Peterson Trio, Oscar + Singers Unlimited – In Tune – Used LP

VG/VG  Dutch gatefold pressing.  Lounge set, very dated (1971) which folks will find very charming or very nauseating (for me, maybe a bit of both, mostly the latter), full of that do-do-do-do-do-do that maybe started with Brazilian music and then morphoned into white-bread California as the 1960s progress...the singers dominating the sounds but the trio also clearly heard...the two likely two recordings spliced together...this is actually perhaps the best we ever heard from this group of singers and if you like this sort of thing, you might just find it sublime...opening with a version of "Sesame Street" which helps...in contrast to the other selections, "Once Upon A Summertime" features a solo female singer...and of course, Peterson's trio is always enjoyable. -- winch

In Tune Review by Scott Yanow: The Singers Unlimited were a logical extension of the Hi-Lo's. Gene Puerling and Don Shelton were both members of the Hi-Lo's and, after the group broke up, Puerling became a greatly in-demand arranger. In 1967 Puerling, Shelton, Len Dresslar, and Bonnie Herman came together to form the Singers Unlimited. They were a very unusual vocal group because Puerling wrote complex arrangements for the singers that utilized extensive multi-track recording. Rather than sounding like four voices, they often sounded like 16 or more, forming a dense choir. The group never performed live in clubs and concerts and was purely a studio group, recording 14 albums during 1971-1981. Oscar Peterson heard some of their work and recommended them to the MPS label. In 1971 his trio with bassist George Mraz (who at the time was known as Jiri Mraz) and drummer Louis Hayes recorded with the Singers Unlimited, or at least laid down tracks for the vocalists to overdub over. Most of the selections on In Tune are ballads with spots for Peterson to solo, although the voices naturally dominate. Among the more worthy performances are "The Gentle Rain," "The Shadow of Your Smile," and the "Sesame Street" theme. While In Tune is a minor entry in the extensive discography of Oscar Peterson, it is considered an early milestone for the Singers Unlimited.

A1		Sesame Street	2:53
A2		It Never Entered My Mind	4:01
A3		Childrens Game	2:41
A4		The Gentle Rain	3:25
A5		A Child Is Born	3:42
B1		The Shadow Of Your Smile	4:30
B2		Catherine	3:02
B3		Once Upon A Summertime	3:27
B4		Here's That Rainy Day