The anonymous K-Tel instrumental band The Starsound Orchestra reared its head again in 1994 for this CD release. In this case the head isn't particularly ugly; in fact if you're going to listen to cover versions of rock instrumentals you could do a lot worse.
The Starsound Orchestra moniker has adorned all kinds of K-Tel releases over the years -- rock, big band, disco, easy listening and classical. Most of them should be left to moulder in thrift store bins. But if you spot this one pick it up. A sample track is available below.
Walk Don't Run
You've probably suffered through some pretty inept cover versions if you listen to this sort of thing, and while The Starsound Orchestra's take on Walk Don't Run doesn't come close to the The Ventures' original, it's not an embarrassment either.
The CD version of Rockin' Guitar has long since disappeared from K-Tel's catalogue, but the album is available as a download almost everywhere.
Here's an example of The Starsound Orchestra name being used for one of K-Tel's collections of big band standards -- and it's pretty decent, too. This album is easily obtained in either a triple-CD box or as a download under the title Big Bands Greatest Hits. Some of the titles in this set are also included in a double-CD K-Tel set called Stompin' at the Savoy, so you're better off buying the box with three discs.
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