Among
devotees of exotica music and tiki culture, vibraphonist Gene Rains is one of
the Big Three of exotica – Martin Denny and Arthur Lyman being the other two.
(Though Les Baxter had some notable releases in the genre, exotica was not his
primary focus, so he isn’t generally considered in the same league as the Big
Three). Yet, while Denny and Lyman have seen their entire album catalogs come
out on CD, and many collections compiled of their work, to date Gene Rains has
remained a true cult figure, with NONE of his albums released on compact disc.
Part of the reason for that is because the man himself is a bit of a mystery.
Little is known of Rains beyond the fact that popular Hawaiian crooner Alfred
Apaka discovered him and recruited the vibraphonist and his group to play at the
Hawaiian Village Hotel in Waikiki. Nevertheless, in the early ’60s, Rains
recorded three albums for Decca—Lotus Land, Far Across the Sea and Rains in the
Tropics (a fourth, The Call of the Tropics, released on the Vocalion label, was
a compilation of tracks from the three Decca albums)—that are considered models
of the exotica genre and cost a pretty penny if you can find them. Now, with
its release of Far Away Lands—The Exotic Music of Gene Rains on CD, Real Gone
Music is restoring Rains to his rightful place in the exotica pantheon. The
compilation—sporting a picture of MeduSirena the Fire-Eating Mermaid on the
front cover—features key tracks (plus the original cover art) from all three of
Rains’ Decca albums, with liner notes by the CD’s compiler, Randy Poe, and with
art and sound assistance from exotica expert Mark Riddle (a/k/a DigiTiki), the
man behind the popular podcast, “The Quiet Village.” A lot of folks have been
waiting a long time for this music to come out on CD, so light a tiki torch,
don a Hawaiian shirt, and prepare to be transported by the sound of Rains.
1. Hana
Maui/Harbor Lights/Ringo Oiwake/Lotus Land/Africa
2 .
Jungle Drums
3. Far
Across the Sea
4. Love
Theme from the World of Suzie Wong
5.
Strange Cargo
6.
Sayonara
7.
Caravan
8.
Bangkok Cockfight
9. Tiki
10. Song
of Delilah
11.
Mapuana
12.
Soshu Night Serenade
13.
Lonely Winter
14.
Flamingo
15.
Jasmine and Jade
Tracks
1-2 from Lotus Land
Tracks
3-7 from Far Across the Sea
Tracks
8-15 from Rains in the Tropics
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