Velvet Waters by The Megatron's on 1959 Acousticon 45.

[bethwistful]

. . . and I was a high school sopthomore the first time I heard this. I thank you for posting this great song, and I extend my appreciation to all those that reconize a good song when then hear it. Thanks for the memories. Beth Wishes!

[lrh1966]

@bethwistful

You are welcome! Thank you for listening to this vintage 45 record...Friends, Lloyd.

[countrypaul]

A great little record then and now. Acousticon had some issue with their name and changed it to Audicon. Their other hit group was The Passions {"I Only Want You" and "Just to Be With You"]. The clarinetist: is Frank Haywood Henry, born 1/10/1913 in Birmingham, Alabama, died 9/151994. Played occasional sax with Duke Ellington's orchestra; joined Erskine Hawkins' orchestra from 1934 until the early 1950's; also in Sy Oliver's orchestra from 1972 to 1980. He also did a lot of session work.

[lrh1966]

@countrypaul

Thank you for the details and historical info on The Megatron's, & also for checking it out. Happy Labor Day Weekend!!...Friends, Lloyd.

[Conshana]

THANK YOU~! OMG~!,,,, A full half century since it came out,,,, and memories dim a bit,,,, but this is SOLID GOLD~!,,,,

I was a junior in High School,,,, and I still remember this,,,, as you said above, it is ahead of its time, in its choreography~!,,, But I Thank You, once the 'gain, My Friend~!

[lrh1966]

@Conshana

Thank you for checking it out, and I am glad it brought back memories!!...Friends, Lloyd.

[stephenunzueta]

thanks for posting this classic...cruzing in my 409 62 Chevy...

[lrh1966]

@stephenunzueta

Thank you for checking this vintage 45 out...Friends, Lloyd.

[gasp65]

I'm afraid you're mixing up your stories, wegogreycup...Kyu Sakamoto (of Sukiyaki fame) died on Japan Airlines Flight 123, which crashed due to engine failure soon after take off. No Russians involved.

[lrh1966]

@gasp65

Thank you for checking out this 45, and the added historical info. on the artist...Friends, Lloyd.

[wegogreycup]

Yeah, there was something about this tune that caught my young ears back in '59.

Johnny & the Hurricanes did too. 'B' Bumble, also that #1 hit by that guy from Japan who later died on that Korean passenger plane shot down by the Russians...

[lrh1966]

@wegogreycup

Thank you for checking this vintage 45 out...Friends, Lloyd.

[darvinion]

I first heard this tune about 7 years ago and couldn't rest until I'd tracked down a copy on vinyl. I still play it a lot. Thanks for bringing it to a wider audience.

[lrh1966]

@darvinion

You are welcome. Thank you for checking out this vintage vinyl track...Friends, Lloyd.

[Haunga100]

i love this tune!!

[lrh1966]

@Haunga100

Thank you for checking it out!!...friends, Lloyd.

[purbrookian]

We all consider the music of our youth as the best, but I'll back the magic period from 1955-1962 against any other pop era.

[darvinion]

@purbrookian

You are so right! And among the best things about that era were the marvellous instrumentals.

[lrh1966]

@darvinion

The 50's were great for all the instrumental records, and movie musicals that were also in abundance at the time!! What happened to our music/movie entertainment over the years??...Friends, Lloyd.

[darvinion]

@lrh1966

Even if they made new musicals I'm not sure I'd like the music in them! I'll admit a guilty pleasure - those teen musicals of the 1960s. I don't care if the acting isn't great (or even good) and the scripts are so thin you can see through them. I never tire of watching It's Trad Dad (AKA Ring A Ding Rhythm) & Every Day's A Holiday (AKA Seaside Swingers) just to name a couple.

[lrh1966]

@darvinion

I agree with you on that!! I enjoy many old musicals for the upbeat, and positive energy coming from them...Friends, Lloyd.

[purbrookian]

Recall buying this 45 in '59 - marvellous record. Difficult to imagine today's teens buying it, though - it has melody, harmony, form, musicality.......

[lrh1966]

@purbrookian

Thank you for checking it out!!, melody, harmony, form, musicality seem to have gone by the wayside in much of today's pop music culture, which is sad...friends, Lloyd.

[algywatt]

I recall hearing a few bars of this record on AFN Germany....'way back in '59.it took me many years to finally buy a copy of this almost hypnotic masterpiece.

[lrh1966]

@algywatt

Thank you for checking out!!...friends, Lloyd.

[monaleisure]

For some reason the label name was shortened to AUDICON for the second pressing. Strange.

[lrh1966]

@monaleisure

I saw that label as well online, and thought it was a mis-print, because of the label my copy is on...

[Ezdduf4kuZ]

This is a inst. i'll never forget, i tied the seaside to this melody, thinking of it's calmness. Anyway i didn't hear this one until after it was a top 40 hit, as i didn't have my own transister radio until 1961. Ya i had some catching up to do...and now i worry about being cutoff the internet by the landlord(ha), ya it may sound funny but it's not. I'm getting the net thru a router, anyway my evenings aren't the same...it's 430 in the morning & i'm betting the lake is like velvet now.thx!

[lrh1966]

Thank you for listening!, I am glad you enjoy it...friends, Lloyd.

[Taz882]

Heywood Henry was one of the finest baritone-saxophonists of the swing era. Henry played with the 'Bama Street Collegians in 1930 while attending Alabama State Teachers College and later joined the Erskine Hawkins Orchestra from 1934 into the early 1950's. He was with the Fletcher Henderson Reunion Band of 1957-58 and recorded over 1000 rock and roll records over a ten-year period, appearing anonymously on many hit records. He was born in 1913 and died in 1994. A great unsung musical master.

[garyyoli]

I grew up in So. Cal and was learing different wood winds in the late 50's This song blew me away then. I havn't heard it in years. Thank god for youtube and the person who posted this.

[lrh1966]

Thank you for checking out "Velvet Waters" on my site, I also have "The Merry Piper" from the flip side here.

[chkjns]

@Taz882 - Thx for the extra background on HH ! ! ! I admire these great artists just as you do, so . . . . .

My tribute to the world's great musicians is an ever-expanding music history channel with over 500 playlists so far. Featuring most genres, they span the globe. 300 lists feature individual artists & 111 more let you hear any year's music since 1900 like you've stepped back in time, to 1959 for this track. Heard it online on kxfm site today.

Lloyd's channel here is is of the best!

[lrh1966]

@chkjns

Thank you for the great channel compliments and subscribing!!...Have a fun-filled 4th Of July holiday!!...friends always, Lloyd.

[Taz882]

I bought Velvet Waters in 1959 and loved it ever since. I lost my copy in 1960 and hadnt heard it again until last year on a CD collection of 30 instrumentals called Teen Beat 3. I recently wrote to Kenny G and asked him to do a cover of this magnificent song. The Megatrons was a group of studio musicians put together by horn man and arranger Heywood Henry. Velvet Waters only reached #51 nationally, although I'm sure it charted much higher in cities where it got a lot of airplay.

[lrh1966]

Thank you for checking it out, and the added history info. I hope to find more by this group as they seemed ahead of there time.

[stevefrank61]

@lrh1966  I remeber hearing this song in 1959 a few times and then never again. I loved the music and, for some reason, the name of the groug and the name of the song stuck with me for 50 years. I was delighted when I came across this on YouTube. Thanks for adding it!!!

[lrh1966]

@stevefrank61

Thank you for checking out this rare instrumental!!...friends, Lloyd.

[zukelad]

Ahh finally. As a child I played my fathers 45 of this over and over again. Have never heard it on the radio EVER! Not too sure if I like it with vocals.

[lrh1966]

Thank you for listening!, you may also enjoy the other side..."The Merry Piper", thank you again, and I am glad you found this song here.

I am trying to find more instrumentals from the 50's and 60's era by Pete Fountain, Chet Atkins and other similar artists as many of these great instrumental artists are almost for gotten today!!...friends, Lloyd.

[shifta65]

This is absolutely a beautiful tune. And thanks for providing such a clear rendition of it. I will definitely bookmark this as a favorite.

[lrh1966]

Thank you for checking it out!, you may like the flipside...The Merry Piper as much as this song..

[ZapNation21]

Nice instrumental. I can imagine this as an Indian tribal song.

[lrh1966]

I think you are correct, I never thought about it, for some reason, because of the song structures on both sides of this record, New Age music came to mind, even though that music was way off in future from 1959.

Indian music did have an influence on New Age music from the little research I did on it, I did not do extensive research on New Age, only from the music aspect a little.

[ZapNation21]

@lrh1966 Now Im more fascinated by the song. Im almost certain that Native American music had a big influence on New Age. Both are about nature and everyday sounds we hear. Tell me, what do you know about William Plunkett, the writer of the song?

[lrh1966]

I tried finding info about him online without success at this moment, but it will be a treasure hunt locating it. I want to know more as well on that mystery song writer, and how he conceived the style here.

I am also trying to find detailed info on Heywood Henry who played flute, and clarinet on these songs.

[bluenazz]

It's a simple recording but very well done.  I can certainly hear why you mentioned "New Age" as it is symmetrical, for lack of a better word (:->

[lrh1966]

Thank you, It seems to have some basic elements of New Age music, even though that music was many years away from 1959.