Category: 101 Strings

I can’t believe this day has finally arrived!!! Eight years it has taken! I have finally finally finally acquired the only remaining Alshire release by the 101 Strings Orchestra that I needed to complete Phase 1 of my collection! Eight years it has taken for me to say those words. Countless bins of records I’ve dug through. Many dollars have I spent (though it’s been far less expensive than most other hobbies, if you think about it!)

This is the last one I needed, and I’m listening to it on the turntables now:

Japanese Folk Songs Featuring The Shakuhachi (Bamboo Flute) with soloist Katsuya Yokoyama (Alshire S-5319)

My first thought is that while it has that familiar and distinctive 101 Strings sound, it is also quite funky! And the Bamboo Flute sounds beautiful! Track 3 – Kokiriko – is particularly good musically. I don’t think these tracks appear on any other release. This is a good one, a new favorite!

Discogs link

It took a long time just to find it for sale online, no one had it, and when one popped up I quickly bought it. I’m not the only one interested in this record though. I learned they do come up once in awhile but are swiftly bought, so I had to begin checking daily for a new one to come up for sale.

I’ll have to come back and add more to this post later, I’m a bit excited right now. And then begin discussing phase two of collecting every single vinyl record release by the 101 Strings.

Phase 1: Somerset and Alshire
Phase 2: International and other labels

 

 

Only need these, can’t find them anywhere.

S-5319: Japanese Folk Songs (Yokoyama Katsuya)
S-5389: Salute to the Big Bands – Tommy Dorsey
S-5390: Salute to the Big Bands – Glenn Miller

 

Some of the more sought after and appreciated 101 Strings releases are those with Les Baxter conducting. Que Mango! is considered the best musically and a major highlight of the entire catalog. Funnily enough, it is the only one of these four releases with a track listing different from the other three (Conducts 101 Strings, Exciting Sounds, and Million Seller Hits are all the same record from different labels.)

A good review of Que Mango! here.

A rare release with Les Baxter arranging but not conducting is: 101 Strings Plays Hit Songs from SPAIN: Songs Made Famous by The Mocedades.

 

Oh my, can I really claim that? After 7 years of collecting, is it possible that I only need only five more vinyl records to complete phase 1 of my magnificent 101 Strings Orchestra collection, comprising over 350 releases? To be honest, it’s like counting grains of sand, perhaps I missed a few. My spreadsheet has 5 possible catalog numbers I may still need, but I’m not sure they all actually exist. Even discogs.com doesn’t have them, though I’ve seen possible evidence elsewhere. The good folks at Alshire.com have been doing a great job showing us the 101 Strings catalog on their website, but I don’t see these rare listings there either. A few elusive grains of sand remain to be counted.

So argh, truth be told, they are likely 5 more releases on vinyl I need to complete the Alshire collection.

Japanese Folk Songs (S-5319)
A Digital Recording (S-5388)
Salute to the Big Bands – Tommy Dorsey (S-5389)
Salute to the Big Bands – Glenn Miller (S-5390)
Salute to the Big Bands – Woody Herman (S-5391)

Update: soon after this post, I found a new seller – Panamapaul – on discogs who had the Woody Herman in NM condition!

Only Four Left To Go!!!

I have a white label test pressing of A Digital Recording, so I can be a bit lax and claim I own it, although discogs shows a real version exists.

And while the Tommy Dorsey and Glenn Miller are not listed in discogs, Woody Herman is there, and how on earth did I miss the one that sold earlier this year? And it was mint sealed!

These five (correction: four, yay!) releases are nearly impossible to find. Either that, or my google skills are not up to par. I regularly check Discogs, Ebay, Amazon and other sites. But no one has them for sale. If you’re reading this and have one of the above, let me know!

I often talk to record store owners, and it’s rare for any but the most common releases to come into their shops. Most, I believe, languish in thrift stores, closets or landfills.

This sets up an interesting situation as the 101 Strings Orchestra can be seen as a severely undervalued brand, one that is ripe for rediscovery by a society constantly looking for something new to latch onto and enjoy. They just seem so worthy to me.

But I know the music is not everyone’s cup of tea. Even fans of retro cocktail lounge music frown upon the 101 Strings as lacking cool factor. Just like Sturgeon’s Law (90% of everything is crap), plenty of mediocre tracks exist. Less than you would think though. The 101 Strings were like the Wrecking Crew of muzak. Almost all of it is quality music, sometimes inspired, just not the kind we normally listen to.

More than a few releases don’t fit the mold and are sought after for the musical: Astro Sounds, anything with Les Baxter, or the Exotic Sounds of Love releases among others.

So when I’m in the mood for mellow music, I have some favorites I’ll throw on the turntable, and I’ll marvel at the superb productions. It truly is “The Sound of Magnificence”.

Back to that mythical one release I need to help complete my collection, this is it: Japanese Folk Songs Featuring The Shakuhachi (Bamboo Flute) – Katsuya Yokoyama.

I would really like to get my hands on this one!

The finish line is finally in sight! I received one of the best packages ever in the mail today, containing some beautiful, hard to find 101 Strings Orchestra records.

I can count on fingers and toes the number of vinyl releases I need to finish Phase 1 of my collection, which is the complete Alshire and Somerset catalogs. I now have 331 out of 350 individual releases in my possession.

While the few remaining I need are going to be expensive and hard to find, I’m beginning to feel a sense of accomplishment now that the end is near.

But after Phase 1, I start on Phases 2 and 3, which are the releases by other labels (Alshire licensed the recordings often), and then the international releases which I’ll write about in a future post. Those together will be another 50-100 releases, bringing grand total on vinyl up to about 450. I can’t think of any other band that has had that many.

Back to the package, several of these don’t exist in Discogs, which is rare. One is Mint Sealed. And a Test Pressing! Only one I’ve ever seen. I was flabbergasted when I discovered not only the ancient but incredible MusicStack website, but found a single seller who had not just one but many of the very few remaining records I needed.

So I have to give praise to Craig Moerer Records By Mail for having all of these in their possession and selling them at reasonable prices (and an impeccable pack job, best I’ve ever seen!)

I think it’s time to start building my 101 Strings fan website, document each and every single one of the releases, all nicely categorized and represented. That might take me as long as it did to acquire them though!

And check out the amazing and bizarre inner gatefold to Come Swing With Me:

 

One of the fav parts of my 101 Strings collection is what I call the “Knockoffs”. Releases by other artists with names or titles very similar to “101 Strings Orchestra”. Some are obvious ripoffs, while others are coincidence? Check ’em out below:

It’s surreal now to look back upon my first post from 2014 – six years ago – and marvel at how many records I’ve collected and how close I have come to the finish line.

It has been a long, strange and wonderful obsession, this 101 Strings Orchestra collection on vinyl. I don’t have too many wild stories to tell – I drove to Dunsmuir, CA for Astro Sounds, that’s about it – but I enjoyed visiting all the record and thrift stores  – mainly on the West Coast –  that might have a record or two hiding in dusty stacks. Lots of great memories.

Only 25 out of 345 vinyl releases remain to complete the Somerset/Alshire collection, which I consider Phase I of a fully complete collection.

I have all of the Somerset label. It’s mainly late 70s Alshire that’s left and they are less easy to find online, nearly impossible to come across in person.

Phase 2 will go after all the other labels and international releases of which I’ve identified about 50 releases. But those will have to wait.

I’m also ignoring the CD releases for now, as I do have a life.

Take a look at the date of this post, and do I even need to spell out what is happening right now, and why my collecting and record store shopping has been put on hold? Hint, it rhymes with Coronafuckthis.

It all-of-a-sudden pales in significance, the 101 Strings Orchestra. Yet, I am pleased to have them here in my home, keeping me company.

Good news:  I have managed to snag a few 7″ Singles, an 8-track and even an official Alshire reel-to-reel! And lots of cassettes. So. Many. Releases.. To… Collect

 

 

Astro Sounds From Beyond The Year 2000 is the holy grail of 101 Strings Orchestra releases. After years of searching, hoping, dreaming and digging, I finally possess one. It’s not particularly rare, but certainly the most expensive and I had not laid eyes upon one ever… until I paid a guy $10 in Dunsmuir, CA.

It goes for $50-100 on discogs. It was sampled often by hip-hop/dance producers in the early days of sampling and is a candidate for most interesting and coolest of all the 101 Strings releases. I’ll have to update this later with info on the music itself. It’s basically rock tracks lifted from another band – The Electric Egg – with a few syrupy strings overdubbed on top. Coolest of all, my wife’s ears perk up when I play this one – she likes it! – that rarely happens otherwise, lol.

The fellow that sold it to me felt it was in poor condition, thus the low price. I have far worse than that sitting on the shelf though! I was thrilled to finally own one and at a reasonable price. But I kinda think I deserved it!

Finally!

Now, I’m on the home stretch, with only 75-100 releases left to go. (75 if it’s Somerset/Alshire only, another 25 are on other labels.)

This is the first 101 Strings record I picked up that was mint sealed. So for years I have not been able to hear these tracks. I finally got a cheap copy from discogs and am listening to it now. Superb! I noticing how much of a fan I’m becoming of this muzak stuff, I nearly peed my pants when the High and the Mighty theme started up with a whistle solo. It’s obviously a side effect of collecting for the covers and just the sake of collecting. Nonetheless, there is some seriously good music here.

Bonus: my wife is not a big fan of John Wayne, so it’s fun to tease her with this one. It was also one of my first releases I came across that showed just how obscure and interesting this series could get.

Only 75 releases remain for me to acquire!

They will finish my complete Somerset/Alshire collection of the 101 Strings Orchestra on vinyl.

Yay me, only 75 to go!

I have 250+ currently in my collection. They are beautiful to behold!

But there are also 25 or so releases on labels other than Somerset or Alshire. So the grand total when completely finished will be 350+. But I will be content with a complete S&A collection and will then begin curating a show devoted to the covers. More on that later.

It began with Somerset and blossomed under Alshire. A few stray licensings, guest performances, bootlegs and ripoffs exist. But for the most part, these are the two labels to focus on.

Composer, producer, arranger (and more?) of many 101 Strings releases.

https://www.discogs.com/artist/884544-Monty-Kelly

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/101_Strings

 

 

From start to finish – the late 50s to mid 70s – the cover art for the 101 Strings became increasingly cheesecake. The higher the catalog number, the more skin you were likely to see.

(Pictures coming later, I’m outlining)

I am flabbergasted that I did not think – until this day – to lookup 101strings.com.

Wow, it answers a lot of questions.

[Update: and… it’s gone! It was a nice site while it lasted.]

[Update 2: and… it’s back! Good job Alshire!]

It’s been three years since I started collecting the entire discography of the 101 Strings Orchestra on vinyl. I have a spreadsheet going now, having meticulously researched their catalog online.

Out of approximately 310 available releases, I now own 184.

Sure, I could easily buy them online and be done with it. They are (mostly) not rare or expensive. And I have splurged a few times, usually christmas or birthday, and bought some good ones that way. But that can take a bit of the fun out of it.

To this day I hit up the same ole thrifts shops I’ve been going to for 3 years and still get a small thrill out of finding new ones, like this recent score at a St Vincent De Paul.

 

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!

It’s been almost two years since Goodwill had their legendary 10 cent vinyl sale, and I first decided, “Hey, I’ll see if I can collect all these 101 Strings records!”

Oh, the naiveté… all this time and now well over one hundred and one 101 Strings records in my possession – with no quick end in site – I can’t believe how many there are.  I’ve actually lost count, though a rough guess is 150+.

I have limited myself to not relying on internet ordering, of course, else I would have most of them in a few days.  Note I said “most of them”. Some may prove hard to find.  I picked up quite a few new ones in Portland recently, though I have barely tapped that market.

But even after that nice haul, I find I have maybe 30-40 more to go?

It’s crazy hunting them down on discogs.  And new ones seem to manifest regularly!

The Alshire sleeve inserts will sometimes have incorrect covers or titles in the ad inserts, which can make collecting a challenge, albeit a fun one.  In some cases, there are so many discrepancies in the ads compared to what was actually released, it leaves one wondering… maybe the label owners were indulging a bit too much in the pleasures of the 60s?

My wife is getting a bit annoyed at the never ending collection; it’s quite a bit more expenditure than we envisioned, for what she thinks are stinky records of boring music.  She thought it was cute at first, but the really big pile of vinyl is getting in her way.

Nevertheless, I am enjoying my collection very much!  They are unloved and unwanted, yet so beautiful and talented.  I tell them I am reuniting them with their family when I bring them home.  It’s like rescuing them from the pound.

I have dreams of being the guy who “discovers” the story of the 101 Strings, and shares it with the world.  Someday.  For now, I’m just happy to run across one I don’t have yet in an unlikely crate.