During the era when the 12” long-playing album was becoming an increasingly widespread and popular medium, especially after the introduction of stereo recording as a norm in the late 1950s, record companies were seeking out styles and concepts of easy-listening music specifically designed to take advantage of the burgeoning market. Tommy “Snuff” Garrett was a DJ from Texas, who became a producer at Liberty Records in Los Angeles in 1959 at the age of 21, producing acts like Bobby Vee and Johnny Burnette, and became A&R director after a few years He alighted on an approach that he called “The 50 Guitars Of Tommy Garrett”, with a lesser-used adjunct of “The 25 Pianos Of Tommy Garrett”, and with arranger Ernie Freeman, whose hits included “Jivin’ Around” and “Raunchy”, he created a guitar-based sound using notable west coast session guitarists like Laurindo Almeida, Al Caiola, Barney Kessel and others, including himself, and the series of concept albums carried on through into the 1970s.
This 60-track 2-CD set features albums from the beginning of that series, comprising the titles from the albums “50 Guitars Go South of The Border Vols. 1 & 2”, “50 Guitars Visit Hawaii” and “50 Guitars Go Country”, plus the Tommy Garrett album “25 Pianos Play Evergreens Of Broadway”.
It was one of those masterstrokes of concept creation, production and marketing, and this collection offers an atmospheric introduction to a highly distinctive brand of easy listening music, which was very much of its era, but remains absolutely timeless.
CD 1
1. GUADALAJARA
2. COME CLOSER TO ME
3. FRENESI
4. BE MINE TONIGHT
5. ADIOS
6. LA VIRGEN DE LA MACARENA
7. BESAME MUCHO
8. YOU BELONG TO MY HEART
9. LA BAMBA
10. PERFIDIA
11. SOUTH OF THE BORDER
12. GRANADA
From the album “50 Guitars Go South of The Border”
(Liberty LMM13005/LSS 14005) 1961
13. EL RANCHO GRANDE
14. MEXICALI ROSE
15. CIELITO LINDO
16. FANTASIA MEXICANA
17. MAGIC IS THE MOONLIGHT
18. MALAGUENA
19. MEXICAN HAT DANCE
20. AMORE
21. ESTRELLITA
22. GREEN EYES
23. LA PALOMA
24. VAYA CON DIOS
From the album “50 Guitars Go South of The Border
Vol. 2”
(Liberty LMM13016/LSS 14016) 1962
25. BLUE HAWAII
26. HAWAIIAN WEDDING SONG (KE KALI NEI AU)
27. PAGAN LOVE SONG
28. MY LITTLE GRASS SHACK (IN KEALALEKUA HAWAII)
29. NOW IS THE HOUR (MAORI FAREWELL SONG)
From the album “50 Guitars Visit Hawaii”
(Liberty LMM13022/LSS 14022) 1962
CD 2
1. HAWAIIAN WAR CHANT (TA-HU-WA-HU-WAI)
2. THE HUKILAU SONG
3. SONG OF THE ISLANDS (NA LEI O HAWAII)
4. LOVELY HULA HANDS
5. SWEET LEILANI
6. THE MOON OF MANAKOORA
7. ALOHA OE
From the album “50 Guitars Visit Hawaii”
(Liberty LMM13022/LSS 14022) 1962
8. WABASH CANNON BALL
9. I CAN'T HELP IT
10. TENNESSEE WALTZ
11. WILDWOOD FLOWER
12. AM I LOSING YOU
13. JUST OUT OF REACH
14. SUGAR FOOT RAG
15. MISSING YOU
16. YOU WIN AGAIN
17. WHEN MY BLUE MOON TURNS TO GOLD
18. OH LONESOME ME
19. SEND ME THE PILLOW YOU DREAM ON
From the album “50 Guitars Go Country”
(Liberty LMM13025/LSS 14025) 1962
20. THE CAROUSEL WALTZ
21. FANNY
22. I COULD HAVE DANCED ALL NIGHT
23. THE SOUND OF MUSIC
24. HEY THERE
25. EVERYTHING'S COMING UP ROSES
26. TONIGHT
27. HEY, LOOK ME OVER
28. TILL THERE WAS YOU
29. BAUBLES, BANGLES AND BEADS
30. BALI HA'I
31. MANHATTAN
From the album “25 Painos Play E vergreens Of Broadway”
(Liberty LMM13018/LSS 14018) 1962
