Lounge Life - Links to go!


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The Exotic World of Les Baxter - This, the original and for many years the ONLY Les Baxter resource on the web, is Club Velvet's humble tribute to the undisputed "Godfather of Exotica" featuring liner notes, an illustrated discography and an extensive interview with Les conducted just a year before his death in 1996. Much of the work done by Kini for this site was later used for the "Official Les Baxter Website".

The Official Les Baxter Website - This beautiful site overseen by Les's own daughter features family notes, and a wonderful history of Les (not to mention numerous images painstakingly scanned by King Kini for his "Exotic World of Les Baxter").

The Temple of Denny - As part of Vik's Lounge, this site features a nice discography, liner notes, and other tidbits on the man behind the bamboo curtain. Everything you'll ever need to know about Martin Denny.

Martin Denny - So here's more!

Arthur Lyman - Nice tribute site to Denny's original vibe player who went on to record many great albums with his own group. Aloha!

Yma Sumac - The ultimate destination for fans of this Peruvian chanteuse. Official site authorized by Yma herself.

Burt Bacharach - "A House Is Not A Homepage" dedicated to one of the finest songwriters of all time. Burt is THE MAN!

Spaced Out: The Enoch Light Site - Devoted to the "Provocative Percussion" man himself; Enoch Light's prolific career helped define the term "hi-fi" and his recording techniques produced a sound quality that still holds up today!

LALO SCHIFRIN - Detailed site documenting the life and works of the man behind the music for "Mission: Impossible" and many other spythemes. Lalo's original music also forms the basis for hits by both Portishead and Pizzicato 5.

Dimitri from Paris - This happenin' french DJ/musician released the simply brilliant LP, "Sacrebleu!" featuring a hybrid of house, trip-hop and EZ listening that can only be described as future-lounge. C'est magnifique!

Soundtrack Archives
- Cover art from vintage international soundtrack LPs compiled by Pee-Wee Marquette.

Edmundo Ros Front Page - Discography for and information on the proficient latin band leader.

The Fantastic Ann-Margret - duh.

Claudine Longet - "Cuddle Up with Claudine": french-born popsinger, co-star of Peter Sellers, wife of Andy Williams, murderer(?).

House of Games - Hipster Jack Diamond's web companion to his California radio show of the same name, this site features bee-oo-ti-ful album cover scans and lots of kewl Esquivel stuff!

The Moog Cookbook - Official page for the band whose vintage electronica inspired versions of recent alterna-rock hits often improve on the originals (if you have sick tastes like mine).

Jobim, Gliberto, Bossa Nova - Small corner of the web dedicated to bossa nova & guitar.

The Exotica Mailing List Home Page - Exotica is a mailing list for fans and collectors of weird and unusual music from the early LP era forward. Common topics of discussion include artists like Perez Prado, Les Baxter, and Yma Sumac; cool record finds; current reissues in the genre, and so forth.

King Kini's CLUB VELVET - "An Adventure in Space-Age Exotica," this is the internet counterpart to King Kini's swank Minneapolis hotspot. See the sights, hear the sounds and taste the drinks of CLUB VELVET. *Includes the "Exotic World of Les Baxter" tribute to the master.

LuxuriaMusic.com - 24 hour-a-day live webcast programmed by The Millionaire of Combustible Edison, and other big name exoticats. Luxuria wants to "link the new internationalists, the pleasure seekers, the thrill-hungry hearts and minds of Bon Viveurs around the world who thirst for quality and personality and excellence and splendour: the discriminating ones, who will not settle for mediocrity and uniformity."

Vik's Lounge and Radio Vik - The definitive source for ALL your informational needs when it comes to EZ listening. Be careful not to get lost in a back room on your way to the exhaustive "Temple of Denny". Tell Henri "Kini" sent you (he'll take care of ya).

The Space Age Pop Standards - "Any song worth playing is worth wearing into the ground." Detailed biographies and discographies of many many exotic, latin and pop artists.

The Wilds Scene - An original exploration of the exotic in art and music. Sections include an exhibition of tiki objects, tributes to unsung musical idioms and past stars, and "Wilds Sounds."

Smoking Redhead Club - The Smoking Redhead is a virtual lounge where you can dig some crazy albums: visit the Tiki Room to check out some exotica, the Black Satin Lounge to relax to mellow cocktail music or groove to jazzy lounge jive, or the Stand-Up Comedy Bar to lighten your spirits.



Space Age Bachelor Pad Music - Joseph Holmes' original pioneering website of lounge culture... still worth a look!

Home of SHAG - Experience his world of mid-century swingers, tiki bar primitiva, and exotica-science fiction in Shag's online gallery.

Swank-O-Rama - Live the international jet-set cocktail lifestyle on the Internet. Whether you are a secret agent, a playboy, a "La Dolce Vita" jet-setter , a super-model or just someone looking for an lifetime of fabulous fun...

Hawaiiana Traders - "TikiTrader's Grass Shack" offers Hawaiian Shirts, Tiki Mugs, Tiki and Polynesian Jewelry, Tiki Artifacts, Luau and Bar Supplies, Music and Books of Polynesia, Arts and Crafts of the islands and more...

The Party-Planning Wisdom of Trader Vic - Excerpts from Victor "Trader Vic" Bergeron's 1946 masterpiece, "Trader Vic's Book of Food and Drink."

MisterLUCKY - A quarterly musical communique celebrating music of a "jazz-centric" nature and the responsible love of booze and cocktails. This site celebrates the martini, Manhattan and other divine nectars that "take away the edge of a harsh modern reality and stimulate both appetite and conversation."

Rudy's Corner - Featuring Herb Alpert, Sergio Mendes, Laurindo Almeida, Esquivel and others. Home of Rudy's A&M corner.

The Roots of Lounge - History of lounge based on a 1995 radio documentary.

The Theremin Home Page - Exhaustive web archive of theremin information... ooooooeeeeeoooo...

Scamp Records - "Your Passport to Excitement," Scamp is THE label when it comes to reissuing exotica classics on CD. Their attention to detail SHOULD set the standard for other labels to follow.

The Ultra-Lounge - Capitol Records' official website for their swank "Ultra-Lounge" CD series which you should already own.

Rykodisc - The place to go for info on Ryko's "Shaken Not Stirred" CD and their great Arthur Lyman releases.

Dionysus Records - Dionysus is the Greek god of wine, women and wild behavior. Dionysus is also an independent record label that has been unleashing nitro-charged sounds including exotic artists Robert Drasnin, Les Baxter and the Tiki Tones.

Bar/None Records - For detailed information on Esquivel and his recent compliation releases, visit this the homepage of the people who had enough sense to realize there was still a market for an eccentric mexican bandleader in his 70s.

The Bossa Nova Web Page - This webpage is the culmination of a 30 year love affair the author has been having with a country, its people and especially, its music.

Dada'quariums Exotica - A site full of informational lists and reviews including an overview of 675 quintessential, in-print exotica CDs & LPs.

TikiBosko - Tiki Objects by Bosko is your source for the finest tiki and Polynesian pop products available, specializing in tiki poles, ceramic mugs, masks, and one-of-a-kind custom orders. Cool stuff... waiting on the vintage drinks!

Cool And Strange Music! Magazine - Take a cool ride through the wild, wacky and sometimes tacky world of records with the "first & foremost" regularly published PRINT magazine devoted to exotica, unusual music, weird and sexy LP cover art.

Serge Gainsbourg - Polygram's website dedicated to the french singer and libertine who's best known for his monument to eroticism "Je T'aime... Mon Non Plus".

Cafe Du Nord - San Francisco's subterranean home of swankness.

The Three Suns Universe - The web's definitive reference resource on the prolific Three Suns. This under-appreciated trio and their accordion had more than a few moments of wacked-out brilliance.

The Three Suns - Further info on "Mamie Eisenhower's favorite band".

The RAYMOND SCOTT WEB ARCHIVE - He's been called the "Man Who Made Cartoons Swing." But though his melodies were immortalized in over a hundred Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck romps, and though his late-1930's Quintette recordings now underscore the mayhem of Ren & Stimpy, Raymond Scott never wrote a note for cartoons in his life....

In Hi-Fi Home Page - Thursday evenings at Bar d'O in New York City... and a very cool Gallery of artist Jim Flora's classic work.

Find Your Hawaiian Name - To find your name in Hawaiian, type it in the space provided and press the find button.

Dino's Lodge - The Dean Martin Homepage. This site serves as a nice looking hub for all things Dino. Features a complete discography and filmography.

RareMusic on the Internet - Shockwave audio samples of some cool music! Check the "Weird"/"Left Field" catagory for the best in the exotica vein. Updated monthly.

Frank's Vinyl Museum - Nice scans of strange and wonderful vintage LP covers WITH sound clips! ...if only Frank would lose the lame quicktime music that loads everytime you hit the homepage. ugh.

Bungalow - Cool german label featuring Combustible Edison and other swell pop artists.

Stereo de Luxe - Berlin-based DJ whose "extraordinary stereophonic events" present a wide musical range including Easy Listening, Lounge-Beat, sleazy "red light bar" music, French beat and Japanese pop.

Var�se Sarabande - Record label currently re-issuing Ferrante & Teicher, Cugat, Hyman, Kovacs and loads of soundtracks on CD.

It Crawled From the Bins - Selections From Peter Gilstrap's Pathetically Huge Collection of Oddball Records.

Trader Vic's Taiwan - Worth checking out if only for the official cocktail menu... just read between the @@@@@@'s.

Sugarbaby's Atomic Lounge - Big Daddy spins it all, from swing to lounge, every Thursday night in Boston, Mass.

Swanktown Radio - Swingin' Minneapolis radio show with DJ Gregg Wolfe in Cheap Clothing. Check out the website's handy "Ultralounge Search Tool".

The Retro Cocktail Hour - A Saturday night radio show from the University of Kansas.

Mai Tiki - Hand-carved masks, idols, and other exotic sculpture from a creative artist in Cocoa Beach.

The Tiki Bar Review Page - Your online guide to the remaining Tiki Bars of North America.

Mmmmartini Lounge - Virtual cocktails!!

Trader Vic's - Though others have stepped forward to try to appropriate his legend, there was only one Victor J. "Trader Vic" Bergeron, Jr. - inventor of the Mai Tai and founder of the world-famous Polynesian-style restaurants that bear his name.

Just For Kicks! The Bob Thompson Music Page - Created by his son, this is the official site devoted to Bob Thompson, space-age arranger & composer extrordinaire.

Moritz's Exotica - German exoticat Moritz Reichelt's page featuring the Exotica Mailing List FAQ and a tour of Trader Vic's, Munich... NICE!


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