http://mp3.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, 17 Dec 2009 04:01:58 -0800 http://static.realone.com/rotw/images/logo_rhapsody_113x22.gif http://mp3.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://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.644346&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss Vintage Lounge Tue, 22 Oct 1991 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 644346 tra.644346 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 A Man And A Woman tra.644346 148000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.644346&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.644346&variant=data&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2235056&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss Vintage Lounge Tue, 25 Jun 1996 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 2235056 tra.2235056 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 The Poor People Of Paris (Jean's Song) tra.2235056 146000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2235056&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2235056&variant=data&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2235064&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss Vintage Lounge Tue, 25 Jun 1996 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 2235064 tra.2235064 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 Calcutta tra.2235064 132000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2235064&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2235064&variant=data&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2235077&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss Vintage Lounge Tue, 25 Jun 1996 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 2235077 tra.2235077 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 High and the Mighty tra.2235077 165000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2235077&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2235077&variant=data&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1536118&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 0.99 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://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1536118&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1536118&variant=data&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2235075&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss Vintage Lounge Tue, 25 Jun 1996 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 2235075 tra.2235075 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 Quiet Village tra.2235075 198000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2235075&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2235075&variant=data&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.27101325&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss Vintage Lounge Mon, 2 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 27101325 tra.27101325 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 Quiet Village (1996 Digital Remaster) tra.27101325 198000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.27101325&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.27101325&variant=data&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1536110&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss Vintage Lounge Tue, 20 Feb 1996 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 1536110 tra.1536110 Les Baxter art.1083 0.99 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 Lunar Rhapsody tra.1536110 191000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1536110&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1536110&variant=data&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2155856&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 0.99 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://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2155856&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2155856&variant=data&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.644344&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss Vintage Lounge Tue, 22 Oct 1991 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 644344 tra.644344 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 A Felicidade tra.644344 148000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.644344&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.644344&variant=data&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1736840&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss Vintage Lounge Mon, 1 Jan 1996 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 1736840 tra.1736840 Les Baxter art.1083 0.99 Ultra-Lounge, Volume 8: Cocktail Capers alb.222714 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/2/7/3/1/221372_170x170.jpg 2000-10-24 00:00:00.0 1996-01-01 00:00:00.0 true Shooting Star / Jungalero tra.1736840 318000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1736840&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1736840&variant=data&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2278565&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss Vintage Lounge Tue, 25 Jun 1996 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 2278565 tra.2278565 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 Blue Tango tra.2278565 179000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2278565&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2278565&variant=data&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1823773&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss Vintage Lounge Tue, 25 Jun 1996 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 1823773 tra.1823773 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 All the Things You Are tra.1823773 182000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1823773&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1823773&variant=data&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.642084&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://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.642084&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.642084&variant=data&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.7358359&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://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.7358359&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.7358359&variant=data&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2235068&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss Vintage Lounge Tue, 25 Jun 1996 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 2235068 tra.2235068 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 April in Portugal tra.2235068 165000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2235068&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2235068&variant=data&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.27101329&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss Vintage Lounge Mon, 2 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 27101329 tra.27101329 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 Hong Kong Cable Car (1996 Digital Remaster) tra.27101329 171000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.27101329&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.27101329&variant=data&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1823776&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss Vintage Lounge Tue, 25 Jun 1996 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 1823776 tra.1823776 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 Never on Sunday tra.1823776 189000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1823776&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1823776&variant=data&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2235063&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss Vintage Lounge Tue, 25 Jun 1996 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 2235063 tra.2235063 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 Unchained Melody tra.2235063 153000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2235063&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2235063&variant=data&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2235066&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://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2235066&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2235066&variant=data&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.642088&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://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.642088&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.642088&variant=data&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.29035217&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://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.29035217&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.29035217&variant=data&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2739071&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss Vintage Lounge Tue, 4 May 1999 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 2739071 tra.2739071 Les Baxter art.1083 0.99 Ultra-Lounge: Tiki Sampler alb.218809 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/7/3/6/5/295637_170x170.jpg 2000-10-24 00:00:00.0 1999-05-04 00:00:00.0 true Go Chango tra.2739071 194000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2739071&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2739071&variant=data&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2235071&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss Vintage Lounge Tue, 25 Jun 1996 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Les Baxter on Rhapsody Online 2235071 tra.2235071 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 Wake the Town and Tell the People tra.2235071 154000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2235071&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2235071&variant=data&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.27101336&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://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.27101336&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.27101336&variant=data&rws=%2Fles-baxter%2Ftop-tracks.rss