I Need To Make CDs For My 80 Year Old Grandfather's Surprise Birthday Party

Make sure you have "What A Wonderful World" on there somewhere.

some Nat King Cole

you can never go wrong with louis prima.

Any songs in particular by Nat King Cole or Louis Prima? The more specific, the better. I'm really short on time, and I can't really download records and sort through them.

you should toss some of Ray Charles's "Modern Sounds in Country & Western Music" it won't sound out of place (probably the best fusion of c/w, gospel, soul, jazz & e-z listening ever).

and of course you'll need to use killing joke's "eighties"!

nat king cole - embraceable you, the very thought of you, unforgettable

standards like
'im in the mood for love'
'every time we say goodbye'
'i get a kick out of you'

Pat Suzuki - How High The Moon
Glenn Miller

for louis prima: "angelina," "just a gigolo/i ain't got nobody," "oh marie," for starters.

try some Dean Martin or Kate Smith or Sammy Davis, the Andrews Sisters, Doris Day, Danny Kaye, George Shearing, Bing Crosby, Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald, Bobby Darin, etc. You could even throw in some wierd vocal group arrangements like the "walter Schumann singers" or something.

here is the info on "columbia house party" from 1955 featuring:

Mitch Miller, The Four Lads, Rosemary Clooney, The Buddy Cole Trio, Tony Bennett, Percy Faith, Louis Armstrong, Velma Middleton; Jo Stafford, Paul Weston, Frakie Laine, Liberace, The Norman Luboff Choir and The Dave Brubeck Quartet.

Too late ; Dry bones ; I get a kick out of you ; Taking a chance on love ; Manon ; Honeysuckle rose ; Cripple Creek ; Goin' down the road ; Mona Lisa ; Swanee River ; Hey ho, anybody home ; Swing low, sweet chariot ; Nice work if you can get it ; Camille.

hope that helps...

"Mack The Knife"

Extreme Noise Terror.

Nancy Sinatra "Sugar Town"
Petula Clark "Downtown"
Floyd Cramer "On The Rebound"
Carpenters "Top Of The World"
For variety: Dolly Parton's "I Get A Kick Out Of You"
Ella Fitzgerald "These Foolish Things"
Dionne Warwick "Do You Know The Way To San Jose"
Rosemary Clooney "Mambo Italiano"
Doris Day "Move Over Darling"

Glenn Miller - Pennsylvania 6-5000

Trout Mask Replica.

You do hate all your relatives too, right?

definately get that Pat Suzuki song...its worth it.

He came of age during the swing era, which means:

Benny Goodman: "Sing! Sing! Sing!" (or anything)
Artie Shaw: "Someone To Watch Over Me" (or anything)

i made my friend a mix of 1930s jazz and pop for his wedding reception.

alternately some ice cube would work nicely

you could just but those cheap 'big band and jazz' compilations from your local shopping centre. Probably has good tunes, at cheap, with no work involved.

Hold back on the gabba till the party gets cooking.

Slim Gaillard/Slim & Slam - Tutti Frutti, Flat Foot Floogie, Laguna... lots of *great* ones!

Cab Calloway - Minnie the Moocher, Take The A Train

Louis Jordan - Five Guys Named Moe, Choo Choo Ch'Boogie

Hot Club de Paris - Daphne, I Got Rhythm, Sweet Georgia Brown etc

Throw on some Django Reinhardt too.

Give this a whirl:
The Darktown Strutters Ball-Alberta Hunter
Twisted-Annie Ross
Night and Day-Art Tatum
How High the Moon-Art Tatum
So Nice (Summer Samba)-Bebel Gilberto
After You've Gone-Benny Goodman
Someday Sweetheart-Benny Goodman
Let's Dream in the Moonlight-Billie Holiday
He's Funny That Way-Billie Holiday
Yesterdays-Billie Holiday
Them There Eyes-Billie Holiday
This Year's Kisses-Billie Holiday
Fine and Mellow-Billie Holiday
Stormy Blues-Billie Holiday
I Must Have That Man-Billie Holiday
Singin' The Blues-Bix Beiderbecke
Way Down Yonder In New Orleans-Bix Beiderbecke
Beyond the Sea-Bobby Darin
Boo-Wah Boo-Wah-Cab Calloway
Are You Hep To The Jive?-Cab Calloway
Rose Room-Charlie Christian
Seven Come Eleven-Charlie Christian
Just Friends-Charlie Parker
Embraceable You-Charlie Parker
But Not For Me-Chet Baker
My Funny Valentine-Chet Baker
Cherokee-Clifford Brown And Max Roach
Star Dust-Clifford Brown And Max Roach
Body And Soul-Coleman Hawkins
Mean To Me-Count Basie
That's Amore-Dean Martin
You're Nobody ('til Somebody Loves You)-Dean Martin
Cha Cha Cha d'Amour-Dean Martin
Volare (Nel Blu Di Pinto Di Blu)-Dean Martin
Ain't That A Kick In The Head-Dean Martin
Sometimes I'm Happy-Dinah Washington
Teach Me Tonight-Dinah Washington
Keepin' Out Of Mischief Now-Dinah Washington
Honeysuckle Rose-Django Reinhardt
DJangology-Django Reinhardt
Clouds-Django Reinhardt
I'll Never Smile Again-Django Reinhardt
Nuages-Django Reinhardt
Creole Love Call-Duke Ellington
Mood Indigo-Duke Ellington
It Don't Mean A Thing-Duke Ellington
Black And Tan Fantasy-Duke Ellington
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea-Ella Fitzgerald
Can't We Be Friends (with Louis Armstrong)-Ella Fitzgerald
At Last-Etta James
Two Sleepy People-Fats Waller
Aint Misbehavin´ (Piano Solo)-Fats Waller
If I Had You-Frank Sinatra
You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To-Frank Sinatra
Look At Me Now-Frank Sinatra
Mr. Success-Frank Sinatra
I'm Gonna Sit Right Down & Write Myself A Letter-Frank Sinatra
Angel Eyes-Frank Sinatra
One For My Baby (And One More for the Road)-Frank Sinatra
September In The Rain-Frank Sinatra
You Make Me Feel So Young-Frank Sinatra
Too Marvelous For Words-Frank Sinatra
Anything Goes-Frank Sinatra
How About You-Frank Sinatra
Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams-Frank Sinatra
I've Got the World on a String-Frank Sinatra
Night and Day-Frank Sinatra
Sunny Side of the Street-Frank Sinatra
New York, New York-Frank Sinatra
Summer Wind-Frank Sinatra
A Wink and a Smile-Harry Connick Jr.
I Could Write a Book-Harry Connick Jr.
I've Heard That Song Before-Harry James
If I Could Be With You-Helen Humes
If I Didn't Care-The Inkspots
My Prayer-The Inkspots
Sidewalk Blues-Jelly Roll Morton
Jungle Blues-Jelly Roll Morton
Someone To Watch Over Me-Jimmy Scott
They Say It's Wonderful-Jimmy Scott
My One And Only Love-John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman
You Are Too Beautiful-John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman
Cloudburst-Jon Hendricks
Not I-June Christy
Whee Baby-June Christy
You're Making Me Crazy-June Christy
Show Boat Shuffle-King Oliver
Jumpin' With Symphony Sid-King Pleasure
Doodlin'-Lambert, Hendricks & Ross
Lady Be Good-Lester Young
Lester Leaps In-Lester Young
Memories Of You-Lonnie Johnson
Potato Head Blues-Louis Armstrong
West End Blues-Louis Armstrong
What A Wonderful World-Louis Armstrong
Tight Like This-Louis Armstrong
Ain't Misbehavin'-Louis Armstrong
Lazy River-Louis Armstrong
Star Dust-Louis Armstrong
Knockin A Jug-Louis Armstrong
Choo Choo Ch'Boogie-Louis Jordan
What's the Use of Getting Sober-Louis Jordan
Buona Sera-Louis Prima
Oh, Marie-Louis Prima
Jump, Jive, An' Wail-Louis Prima
Angelina - Zooma Zooma (Medley)-Louis Prima
If You Can't Smile And Say Yes-Nat King Cole
The Frim Fram Sauce-Nat King Cole
The Shadows-Nat King Cole
Night Lights-Nat King Cole
It's Too Soon To Know-The Orioles
Crying In The Chapel-The Orioles
Just for a Thrill-Ray Charles
Come Rain or Come Shine-Ray Charles
Hey Mambo, Mambo Italiano-Rosemary Clooney
They Can't Take That Away from Me-Sarah Vaughn
Laughin' in Rhythm-Slim Gaillard
Make It Do-Slim Gaillard
Yip Rock Heresy-Slim Gaillard
A Ghost Of A Chance-Teddy Wilson
More Than You Know-Teddy Wilson
Ruby, My Dear-Thelonious Monk
Lulu's Back In Town-Thelonious Monk
Don't Blame Me-Thelonious Monk
I'm Confessin' (That I Love You) (Take 2)-Thelonious Monk
Lulu's Back in Town-Thelonious Monk
Sweetheart of All My Dreams-Thelonious Monk
You Are Too Beautiful-Thelonious Monk
Just You, Just Me-Thelonious Monk
I'm Getting Sentimental Over You-Thelonious Monk
I Should Care-Thelonious Monk
Monk's Mood-Thelonious Monk
Rags To Riches-Tony Bennett
I Guess I'll Have to Change My Plans-Tony Bennett
Because of You-Tony Bennett

Oh man, Jazzbo, thanks!

You're very welcome. That's a playlist on my iPod.

From Jazzbo's marvellous list:

Ain't That A Kick In The Head-Dean Martin
At Last-Etta James

- both seconded, and there's another Lambert, Hendricks & Ross - "Jackie"

Something by the Birthday Party might come as a surprise... ;)

But seriously (no, that's not a hint to play something by P. Collins), maybe you could sneak in the odd track by Múm, or some Eno off Another Green World (e.g. "Sombre Reptiles"), "The Long Way" and/or "Happiness" by Superpitcher...

anything by al bowly - really, this stuff is peachy by any definition

Bacharach.

'Jimmy Shand's Party (Introduced by Archie McCulloch)' All your favourite traditional Scottish party choons.

Is it really a good idea to give an eighty year old guy a *surprise* party though?

My grandfather is amazingly healthy!

He's not even a little bit Scottish though. 100% full-blooded Italian.