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Colors (Ken Nordine album)

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1966 studio album by Ken Nordine
Colors
A swirling series of faces in many colors on a black background
Studio album by Ken Nordine
Released1966
StudioUniversal Studio A, Chicago, Illinois, United States
GenreJazz
Length53:47
LabelPhilips
ProducerJames C. Cunningham
Ken Nordine chronology
Presenting The Hammond Grand 100 Organ
(1964) 		Colors
(1966) 		Ken Nordine Does Robert Shure – Twink
(1967)

Colors is a "word jazz" album by voice-over and recording artist Ken Nordine. The Fuller Paint Company commissioned ten songs for radio advertisements. Because listeners enjoyed the recordings and requested the radio play them again, the project expanded into an album of 34 songs. Each track personifies a different color or hue.

Reception

A review from All About Jazz calls this release "brilliant" and states that "Nordine breathes baritoned life into hues that often pass our eyes but which can now color our ears as well". Editors at AllMusic rated this album 4.5 out of 5 stars, with critic Lindsay Planer writing that "there aren't many artists who could get away with creating an album of short eclectic odes to the various relatives and extended kinfolk of Roy G. Biv (aka the primary color continuum of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet). But then again, there are few (if any) like word-jazz architect Ken Nordine."

The album was re-released in 1995 by Asphodel Records, bringing it renewed attention in Billboard, where it was highlighted as part of a trend of easy listening and vocal jazz albums coming out on compact disc. This re-release was chosen by CMJ New Music Monthly as Weird Record of the Month, with the review stating that "there's no other record like it".

Track listing

All songs composed by Dick Campbell and Ken Nordine, except where noted.

  1.   "Olive" – 1:33
  2.   "Lavender" – 1:32
  3.   "Burgundy" – 1:31
  4.   "Yellow" (Campbell, Palle Mikkelborg, and Nordine) – 1:35
  5.   "Green" – 1:34
  6.   "Beige" (Campbell, Duke Ellington, and Nordine) – 1:34
  7.   "Maroon" – 1:39
  8.   "Ecru" – 1:40
  9.   "Chartreuse" – 1:33
  10.   "Turquoise" – 1:34
  11.   "White" – 1:41
  12.      "Flesh" – 1:33
  13.   "Azure" – 1:35
  14.   "Puce" – 1:34
  15.   "Magenta" – 1:34
  16.   "Orange" (Campbell, Nordine, and Nelson Riddle) – 1:29
  17.   "Purple" (Campbell, Billy May, and Nordine) – 1:35
  18.   "Muddy" – 1:35
  19.   "Russet" – 1:39
  20.   "Amber" – 1:37
  21.   "Blue" – 1:38
  22.   "Black" (Campbell, Ellington, and Nordine) – 1:39
  23.   "Gold" (Campbell, Ellington, and Andy Partridge) – 1:34
  24.   "Crimson" – 1:34
  25.   "Brown" – 1:35
  26.   "Rosey" – 1:36
  27.   "Hazel" – 1:37
  28.   "Mauve" – 1:34
  29.   "Fuschia" – 1:33
  30.   "Sepia" – 1:34
  31.   "Nutria" – 1:33
  32.   "Cerise" – 1:36
  33.   "Grey" – 1:40
  34.   "Coral" – 1:27

Album details

The backside of the album describes a game that can be played while listening to the album.

The first 24 colors in the album have a playing tip associated with the color.

Olive is overused
Lavender needs delicate handling
Burgundy moves slowly
Yellow works well for paranoia
Green is deceiving
Beige demands caution
Maroon makes it
Ecru decisions take time
Chartreuse you use freely
Turquoise takes over
White is a little off
Flesh is complicated
Azure is narcissistic
Puce fills depressions
Magenta makes marvelous nonsense
Orange is good fun in streaks
Purple doesn't mix easily
Muddy is hope
Russet always fits in
Amber is for the middle
Blue can change things
Black is a family problem
Gold can be holy
Crimson gets out of control

Personnel

See also

References

  1. "Chicago Jazz - Ken Nordine". 13 June 2015. Archived from the original on 13 June 2015.
  2. "Beat poetry meets 'Mad Men'-era advertising: Ken Nordine's loopy 1966 cult album, 'Colors'". 4 March 2014.
  3. Palm, Matthew J. (8 September 2016). "Voci Dance brings back 'Paint Chips' with new additions". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on 11 September 2016.
  4. "Ken Nordine: Colors". Album Review. 2003-01-20. Retrieved 2023-06-29.
  5. ^ Planer, Lindsay (n.d.). "Ken Nordine – Colors". AllMusic. RhythmOne. Retrieved 2023-06-29.
  6. Morris, Chris (1995-09-09). "Bachelor Pad Music from '50s, '60s Is Swingin' Again". Billboard. Vol. 107, no. 36. Section: Indies in the Act. p. 112. ISSN 0006-2510.
  7. Morris, Chris (1996-02-10). "Tall Cool Ones". Billboard Spotlight. Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 6. Section: Mood Music Gets Hip. p. 27. ISSN 0006-2510.
  8. "Weird Record of the Month". Quick Fix. CMJ New Music Monthly. No. 29. January 1996. p. 8. ISSN 1074-6978.

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