Joe Pass - A Sign of the Times

It was indeed a sign of the times in the mid-1960s as several jazz labels pushed their artists to record cover versions of the latest pop hits. World Pacific Records was particularly active in this area, with artists like Bud Shank, Chet Baker and guitarist Joe Pass putting out LPs of hit parade tunes.

These commercial ventures didn't improve the artists' standing in the jazz community and didn't seem to generate a great deal of interest among pop fans either. They did, however, gain plenty of airplay on the "good music" easy listening stations of the day.

A case in point is Pass's A Sign of the Times (1965), which takes its title from the Petula Clark hit. Listen to and download the title tune from the link below. The MP3 is taken from the original LP.

A Sign of the Times

Pass put out several of these pop albums, including one of movie themes and another called Stones Jazz, which was dedicated to the songs of the Rolling Stones.

In 2002, the British label Beat Goes On released A Sign of the Times on a 2-on-1 CD with another Pass album, Simplicity. It's still available, but expensive. You can also purchase A Sign of the Times as a download.