from 10 pm to 11:30 pm on WMPG 90.9 FM, in Portland, Maine. Swank 'n Suave selections from Frank's library of lounge. Music from the inseam of the 50's and 60's.
  
  
• OTHER WORLDS on ABC Radio National broadcasts every Saturday night from 11 pm to 1, all over Australia. A good deal of the show is 'lounge'/'exotica' with a regular emphasis on Australian material e.g. The Townaires, Sergio Paradise, Ye Concinnous Village Gentry, John Sangster etc. (whatever we can turn up!).
  
  
• The Mister Smooth Hour: Sundays at 9 p.m. Central Time on High Plains Public Radio, KANZ-91.1 FM in Garden City, KS, KZNA-90.5 FM in Hill City, KS and translators/repeaters in 13 towns throughout Kansas, Oklahoma and Colorado. Mr. Smooth starts each program with Dean Elliot's "You're The Top" and then submerges listeners into swinging cool music with a lot of stereo separation! Write to High Plains Public Radio or to Program Director Byron Caloz.

• SABPM/Exotica/Spy music on "The Frankie Stein Show" on Rhode Island's 90.3 WRIU FM (Midnight Saturday nights) as well as lots of other types of music and fun things...

• Champagne and Dynamite -- Thursdays from 1-3 pm on WXOU 88.3 FM Auburn Hills, MI. Playing the best in exotica, hot jazz, cool lounge every Thursday afternoon, it's your cocktail antidote to the '90s.
  
  
• Con Brie-O! offers cheesy beats to treat your feet. The best TV and film themes, Esquivel, Denny, Martin and a whole galaxy of other easy beats all polished off with all the best and worst in the world of disco. DJ Miss JT and Dr Pop ably assisted by producer Dexter Wensleydale present four hours of cheesy mayhem every Sunday night on Hot FM 107.4 in Norwich, UK.

• Join Peter Williams for three hours of Music! Merriment! and Mayhem! On Morning Becomes Eccentric every Friday from 6:00 to 9:00 am on KAZU 90.3 FM in Pacific Grove, California, covering the Monterey, Salinas, Santa Cruz area. You'll hear classic scratchy vinyl as well as the latest reissues. From Esquivel, Three Suns, Lenny Dee and much more. Wake up and smell the music with Peter Williams on KAZU.

• Muzak For Dummies...Sit back in your lawnchair and let the music take you on a midnight stroll down the Nile...on a bicycle trip through the Amazon...on a magic carpet ride to Saturn...and into futuristic nostalgia. "Muzak For..." airs on 90.9 fm WQFS in Greensboro, North Carolina, on Tuesday evenings from 9 p.m. till midnight. If you are not in the NC area but would like to hear the show, free tapes are available--just email Nathan and remember,Viva La Lawnchair!

• High Fidelity, with your host Fraulein M airs on Monday nights from 8:00-10:00 p.m, on KCSB, UC Santa Barbara, 91.9 FM. Don't forget to pour yourself a nice cocktail and pull down that lever on your lazy chair and relax to soothing sounds we call Lounge.

• Misanthropy 511, CJAM 91.5 fm, Windsor, Ontario, sunday nights: midnight-2am. Hosts: e.z. listnin' & smokey treats. from easy listening to moments of mayhem. noises from the modern world. surrealism in living stereo.

• Bobby Tumbleweed from midnight to 3.a.m. early Tuesday mornings blends kitsch, beat-cool, ersatz and lounge/bachelor pad tunes throughout his show, and he intersperses it with ambient and mood techno. Tarkus from ten p.m. and midnight Tuesdays has been known to do the same thing, only mixes in theramin and Mellotron and early computer generated SFX into the proceedings and not so much ambient. KEOL-FM 91.7 semiquadrophonic on the campus of Eastern Oregon State College, 1410 "L" Avenue, La Grande, Oregon 97850. Studio line: (541) 962-3397.

• In the Boston Area, tune to 88.1 FM - WMBR, Cambridge (MIT) between 4-6 p.m. Fridays and check out "Three Ring Circus." Joan Hathaway features all genres of music with emphasis on cocktail, lounge, spy and surf. What else would you expect from a "Three Ring Circus?" Joan invites fellow Swingers to say zu, zu, zu!

• "The Single Eye" with host Allan Clark, heard on CKUT Radio McGill (University) in Montreal, Canada, Sundays from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., showcases classic SABPM (Denny, Baxter, Esquivel, Perrey & Kingsley, 101 Strings, etc.) to contemporary (Stereolab, Man.. 0r Astro Man, Galaxy Trio, Combustible Edison, etc.).

• Sit back, relax, put on the kettle and switch on to the relaxing sounds of the lost grooves. Starting at 9pm on a Thursday and 7pm on a Sunday, and steadily winding you up into a frenzy over two hours on Purple-FM, 105.8 in the County Durham area, UK.

• "Surf And Turf" 89.9 & 89.3 KGHP-FM in Gig Harbor, Washington, Saturday night 9 PM until Midnight join Mike "Slacker" Frankovich for a mix of bachelor pad, exotica, surf, hot rod, and other off the wall classics from the fifties and sixties.

• At the University of Tennessee, catch Dynagroove from 7-8 PM on Thursday evenings, hosted by the Professor Mel Adams and his compatriot, Norm Blassingame.

• In the Los Angeles area, catch the Molotov Cocktail Hour Tuesdays from 11pm to midnight on KXLU, 88.9FM, hosted by Cyrano and Senor Amor, and featuring SABPM and lots lots more...

• Also in LA, listen to easy exotica every Thursday at midnight on KCRW LA/Oxnard/Indio, 89.9FM.

• In Newton/Boston, tune in to "Music for Better Living" on WZBC (Boston College's station) at 90.3 FM Newton/Boston every Wednesday night from 6 to 7pm.
  
  
• Super Thriller Radio airs Mondays from 7 to 9 p.m. on WCBR, 92.7 FM in Chicago featuring "TONS of SABPM and lots of new bands as well."

• Jacob Horowitz DJs "Cracker Jack," Friday mornings from 10am till noon on KRRC, 104.1 FM, Reed College Radio, in the Portland, Oregon, vicinity .

• KGHP-FM 89.9 & 89.3 in Gig Harbor, WA (serving Key Pennisula, Olympia,
  Shelton, and parts of Tacoma). Saturday nights the "Surf And Turf" program airs on KGHP. I (Slacker) play cocktail, bachelor pad, exoctica, surf, hot rod, and other "oddities" from the fifties and sixties. Visit KGHP's new web site and the "Surf And Turf" page. Write to us!

• In Austin, TX, tune in "The Lounge Show," on radio station 91.7 KOOP, Saturday mornings from 10am-noon. Community radio: back to back lounge with no commercials!
  
  
• Wednesdays 7:30 am to 9:00 am Lounge and cocktail goodies, new and old
  brought to you by 3 high school kids before school each wednesday 88.9 FM
  summit-Chicago!!!

Zines

• Very Vicky, the world's only Lounge Comic Book, follows the adventures of Vicky Ocean (daughter of Danny), the world's swankest chick, as she contends with evil Shriners, the battles between God and the Devil, upstart Southern blueblood teens, look-alike hillbilly cousins, Vegas crooners, and crazed babblin's blues singers, whiles still taking time to sip a proper cocktail in the swingingest saloons she can find (and of course apply her lipstick)! With fashion pages, lounge recommendations, Pope comics, and exotic painted covers, VERY VICKY was featured in Joseph Lanza's "The Cocktail." Available from Meet Danny Ocean, P.O. Box 383286, Cambridge, MA 02238.
  
  
• Lounge Magazine. Your guide to post-war music, culture, & thought. The cool cats at LOUNGE have been at it for almost 2 years. Now available: Volume 3, Issue 1. Put your feet up on your ottoman and relax with lounge. Subscriptions are available at $20 dollars a year (six issues). Make check or money order payable to lounge magazine, 315 s. willaman drive #1, los angeles, ca, 90048. Want to know more about lounge magazine, add your name to our mailing list, or just talk about that newfangled cocktail culture? Drop us a line at lounge@netcom.com. Or if you're feeling particularly frisky call us at (310) 859-8665.
  
  
• The Continental (formerly Hmmm...) (Visit the Web Site!) Bellingham, Washington's Surf-Garage-Exotica-Indie Magazine focuses on surf-garage-indie rock, while covering some lounge, exotica, and the Rat Pack.The new issue is 48 pages, packed with tons of interviews, cocktail recipes, concert reviews, music reviews, movie reviews, and zine reviews. Featuring The Boss Martians, the Northwest's premier surf n' stomp band, an interview with Girl Trouble, where we discuss the genius of Frank Sinatra, the Bellingham Music Scene Report, and the usual assortment of music, film, book, and zine reviews. This issue is <$2.00>, including postage (Outside US $3.00). You can send your cash to: Hmmm... P.O. Box 4336, Bellingham, WA 98227-4336 (If you must write a check, please make it payable to Sean Berry). The previous issue, #6, is $2.00, outside US $3.00. For more info, email Sean.
  
  
• is a print zine published in Brooklyn, NY. Covering girls, jobs, clothes, drinks, kung fu, rock and roll, and space aliens, Bachelor No. 1 is the ultimate resource for the young man with cash in his pocket, time on his hands, and space on his toilet tank. Women like it too! Write: Bachelor No. 1, Regent Productions, c/o David Rhoden, 532 Pacific Street, #12, Brooklyn, NY 11217. New issue expected in December. Bachelor No. 1 also maintains a "pad" on the WWW.
  
  
• The Las Vegas Grind . . . Wholly dedicated to the ultra-a flying saucer of
  facts, information, recipes, tips, and the You-Too-Be-Cool Guide to Swank Living
  inclusive of cocktails, cigars, neckties, pick-up lines, chic vinyl, and home furnishings. Not to mention, monthly feature on gambling: Craps and Saps: Play Like a Pro, plus other card games and uses for card tables. Also, what are the finest lounge films of the 40's through 60's? You'll find out . . . The Las Vegas Grind: Send $2 plus a .32 stamp to LV Grind, c/o Eric Goeres, 5150 Spyglass Hill Dr. #220, Las Vegas, NV 89122-2773.
  
  
• Cannot Become Obsolete - The Zine that Savors Almost Forgotten Music. Take a peek into Vern Stoltz's exotic record collection, as well as his mind. Issue #1 features Stoltz's take on albums like Esquivel - Four Corners of the World, Doug Clark and the Hot Nuts - Panty Raid, Perrey & Kingsley - The In Sound fromWay Out, and Bonnie Pruden - Keep Fit Be Happy. Lots of Xerox-quality album covers. Sample issue: $2; next 3 issues: $5; trade for 7" single or zine. Contact: Cannot Become Obsolete/P.O. Box 1232/Lorton, VA 22199-1232.
  
  
• Cool And Strange Music Magazine! - Issue #2 Is Finally Here, and it's a whopping 44 pages, beautifully offset-printed, with a glossy color cover, loads more photos, tons of new wild and weird CD reviews and just a plain mess 'o fun! It all starts with a cool cover story about the wacky and experimental side of...wait for it...Ferrante & Teicher! Other articles include 'David Letterman's Record Collection', a Combustible Edison interview, Exotic music in Sweden, an interview with Tom Lehrer, and stories on Brave Combo and Wesley Willis. You can gaze in amazement and amusement at a beautiful 2-page spread of 'Cover Art Gone Bad', featuring the weirdest and most ill-conceived LP cover designs ever! Tie it all together with lots more loads o' fun stuff than we dare mention, and you'll find a very cool Issue #2 of COOL AND STRANGE MUSIC! MAGAZINE. It's available by mail only. Subscriptions are just $12 a year (4 issues) for cool guys and gals in the U.S.A., and $19 for our foreign buddies! Single copies of NEW Issues are only $3.95 in the USA and Canada, $5 for overseas. Cool And Strange Music! Magazine/PO Box 8501/Everett, WA 98201/e-mail: coolstrge@aol.com
  
  
• DON'T BRUISE THE GIN - your when-we-get-around-to- it guide to what's hot in lounge culture! Featured this month an interview with Janet Grey who put together the Rhino Cocktail Mix series, an article on getting you started on learning the difference between a good and bad cigar, a nifty story about the Three Suns and a recent finds column. All that and much more for $1.00 and a 32 cents stamp. Plus each issue comes with a token of thanks - order now to get your ultra cool surprise! DON'T BRUISE THE GIN, (New Address!) c/o Marc A / 2210 Parklake Drive NE #100 / Atlanta, GA 30345 - 2811
  
  
• Tiki News - Tiki News has moved and grown. Issue number 8 is out now (October 1996) and it is 32 pages of Tikimania - that's 4 pages less than #7 but twice the thickness of previous issues. All following issues will be this size! Due to our move to San Francisco, issue 8 is the "Travel Issue." In addition to part 2 of Wyndham's exclusive Bobby Troup interview, it features stories from around the country - San Diego, Reno, Boston - and artists Dawn Frasier of Seattle and David Purcell of San Francisco along with the regular columns. Future issues will feature a Pacific Northwest report, comic artists Mary Fleener of San Diego and Brian Marsland of Phoenix, Chicago report, cocktail recipes by Brother Cleve of Combustible Edison, and more.
  
  $10/year; current issue $2.00. Write to Otto for details.
  

Vinyl

Though they're getting much harder to find - and more expensive - original vinyl LPs are still circulating. With hard work, treasures still lurk in the thrift shops, but that's becoming more and more unlikely. And record stores are finally wise to the value of these pieces. You'll likely have to shell out real dollars at real record stores:

(Also be sure to check out Lazlo Nibble's guide to record shops in the LA and San Diego areas.)

When you call or visit, please tell these folks where you read about them!

• New York City, the overpriced capital of the East Coast.
  • Holy Cow Records, Ninth Street and 7th Avenue, Brooklyn, (718) 788-3631. Steve loves this stuff.
  • Gimmee Gimmee Records, 325 East 5th Street, New York, New York (212) 475-2955. Odd hours, call first.
  • Footlights Records, 113 East 12th Street (between 3rd and 4th Avenues), New York, New York 10003 (212) 533-1572. Nice collection.
  • The Golden Disc, 239 Bleeker St, just off 6th Avenue, New York NY, (212) 255-7899. Small but choice selection. Way way way too expensive!
  • Second Hand Rose, corner of 14th Street and 6th Avenue, New York NY, (212) 675-3735. Big section, but well picked over.
  • Record and CD Collectors' Expo, one day per month at The Inn, 440 West 57th St., between 9th and 10th Ave's. Schedule and info: (201) 773-6067, or email Fred. The show appears in New Jersey and other areas as well.
    
• St. Louis:
  • Vintage Vinyl, 6610 Delmar, St. Louis , MO 63130 (314) 721-6168
  • Got It! Records, 8980 Watson Road, St. Louis, MO 63119 (314) 849-2633
    
• California:
  • Record Finders, 5639 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, California 90038 (213) 931-2757.
  • Lou's Records, 434 N. Highway 101, Encinitas, CA 92024 (619) 753-1382
    
• Florida
  • Rock & Roll Heaven, 1814 N.Orange Ave., Orlando,Fl 32804 (407)896-1952, fax: (407)896-2130 (mail order, too). DJWallyW@aol.com or wally@sundial.net
    
• Washington, DC
  • Flying Saucer Discs, 2318 18th Street, NW 20009 (202) 265-DISC.
    
• Virginai
  • Hitsville Record Mart, 217 King St, Alexandria, VA 22314 (703) 683 4583 email: notrico@ix.netcom.com -- "a sparkling, refreshing selection of lounge, exotica, coctail & celeb recordings, many on exclusive black vinyl..."
    
• New Orleans:
  • Ron's Records ("Tell Me I Sent You") in New Orleans, LA.
  • Goldmine Records, 900 Manhattan Blvd., Harvey LA 70056, (504)368-2233 and 1-800-499-OLDY.
    
• Toronto and vicinity:
  • Just for the Record, 372 Yonge St. Toronto, Ont. M5B 1S6 CANADA (416) 593-5000. Ask if there's anything behind the counter.
  • The Incredible Record & Book Store, 778 Yonge St. Toronto, Ont. M4Y 2C1 CANADA (416) 924-8881.
  • Brian's Record Option, 380 Princess St. Kingston, Ont. K7L 1B9 CANADA (613) 542-2452.
    
• Boston/Cambridge wins a SABPM Gold Star for Prime Record-hunting on the East coast. While NY City outdoes it in sheer volume of vinyl, Boston offers good variety, good selection, and -- best of all -- good prices.
  • Looney Tunes, 1106 Boylston St. & 1000 Mass. Ave., Boston. Webmaster's Personal Favorite award.
  • Pipeline, 1100 Mass. Ave., Cambridge
  • Stereo Jacks, 1686 Mass Ave., Cambridge. Talk up the clerks, they love this stuff!
  • Cheapo Records, 645 Mass Ave., Cambridge.
  • In Your Ear, 957 Comm. Ave., Boston & Mt. Auburn off Harvard Square, Cambridge.
  • Mystery Train, two locations: 306 Newbury Street (ask for clerk Seven Zark-Seven), Boston, & Mass. Ave. just off Harvard Square, Cambridge
    
• Elsewhere in the world:
  • A note from Adrian A. Cortez: If anybody makes a stop in Hong Kong, the MTR, a shuttle system that everybody must use, stops at Sham Shui Po Station. Once there, exit at Aplui Street and feast on the used record bins full of Asian lounge music. 50 cents a record, no collector hassle, and every record is scratchless. Also on the street, old tube amplifiers for that old stereo sound, at a fourth of the prices US collectors pay.....still not cheap.

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"Space Age Bachelor Pad Music on the World Wide Web" is compiled and maintained by Vik Trola. Copyright © 1995, 1996 Joseph O. Holmes. Copyright © 1997 Vik Trola.