Description
Book SynopsisAn encyclopedic account of the sounds and obsessions of the Space Age/Cold War period and the renewed interest in them evident in contemporary music and design.
Trade Review“Crammed with facts about sounds, composers, their histories, reminiscences and a whole lot more, Adinolfi has more than done his research, which , in such a odd, diverse, and obscure field of music, has to be applauded. . . . [A] very worthy edition to any bachelor pad. . . .” - Jonny Trunk,
Record Collector“Adinolfi contextualizes the 1950s exotica trend by placing it within a long history of Western musical exoticism. He ably documents instances of cultural appropriation, from seventeenth-century motifs of the Indies to Mozart’s search for musical expressions evocative of ‘that elusive Turkish flavor’ (37).” - Khalil Anthony Johnson Jr.,
American Quarterly“
Mondo Exotica is essential reading for those interested in twentieth-century American studies, popular musical culture, and twentieth-century visual culture. . . . Ultimately, this work is incredibly engaging and entertaining, equal parts mondo and exotic.” - Kim Cunningham,
Visual Studies“[I]nterviews with some of exotica’s prime movers and shakers, most notably [Martin] Denny, Piero Piccioni and Esquivel, provide additional insight and immediacy to this fascinating study.” -
Ken Hollings, The Wire"Part cult music and record colllectors' delight and part intriguing pop cultural study,
Mondo Exotica is . . . a generally entertaining read that sheds some light on how larger cultural, social, and political trends are reflected in popular music." -
Chris Heim, KMUW-FM
“
Mondo Exotica is a cornucopia of data documenting lounge music and culture and their mid-1990s revival. Francesco Adinolfi has written a book that is as fun to read as the lounge lifestyle is fun to live!”—
Otto Von Stroheim, DJ, founder of
Tiki News, and organizer of the annual Tiki Oasis weekend event
“You want alternative culture? Here’s the real thing. Francesco Adinolfi looks beyond the camp value and discovers the exotic urges that drove a generation that was supposed to be respectable. This terrific book reminds you that some of the most unique records ever made can still be found at your local garage sale—and that it’s never too late to discover how to live.”—
Brett Milano, author of
The Sound of Our Town: A History of Boston Rock & Roll and
Vinyl Junkies: Adventures in Record Collecting
“
Mondo Exotica is essential reading for those interested in twentieth-century American studies, popular musical culture, and twentieth-century visual culture. . . . Ultimately, this work is incredibly engaging and entertaining, equal parts mondo and exotic.” -- Kim Cunningham * Visual Studies *
“[I]nterviews with some of exotica’s prime movers and shakers, most notably [Martin] Denny, Piero Piccioni and Esquivel, provide additional insight and immediacy to this fascinating study.” -- Ken Hollings * The Wire *
“Adinolfi contextualizes the 1950s exotica trend by placing it within a long history of Western musical exoticism. He ably documents instances of cultural appropriation, from seventeenth-century motifs of the Indies to Mozart’s search for musical expressions evocative of ‘that elusive Turkish flavor’ (37).” -- Khalil Anthony Johnson Jr. * American Quarterly *
“Crammed with facts about sounds, composers, their histories, reminiscences and a whole lot more, Adinolfi has more than done his research, which , in such a odd, diverse, and obscure field of music, has to be applauded. . . . [A] very worthy edition to any bachelor pad. . . .” -- Jonny Trunk * Record Collector *
"Part cult music and record colllectors' delight and part intriguing pop cultural study,
Mondo Exotica is . . . a generally entertaining read that sheds some light on how larger cultural, social, and political trends are reflected in popular music." -- Chris Heim * KMUW-FM *
Table of ContentsPreface / Karen Pinkus vii
1. The Tiki Hour 1
2. Mondo Exotica 17
3. Exotic Fragments 34
4. The Laboratory of Dr. Les Baxter 45
5. Martin Denny: The Frog and the Prince 57
6. The Age of the Grand Expositions 67
7. Cocktails All Around 78
8. The Tribes of Exotica 96
9. A Venus in the Lounge 111
10. Destination: Space-Age Pop 121
11. The Moon in Stereo 145
12. Crime Jazz 168
13. Shaken and Stirred 180
14. Italian Style, from Spies to Exotica-Erotica 192
15. Italy's Exotic Adventures 211
16. Lounge Italia 226
17. La Dolce Vita 235
18. Hangovers? 262
Notes 267
Discography 307
Index 355
