The Brass Ring

2-24-09 The Brass Ring

BEST OF DUNHILL US DS 50051 LP

1969? 12 TRK Collection

BRASS RING feat. PHIL BODNER PROJECT 3 US PR 5067 SD LP

1972 12 TRKS EZ

DIS-ADVANTAGES OF YOU, THE DUNHILL US DS 50017 LP

1967? 11 TRKS stereo

GAZPACHO DUNHILL US DS 50034 LP

1968? 12 TRKS stereo

LARA'S THEME DUNHILL US DS 50012 LP

1966? 12 TRKS EZ stereo

LOVE THEME FROM 'FLIGHT OF THE PHOENIX' DUNHILL US DS 50008 LP

1966? 12 TRKS stereo

NOW SOUND OF THE BRASS RING, THE DUNHILL US DS 50023 LP

1967? 12 TRKS stereo

ONLY LOVE DUNHILL US DS 50044 LP

1969? 11 TRKS stereo

SUNDAY NIGHT AT THE MOVIES DUNHILL US DS 50015 LP

1967? 12 TRKS stereo

The main run of Phil Bodner’s “Brass Ring” on Dunhill Records was from ’66 to ’69 – to me, they are the epitome of the “Now Sound” – a group of ‘production’ session musicians playing hits of the day – that their label happened to own the publishing of – in some cases.

The discography becomes anomalous with an album 3 years after all the others for a new label, the venerable “Project 3”, one of the ‘Enoch Light’ labels. In fact, the ‘67 release of their “Now Sound of…” LP may be among the first uses of that phrase to indicate “Easy listening music disguised as rock music” = “The Now Sound”.

So, what other things did Phil Bodner have a hand in? I have my dad to thank for turning me on to The Brass Ring – he bought a copy of “Gazpacho” from a bargain bin, and it eventually made it’s way to my modern-day collection of easy listening LP’s.

I do not get to add very much to this collection anymore – as hipsters now collect EZ listening LP’s – likely in search of beats etc. Nice vinyl of anything just becomes harder and harder to find.

Mr. Bodner passed away in February, 2008. I apparently posted this blog in ’07, but for some reason, it’s not in my index – so here it is again. There are a few more titles by The Brass Ring than I have posted above, but it looks like they’re mostly only ‘best ofs’...

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Sorry, forgot to post this morning...

- RK