SPACE MUSIC
Two developments of postwar America, the space race and the Hi-fi long playing album, gave birth to a most unusual offspring, the space music record . These were collections of ethereal instrumental themes designed to fire the imagination as they revolved on the nation's turntables. Some were taken from film soundtracks, others emerged from the minds of would be maestros, hoping to carve a niche in musical history, and the record buyer's wallet.


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Music out of the Moon
Music for Peace of Mind
The Theremin (named after its Russian inventor, Leon Theremin) was the first electronic musical instrument. One of its distinctive characteristics is that it is played by waving one's hands around it, never touching it. It's a very difficult instrument to master, requiring perfect pitch and a steady hand. Dr. Samuel J. Hoffman was a band leader who gained a keen interest in the Theremin during the 1930s and in the 40s Hollywood called upon his talents for the soundtracks to films like "The Lost Weekend" and Alfred Hitchcock's "Spellbound". He recorded several albums of melodies written for the Theremin, two of which are packaged together on this widely sought LP.

Destination Moon
Another pioneering work of Space Music was the score for George Pal's "Destination Moon". It was released on a 10 inch long playing record in 1950, and features many lush themes reminiscent of the French composer Maurice Ravel.

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Russ Garcia's "Fantastica"
Like Leith Stevens, Russ Garcia was a composer for film and TV, but this aural exploration of space existed independently of the cinema. It was designed to exploit the possibilities of stereo. Now Hi-fi enthusiasts could hear the musical instruments drifting from right to left thanks to two-channel sound.

Space Escapades
Les Baxter (who served as orchestra conductor on "Music Out Of the Moon") once again looked to the stars for inspiration on this piece of sci-fi hi-fi, but I'm more impressed by the multicolored female denizens shown on the cover. And what could be in contained in the space brew they are about to partake? Could it be some form of "Astro-desiac"?

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Music from Outer Space
No question about it, the star of this LP is Paul Tanner playing an instrument of his own invention, the "Electro-Theremin". It sounded much like the standard Theremin, but the pitch was controlled by using a handheld slide which was far easier to play. His talents can be heard on TVs "My Favorite Martian", "Lost in Space" and even the Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations".

Man in Space with Sounds
This album was prepared for the 1962 Seattle World's Fair (which I attended at the tender age of 2) It is compiled from background music played at some of the fair's most popular attractions, such as the "Bubble-ator" (a see-thru plastic bubble shaped elevator) or the super-fast Monorail (which still operates in downtown Seattle)

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From Another World
Here's another atom age favorite. Arranger Sid Bass tried his hand at outer space, and what begin as very straight forward arrangements of standards like "Stardust" or "Stormy Weather" suddenly get a jolt of space juice and "ZOOM" we're in orbit. One moment you have a horn section, the next you have wild electronics, reverberating bells and the like.