The Final Bargain Hunt: St Vincent De Paul Waterloo

There's not much left in Waterloo.  It has been rumored that St. Vincent De Paul Thrift Store would be closing their doors and they did.  Right around Chirstmas 2019 to which the next trip would find myself going past another empty building.

It was always hit and miss, even on good days.   Last year I did find enough 45's to compile a Singles Going Steady blog about the finds.  Once in a while I would find a decent album (Dave Dudley Sings Six Days On The Road, The Steeleye Span Story) and interesting Cds as well.  But usually it was the 45s that bought out the big smile on my face.  Especially, See See Rider by Lavern Baker.  However Lavern Baker's Wrapped Tied And Tangled would be the last batch of 45s found on a hot summer afternoon.  There would be one more trip in November and after that, St Vincent De Paul went into the history books.

The Waterloo trip wasn't a waste.  I found Metro Records in Cedar Falls, hiding near Ace Hardware and spend the last hour chatting with the owner.  It feels more like what Relics used to be, a place you can probably smoke in and lots of boxes of clutter, 45s, Lps and CDs.   The owner and I agreed about how much Goodwill in Waterloo sucks and tho I didn't get into great crate digging for 45s (most if not all were juke box copies) due to time restrictions, he closes at 5 and I got there at quarter till five but I promise I give in a good word for him and wished him well.

The hoarder in me found 4 cds for a dollar at the pawnshop, and then four more at the Independence Goodwill including a sealed Pixies best of, Andy Williams-Lonely Street, The Captain from Kacey Chambers and Speak No Evil from Wayne Shorter, to which I found Night Dreamer in the Half Price Books clearance bin.  Quarter CDs can be fun, tho I doubt I'll ever listen to June Christy again.  Perhaps the find of the day was Playing The Black And Whites, a 1940s collection of piano numbers from 4 forgotten piano players of that time, Dick Cary, Cliff Jackson, Art Hodes and Nat Jaffe, all that recorded for Black And White label, which existed from 1942-1949 http://www.45worlds.com/78rpm/label/black-white

Anyway, Pickwick issued Playing The Black And Whites in 1989, but in this day and age, only hard core hoarders or jazz collectors look for this sort of music.  Also of note was the Hairspray soundtrack to the John Waters movie.  Plenty of great soul classic from Jan Bradley, The Five Du Tones, The Ikettes and The Madison Time from Ray Bryant.  The other cd is Hipsway, but hey for a dollar for 4 CDs it is at least worth a listen or if nothing else getting a better jewel case.  Like the Iowa City EZ pawn, they got two tubs worth of CDs to go diving into and see what you can find for cheap.  I suppose till the day I die, I will be drawn to them, just like a moth to a flame.

The thrift stores are becoming obsolete, with the Salvation Army shutting down their Waterloo store and now St. Vincent De Paul no longer there.  They might return in the future but this time out there would be only volunteers and no salary paid staff.  Which might have been one reason why the doors shut down.   Nevertheless, this closes the chapter on them, but it does open a new beginning with Metro Records.  And maybe continuing to visit Waterloo on a infrequent basis. 

Singles Going Steady 62-New And Forgotten

Upon a cloudy and foggy afternoon I made my way to Iowa City to see what I can find for music.  And amazingly I found some of note.


1)  Jesus Was A Cross Maker-Judee Sill  (Asylum 45-11000)  1972

The first act to be signed to David Geffen's label, was Sill, who made this forgotten folk rock gem that critics tend to rave about. Perhaps one of the most bad luck artists, Judee ended up overdosing on drugs in 1979 and hanging with the wrong crowd.  B side Lady O was covered by the Turtles as a minor hit in 1969.  I basically bought this an curio.  Both songs produced by Graham Nash.

2)   Follow Me-The Drifters (Atlantic 45-2292)  #91 1965

There's a 2 CD best of The Drifters that covered the songs up to At The Club, Follow Me didn't make the cut since this was the beginning of the end of the beloved Drifters, not that they were not making quality sides but this song seems to be tailored made for Dionne Warwick.  But it's not exactly a memorable hit, it sputtered to 91 on the Billboard charts and probably higher up on the R and B track.  B side The Outside World was originally recorded at Gold Star for Dobie Gray but it was never released and so  the Drifters added vocals.   Probably would have been a better A side.   The Drifters continued to record singles for Atlantic up to 1971.  Here's hoping in the future I might find those forgotten records.

3)    You Got Style-Jon And Robin (Abnak AB-130)  1968

Another forty five from Jon And Robin to which Jeff Berry and Andy Kim wrote this failed single. One of the mysteries of life is why this didn't chart.  Highly infectious, somewhat like Neil Diamond was making for Bang Records, to which Jeff Berry may had something to do with that. B side Thursday Morning is a more darker number, which kinda recalls Norweign Wood but twice as depressing.  I should get that Sundazed best of from Jon N Robin.


4)    Ask Me What You Want-Millie Jackson (Spring SPR-123)  #27  1972

The original bad girl, who stirred the pot of R rated soul, starts out with a nice innocent soul toe tapper, I love the chorus line  Ask Me what you want, and I'll try my best to get it get it get it get it.  Another artist that is in need a decent overview.  B side I Just Can't Stand It, is a passable soul ballad.

5)  The Shape I'm In-The Band (Capitol 2870)  #77 1970  (B side Time To Kill)

Time To Kill charted at number 77 however The Shape I'm In got more air play and made the regional charts. The Shape I'm In is actually better and played more on classic rock radio.

6)    Beer Barrel Polka-Glahe Musette Orchestra  (RCA Victor 45-1009)  1951
        Hot Pretzels-Bernie Wyte Musette Orchestra

Two different bands, but basically it's polka music. But very popular enough for RCA to issue it on the Gold Standard Series.  This record is the actual purple pressing from 1951 on 45 and spent a good six months in agony at the Salvation Army waiting for some hoarder to pick it up.  Still plays VG despite not having a record sleeve and fared better than a Glenn Miller In The Mood 45 that got cracked.

7)   Cotton Eyed Joe-Al Dean (Paid PAD-135)  1981

Originally on Kik-R-202 and issued in 1971.  Collectors had debated about this record, which was part of Stop Records but issued on the Kik R label instead.  It's hillbilly bluegrass and a lot of fun to listen to.  Like the old days of Starday Records and their type of hillbilly bluegrass country.


8)   Blue Moon-Elvis Presley (RCA-447-6013)  1956

Reissue of 47-6640 single, to which I already have, but it seems the later day pressing has a bit more clarity than the original 45.  But hoarders love to collect Elvis singles and the more off the wall the better.   I have come to enjoy hearing this version of Blue Moon, very seeped in the blues.  B side is Just Because.   This is the mid 60's reissue with the dog on the side label.

9)   Hello Mary Lou-Bobby Lewis (United Artists UA-50668)  1970

Lewis recorded for United Artists from 1965-1972.  I had him confused with the Tossing And Turning Bobby Lewis, but I do recall hearing this on KHAK years ago, back when KHAK was playing actual country and not that pop crap garbage auto tuned bullshit that is considered country.  B side Love Wonderful Love is a honky tonk weeper.

10)  Shake Em On Down-Savoy Brown (Parrot 45-40034)  1968

In the glorious history of Savoy Brown, this is their first single released and from their first album called Shake Down which is hard to find on CD (or LP for that matter).  Features Brice Portius on vocals, this is basically the Savoy Brown that was into blues covers and not necessarily the boogie, tho' this song is the most close to the boogie that would figure once a change in players became in order.  The only 45 that I picked up at Analog Vault before the 2019 year ended out. 


Goodwill finds at DBQ.

Toward the end of last year, I made one trip to Dubuque and came across some late 60's early 70s forty fives that were in so so shape. But played fairly well.

11)  Master Jack-Four Jacks And A Jill (RCA 47-9473)  #18  1968

From South Africa I believe, a very odd song about coming of age and finding Master Jack was a very strange man, to which the final line  instead of saying But I Thank You to, You're a Very Strange Man....Aren't You?  To which this song gets crabby points for that.  Followup was Mister  Nico which appeared in the bottom 90 of the top 100 for two weeks.

12)  They Don't Know-Tracey Ullman (MCA/Stiff 52347)  #8 1984

A cover of Christy McColl's single, also issued via Stiff, to which at that time, was dying on the vine at MCA Records.  While Tracey is more a comedy performer, she does put a 60s' girls' charm to this single, to which gets played on the radio from time to time.

13)   It's Up To You Petula-Edison Lighthouse (Bell 960)  #72 1971

Their 3rd single, to which they changed producers, from Tony Macaulay to themselves.  Martin Rushant (Fleetwood Mac, Ian Gomm) recorded this minor pop hit.  I remember KCRG playing this song in the sunny days of 1971.  I'm surprised this didn't chart higher.

14)   Jennifer Tompkins-Street People (Musicor 45-1365)  #36 1970

From the mind of Rupert Holmes, who would give you the Pinata Colata  Song later in 1979.  But at this point he was writing bubblegum numbers and of course, Timothy, which The Buoys covered.  Paul Vance produced.

15)  Always Something To Remind Me-RB Greaves (Atco 6726)  1969  Charted 1/24/70 #27

Followup to Take A Letter Maria. If you listen close to the horns, they actually mirror Dionne Warwick's Do You Know The Way To San Jose.

16)  California Kid And Remo-Lobo (Big Tree BT-119)  #72 1971

A disappointing showing on the Billboard chart and I don't think the folks at KCRG payed much attention to this, but this light pop rock number is what Lobo does best. Humm-able chorus and a story line somewhat like Me And You And A Dog Named Boo. Lobo did paved the way for the likes of Gene Cotton, The Bellamy Brothers and anybody that was on Big Tree (with the exception of Brownsville Station).

17)  Don't Monkey With Another Monkey's Monkey-Johnny Paycheck (Little Darlin LD-0035) 1967

Celebrated for his Epic singles, I think Johnny had better country songs via the Little Darlin label.  This is hard core honky tonk but without Billy Sherrill's polished production.  Overall I like Aubrey Mayhew's production over Sherrill's. tho once Johnny went to Epic, Billy was his producer.  But then we tend to forget Johnny would record for A.M.I and Mercury in the 80s but was hardly noticed.

18)  Don't Leave Me This Way-Communards (MCA-London 52928)  #40 1986

19)  The Lion Sleeps Tonight-Robert John (Atlantic 2846)  #3 1972

Two remakes.  One, a decent cover of Thelma Houston's 1977 disco topping hit and the other a modern pop version of The Tokens.  Robert John had a history of covering old songs from the 50s and 60s for various labels (Columbia and A&M), followup Hushabye said howdy number 99 on the top 100 and faded after that.  John would score a big hit with Sad Eyes for EMI in 1980.  Jimmy Somerville would leave the Communards for a solo career and the band renamed themselves Bronski Beat.

20)  Primitive Man-Ivan Neville (Polydor 889 022-7)  1989

 Somebody was listening to the Rolling Stones it seems. Followup to Not Just Another Girl, this didn't place on the charts but it's a quite rocking little number.  To which Neville would be part of Keith Richard's Expensive Winos band.  Ivan made another album but have basically disappeared since then.

21)  Sunday Sun Neil Diamond (Uni 55084)  #68 1969

 The A side is Neil learning a few things from Jeff Berry and Ellie Greenwich.  That could be Ellie singing along in the background.  Don Costa provides the arrangement, tho his orchestra is way back in the mix.   B side Honey Drippin Times, is one of those weird sides that Neil was famous for (Pot Smoker's Song, Your So Sweet Horseflies Hang Around Your Neck), it also shows hints of his MOR sound later on. Sunday Sun, however might be the great lost Bang single that was issued elsewhere.

62 Winters Later-Buddy, JP, Richie Remembered

 

 There's a old picture of a plane crash that was taken on a barren and snowblown field in Iowa.  You may have seen it on the web but it is perhaps the most unsettling reminder of the day that the music died.  In reality the music didn't die in 59 on a cold windy day in Iowa, after Buddy Holly, tired of cold buses with no heaters decided to rent a airplane to catch up on some laundry and get ready for another show in the barren of winter.  Sad to say that night at the Surf Ballroom turned out to be the final showing of what could have been something that could have changed the face of rock n roll.  Buddy along with Richie Valens were on their way to bigger and better things and JP Richardson had a hit with Chantilly Lace, but also The Big Bopper was also a very good songwriter and producer.  Sadly that night, an Alberta Clipper was coming from Canada and bringing the chill of a quick snowfall and heavy winds and big drop in temps and with a pilot too eager to please and not enough experience, it all led to the final finale.

 
It's a sad feeling beyond knowing when you see the up and coming rock stars laying face down in a cornfield, hoping they didn't suffer upon impact.  Being thrown out of the plane, I'm sure that may have been the cause but Roger Peterson the unlucky pilot fared worse, to the point that he was tangled inside the plane.  In front of the plane laid Richie, while Buddy was to the side and wearing a lighter coat.  The Big Bopper, got thrown across the fence.  All the promises of a new and exciting rock and roll laid in the wasteland of some cornfield northwest of Mason City.  And so the story begins.

Driving home tonight from work, I felt the weather that Buddy and JP and Richie may have gone through.  We had a Clipper go through, had a bit of a snowstorm, and felt the winds blow stronger and the skies cleared off to reveal a chilly half moon.  Not unlike when they boarded the plane and headed into the teeth of a Alberta Clipper, if only they would have waited.......

In my band's I always wanted to be more like Buddy than Elvis, but also growing up with the sounds of The Who, I wanted to make something that sounded like Buddy leading The Who and probaly failed at that attempt.  I wondered tonight as I try to type this out, what made Buddy decide to take a winter tour through the midwest, into the dead of winter when before global warming, the winters were just as a bitch as they are today.  It was the dark ages back then, no internet, no cds and no My Space to showcase the happenings.  Would have been wonderful had it was possible.  I suppose the great debate remains if Richie Valens would have been the new king of rock and roll, or Buddy would have continued his path with his general ideas from the Apartment tapes.  Perhaps Richie Valens would have defined rock and roll more so but with Buddy and Richie passing away, rock and roll didn't die but it certainly was in critical condition.  Elvis Presley would go into the Army and never would return to the wild rockabilly rock he did in the mid 50s, Jerry Lee Lewis would marry his 13 year old cousin and piss off the world and Little Richard gave up rock and roll at that time to be a preacher against the devil music.  And the only ones who carried on the rock and roll spirit were Frankie Avalon, or Fabian or the gastly Paul Anka and their sanatized bubblegum rock.


 
It has been said that Elvis was the king of rock and roll and Buddy Holly may not have not known it at the time, but the British kids across the pond took his music to heart and they started coming up with what would be known as the British Invasion four years later with The Beatles leading the way and The Hollies with their close knit harmonies to which you can hear in Buddy's songs.  But Buddy himself did follow the lead of Elvis Presley by covering his songs out in his garage in Lubbock with Jerry Allison.  But although Elvis did choose great cover versions, Buddy stood out by writing his own material which might led him to be into rock royality and so did Richie Valens.  One of these two had they live may well replace Elvis to the throne but in the course of history, Elvis did return from the Army and still have the ladies and a fired up performaces but most of his music after was not the same as it was in the wild 50s.

50 years later, there was a sold out crowd at the Surf Ballroom to celebrate the fifty years since Buddy's last performance and even some of the guys that were there did show up to be there.  Tommy Allsup, Dion, Bobby Vee, they returned and so does the fans of the music, braving the 5 degree weather just like it was back then.  Funny place about Iowa, it's paradise in the fall but hell in the wintertime with the frozen fire that is snow and the biting winds from the northwest that could turn your skin to frostbit blue in minites.  I hope someday that I could make a pilgrimmage to Mason City and retrace the steps from the Surf to the cornfield that became the next to last resting place for three up and coming musicians whose lives were cut short before their time.  Best I can do right now is to celebrate their memory by playing their music and remembering how good they were and still are today.

Because, if you think about it the music never did die.  It lives forever. R.S.

"The fans, they come over there from all over the world, even though it's very cold out there. You really have to love somebody to do that. The Surf has always been more for the music, celebrating his music, not his death."  Maria Elena Holly

Appendix: Notes on the plane crash and aftermath.

"The wreckage lay about 1/2 mile west from the farm home's of the Albert Juhl's and the Delbert Juhl's. The main part of the plane lay against the barbed wire fence at the north end of the stubble fields in which it came to earth. It had skidded and/or rolled approximately 570 feet from point of impact directed northwesterly. The shape of the mass of wreckage approximated a ball with one wing sticking up diagonally from one side.  
             
The body of Roger Peterson was enclosed by wreckage with only the legs visible sticking upwards. Richard Valenzuela's body was south, lying prone, head directed south 17 feet from the wreckage. Charles Holley's body, also in the prone position, was lying southwest, head directed southwest, 17 feet from the wreckage. J.P. Richardson's body, lying partly prone and partly on the right side, was northwest of the wreckage, head directed south 40 feet from the wreckage, across the fence in a cornfield. Fine snow fell lightly after the crash had drifted slightly about the bodies and wreckage. Some parts of each body had been frozen by ten hours' exposure in temperature reported to have been near 18 degrees during that time. 



Among the wreckage was a large brown leather suitcase with one catch open, lay near one leg of Charles Holley, and about 8 feet north of the same body lay a travel case with brown leather ends, and sides of a light plaid color. A Deputy Sheriff inspecting the ground near the wreckage discovered a billfold containing the name of Tommy Douglas Allsup and a leather pocket case marked with the name "Ritchie Valens." 
 
On Friday Feb 6, 1959, Roger Peterson was buried in the 
Buena Vista Memorial Cemetery, in his hometown of Alta. 

Richardson's wake was held in the Broussard's Funeral Home, in Beaumont, and he was buried in Beaumont, Texas.  Private Soldier Elvis Presley and Colonel Tom Parker sent yellow roses to his funeral.

On Saturday the 7th, Ritchie Valens' body was taken from the Noble Chapel Funeral Home in the San Fernando Valley, to San Fernando Mission Cemetery. His body was driven in a copper colored hearse.

Buddy was also buried on the 7th. Services were held in 
Lubbock, Texas, at the Tabernacle Baptist Church. Over a 
thousand mourners attended the service, but his widow did not. She later lost the baby.


 
In 1988, Buddy fan Ken Paquette built a monument to the 
singers, from stainless steel, and placed it at the crash site. The current owners of the land also planted 4 trees in memory of the victims, but they all died

Afterthought:

Some of the pictures posted were copied from various sites from the net and disappeared.  Plus the photo of Richie laying out in the cold field is still disheartening for me to see, so I took that down.  It's better to remember Richie's playing prior than the aftermath.  Out of the three Richie Valens had the brightest future and his life after of him.  Even in his young life, he was the pioneer of Latino Rock, and influenced many including Los Lobos.

Buddy Holly would have gone more toward a country rockabilly or even folk sound or maybe in production.  With the forthcoming reunion of The Crickets he could have polished up the sound judging by the replacement Earl Sinks or Sonny Curtis.  I don't think Buddy would have gone the pop route when the Crickets signed with Liberty, but in some ways Buddy did help what we call Garage rock.

JP Richardson or the Big Bopper listening to his songs I believe he would have gone down the same novelty country rock road like Homer And Jethro and Ray Stevens.  His best of showed he could do rockabilly great and country music good too.

With the plane crash, rock music took a a few steps back and ushered in the finger pop gang such as Frankie Avalon or Fabian.

Frankie Sardo never made much of an impact, releasing s few singles on ABC Paramount.

Dion, who was part of the acts, didn't go on the ill fated airplane since he couldn't afford the fee to join the others and that did save his life.  Dion mentioned it was him that tossed the coin up to see who went, he won but since Richie was feeling sick opted to give Richie the ill fated seat. Dion would go on to a long music career, go into the gospel side of things and return back to rock and later on adapted a more blues style. Reference:
 https://www.forbes.com/sites/jimclash/2019/02/14/rock-icon-dion-recalls-1959-plane-crash-that-killed-buddy-holly-ritchie-valens-and-the-big-bopper/#5b654f952f33

(Photo: Mary Gerber)