The Amazing, Odd and Unreleased Larry Taylor Album (Exploring My Reel-to-Reel Catacombs, Volume Ten) (MP3)

During the original 365 days project, in 2003, I shared a couple of tracks by a one time well known Chicago area musician named Larry Taylor. In the years since then, I have received a number of requests to share more of his work. Summarizing what I wrote in 2003:

In the 1990's, I acquired at least two dozen tapes featuring radio performances, radio interviews, studio sessions, and at least 20 completed tracks (both originals and cover versions, instrumentals and vocals) which all featured Larry Taylor. His career included fronting Dixieland styled bands, combo jazz on the radio, and, a bit later, becoming one of the first people to release an album played on the Moog Synthesizer (although "released" is a relative term, and it appeared on one of Dora Hall's labels - Dora being a friend of his, and sometime collaborator).

At least two of these tapes contain an album's worth of material, only some of which is duplicated between them. One of these tapes, featured today, contains eight instrumentals, followed by six vocals. It is banded with leader, labeled "Master Dubs", and therefore appears to have been at least a collection of songs considered for an album. Indeed, two of these songs were released as a 45 ("Snap" and "The Big Walk"), and in a radio interview from the '60's, Larry Taylor talks about a forthcoming album.

However, it does not appear that this album was ever released, and the tracks on this tape, despite being presented as "masters", are not all ready for release. The lead instruments drop out momentarily in the middle of "Music to Catch Boys By", the sound weakens here and there in one channel on several of the tracks, the 13th track opens with the song winding up to the correct speed, and "Three Times a Broken Heart" is copied from a vinyl pressing. Also, the correct names to tracks 4 and 5 are unclear. The box contains three titles for these two tracks - both are labeled "Shiny Boots", as well as each having a separate title. I've eliminated the odd title "What Will Grandma Do With All These Cookies?", as it seems the least likely of the three.

Also confusing is the reference on the tape box, which could be read to credit the entire collection to Horace Taylor. This name appears nowhere else among any of the many other Larry Taylor tapes. In addition, many of the tracks on this tape are found on other tapes, credited to Larry. I really don't know what to make of this, although perhaps it means that Horace Taylor sings lead on some of the tracks. As to the female singers, I believe the one heard at the start and end of "Little Boys", and featured on "Tryin' So Hard to Forget You", is none other than Dora Hall. The female vocalist on at least one of the other tracks appears to be someone named Sheila Page.

The standout feature of these tracks, for me, is the unusual sound of the production (particularly the echo effects used) and the mechanical sound of the instrumentation on some of the tracks. I don't know if Taylor was using tack pianos, early synthesizers, some sort of drum machine, or combinations of these and other effects.

As I mentioned, there are at least a dozen more produced tracks among these boxes, including the revved up version "Baby Face" which was part of the 365 days project in 2003, and if there is interest, I can share those tracks as well, some time in the future.

Larry Taylor died in December of 1989, at the age of 71.

1.) The Penguin (MP3)

2.) Music to Catch Boys By (MP3)

3.) Autumn Portrait (MP3)

4.) Snow Use (MP3)

5.) Shiny Boots (MP3)

6.) Banan Appeal (MP3)

7.) Snap (MP3)

8.) The Big Walk (MP3)

9.) Little Boys (MP3)

10.) Makin’ Up is So Much Fun (MP3)

11.) Fragile (Handle With Care) (MP3)

12.) Three Times a Broken Heart (MP3)

13.) Ain’t a Thing In This World Bothers Me (MP3)

14.) Tryin’ So Hard to Forget You (MP3)

Tape Box (JPG)

Comments

[dee es]

Thanks for sharing these. The odd production is really great. I'm especially fond of "Little Boys."

[D.P. O'Connell]

These have a real magical quality to them, I especially like Autumn Portrait - good for a snowy evening. Thanks for putting these up.

[dale hazelton]

That's definitely Dora on Tryin' So Hard to Forget. For people not familiar with Dora I suggest they head on over to youtube and search for "Once Upon a Tour." Probably the bottom of the barrell for Rich Little, Frank Sinatra Jr, Phil Harris, Oliver (maybe not Rosie Grier), BUT a great piece of kitschy entertainment. And she actually does a great version of Five o'clock World on one of her records.