Raymond Scott, Raymond Scott, Jim Henson, Dorothy Collins - Manhattan Research Inc

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1	Manhattan Research, Inc. Copyright
2	Baltimore Gas & Electric Co. (Instrumental, Take 4)
3	Bendix 1: 'The Tomorrow People'
4	Lightworks
5	The Bass-Line Generator
6	'Don't Beat Your Wife Every Night!'
7	'B.C. 1675' (The 'Gillette' Conga Drum Jingle)
8	Vim
9	Auto-Lite: Sta-Ful (Intrumental)
10	Sprite: 'Melonball Bounce' (Instrumental)
11	Sprite: 'Melonball Bounce'
12	'Wheels That Go'
13	'Limbo: The Organized Mind'
14	'Portofino' 1
15	County Fair
16	Lady Gaylord
17	Good Air (Take 7)
18	IBM MT/ST: 'The Paperwork Explosion'
19	Domino
20	Super Cheer
21	Cheer: Revision 3 (New Backgrounds)
22	'Twilight In Turkey'
23	Raymond Scott Quote/Vicks: Medicated Cough Drops
24	Vicks: Formula 44
25	Auto-Lite: Spark Plugs
26	Nescafe
27	Awake
28	'Backwards Overload'
29	Bufferin: 'Memories (Original)
30	Bandito The Bongo Artist
31	'Night And Day'
32	Baltimore Gas & Electric Co. ('395')
33	K2r
34	IBM Probe
35	GMGM 1A
36	The Rhythm Modulator

Disc: 2

1	Ohio Plus
2	'In The Hall Of The Mountain Queen'
3	General Motors: Futurama
4	'Portofino' 2
5	'The Wild Piece' (a.k.a. 'String Piece')
6	'Take Me To Your Violin Teacher'
7	'Ripples' (Original Soundtrack)
8	Cyclic Bit
9	'Ripples' (Montage)
10	The Wing Thing
11	County Fair (Instrumental)
12	'Cindy Electronium'
13	'Don't Beat Your Wife Every Night!' (Instrumental)
14	Hostess: Twinkies
15	Hostess: Twinkies (Instrumental)
16	Ohio Bell: Thermo Fax
17	'The Pygmy Taxi Corporation'
18	Baltimore Gas & Electric Co. (Announce Copy, Take 1)
19	Baltimore Gas & Electric Co.
20	Lightworks (Slow)
21	'The Paperwork Explosion' (Instrumental)
22	Auto-Lite: Ford Family
23	Auto-Lite: Ford Family (Instrumental)
24	Raymond Scott Quote/Auto-Lite: 'Wheels'
25	Bufferin: 'Memories' (Demo)
26	'Space Mystery' (Montage)
27	'The Toy Trumpet'
28	'Backward Beeps'
29	Raymond Scott Quote/Auto-Lite: Sta-Ful
30	Lightworks (Instrumental)
31	'When Will It End?'
32	Bendix 2: 'The Tomorrow People'
33	Electronic Audio Logos, Inc.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The goofy chamber jazz of bandleader Raymond Scott lent itself perfectly to cartoon soundtracks ("Dinner Music for a Pack of Hungry Cannibals," anyone?), but, at heart, Scott was a serious composer. His electronic-music forays have been previously documented (the three volumes of Soothing Sounds for Baby), but nothing captures his diverse sound creations as well as Manhattan Research Inc. This previously unreleased two-CD collection features Scott's handmade electronics, top-secret creations he'd use to create ambient-sounding commercial jingles, as well as the odd soundtrack with budding filmmaker/Muppeter Jim Henson. Scott was impossibly ahead of his time: a snippet for "Baltimore Gas & Electric Co." could have been written by Terry Riley; "Limbo: The Organized Mind" is a hint at musique concrete; and 1960's "In the Hall of the Mountain Queen" could easily fit on an Aphex Twin disc. Gorgeous packaging, previously unreleased photos, and liner notes by Irwin Chusid, Robert Moog, and others make this a must for fans of electronic music. --Jason Verlinde

Product details

Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.25 x 5.75 x 0.5 inches; 8.98 Ounces
Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ Basta Records
Date First Available ‏ : ‎ December 7, 2006
Label ‏ : ‎ Basta Records
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00004SYD6
Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 2

Best Sellers Rank: #996,548 in CDs & Vinyl (See Top 100 in CDs & Vinyl)
- #5,999 in Contemporary Big Band
- #16,369 in Electronica (CDs & Vinyl)
- #19,262 in Easy Listening (CDs & Vinyl)

Customer Reviews:
4.6 47 ratings

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Steve Lenius

A look back at the future

Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2010

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My grandfather was a fan of Raymond Scott's quirky, idiosyncratic but charming music from the 30s and 40s ("Powerhouse," "Toy Trumpet," etc.), and I grew up watching Warner Bros. cartoons that used Scott's music in the background. "Manhattan Research" shows another side of Scott--still quirky, idiosyncratic and charming, but also revolutionary and visionary. The music on these two CDs was way ahead of its time, and I doubt that listeners today can fully appreciate how stunningly original his compositions must have sounded when they were new. Electronically-created music has progressed so far and become so ubiquitous that today we often don't even stop to consider the technology that goes into making it. But listening to this pioneering music, and seeing the beautiful book showing many of Scott's music-making machines, gives me a new appreciation for the people (Scott, Robert Moog, Wendy Carlos, et al) who got this particular technological and musical train rolling.

Being in the ad biz, I also find this music interesting because of what it says about midcentury advertising. The future prophesied in many of the selections on the discs should have arrived by now, but I'm still waiting for it.

2 people found this helpful

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Waialae Will

Raymons Scott created many futuristic commercials

Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2011

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Raymond Scott, the band leader who was never satisfied with the music his band could turn out, yet created many intriguing jazz compositions like Toy Trumpet, Powerhouse and Dinner music for a pack of hungry cannibals, turned to designing machines to produce the music he wanted. The result is preserved in this recording, Manhattan Research, Inc. Here Scott used them to create the soundtracks for futuristic commercials like those for Bendix Aviation, the GM Futurama exhibit at the 1964 New York World's Fair, IBM and even simple products like Bufferin headache tablets. When I listen to these tracks I am reminded of all the futuristic commercials that I heard over the late 50s and 60s, how exotic they sounded. Scott was a pioneer in electronic music and designed much of what he built. When he could not build it himself, he turned to Bob Moog to help build one of the first synthesizers. The accompanying book explains intriguing details about a man who many consider a cartoon composer but actually laid the foundation for a genre of music that is commonplace these days. Every electronic keyboard has some basis in the Long Island workshop of Raymond Scott.

2 people found this helpful

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Bart de Boisblanc

Mid 20th Century Electronic sound

Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2021

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This collection of music,sounds,advertisements etc are an amazing collection from the mid 20th Century. This recording includes early electronic sounds and effects before synthesizers were instruments and electronic music was a genre.

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PHILIPPE VANDENBOSSCHE

How to knock a listener over...

Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2003

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If the listener doesn't like electronics and machinery, he or she will be knocked over by the sheer volume of information and fotos in this package, and be able to come to rest listening to the contents of the CD's. If he or she DOES like this part of it, sitting down BEFORE starting to read the "booklet" is recommandable too. One would say that, probably due to the "paranoia" of Scott, being afraid of having his ideas and inventions stolen and therefore never having published anything, he has always been out of sight when the history of elctronic music was discussed: now we'll all be glad to give him his place amongst Moog, Buchla and others. Oh, and the sheer sound quality of those tapes, some of which are over 40 years old... Yeehaaaaaaa!

10 people found this helpful

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Mark Watters

Way ahead of it's time!

Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2020

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I'll be honest. The main value of this CD is as a historical reference. I felt like I was inside an episode of "Mad Men" because it was a great look at advertising in the 60's. I'm a fan of Raymond Scott so I very much enjoyed this!

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R. Schaad

Big Band Swing-Era Composer/Performer invents futuristic musical instruments and writes the soundtrack to an utopian tomorrow.

Reviewed in the United States on August 31, 2014

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All I can add to the reviews here (especially like the one with the pull quotes from various musicians) is that the powers that be have deemed us earthlings worthy of a follow-up collection (currently in the works). Since Raymond Scott was so prolific (this collection barely scratches the surface of the archives--understatement), the next one is eagerly anticipated. And so will any following that.

Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2019

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Love the music and packaging. These are not the colored vinyl though!

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jsr

Weird electronic music from Raymond Scott. There is much ...

Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2016

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Weird electronic music from Raymond Scott. There is much variety here, from weird pieces with Jim Henson, to electronic music that is ahead of its time to cheesy futuristic ads.

4 people found this helpful

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kenneth robinson

Outstanding liner notes!

Reviewed in Australia on July 25, 2021

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If this type of music is your thing, buy it! The 'liner notes' are a 140 page illustrated book! 2 discs.

Gus Piedsurtair

Mon Pépé s’appelait Raymond. Pas vous ? Ah bon.

Reviewed in France on December 10, 2016

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Assez peu connu de par chez nous, Raymond Scott est un personnage aussi excentrique qu’attachant, un de ces types discrets qui bidouillent on ne sait trop quoi dans leur coin et dont on découvre des années après leur mort toutes les inventions géniales issues de leur intense créativité, allant du bretzel liquide en poudre à la machine à explorer le temps.

Ce Docteur Emmett Brown de la musique avait commencé à bricoler toutes sortes de sons dans sa chambre d’adolescent avant de devenir pianiste de jazz, probablement sous l’influence de son grand frère, qui était chef d’orchestre. Il mena ainsi de front pendant quelques années la direction d’un sextet et d’un big band, composant nombre de morceaux qui illustreraient par la suite les dessins animés de Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fludd et Daffy Duck. Bien que tout à fait plaisante, ce n’est pas de cette musique-là dont il est question ici. L’auditeur curieux pourra l’écouter sur cet autre disque : Reckless Nights and Turkish Twilights.

En marge de sa carrière d’illustrateur sonore, Raymond Scott publia également trois disques de musique relaxante destinés aux bébés, qu’on conseillera davantage aux amateurs de musique électronique répétitive qu’aux jeunes parents croyant faire une bonne affaire pour trouver de quoi endormir leurs rejetons : je ne donne pas cher de la future santé mentale du gamin à qui on ferait écouter en boucle ce genre d’anti-berceuses préfigurant le travail d’Autechre ou Aphex Twin.

En effet, parallèlement à la musique, Raymond Scott, qui ne s’appelait d’ailleurs pas Raymond Scott, pseudonyme anodin choisi dans l’annuaire téléphonique, mais Harry Warnow, se passionnait aussi pour l’électronique et avait décidé d’entreprendre des études d’ingénieur. Si Captain Beefheart disait de Frank Zappa qu’il écrivait de la musique pour des instruments qui n’existent pas encore, il semblerait que Raymond Scott ait fait quant à lui exactement l’inverse : il inventait des instruments pour jouer une musique qui n’existerait que plus tard, et qu’on appellerait ambient, new-wave, trip-hop ou electronica… Créateur de machines musicales nommées Clavivox, une sorte de synthétiseur, Electronium, un générateur de compositions aléatoires, ou encore Bass Line Generator et autre Bandito Bongo Artist, il fut engagé par Motown pour défricher de nouveaux territoires musicaux. Berry Gordy, qui voyait apparemment en lui une alternative à Phil Spector, lui ouvrit ainsi tout un département de recherches au sein de sa maison de disques en espérant pouvoir mettre à profit ses nouvelles idées de production : la Manhattan Research Incorporated, sorte d’usine à rêves où Raymond Scott allait finir par passer le plus clair de son temps, travaillant, mangeant, dormant et vivant sur place comme un Willy Wonka dans sa formidable chocolaterie.

Malheureusement, Raymond Scott souffrait d’un grand défaut, probable corollaire de son insatiable créativité : il avait beaucoup de mal à tirer profit de ses travaux. Dans une interview rapportée dans le livret, son épouse raconte qu’à chaque fois qu’il finissait de travailler sur un projet, il s’en désintéressait complètement et passait immédiatement à autre chose. Ainsi, ce département Motown ne rapporta presque rien à Berry Gordy, et fut finalement fermé, ne laissant rien paraître au public de ce qui y avait été produit. Ce n’est que vingt ans plus tard, à l’aube d’un siècle nouveau, que l’on décida d’exhumer les petites merveilles qui font l’objet de cette compilation.

Alors nous y voilà. S’il fallait circonscrire une esthétique, on pourrait, si l’on veut, parler de rétro-futurisme, autrement dit, de l’image souvent ingénue qu’on se faisait autrefois de l’avenir. Cette compilation un rien foutraque regroupe des extraits de musiques de films, des spots publicitaires radiophoniques, des démonstrations d’instruments inventés par Scott et des expériences sonores diverses. C’est souvent très beau, par moments un peu bizarre, parfois rigolo, et presque toujours touchant dans sa forme naïve et poétique de work in progress éclaté en myriades de petits morceaux disparates. On pense davantage à Joe Meek qu’à Phil Spector, mais aussi bien à Zappa, à Kraftwerk, à Andy Partridge d’XTC ou encore à Brian Eno, aux BO des films de Tim Burton, ainsi qu’à toute la vague d’ambient techno de la fin du siècle, Broadcast ou les Boards of Canada en tête… Bref, voilà une petite capsule temporelle qui n’a l’air de rien, mais dont la musique qu’elle contient fleure un doux parfum d’innocence et de géniale inventivité enfantine, comme lorsqu’on se réveillait aux aurores, le samedi matin, et qu’on construisait une fusée en carton pour aller sur la lune. A ranger pas très loin du « Electronics without tears » de F.C. Judd.

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amazoner

Ein absolutes Muss für Fans elektronischer Musik !

Reviewed in Germany on February 11, 2013

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Raymond Scott ist einer der Urväter der modernen elektronischen Musik und baute schon Synthesizer und Sequenzer,
als diese noch allgemein unbekannt waren...und selbst ein gewisser Robert Moog noch am Anfang stand und unbekannt war.
Diese Sammlung enthält sehr viel Material von Werbeaufträgen, Demos seiner Geräte, Experimenten usw.
Sehr empfehlenswert !

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