http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.1083&variant=artist-playlists&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rssLes Baxter was an innovator of two forms of easy listening lounge music: exotica and space age pop. A fair jazz pianist, Baxter's real strengths were as an arranger. In the late 1940s, he started bringing exotic, percussion-heavy instrumentation together with lush, melodic strings and elements of big band swing. During this post-World War Two period, Baxter's island-mad exotic themes worked as aural vacations for newly transplanted suburbanites and his music also became a staple in Polynesian-themed Tiki bars. With song titles such as "Taboo," "City of Veils," and "Harem Silks from Bombay," it's easy to see how Baxter's music (like the Tiki lounges the music was played in) was built around hopeful eroticism as much as dreamy exoticism. In 1958, Baxter shot his steamy sounds up to the heavens with <I>Space Escapade</I>, which imaged islands in the sky full of booze and willing women who came in every color of the rainbow. After this, Baxter kept updating his signature sound for the changing times but by the late 1960s his music started to sound old fashioned. Ironically, this was an era when America's youth started acting like the very same wild, lascivious natives who were portrayed as fantasy objects in Baxter's songs. Thankfully, there's been a revived interest in Baxter's "movies for the ears" music. Long considered "cheesy," much of Baxter's work is highly imaginative and often exploratory in nature (for instance, an exotic theme in an unusual tempo will suddenly kick into a hot jazz number in 4/4 time before spinning off into an entirely new direction). But Les Baxter was never pretentious about being musically inventive and the sheer entertainment value found in his work is the main reason his old records are once again in print. - Nick DedinaVintage Loungeen720Wed, 6 Jan 2010 04:08:10 -0800 http://static.realone.com/rotw/images/logo_rhapsody_113x22.gif http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.1083&variant=artist-playlists&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss Les Baxter was an innovator of two forms of easy listening lounge music: exotica and space age pop. A fair jazz pianist, Baxter's real strengths were as an arranger. In the late 1940s, he started bringing exotic, percussion-heavy instrumentation together with lush, melodic strings and elements of big band swing. During this post-World War Two period, Baxter's island-mad exotic themes worked as aural vacations for newly transplanted suburbanites and his music also became a staple in Polynesian-themed Tiki bars. With song titles such as "Taboo," "City of Veils," and "Harem Silks from Bombay," it's easy to see how Baxter's music (like the Tiki lounges the music was played in) was built around hopeful eroticism as much as dreamy exoticism. In 1958, Baxter shot his steamy sounds up to the heavens with <I>Space Escapade</I>, which imaged islands in the sky full of booze and willing women who came in every color of the rainbow. After this, Baxter kept updating his signature sound for the changing times but by the late 1960s his music started to sound old fashioned. Ironically, this was an era when America's youth started acting like the very same wild, lascivious natives who were portrayed as fantasy objects in Baxter's songs. Thankfully, there's been a revived interest in Baxter's "movies for the ears" music. Long considered "cheesy," much of Baxter's work is highly imaginative and often exploratory in nature (for instance, an exotic theme in an unusual tempo will suddenly kick into a hot jazz number in 4/4 time before spinning off into an entirely new direction). But Les Baxter was never pretentious about being musically inventive and the sheer entertainment value found in his work is the main reason his old records are once again in print. - Nick Dedina http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.31233807&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss Vocal/Easy Listening Sun, 27 Dec 2009 10:13:26 -0800 Playlists Featuring Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 31233807 ply.31233807 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.31233807&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.31136736&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss New Age Fri, 27 Nov 2009 10:24:12 -0800 Playlists Featuring Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 31136736 ply.31136736 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.31136736&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.28972198&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss Country Tue, 27 Oct 2009 09:26:38 -0700 Playlists Featuring Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 28972198 ply.28972198 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.28972198&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.28488097&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss Vocal/Easy Listening Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:58:53 -0700 Playlists Featuring Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 28488097 ply.28488097 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.28488097&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.28488087&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss Vocal/Easy Listening Tue, 2 Jun 2009 19:59:53 -0700 Playlists Featuring Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 28488087 ply.28488087 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.28488087&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.28470437&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss Vocal/Easy Listening Mon, 1 Jun 2009 08:29:53 -0700 Playlists Featuring Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 28470437 ply.28470437 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.28470437&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.28470436&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss Vocal/Easy Listening Mon, 1 Jun 2009 08:29:53 -0700 Playlists Featuring Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 28470436 ply.28470436 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.28470436&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.28461424&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss Vocal/Easy Listening Sat, 30 May 2009 09:15:43 -0700 Playlists Featuring Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 28461424 ply.28461424 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.28461424&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.28454665&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss Vocal/Easy Listening Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:58:53 -0700 Playlists Featuring Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 28454665 ply.28454665 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.28454665&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.28277719&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss Vocal/Easy Listening Mon, 18 May 2009 08:24:58 -0700 Playlists Featuring Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 28277719 ply.28277719 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.28277719&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.28277718&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss Vocal/Easy Listening Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:58:53 -0700 Playlists Featuring Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 28277718 ply.28277718 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.28277718&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.27435392&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss Vocal/Easy Listening Tue, 9 Jun 2009 15:01:29 -0700 Playlists Featuring Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 27435392 ply.27435392 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.27435392&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.27435386&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss Vocal/Easy Listening Tue, 19 May 2009 11:57:59 -0700 Playlists Featuring Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 27435386 ply.27435386 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.27435386&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.27114101&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss Vocal/Easy Listening Wed, 1 Apr 2009 22:13:40 -0700 Playlists Featuring Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 27114101 ply.27114101 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.27114101&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.27114100&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss Vocal/Easy Listening Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:58:54 -0700 Playlists Featuring Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 27114100 ply.27114100 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.27114100&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.25327165&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss Alt/Punk Thu, 29 Jan 2009 12:01:55 -0800 Playlists Featuring Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 25327165 ply.25327165 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.25327165&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.25327164&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss Vocal/Easy Listening Sat, 3 Oct 2009 10:43:59 -0700 Playlists Featuring Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 25327164 ply.25327164 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.25327164&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.23209650&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss Rock/Pop Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:04:45 -0800 Playlists Featuring Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 23209650 ply.23209650 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.23209650&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.23209677&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss Jazz Sat, 2 Jan 2010 10:25:05 -0800 Playlists Featuring Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 23209677 ply.23209677 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.23209677&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.22711502&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss Vocal/Easy Listening Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:30:45 -0800 Playlists Featuring Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 22711502 ply.22711502 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.22711502&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.21631470&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss Vocal/Easy Listening Wed, 31 Dec 2008 11:33:44 -0800 Playlists Featuring Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 21631470 ply.21631470 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.21631470&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.20359105&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss Vocal/Easy Listening Sun, 5 Jul 2009 10:06:54 -0700 Playlists Featuring Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 20359105 ply.20359105 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.20359105&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.20359101&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss Vocal/Easy Listening Mon, 21 Apr 2008 15:19:14 -0700 Playlists Featuring Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 20359101 ply.20359101 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.20359101&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.20359158&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss Vocal/Easy Listening Sun, 29 Nov 2009 09:27:39 -0800 Playlists Featuring Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 20359158 ply.20359158 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.20359158&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.19533731&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss Vocal/Easy Listening Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:58:50 -0700 Playlists Featuring Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 19533731 ply.19533731 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.19533731&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.19311356&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss Vocal/Easy Listening Sat, 5 Sep 2009 11:18:43 -0700 Playlists Featuring Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 19311356 ply.19311356 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.19311356&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.17173559&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss Vocal/Easy Listening Tue, 27 Oct 2009 09:26:27 -0700 Playlists Featuring Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 17173559 ply.17173559 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.17173559&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.15634993&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss Vocal/Easy Listening Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:11:58 -0800 Playlists Featuring Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 15634993 ply.15634993 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.15634993&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.15563609&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss Country Sat, 4 Oct 2008 10:59:03 -0700 Playlists Featuring Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 15563609 ply.15563609 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.15563609&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.15285619&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss Oldies Wed, 22 Apr 2009 21:58:14 -0700 Playlists Featuring Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 15285619 ply.15285619 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.15285619&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.15050997&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss Vocal/Easy Listening Wed, 23 Sep 2009 09:48:16 -0700 Playlists Featuring Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 15050997 ply.15050997 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.15050997&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.15050995&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss Vocal/Easy Listening Sun, 17 Aug 2008 08:50:34 -0700 Playlists Featuring Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 15050995 ply.15050995 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.15050995&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.13517363&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss Vocal/Easy Listening Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:58:43 -0700 Playlists Featuring Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 13517363 ply.13517363 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.13517363&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.13173650&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss Vocal/Easy Listening Wed, 1 Apr 2009 22:14:53 -0700 Playlists Featuring Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 13173650 ply.13173650 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.13173650&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.13173920&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss Vocal/Easy Listening Sat, 17 Oct 2009 12:38:07 -0700 Playlists Featuring Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 13173920 ply.13173920 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.13173920&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.13157995&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss Country Wed, 1 Jul 2009 13:33:18 -0700 Playlists Featuring Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 13157995 ply.13157995 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.13157995&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.13018739&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss Country Tue, 29 Dec 2009 10:22:36 -0800 Playlists Featuring Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 13018739 ply.13018739 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.13018739&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.13018743&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss Country Mon, 5 Oct 2009 10:16:29 -0700 Playlists Featuring Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 13018743 ply.13018743 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.13018743&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.13018744&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss Country Sat, 4 Oct 2008 10:58:55 -0700 Playlists Featuring Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 13018744 ply.13018744 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.13018744&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.11459841&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss Vocal/Easy Listening Tue, 14 Jul 2009 10:56:08 -0700 Playlists Featuring Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 11459841 ply.11459841 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.11459841&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.11459871&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss Vocal/Easy Listening Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:49:28 -0700 Playlists Featuring Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 11459871 ply.11459871 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.11459871&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.10186823&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss Vocal/Easy Listening Tue, 29 Dec 2009 10:22:23 -0800 Playlists Featuring Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 10186823 ply.10186823 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.10186823&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.8645426&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss New Age Wed, 9 Sep 2009 10:11:57 -0700 Playlists Featuring Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 8645426 ply.8645426 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.8645426&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.8641107&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss Children Tue, 5 Jan 2010 10:38:28 -0800 Playlists Featuring Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 8641107 ply.8641107 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.8641107&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.8614802&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss Soul/R&B Mon, 28 Sep 2009 10:32:59 -0700 Playlists Featuring Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 8614802 ply.8614802 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.8614802&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Fplaylists.rss