Martin Denny ‎– "A Taste Of India" (Liberty ‎– LST-7550) 1968

I mentioned Martin Denny in the Emil Richards 'Journey To Bliss' post,so, here's Martins short foray into Psychsploitation under the guise of Exotica discovers a Taste of India.
I first discovered Martin Denny thanks to Throbbing Gristles obsession with the recorded works and style of the master of Exotica. His steamy tropical fusion of western easy listening with a stylised polyneasian feel,characterised by the cover photo's of sultry models of indeterminate ethnicity invariably peeking through a bamboo screen.Performing soft arrangements of popular songs with an odd instrument or two from Hawaii or places in Asia and the South Pacific such as conch shells, Indonesian and Burmese gongs, Japanese kotos, boobams and even the local forest animals and so in serendipity blended ingredients of Easy Listening, Jungle Noise, Smooth Jazz, Polynesian "Tiki" instrumentation, that would become Mr. Denny's musical signature sound: Exotica.
His version of The Strawberry Alarm Clock's "Incence and Peppermints" actually makes this pretty inoffensive pop tune just a tad weirder.You could now imagine a drug crazed serial killer chopping up a body and packing it into a suitcase with this playing in the background.Probably the attraction that Genesis P. Orridge found in this strange blend, he being also obsessed with Killers like the oft-mentioned Chuck Manson. The Moors Murderers in particular were especially fond of Ray Conniff, as they played his version of "The Little Drummer Boy" when they tortured Leslie Anne Downey.This is music for Psychopaths who couldn't be bothered to travel anywhere.
"Why do I need to see the Taj Mahal when I've got the music?"
Its the cheap alternative to flying,and far more greener.
Tourism is destroying the things the tourists want to go and see.At least with a Martin Denny album you get to imagine the Pyramids or Machu picchu without dropping your water bottles and eroding these places of enormous cultural importance,and keep your carbon footprint firmly in the managable zone......but then again, Who Cares!!? We're at the tipping point and its TOO LATE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT!!!

ps...BUT you can still help and save the Pangolin before we're extinct...click here!

Tracklist:

A1 Indrani
A2 Amy's Theme
A3 It Must Be Him
A4 Hypnotique
A5 A World Of Whispers
A6 Incense And Peppermints
B1 Yellow Bird
B2 Tara's Theme
B3 Live For Life
B4 Meditation (Meditacáo)
B5 Our Summer Love
B6 A Touch Of India (Pearl Of The Sea)

DOWNLOAD a tasty Indian HERE!