Jewels of the Sea

{{Infobox album

| name = Jewels of the Sea

| type = Studio

| artist = Les Baxter

| cover = Les_Baxter_-_Jewels_of_the_Sea.jpeg

| caption = Cover of Jewels of the Sea original vinyl release featuring Diane Webber.

| alt = Cover image for Jewels of the Sea. There is a white band with text above a photograph. On the white, mid-size black text says "Les Baxter's". Directly underneath, larger purple text says "Jewels of the Sea". Under that, small black text says "Titillating Orchestrations for Listening and Loving". The photograph depicts a Caucasian woman with brown hair from the waist up, posing underwater among bubbles and kelp strands. Her hair floats in the water. She is apparently nude but her chest is hidden by her crossed arms and some strategically placed kelp. She has glamorous makeup and large pieces of silver jewellery in her hair and around her neck.

| released = 1961

| genre = Exotica, lounge

| length =

| label = Capitol ST 1537

| producer =

| prev_title = Alakazam the Great {{Noitalic|film score}}

| prev_year = 1961

| next_title = Master of the World {{Noitalic|film score}}

| next_year = 1961

}}

Jewels of the Sea is a 1961 orchestral exotica album by American composer Les Baxter. The album was inspired by fantasy ideas of the ocean from pop culture, such as mermaids and sea nymphs, sunken ships, and legendary underwater cities such as Atlantis.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28797237/new_albums/|title=New Albums|last=Schreiber|first=Charles J.|date=1961-07-08|work=The Gazette|access-date=2019-02-24|pages=24|via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite book|url=|title=Widening the Horizon: Exoticism in Post-War Popular Music|last=Leydon|first=Rebecca|publisher=John Libbey|year=1999|isbn=978-1864620474|editor-last=Hayward|editor-first=Philip|location=New Barnet, England|page=56|chapter=Utopias of the Tropics – The Exotic Music of Les Baxter and Yma Sumac}}{{Cite book|title=Exotica: fabricated soundscapes in a real world|last=Toop|first=David|date=1999|publisher=Serpent's Tail|isbn=1852425954|location=London|pages=42|oclc=40752970}} There was an overall erotic element to the album, whose tagline was "Titillating Orchestrations for Listening and Loving", and whose original cover featured actress and model Diane Webber smiling glamorously underwater, apparently naked.{{Cite book|url=|title=Making a Splash: Mermaids (and Mermen) in 20th and 21st Century Audiovisual Media|last=Hayward|first=Philip|publisher=Indiana University Press|year=2017|isbn=978-0861967247|location=Bloomington, Indiana|page=68}}{{Sfn|Toop|1999|pp=68–69}} Although not explicitly shown wearing a mermaid tail, her makeup and jewellery are styled to be reminiscent of the performing mermaids at Weeki Wachee Springs.{{Sfn|Toop|1999|pp=68–69}}

Musically, Jewels of the Sea is characteristic of Baxter's work, with its use of a traditional European orchestra, primarily percussion instruments and strings, combined with more exotic instruments such as electronic keyboard and electric organ.{{sfn|Leydon|1999|p=57}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28975069/listening_on_records/|title=Listening on Records|last=Arganbright|first=Frank|date=1961-07-01|work=Journal and Courier|access-date=2019-02-28|pages=26|via=Newspapers.com}} All tracks are original compositions with the exception of "The Enchanted Sea", an arrangement of Claude Debussy's La mer.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28868593/current_record_choices_popular/|title=Current Record Choices - Popular|date=1961-07-29|work=Calgary Herald|access-date=2019-02-26|pages=13|via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28869677/spinning_the_pops/|title=Spinning the Pops|last=McCord|first=Merrill|date=1961-07-16|work=The Courier-Journal|access-date=2019-02-26|pages=84|via=Newspapers.com}} The mood of the album ranges from upbeat to melancholy, with an overall relaxing effect.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28869744/jazz_in_hihi/|title=Jazz in Hi-Fi|last=Hopper|first=Lynn|date=1961-07-02|work=The Indianapolis Star|access-date=2019-02-26|pages=91|via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28976588/music_on_a_solid_beat_for_summer/|title=Music on a Solid Beat For Summer Listening|last=Dennis|first=Matt|date=1961-07-29|work=The Windsor Star|access-date=2019-02-28|pages=39|via=Newspapers.com}}

The album was generally well-received by critics. Electronics World called the oceanic theme "pure corn", but the music "first rate."{{Cite magazine|last=Whyte|first=Bert|date=November 1961|title=Record & Reel Revue - Jewels of the Sea|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Consumer/Archive-Electronics-World-IDX/IDX/60s/1961/Electronics-World-1961-11-OCR-Page-0088.pdf|magazine=Electronics World|page=88|access-date=2019-02-28}} Frank Arganbright of the Journal & Courier called it "sparkling to say the least." Merrill McCord of The Courier-Journal called it a "concert-like spectacular." The Virgin Encyclopedia of Fifties Music rated it three stars out of four.{{Cite book|title=The Virgin Encyclopedia of Fifties Music|date=1998|publisher=Virgin in association with Muze UK Ltd|others=Larkin, Colin., Muze UK Ltd.|isbn=0753502682|location=London|pages=27|oclc=60209809}}