Classical Gassers / Various Classical Gassers / Various CD

At first glance the worlds of classical music and pop might seem diametrically opposed - the former signifying straight-backed refinement and the latter youthful rambunctiousness - but as these two dozen tracks attest, there are occasions when these unlikely bedfellows have resulted in a harmonious union. The great composers have never shied away from taking inspiration from each other, so, too, contemporary songwriters have drawn from the well of memorable melodies, often to add gravitas or simply to enhance a song's catchiness. From ELP to Lana Del Rey, Muse to Lady Ga Ga, this is nothing new. Focusing on the 1960s, "Classical Gassers" explores this unlikely meeting of the twain with recordings ranging from rocked-up instrumentals to lush countrypolitan ballads. While some are unabashed in their use of the composer's original, others tread more lightly, giving the piece a new dimension entirely. Recorded between 1960 and 1971, this eclectic selection includes hits by James Darren, the Toys, Waldo de Los Rios, Julie Rogers, Love Sculpture and the Mindbenders, album tracks by Roy Orbison and Harpers Bizarre, and lesser-heard finds by the Cats, Renee St Clair, Lesley Miller and the Pulse.

1. Piltdown Rides Again - the Piltdown Men 2. Goodbye Cruel World - James Darren 3. Dawning - Jay ; the Americans 4. Just Let Me Cry - Lesley Gore 5. Nut Rocker - B Bumble ; the Stingers 6. A Lover's Concerto - the Toys 7. Mountain of Our Love - Lesley Miller 8. Asia Minor - Kokomo 9. She Wears My Ring - Roy Orbison 10. The Wedding (La Novia) - Julie Rogers 11. Tchaikovsky One - the Second City Sound 12. Swan Lake - the Cats 13. My Clair de Lune - Jay ; the Americans 14. Stranger in Paradise - the Galens 15. Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah (A Letter from Camp) - Allan Sherman 16. Hall of the Mountain King - Sounds Incorporated 17. My Hero - Renee St Clair 18. Can Can Girl - the Pulse 19. Peter and the Wolf - Harpers Bizarre 20. Mozart Symphony No.40 in G Minor - Waldo de los Rios 21. Attack! - the Toys 22. Whiter Shade of Pale - Shorty Long 23. A Groovy Kind of Love - the Mindbenders 24. Sabre Dance - Love Sculpture