There seems to be a rumor going around that come springtime 2020, the St Vincent De Paul will cease to be a thrift store, which is causing rumblings around Bargains Galore Land. So deciding against my better judgement, I figure it would be time to make one more stop in Waterloo to see if they had anything worth getting. Alas their 45's selection was the usual scratched up relics and broken records nobody wanted (The Bram T. Shall We Dance promo 45 still remains up there) and I passed on what they had. But I did find the Best of Irakere on CD.
If anything, this may have been the cheapest finds ever recorded. I bought six cds for a grand total of 2 dollars and 46 cents. The Money and More Pawnshop I got four of them for a dollar. Curio finds such as Eddy Arnold's final album After All These Years (2005) recorded when he was 85 years old. Other was Casey Chambers Carnival, a Blossom Dearie reissue, and bluesman Kevin Brown's Rust album. And a 2015 Built To Spill album Untethered Moon for 42 cents, tax included. I found myself trying to stay awake listening to Eddy's album and Kevin Brown kept spinning his tires till the last couple songs kicked in. In the end After All These Years would be Eddy's 100th and final album before he passed away in 2008. To which Sony Music issued To Life, which would chart at number 49 in 2008, thus making 7 decades to which Arnold made the top 100.
Waterloo still remains a wasteland, outside of the St Vincent De Paul and Goodwill stores. The Crossroads is becoming a dead mall, with more empty spaces than actual stores. It doesn't take long to go into the thrift stores, check things out and then hit the road back home. But I had enough time to make it to Independence, where they have a Goodwill store before they closed at 8. Which turned out to be a good thing. Because that's where I found the majority of 45s that compile this list.
Whoever Robert Greathouse is or was, he managed to leave behind a few choice 45s. Mostly country and folk. I have no interest in Beans In My Ears and I did have The Ballad Of Irving from Frank Gallop a while ago and donated it back to Goodwill so they were left behind. As well as Randy Van Warmer's Just When I Needed You Most. Somehow, this collection of songs I found seem to be better than the Analog Vault finds of last Sunday. Nothing wrong with Analog Vault, they're up and coming and I continue to support them whenever I can, the ones I picked weren't ground shaking. For a quarter a record, I'm not complaining. Overall, the 45s cost more than the CDs on this trip. Usually Independence doesn't have much for music, not their Goodwill store. The last four times I struck out. This time, I got lucky. And to celebrate, I ate at Los Jinetes in downtown Indy. They didn't look as busy as Del Rio a block away but I managed to overindulge in chip and bean and salsa dip. And a taco dinner. I always liked the Independence Mexican food places better than Waterloo. At least they didn't take away my food when I wasn't done.
So here's to you Mr. Greathouse, who's penmanship is all over the record sleeves and labels. Rest assured that your songs have found a forever home (or till I pass on and my brother decides to have a estate junk sale, whichever comes first). Thank you for the eccentric music tastes.
1) Do What You Do Do Well-Ned Miller (Fabor 137) #52 1964
I remember hearing this song and ripping it off as one of my very own (Do Do Do, an outtake from Light At The End Of The Tunnel album) but I couldn't place the song till I heard this for the first time. It charted in the top 10 on the country side but for pop it made a respectable 52. Probably more uptempo than Ned Miller is used to playing, but it's a fun number. Plus it has a quick out groove. Over and done before you know it. B side is Dusty Guitar.
2) Bo Diddley-Billy Lee Riley (Mercury 72314) 1964
Better known for the guy that gave us Red Hot, Riley recorded for a whole bunch of labels (mostly Sun Records) but this was one of two singles recorded for Mercury and instead of singing, Billy Lee wails away on the harmonica. A tough as nails cover that Bo Diddley would be proud of. B side Memphis is the arrangement that Johnny Rivers would record as a top ten single a couple months prior. And the better version.
3) Across The Street-Lenny O'Henry (Atco 45-6291) 1963
Produced by Bob Crewe and it's rumored that the Four Seasons are backing Lenny up on this song and b side Saturday Angel. Lenny recorded for ABC Paramount and Smash Records. Perhaps this is Lenny's best known song, which charted on the Carolinas top ten charts and is one of those so called popcorn northern soul singles that collectors lined up to get. And would be reissued as a single in 1967 (Atco 6525).
4) All Right-The Grandisons (RCA 47-8159) 1963
Originally a gospel group, they decided to try their hand at the R and B music scene and had so so results. This is the second of three singles that RCA Victor put out. It does show their gospel roots and the call and response. Floyd Bibbins was the male singer with Helen and Mary Grandison and Dorothy Webster the backing vocalists. It does sound a bit like I'm Alright by Little Anthony And The Imperials on the call and response. True Romance is the B side and the ballad.
5) Third Man Theme-Los Indios Tabajaras (RCA 47-8510) 1965
These guys were highly influenced by Chet Atkins' guitar picking and playing and Don Gibson used them for an album around 1965. Or is the other way around? They were from Brazil, Antenor and Nato Lima. Maria Elena is their best known song.
6) Truck Driving Man-George Hamilton IV (RCA 47-8462) 1964
Like former teen idols Brian Hyland and Paul Anka, I have found a lot of George's 45s at the record stores and I hope some day we can get a decent overview of his best music, the ABC Paramount years have been issued a couple times but nobody seems to be interested in George's mid to late 60s songs which were quite good if not better. A change of producers from Chet Atkins to Bob Ferguson didn't change much, if not the sound is slicker. But this is a great song anyway. B side The Little Grave is George continuing to cover John Loudermilk. Needless to say I'm sure ole George will be back on the SGS list in the near future.
7) Dig Me A Hole-Hal Willis (Sims 207) 1964
A rockabilly artist, who recorded for Atlantic, Athens, Decca and Mercury, moved over to country for the fledgling Sims label and recorded this country murder song. B side The Lumberjack is better and more rockabilly, which is Willis at his best.
8) Ode To The Little Brown Shack Out Back-Billy Edd Wheeler (Kapp K-617) #50 1964
9) Ode To Granny-Billy Edd Wheeler (Kapp Winners Circle Series KJB-57) 1965
Two singles from Wheeler, the latter song is not found on 45 Cat. I have to yet to find a stock copy of Ode To Granny, perhaps Kapp Records misplaced the title and assigned it to the winner circle series. Granny would appear as the B side to Little Brown Shack as KJB-65. Wheeler started out as a folk artist, then went country, best known for Jackson (covered by Nancy and Lee and Johnny and June Cash)
10) History Repeats Itself-Buddy Starcher (Boone BR-1038) 1965 (#39 in 1966)
I have no use for songs like this, which recounts the similarities between Abe Lincoln and John F Kennedy or the propaganda that is Sniper's Hill the B side to which our singer knows what this country was fighting for despite being in a country that had no interests at our hand, except for the war machine. A better answer record is 2 + 2 = ? by Bob Seger. Nothing more depressing that being led off to war, knowing you were never going to see your newborn or your wife. Starcher was a country artist that recorded for Decca and Starday, tho this was issued as BES 91. With the popularity of History Repeats Itself, Starcher went for a more propaganda chest beating crap like Day Of Decision and Fall Of A Nation, to which neither one did chart. (Johnny Sea's version of Day Of Decision did chart at number 35 in 1966) The Boone single is a reissue of BES 91 and it did chart in the top 40. Good luck trying to hear this on the radio, but if you're interested, you can have my copy if I haven't donated it after writing this up.
Bonus cut Memphis Train-Buddy Miles Express (Mercury 72945) #100 1969
I thought I found a pristine copy of this when getting a book case for my bloated CD collection. But the B side My Chant and parts of this song was done in by a bad needle from the previous owner. Memphis Train is produced by Steve Cropper which adds a nice memphis groove on guitar but Miles is no Al Jackson Jr, more of a heavier and sloppier drummer. Still Miles can belt them out, and I'm sure Steve got the Memphis horns to help out. My Chant, the B side is produced by Jimi Hendrix. Perhaps in the near future I'll try to find the Electric Church album and hear what I have been missing. I do remember seeing Buddy's albums in the cutout bins in the early 70s, most are collectors items, namely Electric Church. I have my work cut out to find that album.
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