Teen Age Idol-Rick Nelson (Imperial 5864) #5 1962
For You-Rick Nelson (Decca 31574) #6 1963
Do The Clam-Elvis Presley (RCA 47-8500) #21 1965
Burning Bridges-Jack Scott (Top Rank RA-2041) #3 1960
B side Oh Little One #34
Deep Water-Bobby Hankins (Audio Deluxe 104) 1965
And Then There Were Drums-Sandy Nelson (Imperial 5870) #65 1962
Mission Bell-Donnie Brooks (Era 3018) #7 1960
(How can I write on paper) What I Feel In My Heart-Jim Reeves (RCA 7950) 1961 #92 #7 Country
b side Losing Your Love #89 and #2 Country
Just To Hold My Hand-Clyde McPhatter (Atlantic 1133) #26 1957
It Hurts To Be In Love-Gene Pitney (Musicor 1040) #7 1964
Stop In The Name Of Love-The Supremes (Motown MT-1074) #1 1965
Where Did Our Love Go-The Supremes (Motown 1060) #1 1964
Tell Him-Suzy Wallis (RCA 47-8863) 1966
Patty Baby-Freddy Cannon (Swan 4139) #65 1963
Louie Louie-The Kingsmen (Wand 143) #2 1963
Green Onions-Booker T and The MGs (Stax S-127) #3 1962
Honky Honk Hillbilly Music from Bobby Hankins who recorded for Oelwein's Audio Deluxe and had his own country show on KOEL in Oelwein, which at that time was hard core country. Not much about this forgotten single, it's not on 45 Cat but the guess is it was recorded around 1965.
The majority of these records came from a private collection, (they left their address sticker on the label, and crossed out their names, it's a bitch to get these damn labels off). After a absence of a while, Rick Nelson has a couple of early 60s songs that we didn't have, Teen Idol (B side I've Got My Eyes On You rocks harder and better) and For You, which was his first top ten single for Decca/MCA which hit number 6, it would be 9 years before he would chart that high again with Garden Party.
Do The Clam, is Elvis sadly out of the times with the Bongo sound which was five years today. Part Bo Diddley, and James Burton playing guitar on this. It's Elvis at his most silliest but it is good fun to hear if you don't get too embarrassed by what you hear. You'll Be Gone, is interesting for the fact that Presley actually wrote this and played to Priscilla, who didn't think much of it. She might have the point there of it being a bit outdated for the times but hell, I love the Cha cha cha ending.
Suzy Wallis, Tell Him is interesting since it was written and arranged by David Gates, later of Bread but at that time, Gates did some work for RCA as a songwriter. This is the second of three RCA singles that Suzy did with Gates helping out. all three are worth seeking out. B side A Time For Us, is forgettable tho.
Of course you know about the number 1 hits of the Supremes, but the b sides are different than the singles. He Means The World To Me, sounds like Florence Ballard or Mary Wilson taking on the Norman Whitfield produced and written song. Ross is back on the I'm In Love Again, but it plods along. At least He Means The World To Me only is a minute fifty two.
When I looked up the Jim Reeves song, I was surprised this made the top 100 with Losing Your Love, a Bill Anderson co write with Buddy Killen. What I Feel In My Heart is the uptempo song and probably the better of the two, tho I find myself seeking out more of Jim's singles in my later years. Burning Bridges is another of the Big Box Of Records of my Grandma's collection. Oh Little One, I played more than the sadness that is Burning Bridges.
It Hurts To Be In Love is one of Gene Pitney's strongest songs he ever made. Given the shoddiness of some of his singles I tend to cringe of some of the stuff that I did hear from him. B side Hawaii has that staggering 8 bar in the chorus which makes it unique and listenable. Then again, the 45 seemed to be played a bit, or not cut right, a bit of distortion in the grooves. Al Kooper co wrote Hawaii.
Mission Bell, is fun time teen idol music from Brooks who didn't last as long as Frankie Avalon or Fabian but the record made Jeremy Spencer take notice and covered it on the Fleetwood Mac' Kiln House album. B side Do It For Me sucks.
Patty Baby, was used for a radio station promo ID (which can be found on the Rykodisc Cruisin' Years CD, which is always fun to revisit from time to time, Arnie Ginsberg was the DJ, now that my brain figured out five minutes after writing this). Written by the Feldman/Goldstein/Gottenher team (with C. Kaplin) who minus Kaplin became the Strangeloves. Betty Jean, is a rip of No Particular Place To Go and Pretty Ladies Everywhere and Hey Hey Hey. They knew how to borrow songs from.
Louie Louie everybody knows and I never seen a decent copy of it till today. Haunted Castle is nothing different than the instrumentals that Paul Revere and the Raiders were putting out on Gardena. Louie Louie is garage rock and punk rock rolled into one. Even if Jack Ely couldn't remember the words.
Clyde McPhatter had a decent career after leaving the Drifters, but Just Hold My Hand sounds closer to Tweedle Dee, tho not as cheesy pop as Lavern Baker or Georgia Gibb's version of that song. Never heard this before despite the number 21 chart placement, never heard on the oldies radio circuit. For deep 45 cuts, all you need is a record player to hear this. No Matter What is pop doo wop but Clyde always had a great voice. This record is in almost in mint condition.
For the instrumentals, I seldom ever seen a decent Sandy Nelson 45 and Then There Were More Drums is more Nelson fun. Richie Polodor plays guitar and records the fun. And then, there's Green Onions, the ultimate groove song from Booker T and MG's. Another single that I never found that hasn't been chewed up, this plays fairly good and it might be a longer version the the album cut. Seems that way to me there's a few more bars after the fade out.
The playing sounds of the forty fives vary. The Supremes Where Did Our Love Go the worst sounding. I think Vinyl Emporium's finds were better sounding despite no record sleeve but then again it will vary from record to record. For the looks of things, this is more of a hoarder find but it's always fun to find the older stuff. Scratches and all.
Side Note: James "Mr. G" Giombetti, founder of the Exclusive Company ("Say It With Me") which were the record and cd store that I used to go up to Madison, passed away November 13 in Opa Locka Florida. He probably was in his 90s since he opened up his first store in 1956. The Exclusive Company is Wisconsin's independent music store with locations in Wisconsin. There were 2 in Madison but both shut down around 2016, but the Janesville store is still open as well as six others. Even in the times of changes in the record world, Mr. G managed to stay ahead upon seeing a lot of the stores closed down due to the start of the big box stores such as Best Buy. If anything else, Mr. G lived long enough to see Best Buy shut down their CD department. In fact, he outlived Best Buy's usefulness. A mysterious man with a love of Elvis Presley, those who knew Mr. G said he was the best to work for. Godspeed to Mr. G. and his trademark phase "say it with me".
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