Once again, that time has arrived. Time to think up the best of 2019.
But first, G.S from Only Solitaire used to have plenty of new reviews, but he seemed to disappear from my reading sources. I discover this lengthy novel from earlier this year.
http://only-solitaire.blogspot.com/2019/09/music-where-hell-is-it-heading-to.html
You'll have set aside about two hours to read the whole novel but G.S does have a point. The only time anybody pays attention to anything is by the old guard artists of the 60s and 70s (80s and 90s) and anything after 2000, nobody gives a fuck. The internet has made everything just about accessible and most new stuff is shit. Don't even bring Kayne West into this, he's worthless. Maybe Kendrick Lamar but again rap is crap and I'm not interested. Florida Georgia Line? The expiration date has expired. Their last album was a flop. That girl that don't know who Van Halen is? Hell, I don't even know who she is.
This is the end of the second decade in the new Millennium, and anybody born around 1999 or beyond are not going to have a clue of classic rockers of the past, unless their parents have CDs or albums and I'm sure they rebelled against their folks with EDM bad rap pop. Which makes me glad I didn't have children. They would be listening to Kanye West or FGL.
It's been a half century since Woodstock, Altamont and the free love and sex that was promised but never delivered to most of us. I was too young, tho Arlens and Woolworths had 3 for a dollar 45s that kept me up to Jimi or The Doors or Steppenwolf. I grew up listening to AM top 30 and then hitting the FM dial and hearing a whole new world of albums and bands I never heard before. Back then, FM radio was the new frontier. Fifty years later, The Telecom act of 1994 gave us Corporate Radio. And since then, radio has not been a friend to the new artists out there. We're still stuck with the same shit, different formats. Even in 1975, five years after 1970 the underground stations were slowly being wiped away. But if you have a computer, you can stream on the forgotten stuff. there's plenty of that out there. Too bad it isn't on the radio dial anymore.
The teen idols of the 50s and 60s are now senior citizens if they're still alive. Sweet Brenda Lee is now 75 years old and most of the Rolling Stones are over 70 too. The music is still young but the artists are now old and any new releases will be barely mentioned on radio before going to another overplayed oldie. The new WHO album is out, but let's play Baba O'Reily to celebrate.
Still the biggest problem was trying to find new releases on CD. This year was off the wall difficult, it took me two months to get the new Darkness album, half a year to get the Dream Syndicate. I'm sure had I asked, Moondog Music would have ordered the CD. I rather not order from Amazon.com, simply of the fact that Jeff Brezos has enough money as it stand. Plus it's best to support the local record stores, even they are in Moline, Davenport, Madison or Dubque. Wally World and Target only had the most popular. They certainly don't have the latest from The Darkness, Ride or Redd Kross for that matter. And screw Best Buy anyway. They don't sell CDs, but if you can order them online. What's the fucking point then? I go to record stores to discover something new. Online stores don't give you that option of seeing actual inventory.
A couple things happened this year that has changed my buying habits. One, I quit listening to the radio and focused more on old cheap music from the past and secondly, I started seeing somebody that is a real musician. And girlfriends are not cheap, especially in emergencies when they short of cash for bills. And basically new music is as disposal at it gets. But let's face it, I've been subject to seven decades of music, the 50s through the 00's and whatever old rock bands had to offer in the 10s. To my surprise, many of the best bands were the ones from back then. It's strange how Drivin n Cryin' or Redd Kross have still sounded viable over the years more than Kings Of Leon or Dawes, who's last album found itself in the dollar bins at Half Price Books. Even old fart Neil Young gave us three albums this year, all enjoyable even if the new Crazy Horse album is the most mellow they ever put out. While Hootie And The Blowfish went country, their latest album is no more country than Cracked Rear View, which got a 2 CD upgrade. But rest assured that reissue will not sell a scratch of the 16 million that the original did, and can be found at every junk shop in town. Or REM Monster for that matter, which also seen a reissue.
Reissues of the year, the only that mattered was Buck Owens Complete Capitol Singles 1971-1975. To which I gave on default tho, Gene Clark's No Other might be runner up. The Bobbette's I Shot Mr. Lee overview on Jasmine is also fun to hear, one of the lesser known Atlantic doo wop groups of the 50s. Maybe somebody will put out The Soul Brothers Six's Atlantic output but unless Ace Records Uk does that, nobody will pay attention. Purists would either give The Rolling Stones Let It Bleed or The Beatles Abbey Road 50th Anniversary albums but at this point, I've bought both albums about 10 times and not about to pony up for a 11th. Or the Bob Dylan Sessions with Johnny Cash.
Anyway, the best of 2019 I doubt will be remembered unless some bored web surfer comes across this and gets a LOL. So here my picks in no particular order but probably the 10 best of the year. Come what may, this will be buried in the archives till blogger goes belly up and we lose everything, just like we did with the other lesser known social media sites that have become the K Mart of the net. (right My Space).
The Best:
King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard-Infest The Rat's Nest (Flightless)
Their metal move. And right off the bat, I played this CD twice in a row. It's a throwback to the fun heavy metal of the 80s and traces of Anthrax and Slayer figure into this as well as a sense of humor (Remember Stone? No you don't, or Spinal Tap) King Gizzard has made about 12 albums the past five years but I really never gotten much into these guys till this came out. Perhaps I'll get adventurous and seek out more of their albums. Or maybe not.
Whiskey Myers (30 Tigers)
30 Tigers is home to some of the best Americana and rock and country out there (Blackberry Smoke, Chris Knight) and Whiskey Myers have been around, more of a poorman's Blackberry Smoke. This time out, they lose Dave Cobb (who went to bombast The Highwomen's overhyped debut) and self produced and for the majority of the album made some of the best Southern rock since Holding All The Roses from The Smoke. Lose the damn soul sisters and trim about three filler songs off this and this album would be one for the ages that people remember. Well, people might remember this album 10 years from now.
Todd Snider-Cash Cabin Session Vol 3 (30 Tigers)
The ghost of Johnny Cash is all over this collection of songs inspired by the man in black. This might be Todd's best album since East Nashville Skyline. Funny and haunting all at the same time.
Drivin N Cryin'-Live The Love Beautiful (DNC Records)
Kevn Kinney's distinctive vocals has always been the one of the most memorable vocalist that you can't name. But the band's music has always been rock n roll up front and personal. Given the Tom Petty sound that's Free Ain't Free starts out the record, it's a guaranteed good time. I have never heard a subpar DNC album (even Smoke, the lesser of their albums, is worth hearing still). and Live The Love Beautiful doesn't disappoint.
The Dawn-Live At The Hotel Raccoon (Cartouche)
Sean Ryan and company continue to be the premier jam band of Iowa. Or is that Western Illinois (Ryan lives in Freeport Ill). This live setting takes the best moments from their last two albums and turn them into jam anthems. 1984 and Dance All Night elbows moe. and Phish out of the way on the way to sonic heaven.
Redd Kross-Behind The Door (Merge)
The Melvins connection has never been stronger since they picked up Dale Crover, who adds a sonic whomp to their glam power pop rock and roll.
Collective Soul-Blood (Suretone)
25 years onward, and Collective Soul's new album was better than their former labelmate Hootie And The Blowfish one. This actually compliments their 1994 S/T album better, tho people don't seem to care anymore.
Steve Earle-Guy (New West)
Tho it pales to the failed So You Wanna Be A Outlaw album, this tribute to the late Guy Clark is another winning album from Steve Earle.
Queensryche-The Verdict (Century Media)
They lost Scott Rockenfield to being a full time dad, but otherwise Todd De La Torre continues to take the band back to the early screamo metal years of the mid 80s. Zeus' production reminding so much of Peter Collins. In a perfect world of rock radio Portrait would be given lots of airplay.
The Darkness-Easter Is Canceled (Cooking Vinyl)
In a perfect world of rock radio, The Darkness would be getting lots of airplay. Out of all the bands of the 2000s, The Darkness is the link to the past and Queen.
Other great albums of note:
The Dream Syndicate-These Times (Anti)
The Specials-Encore (Island)
John Mayall-Nobody Told Me (40 Below)
Neil Young/Crazy Horse-Colorado (Reprise)
Ride-This Is Not A Safe Place (Wichita)
The Ocean Blue-Kings And Queens/Knaves And Thieves (Korda)
Lukas Nelson/Promise Of The Real-Turn Off The News Build A Garden (Fantasy)
Nik Turner-The Final Frontier (Purple Pyramid)
Diplomats Of Solid Sound-A Higher Place (Pravda)
Leonard Cohen-Thanks For The Dance (Columbia)
Basically the best of the rest are basically the rest of the albums that I bought this year. The Dream Syndicate These Times, might be even better than their comeback album of a couple years ago. The surprise would be The Ocean Blue, with a new recording that sounds more 1994 than 2019 and sometimes that is a good thing. While Jerry Dammers has nothing to do with The Specials, this album has the return of Terry Hall on vocals. And Encore is their most reggae sounding album ever. Which is saying something. Ride's second album since their return is a bit more focused, Nik Turner still retains the spirit of Space Ritual Hawkwind than the band itself and Promise Of The Real is more garage rock than Crazy Horse. Speaking of which, Colorado might be the most laid back Crazy Horse album ever. John Mayall, at 85 is beginning to show some cracks in his voice but he continues to defy the odds and make great blues albums. The Diplomats Of Solid Sound continue their soul moods and good time vocals from the the girls. And Leonard Cohen's last album is beyond the grave but the title is the most perfect way to end the 2019 best of.
The Rest:
The Who-Who (Polydor)
The Warlocks-Mean Machine Music (Cleopatra)
Graham Parker-Cloud Symbols (100 Percent Music)
Grateful Dead-Ready Or Not (Rhino)
Weezer-Black Album (Crush/Atlantic)
Sturgill Simpson-Sound And Fury (Elektra)
Miranda Lambert-Wildcard (RCA)
Santana-Africa Speaks (Concord)
Hootie And The Blowfish-Imperfect Circle (Capitol)
The Highwomen (Elektra)
Hozier-Wasteland Baby! (Columbia-Rubyworks)
At this point in my life, I don't have time to list the crappy albums of the year. If they are crappy albums, they're not in the house. And I didn't buy them. You'll notice no rap, no Cardi B, no FGL, no Kanye West. Why waste money on crap you'll never listen to anyway? I ended up getting the Who's latest album right at the time I was compiling the best of, it may not be Who's Next or even Who Are You but it's much better than Endless Wire. Probably just as good as It's Hard or Face Dances, but let's face it, Keith and John would have no place in the Who anymore. I think I listened to the Black Album from Weezer once and forgot all about it, even when I was going to hear it again. Sturgill's rock album is not essential but it makes a good soundtrack getting to work. Those top three albums may find themselves as best of the rest, at least they have a fighting chance better than say, Miranda's latest to which Jay Joyce's screwed up production turn Wildcard into a Joker, Santana's interesting take on African is commendable, but I can't take the female singer very well. And Hootie's latest album is no Cracked Rear View, acceptable but they didn't need a oversinging American Idol reject on track 3, or Sheryl Crow, who managed to sabotage that album and the worst cut off Turn Off The News Build A Garden. And Dave Cobb, who usually does wonders as producer, did no favors for the quickly forgotten Highwomen album. 15 years onward, Miranda Lambert is now one of the old guard of country music and whatever the case may be, gave us another album that didn't live up to my expectations. Producers can make or break an album, but in the case of Wildcard, the joker was Jay Joyce. Maybe in the next decade or album, Miranda will finally get back to her country roots, rather than trying to fall for the flavor of the day, only to be dated one month later.
There were other albums that I did pick up, one was from a certain gospel popper, who's name I can't recall but found their CD for 99 cents and played it once. The Mavis Staples appearance counts but since we can't hear her the record was a bore. The Backstreet Boys had a new album out as well, DNA they call it and the Dubuque Goodwill had it in the bins for two months. Even for a dollar I couldn't bring myself to review it.
There were other albums of note. Local favorites Tripmaster Monkey and Crystal City made vinyl only albums but I got the Crystal City album instead and come to find side 1 is pretty good, side 2 not so much. Neil Young's Tuscaloosa was a nice live document but Time Fades Away still needs a standalone issue. Steve Miller's Sections From The Vault is a nice sampler for those who care and finally with a version of Macho City that is tolerable.
I almost overlooked The Grateful Dead Ready Or Not, a collection of unreleased live tracks of ideas that might have been slated for another studio album but Jerry Garcia's passing in 1995 put the kabash on that. Freedom did find itself on Phil Lesh and Friends' Columbia album There And Back Again, and is more at home there. Vince Welnick adding more off the wall vocals might be hard to take but then again, The Dead have always had eclectic keyboard players and singers in their band. For the Dead completest, Ready Or Not belongs in your collection, for the casual fans you may want to skip this one. It's really not that great.
Late to the party was The Warlocks-Mean Machine Music, a collection of shoegazing drone rock and roll that sounds like drugged out Ride. This band has been around since the late 1990s. Side 2 has instrumental versions of the songs on side 1, Technogaze perhaps? A fun listen, tho I did buy it for the Tribute to Hawkwind song, which, does sound like Hawkwind. However the reprise songs from the first side gets a bit tedious towards the end.
I also forgot about Graham Parker's Cloud Symbols, which Graham adding the horns. Brinsley Schwartz remains but Parker never sounded more cheerful than he does on that album. Maybe he wasn't the angry young man Rolling Stone tagged him to be. Very soulful.
Finally, the Hozier Wasteland Baby CD was found for a dollar at Stuff Etc and played once. I really don't know what to think of it and tho' Mavis Staples sang on it, I couldn't tell what songs she was on. The opening track perhaps. For Christian pop music, there's worse but for me, there was a couple of later songs that had some melody but overall it went on way too long and nothing stood out.
And with that, this completes my 2019 best of lists. It was a struggle to find half of these CDs since Best Buy discontinued the CD department and Wal Mart couldn't be trusted. However the fine folks at Moondog Music in Dubuque, Mad City Music Exchange and Strictly Discs in Madison and Co Op Records Moline did have copies of these albums, which saved me from exploiting the overworked Amazon.com workers and giving Steve Bazos more of my hard earned cash.
Still, the times are changing and it's hard to keep up with the latest disposable crap that the Corporate labels and radio stations promote, rap I don't get and not about to. Robert Christgau, the cranky old music reviewer who I would glanced at his reviews and chuckle over the years has taken his Consumer Guide to a pay site called And It Don't Stop and at this point, I wish him well in giving A's to the rap and world beat artists he tends to favor and has no need for rock n roll. And it seems like the internet is going toward pay sites anyway, despite the 49 dollars per month to be connected, you can now add 9.95 here and there, and now for the future.
As for myself, I will continue to mine the thrift shops for cheap music and if I get some sort of ambition, write about the latest batch of 45s that I wanted to document for shits and giggles. But the ambition is getting less and less, hell it took me about three weeks finally compile this best of. Besides, I got so much going on elsewhere, playing music and being in bands and that has been where my mindset has been. Another reason why there hasn't been much here in Record World land.
And with that. I conclude this year with yet another thank you for at least reading along the way. I'm sure we'll meet again sometime in 2020.
Monday, December 30, 2019
Tuesday, December 3, 2019
Best Of 2019-The Record Stores
Right.
As we limped on to the end of the year, it's time for the annual bragging of what was the best albums of 2019. Each year, it gets to the point that we post the best and then forget about them when the New Year's Day rolls around.
With corporate radio sticking to same fucking bullshit playlist of the past 30 years, new bands have to rely on NPR, a local college station still playing new music or satellite radio or streaming. Deep Tracks will promote commercials of new music and then revert back to a overplayed classic rock. Despite what they tell you, The Weight nor Somebody To Love are deep tracks, they're played consistently on regular radio.
But then again I'm old. I still enjoy hearing something not being played to death, which is why I continue to search for the off the wall LP and CD that is out there. There'll be no shortage of off the wall music that you will not hear on the radio. 2019 has a few albums that you won't hear on the radio. My picks of the year BTW. It's a losing battle to seek the new album on CD. Best Buy don't sell them anymore and Wal Mart and Target cherry picks the usual. Only artist I heard about is Cardi B telling the world her booty is her smorgasbord. Yeah we have come a long way down the poop chute. What used to be a way to tell people to fuck off is now passe. Unless, there's Cool Whip and Hershey's Syrup, shit still taste like shit. And I'll pass on Cardi B's offer of booty burgers.
It was decided that this year would be my final year of reviewing new music on a regular basis. It's been more irregular and me having to make special trips to Madison and Dubuque to get new albums. Moondog remains the best of the bunch. CO OP Moline a distant second. So, for best record stores in the area that sells CDs. Here's my picks
Best Record Store (within a 2 hour drive)
1) Moondog Music-Dubuque IA
2) CO OP Tapes and Records-Moline ILL
3) Analog Vault-Cedar Rapids
4) Ragged Records-Rock Island ILL (The Davenport Store has been closed since the March Flood)
5) Wax Static-Marshalltown IA
6) CD's 4 Change-Dubuque IA
7) Books A Million-Dubuque/Davenport IA
8) Record Collector-Iowa City IA
9) Wal mart/Target-Various Locations
10 Metro Records-Cedar Falls IA
Upon trying to find that Waterloo store that sold records, I came across Metro Records in Cedar Falls but I never been there to check out their selection. Moondog and Co Op are 1 and 2 simply of the fact that they still have a decent used CD selection and still sell new ones. Analog Vault in town, is the best place for records if you're looking for new albums. Wax Static in Marshalltown has grown by leaps and bounds to the point that they now have the Deep Cut Song of the day, which most of the time are not Deep Cuts. I have still yet to check them out, maybe next year. If I need to head to Madison, Mad City Music Exchange and Strictly Discs are the best places to go. Weird Harold's in Burlington is another place I need to check out and after the flop Davenport record hunt, perhaps I should have gone the extra 35 miles.
Best Used Music Stores:
1) Half Price Books (Marion, Madison and Des Moines)
2) St Vincent De Paul (Waterloo, Cedar Rapids and Madison)
3) Stuff Etc. (Dubuque, Coralville, Iowa City, Davenport, Cedar Rapids, Waterloo)
4) Goodwill (Various Locations)
5) Salvation Army (Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Moline)
6) Housewerks (Iowa City)
7) The Source Bookstore (Davenport)
8) Crowded Closet (Iowa City)
9) Money And More (Iowa City/Waterloo)
10) Sweet Living Antiques (Iowa City)
11) Vintage Vinyl (Cedar Rapids)
To be honest, this is where I find the majority of albums and CDs, the thrift stores, the kindness of strangers, the travels that have put 25K on my car this year. I do not agree that the CD era is over, I read and see some of my hoarder friends across the pond paying big bucks for certain CDs. Stuff Etc in CR hasn't been selling CDs of late and neither has the Waterloo location. But the opening of the Dubuque Stuff Etc, (next to Goodwill) I managed to find more than I usually do. Out of all the areas, the Coralville location still continues to have a decent turnover of inventory. The surprise has been the DBQ location, the best bargains are at Davenport at 99 cents per cd. All have been hit and miss except sometimes I do score a few, which isn't too often.
For 45's The Salvation Army in Davenport was the go to place but the last four times I have been there I found nothing and a couple times there were no 45s anywhere. This summer, the Cedar Rapids location had quite a few but the best ones were picked off a long time ago and basically the leftovers are too scratched up for playing. Which the St Vincent De Paul Madison area is the best place for 45s tho they are mostly pop standards of the 50s. Or for that matter, Mad City Music Exchange or Moondog DBQ, I enjoy the quarter selection of Mad City Music X or the dollar section at Moondog, Analog Vault also has various 25 and 50 cent selections worth seeking out too.
What galls me is some of the record stores that have to look up certain records on the internet and then priced them out of my price range. A certain record store that I used to frequent when in town made that big mistake of pricing a 45 at 30 dollars and I'm not about to pay 30 dollars for a VG stock copy that have seen better days. I know they have to make a living but I also know that I have to pay bills and keep a roof over my head. And girlfriends are not cheap either.
But since their appearance in Marion since 2005 it's been Half Price Books for the bargains and they do have 45s from time to time. I love the Marion store and the West Madison store, but the East HPB has always been the lesser of the three. And maybe I'll see what the Des Moines store has to offer. I haven't been to Des Moines in 10 years, if I can stomach the traffic congestion, I might pop a couple Xanax and go for it and head west again. But it's not high on my list of things to do.
The bargain hunts don't usually go outside of Dubuque nor Davenport anymore. I enjoy taking a couple days up and hit Madison but this year's took a lot out of me. The constant hurry up and run from Goodwill to Half Price Books to St Vincent De Paul took two days to sort things out. And a whopping three hours total at Mad City Music X as well, but then again it's more worth going to Madison than Iowa City, which only has Record Collector that sells records and CDs. Once they lost FYE and Real Records, it wasn't the same. Pawn Shops are about as trash as it gets, sometimes there'll be some quarter finds, as there was when I went to Waterloo last month but it's a rare occasion if I find anything. Therefore, they get a honorable mention.
Sweet Living Antiques is a very good place to find records but I do admit I haven't been there in a while. Vintage Vinyl in Cedar Rapids used to be part of the old Antique Mall in Marion but I don't think BDW is a part of them nowadays. I have yet to go there since they moved.
In 10 years time I have seen the disappearance of Hastings Entertainment, FYE and most of the mall record stores. We're better off just ordering off Amazon or Second Spin to get new music but I continue to have pretty good success of finding them at Thrift stores and the Half Price Books Clarence Bins. The question remains if Stuff Etc will phase out the CD section, like they did in Cedar Rapids or Waterloo. And record and CD hoarders will be out and about. As long as Half Price Books still keeps going on, we'll continue to find the off the wall CDs and albums. I rather hit the music stores than give Jeff Bazos any more of my money, the reason why it took so long to get the new Darkness album. It's great to know that Co Op Moline had a copy but in theory I should have let the guys at Moondog order up a copy for me. But I did buy the latest Specials album from Moondog.
A way to let them know that they're still the best store in this area.
PS I got off subject about the best music of 2019 and went with the best record stores instead. We'll do that next time we get together, pick the best albums.
As we limped on to the end of the year, it's time for the annual bragging of what was the best albums of 2019. Each year, it gets to the point that we post the best and then forget about them when the New Year's Day rolls around.
With corporate radio sticking to same fucking bullshit playlist of the past 30 years, new bands have to rely on NPR, a local college station still playing new music or satellite radio or streaming. Deep Tracks will promote commercials of new music and then revert back to a overplayed classic rock. Despite what they tell you, The Weight nor Somebody To Love are deep tracks, they're played consistently on regular radio.
But then again I'm old. I still enjoy hearing something not being played to death, which is why I continue to search for the off the wall LP and CD that is out there. There'll be no shortage of off the wall music that you will not hear on the radio. 2019 has a few albums that you won't hear on the radio. My picks of the year BTW. It's a losing battle to seek the new album on CD. Best Buy don't sell them anymore and Wal Mart and Target cherry picks the usual. Only artist I heard about is Cardi B telling the world her booty is her smorgasbord. Yeah we have come a long way down the poop chute. What used to be a way to tell people to fuck off is now passe. Unless, there's Cool Whip and Hershey's Syrup, shit still taste like shit. And I'll pass on Cardi B's offer of booty burgers.
It was decided that this year would be my final year of reviewing new music on a regular basis. It's been more irregular and me having to make special trips to Madison and Dubuque to get new albums. Moondog remains the best of the bunch. CO OP Moline a distant second. So, for best record stores in the area that sells CDs. Here's my picks
Best Record Store (within a 2 hour drive)
1) Moondog Music-Dubuque IA
2) CO OP Tapes and Records-Moline ILL
3) Analog Vault-Cedar Rapids
4) Ragged Records-Rock Island ILL (The Davenport Store has been closed since the March Flood)
5) Wax Static-Marshalltown IA
6) CD's 4 Change-Dubuque IA
7) Books A Million-Dubuque/Davenport IA
8) Record Collector-Iowa City IA
9) Wal mart/Target-Various Locations
10 Metro Records-Cedar Falls IA
Upon trying to find that Waterloo store that sold records, I came across Metro Records in Cedar Falls but I never been there to check out their selection. Moondog and Co Op are 1 and 2 simply of the fact that they still have a decent used CD selection and still sell new ones. Analog Vault in town, is the best place for records if you're looking for new albums. Wax Static in Marshalltown has grown by leaps and bounds to the point that they now have the Deep Cut Song of the day, which most of the time are not Deep Cuts. I have still yet to check them out, maybe next year. If I need to head to Madison, Mad City Music Exchange and Strictly Discs are the best places to go. Weird Harold's in Burlington is another place I need to check out and after the flop Davenport record hunt, perhaps I should have gone the extra 35 miles.
Best Used Music Stores:
1) Half Price Books (Marion, Madison and Des Moines)
2) St Vincent De Paul (Waterloo, Cedar Rapids and Madison)
3) Stuff Etc. (Dubuque, Coralville, Iowa City, Davenport, Cedar Rapids, Waterloo)
4) Goodwill (Various Locations)
5) Salvation Army (Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Moline)
6) Housewerks (Iowa City)
7) The Source Bookstore (Davenport)
8) Crowded Closet (Iowa City)
9) Money And More (Iowa City/Waterloo)
10) Sweet Living Antiques (Iowa City)
11) Vintage Vinyl (Cedar Rapids)
To be honest, this is where I find the majority of albums and CDs, the thrift stores, the kindness of strangers, the travels that have put 25K on my car this year. I do not agree that the CD era is over, I read and see some of my hoarder friends across the pond paying big bucks for certain CDs. Stuff Etc in CR hasn't been selling CDs of late and neither has the Waterloo location. But the opening of the Dubuque Stuff Etc, (next to Goodwill) I managed to find more than I usually do. Out of all the areas, the Coralville location still continues to have a decent turnover of inventory. The surprise has been the DBQ location, the best bargains are at Davenport at 99 cents per cd. All have been hit and miss except sometimes I do score a few, which isn't too often.
For 45's The Salvation Army in Davenport was the go to place but the last four times I have been there I found nothing and a couple times there were no 45s anywhere. This summer, the Cedar Rapids location had quite a few but the best ones were picked off a long time ago and basically the leftovers are too scratched up for playing. Which the St Vincent De Paul Madison area is the best place for 45s tho they are mostly pop standards of the 50s. Or for that matter, Mad City Music Exchange or Moondog DBQ, I enjoy the quarter selection of Mad City Music X or the dollar section at Moondog, Analog Vault also has various 25 and 50 cent selections worth seeking out too.
What galls me is some of the record stores that have to look up certain records on the internet and then priced them out of my price range. A certain record store that I used to frequent when in town made that big mistake of pricing a 45 at 30 dollars and I'm not about to pay 30 dollars for a VG stock copy that have seen better days. I know they have to make a living but I also know that I have to pay bills and keep a roof over my head. And girlfriends are not cheap either.
But since their appearance in Marion since 2005 it's been Half Price Books for the bargains and they do have 45s from time to time. I love the Marion store and the West Madison store, but the East HPB has always been the lesser of the three. And maybe I'll see what the Des Moines store has to offer. I haven't been to Des Moines in 10 years, if I can stomach the traffic congestion, I might pop a couple Xanax and go for it and head west again. But it's not high on my list of things to do.
The bargain hunts don't usually go outside of Dubuque nor Davenport anymore. I enjoy taking a couple days up and hit Madison but this year's took a lot out of me. The constant hurry up and run from Goodwill to Half Price Books to St Vincent De Paul took two days to sort things out. And a whopping three hours total at Mad City Music X as well, but then again it's more worth going to Madison than Iowa City, which only has Record Collector that sells records and CDs. Once they lost FYE and Real Records, it wasn't the same. Pawn Shops are about as trash as it gets, sometimes there'll be some quarter finds, as there was when I went to Waterloo last month but it's a rare occasion if I find anything. Therefore, they get a honorable mention.
Sweet Living Antiques is a very good place to find records but I do admit I haven't been there in a while. Vintage Vinyl in Cedar Rapids used to be part of the old Antique Mall in Marion but I don't think BDW is a part of them nowadays. I have yet to go there since they moved.
In 10 years time I have seen the disappearance of Hastings Entertainment, FYE and most of the mall record stores. We're better off just ordering off Amazon or Second Spin to get new music but I continue to have pretty good success of finding them at Thrift stores and the Half Price Books Clarence Bins. The question remains if Stuff Etc will phase out the CD section, like they did in Cedar Rapids or Waterloo. And record and CD hoarders will be out and about. As long as Half Price Books still keeps going on, we'll continue to find the off the wall CDs and albums. I rather hit the music stores than give Jeff Bazos any more of my money, the reason why it took so long to get the new Darkness album. It's great to know that Co Op Moline had a copy but in theory I should have let the guys at Moondog order up a copy for me. But I did buy the latest Specials album from Moondog.
A way to let them know that they're still the best store in this area.
PS I got off subject about the best music of 2019 and went with the best record stores instead. We'll do that next time we get together, pick the best albums.
Monday, December 2, 2019
The Final Bargain Hunt-Davenport
One of the things I need to remember is that I seldom find anything worth a shit during Thanksgiving weekend. I talked myself into going to Davenport rather than Madison. I tended to regret that decision.
Ragged Records In Davenport still hasn't opened but they moved the CD section over to the Rock Island Ragged Records. I do wish they can reopened the Davenport store, it's been out of service since the spring flood. I didn't find nothing at the Rock Island store, their 45 section is not even half as good as the Davenport location.
So I got to check out most of the thrift and second hand stores. I found 6 cds. 10 CC Original Soundtrack, Point Blank-Second Season, A Charlie Parker Rhino set, The Singles Soundtrack, Roy Buchanan's first album and The Darkness new album Easter Is Canceled. I did bank on Co Op Moline having that CD and they did.
I found no 45s but found a near mint copy of Roy Orbison Sings Don Gibson on MGM plus a 7th CD, Johnny Tillison's Early Greatest Hits on Ace. I can always count on The Source Bookstore to have something off the wall.
Nothing was found at the Salvation Army Junk store, Goodwill-Moline, Salvation Army-Moline, Books A Million and the Vets Thrift Shop.
Today marks the second anniversary of being a special somebody to Julie. I'm surprised that we have managed to stick together through rough and strange times together. In hindsight, we should have stayed being social friends, I've helped her in her bands and trying to keep a roof over her head. It's a relationship that has been one of more strange that I've ever been in, but I have to accept her for who she is. But she captures my heart all over again when she sings. Love is always strange, and tho we keep separate homes, my loyality to her remains always. But we still remain special n safe friends. Anything else would be a shock to the system.
Overall, the Davenport Bargain Hunt was a disappointment. But I did find a few things and CO OP Moline had that 10CC CD there for over a year. It was time to rediscover that album.
Ragged Records In Davenport still hasn't opened but they moved the CD section over to the Rock Island Ragged Records. I do wish they can reopened the Davenport store, it's been out of service since the spring flood. I didn't find nothing at the Rock Island store, their 45 section is not even half as good as the Davenport location.
So I got to check out most of the thrift and second hand stores. I found 6 cds. 10 CC Original Soundtrack, Point Blank-Second Season, A Charlie Parker Rhino set, The Singles Soundtrack, Roy Buchanan's first album and The Darkness new album Easter Is Canceled. I did bank on Co Op Moline having that CD and they did.
I found no 45s but found a near mint copy of Roy Orbison Sings Don Gibson on MGM plus a 7th CD, Johnny Tillison's Early Greatest Hits on Ace. I can always count on The Source Bookstore to have something off the wall.
Nothing was found at the Salvation Army Junk store, Goodwill-Moline, Salvation Army-Moline, Books A Million and the Vets Thrift Shop.
Today marks the second anniversary of being a special somebody to Julie. I'm surprised that we have managed to stick together through rough and strange times together. In hindsight, we should have stayed being social friends, I've helped her in her bands and trying to keep a roof over her head. It's a relationship that has been one of more strange that I've ever been in, but I have to accept her for who she is. But she captures my heart all over again when she sings. Love is always strange, and tho we keep separate homes, my loyality to her remains always. But we still remain special n safe friends. Anything else would be a shock to the system.
Overall, the Davenport Bargain Hunt was a disappointment. But I did find a few things and CO OP Moline had that 10CC CD there for over a year. It was time to rediscover that album.
Thursday, November 28, 2019
Gobble Gobble Gobble-Thanksgiving 2019
It used to be a big deal when I posted the best and worst of the year. As time goes by, I find myself not taken in by the new music that is out there. Had I kept my interests going, I could write a book about the worst of the year. Nowadays social media has a field day and the shock value is no longer there.
When I had TV, Thanksgiving would be reserved for the Detroit Lions and then go do something else later in the day but since I don't watch TV anymore, the time wasted for TV is now on the internet, to which I have seen 20 years of this life go by in the blink of an eye. It was 50 years ago, that Minnesota went to Detroit and on a sloppy field and snowflakes shut out the Lions 27-0. 50 years later, Fred Cox would pass away at age 80. Time keeps on slipping away and we continue to grow old and nothing we can do about it but live till we die. Some sooner than others. The passing of Fred Cox is another reminder of the past and the things we grew up watching, Minnesota football played outdoors in real grass and real mud and games were done before 2 30 PM.
Is death the biggest turkey story of the year? Depends on how you look at it. Someday, we won't be around. I'm looking forward to that day whenever it comes. It's strange how time flies and then the long haired freaky dude of 20 years ago is replaced by a balding crabb that riles against just about everything. The traffic, the red lights, Trump, Phony Joni Ernst. Seems like we have been bitching about them forever. We scream for change, and each passing election year it's the same old same old. The 1 percent owning everything including congress, The Russians and North Koreans that PAB loves to idolize. And in the meantime, we're still not seeing anything different. Plenty of jobs but they don't pay and even if you do have one or two, you cannot afford the rent or electric bill. The weather continues to suck. If you're not drowning in a flood, you're in a state that has fires burning everywhere. Has it been like this before the age of social media? It could have been for all we know.
20 years ago, I got connected to the web, and three years later started a blog that hardly anybody reads. And each year at the ending thinking I had enough and then come right back the next year and picked up where I left behind with record finds. A hard habit to break. And yes, there's still a lotta gobble gobble gobble crapola out there. To which we add our 2 cents worth to the cause.
In no particular order.
The Los Angeles Chargers-The biggest gobble gobble gobble of the year. They went 0-6 in their division, losing to the crappy Broncos and Raiders and of course Kansas City owned them once again. Phillip Rivers had a hard time trying to figure who his receivers were. The shock of the year, having them play their own Super Bowl by whopping Green Bay 26-11, but lucked out when Chicago missed a FG and the Bolts escape with a one point victory. They did blow out Miami in Miami and Jacksonville at Jacksonville but at home they sucked. Hell, Minnesota and Oakland had more fans in LA than Chargers fans. But then again, the love-hate for Phillip (Fumbles n Interceptions) Rivers turn to flat out vitriol and perhaps like Eli Manning should consider retiring or finding another team. His 23 turnovers is the glaring reason why the Chargers sucked all season.
Sheryl Crow-The grand-mistress of the sub par and overrated. Ms Crow continues to annoy me with her guest star appearances on new albums, mostly notably Hootie And The Blowfish and Lukas Nelson and the Promise of the real. She has promised her new album is her last and as of this writing her latest album bombed on the charts. But that didn't stop her from popping up on various albums this year. Can't wait for her pairing with FGL or Dan And Shay. Just retire already....Bitch.
Jay Joyce-The Joey Moi of country music production, Jay sabotaged Miranda Lambert's latest album and probably ruined Brandi Carlisle's latest. And I hate that retro 1880's production sound that he, and Dave Cobb, favor for new music. No wonder you can't listen to it.
The Highwomen-Dave Cobb anybody? A good idea in theory to pair up the latest country music women and make a album but unlike the Pistol Annies, this is more of a money making venture. And the record was gone and forgotten a month after release.
Hootie And The Blowfish-Gone country? Not really tho, this reeks more of a record corporation intervention, get Sheryl Crow to sing background, get a failed Voice runner up to coo and scream on one pointless song and get Darius Rucker all covered in autotuner for dated value. In theory, this record isn't any difference than Cracked Rear View, that album that came out 25 years ago and sold 17 million copies, 16.9 million went to thrift stores and landfills. To which Rhino thought so highly enough of to release it again with a bonus disc of outtakes and demos.
Motley Crue Reunion-You just knew they would be back. Get another washed up hair metal band (Poison) and Def Lepherd and charge outrageous prices to see an overweight Vince Neil try to sing Kick Start My Heart or Looks That Kill. Better guard your refrigerator just in case.
Chicago Cubs-Three years after winning the WS, The Cubs returned with mediocrity and piss poor pitching and hitting when they needed both the most. To which the love affair with Joe Maddon was over and gone. David Ross takes over for next season but once again Theo Epstein isn't giving him much to work with. For the second year in the row, the Cubs control their own destiny, only to shoot themselves in the foot once again and lose 8 straight games at the end of the season.
Baltimore Orioles: At least they didn't skunk stink up 2019 but they still lost 109 games and decided to get rid of their best hitter Jonathon Villar. Look for another 100 loss next season.
Classic Rock Radio (KRNA, The Fox, KMRY) The playlist never changes. Carry On My Wayward Son indeed. KRNA seems to be under a new station director who asks the listeners about what album they should feature, as long as it's Back In Black, things will be fine, but don't cross them up with Badlands or Kings Of The Sun.
The weather: January-March, it snowed, iced and snowed/ice again and again, to which by March Mother Nature decided to shake things up with not one but two cyclone bombs, to which the Missouri River claimed everything the whole year, WHOLE year. Climate change is a bitch. Chances are we are in repeat cycle again this winter. And then we had a White Halloween. Fuck this.
Finally, Record Store Day: 12 years ago, this was welcomed but nowadays all we get is overpriced limited edition of albums that we bought for 4.99 or 5.99 when Tower Records was in business. I still support my favorite record stores whenever I can and I'm sure I go to one on Friday, but don't expect me to pay 60 dollars for That 3 LP set of Lou Reed's The Raven. I'll hold out for the Lulu 4 LP 5.1 Dolby surroundsound version.
Happy Thanksgiving anyway.
When I had TV, Thanksgiving would be reserved for the Detroit Lions and then go do something else later in the day but since I don't watch TV anymore, the time wasted for TV is now on the internet, to which I have seen 20 years of this life go by in the blink of an eye. It was 50 years ago, that Minnesota went to Detroit and on a sloppy field and snowflakes shut out the Lions 27-0. 50 years later, Fred Cox would pass away at age 80. Time keeps on slipping away and we continue to grow old and nothing we can do about it but live till we die. Some sooner than others. The passing of Fred Cox is another reminder of the past and the things we grew up watching, Minnesota football played outdoors in real grass and real mud and games were done before 2 30 PM.
Is death the biggest turkey story of the year? Depends on how you look at it. Someday, we won't be around. I'm looking forward to that day whenever it comes. It's strange how time flies and then the long haired freaky dude of 20 years ago is replaced by a balding crabb that riles against just about everything. The traffic, the red lights, Trump, Phony Joni Ernst. Seems like we have been bitching about them forever. We scream for change, and each passing election year it's the same old same old. The 1 percent owning everything including congress, The Russians and North Koreans that PAB loves to idolize. And in the meantime, we're still not seeing anything different. Plenty of jobs but they don't pay and even if you do have one or two, you cannot afford the rent or electric bill. The weather continues to suck. If you're not drowning in a flood, you're in a state that has fires burning everywhere. Has it been like this before the age of social media? It could have been for all we know.
20 years ago, I got connected to the web, and three years later started a blog that hardly anybody reads. And each year at the ending thinking I had enough and then come right back the next year and picked up where I left behind with record finds. A hard habit to break. And yes, there's still a lotta gobble gobble gobble crapola out there. To which we add our 2 cents worth to the cause.
In no particular order.
The Los Angeles Chargers-The biggest gobble gobble gobble of the year. They went 0-6 in their division, losing to the crappy Broncos and Raiders and of course Kansas City owned them once again. Phillip Rivers had a hard time trying to figure who his receivers were. The shock of the year, having them play their own Super Bowl by whopping Green Bay 26-11, but lucked out when Chicago missed a FG and the Bolts escape with a one point victory. They did blow out Miami in Miami and Jacksonville at Jacksonville but at home they sucked. Hell, Minnesota and Oakland had more fans in LA than Chargers fans. But then again, the love-hate for Phillip (Fumbles n Interceptions) Rivers turn to flat out vitriol and perhaps like Eli Manning should consider retiring or finding another team. His 23 turnovers is the glaring reason why the Chargers sucked all season.
Sheryl Crow-The grand-mistress of the sub par and overrated. Ms Crow continues to annoy me with her guest star appearances on new albums, mostly notably Hootie And The Blowfish and Lukas Nelson and the Promise of the real. She has promised her new album is her last and as of this writing her latest album bombed on the charts. But that didn't stop her from popping up on various albums this year. Can't wait for her pairing with FGL or Dan And Shay. Just retire already....Bitch.
Jay Joyce-The Joey Moi of country music production, Jay sabotaged Miranda Lambert's latest album and probably ruined Brandi Carlisle's latest. And I hate that retro 1880's production sound that he, and Dave Cobb, favor for new music. No wonder you can't listen to it.
The Highwomen-Dave Cobb anybody? A good idea in theory to pair up the latest country music women and make a album but unlike the Pistol Annies, this is more of a money making venture. And the record was gone and forgotten a month after release.
Hootie And The Blowfish-Gone country? Not really tho, this reeks more of a record corporation intervention, get Sheryl Crow to sing background, get a failed Voice runner up to coo and scream on one pointless song and get Darius Rucker all covered in autotuner for dated value. In theory, this record isn't any difference than Cracked Rear View, that album that came out 25 years ago and sold 17 million copies, 16.9 million went to thrift stores and landfills. To which Rhino thought so highly enough of to release it again with a bonus disc of outtakes and demos.
Motley Crue Reunion-You just knew they would be back. Get another washed up hair metal band (Poison) and Def Lepherd and charge outrageous prices to see an overweight Vince Neil try to sing Kick Start My Heart or Looks That Kill. Better guard your refrigerator just in case.
Chicago Cubs-Three years after winning the WS, The Cubs returned with mediocrity and piss poor pitching and hitting when they needed both the most. To which the love affair with Joe Maddon was over and gone. David Ross takes over for next season but once again Theo Epstein isn't giving him much to work with. For the second year in the row, the Cubs control their own destiny, only to shoot themselves in the foot once again and lose 8 straight games at the end of the season.
Baltimore Orioles: At least they didn't skunk stink up 2019 but they still lost 109 games and decided to get rid of their best hitter Jonathon Villar. Look for another 100 loss next season.
Classic Rock Radio (KRNA, The Fox, KMRY) The playlist never changes. Carry On My Wayward Son indeed. KRNA seems to be under a new station director who asks the listeners about what album they should feature, as long as it's Back In Black, things will be fine, but don't cross them up with Badlands or Kings Of The Sun.
The weather: January-March, it snowed, iced and snowed/ice again and again, to which by March Mother Nature decided to shake things up with not one but two cyclone bombs, to which the Missouri River claimed everything the whole year, WHOLE year. Climate change is a bitch. Chances are we are in repeat cycle again this winter. And then we had a White Halloween. Fuck this.
Finally, Record Store Day: 12 years ago, this was welcomed but nowadays all we get is overpriced limited edition of albums that we bought for 4.99 or 5.99 when Tower Records was in business. I still support my favorite record stores whenever I can and I'm sure I go to one on Friday, but don't expect me to pay 60 dollars for That 3 LP set of Lou Reed's The Raven. I'll hold out for the Lulu 4 LP 5.1 Dolby surroundsound version.
Happy Thanksgiving anyway.
Sunday, November 17, 2019
SINGLES GOING STEADY 61-Thank You Robert Lee Greathouse Whoever You Are
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.
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.
Saturday, November 16, 2019
The Last Bargain Hunt: Portland
This is mostly a fond remembrance to a special lady that had to endure my bargain hunting taste. And for that she'll earn her angel wings.
1999 was a first for many things. August I finally got a computer to waste valuable time at home and secondly I tried out the singles website for that somebody special. Mostly the former comes to mind.
Olivia was a surname of somebody that I have seen at that time. She had a wicked sense of humor and a crazy laugh but she had the longest red hair. It went halfway down her back. Anyway, we were set up by my best friend. I had some reservations but I started talking to her and then it was decided that we would meet in her neck of the woods.
I've never been out to the West Coast, so I had no idea what to expect. We figure that Portland Oregon was a happening town, plenty of sun and fun. First off, I didn't bring the right clothes, I had to bring my old beige winter coat and hat and I looked out of place when she and I went out. After a nice sunny day getting there, from till the last day, it rained and and stormed every day. The problem is Portland's rainy season was in the middle of the trip.
Still, Olivia had a hot tub and that was a shock and a pleasure to try that out. 100 degree temps outside with howling winds and rain but it was a revelation having a glass of wine and keeping each other warm, which wasn't hard to do. She had a couple of Rots, one named Hannibal and the other Babydoll, to which I kinda freaked out when I first saw them after arriving from the airport. Hannibal tolerated me but Babydoll accepted me right off the bat. Upon taking pictures of me and the doggies, Baby Doll would get closer till one picture she was on my lap.
The five days up in Portland came and gone. Olivia n me did some record hunting, Djangos and Everyday Music were the two best stores I went to. Everyday Music has survived over the years after FYE and Wherehouse Music went by the wayside. I did convince Olivia to come out here for New Years, to bring in 2000. I do believe that New Years was my favorite all time event despite the cold, we did truck up to Galena to spend the night and celebrated the coming of the year at some East Dubuque bar. I did take Olivia to the pawnshops and she bought a few CDs and odds and ends to take back home. But at the same time, she caught a nasty cold that lasted a good three months, till the next time that I would see her, in March. But by then, we were going in different directions. I always felt guilty about her chauffeuring me to Everyday Music the last time, but I do remember having lunch at Taco Time and thinking it was much more better than Taco Bell.
Since 2000, I haven't gone back to Portland. I can still remember most of the memories tho' my memory is getting rusty on a lot of things. While I continue on my road to bargain hunting and not changing much in this life, she eventually did find somebody closer to home. Her daughter is quite the artist I'm told. She still is a friend via social media (she actually looked me up last week) but we have yet to talk, but I'm sure once the moment comes, we'll chat a while. But for the best place to find off the wall music, Everyday Music was the place to go.
1999 was a first for many things. August I finally got a computer to waste valuable time at home and secondly I tried out the singles website for that somebody special. Mostly the former comes to mind.
Olivia was a surname of somebody that I have seen at that time. She had a wicked sense of humor and a crazy laugh but she had the longest red hair. It went halfway down her back. Anyway, we were set up by my best friend. I had some reservations but I started talking to her and then it was decided that we would meet in her neck of the woods.
Still, Olivia had a hot tub and that was a shock and a pleasure to try that out. 100 degree temps outside with howling winds and rain but it was a revelation having a glass of wine and keeping each other warm, which wasn't hard to do. She had a couple of Rots, one named Hannibal and the other Babydoll, to which I kinda freaked out when I first saw them after arriving from the airport. Hannibal tolerated me but Babydoll accepted me right off the bat. Upon taking pictures of me and the doggies, Baby Doll would get closer till one picture she was on my lap.
The five days up in Portland came and gone. Olivia n me did some record hunting, Djangos and Everyday Music were the two best stores I went to. Everyday Music has survived over the years after FYE and Wherehouse Music went by the wayside. I did convince Olivia to come out here for New Years, to bring in 2000. I do believe that New Years was my favorite all time event despite the cold, we did truck up to Galena to spend the night and celebrated the coming of the year at some East Dubuque bar. I did take Olivia to the pawnshops and she bought a few CDs and odds and ends to take back home. But at the same time, she caught a nasty cold that lasted a good three months, till the next time that I would see her, in March. But by then, we were going in different directions. I always felt guilty about her chauffeuring me to Everyday Music the last time, but I do remember having lunch at Taco Time and thinking it was much more better than Taco Bell.
Since 2000, I haven't gone back to Portland. I can still remember most of the memories tho' my memory is getting rusty on a lot of things. While I continue on my road to bargain hunting and not changing much in this life, she eventually did find somebody closer to home. Her daughter is quite the artist I'm told. She still is a friend via social media (she actually looked me up last week) but we have yet to talk, but I'm sure once the moment comes, we'll chat a while. But for the best place to find off the wall music, Everyday Music was the place to go.
Apologies to Olivia for the constant dogging of wanting to go to the music stores. You have earned your angel wings being with me in that time. To which I think were the best years of being with somebody like you.
Sunday, November 10, 2019
Singles Going Steady-Analog Vault Finds
The Analog Vault celebrated it's third anniversary this week and somebody dumped off a bunch of promo 45s from forgotten bands and artists. Most sold for a quarter except for a Cozy Cole 45.
So as they say, hit me with music.
1) Down Home Girl-Felders Orioles (Mercury 72480) 1965
Or Piccadilly 7N-55247 import. A UK soul single. A very strange soul number. B side Misty skips too much for me to listen all the way through. Plus it sounds very jive. Mistake number 1.
2) Richard M Nixon-Face The Issues-The Delegates (Mainstream MRL-5530) 1972
The Convention 72 made it to number 8 on the charts. It's a cut in record like Dickie Goodman used to make. The followup didn't chart. The Delegates were quite good in the cut in record and I've enjoy hearing most of them. Good for a chuckle.
3) Too Many Mornings-Fresh Air (Columbia 4-45697) 1972
I finally found a decent promo copy tho' I'd love to find one the b side Life Goes On, which was a better song. I still have their S/T album, which is nice background mellow music. But I don't play it much.
4) Rock And Roll Road Cowboys-Joyous Noise (Capitol 3303) 1972
Another one of those forgotten 70s bands that managed to make one album and disappear. The album had a 17 minute song suite called Wanderingman Suite. A rocking number RARRC probably got some airplay on FM radio, and somebody cared enough to post a You Tube video of it. Harry On Sunday takes a melody from Drown In My Own Tears, but outside of that nothing worth remembering.
5) The Godfather Waltz-The Assembled Multitude (Atlantic 2870) 1972
They had a hit with Overture From Tommy, but the world didn't need a rocked up version theme from the Godfather.
6) Big Noise From Winnetka Part 1-Cozy Cole (Coral 62339) 1962
What I love best about Cozy Cole was he introduce the song in that bass baritone. I did find a 2 on 1 LP on CD that has most of his best known songs (it was a CD-R version tho) Topsy. The logical guess is that Part 1 was the designated single and Part 2, an alternative take. Arrangements by Dick Hyman who would go on to discover the moog and make a couple of interesting albums for Command/ABC records in 1969 thereabouts.
7) Juliana-Five Man Electrical Band (Lionel/MGM L-3224) 1971
One of my favorite unknown bands of that time, they scored with Signs and then Absolutely Right but Juliana didn't do very well. A shame really, it's a cool rocker but I doubt if you'll ever hear it on the radio. B side Friends & Family sounds like a song for a Billy Jack soundtrack. Which means I won't play it much.
8) I Hardly Know Her Name-The Wackers (Elektra E-45783) 1972
Produced by Gary Usher, a country number that doesn't last past a minute fifty. And we'll hardly remember this song ever again.
9) Dynamo Snackbar-Peter Kaukonen (Grunt 65-0507) 1972
Brother of Jorma, Peter made Black Kangeroo, a cult classic album (which Wounded Bird issued in 2006). No way in hell that was going to make top 40, and owes a lot to Rory Gallagher or electric Hot Tuna. Or Cry Of Love era Hendrix. The other side is Prisoner, which was the plug side. And more hippy dippy blues rock.
10) Come The Fall-The Association (Columbia 4-45654) 1972
Leaving Warner Brothers for CBS didn't pay off for these guys, despite making two credible albums that didn't sell. Waterbeds In Trinidad! didn't sell either, next to Hampton Grease Band probably the third worst all time selling Columbia album. If you like the pop side of the Association, Come The Fall is a nice little pop number. They really were a good country pop band but the buying public had them pegged as romantic pop balladeers. And they did made some fine songs of the 70s too.
11) Professor Longhair-David Clayton-Thomas (RCA PB-0078) 1973
One of the last productions of Gabe Mekler (Steppenwolf) DCT left Blood Sweat And Tears for a solo career that didn't pan out as well as BST, to which DCT would return two years later. This single passed and nobody noticed.
12) Take Life In Stride-Kenny Rogers (Mercury 72545) 1966
Early Kenny Rogers before the First Edition and of course, the country crossover. Rogers' does have a Sam Cooke vibe on this song. Here's That Rainy Day hints at the balladry that Rogers would excel at. Credible but Mercury cut him loose after the single bombed.
13) Jubilee Cloud-John Kongos (Elektra E-45779) 1972
He's Gonna Step On You Again was a fun song but the album sucked. This followup is a T Rex riff and rip but if memory serves me correct, this was the only other song that I liked off Kongos. Of course it didn't chart. T Rex hardly charted here too (except Bang A Gong) Gus Dudgeon produced this, he also produced Elton John.
14) On The Road (The persecution and restoration of Dean Moriarty)-Aztec Two Step (Elektra E-45814) 1972
Hippie folk rock for the new generation which never caught on. Or early Americana before it became cool.
15) Can You See Him-Batdorf And Rodney (Atlantic 2863) 1972
16) Home Again-Batdorf And Rodney (Asylum AS-11012) 1972
Two singles from Jon Batdorf and Mark Rodney, two folkies that made a decent debut for Atlantic an a better followup on Asylum. Can You See Him has that CSN vibe but alas not the hook that generates hit singles. I found both of their albums when Collector's Choice issued them and the Atlantic album was one of the last purchases at the FYE St Louis. Home Again, was produced with CSN producer Bill Halverson. It didn't sell either. Batdorf and Rodney would move over to Arista to which Clive Davis turned them into MOR country rockers without much bite. They did score a top 50 single with Somewhere In The Night, to which Barry Manilow, took notes and did his own version. Batdorf would join Silver which produced the crappy Bang Shang A Lang 45. To which Batdorf disown that song. I can't fault him for that.
So as they say, hit me with music.
1) Down Home Girl-Felders Orioles (Mercury 72480) 1965
Or Piccadilly 7N-55247 import. A UK soul single. A very strange soul number. B side Misty skips too much for me to listen all the way through. Plus it sounds very jive. Mistake number 1.
2) Richard M Nixon-Face The Issues-The Delegates (Mainstream MRL-5530) 1972
The Convention 72 made it to number 8 on the charts. It's a cut in record like Dickie Goodman used to make. The followup didn't chart. The Delegates were quite good in the cut in record and I've enjoy hearing most of them. Good for a chuckle.
3) Too Many Mornings-Fresh Air (Columbia 4-45697) 1972
I finally found a decent promo copy tho' I'd love to find one the b side Life Goes On, which was a better song. I still have their S/T album, which is nice background mellow music. But I don't play it much.
4) Rock And Roll Road Cowboys-Joyous Noise (Capitol 3303) 1972
Another one of those forgotten 70s bands that managed to make one album and disappear. The album had a 17 minute song suite called Wanderingman Suite. A rocking number RARRC probably got some airplay on FM radio, and somebody cared enough to post a You Tube video of it. Harry On Sunday takes a melody from Drown In My Own Tears, but outside of that nothing worth remembering.
5) The Godfather Waltz-The Assembled Multitude (Atlantic 2870) 1972
They had a hit with Overture From Tommy, but the world didn't need a rocked up version theme from the Godfather.
6) Big Noise From Winnetka Part 1-Cozy Cole (Coral 62339) 1962
What I love best about Cozy Cole was he introduce the song in that bass baritone. I did find a 2 on 1 LP on CD that has most of his best known songs (it was a CD-R version tho) Topsy. The logical guess is that Part 1 was the designated single and Part 2, an alternative take. Arrangements by Dick Hyman who would go on to discover the moog and make a couple of interesting albums for Command/ABC records in 1969 thereabouts.
7) Juliana-Five Man Electrical Band (Lionel/MGM L-3224) 1971
One of my favorite unknown bands of that time, they scored with Signs and then Absolutely Right but Juliana didn't do very well. A shame really, it's a cool rocker but I doubt if you'll ever hear it on the radio. B side Friends & Family sounds like a song for a Billy Jack soundtrack. Which means I won't play it much.
8) I Hardly Know Her Name-The Wackers (Elektra E-45783) 1972
Produced by Gary Usher, a country number that doesn't last past a minute fifty. And we'll hardly remember this song ever again.
9) Dynamo Snackbar-Peter Kaukonen (Grunt 65-0507) 1972
Brother of Jorma, Peter made Black Kangeroo, a cult classic album (which Wounded Bird issued in 2006). No way in hell that was going to make top 40, and owes a lot to Rory Gallagher or electric Hot Tuna. Or Cry Of Love era Hendrix. The other side is Prisoner, which was the plug side. And more hippy dippy blues rock.
10) Come The Fall-The Association (Columbia 4-45654) 1972
Leaving Warner Brothers for CBS didn't pay off for these guys, despite making two credible albums that didn't sell. Waterbeds In Trinidad! didn't sell either, next to Hampton Grease Band probably the third worst all time selling Columbia album. If you like the pop side of the Association, Come The Fall is a nice little pop number. They really were a good country pop band but the buying public had them pegged as romantic pop balladeers. And they did made some fine songs of the 70s too.
11) Professor Longhair-David Clayton-Thomas (RCA PB-0078) 1973
One of the last productions of Gabe Mekler (Steppenwolf) DCT left Blood Sweat And Tears for a solo career that didn't pan out as well as BST, to which DCT would return two years later. This single passed and nobody noticed.
12) Take Life In Stride-Kenny Rogers (Mercury 72545) 1966
Early Kenny Rogers before the First Edition and of course, the country crossover. Rogers' does have a Sam Cooke vibe on this song. Here's That Rainy Day hints at the balladry that Rogers would excel at. Credible but Mercury cut him loose after the single bombed.
13) Jubilee Cloud-John Kongos (Elektra E-45779) 1972
He's Gonna Step On You Again was a fun song but the album sucked. This followup is a T Rex riff and rip but if memory serves me correct, this was the only other song that I liked off Kongos. Of course it didn't chart. T Rex hardly charted here too (except Bang A Gong) Gus Dudgeon produced this, he also produced Elton John.
14) On The Road (The persecution and restoration of Dean Moriarty)-Aztec Two Step (Elektra E-45814) 1972
Hippie folk rock for the new generation which never caught on. Or early Americana before it became cool.
15) Can You See Him-Batdorf And Rodney (Atlantic 2863) 1972
16) Home Again-Batdorf And Rodney (Asylum AS-11012) 1972
Two singles from Jon Batdorf and Mark Rodney, two folkies that made a decent debut for Atlantic an a better followup on Asylum. Can You See Him has that CSN vibe but alas not the hook that generates hit singles. I found both of their albums when Collector's Choice issued them and the Atlantic album was one of the last purchases at the FYE St Louis. Home Again, was produced with CSN producer Bill Halverson. It didn't sell either. Batdorf and Rodney would move over to Arista to which Clive Davis turned them into MOR country rockers without much bite. They did score a top 50 single with Somewhere In The Night, to which Barry Manilow, took notes and did his own version. Batdorf would join Silver which produced the crappy Bang Shang A Lang 45. To which Batdorf disown that song. I can't fault him for that.
Sunday, October 13, 2019
The Final Bargain Hunt Part 2-What We Look For
The Arizona getaway came to an end in 2013. with plenty of stops along the way at Hastings at Arizona, but afterward, the only time I stopped at a Hastings was in Kirkwood Missouri in 2014. A year later, the St Louis trip would be my last going to FYE before Trans World closed just about every FYE in this time zone. Which meant the FYE at my old haunts in Mesa is no more either. I don't feel like driving all the way across the state to go to Sioux City or six hours to Quincy or three hours to Peoria. Chances are, being a Mall store, FYE wouldn't be worth a trip to stop in for 10 minutes and deal with pushy sales associates who probably wouldn't be there after a month or so anyway.
I became a hoarder after Jerry Scott, the former Relics' owner got tired of me buying the same tired classic rock stuff and he didn't have much for used CDs product and I wasn't about to pay 8 dollars for Eat Me In St Louis by It Bites and he told me to open up my closed mind. Which I wanted to remind him about getting pennies on the dollar for a used Sidewinders album that I came back from Arizona with. Had I known that Auntie Ramos Pool Hall was going to be a hard finding LP, I would have held on to that album.
So I decided to see what the pawnshops had for CDs, since in 1995, they took Cds on a regular basis. And from 1995 till the the death of Bruce Stanley, I frequented the pawnshops in town, plus the Mr. Money stores in Davenport and Iowa City. The Cds that I found at the Quad Cities Mr Money, nobody bought those. So I discovered Treat Her Right, 54-40, Blue Rodeo, Lush and Ride. Turns out there was more to life than classic rock. With that and cut outs from Camelot Music and Sam Goody/FYE, I discovered more bands than ever before. And became a big fan of Swinging Steaks, who managed to use my tribute to them on their website for a few years.
But as the 90s drew to a close, the internet begin to take over people's livelihood. All of a sudden with a tap of the keyboard, you can order a cds from Second Spin or Music Boulevard and get it sooner than what the record stores could get it. With that, we begin to lose the record stores, Relics got new ownership and struggled on till 2003, Rock n bach closed their doors around 1999 and then the domino effect took over. All of a sudden Trans World purchased all of the Wherehouse Music and Sam Goody and turned them into FYE and then in 2010 started closing the stores, Coralville in 2010. Hastings was mostly for college towns and the west coast but Ames had one till ten years ago, on a trip only to discover the for sale signs and getting there three weeks too late, the last time I've been in that area. BTW.
The pawnshops begin to turn away CD buying around 2002. And the 2005 Rootkit problem was the death knell for CDs and by then you can stream the album online. Vinyl was not the cool thing and I begin to find great albums for a dollar at the thrift stores. Half Price Books came into town in 2005 and since then, they have been the go to place for music, including the clearance bins of two dollar cds. For the unabashed collector like me, I look for certain cds from certain labels, One Way, Wounded Bird, Collectors Choice Music, Rhino in particular. And then the imports such as Bear Family, Ace UK, Cherry Red had better choice of music I was looking for. Rock Candy, Fantastic Voyage had surprises, imagine my surprise of finding The Godz S/T 1978 on Rock Candy at the local Goodwill. The closing of Hastings and FYE stores took away the anticipation of going to such stores and knowing they will have some decent bargain bin music is now history. The bottom line was that mergers didn't do shit for anybody but shareholders and CEOs Best Buy quit selling CDs, Borders, Virgin Music Mart and Tower Records were history. Like Woolworth's and Arlens and K Mart, the music hunter had to resort the kindness of strangers donating their collection to the thrift stores.
In reality, I never gave up hope of ever finding music. Believe me, I think the music finds me more than I do them in going to second hand stores. Goodwill can be hit and miss but this weekend I managed to find new releases from Todd Snider and Santana for 75 cents used and not played at all. A collector or a hoarder has a open mind and will buy anything that looks interesting or perhaps finding an sealed extra copy of Donald Fagen's Night fly for 2 dollars at Mad City Music X. And for somebody that has it all, what does it mean going to Stuff Etc and seeing Bob Luman' Lets Think About Living on CD for a dollar. Or Money Jungle from Duke Ellington? It's this open mindedness that keeps me searching on a regular basis. 45s, LPs, CDs. anything is fair game as long it's playable and not chewed up.
In theory, I have always been open-minded ever since discovering the four for a dollar Woolworth's 45 back in 1964 and whatever I found at the cheap stores. The Vinyl Revival was a double edge sword, it was great to have people rediscovering the LP but at the same time, new vinyl is outrageously expensive. For myself, I still prefer the CD format, so I can play it in the car over streaming and (ha ha) satellite radio. But the best CD store for new music is still in Dubuque so I have to take a every other month trip to see what's new. But I do and still support a Ragged Records or Analog Vault if and when they get something of value in. I continue to keep an open mind but at the same time not reveal all my secrets of what I'm looking for. You can't afford all of my secrets. ;)
(To Be Continued)
I became a hoarder after Jerry Scott, the former Relics' owner got tired of me buying the same tired classic rock stuff and he didn't have much for used CDs product and I wasn't about to pay 8 dollars for Eat Me In St Louis by It Bites and he told me to open up my closed mind. Which I wanted to remind him about getting pennies on the dollar for a used Sidewinders album that I came back from Arizona with. Had I known that Auntie Ramos Pool Hall was going to be a hard finding LP, I would have held on to that album.
So I decided to see what the pawnshops had for CDs, since in 1995, they took Cds on a regular basis. And from 1995 till the the death of Bruce Stanley, I frequented the pawnshops in town, plus the Mr. Money stores in Davenport and Iowa City. The Cds that I found at the Quad Cities Mr Money, nobody bought those. So I discovered Treat Her Right, 54-40, Blue Rodeo, Lush and Ride. Turns out there was more to life than classic rock. With that and cut outs from Camelot Music and Sam Goody/FYE, I discovered more bands than ever before. And became a big fan of Swinging Steaks, who managed to use my tribute to them on their website for a few years.
But as the 90s drew to a close, the internet begin to take over people's livelihood. All of a sudden with a tap of the keyboard, you can order a cds from Second Spin or Music Boulevard and get it sooner than what the record stores could get it. With that, we begin to lose the record stores, Relics got new ownership and struggled on till 2003, Rock n bach closed their doors around 1999 and then the domino effect took over. All of a sudden Trans World purchased all of the Wherehouse Music and Sam Goody and turned them into FYE and then in 2010 started closing the stores, Coralville in 2010. Hastings was mostly for college towns and the west coast but Ames had one till ten years ago, on a trip only to discover the for sale signs and getting there three weeks too late, the last time I've been in that area. BTW.
The pawnshops begin to turn away CD buying around 2002. And the 2005 Rootkit problem was the death knell for CDs and by then you can stream the album online. Vinyl was not the cool thing and I begin to find great albums for a dollar at the thrift stores. Half Price Books came into town in 2005 and since then, they have been the go to place for music, including the clearance bins of two dollar cds. For the unabashed collector like me, I look for certain cds from certain labels, One Way, Wounded Bird, Collectors Choice Music, Rhino in particular. And then the imports such as Bear Family, Ace UK, Cherry Red had better choice of music I was looking for. Rock Candy, Fantastic Voyage had surprises, imagine my surprise of finding The Godz S/T 1978 on Rock Candy at the local Goodwill. The closing of Hastings and FYE stores took away the anticipation of going to such stores and knowing they will have some decent bargain bin music is now history. The bottom line was that mergers didn't do shit for anybody but shareholders and CEOs Best Buy quit selling CDs, Borders, Virgin Music Mart and Tower Records were history. Like Woolworth's and Arlens and K Mart, the music hunter had to resort the kindness of strangers donating their collection to the thrift stores.
In reality, I never gave up hope of ever finding music. Believe me, I think the music finds me more than I do them in going to second hand stores. Goodwill can be hit and miss but this weekend I managed to find new releases from Todd Snider and Santana for 75 cents used and not played at all. A collector or a hoarder has a open mind and will buy anything that looks interesting or perhaps finding an sealed extra copy of Donald Fagen's Night fly for 2 dollars at Mad City Music X. And for somebody that has it all, what does it mean going to Stuff Etc and seeing Bob Luman' Lets Think About Living on CD for a dollar. Or Money Jungle from Duke Ellington? It's this open mindedness that keeps me searching on a regular basis. 45s, LPs, CDs. anything is fair game as long it's playable and not chewed up.
In theory, I have always been open-minded ever since discovering the four for a dollar Woolworth's 45 back in 1964 and whatever I found at the cheap stores. The Vinyl Revival was a double edge sword, it was great to have people rediscovering the LP but at the same time, new vinyl is outrageously expensive. For myself, I still prefer the CD format, so I can play it in the car over streaming and (ha ha) satellite radio. But the best CD store for new music is still in Dubuque so I have to take a every other month trip to see what's new. But I do and still support a Ragged Records or Analog Vault if and when they get something of value in. I continue to keep an open mind but at the same time not reveal all my secrets of what I'm looking for. You can't afford all of my secrets. ;)
(To Be Continued)
Saturday, October 12, 2019
The Final Bargain Hunt-A Rehearsal For Retirement
As I came home from the Davenport bargain hunt and didn't find a single forty five, I realized that the days of going to the music store are becoming numbered. Basically with niche record stores popping up to sell overpriced vinyl and the big box stores phasing out CDs, it has simply come down to just going to thrift stores to find any sort of 45s, or estate sales or the every other month trip to Moondog Music to see what scratchy 45 I can find. Thank goodness for the going to Dubuque last week. Davenport was a bust all the way to the three and half hour baseball game to which the Kernels outfielder waking me up from my nap to ask about the time.
Granted this summer, I found some great stuff and managed to bring back to life, dirty 45s to play one more time, but I have yet to make a final trip to Madison, to which that will be the final bargain hunt of the year. We learn to never say never but since last year, I made a couple feeble attempts to drive up there from US 151 only to stop as far as Dubuque and hang at the local shops instead. Since the trips to the main cities around here actually yielded some great music, I decided to stay close to home. But I do need to make a Mad City run, since it was 25 years ago that I discovered that city and the music stores. They still have Mad City Music X, Strictly Discs, two Half Price Bookstores and St Vincent De paul and other thrift stores. The time will come.
In the time that I compiled what is called the Last Bargain Hunts and I documented of the closings of the stores. We said bye bye to FYE in 2010 and they continue to shrink their stores down to two in Arizona, it used to be 30 record stores are happening back in 1995, but once FYE started buying the Wherehouse Music chain, and the major labels doing stupid shit such as LOUDness Cds and the death ending Copy Protect CD which cause computers to fail from the Rootkit virus. And of course the majors eating each other so that three came out on top, the usual suspects are Universal, Sony Music and WEA, tho of late the Concord Music group has been issuing stuff from Atlantic and Wind Up via Craft Recordings and BMG Music Rights returning back from the dead. So in theory we have three majors and two up and comers. But still hard to find since Best Buy doesn't sell CDs and Wal Mart and Target shrinking their sections down to nil, forcing most folk to go Amazon.
I enjoy looking for CDs at stores better than ordering online. Stuff Etc and Goodwill usually have some sort of turnover, but Salvation Army usually has the crap nobody wants, they are more willing to have somebody donate a bunch of scratchy records, thus the chance to actually find something worth taking home. Streaming is easier, and it takes up way less space but for the record collector that has been me for 55 years, I still want the product in hand. Hard habits are forever hard to break, especially for the music hoarder/collector.
For over a decade, I started something called the last bargain hunt, which turned out to be pure bullshit. Me stop collecting? Right, as I planned my trips to Arizona to see what Hastings and FYE had. These big box stores, which everybody hated, had the better buys in the dollar section or discount bins and that's how my collection got big. To find Badfinger-Straight Up and Airwaves for five dollars or less, Wet Willie's Capricorn Cds for 2.99 and so on, that was the intent to go to Hastings out in the Northern Arizona country. And my home away from home was Hastings, in Kingman/Lake Havasu City/Bullhead City. It was a shame to see them fade into the dark in 2016.
(To Be Continued)
Granted this summer, I found some great stuff and managed to bring back to life, dirty 45s to play one more time, but I have yet to make a final trip to Madison, to which that will be the final bargain hunt of the year. We learn to never say never but since last year, I made a couple feeble attempts to drive up there from US 151 only to stop as far as Dubuque and hang at the local shops instead. Since the trips to the main cities around here actually yielded some great music, I decided to stay close to home. But I do need to make a Mad City run, since it was 25 years ago that I discovered that city and the music stores. They still have Mad City Music X, Strictly Discs, two Half Price Bookstores and St Vincent De paul and other thrift stores. The time will come.
In the time that I compiled what is called the Last Bargain Hunts and I documented of the closings of the stores. We said bye bye to FYE in 2010 and they continue to shrink their stores down to two in Arizona, it used to be 30 record stores are happening back in 1995, but once FYE started buying the Wherehouse Music chain, and the major labels doing stupid shit such as LOUDness Cds and the death ending Copy Protect CD which cause computers to fail from the Rootkit virus. And of course the majors eating each other so that three came out on top, the usual suspects are Universal, Sony Music and WEA, tho of late the Concord Music group has been issuing stuff from Atlantic and Wind Up via Craft Recordings and BMG Music Rights returning back from the dead. So in theory we have three majors and two up and comers. But still hard to find since Best Buy doesn't sell CDs and Wal Mart and Target shrinking their sections down to nil, forcing most folk to go Amazon.
I enjoy looking for CDs at stores better than ordering online. Stuff Etc and Goodwill usually have some sort of turnover, but Salvation Army usually has the crap nobody wants, they are more willing to have somebody donate a bunch of scratchy records, thus the chance to actually find something worth taking home. Streaming is easier, and it takes up way less space but for the record collector that has been me for 55 years, I still want the product in hand. Hard habits are forever hard to break, especially for the music hoarder/collector.
For over a decade, I started something called the last bargain hunt, which turned out to be pure bullshit. Me stop collecting? Right, as I planned my trips to Arizona to see what Hastings and FYE had. These big box stores, which everybody hated, had the better buys in the dollar section or discount bins and that's how my collection got big. To find Badfinger-Straight Up and Airwaves for five dollars or less, Wet Willie's Capricorn Cds for 2.99 and so on, that was the intent to go to Hastings out in the Northern Arizona country. And my home away from home was Hastings, in Kingman/Lake Havasu City/Bullhead City. It was a shame to see them fade into the dark in 2016.
(To Be Continued)
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Singles Going Steady 59-Madison The Rock Sides
The trip to Madison and to the records stores (namely Strictly Discs and Mad City Music X) and the thrift stores have yielded some interesting finds and to this reviewer another reason to document the whole thing. Record collectors and hoarders still roam the stores every day. Tho' I disagree with the stores inflating prices on scratchy 45s (believe me, my grading of a VG- record and the record stores ratings differ, especially if the record is scratched up, I'm not paying 30 dollars for a G- version of I Walk The Line by Johnny Cash). I do have a review anything that looks interesting method, who else can explain four Gogi Grant records found and taken home to listen to perhaps one time. Pristine copies of Tommy Dorsey and Jaye P Morgan likewise played and filed away till the next record dump. But it is the rock records that will continue to hold court here. Will there be a cut off date for the last 45 I buy? After death perhaps but as long as people continue to donate their collection and if i can find them, I pick out the best of the bunch.
The pop singles do paint a vivid picture of the music of the 1950s, Big Bands turning to the cha cha cha or the twist in order to be remembered but sounds dated today. Even the best faltered, Sam Cooke and Teenage Sonata comes to mind. And those weird space pad jazz sides and muzak bands, it boggles the mind to see a orchestra find its way to Atlantic Records (Raymond Lefevare's Come Softly To Me) or Henry Mancini's Peter Gunn that showed that even orchestras could rock out.
While I was digging deep into the 45s at the Madison St Vincent De Paul, I had a twenty something pop up and was wowing through some of the scratched up records. (oooh, Make It With You by Bread) and we talked a bit about music. he didn't buy the Bread cd or some other single of some band I forgotten but she settled on a first edition copy of Saturday Night Fever for a dollar twenty five, which it had the original Polydor stamp on the bottom of the label. I enjoyed the conversations with the kiddies about music, but I really doubt if he'll go full tilt into the art of dumpster diving for 45's. His woman wouldn't allow it.
I didn't find much of rock 45s at the thrift store, but the majority was found at Mad City Music X. The museum pieces at Strictly Discs I didn't buy and the most expensive were three two dollar singles, a couple that my mom used to have in that historic big box of 45s that was at my Grandma's house. As for the usual suspects, Paul Anka was left behind, I had most of the Brian Hyland and Johnny Tollison singles and anything else was curio buys. And as well a few forgotten songs from bands who's time has past. And I didn't buy everything, I left behind 25 cent copies of Road Runner by The Gants, Everybody Loves A Clown by Gary Lewis and another copy of Are You A Boy by The Barbarians, the latter I had a copy at home and after I cleaned that up, sounded good enough to keep. But I did find enough rock to be happy with. I think two years ago, we found better singles and left most of the pops stuff on the racks, but this crop of singles hold their own.
1. I Understand (just how you feel)-The G Clefs (Terrace 45-7500) #9 1961
Later covered by Freddie And The Dreamers. This is one of the forty fives I remember from the Big Box Grandma had. My mom and Aunt Sarge would go on record buying sprees. I tend to think my mom would have brought this dark doo wop pop number. G Clefs are more geared toward The Lettermen on this version. As well as the sappy Little Girl I Love You.
2. Alone (why must i be alone) Shepard Sisters (Lance T-125) #18 1957
A irresistible, catchy and sweet little R & B number, and this may have been one of the earliest songs that I remember ever hearing. Four sisters from a big family from Ohio and Marty Craft wanted them to record this song. Despite it's success, the sisters would record singles for various label with little luck (Mercury, MGM, Warwick, Big Top, United Artists, 20th Century, Atlantic, Private Stock). Alone would be remade twice, one for Warwick and then later for York. They work with Lieber/Stroller for United Artists and their last chart placement Don't Look At Me (#94 in 1963) was produced by Bob Crewe (Four Seasons). B side Congratulations To Someone is doo wop all the way. Blue eyed soul so to speak.
3. Born Too Late-Poni Tails (ABC Paramount 45-9934) #7 1958 .
Continuing the girl group vibe, here's another of those singles that came from The Big Box. Girl group doo wop could rival the guys at times. The Poni-Tails would score two more chart placing singles. I'm surprised how nice sounding these forty fives are, especially from the quarter bins. B side Come On Joey Dance With Me, sounds a lot like the previous song Alone (why must i be alone), uptempo and lots of fun. Poni-Tails would remain on ABC Paramount through their tenure and score two singles that made it to number 85 and 87.
4. Lovey Dovey-Buddy Knox (Liberty F-55290) #25 1960
A cover of the Clyde McPlatter classic, done with the usual strings as noted with early Snuff Garrett productions when anybody was on Liberty Records at time. B side I Got You (written by Dick Glasser, later producer for The Vogues, Everly Brothers) is passable teen pop with a Bo Diddley beat for a decent pop hook.
5. More Than I Can Say-Bobby Vee (Liberty F-55296) #61 1961
Stayin' In #33
Stayin' In, wasn't one of Bobby's bigger chart topping hits and like Buddy Knox's Lovey Dovey, Snuff Garrett is behind the arrangements with lively strings here and there. Written by John D Loudermilk (Tobacco Road). B side More Than I Can Say, is a faithful recording of the Sonny Curtis/Crickets classic and I'm surprised by the low chart showing. Bobby Vee would later record an album with the Crickets which is worth hearing if you can find it.
6. Alvin For President-David Seville/Chipmunks (Liberty F-55277) #95 1960
Growing up and if you were a kid, you love The Chipmunks. A lesser known song varied on It's Nice, It's Good till Alvin takes over the record to declare his presidency. Alvin would certainly be a better than the joke that is in the white house. We want Alvin! We want Alvin. B side Sack Time is a short minute long ragtime jazz number. Complete with yawns for laughs.
7. By The Light Of The Silvery Moon-Jimmy Bowen (Roulette R-4083) #50 1958
His final top 50 single. Bowen was a fairly good rockabilly singer but he would find himself to be in the producer's seat and reviving the careers of Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra as well as MCA Nashville president in the 1980s and reviving Waylon Jennings' career after the outlaw movement died down. B side The Two Step, would sound perfect for Marty Robbins to do had Marty knew this song existed. Written by Ersel Hickey (Bluebirds Over The Mountain).
8. Wear My Ring Around Your Neck-Elvis Presley (RCA 47-7240) #2 1958
Don't Cha Think It's Time #15
If anybody questions the ability of Elvis rocking out should take a listen to this rocking classic. DJ Fontana plays his butt on the drums. And of course Scotty and Bill too. B side Don't Cha Think It's Time is an underrated rocker. Written by Clyde Otis and.... Willie Dixon! King of rock and roll, Elvis in the 50s for sure.
9. My Babe-Ronnie Dove (Diamond D- 221) #50 1967
Written and produced by Neil Diamond! Reminds me of My Boy Lollipop. One of the earliest songs that Neil wrote and Ronnie covered. Dove was more middle of the road but this is more uptempo than he usually has. The guess is that Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry are the background singers. B side is another Diamond comp, Put My Mind At Ease but this time Phil Kaye produced and Ray Stevens arranged and it sounds closer to Gene Pitney. Which reminds me....
10. Princess In Rags-Gene Pitney (Musicor MU-1130) #37 1965
I had this on record years ago but of course it didn't survive very well. Ya know, frisbee tossing. So I found a better record, tho' the mastering is quite loud. Pitney has been an oddball recording artist, he would make great songs and then turn around make total crap. Amore Rio the B side is interesting Spanish influenced song that would turn off the casual fan but I find it a fascinating song. A shame that didn't make it to a best of.
11. Sweets For My Sweet-The Drifters (Atlantic 2117) #16 1961
One of my all time favorite songs from The Drifters, later covered quite beautifully by The Searchers. Even Stan Applebaum throws in a very good arrangement as well. B side I'll Take You Home (Atlantic 2201 #25 1963) written by Barry Mann/Cindy Weil is another quality song. This 45 is The Golden Series collection (OS 13018) and not the stock copy of 2117 B side to Sweets, Loneliness Or Happiness was a early song written by Burt Bachurach and Hal David and B side to I'll Take You Home is I Feel Good All Over. All four songs can be found on the excellent Drifters 1959-1965 Collection or The Ben E King Years and Beyond.
12. River Of Love-B W Stevenson (RCA APB0-017) #53 1973
Back in 1973 at the old Woolworth's in Town n Country Square, I had a choice to either buy this single or pick up a train box car and ended buying the Illinois Central Box car (to which I gave to a friend after my interest in train collecting died off). It took me forty five years to find a decent copy. I've seen five singles that seen better days. My Maria was BW's biggest hit but I loved this song better than My Maria. B side Lucky Touch could have been pitched as a country single.
13. Falling In Love-The Souther, Hillman,Furay Band (Asylum E-45201) 1974
This band got hyped to the gills and imploded. A great pairing of Chris Hillman and Richie Furay with J D Souther writing songs. I have the album and CD about three times, played them once and then traded them in. Never heard the Trouble In Paradise followup. Asylum made a mess out of their catalog, this was the lead off single, the follow up was Border Town but Asylum reissued the B side Safe As Home as the third single and then Mexico. None made the top 100. Falling In love remains their best song, Border Town number 2 and the rest you could live without. Heavenly Fire the B side was written by Chris Hillman, not one of his best but Falling In Love is the best Richie Furay song written after he left Poco. Side note: Jim Gordon plays drums on the first album, Ron Grindel (Joe Walsh) replaced him on the second album. Side note 2: Richie Polodor (Three Dog Night, Steppenwolf) produced this effort. Side note 3. In a perfect world, this would be played on classic rock radio.
14. It Doesn't Matter-Stephen Stills (Atlantic 45-2876) #61 1972
Rock And Roll Crazies B Side later (Atlantic 2888) #92
While both singles charted, none got airplay around here but I was familiar with them on the Manassas album that came out. While Stills is credited as solo artist, this song is co written and sang by Chris Hillman. Firefall would covered this song with different lyrics in 1976. B side Rock N Roll Crazies is the full version, but Atlantic issued this as a 2:35 single edit version. The Medley concludes with a shortened Jet Set (Sigh). The edited Rock n Roll Crazies is credited to Manassas and the B side is Colorado a so so country number. Collectibles reissued the My Maria album and tacked on River Of Love and a couple more singles and renamed it Greatest Hits in the mid 90s. Stevenson would continue to record, moving on to Warner Brothers and MCA with limited success.
15. Wizard Man-Procol Harum (Warner Bros CHR 2115) 1977
An oddity. At this point in time, Procol Harum was under contract to Chrysalis Records but this effort was issued on Warner Brothers. And the question remains why. My guess was at that time Chrysalis was through Warner Brothers before they broke away and became an stand alone major label in 1978. Wizard Man was the plug side but in the disco rock era, both this and B side Something Magic sounded out of place. Something Magic was closer to the Procol Harum prog rock sound, Wizard Man sounds more bluesy in like Whiskey Train. Some people like the Whiter Shale Of Pale type of songs. I can relate to Wizard Man better. As for the Warner Brothers curio label, WB wrote them off as a tax loss. Procol Harum would break up afterward (but then Gary Brooker would reform them and continues to lead that band).
16. Steppin In A Slide Zone-The Moody Blues (London 5N-270) #39 1978
Five years after Seventh Sojorn, The Moodies returned with the disappointing Octave and this was one of two singles issued via London Records. A three and half minute edit of Steppin appeared and it stumbled into the top forty but classic rock radio never played, nor the followup Driftwood, one of the more lovelier songs Justin Hayward ever penned. B side to Stepping, is Grame Edge's I'll Be Level With You, probably the hardest rocking number off Octave, tho not as good as After You Came. The Moodies would take another three years to return, minus Mike Pinder and Tony Clarke for Long Distance Voyager. And a new lease in life.
17. Jamaica-BTO (Mercury 74062) 1979
The second and final single from Bachman Turner Overdrive, to which by then Randy Bachman was gone and Jim Clench replaced him. This album is famous for the up and coming Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance coming to write songs for this band after the hits dried up. Vallance wrote Jamaica and I never knew this came out on a single since nobody in town sold the record. BTO did have one charting single, Fred Turner's Heartaches which crawled up to number 60 in late winter 1979. The followup bombed. B side End Of The Line was definitely the last B side and written by Jim Clench. Not one of their better efforts. Randy Bachman did return to the band (with Gary Peterson replacing Robby Bachman on drums) and issued an 1984 album on Compleat (later reissued through Sun Records (???) on Cd in the 1990s) to which he rewrote the lyrics to Takin Care Of Business called Service With A Smile. To which the public ignored.
18. Shotgun Rider-Delbert McClinton (Capitol/MSS 4984) #70 1981
The followup to Giving It Up For Your Loving, I actually liked this song better. Del has always done well with the Muscle Shoals Band (salute to Barry Beckett) and this was a quality single. B side was Baby Ruth but this was a DJ Promo copy.
So this completes the Madison singles on the rock side.
The pop singles do paint a vivid picture of the music of the 1950s, Big Bands turning to the cha cha cha or the twist in order to be remembered but sounds dated today. Even the best faltered, Sam Cooke and Teenage Sonata comes to mind. And those weird space pad jazz sides and muzak bands, it boggles the mind to see a orchestra find its way to Atlantic Records (Raymond Lefevare's Come Softly To Me) or Henry Mancini's Peter Gunn that showed that even orchestras could rock out.
While I was digging deep into the 45s at the Madison St Vincent De Paul, I had a twenty something pop up and was wowing through some of the scratched up records. (oooh, Make It With You by Bread) and we talked a bit about music. he didn't buy the Bread cd or some other single of some band I forgotten but she settled on a first edition copy of Saturday Night Fever for a dollar twenty five, which it had the original Polydor stamp on the bottom of the label. I enjoyed the conversations with the kiddies about music, but I really doubt if he'll go full tilt into the art of dumpster diving for 45's. His woman wouldn't allow it.
I didn't find much of rock 45s at the thrift store, but the majority was found at Mad City Music X. The museum pieces at Strictly Discs I didn't buy and the most expensive were three two dollar singles, a couple that my mom used to have in that historic big box of 45s that was at my Grandma's house. As for the usual suspects, Paul Anka was left behind, I had most of the Brian Hyland and Johnny Tollison singles and anything else was curio buys. And as well a few forgotten songs from bands who's time has past. And I didn't buy everything, I left behind 25 cent copies of Road Runner by The Gants, Everybody Loves A Clown by Gary Lewis and another copy of Are You A Boy by The Barbarians, the latter I had a copy at home and after I cleaned that up, sounded good enough to keep. But I did find enough rock to be happy with. I think two years ago, we found better singles and left most of the pops stuff on the racks, but this crop of singles hold their own.
1. I Understand (just how you feel)-The G Clefs (Terrace 45-7500) #9 1961
Later covered by Freddie And The Dreamers. This is one of the forty fives I remember from the Big Box Grandma had. My mom and Aunt Sarge would go on record buying sprees. I tend to think my mom would have brought this dark doo wop pop number. G Clefs are more geared toward The Lettermen on this version. As well as the sappy Little Girl I Love You.
2. Alone (why must i be alone) Shepard Sisters (Lance T-125) #18 1957
A irresistible, catchy and sweet little R & B number, and this may have been one of the earliest songs that I remember ever hearing. Four sisters from a big family from Ohio and Marty Craft wanted them to record this song. Despite it's success, the sisters would record singles for various label with little luck (Mercury, MGM, Warwick, Big Top, United Artists, 20th Century, Atlantic, Private Stock). Alone would be remade twice, one for Warwick and then later for York. They work with Lieber/Stroller for United Artists and their last chart placement Don't Look At Me (#94 in 1963) was produced by Bob Crewe (Four Seasons). B side Congratulations To Someone is doo wop all the way. Blue eyed soul so to speak.
3. Born Too Late-Poni Tails (ABC Paramount 45-9934) #7 1958 .
Continuing the girl group vibe, here's another of those singles that came from The Big Box. Girl group doo wop could rival the guys at times. The Poni-Tails would score two more chart placing singles. I'm surprised how nice sounding these forty fives are, especially from the quarter bins. B side Come On Joey Dance With Me, sounds a lot like the previous song Alone (why must i be alone), uptempo and lots of fun. Poni-Tails would remain on ABC Paramount through their tenure and score two singles that made it to number 85 and 87.
4. Lovey Dovey-Buddy Knox (Liberty F-55290) #25 1960
A cover of the Clyde McPlatter classic, done with the usual strings as noted with early Snuff Garrett productions when anybody was on Liberty Records at time. B side I Got You (written by Dick Glasser, later producer for The Vogues, Everly Brothers) is passable teen pop with a Bo Diddley beat for a decent pop hook.
5. More Than I Can Say-Bobby Vee (Liberty F-55296) #61 1961
Stayin' In #33
Stayin' In, wasn't one of Bobby's bigger chart topping hits and like Buddy Knox's Lovey Dovey, Snuff Garrett is behind the arrangements with lively strings here and there. Written by John D Loudermilk (Tobacco Road). B side More Than I Can Say, is a faithful recording of the Sonny Curtis/Crickets classic and I'm surprised by the low chart showing. Bobby Vee would later record an album with the Crickets which is worth hearing if you can find it.
6. Alvin For President-David Seville/Chipmunks (Liberty F-55277) #95 1960
Growing up and if you were a kid, you love The Chipmunks. A lesser known song varied on It's Nice, It's Good till Alvin takes over the record to declare his presidency. Alvin would certainly be a better than the joke that is in the white house. We want Alvin! We want Alvin. B side Sack Time is a short minute long ragtime jazz number. Complete with yawns for laughs.
7. By The Light Of The Silvery Moon-Jimmy Bowen (Roulette R-4083) #50 1958
His final top 50 single. Bowen was a fairly good rockabilly singer but he would find himself to be in the producer's seat and reviving the careers of Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra as well as MCA Nashville president in the 1980s and reviving Waylon Jennings' career after the outlaw movement died down. B side The Two Step, would sound perfect for Marty Robbins to do had Marty knew this song existed. Written by Ersel Hickey (Bluebirds Over The Mountain).
8. Wear My Ring Around Your Neck-Elvis Presley (RCA 47-7240) #2 1958
Don't Cha Think It's Time #15
If anybody questions the ability of Elvis rocking out should take a listen to this rocking classic. DJ Fontana plays his butt on the drums. And of course Scotty and Bill too. B side Don't Cha Think It's Time is an underrated rocker. Written by Clyde Otis and.... Willie Dixon! King of rock and roll, Elvis in the 50s for sure.
9. My Babe-Ronnie Dove (Diamond D- 221) #50 1967
Written and produced by Neil Diamond! Reminds me of My Boy Lollipop. One of the earliest songs that Neil wrote and Ronnie covered. Dove was more middle of the road but this is more uptempo than he usually has. The guess is that Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry are the background singers. B side is another Diamond comp, Put My Mind At Ease but this time Phil Kaye produced and Ray Stevens arranged and it sounds closer to Gene Pitney. Which reminds me....
10. Princess In Rags-Gene Pitney (Musicor MU-1130) #37 1965
I had this on record years ago but of course it didn't survive very well. Ya know, frisbee tossing. So I found a better record, tho' the mastering is quite loud. Pitney has been an oddball recording artist, he would make great songs and then turn around make total crap. Amore Rio the B side is interesting Spanish influenced song that would turn off the casual fan but I find it a fascinating song. A shame that didn't make it to a best of.
11. Sweets For My Sweet-The Drifters (Atlantic 2117) #16 1961
One of my all time favorite songs from The Drifters, later covered quite beautifully by The Searchers. Even Stan Applebaum throws in a very good arrangement as well. B side I'll Take You Home (Atlantic 2201 #25 1963) written by Barry Mann/Cindy Weil is another quality song. This 45 is The Golden Series collection (OS 13018) and not the stock copy of 2117 B side to Sweets, Loneliness Or Happiness was a early song written by Burt Bachurach and Hal David and B side to I'll Take You Home is I Feel Good All Over. All four songs can be found on the excellent Drifters 1959-1965 Collection or The Ben E King Years and Beyond.
12. River Of Love-B W Stevenson (RCA APB0-017) #53 1973
Back in 1973 at the old Woolworth's in Town n Country Square, I had a choice to either buy this single or pick up a train box car and ended buying the Illinois Central Box car (to which I gave to a friend after my interest in train collecting died off). It took me forty five years to find a decent copy. I've seen five singles that seen better days. My Maria was BW's biggest hit but I loved this song better than My Maria. B side Lucky Touch could have been pitched as a country single.
13. Falling In Love-The Souther, Hillman,Furay Band (Asylum E-45201) 1974
This band got hyped to the gills and imploded. A great pairing of Chris Hillman and Richie Furay with J D Souther writing songs. I have the album and CD about three times, played them once and then traded them in. Never heard the Trouble In Paradise followup. Asylum made a mess out of their catalog, this was the lead off single, the follow up was Border Town but Asylum reissued the B side Safe As Home as the third single and then Mexico. None made the top 100. Falling In love remains their best song, Border Town number 2 and the rest you could live without. Heavenly Fire the B side was written by Chris Hillman, not one of his best but Falling In Love is the best Richie Furay song written after he left Poco. Side note: Jim Gordon plays drums on the first album, Ron Grindel (Joe Walsh) replaced him on the second album. Side note 2: Richie Polodor (Three Dog Night, Steppenwolf) produced this effort. Side note 3. In a perfect world, this would be played on classic rock radio.
14. It Doesn't Matter-Stephen Stills (Atlantic 45-2876) #61 1972
Rock And Roll Crazies B Side later (Atlantic 2888) #92
While both singles charted, none got airplay around here but I was familiar with them on the Manassas album that came out. While Stills is credited as solo artist, this song is co written and sang by Chris Hillman. Firefall would covered this song with different lyrics in 1976. B side Rock N Roll Crazies is the full version, but Atlantic issued this as a 2:35 single edit version. The Medley concludes with a shortened Jet Set (Sigh). The edited Rock n Roll Crazies is credited to Manassas and the B side is Colorado a so so country number. Collectibles reissued the My Maria album and tacked on River Of Love and a couple more singles and renamed it Greatest Hits in the mid 90s. Stevenson would continue to record, moving on to Warner Brothers and MCA with limited success.
15. Wizard Man-Procol Harum (Warner Bros CHR 2115) 1977
An oddity. At this point in time, Procol Harum was under contract to Chrysalis Records but this effort was issued on Warner Brothers. And the question remains why. My guess was at that time Chrysalis was through Warner Brothers before they broke away and became an stand alone major label in 1978. Wizard Man was the plug side but in the disco rock era, both this and B side Something Magic sounded out of place. Something Magic was closer to the Procol Harum prog rock sound, Wizard Man sounds more bluesy in like Whiskey Train. Some people like the Whiter Shale Of Pale type of songs. I can relate to Wizard Man better. As for the Warner Brothers curio label, WB wrote them off as a tax loss. Procol Harum would break up afterward (but then Gary Brooker would reform them and continues to lead that band).
16. Steppin In A Slide Zone-The Moody Blues (London 5N-270) #39 1978
Five years after Seventh Sojorn, The Moodies returned with the disappointing Octave and this was one of two singles issued via London Records. A three and half minute edit of Steppin appeared and it stumbled into the top forty but classic rock radio never played, nor the followup Driftwood, one of the more lovelier songs Justin Hayward ever penned. B side to Stepping, is Grame Edge's I'll Be Level With You, probably the hardest rocking number off Octave, tho not as good as After You Came. The Moodies would take another three years to return, minus Mike Pinder and Tony Clarke for Long Distance Voyager. And a new lease in life.
17. Jamaica-BTO (Mercury 74062) 1979
The second and final single from Bachman Turner Overdrive, to which by then Randy Bachman was gone and Jim Clench replaced him. This album is famous for the up and coming Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance coming to write songs for this band after the hits dried up. Vallance wrote Jamaica and I never knew this came out on a single since nobody in town sold the record. BTO did have one charting single, Fred Turner's Heartaches which crawled up to number 60 in late winter 1979. The followup bombed. B side End Of The Line was definitely the last B side and written by Jim Clench. Not one of their better efforts. Randy Bachman did return to the band (with Gary Peterson replacing Robby Bachman on drums) and issued an 1984 album on Compleat (later reissued through Sun Records (???) on Cd in the 1990s) to which he rewrote the lyrics to Takin Care Of Business called Service With A Smile. To which the public ignored.
18. Shotgun Rider-Delbert McClinton (Capitol/MSS 4984) #70 1981
The followup to Giving It Up For Your Loving, I actually liked this song better. Del has always done well with the Muscle Shoals Band (salute to Barry Beckett) and this was a quality single. B side was Baby Ruth but this was a DJ Promo copy.
So this completes the Madison singles on the rock side.
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Singles Going Steady 58-The Madison Singles Pop Side
As described in the earlier blog, Madison had some interesting finds on 45. Certainly the most polarizing we go through into one extreme to another. So we'll split this up into two side. One, the pop sides and the next the rock side. But as we know my musical tastes go over the map be it LP 45 or compact disc. Nobody should be this eccentric (or erratic).
1. Fever-Earl Grant (Decca 9-30475) 1957
I've known Grant better as a light jazz artist (Beyond The Reef) but Grant made a career being on Decca is a jazz/pop piano player but on this cover of the Little Willie John song, Grant goes for a jazzy pop sound, including organ to counter the piano playing, and a bit of sax too. Hardly anybody remembers this and at this point in time, I doubt nobody will, not the smart phone generation. The B side Malaguena is a cha cha number, the product of the times, till Grant speeds it up and adds extreme organ at the end. Ole!
2. Danger! Heartbreak Ahead-Jaye P. Morgan (RCA 47-6016) #12 1955
I admired her duets with Eddy Arnold enough to take a chance on a couple of her solo 45's but come to find she was in the line of Doris Day in 50's pop. She can be brash and sassy, certainly a more stronger voice but the material presented on this record is more muzak pop to my liking and perhaps Hugo Winterhaller is to be blamed for such banal arranging. Softly Softly, the other side, I could tolerate about a half minute before moving on to something else. Think I'll stick with the Eddy Arnold duets thank you.
3. Do You Mind?-Andy Williams (Cadence 1381) #70 1960
One of the kings of the muzak pop scene was Andy Williams but during his Cadence years he would actually ventured into a bit more sunny pop than blah pop, the latter you would get plenty of it when he switched to Columbia and a long 35 year career on that label before Andy went to Atco for a 1986 standards album. A bit more uptempo than you would think on Do You Mind, this song probably did better on the easy listening chart. The B side Dreamsville comes from the Mr. Lucky album and written by Henry Mancini, which reminds me.....
4. Mr. Lucky-Henry Mancini (RCA 47-7705) #21 1960
The first top twenty five single from Mr. Mancini, who could write some decent soundtrack music (Peter Gunn anybody?). This song is considered one of those "space age bathelor pad" jazz music that did find its way to such compilations when Esquvel was discovered in the late 90s and had a few of his albums reissued on CD. But I think people have outgrown that music once again. Mancini could write some mysterious and dark music (The Blues) before going full movie muzak with Days Of Wine And Roses (which has the Peter Gunn Theme on the B side). B side Floating Pad is a more darker comp and preferable to these ears.
5. I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire-Frankie Laine (ABC 45-11057) 1968
I found the infamous ABC/Tangerine label of this song. Tangerine was Ray Charles' label when he was recording for ABC Paramount and Frankie was part of ABC Records, not Tangerine. It's a curio to find this single, to which collectors have on their list of 45s to get. Frankie had a long career with Columbia and then Mercury. The ABC years are considered to be one of Laine's high points. Bob Thiele produced most of those ABC sessions, tho' getting schlockmaster Peter D'Angelos (famous for Frankie Avalon and Fabian's sides for Chancellor Records) didn't help much. Ray Barr arranged the b side I Found You, but it's Laine's vocals that make this song. Now if I can find a decent copy of Dammit Isn't God's Last Name....
6. Paths Of Paradise-Johnnie Ray (Columbia 4-40435) 1955
One of forgotten voices of the 1950's Johnnie Ray is considered to be one of the forefathers of rock and roll, he certainly was the most passionate of vocalists out there. This song did managed to make it on a retrospective CD and it's a fairly good number but the B side Parade Of Broken Hearts rocked a bit more but hardly anybody knows of it, unless you have the 45. Some people say his sexuality may have robbed him of being remembered better more but Sony Music indifference of Ray has pretty much kept him out of the spotlight, save for 2 best ofs that are out there. Side Note; The Paths Of Paradise that's on the High Drama album is a 1951 outtake with the Four Lads backing him up on vocals. This Joe Reisman arranged song is a bit more pop contemporary. But you'll never hear it on the radio.
7. Pledge Of Love-Mitchell Torok (Decca 9-30230) #25 1957
The only charting single for Decca Records for Torok who recorded for them for five years. He had better charting luck with Guyden Records with Caribbean, which was actually done for Abbott Records. B side What's Behind The Strange Door is interesting for it was written by Don Reid, later of the Statler Brothers fame. In future bargain hunts I'll be on the lookout for Mitchell's Decca sides, which are quite hard to find since this single was the first Decca single from him I found. This record is in mint condition. No scratchy sounds or pops or clicks. Pretty nifty for a sixty year old 45.
8. Left Right Out Of Your Heart-Patti Page (Mercury 71331) #9 1958
She eventually would go country later in the 60s but she's still into the pop side of things on this song, based on a drum pattern or the call and respond of the background singers. Mort Garson, schlockmaster to the stars (Guy Mitchell comes to mind) co wrote this number. B side Longing To Hold You Again has Patti overdubbing her vocals a few times, one of the earliest numbers ever to employ this technique. It also reveals Page going to a slightly more country sound, tho it still is in early rock mode. I think.
9. Dancing In The Dark-Tommy Dorsey (Decca 9-27429) 1951
Part of a four 7 inch box set album, this was found at the Grab and Go St. Vincent De Paul. and I'm surprised how well this 45 sounds, it had the record sleeve and perhaps it was put out on the racks. Basically when you have many folks going through these records at junk shops you figure they would be trashed. Warren Covington would take over Dorsey's big band after Dorsey passed away in 1956. Both sides are smooth playing from the smoothest trombone player ever. That would be Tommy.
10. Coming On Strong-Brenda Lee (Decca 32018) #11 1966
11. Broken Trust-Brenda Lee/Oak Ridge Boys (MCA 41322) 1980
A tale of two singles from the same artist. I think Coming On Strong is Brenda trying for the Petula Clark sound (it might have been recorded in England) but then again further research revealed that the song recorded in England was Is It True?, to which Jimmy Page played guitar on that song. Coming On Strong does sound like Brenda going for that Pet Clark sound. I like the song. Side Note: The record I found has the title and artist upside down. Usually the Decca logo is on the left side of the label. This copy has the Decca imprint on the right side.
Broken Trust was the meeting of Brenda and the Oak Ridge Boys. The Boys were riding high and Brenda was barely getting by on MCA so Ron Chancey thought pairing them up would be a good idea. Too bad Ron didn't give her a decent song to do it. B side Right Behind The Rain is a failed attempt to go dance pop.
12. You'll Never Know-Jim Reeves (RCA PB-10418) #71 Country 1975
From beyond the grave Jim Reeves did had success on the charts, this lush ballad stalled at number 71 but it sounds more at home on a muzak station rather than country. B side There's That Smile Again is just as lush but this time Anita Kerr Singers adds their trademark vocals. A perfect example of the Nashville Sound that RCA was famous for. For better or worse.
13. All Of Me-Gogi Grant (Era 45-1053) 1957
14. It's A Wonderful Thing To Be Loved-Gogi Grant (RCA 47-6996) 1957
15. Bonjour Tristesse-Gogi Grant (RCA 47-7146) 1958
16. My Secret Prayer-Gogi Grant (RCA 47-7215) 1958
These four 45s didn't chart at all. In fact, while looking up the discography in 45cat, I couldn't even find My Secret Prayer. The difference between the Era and RCA singles is that the RCA singles are more polished. All Of Me was penned in 1931 in various versions (best known version is Willie Nelson of course). It's A Wonderful Thing shows Gogi going the Musical theater route which is better suited for Julie Andrews, B side That's The Life For Me turns into a pop country number, which is better. My Secret Prayer has Gogi hooking up with Hugo Winterhaller (remember him?) and turns in a passionate performance of My Secret Prayer. B side How Do We Know We Are In Love is more lush pop. If nothing else, Grant remains one of the better torch singers of the 1950s and perhaps if Sony Music had any balls, they would issue The Essential Gogi Grant. However, the better known sides were recorded for ERA, The Wayward Wind returned to the top 50 in 1961. Final thought, Bonjour Tristesse is dark but sweet melancholy ballad. Chinese Nightingale, the B side, another lush torch ballad. The three RCA singles were found at St Vincent De Paul Williamson store, all in like new shape except My Secret Prayer which didn't have a record sleeve.
They all played great. But nobody cares about Gogi Grant any more.
17. Round Every Corner-Petula Clark (Warner Bros 5661) #21 1965
Just when I thought that I played every single that I got from Madison I overlooked this Pet Clark number. This is during the Tony Hatch era, she has been around for a few years before hooking up with Tony to have the number 1 hit Downtown which Pet Clark will be forever known. The lesser known songs such as Round Every Corner will be put way back in the forgotten singles of the 60s but it does hold up very well. B side Two Rivers is a Pet Clark written song, more of a torch song, but it doesn't hold my interest much. Petula continues to record into the 2000's making a couple of very good albums for Sony Music/The End label. Hard to find unless you're sleep walking through the dollar bins.
So that's the pop side of Madison finds. Next time we meet up, the rock sides. More surprises in store.
1. Fever-Earl Grant (Decca 9-30475) 1957
I've known Grant better as a light jazz artist (Beyond The Reef) but Grant made a career being on Decca is a jazz/pop piano player but on this cover of the Little Willie John song, Grant goes for a jazzy pop sound, including organ to counter the piano playing, and a bit of sax too. Hardly anybody remembers this and at this point in time, I doubt nobody will, not the smart phone generation. The B side Malaguena is a cha cha number, the product of the times, till Grant speeds it up and adds extreme organ at the end. Ole!
2. Danger! Heartbreak Ahead-Jaye P. Morgan (RCA 47-6016) #12 1955
I admired her duets with Eddy Arnold enough to take a chance on a couple of her solo 45's but come to find she was in the line of Doris Day in 50's pop. She can be brash and sassy, certainly a more stronger voice but the material presented on this record is more muzak pop to my liking and perhaps Hugo Winterhaller is to be blamed for such banal arranging. Softly Softly, the other side, I could tolerate about a half minute before moving on to something else. Think I'll stick with the Eddy Arnold duets thank you.
3. Do You Mind?-Andy Williams (Cadence 1381) #70 1960
One of the kings of the muzak pop scene was Andy Williams but during his Cadence years he would actually ventured into a bit more sunny pop than blah pop, the latter you would get plenty of it when he switched to Columbia and a long 35 year career on that label before Andy went to Atco for a 1986 standards album. A bit more uptempo than you would think on Do You Mind, this song probably did better on the easy listening chart. The B side Dreamsville comes from the Mr. Lucky album and written by Henry Mancini, which reminds me.....
4. Mr. Lucky-Henry Mancini (RCA 47-7705) #21 1960
The first top twenty five single from Mr. Mancini, who could write some decent soundtrack music (Peter Gunn anybody?). This song is considered one of those "space age bathelor pad" jazz music that did find its way to such compilations when Esquvel was discovered in the late 90s and had a few of his albums reissued on CD. But I think people have outgrown that music once again. Mancini could write some mysterious and dark music (The Blues) before going full movie muzak with Days Of Wine And Roses (which has the Peter Gunn Theme on the B side). B side Floating Pad is a more darker comp and preferable to these ears.
5. I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire-Frankie Laine (ABC 45-11057) 1968
I found the infamous ABC/Tangerine label of this song. Tangerine was Ray Charles' label when he was recording for ABC Paramount and Frankie was part of ABC Records, not Tangerine. It's a curio to find this single, to which collectors have on their list of 45s to get. Frankie had a long career with Columbia and then Mercury. The ABC years are considered to be one of Laine's high points. Bob Thiele produced most of those ABC sessions, tho' getting schlockmaster Peter D'Angelos (famous for Frankie Avalon and Fabian's sides for Chancellor Records) didn't help much. Ray Barr arranged the b side I Found You, but it's Laine's vocals that make this song. Now if I can find a decent copy of Dammit Isn't God's Last Name....
6. Paths Of Paradise-Johnnie Ray (Columbia 4-40435) 1955
One of forgotten voices of the 1950's Johnnie Ray is considered to be one of the forefathers of rock and roll, he certainly was the most passionate of vocalists out there. This song did managed to make it on a retrospective CD and it's a fairly good number but the B side Parade Of Broken Hearts rocked a bit more but hardly anybody knows of it, unless you have the 45. Some people say his sexuality may have robbed him of being remembered better more but Sony Music indifference of Ray has pretty much kept him out of the spotlight, save for 2 best ofs that are out there. Side Note; The Paths Of Paradise that's on the High Drama album is a 1951 outtake with the Four Lads backing him up on vocals. This Joe Reisman arranged song is a bit more pop contemporary. But you'll never hear it on the radio.
7. Pledge Of Love-Mitchell Torok (Decca 9-30230) #25 1957
The only charting single for Decca Records for Torok who recorded for them for five years. He had better charting luck with Guyden Records with Caribbean, which was actually done for Abbott Records. B side What's Behind The Strange Door is interesting for it was written by Don Reid, later of the Statler Brothers fame. In future bargain hunts I'll be on the lookout for Mitchell's Decca sides, which are quite hard to find since this single was the first Decca single from him I found. This record is in mint condition. No scratchy sounds or pops or clicks. Pretty nifty for a sixty year old 45.
8. Left Right Out Of Your Heart-Patti Page (Mercury 71331) #9 1958
She eventually would go country later in the 60s but she's still into the pop side of things on this song, based on a drum pattern or the call and respond of the background singers. Mort Garson, schlockmaster to the stars (Guy Mitchell comes to mind) co wrote this number. B side Longing To Hold You Again has Patti overdubbing her vocals a few times, one of the earliest numbers ever to employ this technique. It also reveals Page going to a slightly more country sound, tho it still is in early rock mode. I think.
9. Dancing In The Dark-Tommy Dorsey (Decca 9-27429) 1951
Part of a four 7 inch box set album, this was found at the Grab and Go St. Vincent De Paul. and I'm surprised how well this 45 sounds, it had the record sleeve and perhaps it was put out on the racks. Basically when you have many folks going through these records at junk shops you figure they would be trashed. Warren Covington would take over Dorsey's big band after Dorsey passed away in 1956. Both sides are smooth playing from the smoothest trombone player ever. That would be Tommy.
10. Coming On Strong-Brenda Lee (Decca 32018) #11 1966
11. Broken Trust-Brenda Lee/Oak Ridge Boys (MCA 41322) 1980
A tale of two singles from the same artist. I think Coming On Strong is Brenda trying for the Petula Clark sound (it might have been recorded in England) but then again further research revealed that the song recorded in England was Is It True?, to which Jimmy Page played guitar on that song. Coming On Strong does sound like Brenda going for that Pet Clark sound. I like the song. Side Note: The record I found has the title and artist upside down. Usually the Decca logo is on the left side of the label. This copy has the Decca imprint on the right side.
Broken Trust was the meeting of Brenda and the Oak Ridge Boys. The Boys were riding high and Brenda was barely getting by on MCA so Ron Chancey thought pairing them up would be a good idea. Too bad Ron didn't give her a decent song to do it. B side Right Behind The Rain is a failed attempt to go dance pop.
12. You'll Never Know-Jim Reeves (RCA PB-10418) #71 Country 1975
From beyond the grave Jim Reeves did had success on the charts, this lush ballad stalled at number 71 but it sounds more at home on a muzak station rather than country. B side There's That Smile Again is just as lush but this time Anita Kerr Singers adds their trademark vocals. A perfect example of the Nashville Sound that RCA was famous for. For better or worse.
13. All Of Me-Gogi Grant (Era 45-1053) 1957
14. It's A Wonderful Thing To Be Loved-Gogi Grant (RCA 47-6996) 1957
15. Bonjour Tristesse-Gogi Grant (RCA 47-7146) 1958
16. My Secret Prayer-Gogi Grant (RCA 47-7215) 1958
These four 45s didn't chart at all. In fact, while looking up the discography in 45cat, I couldn't even find My Secret Prayer. The difference between the Era and RCA singles is that the RCA singles are more polished. All Of Me was penned in 1931 in various versions (best known version is Willie Nelson of course). It's A Wonderful Thing shows Gogi going the Musical theater route which is better suited for Julie Andrews, B side That's The Life For Me turns into a pop country number, which is better. My Secret Prayer has Gogi hooking up with Hugo Winterhaller (remember him?) and turns in a passionate performance of My Secret Prayer. B side How Do We Know We Are In Love is more lush pop. If nothing else, Grant remains one of the better torch singers of the 1950s and perhaps if Sony Music had any balls, they would issue The Essential Gogi Grant. However, the better known sides were recorded for ERA, The Wayward Wind returned to the top 50 in 1961. Final thought, Bonjour Tristesse is dark but sweet melancholy ballad. Chinese Nightingale, the B side, another lush torch ballad. The three RCA singles were found at St Vincent De Paul Williamson store, all in like new shape except My Secret Prayer which didn't have a record sleeve.
They all played great. But nobody cares about Gogi Grant any more.
17. Round Every Corner-Petula Clark (Warner Bros 5661) #21 1965
Just when I thought that I played every single that I got from Madison I overlooked this Pet Clark number. This is during the Tony Hatch era, she has been around for a few years before hooking up with Tony to have the number 1 hit Downtown which Pet Clark will be forever known. The lesser known songs such as Round Every Corner will be put way back in the forgotten singles of the 60s but it does hold up very well. B side Two Rivers is a Pet Clark written song, more of a torch song, but it doesn't hold my interest much. Petula continues to record into the 2000's making a couple of very good albums for Sony Music/The End label. Hard to find unless you're sleep walking through the dollar bins.
So that's the pop side of Madison finds. Next time we meet up, the rock sides. More surprises in store.
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
The Final Bargain Hunt: Madison
It's been over a year since I have gone to Madison in search of music and records. Last time I took part in the third and final World Naked Bike Ride Day I would do. It would be 15 months before I came back.
Being stuck with a sinus issue all summer was part of the reason why I didn't go, but with fall processing coming up and winter too, I decided if I didn't go this week, then I wouldn't go at all. Still dealing with hacking and coughing issues, I packed my suitcase and took off. And that was the start of the Madison Bargain Hunts.
Road construction? Of course, mostly inside Wisconsin past Mineral Point and there was two lane between there and Ridgeway. And the big mess on Verona Road leading into Madison. A short cut took me right into that mess, no thanks to a five minute long red light and congesting traffic. Somehow I found the right road that took me to the west side Goodwill. The west side Goodwill seems to have a better selection of CDs more than the North Goodwill, a couple places down from the hotel and the third Goodwill, next to Wal Mart on Roundabout Hell Rd was ignored. Frugal Muse and both Pre Played stores were bypassed, The Muse is moving to a new place and Pre Played still has a good selection but they have bullish on inflating the price of CDs and 45s. Sugar Shack's inventory is more into records and the last time I was there, the 45s department had way too many scratched up ones than good. Perhaps I should have visited them since I haven't been there in over 4 years. It was easier to go to Mad City Music X and I spent four hours in two days turning their 45 selection upside down. They were the most reasonably priced and they did have plenty of quarter 45s for me to take home. I also found five 45s that my mom had when she was younger that I picked up and a couple of 2 dollar stuff as well. Strictly Discs had plenty of 45s but they were a bit more expensive but I did buy a 45 storage box so they didn't feel left out. I bought CDs there instead, including A Can Of Bees from the Soft Boys and a couple of 4.99 specials. St. Vincent De paul on Williamson street had plenty of 45s as well. The big winner was Gogi Grant as I found 3 RCA 45s and one from ERA from her. The St Vincent De Paul on Osana Rd wasn't visited, they don't have 45s in my time of going there but the Park St, Grab and Go had three pop standards singles and a Urban Cowboy CD I got for 1.50 total. The Grab and Go St Vincent De Paul had 45s, mostly scratched up beyond belief but the ABC Tangerine mistake Frankie Laine 45, I basically picked up. Frankie never recorded for Ray Charles' Tangerine label.
Weatherwise, it was beautiful but State Street continues to go down in quality. What used to be a nice hangout for shops and music stores have become a place where homeless folks roam and beg for money. Mostly black guys that came up to me to ask for change (10 of them) but a white woman also was begging to, perhaps she was the most needy. The trick was to keep walking and don't even look at them. And this was in the afternoon, God forbid if I should be down there at night where the drunkards get into fights and the change chasers get aggressive. Still a lot of nice looking co ed's down in the college district, tho me being 30 years older than any of them didn't help the things. I certainly wasn't getting lucky any time soon. Unlike Cedar Rapids, you can still rent a bike with a credit card at the kiosks that have the bikes, but they upgraded them to electric bikes. I suppose in the future I should invest in a smart phone but in reality I still don't need one, unless ordering a pizza.
A lot of empty buildings are all around, thanks to Shopko closing their doors, Copps leaving Whitney Way and Menards vacating the location next the East Towne Mall. 10 years ago, Pawn America replaced Circuit City and was one of the main destinations for me for cheap Cds and sometimes cymbals. On this trip, they're moving somewhere else and while they have 75 percent off, I didn't find anything. They quit selling CDs about four years ago. Hard to believe I found 36 of them in one trip. And also Big Lots got replaced by an Over 21 on the other side of town.
The Half Price Bookstore on the west side was the hang out place for me. They seem to have better CDs than the east side. And it has been that way for the last three visits. Certainly both places didn't have much in the 3 dollar bins. Best place remains the Marion Half Price Bookstore.
I stuck to the usual food places tho the Pho King Good Noodle place (where Wau Kee used to be) I'd love to visit the next time I'm in Madison. But everything I ate came back to haunt me a half hour later. Rocky Rocco, Pizza Hut, Hardee's were the place and I couldn't find a Italian place till it was too late. I stayed at The Microtel Monday Night and got rewarded with a total of two hours of sleep. Which made going home interesting since I couldn't find a Speedway or 7-11 that had sweet tea. I finally stopped at a truck stop and picked up a bottle of Nestea. And thankfully I made it home before the storm hit a hour later.
If this is the final bargain hunt (as I have threatened the past decade) I think it was a good haul. I think I'm more comfortable going to Dubuque and hang at Moondog Music, since they're closer. However, the folks at Mad City Music X and Strictly Disc will be sending things via email to let me know if somebody drops off more 45s from estate sales and people running out of room at their place. It's a shame that my body just have issues that prevent me to do this more often.
It was 25 years ago in 1994, that I discovered Madison on a whim and it took me a good ten more years to figure out how to get around town. In this time, I've seen the good and the bad and the ugly but in the end I always managed to find records and CDs. I spent more time in that town than I ever did going to Des Moines but Madison is closer and easy to get around town. Des Moines is not. Perhaps in due time, I'll chance going to our capitol. But at this moment, it's not high on my list of places to go to.
Being stuck with a sinus issue all summer was part of the reason why I didn't go, but with fall processing coming up and winter too, I decided if I didn't go this week, then I wouldn't go at all. Still dealing with hacking and coughing issues, I packed my suitcase and took off. And that was the start of the Madison Bargain Hunts.
Road construction? Of course, mostly inside Wisconsin past Mineral Point and there was two lane between there and Ridgeway. And the big mess on Verona Road leading into Madison. A short cut took me right into that mess, no thanks to a five minute long red light and congesting traffic. Somehow I found the right road that took me to the west side Goodwill. The west side Goodwill seems to have a better selection of CDs more than the North Goodwill, a couple places down from the hotel and the third Goodwill, next to Wal Mart on Roundabout Hell Rd was ignored. Frugal Muse and both Pre Played stores were bypassed, The Muse is moving to a new place and Pre Played still has a good selection but they have bullish on inflating the price of CDs and 45s. Sugar Shack's inventory is more into records and the last time I was there, the 45s department had way too many scratched up ones than good. Perhaps I should have visited them since I haven't been there in over 4 years. It was easier to go to Mad City Music X and I spent four hours in two days turning their 45 selection upside down. They were the most reasonably priced and they did have plenty of quarter 45s for me to take home. I also found five 45s that my mom had when she was younger that I picked up and a couple of 2 dollar stuff as well. Strictly Discs had plenty of 45s but they were a bit more expensive but I did buy a 45 storage box so they didn't feel left out. I bought CDs there instead, including A Can Of Bees from the Soft Boys and a couple of 4.99 specials. St. Vincent De paul on Williamson street had plenty of 45s as well. The big winner was Gogi Grant as I found 3 RCA 45s and one from ERA from her. The St Vincent De Paul on Osana Rd wasn't visited, they don't have 45s in my time of going there but the Park St, Grab and Go had three pop standards singles and a Urban Cowboy CD I got for 1.50 total. The Grab and Go St Vincent De Paul had 45s, mostly scratched up beyond belief but the ABC Tangerine mistake Frankie Laine 45, I basically picked up. Frankie never recorded for Ray Charles' Tangerine label.
Weatherwise, it was beautiful but State Street continues to go down in quality. What used to be a nice hangout for shops and music stores have become a place where homeless folks roam and beg for money. Mostly black guys that came up to me to ask for change (10 of them) but a white woman also was begging to, perhaps she was the most needy. The trick was to keep walking and don't even look at them. And this was in the afternoon, God forbid if I should be down there at night where the drunkards get into fights and the change chasers get aggressive. Still a lot of nice looking co ed's down in the college district, tho me being 30 years older than any of them didn't help the things. I certainly wasn't getting lucky any time soon. Unlike Cedar Rapids, you can still rent a bike with a credit card at the kiosks that have the bikes, but they upgraded them to electric bikes. I suppose in the future I should invest in a smart phone but in reality I still don't need one, unless ordering a pizza.
A lot of empty buildings are all around, thanks to Shopko closing their doors, Copps leaving Whitney Way and Menards vacating the location next the East Towne Mall. 10 years ago, Pawn America replaced Circuit City and was one of the main destinations for me for cheap Cds and sometimes cymbals. On this trip, they're moving somewhere else and while they have 75 percent off, I didn't find anything. They quit selling CDs about four years ago. Hard to believe I found 36 of them in one trip. And also Big Lots got replaced by an Over 21 on the other side of town.
The Half Price Bookstore on the west side was the hang out place for me. They seem to have better CDs than the east side. And it has been that way for the last three visits. Certainly both places didn't have much in the 3 dollar bins. Best place remains the Marion Half Price Bookstore.
I stuck to the usual food places tho the Pho King Good Noodle place (where Wau Kee used to be) I'd love to visit the next time I'm in Madison. But everything I ate came back to haunt me a half hour later. Rocky Rocco, Pizza Hut, Hardee's were the place and I couldn't find a Italian place till it was too late. I stayed at The Microtel Monday Night and got rewarded with a total of two hours of sleep. Which made going home interesting since I couldn't find a Speedway or 7-11 that had sweet tea. I finally stopped at a truck stop and picked up a bottle of Nestea. And thankfully I made it home before the storm hit a hour later.
If this is the final bargain hunt (as I have threatened the past decade) I think it was a good haul. I think I'm more comfortable going to Dubuque and hang at Moondog Music, since they're closer. However, the folks at Mad City Music X and Strictly Disc will be sending things via email to let me know if somebody drops off more 45s from estate sales and people running out of room at their place. It's a shame that my body just have issues that prevent me to do this more often.
It was 25 years ago in 1994, that I discovered Madison on a whim and it took me a good ten more years to figure out how to get around town. In this time, I've seen the good and the bad and the ugly but in the end I always managed to find records and CDs. I spent more time in that town than I ever did going to Des Moines but Madison is closer and easy to get around town. Des Moines is not. Perhaps in due time, I'll chance going to our capitol. But at this moment, it's not high on my list of places to go to.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)