Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Quiet Village
2. Isle of Love
3. Manila
4. Diga Diga Doo
5. When First I Love
6. Swamp Fire
7. Bali Ha'i
8. Time and Tide
9. Flamingo
10. Hypnotíque/Hypnotíque [With Sitar]
11. Stone God
12. Enchanted Isle
13. Ringo Oiwake/Firecrackers Ringo Oiwake
14. Firecrackers
15. Tune from Rangoon
16. Oro (God of Vengeance)
17. Malia
18. August Bells
19. Jungle Drums
20. Llama Serenade (Peruvian Llama Song)
21. Hava Nagila/Scimitar Hava Nagila
22. Scimitar

Disc 2:

1. Left Arm of Buddha
2. Lotus Land
3. Cubano Chant
4. Pampa y la Puna
5. Caravan
6. Tahitian Sunset
7. Mau Mau
8. Jungle Madness
9. Black Orchid/Black Orchid [Alternate Version]
10. Ruby
11. Coronation
12. Similau
13. Chant of the Weed/Song of India
14. Bacoa
15. Enchanted Sea
16. Tsetse Fly
17. Song of the Bayou
18. Taboo
19. Exotica/Voodoo Love
20. Tiki/Quiet Village
21. Quiet Village [Stereo Version]

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #101796 in Music
• Released on: 1996-11-05
• Number of discs: 2
• Format: Original recording remastered

Album Description
Available again...one of the jewels in Rev-Ola's crown, a product of Denny & his producer Les Baxter, the two lynchpins of the original exotica/space age pop scene in the 1950s. 20 tracks including the original breakthrough hit 'Quiet Village'. Rev-Ola/Cherry Red. 2003.

Customer Reviews

Wonderful fun
There are many negative things you can say about exotica music in general and Martin Denny in particular:the music is kitchsy and corny, it's "easy listening" music, and its sole purpose was to aid a mass audience in getting slowly stoned on martinis.

All of which is true - nevertheless, I love Martin Denny. The innocence of the music and integrity and care in the production win me over. Martin has an unashamedly corny sense of humor, with one song in which a mosquito's buzz is the primary focus, and numerous songs punctuated by beautifully executed birdcalls. It's all put together seamlessly, as if these elements were the most natural things in the world to include. The production is meticulous, and the music surprisingly does not become repetitive or monotonous, which is no small feat in this style.

The music is not of Hawaii or Polynesia or any other "real" culture, but a complete commercial fabrication, the world of the tiki lodge and resort Hawaii. It brings the guilty pleasures of a Hawaiian vacation into your living room, soothes the spirit, and lets the mind drift away. A must for summer nights on the deck.

Hip nostalgia
Martin Denny died last week. The end of an era for me. As a kid I would grab my father's vinyl LP's of Exotica and Quiet Village and transport myself to tropical lands beyond my dreams, listening to Denny's soothing sounds and exotic bird-call melodies. Julius Wechtler on the vibes was one of my early favorites. (I actually saw him, as leader of the Baja Marimba Band as the opening act for Wayne Newton!) When all my little pals were buying LP's from some English group called the Beatles, I was kickin' it to Martin Denny. This re-mastered double CD is a trip right back to those magical days in front of my parents "hi-fi"! And without all of the snap-crackle-pop of the originals! Awesome!! As long as Martin Denny's music lives, so will he!! Aloha, Mr. Denny! And thanks for everything! Keep a Mai Tai ready for me at that big Don the Beachcomber bar in the sky!!

Take an exotic musical journey!
I got this album along with the Les Baxter companion album, Exotic Moods of Les Baxter. While Les was a great arranger & studio conductor, Martin Denny brought the music out of the studio and to the Tiki lounges of the world. The incredible birdcalls of Augie Colón as well as the sparkling vibraphones, flutes and drums all work together to create an imaginary jungle world just for you. The beats are sometimes primitive and heavy and at other times like rain on a bamboo roof. The music is that of imaginary exotic lands filled with mystery and adventure...