I'm surprised I have 993 views on one day. So for that effort, I throw together yet another batch of singles found in various locations. Even the Marion store had some decent shape of 60 year old 45s.
Betcha they're pop singles.
1) Tiger Lilly-Rusty Draper (Mercury 70989) #88 1957
Mercury's answer to Guy Mitchell, tho' Mitchell was more convincing as a country star than pop. Tiger Lilly was arranged by Hugo Peretti (of the Hugo/Lugini production team). This song is aimed for the teen pop crowd, it did some airplay enough to hang on the billboard top 100. B side Confidential is a ballad of course. Draper would eventually go straight country and recorded some sides for Monument in the 60s. Fun fact: this 45 was sold from Ferris Records up in Austin Minnesota. It's like archaeological finds, seeing tags and price stickers from forgotten record stores.
2) Don't Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes-Johnnie and Joe (RCA 47-5040) 1952
Country remake of the Perry Como super hit. Johnnie Wright would marry Kitty Wells and had a nice long life together. I tend to favor hillbilly music over poptopia stuff and Johnnie and Joe has a better version tho' not as memorable. For a 66 year old 45, this is better sounding than most 45s. Whoever had this one, took great care of it.
3) A Girl Like You-Larry Hall (Strand 25013) 1960
Hall was a one hit wonder with Sandy (#15 1959) but this followup didn't chart. Sounding somewhat like Frankie Avalon's Venus. B side Rosemary basically the same format and pop style. In fact, some radio stations went with Rosemary as the Plug side. Burt Bachurach co wrote A Girl Like You. I don't know, it's passable teen pop. For better or worse.
4) Sing Me Something Sentimental-Marty Robbins (Columbia 4-21145) 1953
It's hard to believe how far back Marty goes with his music. I remember him with El Paso, A White Sport Coat and Singing The Blues but in 53, he was honky tonk hillbilly. And I have found quite a few of his singles in thrift stores. To find them in excellent sounding shape is a different story. Hillbilly music in the early 50s didn't stand out all that much, mid tempo ballads moreorless. Tho' the record is slightly warped, it sounds like you're in the recording studio, it's that pristine. B side At The End Of A Long Lonely Day is hillbilly blues with a steel guitar. Both songs written by Marty
5) Mirage-Johnny Mathis (Mercury 72464) 1965
Johnny's Mercury years aren't documented all that much, Collector's Choice issued some of his albums on CD. Usually when I pick up his Mercury sides, it's curiosity. Quincy Jones co wrote this 2 minute ditty. Sounds a bit like Maria, with a bit of mysterious strings and melody. It might have been a bigger hit in 1959 rather than 1965 tho'. Mercury didn't promote this very well and one year later Mathis returned back to Columbia to where he still records to this day.
6) Teenage Sonata-Sam Cooke (RCA 47-7701) #50 1960
Sam Cooke could sing just about everything, sometimes good, sometimes bad and sometimes he had to sing what the label or Hugo & Luigi wanted him to play. Jeff Barry wrote this banal pop number and it isn't one of Sam's best songs. In fact it might one of the worst that he ever did. Glenn Osser, who also arranged Mirage from Johnny Mathis can be blamed for this sappy sound. B side If You Were The Only Girl is better suited for Frankie Avalon. Cooke would have much better songs later on.
7) Oh Carol-Neil Sedaka (RCA 47-7595) #8 1959
I'm not sure if my mom had this 45 in her collection or not, Neil had a bit more grit to his teen pop numbers more than Paul Anka. I think Anka had better songs at that time but Neil made better albums in the 70s, after all Neil had Elton John helping him out, Paul got lucky with You're Having My Baby and getting raked over the coals. Oh Carol was written about Carol King or so the story goes. B side One Way Ticket (to the blues) is a better song I think. A bit more catchy on the tunes.
8) Just As Long As You Love Me-Jim Edward & Maxine & Bonnie Brown (RCA 47-6631) 1956
Back to hillbilly country blues, Jim Ed and his sisters had some nice harmonies for their 50s recording for RCA. In my return to collecting forgotten 45s, I think I have found about 10 of their singles but never bought The Old Lamplighter or The Three Bells, I have those on the classic Town And Country album that came out on CD for a short time. Next to Don Gibson and Porter Wagoner The Browns are probably my favorite RCA recording acts of the 1950s. B side Don't Tell Me Your Troubles is not the same song as Don Gibson.
9) Ashes Of Love-Don Gibson (RCA 47-9460) 1968
Speaking of Don, he continued to record for RCA and still managed to get Chet Atkins to produce his music, and Don had free reign to find songs from Acuff-Rose to sing and Ashes Of Love is an old Johnnie And Jack song, b side Good Morning Dear did get some country airplay as well, it's a MOR ballad. Mickey Newbury wrote Good Morning Dear; he also wrote Funny, Familiar, Forgotten Feelings as well. Both are not my favorites.
10) Norwegian Wood-Waylon Jennings (RCA 47-8822) 1966
Time To Bum Again was the A side but Waylon wanted to record the Beatles number. Can't say that I blame Waylon.
11) Darlin'-Tom Jones (Mercury 76100) 1981
A sizable country hit, I remember the days when I was roller skating on Wednesday nights at Super Skate they would play this song. Memories.
12) Lay Down (Candles In The Rain)-Melanie (Buddah BDA-167) #6 1970
Hippie singer songwriter....I found a dollar copy of her greatest hits and found most of her songs silly (Brand New Key anybody?) but I always loved Lay Down, thanks to the Edwin Hawkins Singers in the background.wailing away. Mott The Hoople did their own version of Lay Down.
13) Well Did Ya Evea?-Bing Crosby/Frank Sinatra (Capitol F-3507) #92 1956
True Love-Bing Crosby with Grace Kelly #3
Grace had the bigger hit but Frank had the most fun on this double sided single written by Cole Porter. Never in my life I ever thought I would have this single in my collection. It brings out the hoarder in me.
14) My Maria-B W Stevenson (RCA APB0-0030) #6 1973
Later a number 1 country hit for Brooks and Dunn but this original gets my nod for better song.
15) You Need Love-Styx (Wooden Nickel PB-10272) #88 1975
Of course any followup to Lady, would be a bomb but You Need Love did score on the regional top 30 here. At times I prefer this to Lady since radio doesn't play it that much. Once Wooden Nickel closed their doors, Styx would find new life with A&M. For better or, namely worse.
So this ends the Black Friday finds. On Sunday, a big snowstorm would hit the Davenport area, getting one foot of snow for a record breaking snowfall in November. Surprisingly, my area didn't get snow but it's an early snow season and I'm sure there'll be many more chances of a white Christmas.
For now, the NO SNOW chant worked for me great this weekend.
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