Cottonfields/This Land The Staple Singers (Riverside RF-4563) 1963
Dark At The Top Of The Stairs Theme-Bob Crosby (Dot 45-16141) 1960
Raunchy/Puddin' Ernie Freeman (Imperial X5474) #4 1957
Beyond The Shadow-The Browns (RCA 47-7427) 1958
Gaye-Clifford T Ward (Charisma FC-26001) 1973
LP's
Armageddon (A&M 1976)
City Boy-Book Early (Mercury 1978)
CDs
Chris Rea-The Blue Cafe (East West 1996)
Barney Bentall-Lonely Avenue (Epic Canada 1990)
Barney Bentall-Lonely Avenue (Epic Canada 1990)
The Streets-A Grand Don't Come For Free (Vice/Atlantic 2004)
Talking Heads-Remain In Light (Sire 1980)
Rilo Kiley-Under The Blacklight (Warner 2007)
Trail Of The Dead-Sources, Tags And Codes (Interscope 2002)
A spur of the moment deal, I went to see Quad Cities River Bandits blow out the CR Kernels 12-3. A five run 8th inning sealed the deal for the Bandits on a nice sunny evening. Jimmy Govern hit a three run home run to give a QC 3-0 lead and they never looked back. Kernels loaded up the bases for a last ditch effort but Seth Gray hit a screaming liner to the second basement who then picked off the runner from second to conclude the game. There was talk of free pizza but damned I knew where they had it at. Besides, I opted for the Mesa Combination at Los Amigos prior to the game. Managed to get in and out in 25 minutes. Very fast service.
For this trip, I did not venture across the Mississippi to Moline, it was strictly Goodwill and Salvation Army and the Army Vets Thrift Store to where the 45's were found. The SA junk store, simply doesn't have 45s there, (the one down the road had a few quarter ones but none I didn't see the need to get. Raunchy is a replacement copy of my old red Imperial label that was bought back when we lived in Waterloo and went to the downtown Goodwill. The Staple Singers was the reason I bought Night Theme and Beyond The Shadow, I have never came across anything on Riverside from the Staples. The Clifford T Ward single was from the Bettendorf Goodwill. Armageddon and City from the 53rd St Davenport store. I've been searching for a copy of the former album and the latter is probably City Boy best known album. The SA Junk Shop had Ellie Greenwich's Let It Be Written, Let It Be Sung but I already had a copy. They had some decent country albums from the likes of Jim Reeves, Hank Locklin and Bobby Bare but I passed. The Barney Bentall album was never issued in the US, Columbia passed since the first album didn't sell and I don't think I ever listened to that one at all. Barney still has Bruce Springsteen in his sights or Bryan Adams but this record had a bit more to it than the first. The Chris Rea, is another album that toils in the budget stores. I couldn't have gotten another Best Of Johnny Ray but decided I didn't need it. A Grand Don't Come For Free got get good reviews but it doesn't serve very well as background music. For the Jenny Lewis led Rilo Kiley Under The Blacklight is their best album, it only took me 14 years to finally convince myself to buy it. Worthy of one of the best of the 2000's. I've never seen Remain In Light at any thrift store, now if somebody can donate More Songs About Buildings And Food.....
And as for Trail Of The Dead, I bought this a few years ago and didn't think much of it. Perhaps a second revisit might convince me otherwise if it's worthy of the best of 2000's or is it overrated at Kid A. But then again it's cheap music. Which got donated again, it still sucks.
Other notables was Kevn Kinney's McDougal Blues and a April Wine Forever For Now, but I had the former album and the latter, I could live without it. Stuff Etc, had to cut back hours due to lack of help (they close at 6 nowadays) but I found nothing of note up there. Not going to Co Op Moline will free me up to Dubuque if I want the latest Blackberry Smoke You See Georgia album on CD. Otherwise Analog Vault in town has it on vinyl (28 dollars).
Bob Cosby was a big band leader back in the 40s n 50s but by the time he reached Dot Records, his songs were no different than Vaughn Monroe or Lawence Welk. Dark At The Top Of The Stairs is suited for the Cha Cha Cha craze, complete with cheesy Vox organ. Night Theme more toward the Stroll. Neither song would be out of place on a muzak station and probably did get heard at one time over there. Ernie Freeman (Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra) adds a laid back groove to Raunchy which did well but then again the drummer is probably Earl Palmer, who shuffles quite well. B side Puddin' was a childhood fave of mine. Gaye, is a mellow tune that should have charted better. Brought to you by Tony Stratton-Smith, head of Charisma Records. Richard Hewson (Nick Drake) did the arrangements. One of the prettiest songs you never heard. Beyond The Storm is vintage Jim Ed Brown and his sisters, done in a early RCA production shine. While the biggest complaint has always been that Nashville Sound polish that doesn't make it feel like country, I think it enhances the song much better. B side This Time I Would Know is written by John Loudermilk. As for the Staple Singers, Pops Staples always knew a great gospel ballad or folk song such as This Land Is Your Land, which is the better side than Cotton Fields, which sounds a bit uninspired. But then again I'll take an uninspired Staples Singers song over rap and lackluster R and B Soul any day.
