Singles Going Steady 35-Moondog Singles Part 2

I don't know if the clerk at Moondog Music felt sorry for me sitting on the floor sorting through 4 boxes of scratched up 45s and finding a few that he ended up giving me a nice deal. Instead of 98 cents, since I had more than 10, decided to charge 50 cents instead.  Which I think it was a good deal.
Alas the copy of Come Monday by Jimmy Buffett is too scratchy to be played anymore but that came from Goodwill.

Sometimes I think you have to be good and know when to go at music stores to find music of note.  This time out, I did find some quality rock and roll singles but at the same time continuing to find off the wall pop MOR garbage too.   Hearing My Melody Of Love by Wayne King, a 1940 big band weeper complete with corny poem recital courtesy of Franklyn McCormick has to be heard to be believed, and then back into the donation pile.  But I think the 45 version of this came out in 1949, the same year that RCA first issued the 45 for public consumption. and this collector's edition  (27-0024) is in very good shape.  It probably didn't played too often considering it's 68 years of age.  Somebody at You Tube found the original RCA promo touting the wave of the future, so here ya go.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebRx7FN6vlc

So getting back to the situation at hand, these 10 records were the best of the bunch.  Had I known I was going to get a good deal I'd pick up a few more (What Have They Done To The Rain by The Searchers put back) but for the most part these were the more desirable of the bunch. Although you might question my insanity of some of them.  We can discuss this later in the comments (unless Blogger is flooding the inbox with more spam)


1)  Havah Naguila-Raymond Lefevre and Orchestra (Atlantic 2093)   1961

It's hard to picture Atlantic Records as a Muzak type of label, usually their forte was rock and rhythm and blues but it's not uncommon for them to go the Percy Faith/Ray Conniff mode such as this traditional number which we sing as Hare Krishna if not careful.  Ray Lefevre had a number 30 single for Kapp Records The Day The Rains Came back in 1958, but this was a one off single for Atlantic which didn't chart.  Lefevre would return back to Kapp for more muzak renditions of such rock and R and B hits such as Groovin, When A Man Loves A Woman and even A Whiter Shade Of Pale.  B side is a muzak version of The Fleetwoods Come Softly To Me.  And I'm sure when WMT FM was a muzak station we heard some of Raymond Lefevre's songs and didn't quite know it.

2)  Gallant Men-Senator Everett McKinley Dirksen  (Capitol 5805)  #29 1966

Illinois Republican who was a Conservative, (and the voice of the Republican Party of the 1960s)  but in this era of The FRS being POTUS and the general mindset of the GOP would be branded a liberal, he passed the Civil Rights Bill of 1964 and 1968.  The number 29 chart showing was the first top 30 song of the oldest performer, he was 71 when it charted, but since then Moms Mabley, Gordon Sinclair and Willie Nelson have made the top 30 in their 70s.   Dirksen was  a big fan of marigolds.  He died in 1969 from a heart attack at age 73.

3)   Scalaroonie-The Touchables  (Roulette R-4284)  1960

A combination of Bird Dog and Alley Oop, plus Beep Beep.  A novelty attempt for a hit, but it was the only recording from The Touchables. B side Strawberries, combines The Chipmunks with The Kalin Twins, which is the best way I can describe this.

4)   Just Go Wild Over Rock And Roll-Bobby Dean (Chess 1673)  1957

In 1984 Chess Records became alive again when Marshall Chess sold the masters off to MCA, which begin a reissue campaign of not only the hits from the likes of Howlin Wolf, Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry etc etc, there was a compilation of Chess rockabilly sides called Just Go Wild Over Rock And Roll, to which Chess Records purchased masters from off the wall rockabilly acts and small time labels, most went to Argo or Checker but Dean managed to get two singles issued on Chess itself.  And as every record collector knows out there, anything you can find on Chess Records remains one of the labels to watch for.  If you can find Cool Off Baby by Billy Barriz (Chess 1662) in great shape, you will find one of the more sought after 45s on Chess Records.  Just Go Wild is a nice 1:52 of rockabilly boogie.  B side Dime Store Pony Tail, is a bit more jazzier but the folks at Bear Family Records didn't think it was worthy of inclusion on their Chess Rockabillies comp.  Followup single Go Mr. Dillon, which celebrates Matt Dillon and Gunsmoke but with more of a Elvis influence is less interesting although you can find it on You Tube somewhere.

5)   Cherry Cherry-Neil Diamond  (Bang B-528)  #6  1966

The first top ten hit for Mr. Neil featuring Ellie Greenwich adding those extra vocals to make this song more of a classic.  But then again Cherry Cherry remains one of my top 10 all time great songs of the 1960s, which is saying something.  B Side I'll Come Running is also Neil Diamond gold, not heard all that much but it could have been a top thirty hit too had Bang decided to issue it.

6)  Queen Of The Hop-Bobby Darin (Atco 45-6127)  #9  1958

No shortage of Bobby Darin 45s as you can tell if you been following the Singles Going Steady Series.  One of the singles that Dave Edmunds would cover later on.  Bobby Darin can do just about everything and in his short time on this planet, he damn near did, going from teen idol to big band pizzazz back to folk rock and never bat an eye.  Darin started out on Decca Records with no success and then came over to Atco with Splish Splash and then Queen Of The Hop, B side Lost Love (co written with Don Kirshner) is a very moody ballad.  Kinda dark in it's own way with a bass line later used to better effect for Under The Boardwalk.  Lost Love remains a long lost b side, I don't think it's been on CD (at least not here in the states).

7)   For Sentimental Reasons-Sam Cooke (Keen 3-4002)  #17  1957

It's a big deal when I find anything from Sam Cooke that isn't You Send Me, not that You Send Me is a bad song but usually when found the record has been scratched beyond recognition.  You gotta love the way Sam plays with the words to this song, nobody could do it like Mr. Cooke.  Not a big fan of b side Desire Me but it's hold the same arrangements as You Send Me.

8)  Nobody But Me-The Human Beinz  (Capitol 5990)  #8  1967

One of the best party rock songs of the 1960s and it sounds better on a scratchy old 45.  The Beinz only made a couple of albums for Capitol, the Nobody But Me album did get reissued as a CD on Collectibles.  I thought followup single Turn On Your Love Light was just as good if not better but it only managed to staggered up to number 80.

9)   Gotta Leave Us Alone-The Outsiders (Capitol 5892)  #121 1967

They had four hit singles in 1966 but by 1967 none of their songs got past the top 100 although this song was on bubbling over and managed to be a regional top thirty hit in Cleveland.   In the 1990s Capitol issued all of the singles and put them out on the Capitol Collectors Series (later picked up by Collectibles).  Tom King passed away in 2011.  And Sonny Geraci lead singer passed away Saturday, he never did get over the brain aneurysms he suffered around 2012 and was in ill health for a long time. 

10)  Bring A Little Lovin-Los Bravos (Parrot 45-3020)  #51  1968

From Spain they came to be and this would be their final top 100 showing, although once again the song got regional hit lovin more than Billboard would give them.  The lead singer would be known as Mike Kennedy and had a 1972 hit with Louisiana.   They'll always been known for Black Is Black but you gotta love them for covering The Easybeats.  B Side Make It Last shows a bad case of oversinging if you ask me. Fun Fact: Adrian Kerriage who recorded Bring A Little Lovin also worked on the classic Dave Clark Five recordings too.  Your history lesson for today.