http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.1083&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.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 Loungeen720Thu, 7 Jan 2010 19:14:54 -0800 http://static.realone.com/rotw/images/logo_rhapsody_113x22.gif http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.1083&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.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=tra.2155856&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss Vintage Lounge Mon, 1 Jan 1996 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 2155856 tra.2155856 Les Baxter art.1083 1.29 Ultra-Lounge, Volume 3: Space-Capades alb.236039 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/5/4/8/7/207845_170x170.jpg 2000-10-24 00:00:00.0 1996-01-01 00:00:00.0 true Calcutta tra.2155856 131000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2155856&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2155856&variant=data&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1536118&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss Vintage Lounge Tue, 20 Feb 1996 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 1536118 tra.1536118 Les Baxter art.1083 1.29 Ultra-Lounge Vol. 6: Rhapsodesia alb.270774 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/9/5/3/0/290359_170x170.jpg 2000-10-24 00:00:00.0 1996-02-20 00:00:00.0 true Ruby tra.1536118 172000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1536118&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1536118&variant=data&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2155853&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss Vintage Lounge Mon, 1 Jan 1996 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 2155853 tra.2155853 Les Baxter art.1083 1.29 Ultra-Lounge, Volume 3: Space-Capades alb.236039 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/5/4/8/7/207845_170x170.jpg 2000-10-24 00:00:00.0 1996-01-01 00:00:00.0 true Moon Moods tra.2155853 174000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2155853&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2155853&variant=data&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2156099&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss Vintage Lounge Mon, 1 Jan 1996 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 2156099 tra.2156099 Les Baxter art.1083 1.29 Ultra-Lounge, Volume 3: Space-Capades alb.236039 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/5/4/8/7/207845_170x170.jpg 2000-10-24 00:00:00.0 1996-01-01 00:00:00.0 true Sabre Dance tra.2156099 159000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2156099&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2156099&variant=data&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.7358359&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss Vintage Lounge Tue, 24 May 2005 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 7358359 tra.7358359 Les Baxter art.1083 0.99 Moog Rock alb.7357884 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/5/9/1/7/717195_170x170.jpg 1974-09-01 00:00:00.0 2005-05-24 00:00:00.0 true Polevitzian Dance tra.7358359 147000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.7358359&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.7358359&variant=data&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2731655&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss Vintage Lounge Tue, 23 Jul 1996 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 2731655 tra.2731655 Les Baxter art.1083 1.29 Ultra-Lounge Vol. 12: Saxophobia alb.117815 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/5/6/8/3/1053865_170x170.jpg 2000-10-24 00:00:00.0 1996-07-23 00:00:00.0 true I Dig tra.2731655 195000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2731655&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2731655&variant=data&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.17223869&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss Vintage Lounge Sat, 22 Dec 2007 07:42:15 -0800 Top Tracks by Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 17223869 tra.17223869 Les Baxter art.1083 0.0 Jukebox-Hits (Vol. 1) alb.17223099 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/4/1/9/5/1145914_170x170.jpg 2007-10-23 00:00:00.0 null false Unchained Melody tra.17223869 152000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.17223869&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.17223869&variant=data&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2156105&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss Vintage Lounge Mon, 1 Jan 1996 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 2156105 tra.2156105 Les Baxter art.1083 1.29 Ultra-Lounge, Volume 3: Space-Capades alb.236039 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/5/4/8/7/207845_170x170.jpg 2000-10-24 00:00:00.0 1996-01-01 00:00:00.0 true Saturday Night On Saturn tra.2156105 101000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2156105&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2156105&variant=data&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.642084&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss Vintage Lounge Tue, 22 Oct 1991 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 642084 tra.642084 Les Baxter art.1083 0.99 Colors Of Brazil / African Blue alb.253225 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/7/7/8/7/397877_170x170.jpg 1991-10-22 00:00:00.0 1991-10-22 00:00:00.0 true Goin' Out Of My Head tra.642084 143000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.642084&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.642084&variant=data&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.29592436&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss Vintage Lounge Sat, 1 Jan 2005 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 29592436 tra.29592436 Les Baxter art.1083 0.0 Tamboo! alb.29587556 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/7/7/2/9/1769277_170x170.jpg 2009-09-07 00:00:00.0 2005-01-01 00:00:00.0 false Simba tra.29592436 163000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.29592436&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.29592436&variant=data&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.29035217&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss Vintage Lounge Fri, 10 Jul 2009 08:24:30 -0700 Top Tracks by Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 29035217 tra.29035217 Les Baxter art.1083 0.99 Ultra-Lounge: Mucho Gusto! alb.29028537 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/2/5/9/8/1728952_170x170.jpg 2009-07-07 00:00:00.0 null true Acapulco tra.29035217 220000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.29035217&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.29035217&variant=data&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.642088&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss Vintage Lounge Tue, 22 Oct 1991 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 642088 tra.642088 Les Baxter art.1083 0.99 Colors Of Brazil / African Blue alb.253225 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/7/7/8/7/397877_170x170.jpg 1991-10-22 00:00:00.0 1991-10-22 00:00:00.0 true Born Free tra.642088 126000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.642088&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.642088&variant=data&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2235066&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss Vintage Lounge Tue, 25 Jun 1996 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 2235066 tra.2235066 Les Baxter art.1083 0.99 Baxter's Best alb.313333 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/4/4/7/0/1210744_170x170.jpg 2008-04-01 00:00:00.0 1996-06-25 00:00:00.0 true Because of You tra.2235066 170000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2235066&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2235066&variant=data&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.29848107&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss Vintage Lounge Fri, 6 Dec 1996 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 29848107 tra.29848107 Les Baxter art.1083 0.99 By Popular Request alb.29821916 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/4/1/6/5/1785614_170x170.jpg 1996-12-06 00:00:00.0 1996-12-06 00:00:00.0 true La Vie En Rose tra.29848107 175000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.29848107&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.29848107&variant=data&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.27101336&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss Vintage Lounge Mon, 2 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 27101336 tra.27101336 Les Baxter art.1083 1.29 The Exotic Moods Of Les Baxter alb.27100416 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/0/9/8/8/1618890_170x170.jpg 2009-02-02 00:00:00.0 2009-02-02 00:00:00.0 true Tahiti: A Summer Night At Sea (1996 Digital Remaster) tra.27101336 152000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.27101336&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.27101336&variant=data&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2235072&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss Vintage Lounge Tue, 25 Jun 1996 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 2235072 tra.2235072 Les Baxter art.1083 0.99 Baxter's Best alb.313333 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/4/4/7/0/1210744_170x170.jpg 2008-04-01 00:00:00.0 1996-06-25 00:00:00.0 true I Love Paris tra.2235072 142000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2235072&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2235072&variant=data&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1905173&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss Vintage Lounge Tue, 9 Jul 1996 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 1905173 tra.1905173 Les Baxter art.1083 0.0 The Exotic Moods Of Les Baxter alb.218349 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/4/9/0/3/383094_170x170.jpg 1996-07-09 00:00:00.0 1996-07-09 00:00:00.0 false Temptation tra.1905173 145000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1905173&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1905173&variant=data&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.29592437&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss Vintage Lounge Sat, 1 Jan 2005 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 29592437 tra.29592437 Les Baxter art.1083 0.0 Tamboo! alb.29587556 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/7/7/2/9/1769277_170x170.jpg 2009-09-07 00:00:00.0 2005-01-01 00:00:00.0 false April In Portugal tra.29592437 163000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.29592437&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.29592437&variant=data&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.642081&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss Vintage Lounge Tue, 22 Oct 1991 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 642081 tra.642081 Les Baxter art.1083 0.99 Colors Of Brazil / African Blue alb.253225 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/7/7/8/7/397877_170x170.jpg 1991-10-22 00:00:00.0 1991-10-22 00:00:00.0 true Canta De Ossanha tra.642081 157000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.642081&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.642081&variant=data&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.27101364&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss Vintage Lounge Mon, 2 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 27101364 tra.27101364 Les Baxter art.1083 1.29 The Exotic Moods Of Les Baxter alb.27100416 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/0/9/8/8/1618890_170x170.jpg 2009-02-02 00:00:00.0 2009-02-02 00:00:00.0 true Blue Jungle (1996 Digital Remaster) tra.27101364 195000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.27101364&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.27101364&variant=data&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.27101353&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss Vintage Lounge Mon, 2 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 27101353 tra.27101353 Les Baxter art.1083 1.29 The Exotic Moods Of Les Baxter alb.27100416 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/0/9/8/8/1618890_170x170.jpg 2009-02-02 00:00:00.0 2009-02-02 00:00:00.0 true Lost City (1996 Digital Remaster) tra.27101353 183000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.27101353&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.27101353&variant=data&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.27101351&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss Vintage Lounge Mon, 2 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 27101351 tra.27101351 Les Baxter art.1083 1.29 The Exotic Moods Of Les Baxter alb.27100416 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/0/9/8/8/1618890_170x170.jpg 2009-02-02 00:00:00.0 2009-02-02 00:00:00.0 true Temptation (1996 Digital Remaster) tra.27101351 145000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.27101351&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.27101351&variant=data&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.27101333&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss Vintage Lounge Mon, 2 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 27101333 tra.27101333 Les Baxter art.1083 1.29 The Exotic Moods Of Les Baxter alb.27100416 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/0/9/8/8/1618890_170x170.jpg 2009-02-02 00:00:00.0 2009-02-02 00:00:00.0 true Jungle Flower (1996 Digital Remaster) tra.27101333 163000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.27101333&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.27101333&variant=data&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.27101330&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss Vintage Lounge Mon, 2 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 27101330 tra.27101330 Les Baxter art.1083 1.29 The Exotic Moods Of Les Baxter alb.27100416 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/0/9/8/8/1618890_170x170.jpg 2009-02-02 00:00:00.0 2009-02-02 00:00:00.0 true Oasis Of Dakhla (1996 Digital Remaster) tra.27101330 219000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.27101330&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.27101330&variant=data&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.27101331&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss Vintage Lounge Mon, 2 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 27101331 tra.27101331 Les Baxter art.1083 1.29 The Exotic Moods Of Les Baxter alb.27100416 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/0/9/8/8/1618890_170x170.jpg 2009-02-02 00:00:00.0 2009-02-02 00:00:00.0 true Taboo (1996 Digital Remaster) tra.27101331 160000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.27101331&variant=play&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.27101331&variant=data&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss