This blog is slowly going to shift from thrift store finds to the 101 Strings. I have little hope of coming across African Safari in a thrift, especially as discogs has it going for $60-80. Why, I have no idea. Yeah, it’s a cool cheesecake cover, a somewhat unique and obscure musical genre, and freaks will mention how the printing of the blacks was poorly done, giving her some creepy cool eyes. I asked one vendor why he wanted so much, and he just said, “cuz it’s a really good one in really good condition!” Uh yeah, that explains it.
So I just paid the most I’ve ever paid for a 101 Strings record – $29.95. It was for my birthday, so I said fuckit and splurged on this and $10 for Theme from Superman. I know, that’s not a lot, but I’m a cheapskate.
The vendor, a really cool one named punkrecords, carefully explained the problems with the cover to African Safari. Otherwise he probably would have asked more too! But I suck at negotiating money so I just said whatever, ship it. He told me the vinyl itself was near mint, which it was. And I did not want to get stuck explaining to my wife I paid $60 for a frikkin 101 Strings Record, so that’s why I got it now, before prices get too high.
Musically, it is interesting. Edmund De Luca was the composer for most of the tracks, and I don’t recall ever seeing his name on a 101 Strings before. Very intense at times, as one would expect. But some nice mellower tracks too, probably for evoking sunsets or some such. Problem is whoever mastered this slipped and fell on the bass EQ, knocking it down to pretty weak low levels. Oh, I wish it had more bass. I imagine a thundering herd of elephants would have some serious kick, but this record sounds like a light rainfall.
But when the band is getting worked up into a frenzy – it’s like 101 Strings – the happy hardcore remix!
Africian Safari was originally issued on Somerset/Stereo-Fidelity P-/SF-5500 – Edmond De Luca’s Safari – Trans World Symphony Orchestra, Conducted by Heinrich Alster [1958 stereo 20 May 1958]Reissue of Trans-World TWLP- 5500. Issued in the 1970s on Alshire LP S-5171 with an updated cover.
Port Pangani/ Bantu Village/ Mt. Kilamanjaro/ The Trek/ The Chase And Kill/ The Trek Back// Polovtsian Dances (Written-By – Borodin)/ Ritual Fire Dance (Written-By – De Falla).
This recording was made in the Musikhalle in Hamburg Germany, by the Trans-World Symphony Orchestra, a group of the finest musicians picked from the leading orchestras in Northern Germany. The actual recording was done on Telefunken tape machines at a speed of 30 IPS. Specially built microphones designed by Dr Eric Beurman. The shots heard in “The Kill” were actual pistols fired by the drummer and were part of the percussion parts in the score.
REVIEW Excerpt: Billboard (7 Apr 1958) wrote: “Title work which occupies one side is the first of a series of “descriptive works” commissioned by Somerset with an eye on the woofer-and-tweeter buyers. It’s full of jungle flavored excitement; drums native chants and real gun shots, although musically it has the air of a soundtrack for Trader Horn.”
Biography: Edmond De Luca was born 7 February 1909 — Philadelphia, PA and died: 9 April 2004 and studied at the Curtis Institute of Music; he took composition and theory with William Happich and piano with Leo Ornstein. In 1936, his Suite for Orchestra won a composition competition hosted by the Philadelphia Orchestra and was performed by them. He graduated from Juilliard in 1943 and then De Luca’s First Symphony won first prize in another competition, this time hosted by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. De Luca’s best-known works were orchestral suites commission by David L. Miller of Trans World Records, “Safari” and “Conquerors of the Ages,” originally credited to the “Trans World Symphony Orchestra,” later known as the 101 Strings Orchestra. Both tasty and tasteless, these albums were popular among audiophiles in the days of early stereo, but their lushly romantic, highly cinematic style did not establish De Luca as a composer worthy of serious consideration by the classical establishment of the day. Original pressing are usually available on eBay for 4 or 5 dollars.
Thank you Paul Urbahns for the excellent information!