It was a musical cocktail born in a marketingmeeting: Two parts easy listening, one part jazz, a healthy dollop of conga drums, a sprinkling of bird calls, and a pinch of textless choir. Serve garnished with an alluring female on the album jacket for best results. Exotica! The soundtrack for a mythical air conditioned Eden, packaged for mid-century, tiki torch-wielding armchair safariers. Be it mosquito-bitten torch singers, landlocked surf quartets, fad-chasing jazz combos, mad genius band leaders, D-list actors, or a middle aged loner programming bird calls into a Hammond, Exotica was always more concerned with what geography might sound like over who was conducting. Captured across three albums are 48 (54 on the CD) curious examples of the short-lived genre’s reach, each summoning their own sonic visions of Shangri La, bringing their versions of the Pacific, Africa, and the Orient to the hinterlands of America. Technicolor Paradise is wher e one mak es it, after all. Tracklisting LP1 - Daiquiri Dirges Side A 1. Chuck “Big Guitar” Ernest with the Satellite Band - Blue Oasis 2. The Sound Breakers - Marooned 3. The Wailers - Driftwood 4. Lenny & the Thundertones - The Moon of Manakoora 5. Biscaynes with Co-Encidentals - Midnight In Montevideo 6. Red Harrison & His Zodiacs - Chant of the Jungle 7. The Palatons - Jungle Guitar 8. Chayns - Live With the Moon Side B 1. Bailey’s Nervous Kats ft. James Mills - Cobra 2. The Blaze rs - Sound of Mecca 3. The Gems - Slave Girl 4. Jerry & the Catalinas - The Arabian Knight 5. The Jaguars - Night Walker 6. The Shelltones - Blue Castaway 7. The Blue Bells - Atlantis 8. Bill & Jean Bradway - Paradise Isle LP2 - Rhum Rhapsodies Side A 1. The Melody Mates - Enchantment 2. Don Ree d featuring the Voice of Love - Nature Boy 3. The Baton of Andre Brummer - Tumba 4. Darla Hood - Silent Island 5. Martha Raye with Phil Moore Orchestra - Lotus Land 6. Baha’i Victory Chorus - Nightingale of Paradise 7. Carmen - Isle of Love 8. The Monzas - Forever Walks A Drifter Side B 1. Akim - Voodoo Drums 2. Don Sargent & his Buddies - Voodoo Kiss 3. Joan Joyce Trio - Captured 4. Pony Sherrell - Tobago 5. Jerry Warren & the Valids - Enchantress 6. The Centuries - Polynesian Paradise 7. The Potted Palm - My House of Grass 8. The Castiles - Enchantment LP3 - Mai Tai Mambos Side A 1. Five Glow Tones - Quiet Village 2. Modesto Duran & Orchestra - Silent Island 3. Ross Anderson Chorus & Orchestra - Tambu Theme 4. Bobb y Christian - Caravan 5. Bruce Norman Quintet - Arabian Rhythm 6. The Slaves - Hari’s Harem 7. Arnie Derksen & Chisé - Similou 8. Three Bars featuring Nicky Roberts - Caribbean Cruise Side B 1. Robert Drasnin - Chant of the Moon 2. Blue Jeans - Moon Mist 3. Artie Barsamian - The Enchanting Melody 4. Eddie Kochak & Hakki Obidia - Jazz In Port Said 5. Gene Sikora & the Irrationals - Tanganyika 6. Bobb y Paris - Dark Continent 7. Chico Jose - Locura [Madness] 8. Clyde Derby - Lost Island