The In Sound From Way Out! (Perrey and Kingsley album)
Encyclopedia
The In Sound from Way Out! was the first collaboration between electronic musicians Perrey and Kingsley
and considered to be the first-ever mainstream electronic music album. It was released in 1966 on Vanguard Records
, an independent label in Santa Monica, California
.
Perrey and Kingsley came together during Kingsley's stint as a staff arranger at Vanguard. At that time, Perrey was experimenting with tape loop
s, which he had been introduced to by the French avant-garde musician Pierre Schaeffer
. Each loop was a laboriously hand-spliced assembledge of filtered sounds, pitch-manipulated sounds and sometimes even animal calls. The end result of their first collaborative effort in 1966 combined Perrey's tape loops, and his inventive melodies with Kingsley's complementary arrangements and instrumentation and their album was filled with tunes that sounded like an animated cartoon gone berserk. The result, titled The In Sound from Way Out!, was released on Vanguard that same year. Since this was decades before the advent of widespread digital technology, each tune took weeks of painstaking editing and splicing to produce.
The twelve rather whimsical tracks bore names such as "Unidentified Flying Object" and "The Little Man from Mars" in an attempt to make electronic music more accessible. The offbeat titles and happy, upbeat melodies added a genuine sense of humor to the popular tunes. In fact, "Unidentified Flying Object" and another of the album's cuts, "Electronic Can-Can" became theme music for "Wonderama
," a Metromedia
Television children's program of the early 1970s. Though most of the melodies were original, two borrowed from the classics. "Swan's Splashdown" was based on Pyotr Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake
", while "Countdown at 6" borrowed from Amilcare Ponchielli
's "Dance of the Hours
", much as Allan Sherman
did in 1963 with his hit recording, "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh
". The last few bars of this track were also used on an animated Sesame Street
segment several years later. The final cut on the album, "Visa to the Stars" is co-credited to "Andy Badale", who would go on to fame as Angelo Badalamenti
, arranger of the music in many of David Lynch
's movies. In contrast to the rest of the album, "Visa to the Stars" is a more serious gesture and lacks the unusual sound effects of the other eleven cuts. It is highly reminiscent of the style of Joe Meek
and his hit "Telstar
" by The Tornados
. Perrey's Ondioline carries the melody throughout.
In 1996, the title and cover art were referenced in the Beastie Boys
release of the same name
, while Smash Mouth
(who didn't ask for permission) borrowed the opening riff from "Swan's Splashdown" for their 1997 hit "Walkin' on the Sun
".
Perrey and Kingsley
The musical duo Perrey and Kingsley are pioneers in the field of electronic music. Before their collaboration, starting in 1965, electronic music was considered to be purely avant-garde...
and considered to be the first-ever mainstream electronic music album. It was released in 1966 on Vanguard Records
Vanguard Records
Vanguard Records is a record label set up in 1950 by brothers Maynard and Seymour Solomon in New York. It started as a classical label, but is perhaps best known for its catalogue of recordings by a number of pivotal folk and blues artists from the 1960s; the Bach Guild was a subsidiary...
, an independent label in Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
.
Perrey and Kingsley came together during Kingsley's stint as a staff arranger at Vanguard. At that time, Perrey was experimenting with tape loop
Tape loop
In music, tape loops are loops of prerecorded magnetic tape used to create repetitive, rhythmic musical patterns or dense layers of sound. Contemporary composers such as Steve Reich and Karlheinz Stockhausen used tape loops to create phase patterns and rhythms...
s, which he had been introduced to by the French avant-garde musician Pierre Schaeffer
Pierre Schaeffer
Pierre Henri Marie Schaeffer was a French composer, writer, broadcaster, engineer, musicologist and acoustician of the 20th century. His innovative work in both the sciences —particularly communications and acoustics— and the various arts of music, literature and radio presentation after the end...
. Each loop was a laboriously hand-spliced assembledge of filtered sounds, pitch-manipulated sounds and sometimes even animal calls. The end result of their first collaborative effort in 1966 combined Perrey's tape loops, and his inventive melodies with Kingsley's complementary arrangements and instrumentation and their album was filled with tunes that sounded like an animated cartoon gone berserk. The result, titled The In Sound from Way Out!, was released on Vanguard that same year. Since this was decades before the advent of widespread digital technology, each tune took weeks of painstaking editing and splicing to produce.
The twelve rather whimsical tracks bore names such as "Unidentified Flying Object" and "The Little Man from Mars" in an attempt to make electronic music more accessible. The offbeat titles and happy, upbeat melodies added a genuine sense of humor to the popular tunes. In fact, "Unidentified Flying Object" and another of the album's cuts, "Electronic Can-Can" became theme music for "Wonderama
Wonderama
Wonderama was a long-running children's television program that appeared on the Metromedia-owned stations from 1955 to 1986, with WNEW-TV in New York City being its originating station....
," a Metromedia
Metromedia
Metromedia was a media company that owned radio and television stations in the United States from 1956 to 1986 and owned Orion Pictures from 1986-1997.- Overview :...
Television children's program of the early 1970s. Though most of the melodies were original, two borrowed from the classics. "Swan's Splashdown" was based on Pyotr Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake
Swan Lake
Swan Lake ballet, op. 20, by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, composed 1875–1876. The scenario, initially in four acts, was fashioned from Russian folk tales and tells the story of Odette, a princess turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer's curse. The choreographer of the original production was Julius Reisinger...
", while "Countdown at 6" borrowed from Amilcare Ponchielli
Amilcare Ponchielli
Amilcare Ponchielli was an Italian composer, largely of operas.-Biography:Born in Paderno Fasolaro, now Paderno Ponchielli, near Cremona, Ponchielli won a scholarship at the age of nine to study music at the Milan Conservatory, writing his first symphony by the time he was ten years old.Two years...
's "Dance of the Hours
Dance of the Hours
Dance of the Hours is a short ballet from Act 3, Scene 2 of the opera La Gioconda composed by Amilcare Ponchielli. It depicts the hours of the day through solo and ensemble dances. The opera was first performed in 1876 and was revised in 1880...
", much as Allan Sherman
Allan Sherman
Allan Sherman was an American comedy writer and television producer who became famous as a song parodist in the early 1960s. His first album, My Son, the Folk Singer , became the fastest-selling record album up to that time...
did in 1963 with his hit recording, "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh
Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh
"Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh " is a Grammy Award-winning novelty song by Allan Sherman, based on letters of complaint he received from his son Robert while Robert attended Camp Champlain in Westport, New York. The song is a parody that complains about the fictional "Camp Granada" and is set to the...
". The last few bars of this track were also used on an animated Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
segment several years later. The final cut on the album, "Visa to the Stars" is co-credited to "Andy Badale", who would go on to fame as Angelo Badalamenti
Angelo Badalamenti
Angelo Badalamenti is an American composer, known for his movie soundtrack work for director David Lynch, notably Blue Velvet, the Twin Peaks saga and Mulholland Drive...
, arranger of the music in many of David Lynch
David Lynch
David Keith Lynch is an American filmmaker, television director, visual artist, musician and occasional actor. Known for his surrealist films, he has developed his own unique cinematic style, which has been dubbed "Lynchian", and which is characterized by its dream imagery and meticulous sound...
's movies. In contrast to the rest of the album, "Visa to the Stars" is a more serious gesture and lacks the unusual sound effects of the other eleven cuts. It is highly reminiscent of the style of Joe Meek
Joe Meek
Robert George "Joe" Meek was a pioneering English record producer and songwriter....
and his hit "Telstar
Telstar (song)
"Telstar" is a 1962 instrumental record performed by The Tornados. It was the first single by a British band to reach number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and was also a number one hit in the UK. The record was named after the AT&T communications satellite Telstar, which went into orbit in...
" by The Tornados
The Tornados
The Tornados were an English instrumental group of the 1960s that acted as backing group for many of record producer Joe Meek's productions and also for singer Billy Fury. They enjoyed several chart hits in their own right, including the UK and U.S. Number One "Telstar" , the first U.S...
. Perrey's Ondioline carries the melody throughout.
In 1996, the title and cover art were referenced in the Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
release of the same name
The In Sound from Way Out! (Beastie Boys album)
The In Sound from Way Out! is an instrumental compilation by the Beastie Boys, released in 1996. The title and cover art concept were borrowed from the Perrey and Kingsley album of the same name.-CD version:#"Groove Holmes" – 2:33#"Sabrosa" – 3:30...
, while Smash Mouth
Smash Mouth
Smash Mouth is an American rock band from San Jose, California. The band was formed in 1994, and was originally composed of Steve Harwell, Greg Camp, Paul De Lisle and Kevin Coleman as lead vocals, guitar, bass and drums respectively...
(who didn't ask for permission) borrowed the opening riff from "Swan's Splashdown" for their 1997 hit "Walkin' on the Sun
Walkin' On the Sun
"Walkin' on the Sun" is the debut single by American rock band Smash Mouth from the album Fush Yu Mang. Released in 1997, it was Smash Mouth's first major single, reaching #1 on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart and #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay singles chart...
".
Track listing
All songs by Perrey-Kingsley unless noted.- "The Unidentified Flying Object" – 1:57
- "The Little Man from Mars" – 2:25
- "Cosmic Ballad" – 3:24
- "Swan's Splashdown" – 2:16
- "Countdown at 6" – 2:48
- "Barnyard in Orbit" (Jean-Jacques Perrey, Harry Breuer, Sam Fiedel) - 2:22
- "Spooks in Space" – 2:02
- "Girl from Venus" – 2:21
- "Electronic Can-Can" – 1:59
- "Jungle Blues from Jupiter" – 2:55
- "Computer in Love" – 2:08
- "Visa to the Stars" (Andy BadaleAngelo BadalamentiAngelo Badalamenti is an American composer, known for his movie soundtrack work for director David Lynch, notably Blue Velvet, the Twin Peaks saga and Mulholland Drive...
, Jean-Jacques Perrey) – 2:15