PREPARE YOURSELF... THIS RECORD WILL GIVE YOU A...
SHOCK
THE CREED TAYLOR ORCHESTRA plays
THE COMPOSITIONS OF KENYON HOPKINS
SIDE ONE
1. Heartbeat (Kenyon Hopkins) 00:00
2. The Crank (Kenyon Hopkins) 03:27
3. Gloomy Sunday (Sam M. Lewis ? Rezso Seress) 05:47
4. The Secret (Valse Triste) arr. K. Hopkins 09:07
5. Jungle Fever (Kenyon Hopkins) 11:24
6. The Lonk Walk (Kenyon Hopkins) 13:22
SIDE TWO
1. Haunted House (Kenyon Hopkins) 16:21
2. Spellbound (Miklos Rozsa) 19:23
3. In Bedlam (Kenyon Hopkins) 22:17
4. Time Runs Out (Kenyon Hopkins) 24:23
5. High on a Windy Hill (Joan Whitney ? Alex Kramer) 27:00
6. It's So Peaceful in the Country (Alec Wilder) 30:05
DO YOU SHOCK EASILY? In one way or another, just about everyone does. The great folk heroes of shock, Dracula and Frankenstein, have never been in more popular demand than today. On motion picture screen and television sets, the ogres of shock carry their bizarre appeal to millions of americans. A new rite, the \"Shocktail Party\" has swept the country. Throw one yourself -- it will put you in company with history, and you may finally be able to settle the score with those shocking neighbors next door.
TEST YOURSELF. See what moves your subconscious, and the subconscious of your friends. Don't read the short story outlines you'll find printed at the right on this page. Play the record first, and let your imagination run wild. See what you think the situations are. Is that really a man running through underbrush? What would have happened if the man in bed had cried out for help from the whistler? Would the whistler have helped, or would he have been something even more threatening than the intruder?
WHO WOULD WANT TO SHOCK YOU? In the best horror tradition, the people who put this record together are as pleasant and gentle a group as you'd like to have in for tea.
\"SHOCK\" was conceived by Creed Taylor and Kenyon Hopkins during a conversation one quiet, rainy afternoon. Together they worked out the situations, and then Hopkins scored the music and sound effects.
Ken Hopkins is a film composer of considerable note. He has written such motion picture scores as the music for \"Baby Doll\", \"The Strange One\" and \"12 Angry Men\". For television he has done scores for \"11 Against the Ice\" and \"The FBI Story\". \"SHOCK\" comes off with strong dramatic effect because Hopkins employed the same approach to composing the scores as he would a dramatic film. He visualized a situation and then underscored it for the musicians. After that, he added the sound effects and actor's parts. One of Hopkins' distinguishing trademarks is his use of the jazz form in his work. \"SHOCK\" has a strong jazz beat running through it -- as most of Hopkins' work has.
Creed Taylor, a not too frightening young man of 29, is ABC-Paramount's A&R man for albums. The Creed Taylor Orchestra on this recording is, properly, a rather unusual one. It was made up of some outstanding musicians:
Phil Woods played lead alto saxophone, and Jerome Richardson played second alto, alto flute and regular flute. Mundell Lowe and Barry Galbraith played guitar. Ray Alonge played French horn. Ray Beckenstein played soprano and bass sax. On drums, Osie Johnson was the \"time\" drummer, and Brad Spinney and Joe Venuto played a fittingly weird variety of percussion ranging from an Aerolian harp to chimes.
A major shocker on \"SHOCK\" is the many talented actor and sound effects man, Keene Crockett. A heavy percentage of the gasps, shrieks and groans belong to Keene, and all of the wildly varied sounds were conjured up by him. His major performance was on the \"Heartbeat\" side. One microphone was aimed at his feet for the sound of the shuffling intruder, and the other was poised at his mouth for the sounds of breathing. No wonder he couldn't cry out for help! Although he's built a reputation as New York's most competent sound man, Crockett has had a wide and diversified career, having played on radio opposite Gertrude Lawrence in a Theater Guild production of \"Lady in the Dark\", among many other appearances.
The female voices, groans and screams on \"SHOCK\" were provided by Toni Darnay and Gertrude Warner.
Toni Darnay is featured on \"Haunted House\" and \"In Bedlam\". Miss Darnay currently is playing the role of Stephanie on \"Our Gal Sunday\". She can be found in a state of shock on the cover of this album. She is widely known for her work in radio & TV, and on Broadway.
Gertrude Warner is featured with Keene Crockett on \"The Secret\". Miss Warner plays the role of Margo on \"The Shadow\". She was in the narrative role on the \"Whispering Streets\" series. Her credits run through radio \"soaps\" to TV commercials.
CREDITS: The front cover and liner photographs are by Tony Triolo. The front cover design is by Matt Schutz. The liner annotation is by David Drew Zingg.
