MARTIN DENNY – FORBIDDEN ISLAND LP – Nr MINT/EXC+ UK 1958 FOLK JAZZ EXOTICA

Martin Denny – Forbidden Island
(London Records  1958  SAHU6004)
UK Pressing

Flipback Sleeve in Excellent/Very Good+ condition
– some wear to edges/corners

Vinyl in Nr MINT/Excellent+ condition
(there are some surface marks visible on the vinyl when held up to the light but they don’t affect the sound quality apart from some light pops/crackles)

Martin Denny (April 10, 1911 – March 2, 2005) was an American pianist, composer, and arranger. Known as the “father of exotica,” he was a multi-instrumentalist and could play a number of percussion instruments. In a long career that saw him performing up to 3 weeks prior to his death, he toured the world popularizing his brand of lounge music which included exotic percussion, imaginative rearrangements of popular songs, and original songs that celebrated Tiki culture.

Forbidden Island was the third album by Martin Denny. The album was produced in March 1958 at the Liberty Studios in Hollywood, following the group’s nine-month gig performing at Don the Beachcomber’s Bora Bora Lounge in Hawaii. Forbidden Islandwas Denny’s first album to be recorded and released after vibraphonist Arthur Lyman left the group to pursue his own solo career. The album includes four original compositions by Denny: “Cobra”, “Exotica”, “Primitiva”, and “Forbidden Island”.

1. “Cobra” (Martin Denny) – 3:01
2. “Port au Prince” (Les Baxter) – 2:07
3. “Exotica” (Martin Denny) – 3:00
4. “Little China Doll” (Dave Snell) – 2:38
5. “Bali Hai” (Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein) – 2:55
6. “Narcissus Queen” (R. A. Anderson) – 2:25

1. “Sim Sim” (Les Baxter) – 3:03
2. “Goony Birds” (Julius Wechter) – 2:13
3. “Primitiva” (Martin Denny) – 2:30
4. “March of the Siamese Children” (Richard Rodgers) – 2:43
5. “Sukura” (Dai Keong Lee) – 2:41
6. “Forbidden Island” (Martin Denny) – 2:56

• Martin Denny – piano, celeste, arranger, composer
• Augie Colon – Latin instruments, special effects, bird calls, and bongos
• Julius Wechter – vibes, marimba, xylophone, percussion
• Harvey Ragsdale – string bass

• Lew Paino – percussion
• Will Brady – flute and musette
• Bud Lee – guitar and Japanese samisen
• Mike Garcia – conga drum

• Si Waronker – producer
• Garrett-Howard – cover design
• Bob Lang and Ted Keep – engineers
• Sandy Warner – cover model, “the Exotica girl”
• Buck Buchwach – liner notes