Pickings are getting less and less at Moondog Music but I did find some of value.
1) Lonesome Old House-Don Gibson (RCA 47-7905) #71 1959
I admire myself of finding a lot of Don's 45's in the 10 years of actual singles finding. Most have been in reasonable shape. Don remains one of the all time best songwriters of my time and he could get a bit dark at times. His uptempo stuff borderline on rockabilly, Don did produced songs that passed as rockabilly but still he was a country artist. This song is famous for the chugging guitar riffs which actually sounds like Another Lonely Night by Carl Belew. The surprise is seeing Lonesome Old House make it to the top 100 pop chart. It peaked at number 11 on the country chart. B side I Could Have Cared Less, owes more I Can't Stop Loving You, tho not as memorable.
2) Sea Cruise-The Hondells (Mercury 72479) 1965
Late to the Singles Going Steady party, this forgotten Frankie Ford cover got ignored on the top 100. By then The Hondells hooked up with freaky Mike Curb, who at that time was into B movie motorcycle movies but stuck gold with Blue's Theme from The Wild Angels, a movie that you have to see once to see what you missed about drive in B Movies. B side You Meet The Nicest People On A Honda comes from the mind and pen of one Mike Curb. As clunky as it gets but it's only a 1:49 song. A Mike Curb is like a Mike Love song, no brains and just filler.
3) Two Dreams-Gogi Grant (RCA 47-7438) 1959
I have still yet to find her only chart placing RCA single Strange Are The Ways Of Love. Two Dreams is somewhat one of those ballads that would work better for Brenda Lee, but out of all the RCA singles I have heard, this is the best one that I would return to hear again. (Kiss Me) Honey Honey, producer Dick Pierce hooks Gogi up with Shorty Rogers for a cha cha number. More pop than rock. Still worth a listen or two.
4) Baretta's Theme-Sammy Davis Jr (20th Century TC-2282) 1976
Mike Curb returns to produce Sammy for the TV theme to Baretta, this time Dave Grusin arranges the song. Part disco, part funk, mostly Sammy getting down with the times. Sure beats The Candy Man.
5) Cry Baby Cry-Del Shannon (Island IS-038) 1975
Del never went away in the 1970s, he would pop up with a new single or two. One of two singles for Island and a collaboration with Jeff Lynne of ELO fame. The perfect Del Shannon song, heartbreak and misery. Man, the guy could write them heartbreak songs. Lynne would return later to produce (along with Tom Petty, another admirer) Del's last album, the underrated Rock On! that was issued on Tom's Gone Gator label. They never forgot the man.
6) He Comes Around-Molly And The Heymakers (Reprise 7-19332) 1991 #59 Country
Latter day singles of the 1990s were mostly country and aimed for the jukeboxes. I have a soft spot for Molly Sheer, the singer of this band that did make one album for Reprise and it's a product of the time, harmonies and mandolin. The album is worth seeking out, perhaps the problem was that they tried many styles of country rock. B side This Time also had potential for the radio, but by then Warner music cut their losses and dropped the Heymakers. Even in the 1990s being on a major label didn't bring much for band except seeing their albums in the cutout bins six months later. As a radio programmer, I'd go with This Time.
7) Sunshine-The Archies (Kirshner 63-1009) #57 1970
The last song that made the top 100 from The Archies, the manufactured comic cartoon band led by Ron Dante, Toni Wine and Jeff Barry. I never cared for their number one Sugar Sugar, but they did have some good songs. I love a good sunshine pop song and Sunshine is that, better than Sugar Sugar. Perhaps I might spring to get the Archies Greatest Hits in the future. B side Over And Over rips off the intro to A Little Bit O Soul but still bubblegum fun. Somewhere in the mix Ellie Greenrich, my fave 60s girl singer is singing background. But I can't help but singing A Little Bit Of Soul on the chorus tho.
8) Laugh At Me-Sonny (Atco 45-6369) #10 1965
This song is forever claimed by Mott The Hoople when Ian Hunter covered that song on their album and I'm surprised that Sonny got a top 10 hit single out of this. Sonny Bono did work with Phil Spector to the point that Sonny made his (and Cher) songs to sound like the Wall Of Sound. Of course Sonny used the Wrecking Crew. Then again, Bono really didn't carry a tune very well, but I thank him (and Ian Hunter) for writing such a cool song. And having Mott The Hoople turn it into a epic trainwreck. B side Tony, is the Wrecking Crew doing a jam along the lines of Honky Tonk but more sloppier. Guess who took the credit for this song (Not the Wrecking Crew).
9) Water, Paper And Clay-Mary Hopkin (Apple 1843) 1971
Hopkin was still recording for Apple Records but the hits were few and far between and Paul McCartney was replaced by future husband Tony Visconti and her Earth Song album was more toward Fairport Convention type of folk rock. Which didn't translate into record sales, in fact the US buyers couldn't relate to this. The Fairport connection is completed with the Ralph McTell's written Streets Of London, the B side, which would have been the better side to promote.
10) Windfall-Rick Nelson (MCA 40187) 1974
11) Rock And Roll Lady-Rick Nelson (MCA 40458) 1975
Two later MCA singles that didn't do anything for Rick. The teen idol years long ago forgotten, Rick and the Stone Canyon Band did managed to make some very good country rock singles with the exception of Garden Party, went passed the public eye. Rick has been very busy on the SGS blog with these latter day MCA and Capitol singles. Windfall shows Rick has been paying attention to the melodies and harmonies of Poco and Crosby, Stills And Nash and why radio ignored his efforts is mind bogging. B side Legacy continues that soft country rock vibe and the melody sounds is close to Peaceful Easy Feeling (the intro). Not as strong as Windfall but it's honest.
Rock And Roll Lady is his final MCA single. Jerry Fuller (Gary Puckett, Mark Lindsay) is producer and livens up the song. I'm sure MCA told Rick that it's time to deliver a hit and that might have provoked a change in sound. It still did not fit rock or country radio for that matter. It's not that bad of a song. The ironical Fadeaway (as title) returns the band back into a country mode once again. It makes pleasant background noise but it really doesn't stand out. The next year Rick would try his luck with Epic Records, with less satisfying results.
Davenport Finds From Last Week
Hurt Her Once For Me-Wilburn Brothers (Decca 32018) 1966 #3 Country
Worry-Johnny Tillotson (MGM K-13255) #49 1964
Sweet Adorable You-Eddy Arnold (RCA 47-8363) 1964 #26 Country
Blue Side Of Lonesome-Jim Reeves (RCA 47-8902) #59 1966 #1 Country
Homesick-Bobby Bare (RCA 47-8908) 1966 #38 Country
I Can't Stop Loving You-Don Gibson (RCA 47-7133) #81 1958 #7 Country
Oh Lomesome Me (b side) #7 1958 #1 Country
In The Middle Of A Heartbreak-Wanda Jackson (Capitol 4635) #27 1961 #6 Country
Cow Pattie-Jim Stafford (Viva/Warner WBS-49611) 1981 #31 Country
Mostly country from the RCA artists of the 60s. Most were jukebox copies without sleeves. Out of all of them the Wanda Jackson and Don Gibson sides sounded the best, despite the Gibson 45's looks. The Eddy Arnold song is uptempo, which is very rare from Eddy, who was going toward MOR music.
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