(Note: This is a re-print of an earlier blog of mine and that is why it has more than 10 songs.)
Hey, hep cats. Here’s the first of two playlists your hipster friends are sure to love straight from my iPod:
1. Miniskirt – Combustilbe Edison w/ Esquivel
2. Viva Las Vegas – Elvis Presley
3. Soul Bossa Nova – Quincy Jones: This is the theme to the Austin Powers movies. Yeah, baby!
4. Spanish Flea – Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass: Herb Alpert used his royalties to found A&M RecordsJerry Moss. The A stood for Alpert. This song was used as the music for the bachelors on The Dating Game.
5. The In Crowd – Ramsey Lewis Trio
6. What’s New Pussycat – Tom Jones: Burt Bacharach wrote this song.
7. L-O-V-E – Nat King Cole
8. Fever – Peggy Lee
9. Summer Wind – Frank Sinatra: The king of the crooners. The king of phrasing.
10. More – Bobby Darin: The poor man’s Sinatra.
11. These Boots Are Made For Walking – Nancy Sinatra: How does the daughter have only one hit ever, but it’s much kewler than anything her dad ever did.
12. Girl From Impanema – Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto
13. Theme From The Love Boat – Jack Jones: This was the original theme for the television show and should not be confused with the inferior Dionne Warwick version which was used later.
14. Watermelon Man – Mongo Santamaria: Tito Puente fans will disagree, but Mongo was the better bongo player.
15. I Left My Heart In San Francisco – Tony Bennett
16. Danke Schoen – Wayne Newton: Somewhere Wendell Tvedt is smiling.
17. Take Five – Dave Brubeck
18. Hey Eugene – Pink Martini: Here’s what the modern lounge movement sounds like unless you want to include the new white soul revitalization movement (Duffy, Amy Winehouse, et.al.).
19. Happy Together – Mel Tormé: A reworked cover of the song by The Turtles.
20. Creep – Richard Cheese: A reworked cover of the song by Radiohead.
21. It’s Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next To Me – Barry White
22. Oye Como Va – Tito Puente: What? You were expecting Santana?
23. Do You Know the Way To San Jose – Dionne Warwick
24. Tiny Bubbles – Don Ho: Hawaiian Lounge! Mahalo!!
25. Cantaloupe Island – Herbie Hancock
26. Dream A Little Dream – Mama Cass: In between bites of chicken sandwiches she had one of the greatest voices ever.
27. Downtown – Petula Clark
28. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes – The Platters
29. Mambo Italiano – Rosemary Clooney: Geoge Clooney’s aunt.
30. She Don’t Use Jelly – Ben Folds Five: Yes, this is a cover of the Flaming Lips song. It was on an album called Lounge-A-Palooza which I don’t think is in print anymore. Get ‘em while you can.
31. It’s A Miracle – Barry Manilow
32. Misty – Johnny Mathis
33. A Summer Place – Percy Faith & His Orchestra: In the movie Animal House this is the song playing when Otter is bedding the Dean’s wife.
34. ‘Round Midnight – Miles Davis
35. I’ve Gotta Be Me – Sammy Davis, Jr.
This is the perfect list for dinner parties and non-rowdy wine parties. It sets the mood while not overpowering the great conversation. I’m pretty sure the Ladies Man, Leon Phelps, used this playlist when dialoguing his skanks. Go Daddy-O, yeah baby!
Tags: Percy Faith, Animal House, Duffy, Amy Winehouse, Wine Parties, Elvis, Ben Folds Five, Ben Folds, Flaming Lips, combustible edison, esquivel, las vegas, bossa nova, quincy jones, austin powers, yeah baby, herb alpert, tijuana brass, A&M records, jerry moss, the dating game, ramsey lewis, tom jones, burt bacharach, nat king cole, peggy lee, frank sinatra, bobby darin, nancy sinatra, stan getz, joao gilberto, jack jones, the love boat, dionne warwick, television, tito puente, mongo santamaria, bongo player, tony bennett, wayne newton, wendell tvedt, dave brubeck, pink martini, white soul, mel torme, the turtles, richard cheese, radiohead, barry white, santana, san jose, don ho, mahola, cantaloupe island, herbie hancock, cass elliot, mama cass, mahalo, chicken sandwich, petula clark, the platters, rosemary clooney, george clooney, lounge-a-palooza, barry manilow, johnny mathis, otter, miles davis, sammy davis jr., dinner parties, dinner party music, the ladies man, leon phelps, skanks
