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.
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