The United Artists "Ultra Audio" Series started in 1960 and ran to 1962. Although the records were issued in both mono (WW-7500 series) and stereo (WWS-8500 series, with the last three digits identical for the corresponding issues), the series was really aimed at the stereophile. Typical of the liner notes was this description of "Steel Guitar Rag" from WWS-8503: "This tune starts with the unusual sound of a contra-bass clarinet (left) going to temple blocks (right) and bongos (left)." The descriptions of songs follow the stereo field for the listener. In the section of the liner notes "About The Recording," we are encouraged to "Play it for its musical context, or play it - as a true audiophile will - to check your tweeters and your woofers."

Many of the records in this series highlighted percussion, with early issues featuring musical instruments far left and far right in the stereo field, sometimes alternating left and right with the rhythm. There was little in the way of centered music. This sort of early stereo mixing was dubbed "ping pong stereo" for the obvious analogy to the tabletop game as action went back and forth from left to right.

The albums featured fold-open covers, and for the early issues the back cover was approximately a photo negative of the front cover. Stereo issues had the "Wall to Wall Stereo" banner across the top, while mono issues had the "Wall to Wall Sound" across the bottom. Inside were liner notes about the artists, a listing of all the musicians on the recording (and their instruments), production credits, detailed stereo descriptions of the tracks, small photos of other albums in the series, and a diagram featuring the frequency ranges of the various instruments.

In fact, UA promoted these high-end records as "the finest recordings that can be made" in the following blurb included as part of the liner notes:

Ultra Audio Records - the Ultimate in Audio sound - are the finest recordings that can be made. Prior to the recording session every piece of equipment to be used, from the microphones to the tape machines, is scrupulously checked to make certain it is in perfect working order. Extra care is taken in the recording session to ensure as perfect audio reproduction as is electronically possible. Before the tapes from the sessions are transferred to acetate (from which the dies to mold this LP record are made), they are listened to many times, so that the slightest flaw can be discovered and corrected. Now for the first time a newly developed system known as Ultra Audio Deep Etch, for controlling the vertical component in mastering Stereophonic Records, is being exclusively used. This assures you of proper tracking at all times. The records are pressed with exacting care, and the pressings are spot-checked constantly. Every Ultra Audio record is actually a hand-crafted product, produced under rigid supervision to provide the finest in sound for your listening pleasure.

The Ultra Audio Series had a special label with "United Artists Ultra Audio" as the logo, and "WALL TO WALL STEREO" around the top of the label (the mono issues had "WALL TO WALL SOUND" instead). Reissues of the series reverted to the regular UA label without the "Wall to Wall" banner at the top.

We would appreciate any additions or corrections to this discography. Just send them to us via e-mail. Both Sides Now Publications is an information web page. We are not a catalog, nor can we provide the records listed below. We have no association with United Artists Records or EMI Records. Should you be interested in acquiring albums listed in this discography (which are all out of print), we suggest you see our Frequently Asked Questions page and Follow the instructions found there. This story and discography are copyright 2008 by Mike Callahan.

UNITED ARTISTS ALBUM DISCOGRAPHY (ULTRA AUDIO SERIES):

Cover	Number - Title - Artist - [Release Date] Contents
	United Artists WW-7500/WWS-8500 "Ultra Audio" Series:
	WW 7500/WWS 8500 - Mister Percussion - Terry Snyder and the All Stars [1960] First pressing. The "All Stars" included Nino Tempo, Tommy Mattola, Nick Perito, and others. Puttin' On The Ritz/Softly As In A Morning Sunrise/The Man I Love/Get Out Of Town/Deep Night/Colonel Bogie March//Once In A While/Everything I've Got/Out Of This World/Binga Banga Bongo/Picnic/Oye Negra
	WW 7500/WWS 8500 - Unique Percussion - Terry Snyder and the All Stars [1961] Re-titled version of above, possibly because Bobby Christian already had an album out on Mercury called Mr. Percussion The two versions of the LP are identical except for the title, and some minor modifications to the cover art. Puttin' On The Ritz/Softly As In A Morning Sunrise/The Man I Love/Get Out Of Town/Deep Night/Colonel Bogie March//Once In A While/Everything I've Got/Out Of This World/Binga Banga Bongo/Picnic/Oye Negra
	WW 7501/WWS 8501 - Echoing Voices and Trombones - Don Costa [1960] Day In, Day Out/Deed I Do/The Breeze And I/Just In Time/But Not For Me/I'm Beginning to See The Light//Skyliner/Echo Of Love/Opus No. 1/Adios/Thou Swell/Nice Work If You Can Get It
	WW 7502/WWS 8502 - Blazing Latin Brass - Nick Perito and His Orchestra [1960] Bizzy Bizet/Misirlou/Monaco/Who'll Buy My Violets?/Malaguena/The Continental//Cha-Cha L'Alouette/April In Portugal/Anna/Quien Sera/Dengozo/The Donkey Serenade
	WW 7503/WWS 8503 - Guitars, Woodwinds & Bongos - Al Caiola and His Orchestra [1960] Give Me The Simple Life/Cuckoo/I May Be Wrong But I Think You're Wonderful/Steel Guitar Rag/Bernie's Tune/Let's Call The Whole Thing Off//Jeepers Creepers/Dance Of The Spanish Onion/Gypsy In My Soul/Petite Waltz/Too Marvelous FOr Words/Tango Boogie
	WW 7504/WWS 8504 - Dynamic Twin Pianos - Ferrante and Teicher [1960] Blue Skies/Tea For Two/A Bee And His Honey/The Lady Is A Tramp/The Sheik Of Araby/Alternating Current//Cold Turkey/Mine/Holiday For Strings/They Can't Take That Away From Me/Echo Canyon/Liza
	WW 7505/WWS 8505 - Golden Piano Hits - Ferrante and Teicher and Their Orchestra Conducted by Nick Perito [1961] Exodus/Canadian Sunset/Autumn Leaves/Bewitched/Begin The Beguine/Tschaikowsky Concerto//Miserlou/Till/Warsaw Concerto/Nocturne In E-Flat/Near You/Quiet Village
	WW 7506/WWS 8506 - 88 Strings - Ralph Marterie Heavenly Voices and His Golden Trumpet [1961] Truly/Sweet And Lovely/Someone Who Reminds Me Of You/Moon Song/My Song/Looking For A Boy//Green Dolphin Street/Love Lies/Why Shouldn't I/New Orleans/Try A little Tenderness/Moonlight Becomes You
	WW 7507/WWS 8507 - Motion Picture Themes Cha Cha Cha - Tito Rodriguez Orchestra [1961] Exodus/Theme From The Apartment/Theme From A Summer Place/Theme From The Unforgiven/Ruby/Gigi//Theme From The Magnificent Seven/Theme From The Sundowners/Dark At The Top Of The Stairs/Picnic/Midnight Lace/Never On Sunday
	WW 7508/WWS 8508 - Footlight Percussion - Terry Snyder [1961] Everything's Coming Up Roses/"Til There Was You/Make Someone Happy/The Gentleman Is A Dope/Anything Goes/Lullaby Of Broadway//If I Were A Bell/Guys & Dolls/The Sound Of Music/I Could Have Danced All Night/Bali Hai/Give My Regards To Broadway
	WW 7509/WWS 8509 - Cozy - Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gormé with Don Costa and His Orchestra [1961] Cozy/Wouldn't It Be Loverly/Like In Love/It's So Nice To Have A Man Around The House/Would You Like To Take A Walk/A Fine Romance//I Like The Likes Of You/Without You I'm Nothing/She Didn't Say Yes/Blue Room/Personality/Two Sleepy People
	WW 7510/WWS 8510 - The Modernaires Sing the Great Glenn Miller Instrumentals - Modernaires [1961] Tuxedo Junction/String Of Pearls/Sunrise Serenade/Pennsylvania 6- 5000/Sleepy Town Train/In The Mood//St. Louis Blues March/Little Brown Jug/Stardust/Adios/Caribbean Clipper/Moonlight Serenade
	WW 7511/WWS 8511 - The Return of the Doodletown Fifers - Sauter-Finegan and Their Orchestra [1961] Doodletown Fifers/April In Paris/The Churchmouse/When Hearts Are Young/One Is A Lonely Number/Doodletown Races//Sleighride/Moonlight On The Ganges/A Foggy Day/Rain/Thursday's Child/Darn That Dream
	WW 7512/WWS 8512 - Latin Brass Goes to Italy - Nick Perito & His Orchestra [1961] The Roman Blacksmith/Marina/Classical Cha Cha/Moonlight In Venice/Woodpecker Song/Arrivederci Roma [trumpet solo by Doc Severinsen]//Italian Street Song/Volare [with Urbie Green, trombone]/Non Dimenticar/Oh! Mambo Mia/Not Very Verdi/Gina
	WW 7513/WWS 8513 - The Sound of the Million Sellers - Don Costa & His Orchestra [1961] Mack The Knife/Lisbon Antigua/The Poor People Of Paris/Anna/April In Portugal/Francesca//Serenata/Third Man Theme/Delicado/Dansero/Blue Tango/Never On Sunday
	WW 7514/WWS 8514 - Love Themes - Ferrante & Teicher and Their Orchestra Conducted by Nick Perito [1961] Goodbye Again/Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man/Love Is A Many Splendored Thing/My Funny Valentine/I've Got A Crush On You/Tara's Theme//Love Theme From "One Eyed Jacks"/Imagination/I'm In The Mood For Love/Laura/Dream Of Love/Possessed
	WW 7515/WWS 8515 - Percussion On Parade - Various Artists [1961] Begin The Beguine - Ferrante & Teicher/Theme From The Sundowners - Tito Rodriguez Orchestra/Doodletown Fifers - Sauter-Finnegan & Their Orchestra/Green Dolphin Street - Ralph Marterie/Jeepers Creepers - Al Caiola & His Orchestra/Everything's Coming Up Roses - Terry Snyder//Wouldn't It Be Loverly - Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gormé/Skyliner - Don Costa & His Orchestra/Never On Sunday - Tito Rodriguez Orchestra/If I Were A Bell - Terry Snyder/April In Paris - Sauter-Finegan & Their Orchestra/The Continental - Nick Perito & His Orchestra
	WW 7516/WWS 8516 - Pop Concert [aka Pops] - Sauter-Finegan [1962] Blue Moon/Bilbao Song/Lullaby Of The Leaves/Messin' Around/Trust In Me/Rama Lama Ding Dong//The Pony Dance/I've Told Every Little Star/You Can Depend On Me/That Old Black Magic
	WW 7517/WWS 8517 - The Jazz Soul of Porgy & Bess - All-Stars [1962] There's A Boat That's Leavin' Soon For New York/I Loves You Porgy/Clara, Clara/Medley/Oh Bess, Oh Where's My Bess//It Ain't Necessarily So/Summertime/My Man's Gone Now/I Got Plenty O' Nuttin/Bess You Is My Woman
	WW 7518/WWS8518 - Two on the Aisle - Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gormé [1962] Two On The Aisle/'Til There Was You/Make Someone Happy 4) The Party's Over/If Ever I Should Leave You/Namely You//A Lot Of Livin'/Language Of Love/It's Love/'Til Tomorrow/Just My Luck/Put On A Happy Face
	WW 7519/WWS 8519 - The Cats Go Wild!: America's Favorite Drummers in a Percussion Festival - Cats [1962] The Cats are five drummers/percussionists, including Sol Gubin, Don Lamond, Mel Lewis, Charlie Persip, and Teddy Sommers. Drumbano/Rai Rai/Boka Butu/Ja Ki Lin/Noma//Bambu/Maki Maka/Dom Dom Dan/Mona So/Wa Vengo
	WW 7520/WWS 8520 -
	WW 7521/WWS 8521 - Gentle Purr-cussion - Terry Snyder and His All Stars [1962] Turkish Taffy/My Favorite Song/Anniversary Song/Stranger In Paradise/The Lamp Is Low/Little Darling//Yellow Bird/All She Wants To Do Is Dance/I Don't Know Why/C'est Si Bon/Claire De Lune/Ebb Tide
	WW 7522/WWS 8522 -
	WW 7523/WWS 8523 -
	WW 7524/WWS 8524 - We Remember Tommy Dorsey, Too! - Modernaires [1962] Boogie Woogie/The Night We Called It A Day/The Sunny Side Of The Street/Song Of India/There Are Such Things/I'm Getting Sentimental Over You//Yes Indeed/I'll Never Smile Again/Opus 1/Once In A While/Swanee River/Marie

Back to the Discography Listings Page


Back to the Both Sides Now Home Page