Customer Reviews

Divas Exotica

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

My son and I ADORE this delightful album. We commute 40 miles each day, and this album always puts us in such a great mood. We sing to every song! Nina Simone's "Feelin' Good" (bonus song) is SO amazing I had to go buy one of her albums.

The ONLY song I sometimes skip is the first one, Ann-Margret's "Let Me Entertain You". It's not bad...just...boring. As for the other songs, some have good arrangements and are sung by REAL singers. Others aren't so good, but they're silly and fun and you just have to love the effort.

This album is not for everyone. Your best bet is to listen to the samples. Believe me, if it's for you, you'll know right away.

Slip into your crested slippers, call some friends, and put on "Divas Exotica" -- this good-time CD will put some swizzle in your stick! In my opinion, it has set the new standard for luxe lounge sound. Absolute gems are Ann-Margaret's "Let Me Entertain You," Josephine Baker's "Don't Touch Me Tomatoes," and Eartha Kitt's purrrrfect "Let's Misbehave." That track is THE definitive nightclub number -- you can just see Eartha slinking around the stage. Marilyn Monroe's "Heatwave" will have you wiggling all over the house and Nina Simone's Adam-and-Eve fable is the coolest little ditty I've heard in years. "Divas Exotica" is just too much fun -- these babes give new meaning to the term "cocktail shakers!"

It's just too bad that Divas Exotica remains out of print; it's really a very good CD of some most romantic hits by talented female vocalists. The quality of the sound is quite good and I really like that artwork! I encourage you to consider picking up a copy of this CD especially now that it's so inexpensive; and maybe someday they'll bring this album back into print.

The names of the songs are listed correctly on the Amazon page here; but I shall also give you the names of the artists who sing them:

1. Let Me Entertain You - Ann-Margret
2. Don't Touch My Tomatoes - Josephine Baker
3. Near You - Marlene Dietrich
4. Teach Me Tiger - April Stevens
5. Je Me Donne Á Qui Me Plaît - Brigitte Bardot
6. Do Your Duty - Billie Holiday
7. Since Me Man Has Done Gone and Went - Maya Angelou
8. Go, Go, Calypso - Mamie Van Doren
9. Let's Misbehave - Eartha Kitt
10. That Makes It! - Jayne Mansfield
11. Jezebel - Edith Piaf
12. So Nice (Summer Samba) - Astrud Gilberto
13. Forbidden Fruit - Nina Simone
14. Heat Wave - Marilyn Monroe
15. Goldfinger - Shirley Bassey
16. Mama Eu Quero (I Want My Mama) - Carmen Miranda
17. La Molina - Yma Sumac
18. Zoo Be Zoo Be Zoo - Sophia Loren
19. Feeling Good - Nina Simone

The album begins with Ann-Margret performing a very special rendition of "Let Me Entertain You." Ann-Margret delivers this with lots of sensitivity and she never misses a beat! What a romantic number for the start of this CD! There's also the incomparable Josephine Baker performing "Don't Touch My Tomatoes;" Josephine handles the complicated tempo and key changes like the pro she always was! I also like "Near You;" Marlene Dietrich sings this with all her natural grace and charm and I think you'll like "Near You" very much.

"Je Me Donne Á Qui Me Plaît" has some great music to go with Brigitte Bardot's vocals; the percussion works well for this tune. Brigitte may be singing in French but this tune is just as wonderful anyway! "Since Me Man Has Done Gone and Went" gets the royal treatment from Maya Angelou; I was not aware that Maya sang when she was younger but just one listen will tell you that Maya Angelou is quite the diva! Hooray for Maya Angelou!

Eartha Kitt does her usual outstanding job on "Let's Misbehave;" the piano arrangement is very well done and Eartha sings this with a certain romantic flavor that is unmistakably her own. Eartha's excellent diction enhances her performance, too. Jayne Mansfield also does great on "That Makes It!;" "That Makes It" has a great early rock and roll beat and Jayne sounds great when she sings this peppy little number.

Listen also for the incomparable Edith Piaf to deliver "Jezebel" without a flaw; Edith's voice sounds very strong and the backup singers do well--not that Edith ever could have needed it; but it sounds good anyway. Edith does "Jezebel" so well that it's easily a major highlight of this CD. I also like Nina Simone's version of "Forbidden Fruit;" this gets quite a fine arrangement and Nina proves her prowess as a chanteuse with just one listen to this song. Marilyn Monroe does a great job on "Heat Wave" even if the music should have been toned down a little.

Shirley Bassey performs "Goldfinger" which, I believe, comes from the James Bond movie of the same name; and there's also an outstanding rendition of "Mama Eu Quero (I Want My Mama)" by the great Carmen Miranda with some male singers on backup. Sophia Loren sings "Zoo Be Zoo Be Zoo" with a very `60s sounding arrangement; and the CD ends well with Nina Simone performing "Feeling Good." "Feeling Good" is a strong bonus track and it makes a solid ending for this album. It will leave you wanting more!

Overall, Divas Exotica is a terrific CD for people who like classic pop vocals, lounge music and "retro" music from the 1950s and 1960s. It's also a great set of romantic songs that proves hard to match even today.

So many great songs and Divas, where do i begin? Where else will you find Carmen Miranda, Nina Simone, Maya Angelou (did you know she sang?) and Yma Sumac. But the list does not stop there, Sophia Loren?! Jane Mansfield...TO DIE FOR!! I want to give this CD to every woman i know, my mother, my grandmother, and everyone in between. GO GET THIS CD....'but don't you touch my tomatos!!-from AGyfto1006's daughter.

I love this album. So different and alternative. It is very amusing, uplifting and you can dance and sing to all the songs. Very seductive too if you are in the right mood.

It is fun to listen to the ''Divas Exotica'' with such a great variety of songs and singers from the past. Easy-listening, calypso, and fun tunes from ladies like Marlene Dietrich ,Marilyn Monroe, Billie Holiday, Sophia Loren, and even a singing Maya Angelou.

Okay, some of the performances are just plain unendurable (like Eartha Kitt's unbelievably slow "Let's Misbehave", or Marlene Dietrich's "Near You.") but most are clever and cute, especially Bridget Bardot's "Je me donne a qu'il me plait," and some are GREAT little treasures I can't pass up (I love Maya Angelou's "Since me man done gone and went", and "Forbidden Fruit"). If you can sift through the really awful dreck, generally the performances are funny, sexy, and entertaining. It definitely makes me feel exotic!

most of the songs are so over the top that you just get silly listening to it , and all of the singers make you want to reasearch their individual history!

There are some great tracks on this CD. A great CD to have in your collection.

I bought this CD after reading about it in a popular "lifestyle" magazine. Gawd, was I disappointed. I won't demolish the collection song by song. Just trust me when I say this is a six- martini adventure. I listened to it well-oiled, and it was still unbearable. Listening to the cuts on this CD was like trying to survive a bad hangover. If you really want to enjoy what singers like Billy Holiday, Eartha Kitt, and Shirley Bassey have to offer, invest in works that individually showcase their talents. As for the rest of the cuts, "unendurable" is not the word. Sure, you may get a few giggles out of them. But the people who put this miserable compilation together deserve the biggest laugh of all.