Yesterdays Gold

Gary Stites - Lonely For You (1960)

2011-10-18T05:52:00.000-07:00

1960 LP Lonely For You (US Carlton STLP 12-120)

01. Gary Stites - Hurry Down
02. Gary Stites - Lonely For You
03. Gary Stites - I Tried
04. Gary Stites - Shine That Ring
05. Gary Stites - Shake A Hand
06. Gary Stites - Chicken Shack
07. Gary Stites - Gloria Lee
08. Gary Stites - Don't Wanna Say Goodbye
09. Gary Stites - Lawdy Miss Clawdy
10. Gary Stites - Starry Eyed
11. Gary Stites - Little Linda
12. Gary Stites - Hey! Hey!
13. Gary Stites - A Girl Like You (bonus)

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"Lonely for You" borrows a significant part of its melody from Conway Twitty's "It's Only Make Believe," but nevertheless became Gary Stites' biggest hit and only Top 40 chart entry. Stites' label, Carlton Records, followed up with a complete LP, Lonely for You, in 1960, issued in mono and stereo editions. In addition to the hit title track, the album contains the minor hits "Starry Eyed" and "Lawdy Miss Clawdy," a cover of Lloyd Price's 1952 R&B hit. The album tracks include the flip side of "Lonely for You" ("Shine That Ring") and a cover of Faye Adams' 1953 R&B chart-topper, "Shake a Hand." Stites proves himself adept at teen ballads ("Don't Wanna Say Goodbye"), rockers ("Chicken Shack"), and call-and-response party records ("Hey, Hey"), but doesn't establish much of a musical identity. He is a competent singer with a voice vaguely similar to Johnny Tillotson, but is otherwise lacking a distinctive sound. Collectors with a fondness for the early-'60s "teen sound" will appreciate Stites' well-executed recordings and formulaic songs, but it would be a stretch to argue that he created anything out of the ordinary.

Adam Faith

2011-09-05T07:28:00.000-07:00

1963 LP For You (UK Parlophone PMC-1213)

01. Adam Faith - The Wanderer
02. Adam Faith - My Kind Of Girl
03. Adam Faith - Forget Him
04. Adam Faith - Forget Me Not
05. Adam Faith - Let There Be Love
06. Adam Faith - Lazy River
07. Adam Faith - Hello Mary Lou
08. Adam Faith - Ginny Come Lately
09. Adam Faith - Things
10. Adam Faith - Take Good Care Of My Baby
11. Adam Faith - It Doesn't Matter Anymore
12. Adam Faith - Bye Bye Love

1964 LP On The Move (UK Parlophone 1228)

01. Adam Faith - Don't You Dig This Kind Of Beat
02. Adam Faith - Mighty Fine Girl
03. Adam Faith - I Do
04. Adam Faith - It'll Never Happen to You
05. Adam Faith - It's Alright
06. Adam Faith - I Gotta Get Going
07. Adam Faith - Here's Another Day
08. Adam Faith - Come Closer
09. Adam Faith - This Is The Feeling
10. Adam Faith - You've Got A Way With Me
11. Adam Faith - You're Nice to Know
12. Adam Faith - She's Smiling at Me
13. Adam Faith - Only One Such as You
14. Adam Faith - Come on Dream

1965 LP Fath Alive! (UK Parlophone 1249)

01. Adam Faith - Lady Oh Lady.mp3
02. Adam Faith - High Heel Sneakers.mp3
03. Adam Faith - Talk About Love.mp3
04. Adam Faith - Look Out Baby.mp3
05. Adam Faith - Everybody's Talking 'Bout a Thing Called Love.mp3
06. Adam Faith - Night Time Is the Right Time.mp3
07. Adam Faith - I Wanna Be Your Man.mp3
08. Adam Faith - Little Queenie.mp3
09. Adam Faith - Hey Little Lovin' Girl.mp3
10. Adam Faith - Hey Baby.mp3
11. Adam Faith - I Can't Think of Anyone Else.mp3
12. Adam Faith - You Can't Blame Him.mp3
13. Adam Faith - Heartbreak Hotel.mp3
14. Adam Faith - I Need Your Loving.mp3

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Freddy Cannon

2011-08-29T06:17:00.000-07:00

In looking back over the history of rock & roll, the sad fact remains that very few of its original practitioners stayed true to its original big beat vision. Some made a handful of brilliant sides before broader horizons -- television or the movies -- beckoned. Others were rockers in name only, pop singers who couldn't wait to shimmy into a tuxedo, trading in stomp'n'shout hysteria for the more "respectable" future of dispensing supper club schmaltz. But Freddy Cannon was a true believer, a rocker to the bone. Freddy Cannon made rock & roll records; great noisy rock & roll records and all of them were infused with a gigantic drum beat that was an automatic invitation to shake it on down anyplace there was a spot to dance. Freddy Cannon remained true to the beat and made some really great fun rock & roll records in the bargain. Because of the time frame he enjoyed his biggest successes in -- the late '50s to the mid-'60s -- Cannon is wrongly lumped in with the "Bobbies and Frankies" that proliferated during that era. But a quick listen to any of his finest records quickly dispels any preconceived notions of him being a pretty-boy teen idol no-talent. Read On

Cannon could genuinely rock and on two of his very best records -- "Talahassee Lassie" and "Buzz-Buzz-A-Diddle-It" -- Freddy Cannon supplies his own electric rhythm guitar, with his scrappy work on the latter record being particularly effective. His records were masterminded by producers Bob Crewe and Frank Slay, all well-constructed discs with every thump of the big beat and every vocal "woo" out of Cannon perfectly placed and timed for maximum impact. Hits like "Way Down Yonder in New Orleans," "Action," and "Palisades Park" may be "slicker" records than the two mentioned above, but they still possess an enormous vitality and commitment to rock & roll; few others could bring an old chestnut like "Way Down Yonder in New Orleans" into the modern age with a straight face. "Cannon"'s immense energy and contagious style make these noisy, very exciting records well worth investigating.

He was born Frederico Anthony Picariello in 1940 and grew up in the nearby Boston suburb of Lynn, MA. He got hit by the big beat early, but it helped having parents who had more than a passing interest in music; his dad blew trumpet, sang, and fronted local combos as Freddy Karmon while his mother's penchant for amateur songwriting would hand him the genesis of his first hit. Young Freddy soaked up the rhythm & blues of Big Joe Turner and the jump blues of bands like Buddy Johnson on the radio. But it was the guitar music of Chuck Berry that made the most lasting impression. As Cannon once said, "Give me four of five guys who can play hard and in the pocket and to me, you've got a rock & roll show." This stripped, down-to-basics motto became his credo, even when surrounded by big, brassy bands, singing old tunes his father had sung; in a time frame full of phony baloney teen idols, Freddy Cannon always remained a true rock & roller.

Like most American teenagers at the time, Freddy went in search of the new music, which wasn't plentiful back then, despite what revisionist history tells us. He soon threw his lot in -- playing rhythm guitar and singing -- with a group called the Spindrifts and cut his first record, a local almost hit called "Cha-Cha-Do." After the group's 15 minutes of local fame had evaporated, our hero formed his first rock & roll band, Freddy Karmon & the Hurricanes. With himself on rhythm guitar, another guy on sax taking most of the leads, a piano man, and a distant relative keeping the beat, Freddy had his first big beat combo. The record-hop scene in the Boston area was wide open for artists to make a local dent and Cannon and the boys played at every opportunity that came their way. In the meantime, he drove a truck after school, always coming home in time to watch Dick Clark's American Bandstand every afternoon, wishing he was one of the recordings stars, singing his song on the show.

One afternoon, he arrived home and his mother instructed him to grab his guitar; she had written a poem that she wanted Freddy to set to music. The poem was called "Rock and Roll Baby," which our hero put to a stomping, Chuck Berry beat and three-chord rock & roll progression. A quickie solo demo eventually found its way into the hands of indie producer Bob Crewe and his partner Frank Slay. Slay and Crewe rewrote the tune's verses and had Freddy Karmon & the Hurricanes go into a Boston studio and cut the new version as "Tallahassee Lassie." Even with local guitar twanging hotshot Kenny Paulsen brought into the lineup as a ringer, the record was only 75 percent of the way there to being a bona fide hit. After a pre-release acetate hearing at Dick Clark's house, the host of American Bandstand suggests the addition of a bass drum lick and hand claps in the middle, and back to the studio to overdub went Slay, Crewe, and Freddy. To fill up the remaining holes in the record, Crewe got the singer to go "wooo" at every available opportunity, a vocal gimmick that would soon become a signature trademark. A true piece of 1950s DIY studio craftsmanship and a record that simply rocks from beginning to end like few others, "Tallahassee Lassie" was his first solo record, his first hit, and the first record under his new name: "Freddy Cannon," newly named by Bernie Binnick, the president of his new record company, Swan Records in Philadelphia.

It was also the birth of a whole new style, a style that belonged to Freddy and his producers, lock, stock, and excitement galore. Following a formula of cutting tunes that named cities or states in the title, Cannon re-stormed the charts with records like "Okefenokee," "Way Down Yonder In New Orleans," "Chattanooga Shoe Shine Boy," and "Muskrat Ramble." It is "Palisades Park," however, that remains his most enduring hit, a one-shot piece of amateur songwriter genius penned by later-Gong Show host Chuck Barris under the original title of "Amusement Park." It's a certified classic of oldies radio with a razor-sharp double tracked vocal by Cannon and roller-coaster sound effects dubbed in by Crewe as its audio hallmarks. Later chart entries like "Humdinger," "Transistor Sister," "If You Were a Rock and Roll Record," and "Teen Queen of the Week," showed that Cannon kept bringing the energy and the big beat at a time when most male singers were insipidly crooning. After leaving Swan with the height of Beatle mania lurking right around the corner, Freddy Cannon kept on rockin', extending his hit streak over to Warner Bros.; with records like "Abigail Beecher," "Beechwood City," "The Dedication Song" and providing the theme for Dick Clark's Where The Action Is!, also appearing in a couple of micro epic rock & roll movies along the way. He continued to knock 'em dead as a live act, something he still does today when the mood strikes him on the revival circuit, still capable of bringing the heat when a young band nails the groove behind him. (by Cub Koda)

1960 LP The Explosive Freddy Cannon (US Swan 502)

01. Freddy Cannon - Boston ( My Home Town )
02. Freddy Cannon - Kansas City
03. Freddy Cannon - Sweet Georgia Brown
04. Freddy Cannon - Way Down Yonder In New Orleans
05. Freddy Cannon - St. Louis Blues
06. Freddy Cannon - Indiana
07. Freddy Cannon - Chattanoogie Shoo Shine Boy
08. Freddy Cannon - Deep In The Heart Of Texas
09. Freddy Cannon - California, Here I Come
10. Freddy Cannon - Okefenokee
11. Freddy Cannon - Carolina In The Morning
12. Freddy Cannon - Tallahassee Lassie

1961 LP Freddy Cannon Sings Happy Shades Of Blue (US Swan 504)

01. Freddy Cannon - My Blue Heaven
02. Freddy Cannon - Five Foot Two, Eyes Of Blue
03. Freddy Cannon - Blue Suede Shoes
04. Freddy Cannon - Blue Skies
05. Freddy Cannon - Lavender Blue
06. Freddy Cannon - Blue Plate Special
07. Freddy Cannon - Bye Bye Blues
08. Freddy Cannon - Alice Blue Gown
09. Freddy Cannon - The House Of Blue Lights
10. Freddy Cannon - The Old Piano Roll Blues
11. Freddy Cannon - The Blacksmith Blues
12. Freddy Cannon - Happy Shades Of Blue

1961 LP Freddy Cannon's Solid Gold Hits (US Swan 505)

01. Freddy Cannon - Tallahassee Lassie
02. Freddy Cannon - Jump Over
03. Freddy Cannon - Humpdinger
04. Freddy Cannon - You Know
05. Freddy Cannon - The Urge
06. Freddy Cannon - Muskrat ramble
07. Freddy Cannon - Cuernavaca Choo Choo
08. Freddy Cannon - Chattanooga Shoe Shine Boy
09. Freddy Cannon - Two Thousand-88
10. Freddy Cannon - Boston (my home town)
11. Freddy Cannon - Happy shades of blue
12. Freddy Cannon - Opportunity
13. Freddy Cannon - Way Down Yonder In New Orleans
14. Freddy Cannon - Okefenokee
15. Freddy Cannon - Buzz buzz a diddle it

1962 LP Palisades Park (US Swan 507)

01. Freddy Cannon - Palisades Park
02. Freddy Cannon - Transistor Sister
03. Freddy Cannon - Buzz Buzz A Diddle It
04. Freddy Cannon - The Merry Go-Round Broke Down
05. Freddy Cannon - Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini
06. Freddy Cannon - Meet Me In St. Louis (Medley)
07. Freddy Cannon - Forever True
08. Freddy Cannon - For Me And My Girl
09. Freddy Cannon - Teen Queen Of The Week
10. Freddy Cannon - Summer's Comin'
11. Freddy Cannon - Splish Splash
12. Freddy Cannon - June, July And August

1963 LP Freddy Cannon Steps Out (US Swan 511)

01. Freddy Cannon - That's The Way Girls Are
02. Freddy Cannon - Patty Baby
03. Freddy Cannon - It's Been Nice
04. Freddy Cannon - Four Letter Man
05. Freddy Cannon - All I Wanna Be Is Your Boom Forever
06. Freddy Cannon - Do What The Hippies Do
07. Freddy Cannon - The Slide
08. Freddy Cannon - Betty Jean
09. Freddy Cannon - What A Party
10. Freddy Cannon - The Ups And Downs Of Love
11. Freddy Cannon - Come On And Love Me
12. Freddy Cannon - Everybody Monkey

1964 LP Freddie Cannon (US Warner Bros. W-1544)

01. Freddy Cannon - Abigail Beecher
02. Freddy Cannon - For You
03. Freddy Cannon - Southtown USA
04. Freddy Cannon - Gonna Send You Back To Georgia
05. Freddy Cannon - Shimmy Shimmy
06. Freddy Cannon - She Loves You
07. Freddy Cannon - California Sun
08. Freddy Cannon - Hey Little Cobra
09. Freddy Cannon - Come On
10. Freddy Cannon - Good News
11. Freddy Cannon - All American Girl
12. Freddy Cannon - I Want To Hold Your Hand

1965 LP Action (US Warner Bros. W-1612)

01. Freddy Cannon - Action
02. Freddy Cannon - Hang On Sloopy
03. Freddy Cannon - It's Happening
04. Freddy Cannon - She's Something Else
05. Freddy Cannon - High Heel Sneekers
06. Freddy Cannon - Papa's Got A Brand New Bag
07. Freddy Cannon - Let Me Show You Where It's At
08. Freddy Cannon - Beachwood City
09. Freddy Cannon - You Gotta Help Yourself
10. Freddy Cannon - How You Gonna Keep A Good Heart Down

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Aaron Neville - Tell It Like It Is

2011-08-11T04:34:00.000-07:00

1967 LP Like It Is (US Minit LP-40007)

01. Aaron Neville - Over You
02. Aaron Neville - Get Out Of My Life
03. Aaron Neville - I Found Another Love
04. Aaron Neville - Don't Cry
05. Aaron Neville - Sweet Little Mama
06. Aaron Neville - Waiting At The Station
07. Aaron Neville - How Many Times
08. Aaron Neville - Let's Live
09. Aaron Neville - Every Day
10. Aaron Neville - Reality
11. Aaron Neville - Wrong Number (I Am Sorry, Goodbye)
12. Aaron Neville - How Can I Help But Love You

1966 LP Tell It Like It Is (US Parlo P-1)

01. Aaron Neville - Tell It Like It Is
02. Aaron Neville - Why Worry
03. Aaron Neville - She Took You For A Ride
04. Aaron Neville - A Hard Nut to Crack
05. Aaron Neville - You Think You're So Smart
06. Aaron Neville - Jailhouse
07. Aaron Neville - Bet You're Surprised [Instrumental]
08. Aaron Neville - Love, Love, Love
09. Aaron Neville - Since You're Gone
10. Aaron Neville - Space Man
11. Aaron Neville - Hold on, Help Is on the Way [Instrumental]

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Although Aaron Neville is often compared to singer Sam Cooke in terms of sheer vocal refinement, he has a voice and style uniquely his own. He is well known as part of the New Orleans sound of the Neville Brothers. Yet, aside from the 1967 number one R&B hit "Tell It Like It Is," few have heard his incredible early solo recordings. Many of the first recordings of Neville, in the early and mid-'60s, were arranged, produced, and often written by the brilliant Allen Toussaint -- another talent only later being really appreciated. Most of these sides were cut for the Minit and, later, Parlo labels. Songs like "She Took You for a Ride" and "You Think You're So Smart" on Parlo are masterpieces. While his more recent work, including that with Linda Ronstadt, makes for pleasant listening, it lacks the sheer persuasion of his early songs. Neville has re-recorded his early work often, and it is important to hear the originals. The early sides are just waiting to be heard. (by Michael Erlewine)

The Spiders

2011-07-20T14:38:00.000-07:00

The Spiders - Eindhoven (1962-1967)

1964 Fontana YF 278043 Spiders - Oze Wieze - Woze / Thank You Girl
1965 Fontana YF 278080 Spiders - Christina / Amor, Amor

The Spiders, a Dutch group from Eindhoven, started as The Valents. When recording the first single the record company (Fontana) changed their name to The Spiders. The Spiders recorded 2 singels; "Oze Wieze Woze" backed up with "Thank You Girl" from The Beatles, and "Christina" with "Amor Amor" at the flip side. Both records are released in the most sought after Dutch 'Favorieten Expres' series. The Spiders was one of the first (maybe even the first) Dutch band with a performance in The Starclub in Hamburg, Germany. This happened on a festival with nonstop 20 hours/day bands from all over Europe, but mostly British. The Starclub was in the Sixties one of the most famous clubs where also The Beatles starred. After the second single success was over, and they disbanded in 1967.

Heinz van Tuyl - Solo guitar
Jos Panhuysen - Lead guitar + vocal
Hans Vermeulen - Bass
Peter v. Breemen - Drums

The Moody Blues - The Magnificent Moodies (1965)

2011-07-20T13:20:00.000-07:00

1965 LP The Magnificent Moodies (UK Decca LK-4711)

01. The Moody Blues - I'll Go Crazy
02. The Moody Blues - Something You Got
03. The Moody Blues - Go Now
04. The Moody Blues - Can't Nobody Love You
05. The Moody Blues - I Don't Mind
06. The Moody Blues - I've Got A Dream
07. The Moody Blues - Let Me Go
08. The Moody Blues - Stop
09. The Moody Blues - Thank You Baby
10. The Moody Blues - It Ain't Necessarily So
11. The Moody Blues - True Story
12. The Moody Blues - Bye Bye Bird

Bonus:
13. The Moody Blues - Steal Your Heart Away
14. The Moody Blues - Lose Your Money (But Don't Lose Your Mind)
15. The Moody Blues - It's Easy Child
16. The Moody Blues - I Don't Want To Go On Without You
17. The Moody Blues - Time Is On My Side
18. The Moody Blues - From The Bottom Of My Heart (I Love You)
19. The Moody Blues - And My Baby's Gone
20. The Moody Blues - Everyday
21. The Moody Blues - You Don't (All The Time)
22. The Moody Blues - This Is My Home (But Nobody Calls)
23. The Moody Blues - Life's Not Life
24. The Moody Blues - He Can Win
25. The Moody Blues - Boulevard De La Madelaine

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The pre-psychedelic Moody Blues were represented in England by this album, which is steeped in American soul. The covers include songs by James Brown, Willie Dixon, and Chris Kenner, plus the chart-busting "Go Now" (originally recorded by Bessie Banks), interspersed with a brace of originals by lead singer/guitarist Denny Laine and keyboardist Mike Pinder, and one Jeff Barry/Ellie Greenwich number, "I've Got a Dream." The shouters, like "I'll Go Crazy" and "Bye Bye Bird," will be the big surprises, showcasing the rawest sound by the group, but "I've Got a Dream" shows a lyrical, harmony-based sound that is vaguely reminiscent of the Four Tops (which is ironic, as that group later cut a single of the latter-day Moody Blues original "So Deep Within You"), while "Thank You Baby," a Laine/Pinder original, offers them doing a smooth, dance-oriented number with some catchy hooks. The group's sound is good and loud, and Laine was a phenomenal singer, though the band lacked the charisma and built-in excitement of such rivals as the Rolling Stones and the Animals. This album is more interesting than its American equivalent, but also not as good, since it leaves off such single sides as "Steal Your Heart Away" and the Pinder/Laine "From the Bottom of My Heart," the latter being the best side this version of the group ever recorded. (by Bruce Eder)

Tony Orlando - Bless You

2011-07-14T13:10:00.000-07:00

1961 LP Bless You (US Epic BN-611)

01. Tony Orlando - Bless You
02. Tony Orlando - Dream Lover
03. Tony Orlando - I'll Never Find Another You
04. Tony Orlando - Will You Love Me Tomorrow
05. Tony Orlando - Tell Me Where To Run To
06. Tony Orlando - Some Kind Of Wonderful
07. Tony Orlando - Halfway To Paradise
08. Tony Orlando - Happy Times
09. Tony Orlando - Lonely Am I
10. Tony Orlando - The Lovin' Touch
11. Tony Orlando - Lonely Tomorrows
12. Tony Orlando - Am I The Guy

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In conjunction with his backing duo Dawn, singer Tony Orlando was one of the biggest pop stars of the early '70s, best remembered for the mammoth hit "Tie a Yellow Ribbon 'Round the Ole Oak Tree." Born Michael Anthony Orlando Cassavitis in New York City on April 3, 1944, he entered the music business at the age of 16 following a successful audition for producer Don Kirshner. Orlando's first hit, 1961's "Halfway to Paradise," was written for him by Carole King, who also authored the Top 20 follow-up, "Bless You." However, after scoring a minor chart entry with "Happy Times (Are Here to Stay)," his career ground to a halt when Kirshner sold his company to Screen Gems, which showed considerably more interest in publishing music than recording it; Orlando was given a job with the company's promotional department, and in 1967 he was tapped by Columbia Records to head their own publishing division, April-Blackwood Music.

In early 1970, Orlando received a call from Bell Records producer Hank Medress requesting that he lay down a lead vocal over a demo recorded by a Detroit-based act called Dawn. The duo, consisting of vocalists Telma Hopkins and Joyce Vincent, had previously backed up singers including Edwin Starr, Johnnie Taylor, Freda Payne, and others; according to legend, Orlando never even met either singer until well after the record, "Candida," became a massive hit, rising to number three on the singles charts. Orlando quickly agreed to cut another record with Dawn, nonetheless adamantly insisting on keeping his day job; titled "Knock Three Times," the single topped the charts in early 1971, and finally he returned to music full-time, signing with Bell and going on tour with Hopkins and Vincent under the banner of Dawn, Featuring Tony Orlando.

Released in 1973, "Tie a Yellow Ribbon" became Orlando's biggest hit yet, and was named the top-selling single of the year. Long after its original success, the song re-entered the public consciousness with renewed force in 1981, becoming something of anthem during the Iranian hostage crisis as American citizens regularly tied yellow ribbons around trees as a symbol of their hopes and prayers for the hostages' safe return. By that time, Tony Orlando & Dawn had long since dissolved: after scoring subsequent Top Ten hits with 1973's "Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose?," 1974's "Steppin' Out (Gonna Boogie Tonight)," and 1975's chart-topping "He Don't Love You (Like I Love You)," the group's popularity began to slip, although they enjoyed considerable success with their CBS television variety series. However, in July 1977, Orlando -- reeling from the recent deaths of his sister and his close friend Freddie Prinze, as well as mounting drug problems -- announced his retirement, giving up show biz in the name of Christianity. (by Jason Ankeny)

Johnnie Ray - Hysteria! - The Singles

2011-07-14T10:26:00.000-07:00

Johnnie Ray - Hysteria! - The Singles

01. Johnnie Ray - Whiskey And Gin
02. Johnnie Ray - Tell The Lady I Said Goodbye
03. Johnnie Ray - She Didn't Say Nothin' At All
04. Johnnie Ray - Give Me Time
05. Johnnie Ray - All Of Me
06. Johnnie Ray - Cry
07. Johnnie Ray - The Little White Cloud That Cried
08. Johnnie Ray - Don't Take Your Love From Me
09. Johnnie Ray - Please, Mr. Sun
10. Johnnie Ray - (Here Am I) Broken Hearted
11. Johnnie Ray - Mountains In The Moonlight
12. Johnnie Ray - Don't Blame Me
13. Johnnie Ray - Coffee And Cigarettes
14. Johnnie Ray - Walkin' My Baby Back Home
15. Johnnie Ray - A Sinner Am I
16. Johnnie Ray - Gee, But I'm Lonesome
17. Johnnie Ray - Faith Can Move Mountains
18. Johnnie Ray - Love Me (Baby Can't You Love Me)
19. Johnnie Ray - Ma Says, Pa Says
20. Johnnie Ray - A Full Time Job

01. Johnnie Ray - Glad Rag Doll
02. Johnnie Ray - Somebody Stole My Gal
03. Johnnie Ray - Let's Walk That-A-Way
04. Johnnie Ray - Candy Lips
05. Johnnie Ray - Such A Night
06. Johnnie Ray - Hey There
07. Johnnie Ray - Hernando's Hideaway
08. Johnnie Ray - Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone
09. Johnnie Ray - Why Should I Be Sorry
10. Johnnie Ray - Papa Loves Mambo
11. Johnnie Ray - If You Believe
12. Johnnie Ray - Alexander's Ragtime Band
13. Johnnie Ray - As Time Goes By
14. Johnnie Ray - Paths Of Paradise
15. Johnnie Ray - Flip Flop And Fly
16. Johnnie Ray - Song Of The Dreamer
17. Johnnie Ray - Johnnie's Comin' Home
18. Johnnie Ray - Who's Sorry Now?
19. Johnnie Ray - Ain't Misbehavin'
20. Johnnie Ray - Goodbye, Au Revoir, Adios

01. Johnnie Ray - Just Walking In The Rain
02. Johnnie Ray - Because I Love You
03. Johnnie Ray - You Don't Owe Me A Thing
04. Johnnie Ray - Look Homeward, Angel
05. Johnnie Ray - Yes Tonight, Josephine
06. Johnnie Ray - No Wedding Today
07. Johnnie Ray - Build Your Love (On A Strong Foundation)
08. Johnnie Ray - Up Above My Head (I Hear Music In The Air)
09. Johnnie Ray - Good Evening Friends
10. Johnnie Ray - Pink Sweater Angel
11. Johnnie Ray - Texas Tambourine
12. Johnnie Ray - Soliloquy Of A Fool
13. Johnnie Ray - Miss Me Just A Little
14. Johnnie Ray - Plant A Little Seed
15. Johnnie Ray - Endlessly
16. Johnnie Ray - Up Until Now
17. Johnnie Ray - When's Your Birthday, Baby
18. Johnnie Ray - What More Can I Say
19. Johnnie Ray - I'll Never Fall In Love Again
20. Johnnie Ray - I'll Make You Mine

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Although practically deaf, Johnnie Ray's tear-inflected delivery tabbed him as an early-'50s sensation. Leaving Oregon for Detroit, Ray found a gig at the Flame Club, an R&B and jazz institution. In 1951, Ray signed with Columbia's R&B subsidiary Okeh Records, although "Cry," his histrionic million-seller that year, was a pop entry all the way, with background vocals by the Four Lads. Produced by Mitch Miller, "Cry" remained perched atop the pop charts for nearly three months. Ray encored with "The Little White Cloud That Cried" before moving to the parent Columbia logo and enjoying a steady stream of pop hits, including "Walkin' My Baby Back Home" in 1952 and a cover of The Prisonaires' "Just Walking in the Rain" in 1956. Ray's frenzied antics set off riots among female admirers during his heyday, but the advent of rock soon dulled his hitmaking powers. By 1959, the hits were through.

1963 Teenage Triangle / Bye Bye Birdie

2011-07-11T07:21:00.000-07:00

1963 LP Teenage Triangle (US Colpix CP-444)

01. James Darren - Goodbye Cruel World
02. Shelley Fabares - Johnny Angel
03. Paul Peterson - She Can't Find Her Keys
o4. James Darren - Her Royal Majesty
05. Shelley Fabares - Johnny Loves Me
06. Paul Peterson - Keep Your Love Locked
07. James Darren - Gidget
08. Shelley Fabares - The Things We Did Last Summer
09. Paul Peterson -Lollipops and Roses
10. James Darren - Conscience
11. Shelley Fabares - I'm Growing Up
12. Paul Peterson - Little Boy Sad

1963 LP Bye Bye Birdie (US Colpix CP-454)

01. James Darren - Put On a Happy Face
02. James Darren - A Lot of Livin' to Do
03. Paul Peterson - Rosie
04. Shelley Fabares - How Lovely to Be a Woman
05. James Darren - Baby, Talk to Me
06. Paul Peterson - Kids (Folks)
07. Shelley Fabares - Bye Bye Birdie
08. Phillips, Stu Orchestra And Chorus - We Love You Conrad
09. The Marcels - One Last Kiss
10. Paul Peterson - One Girl (Boy)
11. The Marcels - Honestly Sincere
12. James Darren - Bye Bye Birdie Medley

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Teenage Triangle is a joint album by three pop artists, Shelley Fabares, James Darren and Paul Petersen. It was released in 1963 on Colpix Records and included 12 tracks with 4 songs from each of the three singers. Seven of the singles were US Top 40 hits, 2 from Fabares, 2 from Petersen and 3 from Darren. The album was produced and arranged by Stu Phillips. It was available in both mono and stereo, catalogue numbers CP-444 and SCP-444. Teenage Triangle peaked on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart at #48 in May 1963.

Bye Bye Birdie was a 1963 musical comedy film from Columbia Pictures. It was a film adaptation of the stage production of the same name. The screenplay was written by Michael Stewart and Irving Brecher, with music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Lee Adams. Directed by George Sidney, the film version starred Dick Van Dyke, reprising his Broadway role as Albert Peterson, along with Maureen Stapleton as Mae Peterson, Janet Leigh as Rosie DeLeon, Paul Lynde reprising his Broadway role as Harry MacAfee, Bobby Rydell as Hugo Peabody, and Ann-Margret as Kim MacAfee. The original soundtrack was released by RCA Records in 1964 but here is a 1963 Colpix production with their biggest stars of that time.

Shep & The Limelites - Our Anniversary (1962)

2011-01-05T14:35:00.000-08:00

1962 LP Our Anniversary (Hull 1001)

01. Shep & The Limelights - Daddy's Home
02. Shep & The Limelights - This I Know
03. Shep & The Limelights - Ready For Love
04. Shep & The Limelights - You'Ll Be Sorry
05. Shep & The Limelights - What Did Daddy Do
06. Shep & The Limelights - Gee Baby What About You
07. Shep & The Limelights - Our Anniversary
08. Shep & The Limelights - Who Told The Sandman
09. Shep & The Limelights - Three Steps From The Altar
10. Shep & The Limelights - Oh What A Feeling
11. Shep & The Limelights - Stick By Me (And I'Ll Stick By You)
12. Shep & The Limelights - I'm A Hurting Inside

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Shep & the Limelites' name will forever be etched in rock & roll history for recording the endearing "Daddy's Home," a tender ballad about returning from war that soared to number two on the pop charts in May 1961. James Sheppard's career began with the Heartbeats, a band from Jamaica, Queens, NY. (They were the Hearts until a female group from Harlem with the same name scored a minor hit called "Lonely Nights" in early 1955.) The Hearts would mimic songs by the Orioles, the Ravens, Five Keys, the Moonglows, the Larks, the Flamingos, and others. When not rehearsing, they competed with wannabes in parks and under street corner lamps. During one encounter they battled a group led by James Sheppard; impressed, the Hearts asked Sheppard to be their new lead.

The acquisition of Sheppard helped the Hearts twofold: not only could he blow, he also wrote gorgeous ballads. Shortly after he joined the Hearts, they became the Heartbeat Quintet and started playing clubs, weddings, graduations, ceremonies, and basement parties. Jazz saxophonist Illinois Jacquet befriended them and let them rehearse in his basement. Jacquet's brother arranged their first recording opportunity. "Tormented," a ballad written by Sheppard, was released on Network Records in Philadelphia, but lack of promotion killed any chance of success. After shortening their name to the Heartbeats, they came to the attention of William Miller, who worked for Hull Records. He introduced the quintet to owner Bea Caslin, who was impressed by their tight harmonies and Sheppard's songwriting skills; the group was soon signed to the label. Three initial releases sold well, particularly the magnificent "Your Way"; all were ballads written by Sheppard.
Read on +/-

The minor successes of the recordings encouraged Hull Records to invest in professional choreography to tighten the band's stage presentation. Appearances at premier New York venues like the Brooklyn Fox and the Apollo had become common. To the surprise of Hull Records, fans called radio stations in record numbers demanding to hear the flip of "Baby Don't Go," the exquisite "A Thousand Miles Away." Sheppard's craving for an ex-girlfriend who moved to Texas had inspired "A Thousand." Not only did the song do well locally and regionally, it started selling nationwide. Bookings poured in, providing appearances with luminaries like Ray Charles, B.B. King, and the Flamingos. Touring, however, didn't prove lucrative, as they experienced an inordinate share of misfortunes including vehicle breakdowns and promoters leaving with the proceeds. "Daddy's Home" would be the Heartbeats' final Hull Record release.

Bea Caslin then sold the Heartbeats' contract and the publishing rights to the Roulette Record conglomerate. "I Won't Be the Fool Anymore" came out on Rama Records in 1957; after another Rama release, Roulette switched them to Gee Records, and eventually to Roulette itself. "500 Miles to Go" and "After New Year's Eve" were the most successful commercially, while "Down on My Knees" was the most notable artistically.

Problems within the group began to show: the last straw came when Sheppard passed out at the microphone in Philadelphia, and bandmate Al Crump sang the lyrics until Sheppard was able to continue. The group wanted to breakup after this embarrassment but had commitments, so the group sang on gigs as a quartet doing standards, and Sheppard appeared afterward to sing the Heartbeat hits. They did their last gig in 1959 at the Howard Theater in Washington, D.C., and Sheppard opened a restaurant in Jamaica, Queens, singing solo on the side.

Two years after the the Heartbeats' demise, Sheppard met some old friends -- Clarence Bassett and Charles Baskerville of the Videos -- and formed Shep & the Limelites. Bassett had also warbled with the Five Sharps. After two flops on Apt. Records, Shep returned to Hull Records and Caslin signed them on the spot. "Daddy's Home" was Shep & the Limelites' first Hull release and it nearly aced the pop chart, stopping at number two. (Ricky Nelson's "Travelin' Man" kept it from the top spot.) Hull released 12 Shep & the Limelites singles between 1961 and 1965. "Our Anniversary" went to number seven R&B in 1962 and was their only other chart success. Personal differences caused the Limelites to disband by 1966. Baskervlle joined the Players, and Bassett sang with the Flamingos and later Creative Funk. Sheppard reunited with the Limelites in 1970 to perform on the oldie revival circuit, but this quickly ended when Sheppard was found on January 24, 1970, shot to death in his car on the Long Island expressway.

The Hunters (NL) - The singles

2011-01-05T01:41:00.000-08:00

1965 SP Mr.Tambourine Man/It Ain't Me Babe (NL RCA Victor 47-9597)
1965 SP You Were On My Mind/Bury Me Beneath The Willow (NL RCA Victor 47-9599)
1966 SP Russian Spy And I/Spring (NL RCA Victor 47-9656)
1966 SP Janosh/When I See Babette (NL RCA Victor 47-9657)
1967 SP I'm The King/The Consul Of Sidney (NL RCA Victor 47-9751)
1968 SP Lost Money/Shovel Man (NL Imperial IH 818)
1968 SP Strange Things Appear/Blues In G (NL Imperial IH 791)

In 1965 Jan Akkerman and his band decided to change their name from "Johnny and The Cellar Rockers" to "Johnny and the Hunters", wich became simply "The Hunters" soon after. Paul Hubert replaced Jan Burgers on guitar, while Wilfred Arens was the new bassplayer. Wilfred on his turn was replaced by Ron Bijtelaar in 1966. Their first singles featured Rita Severijnse and Floor Klomp on vocals, but since "The Russian Spy and I", released in June 1966, they shared the vocals themselves. That single became a Top 40 hit in The Netherlands, as it reached #10. The next single "Janosh" wasn't very successful (#40) and not very good aether. But it was a logical follow-up to its predecessor, who became one of the milestones in Dutch pop history. After that single, Ron Bijtelaar was replaced by Frank Smit, before Ron finally returned to The Hunters, to play on their last single "Lost Money" in November 1968. The Hunters were, just like the "Cellar Rockers", also a backing group for several lead singers. For instance, they recorded a single with vocaliste Peggy March in 1966. Recently this photo from the recording session turned up. For more info about Jan Akkerman -- Holland's best guitar player ever: janakkerman.com

The Super Stocks (1964)

2011-01-04T16:04:00.000-08:00

1964 LP Thunder Road (US Capitol ST-2060)

01. The Super Stocks - Surf Route 101
02. The Super Stocks - Muscle Beach Party
03. The Super Stocks - Ventura
04. The Super Stocks - Santa Barbara
05. The Super Stocks - Redondo Beach
06. The Super Stocks - Surfin' Scene
07. The Super Stocks - Balboa Island
08. The Super Stocks - Oceanside
09. The Super Stocks - My First Love
10. The Super Stocks - Midnight Run
11. The Super Stocks - Malibu Blues
12. The Super Stocks - Newport Beach

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1964 LP Surf Route 101 (US Capitol ST-2113)

01. The Super Stocks - Thunder Road
02. The Super Stocks - "T" Roadster
03. The Super Stocks - Ballad Of Bonneville
04. The Super Stocks - Ramcharger
05. The Super Stocks - 427 Super Stock
06. The Super Stocks - D/Gas Chevy
07. The Super Stocks - Wheel Stands
08. The Super Stocks - Trophy Run
09. The Super Stocks - Draggin' Deuce
10. The Super Stocks - Hot To Trot
11. The Super Stocks - Custom Caravan

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1964 LP School Is A Drag (US Capitol ST-2190)

01. The Super Stocks - School Is A Drag
02. The Super Stocks - School Bus Blues
03. The Super Stocks - Hot Rod High
04. The Super Stocks - Let Freedom Ring
05. The Super Stocks - Class Day
06. The Super Stocks - Gridiron Goodie
07. The Super Stocks - Saturday's Hero
08. The Super Stocks - Readin', Ridin', And Racin'
09. The Super Stocks - A Guy Without Wheels
10. The Super Stocks - Wild One
11. The Super Stocks - Little Honda
12. The Super Stocks - The Last Walk

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The Super Stocks were one of the better and more interesting studio creations of producer-composer Gary Usher. Usher had been a singer and recording artist in his own right, but made his biggest splash in the music business during the early '60s, through his collaborations with Brian Wilson on such songs as "In My Room" and "409." He wrote more songs in that vein in collaboration with Roger Christian (who also worked with Brian Wilson), and was soon prevailed upon to provide actual recordings of surf and car songs, which were a hot sound in 1963. This resulted in his organizing of several "groups" that existed only in the studio (usually comprised of the same singers and featuring the same session musicians playing on them), including the Hondells, the Revells, and the Surfaris (who were an actual group produced by Usher, and who saw lots of the same session people turn up on their records). The Super Stocks were among Usher's more fondly remembered surf "bands" of this period, and one of the more ubiquitous, with three complete LPs to their credit as well as appearances on two popular compilation albums.

The Super Stocks first showed up on the Capitol Records car song compilation album Shut Down (not to be confused with the Beach Boys' Shut Down, Vol. Two, which was done in its wake), on which they had four songs. They also contributed six songs to the album Hot Rod Rally, but the group's main claim to fame lies in the three LPs of their own that they released in 1964: Thunder Road, Surf Route 101, and School Is a Drag. Following those odd early sides, Usher assembled a core of regular players, including Glen Campbell, Richie Podolor, and Paul Johnson on guitars; Hal Blaine on drums; and Steve Douglas on sax. He handled some of the early vocals himself, with Chuck Girard, Ritchie Burns, and Joe Kelly also singing; and Girard eventually took over most of the vocal chores. Read on +/-

The Super Stocks were a good match for the early Beach Boys in the field of surf music or car songs -- which isn't surprising, as they utilized several session musicians who subsequently moved in and out of the Beach Boys' orbit (as well as those of the similar-sounding Hondells, Revells, Surfaris, et al.) during the mid-'60s, as well as Usher and Christian as songwriters -- but never for anything beyond that. The personalized touch that Brian Wilson and company began bringing to their work, however, both in music and lyrics, as they matured in 1964 and 1965, was totally lacking in the Super Stocks' work. On the other hand, blasphemous though it may sound, some enthusiasts for the Beach Boys' early sound regarded that maturation with disdain (more than one fan echoed Pete Townshend's criticism of Pet Sounds at the time as too soft, romantic, and sentimental), and surf and car song buffs understandably love the three Super Stocks albums. The group might well have continued, had Usher not become much more interested in releasing records by the Hondells (utilizing most of the same musicians, who enjoyed a Top Ten hit with "Little Honda"), the Revells, and other outfits that he'd created; before joining Columbia Records as a staff producer in 1965. Most of the Super Stocks' alumni were already busy and established musicians -- Glen Campbell became a superstar, Hal Blaine a legend, and Richard Podolor one of the most successful producers of the 1970s -- but among the relative neophytes, Chuck Girard became the best known to the fans, by virtue of his lead vocals.

The Shadows - Three EP's (1962)

2011-01-04T15:38:00.000-08:00

1961 EP The Shadows (UK Columbia SEG-8061)

1961 EP The Shadows To The Fore (UK Columbia SEG-8094)

1961 EP Live At The Colosseum (SEGJ-11014)

1962 EP Theme Music From "The Boys" (UK Columbia SEG-8193)
Shadows - Sweet Dreams
Shadows - The Boys
Shadows - The Girls
Shadows - The Theme From 'The Boys'

1962 EP Spotlight On The Shadows (UK Columbia SEG-8135)
Shadows - Kon-Tiki
Shadows - Peace Pipe
Shadows - The Frightened City
Shadows - The Savage

1962 EP Wonderful Land Of The Shadows (UK Columbia SEG-8171)
Shadows - 36-24-36
Shadows - Midnight
Shadows - Stars Fell On Stockton
Shadows - Wonderful Land

The Shadows - Three EP's (1961)

2011-01-03T16:35:00.000-08:00

1961 EP The Shadows (UK Columbia SEG-8061)

1961 EP The Shadows To The Fore (UK Columbia SEG-8094)

1961 EP Live At The Colosseum (SEGJ-11014)

1961 EP The Shadows (UK Columbia SEG-8061)
Shadows - Mustang
Shadows - Shotgun
Shadows - Theme From 'Giant'
Shadows - Theme From 'Shane'

1961 EP The Shadows To The Fore (UK Columbia SEG-8094)
Shadows - Apache
Shadows - F.B.I.
Shadows - Man Of Mystery
Shadows - The Stranger

1961 EP Live At The Colosseum (SEGJ-11014)
Shadows - Shazam!
Shadows - Guitar Boogie
Shadows - Sleepwalk
Shadows - F.B.I.

The Jumping Jewels

2011-01-03T08:29:00.000-08:00

1963 LP Jumping High (NL Philips P 08082 L)

The Jumping Jewels - Istanbul
The Jumping Jewels - Quiereme Mucho
The Jumping Jewels - Trek To Rome
The Jumping Jewels - Dream Of The West
The Jumping Jewels - Wild Geese
The Jumping Jewels - South Of The Border
The Jumping Jewels - Blue Skies
The Jumping Jewels - El Choclo
The Jumping Jewels - Rumble
The Jumping Jewels - San Antonio Rose
The Jumping Jewels - Smoke Signals
The Jumping Jewels - Zero Zero

1964 LP Guitars About Town (UK De Wolfe DWLP 2821)

At the end of 1963, Herman Batelaan -- manager of The Jumping Jewels -- had contact with music publisher De Wolfe Ltd. in London. Music-De Wolfe was specialized in the delivery of background music for film, TV and radio, and produces a variety of material for the catalog of De Wolfe with composers and musicians from home and abroad. The Jumping Jewels recorded in a small Philips studio 12 new compositions for release in the UK on a 25 cm (10") LP. The LP was intended for general use as background music. The title of the LP was 'Guitars About Town'. Composers of the instrumentals were: Keith Papworth; Anthony Mawer; Wayne Hill and Jack Trombey -- an authors pseudonym of the Dutch composer Jan Stoeckart. The songs "Black Twist," "Lullaby," "Rock-A-Bye-Baby," "Lottery"and "Twisting Jewels" are his.

The LP, with 12 new pieces written for The Jumping Jewels, remains almost completely unknown for 15 years. Early 1978 an English collector found a box with 25 copies at a clearance in the warehouse of Wolfe Music in London. In 1979 a bootleg of this album saw daylight, made in Brussels by CL Records. In April 1981, the material was finally released in the Netherlands by DSR Records -- titled 'Rock On With The Jumping Jewels'. The accompanying text on the cover was written by Herman Batelaan. Herman explains: "...by complex contractual obligations since the first release, nothing happened with the recordings. A clear case of 'shame' as I subsequently thought by listening to this Dutch instrumental band from a thunderous -- but unfortunately past -- history."

The Jumping Jewels - Black Twist
The Jumping Jewels - Utopia
The Jumping Jewels - Footloose
The Jumping Jewels - Lullabye
The Jumping Jewels - Guitars About Town
The Jumping Jewels - Motorway
The Jumping Jewels - Night People
The Jumping Jewels - Twist And Shake
The Jumping Jewels - Rock-A Bye Baby
The Jumping Jewels - Tombola
The Jumping Jewels - Shakin' And Breakin'
The Jumping Jewels - Twisting Jewels

In 1958 -- in youth club 'Don Bosco', Rijswijk, Netherlands -- the 13-years old Hans van Eijk met Johnny Lion (Jan van Leeuwarden), who formed a singing duo at that time with his brother Fred. Together Johnny and Hans create a band: Johnny & The Jewels. Initially it was a seven piece orchestra which played -- in addition to their performances on party's -- in the parish hall of the Catholic Church. Drummer Frits Tamminga was already in the first line up and also Joop Oonk -- trained by Hans van Eijk for bass player. Peter Tamminga did play piano and Chris Jackson guitar. And then there was a certain Bas -- school companion of Hans van Eijk -- and a girl singer: Nellie. Later on Tjibbe Veeloo replaced the rhythm guitarist of the first line up: Chris Jones. The original 'Frisian' Tjibbe also learned to play guitar with the help of Hans.

Summer 1960, Willy Wissink (Willy & His Giants) operates the dancing pavilion of the roller rink in the Zuiderpark in The Hague. He also performed there with his own group: The Real Rhythm Teens. Johnny & The Jewels play there on weekends. A cousin of laundry owner Herman Batelaan played with Willy Wissink, and so comes Batelaan had contact with Wissink. When Willy leaved The Hague, Herman did take over the dances in the South Park and met Hans van Eijk and his guys. Herman Batelaan sets itself up as business manager. The orchestra was reduced to five men and from October 1960 they continue under the name The Jumping Jewels. Early 1961, record company Phonogram was looking for a guitar group -- in the style of the successful British Shadows -- who could record the world hits "Wheels" and "(Ghost) Riders In The Sky" for the Philips label. Herman Batelaan brought The Jumping Jewels at the right time in contact with Phonogram. The result was that, March, 1961, their version of the two instrumentals could be found in the record stores.

The group scores -- both, with singer Johnny Lion as instrumental -- a reasonable number of hits and grows as the most popular guitar group from the lowlands. But also in the rest of Europe and Asia they sold many records. In 1964 Pakistan, Malaysia and Singapore are visited. In Singapore approximately 10,000 fans saw their performances at the Odeon theater, in the middle of the city. 1965 Is a turbulent year for The Jumping Jewels. In April, they join Johnny Lion in the circus of Toni Boltini, but it also came to a break that summer. Johnny Lion scored a big hit with the Dutch song "Sophietje," without the Jewels. Their share was acquired by The Young Ones. The Jumping Jewels ended then their contract with Herman Batelaan and continued as a backing group for Rob de Nijs -- another popular Dutch singer. Batelaan however went to court because of rights of the groups name. He won the lawsuit which meant the end of the Jumping Jewels. Early 1966 Hans van Eijk and his men made a relaunch as a beat group: 'The Jay Jays'.

ZZ & de Maskers

2011-01-03T04:04:00.000-08:00

1964 - ZZ & De Maskers (Artone PDR-138)

01. ZZ & De Maskers - Greensleeves
02. ZZ & De Maskers - Ik Heb Genoeg Van Jou
03. ZZ & De Maskers - Main Theme From James Bond 007
04. ZZ & De Maskers - La Comparsa
05. ZZ & De Maskers - Quizas Quizas Quizas
06. ZZ & De Maskers - Shake Hands
07. ZZ & De Maskers - Beat Girl
08. ZZ & De Maskers - Spanish Tears
09. ZZ & De Maskers - Cadillac
10. ZZ & De Maskers - Till
11. ZZ & De Maskers - Tamara
12. ZZ & De Maskers - Dracula

1965 - ZZ and de Maskers (Artone POS-020)

01. ZZ & De Maskers - Playboy Loves Playgirl
02. ZZ & De Maskers - So Sorry
03. ZZ & De Maskers - I Wanna Relax
04. ZZ & De Maskers - You're Old And Leaf
05. ZZ & De Maskers - Do, Do, Do You Love Me
06. ZZ & De Maskers - They Tell You
07. ZZ & De Maskers - I Wanna Keep You
08. ZZ & De Maskers - Slopping In Las Vegas
09. ZZ & De Maskers - She's Got My Heart
10. ZZ & De Maskers - Love Is Just A One Night Thing
11. ZZ & De Maskers - Nothing To Do
12. ZZ & De Maskers - Cheat Cheat
13. ZZ & De Maskers - Dracula (English Version)

1966 - Sensations In Sound (Artone PDS-510)

01. De Maskers - As Long As I Have You
02. De Maskers - Masters Of War
03. De Maskers - Living In The Past
04. De Maskers - Angelique
05. De Maskers - Play The Game Now
06. De Maskers - Three's A Crowd
07. De Maskers - Baby Blue.mp3
08. De Maskers - Love Passed By
09. De Maskers - Danny Boy
10. De Maskers - Hodge Podge
11. De Maskers - What Price Fame
12. De Maskers - Kashbah
13. De Maskers - Turn Of The Tide

1967 - Beat Meets Rhythm & Blues (Artone PDR-552)

01. De Maskers - Batman TV Theme
02. De Maskers - Brand New Cadillac
03. De Maskers - Georgia On My Mind
04. De Maskers - Goldfinger
05. De Maskers - Smack Dab In The Middle
06. De Maskers - He Cursed Him
07. De Maskers - The Saint
08. De Maskers - Shame And Scandal In The Family
09. De Maskers - Come On Boy, Join The Army
10. De Maskers - Formula V Special
11. De Maskers - Unchain My Heart
12. De Maskers - Come With Me My Honey
13. De Maskers - Let The Good Times Roll
14. De Maskers - Ave Maria No Morro
15. De Maskers - Because I'm In Love
16. De Maskers - North Sea Melody

1967 - Shame On You (Artone PDS-560)

01. De Maskers - Shame On You
02. De Maskers - No Use Crying
03. De Maskers - I'll Take Care Of You
04. De Maskers - It Will Never Happen Again
05. De Maskers - Wade In The Water
o6. De Maskers - Hard Times
07. De Maskers - You're Taking Hold Of Me
08. De Maskers - Baby Don't You Do It
09. De Maskers - I Believe To My Soul
10. De Maskers - Watermelon Man
11. De Maskers - Sack O'Woe
12. De Maskers - Bill Bailey

The group arises late 1962 as singer Bob Bouber saw the Amsterdam band the Apron Strings on stage. He thougt the concept of ZZ & de Maskers with the entire group (including him self as ZZ) acting with masks. Later Bouber discard his mask. The group was initially focused on Dutch rock with songs like "Dracula," "Ik Heb Genoeg Van Jou," and "Shake Hands." In addition to the vocals of Bob Bouber they played a large number of instrumental tracks as ZZ & de Maskers -- although Bouber was not contributing to them. Jan de Hont was the soloist in these songs, of which La Comparsa became a classic. Inspired by the British beat music in 1964, the group also recorded songs in English as "Sloppin' in Las Vegas" (also as "Stoppin' In Las Vegas" with Chubby Checker in 1965) and "Cheat, Cheat, Cheat.

After five mostly instrumental years as "ZZ en de Maskers", and the split from their singer Bob Bouber, Jan de Hont and his Amsterdam guys tried to find new roads as De Maskers. Times had changed. Beat and Rhythm & Blues had taken over from instrumentals. The first single with the new face was "Brand New Cadillac", a cover from The Renegades. The record reaches #15 in the Dutch hit list. After that a new single came with Chubby Checker; "Baby, Baby, Balla, Balla!!!, who reached #17 in Holland and climbed to #1 in Germany. De Maskers recorded three original lp's, from who --in my opinion-- the first: "Sensations In Sound" was the best. The second lp mixed up some new tracks with a couple of older instrumentals. The record company had for sure troubles with the new 'beat face' of De Maskers, and tried to please the old fans this way. That makes it even more difficult for the band to build up a new public image. The third and last long player was more Rhythm and Blues orientated, but missed the real touch from --for instance-- The Incrowd and The Rodys, two other Dutch R&B groups. But overall De Maskers were one off the best and most important Dutch bands in the sixties with their superb guitarist Jan de Hont.

The Goldfingers (The Jets) - Santa Claus à Go Go (1966)

2010-12-23T21:03:00.000-08:00

The Jets was a very successful Dutch instrumental/beat group from the mid-sixties. They even had a lot of success in Japan as The Goldfingers -- Japan already had a group called The Jets. Here an instrumental Christmas Gem from the Japanese market that sold 300.000 ex over there, but never was released in Holland.

In 1960 beginnen Eddy Geurtsen, Nico Witkamp, Ton Mulder en Karry Mulder -- geïnspireerd door de indorock -- de instrumentale band de Rocking Explosives. De band probeert bij platenlabel Bovema aan de bak te komen, maar zonder succes. In 1961 voegt Zanger Peter van Meel zich bij het viertal, maar ook nu blijven plaatopnamen en nationaal succes uit. Als in 1963 de Rocking Explosives hun naam veranderen in The Jets verandert het tij en in 1964 brengt Margarinefabrikant Leeuwenzegel op een eigen label, Lion Tops, een EP van The Jets uit. Op de EP staan de covers 'Shake Hands' en 'Memphis Tennessee'. Naast The Jets zijn ook twee nummers van zangeres Marjolein op het album te horen. Dit plaatje is alleen te verkrijgen door veertig zegeltjes te sparen bij de margarine. Later in het jaar verschijnt de eerste 'officiële'single van The Jets bij Fontana: 'Jets Fly' met op de b-kant 'Baby Elephant Walk'. The Jets begeleiden Ernie Bender op Strandfeest en Hey Lulu.

Phonogram wil een instrumentale versie van de James Bond-hit 'Goldfinger' op de Japanse markt uitbrengen en contracteert daarvoor The Jets. Omdat er al een Japanse band bestaat die The Jets heet, veranderen ze hun naam in The Goldfingers. Het wordt een enorm succes. Ook in Nederland slaat het nummer, uitgebracht bij Fontana, aan (1965 #5). Zowel in Nederland als in Japan verschijnt de single 'Thunderball'. The Jets richten zich met een aantal albums helemaal op de Japanse markt. De kerstplaat 'Santa Claus à Go Go' gaat meer dan 300.000 keer over de toonbank. Met 'Pied Piper' is de tweede hit van The Jets in Nederland een feit (1965 #2). Het nummer is geschreven door Artie Kromfeld. Nadat Crispian St. Peters een uitvoering van The Jets hoort brengt ook hij het nummer uit en komt gelijktijdig in de Nederlandse hitlijst terecht. Ondertussen blijft het Japanse succes van The Jets aanhouden. De single 'If I Could Start My Life Again' verschijnt, met op de b-kant het door Peter Koelewijn geschreven 'The Worker In The Night'.

Aan het eind van het jaar verschijnt de voorlopig laatste single van de band: 'Please Send Me A Letter'. Om de fanclub een plezier te doen verschijnen 'Memphis Tennessee' en 'Shake Hands' alsnog samen op een single. The Jets begeleiden Bonnie St. Claire op haar debuutsingle 'Tame Me Tiger'. Het is voorlopig het laatste wapenfeit van de band. Hier het zeer moeilijk verkrijgbare Japanse album: 'Santa Claus à Go Go'.

1966 LP Santa Claus A Go Go (Japan Fontana SFON-10020)

01. Jets - White Christmas
02. Jets - Jingle Bells
03. Jets - Silent Night
04. Jets - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
05. Jets - Rudolph The Red Nose Rendeer
06. Jets - Auld Lang Syne
07. Jets - Help
08. Jets - Poupée De Cire, Poupée De Son
09. Jets - (I Can Get No) Satisfaction
10. Jets - On The Beach
11. Jets - A Ticket To Ride
12. Jets - California Girls

If you want to listen to the music... Look up in the right column.
Als je naar de muziek wilt luisteren... Kijk boven in de rechter kolom.

Johnny Hallyday - Salut Les Copains! / Amerika's Rockin' Hits (1961)

2010-12-23T15:00:00.000-08:00

Johnny Hallyday -- born Jean-Philippe Smet on June 15, 1943, in the Malesherbes area of Paris -- began his performing in French clubs and cabarets, which some of them kicked him out for singing the new American music. Having adopted the name Johnny Hallyday, he caught his big break in late 1959, when an appearance on the Paris Cocktail television show led to a record contract with Vogue. Hallyday released his first single, "Laisse les Filles," in early 1960. Its follow-up, "Souvenirs, Souvenirs," became his first major hit, and when he performed at France's first rock festival at the Palais de Sport in early 1961, he set off a near-riot that led to a ban on rock & roll shows for several months.

He switched from Vogue to Philips later that summer, and issued the smash LP Salut Mes Copains, which kicked off the so-called "yé-yé" era of French pop and made him a full-fledged teen idol. His tour of France that year touched off a hysteria not unlike the furor surrounding Elvis in the States. Toward the end of the year, Hallyday took French citizenship, appeared in the film Les Parisiennes, and had an enormous hit with "Viens Danser le Twist," an adaptation of Chubby Checker's "Let's Twist Again." Hallyday's success continued to snowball over the next few years, mixing American covers (as on the LP Johnny Hallyday Sings America's Rockin' Hits) with more traditional French pop: "Retiens la Nuit" (penned by Charles Aznavour), "Elle Est Terrible," "Be Bop a Lula," "Pas Cette Chanson," and two of his biggest hits, "L'Idole des Jeunes" and "Da Dou Ron Ron."

1961 LP Salut Les Copains! (FR Philips 77.374)

01. Johnny Hallyday - Wap-dou-wap
02. Johnny Hallyday - Si Tu Me Telephones
03. Johnny Hallyday - Retiens La Nuit
04. Johnny Hallyday - Nous, Quand On S'mbrasse
05. Johnny Hallyday - Twistin' U.S.A
06. Johnny Hallyday - Toi Qui Regrettes
07. Johnny Hallyday - Sam'di Soir
08. Johnny Hallyday - Viens Danser Le Twist
09. Johnny Hallyday - Let's Twist Again
10. Johnny Hallyday - Douce Violence
11. Johnny Hallyday - Danse Le Twist Avec Moi
12. Johnny Hallyday - Tu Peux La Prendre
13. Johnny Hallyday - Avec Une Poignee De Terre
14. Johnny Hallyday - Il Faut Saisir Sa Chance

EP Johnny Hallyday - Ya Ya Twist
EP Johnny Hallyday - La Faute Au Twist

1961 LP-25 Johnny Hallyday - Viens Danser Le Twist (FR Philips B 76.534 R)

1961 EP Johnny Hallyday -Retiens La Nuit (FR Philips 432.739 BE)

1961 LP Sings America's Rockin' Hits (FR Philips PHM 200.019)

01. Johnny Hallyday - Shake The Hand Of A Fool
02. Johnny Hallyday - Blueberry Hill
03. Johnny Hallyday - Hello Mary Lou
04. Johnny Hallyday - Feel So Fine
05. Johnny Hallyday - Take Good Care Of My Baby
06. Johnny Hallyday - Bill Bailey
07. Johnny Hallyday - I Got A Woman
08. Johnny Hallyday - Be Bop A Lula
09. Johnny Hallyday - You're Sixteen
10. Johnny Hallyday - Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On
11. Johnny Hallyday - Maybellene
12. Johnny Hallyday - Diana

Adam Faith - Adam (1960)

2010-12-23T12:35:00.000-08:00

The late '50s in England saw a legion of young teen idols, groomed for music stardom by managers eager to see their clients land a chart hit or two on their way to careers as all-around entertainers, or even television or movie actors. A few of them, like Cliff Richard and Billy Fury, were genuinely exciting rock & rollers when they started out, although most were just playing at rock & roll, and lacked the talent to make much lasting impact in any area of entertainment.

Adam Faith was one of the better ones, a late-'50s/early-'60s singing star who went on to a respectable acting career in television, movies, and theater. Born Terence Nelhams in Acton, West London, he made his first appearances in public at the legendary 21's Coffee Bar in London's Soho. He came to the attention of producer Jack Goode, which, in turn, introduced Faith to bandleader John Barry (the music director of Goode's music showcase series Oh Boy! and the music director of the Drumbeat series), which resulted in the invitation to audition for a role in Drumbeat. Faith first emerged on the music scene on the Top Rank and HMV labels, but he saw little chart success until Drumbeat came along in 1959. Read on +/-

Faith became an immediate star, with his matinee-idol looks and charismatic screen presence. He was signed to EMI's Parlophone label soon after he began work on Drumbeat. In November of 1959, he cut the single "What Do You Want," which soared to number one on the British charts in the course of a 19-week run. With a pleasing, upbeat arrangement built around pizzicato strings and a sort of peppy variation of Elvis' scowling, mumbling demeanor, Faith's career at this point was closer to teen pop than rock & roll, although his stuff is eminently listenable. His next single, "Poor Me," was a better song and also reached number one, while his third, "Somebody Else's Baby," got to number two. Although hardly cutting-edge rock & roll (and one has to ignore singles like "When Johnny Comes Marching Home"), it was all pleasant, rather reminiscent of Buddy Holly songs like "True Love Ways." The best of his singles was the John Barry co-authored "Made You," which owes a bit to songs like "Nervous Breakdown" -- it also showed what Faith could do with a real, straight-ahead rock & roll number.

He placed six songs in the Top Ten during 1960, and three more in 1961. His string of major hits was pretty much exhausted by the summer of 1962, just before the Beatles and the other Liverpool bands came along and changed the entire musical landscape, but he made one more run into the Top Ten in late 1963 with "The First Time." Listening to this stuff, it's easy to understand why acts like the Beatles, not to mention ballsier, older rock & rollers from Liverpool like Tony Sheridan and the Big Three held performers like Adam Faith in such contempt -- he could be lethally "cute" on novelty songs like "Lonely Pup (In a Christmas Shop)," a number four single over Christmas of 1960, and had no compunction about it.

Despite his shortcomings as a rock & roller, Faith left the post-Beatles era with one major gift in the form of his superb backing band, the Roulettes -- featuring future Argent members Russ Ballard and Bob Henrit -- who recorded some of the best music of the early British Invasion era. Beginning in 1963, they had a separate recording and performing career as well, including a series of superb recordings for EMI (available on BGO Records). Their records with Faith were also exceptionally good, and were among the last of his major hits. In 1965, Faith released his last new album, the concert recording Faith Alive, featuring him and the Roulettes, a surprisingly exciting and unretouched account of their work on-stage together.

Faith's handful of early film appearances generally enhanced his musical image, most notably Beat Girl (1961), a fairly gritty British delinquency drama. He turned increasingly to acting on the stage during this period, and by the '70s he'd moved on to a career in business, with a successful finance company and a directorship of the Savoy Hotel. He returned to repertory theater work in the '70s and created the title role of the series Budgie, which he later brought to the stage. Faith also resumed his film career, most notably with a major supporting role in the 1975 Michael Apted movie Stardust, starring David Essex, the Roger Daltrey-starring vehicle McVicar (1980), and the television version of Murder on the Orient Express (1985). He also went into music management during the '70s, and the most important of his clients was Leo Sayer. Adam Faith died of a heart attack at age 62 on March 8, 2003, the day after becoming ill following a stage performance of Love and Marriage at Stoke-on-Trent, North Staffordshire, England.

1960 LP Adam (UK Parlophone PMC-1128)

It may have ensured his own longevity, but Adam Faith's transformation from successful pop star to even more successful actor deprived the world of pre-Beatles Brit-pop of one of its most spellbinding practitioners. The erstwhile Terence Nelhams was playing skiffle when TV producer Jack Good advised him to change his name, but Faith was still an unknown film editor when he was rediscovered by John Barry and catapulted to fame by the Drumbeat TV series. A string of chart-topping singles followed, but even before work on his first album commenced, Faith had already shown where his heart really lay. Sessions for the record were postponed for seven months after the singer landed a role in Peter Sellers' Never Let Go movie. Adam finally appeared in late 1960, and initially amazes by its lack of past hit singles. No "What Do You Want," no "Poor Me," no "How About That," and no future smashes either. While the album itself quickly soared to number six, there would be no singles whatsoever taken from it...ah, those were the days!

The most remarkable thing about Adam is the sheer dynamic strength of the material. It has long been fashionable to regard British pop from this era as weak-kneed pap, with Cliff Richard alone leading the campaign for quality music. Adam punctures the point with singular ease. Much of the credit for the album's quality must, of course, go to Barry, whose signature string and girlie chorus arrangements dominate the proceedings. But an interesting selection of material indicates Faith's own versatility. Without ever stepping too far out of the balladic mode, he does indicate far broader tastes, most notably during the finger-popping "Greenfinger," the salutary tale of a young man who bought his girl a cheapo ring, then watched as her finger turned green. There is a reasonably rocking version of "Singing in the Rain" and a crazed swing through "Hit the Road to Dreamland." "Summertime," the George Gershwin standard that seems to have been in the repertoire of every band of the 1960s, is also given an especially punishing workout, without ever resorting to anything so crass as "rock & roll" stylings. Quite simply, it could have escaped from a Bond theme, while Faith's vocals have an addictively dreamy quality to them. The end result might be a million miles removed from what Janis Joplin would wreak upon the same defenseless tune, but pressed for a definitive reading, Faith even has the edge on her. So, it's all very classy and yes, a little old-fashioned, too. But since when has that been a bad thing? The Beatles aren't exactly cutting-edge technologists either, anymore.

01. Adam Faith - Wonderful Time
02. Adam Faith - Diamond Ring
03. Adam Faith - Summertime
04. Adam Faith - Greenfinger
05. Adam Faith - Piper Of Love
06. Adam Faith - A Girl Like You
07. Adam Faith - Turn Me Loose
08. Adam Faith - So Many Ways
09. Adam Faith - Singin' In The Rain
10. Adam Faith - Fare Thee Well My Pretty Maid
11. Adam Faith - I'm A Man
12. Adam Faith - Hit The Road To Dreamland

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The Hullaballoos - The Hullaballoos (1965)

2010-12-23T12:25:00.000-08:00

Who thought The Police was the first blond British rock band that entered the US hit parade is terribly wrong. Exact 15 years earlier Roulette records brought by vice president Hugo Peretti and A&R director Luigi Creatore a bleached blond rock quartet, from Hull, England, to the States. The Hullaballoos -- named to their home city -- were Ricky Knight, Harry Dunn, Andy Woonton and Geoff Mortimer. The Hullaballoos, arguably the most exploitative act of the first wave of the British Invasion with their wig-like helmets of bleach-blond hair that vied with the Pretty Things and the Stones in length, had an immediately striking visual presence. Musically it was another matter. The Hullaballoos were actually not even stars in England. They were just arrived in London after only local performances. By signing Roulette most of their music came from hack Brill Building songwriters, who let the band sound like Buddy Holly. Their first small U.S. hit was a cover of Holly's "I'm Gonna Love You Too" and the other, "Did You Ever," was a Holly-esque down to the hiccuping vocal. Numerous television appearances -- most notably in the Hullaballoo show -- did not bring further fortune. After two Billboard entries (1964/1965) and two albums, the show was over. Knight left the group and was replaced for a short time by Mick Wayne (born Michael Wayne, 1945, Kingston upon Hull.) In 1966 they broke up completely.

1965 LP The Hullaballoos (US Roulette R-25297)

According Richie Unterberger of 'allmusic' the group plays like a cross between the Searchers and Gerry & the Pacemakers on amphetamines on most of their self-titled album, which includes both "I'm Gonna Love You Too" (US#56) and "Did You Ever" (US#74) enjoyable despite itself. And I agree. "I'll Show You How to Love" is actually a pretty and tuneful beat ballad worthy of a more skilled group. But the album was reasonable successful in the US and that was special for a British beat group with almost no success in their homeland.

01. The Hullaballoos - Beware
02. The Hullaballoos - I Couldn't Get Along Without You
03. The Hullaballoos - Did You Ever
04. The Hullaballoos - If You Don't Know By Now
05. The Hullaballoos - Can't You Tell
06. The Hullaballoos - Party Doll
07. The Hullaballoos - I'll Show You How To Love
08. The Hullaballoos - Every Night
09. The Hullaballoos - Why Do Fools Fall In Love
10. The Hullaballoos - Wouldn't You Like To Know
11. The Hullaballoos - Who Do You Think You're Foolin'
12. The Hullaballoos - I'm Gonna Love You Too

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The Hullaballoos - On Hullabaloo (1965)

2010-12-23T01:54:00.000-08:00

The Hullaballoos' second LP stuck to much the same format as their first. A few Buddy Holly covers were stuck a midst new songs, supplied to the band, that aimed to combine Buddy Holly with the Merseybeat sound, in a simple and exploitative way. Like the debut, it's not bad in spite of all that, though the material is a little weaker this time around. "I Won't Turn Away Now" is about the best of the batch, with something of a melodramatic New York pop influence in the songwriting; it wouldn't be too hard to imagine the Shangri-Las doing it with a totally different arrangement, for instance.

1965 LP On Hullabaloo (US Roulette R-25310)

01. The Hullaballoos - I Won't Turn Away Now
02. The Hullaballoos - Rave On
03. The Hullaballoos - I Got This Feeling
04. The Hullaballoos - Better Change Your Ways
05. The Hullaballoos - You Were There
06. The Hullaballoos - Never Ever Will
07. The Hullaballoos - Learning The Game
08. The Hullaballoos - Don't Stop
09. The Hullaballoos - My Heart Keeps Telling Me
10. The Hullaballoos - That'll Be The Day
11. The Hullaballoos - Don't Cha Know
12. The Hullaballoos - It's About That Time

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Soul Christmas (1968)

2010-12-21T03:08:00.000-08:00

1968 LP Soul Christmas (US Atco SD 33-269)

01. Clarence Carter - Back Door Santa
02. King Curtis - The Christmas Song
03. Otis Redding - White Christmas
04. Joe Tex - I'll Make Everyday Christmas (For My Woman)
05. Booker T & the MG's - Silver Bells
06. Carla Thomas - Gee Whiz, It's Christmas
07. Otis Redding - Merry Christmas Baby
08. Solomon Burke - Presents For Christmas
09. Booker T & the MG's - Jingle Bells
10. William Bell - Everyday Will Be A Holiday
11. King Curtis - What Are You Doing New Year's Eve
12. Carla Thomas - All I Want For Christmas Is You
13. Ray Charles - Christmas Time
14. Booker T & the MG's - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

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The Black Arrows - Solid Sound In Guitars (1963)

2010-11-14T14:38:00.000-08:00

In the early sixties – as all over the world – The Netherlands had many instrumental guitar groups. Almost every town had its own favorite band(s). But although many of this early guitar heroes were dreaming of big record sales, this was only reserved for a small number of groups, and even fewer reach some national fame. Usually the cause was a lack of technique and creativity, but often also a lack of technical capabilities of their amplifiers, echo units or electric guitars. The three brothers Anthonio plus drummer Laurens Müller however did not disconcert those handicaps. All born in Indonesia, and came to the Netherlands in 1949, they were accustomed to persevere in a country where the culture and the moral climate was much differently than in their homeland. Making music was, from their cultural background, therefore in the center of their attention.

Father Anthonio played violin, guitar, piano and drums and mother played piano. It soon became clear that this musical sensation, supplemented with good equipment, could form the basis of three outstanding musicians. In 1960 they decided to form a band with their good friend Lauren. From that moment it was practicing, and to spent every earned penny in new instruments. In the first month a significant repertoire was built and soon they had a good reputation. Besides the many performances at community centres, The Black Arrows had their own 'base' in Amsterdam, where a very active fan club organized dance parties every Saturday and Sunday night. There they also drawn the attention of some record companies, which resulted in their first record (January 1962). Eddy Denver – their vocalist at the time – and The Black Arrows with “Forty Days” b/w “Tough Enough”.

More records followed, instrumental and vocal, with different vocalists. More and more The Black Arrows developed themselves as one of the leading Dutch guitar groups. It was during this period that the LP “Solid Sound In Guitars” found its release. With this record they wanted to prove that they had managed to rise above the mediocrity of many local groups. And I think (like the writer of the original liner notes) they succeeded. “Solid Sound In Guitars” is one of a few LP's of Dutch guitar groups from the early sixties, and as an original it’s an absolute collector's item. Lees verder in het Nederlands +/-

In het begin van de jaren zestig waren er, zoals in heel Europa, veel instrumentale gitaargroepen in Nederland. Bijna elke stad had z'n eigen favoriete bandje(s). Maar hoewel veel van deze vroege gitaarhelden van een grote platenverkoop droomden, was dit slechts aan een klein aantal voorbehouden en daarvan bereikten er nog minder enige landelijke bekendheid. Meestal lag de oorzaak in een gebrek aan techniek en creativiteit, maar vaak ook aan een tekort aan technische mogelijkheden van hun versterkers, echo-units of elektrische gitaren. De drie broertjes Anthonio, aangevuld met drummer Laurens Müller lieten zich echter niet door die handicaps uit het veld slaan. Allemaal geboren in Indonesië en in 1949 naar Nederland gekomen, waren ze gewend om door te zetten in een land waar cultuur, moraal en klimaat zoveel anders waren dan in hun moederland. Het maken van muziek stond dan ook, vanuit hun eigen culturele achtergrond, in het middelpunt van de belangstelling.

Vader Anthonio speelde viool, gitaar, piano en drums en ook moeder speelde piano. Het was al snel duidelijk dat dit muzikale gevoel aangevuld met goede apparatuur, de basis konden vormen voor drie uitstekende muziekanten. In 1960 besloten ze samen met hun goede vriend Laurens een band te vormen. Vanaf dat moment werd er geoefend en elke zuur verdiende cent uitgegeven aan nieuwe instrumenten. In de eerste maanden kon een aanzienlijk repertoire worden opgebouwd waardoor er al snel een goede reputatie ontstond. Buiten de vele optredens in buurthuizen en andere lokaliteiten, hadden de Black Arrows ook een eigen 'honk' in Amsterdam waar een zeer actieve fanclub elke zaterdag- en zondagavond dans-party’s organiseerde. Hier werd ook de aandacht van platenmaatschappijen getrokken, wat in januari 1962 resulteerde in hun eerste grammofoonplaat. Eddy Denver, (hun zanger in die periode) en The Black Arrows in "Forty Days"/"Tough Enough".

Meer platen volgden, instrumentaal en vokaal, met verschillende vocalisten. Meer en meer ontwikkelden de Black Arrows zich tot één van de toonaangevende gitaargroepen. Het was in die periode dat de LP ‘Solid Sound In Guitars’ werd uitgebracht. Een langspeelplaat waarmee ze wilden bewijzen dat het hun gelukt was om boven de middelmaat van de vele plaatselijke groepjes uit te stijgen. En ik denk (net als de schrijver van de oorspronkelijke hoestekst) dat ze daarin op een heel bijzondere manier geslaagd zijn. ‘Solid Sound In Guitars’ behoort tot een van de weinige LP’s van Nederlandse gitaargroepen uit het begin van de jaren zestig en is, als origineel exemplaar, een absoluut collector's item. Meer informatie is te vinden op de uitstekende indo-rock site van Piet Muys.

1962 LP Solid Sound In Guitars (NL CNR LPT-35.011)

01. The Black Arrows - Rococo
02. The Black Arrows - Tulip Fields
03. The Black Arrows - Little Lonely Train
04. The Black Arrows - World Of Fire
05. The Black Arrows - Wonderland By Night
06. The Black Arrows - Johnny Guitar
07. The Black Arrows - Midnight Blues
08. The Black Arrows - Hernando's Hideaway
09. The Black Arrows - Jumbo
10. The Black Arrows - Slave Girl
11. The Black Arrows - September Song
12. The Black Arrows - Lady Of Spain

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The Sounds Of The Tornados

2010-11-13T15:12:00.000-08:00

The Tornados burst onto the record scene in 1962 with their massive instrumental hit Telstar. But their story began a little earlier, before the world was aware of the Telstar telecommunications satellite, and before that distinctive keyboard sound had been conceived by their maverick producer Joe Meek. Joe had brought the band together the previous year to provide backing for the numerous artists recording at his independent studio in North London. The core of this group were drummer Clem Cattini, bass player Heinz Burt and guitarists Alan Caddy and George Bellamy who were joined by two sax players, Pete Newman and Pete Corton, for some of the sessions and live Work. It wasn't long before The Tornados were recruited for the prestigious role of Billy Fury's live band, where the saxophones were replaced by keyboards. Norman Hale was first to fill this slot but Roger LaVern soon established himself as the fifth Tornado after the release of their first single.

The live album "We Want Billy" introduced the group's name to the record-buying public as it was credited to Billy Fury and The Tornados, a link that was emphasised by the title of the group's own first release. Their single "Love And Fury" btw "Popeye Twist" was issued on Decca in the spring of 1962 but failed to find chart success despite having many of what were to become trademark Tornados sounds. With an insistent, galloping rhythm and biting guitar break, the whole piece was characterised by its surreal keyboard lead played on a clavioline. Their second single was to have been "The Breeze And I" but UK guitar group The Fentones beat them to it. Read on +/-

Fortunately, this turned out to be a cloud with silver lining. The first television pictures broadcast across the Atlantic on July 11th, 1963, had inspired Joe Meek to create, his greatest work as a tribute to the Telstaf satellite and The Tornados were on hand to record it. However, with their commitment to a summer show in Great Yarmouth, they did not have time to complete their recording of "Telstar" before dashing back for an evening appearance. Hence the clavioline lead was played by Meek's collaborator, classically trained pianist Geoft Goddard. With a little more studio tweaking, including the crucial addition of introductory sound effects, a genuine pop classic was in the can.

"Telstar" b/w "Jungle Fever" crashed into the UK charts at the end of August 1962 and stayed there for no less than 25 weeks, five of them at number one. It was also a major international success, most notably in America where The Tornadoes (as they were known there) became the first British group to top the Billboard charts - a whole year before the much heralded triumph of The Beatles. Their American record company quickly called for an album to capitalise on this success and one track started getting a lot of airplay. Thus it was that "Ridin' The Wind" (with additional thunderclap effects) became their second American hit single, reaching a respectable number 63.

In the UK, "Globetrotter" was the follow-up whilst "Ridin' The Wind" featured on the EP Sounds Of The Tornados. "Globetrotter" b/w "Locomotion With You" reached the charts in January of 1963, peaking at number five during its 12-week stay. Drawing comment at the time for its similarity to the Jimmy Clanton/Mark Wynter hit "Venus In Blue Jeans", it was a more straightforward melodic piece than its predecessor. Robot was closer in style to their first hit with its sound effects integrated into a punchy arrangement, although the lead featured a more conventional organ sound. Coupled with "Life On Venus" it enjoyed a full 12 weeks in the charts during the second quarter of 1963, peaking at number 17.

The final single from the Telstar lineup of The Tornados was "The Ice Cream Man" btw "Theme From The Scales Of Justice" which reached number 18 during its nine week chart run in the summer of '63. It was after this that blond bassist Heinz Burt left to concentrate on his vocal career as a series of replacements joined and departed in rapid succession. Brian Gregg joined fellow former Johnny Kidd's Pirates Clem Cattini and Alan Caddy for the "Dragonfly/Hymn For Teenagers" single which was The Tornados last chart entry, reaching number 41 in a two-week spell during October 1963. "Hot Pot" took its inspiration from "Jungle Fever", the popular flip of "Telstar", but failed to chart. Coupled with Joystick, it was released in February of 1964 on Decca.

"Monte Carlo", theme from the BBC television programme "Know Your Car", was backed with "Blue, Blue, Blue Beat" (April 1964) but suffe red the same fate whilst the line-up of the band underwent further changes. George Bellamy and Roger LaVern had left following Dragonfly, and then finally Alan Caddy departed to leave drummer Clem Cattini as the only original member to stick it out to the release of their final Decca single. "Exodus" was recorded "live" during their summer season at Blackpool's South Pier; supported by "Blackpool Rock" was released in August 1964. Subsequent releases on the Columbia record label were recorded by various different line-ups employed by Joe Meek to benefit from the remaining popularity of The Tornados' name. Although they were also successful in the EP charts and eventually had an LP released in the UK in the summer of 1963, The Tornados were essentially a singles band who enjoyed all their hits on the Decca label.

1963 LP The Sound Of The Tornados (UK Decca DFE-8510) [See tracklist US LP]

1963 Lp The Sound Of The Tornados (US London LL-3279)

01. The Tornados- Telstar
02. The Tornados- Red Roses And A Sky Of Blue
03. The Tornados- Chasing Moonbeams
04. The Tornados- Earthy
05. The Tornados- Swinging Beefeater
06. The Tornados- Love And Fury
06. The Tornados- Theme From A Summer Place
07. The Tornados- Dreamin' On A Cloud
08. The Tornados- Ridin' The Wind
09. The Tornados- The Breeze And I
10. The Tornados- Jungle Fever
11. The Tornados- Popeye Twist

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1963 LP Away From It All (UK Decca LK-4552)

01. The Tornados- Indian Brave
02. The Tornados- Flycatcher Listen
03. The Tornados- Dreams Do Come True
04. The Tornados- Lullaby For Gulia
05. The Tornados- Costa Monger
06. The Tornados- Lonely Paradise
07. The Tornados- Cattanoga Choo Choo
08. The Tornados- Rip It Up [vocal]
09. The Tornados- Alan's Tune
10. The Tornados- Cootenanny
11. The Tornados- Night Rider

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The Left Banke Too

2010-11-11T15:56:00.000-08:00

This New York group pioneered "baroque & roll" in the '60s with its mix of pop/rock and grand, quasi-classical arrangements and melodies. Featuring teenage prodigy Michael Brown as keyboardist and chief songwriter, the group scored two quick hits with "Walk Away Renee" (number five) and "Pretty Ballerina" (number 15). Chamber-like string arrangements, Steve Martin's soaring, near-falsetto lead vocals, and tight harmonies that borrowed from British Invasion bands like the Beatles and the Zombies were also key elements of the Left Banke sound. Though their two hits are their only well-remembered efforts, their debut album (Walk Away Renee/Pretty Ballerina) was a strong, near-classic work that matched the quality of their hit singles in songwriting and production.

The Left Banke's internal dynamic wasn't nearly as harmonious as their sound, and their history goes some way toward explaining their short career. Initially, the group made some recordings that were produced by Brown's father, Harry Lookofsky. When these recordings failed to interest companies in signing the band, the Left Banke broke up, Brown moving to California with the group's original drummer. A backing track for "Walk Away Renee" had already been completed, and the other members overdubbed vocals in Brown's absence. The song was released on Smash and became a hit, and the musicians reunited to tour and continue recording. Read On +/-

Unfortunately, the group, which showed such tremendous promise, was quickly torn asunder by dissension. Due to the nature of their music (which often employed session musicians), the Left Banke's sound was difficult to reproduce on the road, and one could sympathize with Brown's wishes to become a Brian Wilson-like figure, concentrating on writing and recording while the rest of the musicians took to the road. A variety of guitarists, as both session musicians and ostensible group members, flitted in and out of the lineup; Rick Brand, credited as the guitarist on the first LP, actually plays on only one of the album's songs. Adding fuel to the fire, Brown's bandmates wanted to oust Brown's father as the act's manager. In early 1967, Brown went as far as to record a Left Banke single without them, using vocalist Bert Sommer.

That single ("And Suddenly") flopped, and for a brief time in September 1967 the original members were recording together again. After just one single ("Desiree"), though, Brown left for good. Most of the group's second and final album, The Left Banke Too, was recorded without him. While it still sported baroque arrangements and contained some fine moments, Brown's presence was sorely missed, and the record pales in comparison to their debut. Brown went on to form a Left Banke-styled group, Montage, which released a fine and underappreciated album in the late '60s. He later teamed up to form Stories with vocalist Ian Lloyd.

There were some confusing son-of-Left Banke recordings over the next few years, although the band really came to a halt in 1969, after the second album. Brown, Martin, and unknown musicians made a few recordings in late 1969; then, oddly, the original group re-formed for a fine early-1971 single on Buddah ("Love Songs in the Night" b/w "Two by Two"), although the record itself was credited to Steve Martin.

1967 Walk Away Renée (US Smash SRS-67088)

01. The Left Banke - Barterers And Their Wives
02. The Left Banke - Evening Gown
03. The Left Banke - I Haven't Got The Nerve
04. The Left Banke - I've Got Something On My Mind
05. The Left Banke - Lazy Day
06. The Left Banke - Let Go Of You Girl
07. The Left Banke - Pretty Ballerina
08. The Left Banke - Shadows Breaking Over My Head
09. The Left Banke - She May Call You Up Tonight
10. The Left Banke - Walk Away Renee
11. The Left Banke - What Do You Know

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1968 LP The Left Banke Too (US Smash SRS-67113)

01. The Left Banke - Bryant Hotel
02. The Left Banke - Dark Is The Bark
03. The Left Banke - Desiree
04. The Left Banke - Give The Man A Hand
05. The Left Banke - Goodbye Holly
06. The Left Banke - In The Morning Light
07. The Left Banke - My Friend Today
08. The Left Banke - Nice To See You
09. The Left Banke - Sing Little Bird Sing
10. The Left Banke - There's Gonna Be a Storm

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Here's Larry Williams

2010-11-10T13:28:00.000-08:00

A rough, rowdy rock & roll singer, Larry Williams had several hits in the late '50s, several of which -- "Bony Maroney," "Dizzy, Miss Lizzy," "Short Fat Fannie," "Bad Boy," "She Said Yeah" -- became genuine rock & roll classics and were recorded by British Invasion groups; John Lennon, in particular, was a fan of Williams, recording several of his songs over the course of his career.

As a child in New Orleans, Williams learned how to play piano. When he was a teenager, he and his family moved to Oakland, CA, where he joined a local R&B group called the Lemon Drops. In 1954, when he was 19 years old, Williams went back to New Orleans for a visit. During his trip, he met Lloyd Price, who was recording for Specialty Records. Price hired the teenager as his valet and introduced him to Robert "Bumps" Blackwell, the label's house producer. Soon, the label's owner, Art Rupe, signed Williams to a solo recording contract. Read on +/-

Just after Specialty signed Larry Williams, Specialty lost Little Richard, who had been their biggest star and guaranteed hitmaker. Little Richard decided to abandon rock & roll for the ministry shortly after Williams cut his first single, a cover of Price's "Just Because," with Richard's backing band; "Just Because" peaked at number 11 on the R&B charts in the spring of 1957. After Richard left the label, the label put all of its energy into making Williams a star, giving him an image makeover and a set of material -- ranging from hard R&B and rock & roll to ballads -- that was quite similar to Richard's hits.

Williams' first post-Little Richard single was the raucous "Short Fat Fannie," which shot to number one on the R&B charts and number five on the pop charts in the summer of 1957. It was followed in the fall by "Bony Maronie," which hit number four on the R&B charts and number 14 on the pop charts. Williams wasn't able to maintain that momentum, however. "You Bug Me, Baby" and "Dizzy Miss Lizzy," his next two singles, missed the R&B charts but became minor pop hits in late 1957 and early 1958. Despite the relative failure of these singles, Williams' records became popular import items in Britain; the Beatles would cover both sides of the "Dizzy Miss Lizzy" single (the B-side was "Slow Down") in the mid-'60s. However, Williams' commercial fortunes in America continued to decline, despite Specialty's release of a constant stream of singles and one full-length album.

In 1959, Williams was arrested for selling narcotics, which caused Specialty to drop him from the record label. During the '60s, he drifted through a number of labels in the early '60s, recording songs for Chess, Mercury, Island, and Decca. By the mid-'60s, he had hooked up Johnny "Guitar" Watson and the duo cut several sides for OKeh Records in the mid- and late '60s, including the Top 40 R&B hits "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" (spring 1967) and "Nobody," which was recorded with Kaleidoscope (early 1968). Williams also became a house producer for OKeh Records in 1966, although very few of his productions became hits.

1959 LP Here's Larry Williams (US Specialty SP-2109)

01. Larry Williams - Short Fat Fannie
02. Larry Williams - Make A Little Love
03. Larry Williams - Hootchy-Koo
04. Larry Williams - Lawdy Miss Clawdy
05. Larry Williams - Peaches And Cream
06. Larry Williams - Give Me Love
07. Larry Williams - Bony Maronie
08. Larry Williams - Little School Girl
09. Larry Williams - Dizzy, Miss Lizzy
10. Larry Williams - Teardrops
11. Larry Williams - You Bug Me, Baby
12. Larry Williams - Ting-A-Ling

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The Association

2010-11-08T03:28:00.000-08:00

Here the complete review of The Association from Bruce Eder. Not because I can't tell you some, but because it's a really good and complete story. So sit back and read... The Association was one of the more underrated groups to come out of the mid- to late '60s. Creators of an enviable string of hits from 1966 through 1969, they got caught in a shift in popular culture and the unwritten criteria for significance in that field and never recovered. The group's smooth harmonies and pop-oriented sound (which occasionally moved into psychedelia and, much more rarely, into a harder, almost garage-punk vein) made them regular occupants of the highest reaches of the pop charts for two years -- their biggest hits, including "Along Comes Mary," "Cherish," "Windy," and "Never My Love," became instant staples of AM play lists, which was a respectable achievement for most musicians at the time. That same sound, along with their AM radio popularity, however, proved a liability as the music environment around them changed at the end of the decade. Additionally, their ensemble singing, essential to the group's sound and appeal, all but ensured that the individual members never emerged as personalities in their own right. The Association was as anonymous an outfit as their contemporaries the Grass Roots, in terms of any individual names or attributes, despite the fact that both groups generated immensely popular hits that millions of listeners embraced on a deeply personal level. Read on +/-

The group's roots go back to a meeting in 1964 between Terry Kirkman, a Kansas-born, California-raised music major, proficient on upwards of two dozen instruments, and Jules Alexander, a Tennessee-born high school drop-out with an interest in R&B who was a budding guitar virtuoso. Alexander was in the U.S. Navy at the time, serving out his hitch, and they agreed to link up professionally once he was out. That happened at the beginning of 1965, and they at once pursued a shared goal, to put together a large-scale ensemble that would be more ambitious than such existing big-band folk outfits as the New Christy Minstrels and the Serendipity Singers. The result was the Men, a 13-member band that played folk, rock, and jazz, who earned a spot as the house band at the L.A. Troubadour. The group's promising future was cut short, however, when the group's lineup split in two after just a few weeks with seven members exiting. The remaining six formed the Association, the name coming at the suggestion of Kirkman's wife Judy.

Ted Bluechel, Jr. was their drummer, Brian Cole played bass, Russ Giguere was on percussion, and Jim Yester, brother of Easy Riders/Modern Folk Quartet alumnus Jerry Yester, played rhythm guitar behind Alexander. Each member was also a singer -- indeed, their vocal abilities were far more important than their skills on any specific instruments -- and several were multi-instrumentalists, able to free others up to play more exotic instruments on stage. The group rehearsed for six months before they began performing, developing an extremely polished, sophisticated, and complex sound.

The Association shopped itself around Los Angeles but couldn't do any better initially than a single release on the Jubilee label -- their debut, "Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You," wasn't a success, nor was their subsequent 1965 recording of Bob Dylan's "One Too Many Mornings" on Valiant Records, which was an early folk-rock effort that was probably a little too complex for national exposure -- though it got decent local radio play in Los Angeles. The group came completely into its own, however, with the recording of the singles "Along Comes Mary" and "Cherish."

The recording of those songs was to set a new standard in the treatment of rock music in America. As Ted Bluechel recalled in a 1984 Goldmine article by Marty Natchez, the voices were recorded at Columbia studios, while the instruments -- played by Terry Kirkman and Jules Alexander, plus a group of studio musicians -- were cut in an improvised four-track studio owned by Gary Paxton. Those two songs, and the entire album that followed, revealed a level of craftsmanship that was unknown in rock recordings up to that time. Producer Curt Boettcher showed incredible skill in putting together the stereo sound on that album, which was among the finest sounding rock records of the period. The fact that most of the members didn't play on their records was not advertised, but it was a common decision in recording in those days -- Los Angeles, in particular, was home to some of the best musicians in the country; they worked affordably and there was no reason to make less-than-perfect records. Even the Byrds, apart from Roger McGuinn, had stood on the sidelines when it was time to do the instrumental tracks on their earliest records, although this sense that the Association's music was a "production" rather than the work of an actual band probably helped contribute to their anonymity as a group.

Considering their lightweight image in the later 1960s, the Association made a controversial entry into the music market with "Along Comes Mary" -- apart from its virtues as a record, with great hooks and a catchy chorus, it was propelled to the number seven spot nationally with help from rumors that the song was about marijuana. No one is quite certain of what songwriter Tandyn Almer had in mind, and one wonders how seriously any of this was taken at the time, in view of the fact that the song became an unofficial sports anthem for Catholic schools named St. Mary's. "Cherish," a Kirkman original (which was intended for a proposed single by Mike Whelan of the New Christy Minstrels), was their next success, riding to number one on the charts. Among the most beautiful rock records ever made, the song has been a perennial favorite of romantic couples for decades since.

It was just at this point that the exhaustion that came with success and the avarice of their record label, along with a couple of artistic and commercial misjudgments, combined to interrupt the group's progress. Their next single, "Pandora's Golden Heebie Jeebies," was not an ideal choice as a follow-up to one of the prettiest and most accessible rock records of the decade, reaching only number 35, and "No Fair At All," the next single, also fared poorly. Equally important, the group was forced to rush out a second album, Renaissance (produced by Jim Yester's brother Jerry Yester), while they were honoring the burgeoning tour commitments attendant to a pair of huge national hits. It was also during this time that Valiant Records, including the Association's contract, was absorbed by Warner Bros. Records.

A major personnel problem also arose as Jules Alexander, one of the core players in the group, decided to leave. He headed off to India, where he spent most of the next year. He returned in 1967, intending to form his own group, which never got off the ground. In the meantime, the Association recruited multi-instrumentalist Larry Ramos of the New Christy Minstrels to replace Alexander. The group's lineup change coincided with their getting access to a song by Ruthann Friedman called "Windy." Another number one single, it was tougher to realize as a finished work, cut over a period of 14 hours with Friedman and Yester's wife, arranger Cliff Burroughs, and his wife, along with numerous others, all singing with them.

Insight Out, their third album, was a tough one to record as well. Initially to have been produced by Jerry Yester, it fell apart after it was half done when the group became unhappy with the sound and shape he was giving it. Instead, they turned to Bones Howe, an engineer and producer (most noted for his work with the Fifth Dimension, among many other popular acts), who finished the album with them. Insight Out was a better album than Renaissance, with pop, folk-rock, and hard rock elements that hold together reasonably well, although its audio textures lacked the delicacy of the group's debut long-player. The album's two hits, "Windy" and "Never My Love," were among their most popular and enduring records and helped drive sales of the 12" platter. The final track, "Requiem for the Masses," which featured a Gregorian chant opening, was a strange song mixing psychedelia and social commentary -- its lyrics were a searing social indictment, originally dealing with the death of boxer Davy Moore (Bob Dylan had written a song, very little known at the time, on the same subject four years earlier).

Immediately prior to the release of Insight Out, the group played the most visible live gig in their history, opening the Monterey International Pop Festival. The group didn't seem absurdly out of place, in the context of the times, on a bill with Simon & Garfunkel, the Who, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Eric Burdon and the Animals, and the Mamas & The Papas. It was an ideal showcase, and as the tapes of the festival reveal, the group was tight and hard that night, their vocals spot-on and their playing a match for any folk-rock band of the era -- Ted Bluechel's drumming, in particular, and Larry Ramos's and Jim Yester's guitars are perfect, and even Kirkland's flute came out well on stage.

Had any part of their Monterey set been released, it might've helped correct the image that the Association were rapidly acquiring of being a soft, pop/rock group. Instead, their performance took some 20 years to see the light of day and longer than that for a pair of songs to show up on CD. The group's next album, Birthday, was a departure from its three predecessors, their attempt at creating a heavier sound. It was around this same time that they cut the single "Six Man Band," a very nasty critique of the music business written by Kirkman. The measures that the group took to change its image came too late -- Birthday fell largely on deaf ears when it was issued in 1968, and the singles "Six Man Band" and "Enter the Young," the latter a re-recording of a song that highlighted their debut album, charted only moderately well.

Warner Brothers' release of a greatest hits album in 1969 boosted the group's album sales and consolidated the audience that they had, but did nothing to stop the rot that had set in. By 1969, the sensibilities of the rock audience had hardened, even as that audience splintered. Suddenly, groups that specialized in more popular, lighter fare, usually aimed at audiences outside the 17-25 age group, and especially those with a big AM radio following, such as Paul Revere & the Raiders and the Grass Roots, and the Association were considered terminally out of fashion and uncool by the new rock intelligentsia. If they got mentioned or reviewed in the pages of Rolling Stone, Crawdaddy, or Circus magazine, it was usually for a lark rather than in a fully serious context. They were usually lumped together with bubblegum acts such as the 1910 Fruitgum Company and the Ohio Express and represented the kind of music you left behind (especially if you were a guy) once you got out of ninth grade, if you had any intentions of being considered cool.

One positive development was the return of Jules Alexander to the lineup in 1969, which turned the group into a septet and gave them the services of three talented guitarists. The group's Goodbye Columbus soundtrack album, which included incidental music from the film of that name composed by Charles Fox, was the kiss of death for the group's credibility, regardless of the musical merits of their work. It was one thing for movies like Easy Rider to make use of music by the likes of the Byrds -- that was part of a new wave of filmmaking -- but as a film, Goodbye Columbus was a piece of Hollywood product. Coming out in the same year that Woodstock took place, it spoke volumes about where the Association was in relation to music and audiences.

1966 LP And Then...Along Comes The Association (US Valiant VLS-25002)

01. The Association - Enter The Young
02. The Association - Your Own Love
03. The Association - Don't Blame It On Me
04. The Association - Blistered
05. The Association - I'll Be Your Man
06. The Association - Along Comes Mary
07. The Association - Cherish
08. The Association - Standing Still
09. The Association - Message Of Your Love
10. The Association - Round Again
11. The Association - Remember
12. The Association - Changes

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1967 LP Renaissance (US Valiant VLS-25004)

01 The Association - I'm The One
02 The Association - Memories Of You
03 The Association - All Is Mine
04 The Association - Pandora's Golden Heebie Jeebies
05 The Association - Angeline
06 The Association - Songs In The Wind
07 The Association - You May Think
08 The Association - Looking Glass
09 The Association - Come To Me
10 The Association - No Fair At All
11 The Association - You Hear Me Call Your Name
12 The Association - Another Time, Another Place

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11968 LP Birthday (US Warner Bros. WS-1733)

01. The Association - Barefoot Gentleman
02. The Association - Birthday Morning
03. The Association - Come On In
04. The Association - Everything That Touches You
05. The Association - Hear In Here
06. The Association - Like Always
07. The Association - Rose Petals, Incense & Kitten
08. The Association - The Bus Song
09. The Association - It Is Today
10. The Association - Time For Livin'
11. The Association - Toymaker

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Sandy Nelson - Not Just A Drummer Boy (1961-1962)

2010-10-18T08:31:00.000-07:00

Sandy Nelson was the biggest -- and one of the few -- star drummers of the late '50s and early '60s era in which instrumental rock was at its peak. He landed two Top Ten hits, "Teen Beat" (1959) and "Let There Be Drums" (1961), which surrounded his Gene Krupa-inspired solos with cool, mean guitar licks that were forerunners of the surf sound. Nelson had only one other Top 40 hit, "Drums Are My Beat" (1962). He ground out a quick series of instrumental albums in the early '60s -- eight within 18 months, as a matter of fact -- with several other top Hollywood rock and pop session musicians. Nelson was not that great a drummer, although he was good. His principal importance is that he found a place for drum rock solos in hit instrumental singles, and the more reckless elements of his style no doubt influenced other musicians, such as surf drummers and, later, Keith Moon.

Nelson started to play rock & roll as a teenager in Los Angeles in the 1950s, forming a group that included Jan Berry, Dean Torrence, and Bruce Johnston, all of whom would be important to the surf and hot rod scenes a few years down the line. By the late '50s he was playing sessions, including drums on the Teddy Bears' chart-topper "To Know Him Is to Love Him." After his "Teen Beat" became a hit for Original Sound in 1959, he signed with Imperial as a solo artist, and continued to work as a session musician. For instance, he's heard on Gene Vincent records of the time, as well as the Hollywood Argyles' big hit "Alley Oop," on which he also did some screams. Nelson's numerous solo albums, despite the assistance of top fellow sessioneers like Steve Douglas (sax), Ernie Freeman (piano), and Rene Hall (guitar), had a lot of basic and unimaginative instrumental rock, whether original material or covers of well-known hits of the day. As with Duane Eddy's recordings, however, these simple albums might have helped inspire aspiring musicians as things to play along and learn with, if nothing else.

Near the end of 1963, Nelson was involved in a serious motorcycle accident that necessitated amputation of his right foot and part of his leg. Nonetheless, he managed to resume his drumming career and continued to churn out albums, as well as some singles.

1961 LP Let There Be Drums (US Imperial LP-12080)

Sandy Nelson - Slippin' and Slidin'
Sandy Nelson - Tequila
Sandy Nelson - My Girl Josephine
Sandy Nelson - Big Noise From Winnetka
Sandy Nelson - Let There Be Drums
0Sandy Nelson - Bouncy
Sandy Nelson - Birth Of The Beat
Sandy Nelson - Quite A Beat
Sandy Nelson - Get With It

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1962 LP Drums Are My Beat (US Imperial LP-12083)

Sandy Nelson - Drum Roll 9
Sandy Nelson - My Blue Heaven
Sandy Nelson - Hawaiian War Chant
Sandy Nelson - Twisted
Sandy Nelson - Caravan
Sandy Nelson - Drums Are My Beat
Sandy Nelson - Day Drumming
Sandy Nelson - Drum Stomp
Sandy Nelson - Hum Drum
Sandy Nelson - Topsy
Sandy Nelson - The City

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Tijd voor Teenagers! (1962-1964) [Re-up on request]

2010-10-13T09:21:00.000-07:00

After a little time for my own, I'm back. Some of you asked me to re-up the three Dutch LP's of 'Tijd voor Teenagers'. So here we go. Tijd voor Teenagers (Time For Teenagers) was the first music program on Dutch radio especially for teenagers. It started in 1959. Young radio producer Co de Kloet would like to air a program with only pop records. His chef brought it to VARA broadcast president Jan Broeksz. He didn't like the idea in the first place, but his program director stood for the young program maker and suggested with a wink: "let the punk take its course." From that moment on, every Friday afternoon Dutch teenagers had their own radio program with 'one hour' of pop music. One condition was however provided by Broeksz: the presenter had to educate the youth sometimes about the "alarming level" of some songs! In addition, the broadcast of advertising was absolutely forbidden. The program quickly became a success with the young audience and the presentation was the first two years in the hands of the first real 'Dutch disc-jockey' Dick Duster (aka Dick van 't Sant). Herman Stok -- later also presenter of the Dutch TV program 'Top of Flop' (Juke Box Jury) -- succeeded him in 1961. By the success of the program -- and the impact it had for selling records -- Philips decided in 1962 to release a sampler under the name 'Tijd Voor Teenagers.' And also the following years they released two LP's with various Dutch teenage stars. Because of time limits, Philips added just short versions of the songs, but I provide you of the full tracks. The recordings are special gems these days, but here they are and they give a good overview of Dutch pop music in the early sixties. If you like original Dutch LP's on CD... Go here: http://www.fonos.nl

1962 LP Tijd Voor Teenagers (Philips P 600.369)

01. Willeke Alberti - De Winter Was Lang
02. Rob de Nijs - Loop Naar De Maan
03. Trea Dobbs - Tennessee Waltz
04. Johnny Lion - Loddy-Lo
05. Anneke Grönloh - Rozen Hebben Doornen
06. The Sunbeams - Saturday Night
07. Ria Valk - De Jodeltwist
08. Blue Diamonds - He! Ba-Be-Re-Bop
09. Jumping Jewels - Irish Washer Woman
10. Don Mercedes - (You're The) Devil In Disguise
11. Karin Kent - Halleluja I Love Him So
12. The Spiders - Oze-Wieze-Woze
13. Wanda - Wow Wou Wee
14. René & His Alligators - Counter Point
15. Johnny Lion - Let's Make A Habbit Of This
16. Anneke Grönloh - Cimeroni
17. Don Mercedes - Willie And The Handjive
18. Willeke Alberti - Spiegelbeeld
19. The Telstars - He's Your Lover
20. Trea Dobbs - Parel Van De zuidzee
21. Rob de Nijs - Wit Satijn
22. The Explosions - Harem.mp3
23. Johnny & His Cellar Rockers - Close Your Eyes
24. The Fouryo's - Tot Zondagavond, Mary
25. The Blue Diamonds - Rag Mop
26. Ria Valk - Lasso-Lilly
27. Jerry Rix - I'm Watching My Watch
28. The Lords - The Lord's Night Out

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1963 LP Tijd voor Teenagers 2 (Philips P 600.701)

01. Rob de Nijs - Ritme Van De Regen
02. Anneke Grönloh - Paradiso
03. Blue Diamonds - Ev'rybody Loves Saturday Nights
04. Willeke Alberti - Nee Jongen, Ik Trouw Niet Met Jou
05. Johnny Lion - Blame It On The Bossanova
06. Ria Valk - Wini-Wini
07. René & His Alligators - Telstar
08. Fouryo's - Loop De Loop.mp3
09. Marijke Hofland - Bobby's Schat
10. Carlo - Selene
11. Anneke Grönloh - Het Leven Kan Mooi Zijn
12. Jumping Jewels - Africa
13. Johnny Lion - Count On Me
14. Anneke Grönloh - Soerabaja
15. Rob de Nijs - How Do You Do It
16. Fouryo's - Walk Like A Man
17. Blue Diamonds - Alice In Wonderland
18. Willeke Alberti - Perché Perché
19. Jumping Jewels - Wild Geese
20. Trea Dobbs - Casanova Bacia Me
21. Don Mercedes - This Little Girl
22. Wanda - De Loco-motion
23. Carlo - Giovane, Giovane
24. Explosions - Long Long Ago

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1964 LP Tijd voor Teenagers 3 (Philips PL 12.946)

01. Willeke Alberti - De Winter Was Lang
02. Rob de Nijs - Loop Naar De Maan
03. Trea Dobbs - Tennessee Waltz
04. Johnny Lion - Loddy-Lo
05. Anneke Grönloh - Rozen Hebben Doornen
06. Sunbeams - Saturday Night
07. Ria Valk - De Jodeltwist
08. Blue Diamonds - He! Ba-Be-Re-Bop
09. Jumping Jewels - Irish Washer Woman
10. Don Mercedes - (You're The) Devil In Disguise
11. Karin Kent - Halleluja I Love Him So
12. Spiders - Oze-Wieze-Woze
13. Wanda - Wow Wou Wee
14. René & His Alligators - Counter Point
15. Johnny Lion - Let's Make A Habbit Of This
16. Anneke Grönloh - Cimeroni
17. Don Mercedes - Willie And The Handjive
18. Willeke Alberti - Spiegelbeeld
19. Telstars - He's Your Lover
20. Trea Dobbs - Parel Van De zuidzee
21. Rob de Nijs - Wit Satijn
22. Explosions - Harem
23. Johnny & His Cellar Rockers - Close Your Eyes
24. Fouryo's - Tot Zondagavond, Mary
25. Blue Diamonds - Rag Mop
26. Ria Valk - Lasso-Lilly
27. Jerry Rix - I'm Watching My Watch
28. Lords - The Lord's Night Out

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The Impalas - I Ran All The Way Home (1959)

2010-09-26T15:22:00.000-07:00

The Impalas were a racially integrated vocal group from Brooklyn who are best remembered for their 1959 hit 'Sorry (I Ran All the Way Home),' which scored them their only Top 20 hit (number two pop, number 14 R&B). Forming in 1958, the group -- Joe 'Speedo' Frazier (the only black singer), Richard Wagner, Lenny Renda, and Tony Carlucci -- were signed to the Cub label, a subsidiary label of MGM that also issued high-quality stereo recordings by the Five Satins, the Harptones, the Stereos, the Velours, and the Wanderers, to name a few. In August of 1959, Cub issued an album, Sorry I Ran All the Way Home, which featured other recordings the Impalas made for the label. After a second 1959 charting #86 with 'Oh, Wat A Fool', unfortunately no further hits ever came. They disbanded in 1961.

1959 LP Sorry (I Ran All The Way Home) - CUB 8003

01. The Impalas - Sorry (I Ran All The Way Home) (1959 US#2)
02. The Impalas - Fool Fool Fool
03. The Impalas - Woodchuck Song
04. The Impalas - Sandy Went Away
05. The Impalas - Chum
06. The Impalas - The Loves We Share
07. The Impalas - Mommy-O
08. The Impalas - All But The Memory Of You
09. The Impalas - Oh, What A Fool (1959 US#86)
10. The Impalas - (You Want) Too Much Too Soon
11. The Impalas - She Belongs To Me
12. The Impalas - Cupid
13. The Impalas - Peggy Darling (Bonus Track)

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Just Singin' to My Baby - 5 EP's (1957-1960)

2010-09-23T03:54:00.000-07:00

1958 EP Susie Darlin' (Dot DEP-1092)

1960 EP Tell Laura I Love Her (RCA Victor EPA-4367)

1957 EP Just A Dream (Ace ZTEP-60765)

1958 EP Jimmy Bowen (Roulette EPR-1-302)

1958 EP Singin' to My Baby (Liberty LEP 3-3061)

Eddie Cochran - Cradle Baby
Eddie Cochran - I'm Alone Because I Love You
Eddie Cochran - Lovin' Time
Eddie Cochran - One Kiss

Jimmy Bowen - Ever Since That Night
Jimmy Bowen - I'm Stickin' With You
Jimmy Bowen - Raggedy Anne
Jimmy Bowen - Warm Up To Me Baby

Jimmy Clanton - Angel Face
Jimmy Clanton - Just A Dream
Jimmy Clanton - My Love Is Strong
Jimmy Clanton - Ship On A Stormy Sea

Ray Peterson - Fever
Ray Peterson - Suddenly
Ray Peterson - Tell Laura I Love Her
Ray Peterson - The Wonder of You

Robin Luke - Bad Boy
Robin Luke - Chicka Chicka Honey
Robin Luke - Susie Darlin'
Robin Luke - Won't You Please Be Mine

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Johnny & The Hurricanes (1960-1961)

2010-09-21T07:35:00.000-07:00

One of the most distinctive instrumental groups of the '50s and '60s, Johnny & the Hurricanes produced the Top Ten hit 'Red River Rock' and scored several other instrumental hits that mixed rock & roll with traditional melodies. Originally known as the Orbits, the group formed in Toledo, OH, in 1958 and was led by saxophonist Johnny Paris; other members included organist Paul Tesluk, guitarist Dave Yorko, bassist Lionel 'Butch' Mattice, and drummer Tony Kaye. After a stint recording with rockabilly singer Mack Vickery, the group traveled to Detroit, hoping to become a backing band for up-and-coming singers. However, a pair of music promoters, Harry Balk and Irving Michanik, signed them as a group on their own, and they recorded their first single, 'Crossfire,' for the Twirl label in 1959. 'Crossfire' went to number 23 and the group moved to the Warwick imprint for 'Red River Rock,' a rock & roll instrumental of the standard 'Red River Valley' that peaked at number five. The Hurricanes responded to their success with more of the same, delivering 'Reveille Rock,' 'Rockin' Goose,' 'Revival,' and 'Beatnik Fly' over the next year, touring extensively all the while. Eventually the pace -- and lack of further hit singles -- caught up with the group, and Johnny & the Hurricanes disbanded in 1965. Paris moved to Hamburg, started his own label, Atila, and in 1970 formed a new Hurricanes lineup that toured until November 2005, two weeks before Paris took ill and was hospitalized. He died on May 1, 2006, due to pneumonia and septic blood after a splenectomy.

1960 LP Red River Rock (US Warwick 2007)

01. Johnny & The Hurricanes - Red River Rock
02. Johnny & The Hurricanes - Happy Time
03. Johnny & The Hurricanes - Buckeye
04. Johnny & The Hurricanes - Cut Out
05. Johnny & The Hurricanes - Lazy
06. Johnny & The Hurricanes - Walking
07. Johnny & The Hurricanes - Crossfire
08. Johnny & The Hurricanes - Storm Warning
09. Johnny & The Hurricanes - Bam-Boo
10. Johnny & The Hurricanes - Thunderbolt
11. Johnny & The Hurricanes - Joy Ride
12. Johnny & The Hurricanes - Rock-Cha

1960 LP Stormsville (US Warwick 2010)

01. Johnny & The Hurricanes - Reveille Rock
02. Johnny & The Hurricanes - Milk Shake
03. Johnny & The Hurricanes - Cyclone
04. Johnny & The Hurricanes - Travellin'
05. Johnny & The Hurricanes - Bean Bag
06. Johnny & The Hurricanes - Rockin' T
07. Johnny & The Hurricanes - The Hungry Eye
08. Johnny & The Hurricanes - Hot Fudge
09. Johnny & The Hurricanes - Time Bomb
10. Johnny & The Hurricanes - Corn Bread
11. Johnny & The Hurricanes - Catnip
12. Johnny & The Hurricanes - The 'Hep' Canary

1961 LP The Big Sound Of (US Big Top 1302)

01. Johnny & The Hurricanes - Molly-O
02. Johnny & The Hurricanes - You Are My Sunshine
03. Johnny & The Hurricanes - Like... Rock
04. Johnny & The Hurricanes - Beatnik Fly
05. Johnny & The Hurricanes - The Kid
06. Johnny & The Hurricanes - Bye Bye Blackbird
07. Johnny & The Hurricanes - Traffic Jam
08. Johnny & The Hurricanes - Teensville Tonight
09. Johnny & The Hurricanes - Mister Irving
10. Johnny & The Hurricanes - Sheba
11. Johnny & The Hurricanes - Tom's Tune
12. Johnny & The Hurricanes - Corn Pone

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Donnie Brooks - The Happiest... (1962) [reup on request]

2010-09-13T09:33:00.000-07:00

Singer Donnie Brooks remains best known for the 1960 pop smash "Mission Bell," although he is also revered in rockabilly fan circles for the cult classic "Bertha Lou," recorded under the name Johnny Faire. Born John Dee Abohosh in Dallas on February 6, 1936, he was later adopted by his stepfather and given the new surname Fairecloth. While growing up in southern California, he studied under the same vocal coach who previously instructed Eddie Fisher, and in high school made his professional debut on a classical music showcase broadcast by Ventura-based station KBCC. After graduating from high school, Fairecloth earned his living singing at local clubs, fairs, and weddings, embracing rock & roll and in 1957 signing to local indie Fable Records to cut his debut single, "You Gotta Walk the Line," credited to Johnny Faire. Read on +/-

While cutting demos for the Surf label, he learned that contractual obligations were forcing friend and mentor Dorsey Burnette to abandon a completed track dubbed "Bertha Lou." Surf agreed to erase Burnette's vocal and insert Faire's performance instead, and while the resulting 1958 single earned scant attention on its original release, it is now revered as a lost classic of the rockabilly era. From there Faire adopted the alias Johnny Jordan long enough to record "Sweet, Sweet, Sweet" for the Jolt label, followed by a stint at Era, where he cut the rockabilly gem "Hollywood Party" under the tongue-in-cheek name Dick Bush. The record went nowhere, but Era owners Herb Newman and Lew Bidell were sufficiently impressed to keep the singer on the payroll -- however, they insisted on yet another name change, this time to the wry Donnie Brooks. The first Donnie Brooks single, the melancholy ballad "White Orchid," proved his biggest hit to date, selling about 50,000 copies on the West Coast and topping the Australian pop charts. The follow-up, the Dorsey and Johnny Burnette castoff "Mission Bell," did far better, vaulting Brooks into the Billboard Top Ten and earning him his first gold record. A second Top 40 hit, "Doll House," followed at the end of 1960, and early the following year Brooks scored his final Hot 100 entry, "Memphis." Subsequent singles including "Wishbone," "Boomerang," and "My Favorite Kind of Face" failed to reignite Brooks' career, and following the late-1962 release of "Cries My Heart," the label terminated his contract. Brooks spent the following year off the radar, but resurfaced in early 1964 on Reprise with "Gone." That same year, he appeared in the feature film Get Yourself a College Girl, but Beatlemania effectively spelled the end of his recording career and after one final Reprise effort, "Pickin' Up the Pieces," his tenure with the label came with a halt.

1962 LP The Happiest Donnie Brooks (US Era EL-105)

A1. Donnie Brooks - That's Why
A2. Donnie Brooks - Memories Are Made Of This
A3. Donnie Brooks - Mission Bell
A4. Donnie Brooks - How Long
A5. Donnie Brooks - The Devil Ain't A Man
A6. Donnie Brooks - Twilight Time

B1. Donnie Brooks - Memphis
B2. Donnie Brooks - P. S. I Love You
B3. Donnie Brooks - All I Can Give
B4. Donnie Brooks - What'd I Say
B5. Donnie Brooks - Doll House
B6. Donnie Brooks - Round Robin

The Isley Brothers - Twist and Shout (1959-1962)

2010-09-07T13:52:00.000-07:00

First formed in the early '50s, the Isley Brothers enjoyed one of the longest, most influential, and most diverse careers in the pantheon of popular music -- over the course of nearly a half century of performing, the group's distinguished history spanned not only two generations of Isley siblings but also massive cultural shifts which heralded their music's transformation from gritty R&B to Motown soul to blistering funk. The first generation of Isley siblings was born and raised in Cincinnati, OH, where they were encouraged to begin a singing career by their father, himself a professional vocalist, and their mother, a church pianist who provided musical accompaniment at their early performances. Initially a gospel quartet, the group was comprised of Ronald, Rudolph, O'Kelly, and Vernon Isley; after Vernon's 1955 death in a bicycling accident, tenor Ronald was tapped as the remaining trio's lead vocalist. In 1957, the brothers went to New York City to record a string of failed doo wop singles; while performing a spirited reading of the song "Lonely Teardrops" in Washington, D.C., two years later, they interjected the line "You know you make me want to shout," which inspired frenzied audience feedback. An RCA executive in the audience saw the concert, and when he signed the Isleys soon after, he instructed that their first single be constructed around their crowd-pleasing catch phrase; while the call-and-response classic "Shout" failed to reach the pop Top 40 on its initial release, it eventually became a frequently covered classic. Read on +/-

Still, success eluded the Isleys, and only after they left RCA in 1962 did they again have another hit, this time with their seminal cover of the Top Notes' "Twist and Shout." Like so many of the brothers' early R&B records, "Twist and Shout" earned greater commercial success when later rendered by a white group -- in this case, the Beatles; other acts who notched hits by closely following the Isleys' blueprint were the Yardbirds ("Respectable," also covered by the Outsiders), the Human Beinz ("Nobody but Me"), and Lulu ("Shout").

The most essential lp's of The Isley Brothers in the sixties are in my opinion "Soul on the Rocks", witch they produced for Motown, and of course the psychedelic funky "It's Our Thing" on T-Neck Records. But also the more early rock 'n roll flavored long players "Shout" and "Twist and Shout" do find their way to collectors these days.

1959 LP Shout (US RCA Victor LPM-2156)

Isley Brothers - When The Saints Go Marching In
Isley Brothers - St. Isley Brothers - Louis Blues
Isley Brothers - Yes Indeed
Isley Brothers - How Deep Is The Ocean
Isley Brothers - Ring-A-Ling-A-Ling
Isley Brothers - Rock Around The Clock
Isley Brothers - He's Got The Whole World In His Hands
Isley Brothers - That Lucky Old Sun
Isley Brothers - Respectable
Isley Brothers - Without A Song
Isley Brothers - Shout, Part 1
Isley Brothers - Shout, Part 2

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1962 LP Twist & Shout (US Wand LP-653)

Isley Brothers - Twist And Shout
Isley Brothers - I Say Love
Isley Brothers - Right Now
Isley Brothers - Hold On Baby
Isley Brothers - Rubber Leg Twist
Isley Brothers - The Snake
Isley Brothers - You Better Come Home
Isley Brothers - Never Leave Me Baby
Isley Brothers - Spanish Twist
Isley Brothers - Time After Time
Isley Brothers - Let's Twist Again
Isley Brothers - Don't You Feel

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Bill Haley and the Comets - For Your Dance Party! (1953-1954)

2010-09-06T07:58:00.000-07:00

A collection of four EP's that collects recordings from 1951-1953. Those who haven't heard this material before will be astonished to discover bona fide rock & roll dating from three to four years earlier than 1954-1955 -- The beginning of his Decca era -- more commonly associated with the music's birth. Haley's sound is similar to the country-boogie of the late '40s, retaining the steel guitar prominent in much of the era's country music, but it's clearly more driving and forward-looking. The songs owe a lot to jump R&B but are transformed into the basic model of rock & roll with slapping bass, ricky-tick drums, and extended electric guitar riffing. Listen to his version of Jackie Brenston's 'Rocket 88' (which has itself been pegged as one of the first rock & roll records) and you'll be astounded to note the basics of rockabilly already in place -- in 1951. The low buzzing, distorted guitar on 'Green Tree Boogie' (also from 1951) is also a revelation, as is the guitar solo on 1952's 'Rock the Joint,' which is almost identical to the much more famous one on 'Rock Around the Clock.' The later sides introduce a honking sax, which would become such a prominent feature in 1950s rock & roll. Includes 'Crazy Man Crazy,' the first rock & roll song to make the Top 20.

1953 EP Rock with Bill Haley and the Comets (US Essex EP-102)

Here all the 4EP tracks in alphabetic order:

Bill Haley - Chattanooga Choo Choo
Bill Haley - Crazy Man, Crazy
Bill Haley - Dance With A Dolly (With A Hole In Her Stockin')
Bill Haley - Farewell, So Long, Goobye
Bill Haley - Fractured
Bill Haley - Green Tree Boogie
Bill Haley - I'll Be True
Bill Haley - Jukebox Cannon Ball
Bill Haley - Live It Up
Bill Haley - Pat-A-Cake
Bill Haley - Real Rock Drive
Bill Haley - Rock The Joint
Bill Haley - Rocket '88'
Bill Haley - Rocking Chair On The Moon
Bill Haley - Stop Beatin' Around The Mulberry Bush
Bill Haley - What'cha Gonna Do

1954 EP Rock with Bill Haley and the Comets (US Essex EP-117)

1954 EP Rock with Bill Haley and the Comets (US Essex EP-118)

1954 EP Rock with Bill Haley and the Comets (US Essex EP-119)

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The Zombies - 'Begin here' and end with 'Odessey & Oracle'

2010-09-05T11:02:00.000-07:00

Aside from the Beatles and perhaps the Beach Boys, no mid-'60s rock group wrote melodies as gorgeous as those of the Zombies. Dominated by Colin Blunstone's breathy vocals, choral backup harmonies, and Rod Argent's shining jazz- and classical-influenced organ and piano, the band sounded utterly unique for their era. Indeed, their material -- penned by either Argent or guitarist Chris White, with unexpected shifts from major to minor keys -- was perhaps too adventurous for the singles market. To this day, they're known primarily for their three big hit singles, "She's Not There" (1964), "Tell Her No" (1965), and "Time of the Season" (1969). Most listeners remain unaware that the group maintained a remarkably high quality of work for several years.

The Zombies formed in the London suburb of St. Albans in the early '60s, and didn't actually entertain serious professional ambitions until they won a local contest, the prize being an opportunity to record a demo for consideration at major labels. Argent's composition "She's Not There" got them a deal with Decca, and the song ended up being their debut release. It was a remarkably confident and original first-time effort, with a great minor melody and the organ, harmonies, and urgent, almost neurotic vocals that would typify much of their work. It did well enough in Britain (making the Top 20), but did even better in the States, where it went to number two.

In fact, throughout their career, the group would experience a lot more success across the waters than they did at home. In early 1965, another piece of classic British Invasion pop, "Tell Her No," went into the Top Ten. Yet that was as much Top 40 success as the group would have for several years. Read on +/-

The tragedy was that throughout 1965 and 1966, the Zombies released a string of equally fine, intricately arranged singles that flopped commercially, at a time in which chart success of 45s was a lot more important to sustain a band's livelihood than it would be a few years down the road. "Remember When I Loved Her," "I Want You Back Again," "Indication," "She's Coming Home," "Whenever You're Ready," "Gotta Get a Hold of Myself," "I Must Move," "Remember You," "Just out of Reach," "How We Were Before" -- all are lost classics, some relegated to B-sides that went virtually unheard, all showing the group eager to try new ideas and expand their approaches. What's worse, the lack of a big single denied the group opportunities to record albums -- only one LP, rushed out to capitalize on the success of "She's Not There," would appear before 1968.

Their failure to achieve more widespread success is a bit mystifying, perhaps explained by a few factors. While undeniably pop-based, their original compositions and arrangements were in some senses too adventurous for the radio. "Indication," for instance, winds down with a lengthy, torturous swirl of bitter organ solos and wordless, windblown vocals; "Remember When I Loved Her," despite its beautiful melody, has downbeat lyrics that are almost morbid; "I Want You Back Again" is arranged like a jazz waltz, with the sorts of sudden stops, tempo shifts, and lengthy minor organ solos found in a lot of their tunes. The group were also, perhaps unfairly, saddled with a somewhat square image; much was made of their formidable scholastic record, and they most definitely did not align themselves with the R&B-based school of British bands, preferring more subtle and tuneful territory.

By 1967, the group hadn't had a hit for quite some time, and reckoned it was time to pack it in. Their Decca contract expired early in the year, and the Zombies signed with CBS for one last album, knowing before the sessions that it was to be their last. A limited budget precluded the use of many session musicians, which actually worked to the band's advantage, as they became among the first to utilize the then-novel Mellotron to emulate strings and horns.

Odessey and Oracle was their only cohesive full-length platter (the first album was largely pasted together from singles and covers). A near-masterpiece of pop/psychedelia, it showed the group reaching new levels of sophistication in composition and performance, finally branching out beyond strictly romantic themes into more varied lyrical territory. The album passed virtually unnoticed in Britain, and was only released in the States after some lobbying from Al Kooper. By that time it was 1968, and the group had split for good.

The Zombies had been defunct for some time when one of the tracks from Odessey, "Time of the Season," was released as a single, almost as an afterthought. It took off in early 1969 to become their biggest hit, but the members resisted temptations to re-form, leading to a couple of bizarre tours in the late '60s by bogus "Zombies" with no relation to the original group. By this time, Rod Argent was already recording as the leader of Argent, which went in a harder rock direction than the Zombies. After a spell as an insurance clerk, Colin Blunstone had some success (more in Britain than America) in the early '70s as a solo vocalist, with material that often amounted to soft rock variations on the Zombies sound.

1964 LP Begin Here (UK Decca LK-4679)

01. The Zombies - Road Runner
02. The Zombies - Summertime
03. The Zombies - I Can't Make Up My Mind
04. The Zombies - The Way I Feel Inside
05. The Zombies - Work N' Play
06. The Zombies - You Really Got A Hold on Me - Bring It On Home To Me
07. The Zombies - She's Not There
08. The Zombies - Sticks And Stones
09. The Zombies - Can't Nobody Love You
10. The Zombies - Woman
11. The Zombies - I Don't Want To Know
12. The Zombies - I Remember When I Loved Her
13. The Zombies - What More Can I Do
14. The Zombies - I Got My Mojo Working

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1968 LP Odessey And Oracle (UK CBS 63280)

Odessey and Oracle was one of the flukiest (and best) albums of the 1960s, and one of the most enduring long-players to come out of the entire British psychedelic boom, mixing trippy melodies, ornate choruses, and lush Mellotron sounds with a solid hard rock base. But it was overlooked completely in England and barely got out in America (with a big push by Al Kooper, who was then a Columbia Records producer); and it was neglected in the U.S. until the single "Time of the Season," culled from the album, topped the charts nearly two years after it was recorded, by which time the group was long disbanded. Ironically, at the time of its recording in the summer of 1967, permanency was not much on the minds of the band members. Odessey and Oracle was intended as a final statement, a bold last hurray, having worked hard for three years only to see the quality of their gigs decline as the hits stopped coming. The results are consistently pleasing, surprising, and challenging: "Hung Up on a Dream" and "Changes" are some of the most powerful psychedelic pop/rock ever heard out of England, with a solid rhythm section, a hot Mellotron sound, and chiming, hard guitar, as well as highly melodic piano. "Changes" also benefits from radiant singing. "This Will Be Our Year" makes use of trumpets (one of the very few instances of real overdubbing) in a manner reminiscent of "Penny Lane"; and then there's "Time of the Season," the most well-known song in their output and a white soul classic.

01. The Zombies - Care Of Cell 44
02. The Zombies - A Rose For Emily
03. The Zombies - Maybe After Hes Gone
04. The Zombies - Beechwood Park
05. The Zombies - Brief Candles
06. The Zombies - Hung Up On A Dream
07. The Zombies - Changes
08. The Zombies - I Want Her She Wants Me
09. The Zombies - This Will Be Our Year
10. The Zombies - Butchers Tale (Western Front 1914)
11. The Zombies - Friends Of Mine
12. The Zombies - Time Of The Season

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Bobby Rydell - All The Hits (1962)

2010-08-31T08:41:00.000-07:00

Bobby Rydell was born Robert Ridarelli in Philadelphia. It was his father who encouraged him to pursue a career in show business. At the age of four, Rydell would sit in front of the TV and impersonate such performers as Milton Berle, Louis Prima and Johnny Ray. He also admired drummer Gene Krupa and began playing the drums at the age of six. At the age of seven and with his father's encouragement, Rydell began performing in nightclubs in Philadelphia.

In 1950, Bobby Rydell entered the amateur show of Paul Whiteman; his first-place win gained him a regular part on the show. He stayed with the Whiteman show for three years and then went to join several local bands in Philadelphia. It was here too that Bobby Ridarelli became the easier-to-pronounce Bobby Rydell. At 16 he began playing with local groups, landing a spot as a drummer for Rocco and the Saints. (Frankie Avalon, another Philadelphia-born musician, played trumpet for the group.) While with the band, Rydell signed a recording contract with Cameo/Parkway Records in Philadelphia. His hit "Kissin' Time," recorded in the summer of 1959, launched his musical career and made him a teen idol at the age of 17. Read on +/-

After making his first hit recording, he pursued a solo career, performing at the Copacabana in New York in 1961, where he was an instant hit. Rydell made his acting debut in 1962 on the television show Combat! One year later, he starred as Hugh Peabody in the famous musical Bye Bye Birdie. It was only after his acting debut that he fervently began playing the nightclub circuit. With records like "We Got Love," "Wildwood Days" and "Sway," Rydell made himself a hit. Along with Frankie Avalon and Fabian, Bobby Rydell is known as a Philadelphia-born teen idol, known not only for his musical genius but also his handsome looks.

Like many other stars at the time -- see a previous post of Bobby Vee -- Rydell recorded a lot of songs from other singers, that were hits at the time. In 1962 Cameo/Parkway released a series records with their most popular recording stars like: Chubby Checker; The Orlons; Dee Dee Sharp etc. The Series got the title "All The Hits" and consisted many of those hit covers. So here two "All The Hits" albums from Bobby Rydell -- still only vinyl, cause they never made it to CD.

1962 LP All The Hits (Cameo C-1019)

01. Bobby Rydell - Twistin' The Night Away
02. Bobby Rydell - Break It To Me Gently
03. Bobby Rydell - Dream Baby
04. Bobby Rydell - What's Your Name
05. Bobby Rydell - The One Who Really Loves You
06. Bobby Rydell - I've Got Bonnie
07. Bobby Rydell - I'll Never Dance Again
08. Bobby Rydell - I Know
09. Bobby Rydell - Don't Break The Heart That Loves You
10. Bobby Rydell - Baby It's You
11. Bobby Rydell - Soldier Boy
12. Bobby Rydell - Hey Baby

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1962 LP All The Hits Volume 2 (US Cameo C 1040)

01. Bobby Rydell - Bobby's Girl
02. Bobby Rydell - Tell Him
03. Bobby Rydell - Ruby Ann
04. Bobby Rydell - Up On The Roof
05. Bobby Rydell - Im Gonna Be Warm This Winter
06. Bobby Rydell - Remember Then
07. Bobby Rydell - Telestar
08. Bobby Rydell - Loop De Loop
09. Bobby Rydell - The Alley Cat Song
10. Bobby Rydell - See See Rider
11. Bobby Rydell - Everybody Loves A Lover
12. Bobby Rydell - Two Lovers

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The Four Lovers - Joyride (1955)

2010-08-29T15:17:00.000-07:00

The Four Seasons are justifiably among the most fondly remembered pop/rock vocal groups of the early to mid-'60s. Their soaring harmonies, coupled with Frankie Valli's exquisite falsetto lead on romantic, teenage-oriented songs, were as central to the early-'60s music scene as the work of the Beach Boys, Del Shannon, or any other top rock & roll names one cares to invoke from that period. But before Valli and company emerged with their first hit in the summer of 1962, they spent eight years working in music, first as the Variatones and, more permanently, as the Four Lovers. They never charted a record higher than number 62 (their only chart entry), but did record more than two dozen songs, including a complete LP for a major label. And their music roots were closer to Frank Sinatra than to Elvis Presley.

The Four Lovers started out in the early '50s, but the individual members' musical backgrounds went back to the 1930s. Their whole story started with the DeVito family of Belleville, a working-class town in northern New Jersey just outside of Newark, part of the same locale that produced Frank Sinatra, Connie Francis, and Lou Costello, among other performing legends during the 1930s. The whole family was musical and, beginning with eldest son Danny, took up singing and an instrument from their father. Tommy DeVito (born June 19, 1928) emerged in music at the age of ten, appearing on Major Bowes' Original Amateur Hour.
Read on +/-

Two years later, he was singing and playing guitar with Nickie & the Starliters, an octet modeled after the professional pop (or "sweet," as they were called) bands of the era, led by his older brother Nickie DeVito (born September 12, 1924), who also played bass. They made a decent part-time living, picking up extra cash playing dances, weddings, and parties until World War II and the draft broke up their membership. After World War II, the two DeVito brothers tried keeping their hands in music and hooked up with Nick Macioci (born September 19, 1927, and better-known in later years as Nick Massi) to form what became the Variety Trio. They played local clubs, all of them singing, with Tommy and Nickie DeVito on lead and rhythm guitar, respectively, and Massi playing the upright bass. After a couple of years of successful local gigs, they added a fourth, part-time member who began showing up at their performances, Frank Castelluccio (born May 3, 1934, and later known as Frankie Valli). He was 16, had a distinctive voice, and a repertory of two songs, "I Can't Give You Anything but Love" and "My Mother's Eyes."

The sight of the slightly built teenager with the falsetto voice doing those pre-war songs was a novelty in itself, and they went over well with the group's audience. The trio split up in 1952, and for a time during the next couple of years, Castelluccio and Tommy DeVito worked together in various backing bands and recorded a pair of songs together under the auspices of Corona Records in New York. They formed a new group, the Variatones, with Hank Majewski on rhythm guitar and Billy Thompson on drums, while "Frankie Valley," as he was calling himself by then, handled the bass.

In early 1956, they got an audition for RCA Victor, where they impressed the executives present with their harmony singing and their mixed repertory of country music and R&B. This wasn't an uncommon mix at the time, nor was it unheard of for white vocal groups who were the least bit adventurous. A few white outfits, such as the Crew-Cuts, became notorious in purist circles for making more commercially successful covers of R&B singles by black groups, but many did take up the music with only the most honest and honorable intentions -- because they liked it -- and one outfit from Texas, the Mints, was regarded at the time as a serious white equivalent to the Treniers. The Variatones liked the music and had the talent and years of experience, together and collectively.

The group got a contract and a new name, the Four Lovers, and began a year-long stay with the record label. Thompson was soon gone from the lineup, with Valley moved over to drums and Nickie DeVito back in the fold on bass. They made their recording debut with a decided R&B emphasis, including a pair of Otis Blackwell songs, "You're the Apple of My Eye" and "Diddilly Diddilly Babe," "Honey Love" from the Drifters, a cover of Faye Adams' "Shake a Hand," and "Please Don't Leave Me," written by Fats Domino. There were rocking sides there, though not even necessarily the kind of harmony based music that could be described as doo wop.

Their version of "Shake a Hand" was as much a showcase for Tommy DeVito's hot guitar playing as it was for the group's backup singing, and the lead vocal is closer to Elvis Presley than to the falsetto singing that Valli would succeed with fronting the group six years later. Blackwell's "You're the Apple of My Eye," which had such a mannered and exaggerated performance that it almost sounded like a parody of R&B harmony material, ended up as the Four Lovers' one and only chart entry, peaking at number 62. The group kept trying and RCA kept trying with them, releasing another single and then an entire LP, entitled Joyride.

The latter is interesting to hear, both as a cultural artifact for the variety of vocal material (which includes a rocked up version of Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" and a cover of Lloyd Price's "Lawdy Miss Clawdy," and also pop numbers, a concession to the fact that early rock & roll listeners didn't buy many LPs) and as a document of the group's range, stuck in among the vocal numbers is the title track, an instrumental which was a surprise coming from a group known for its singing. By that time, rock & roll was sweeping the charts and the group's act was appropriately oriented toward harmony versions of R&B material. It wasn't enough to sell them to the public and in early 1957, they were dropped by RCA Victor.

The Four Lovers came to an end as a name but not a group during the next few years. They did a lot of backup singing on behalf of other artists in sessions run by Crewe, and occasionally cut records of their own for local labels under various names until they finally settled on the Four Seasons in 1961. Their lineup, by then, was Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito, and Nick Massi. The group wasn't working nearly full-time or making much money, however, and by 1962, Valli was making his living in construction. It was in the spring of that year that Bob Gaudio came up with a song called "Sherry," that he insisted by given to Valli and their group to cut. Crewe agreed and released by the Vee-Jay label, it hit number one nationally barely a month after release, thus beginning a new, more visible and successful phase in the history of the Four Seasons.

1955 LP Joyride (US RCA Victor LPM-1317)

01. The Four Lovers - I Want A Girl (Just Like The Girl That Married Dear Old Dad)
02. The Four Lovers - Such A Night
03. The Four Lovers - (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons
04. The Four Lovers - Joyride
05. The Four Lovers - This Is My Song
06. The Four Lovers - Memories Of You
07. The Four Lovers - It's To Soon To Know
08. The Four Lovers - San Antonio Rose
09. The Four Lovers - White Christmas
10. The Four Lovers - Night Train
11. The Four Lovers - Cimarron
12. The Four Lovers - Lawdy Miss Clawdy

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The Castells - So This Is Love (1962)

2010-08-29T03:48:00.000-07:00

The Castells were a male vocal quartet from Santa Rosa, California best remembered for their hits "Sacred" (#20 in 1961) and "So This Is Love" (#21 in 1962). The group originally started with three members in November of 1958. In February 1959 Bob Ussery was added to the group, and that summer joined Joe Kelly after one of the early singers left. Only Tom Hicks and Chuck Girard stayed as first members of the group.

Their sound blended light rock with elements of collegiate harmony singing and jazz, and proved popular with teenagers as well as adults. The Castells was formed at Santa Rosa, CA High School, circa 1959. They were booked for a performance at a local teenage "canteen". They did not have a name, and their pianist, Jeff Bush, suggested the name. It had no meaning other than they thought that it sounded good, and the intent was to be more thoughtful and change it later. They obviously never did. Through a local Santa Rosa KJAX disc-jockey who went by the name of Dan Dillon, they got some Hollywood contacts. Girard's mother financed a demo for $100., which was recorded in a San Francisco studio. Read on +/-

They took their demo and went door-to-door in Hollywood, first to Crystalette Records,which seemed to be defunct, Alladin records, and then Era Records. They were excited that Alladin seemed interested, as they considered themselves to be R&B, but eventually it was Era who signed them with some help of Dillon. Their first release "Little Sad Eyes", went to "Bubbling Under" on the Billboard chart, then came "Sacred", which charted for them. The next,"Make Believe Wedding," went again "Bubbling Under", but then "So This Is Love" again charted.

The Castells played shows for a few years, and were privileged to share the stage with many of their idols, among them Jackie Wilson, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bobby Vee, and Brenda Lee. They never again charted, but did continue to record for a few years, first for Warner Brothers Records, and then lastly, Decca Records. They disbanded around 1964.

1962 LP So This Is Love (US Era ES-109)

01. The Castells - So This Is Love
02. The Castells - I Get Dreamy
03. The Castells - Some Enchanted Evening
04. The Castells - The Vision Of You
05. The Castells - Stiki De Boom Boom
06. The Castells - Make Believe Wedding
07. The Castells - Oh! What It Seemed To Be
08. The Castells - Sacred
09. The Castells - Stand There Mountain
10. The Castells - Little Sad Eyes
11. The Castells - Clown Prince
12. The Castells - Dancing In The Dark

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The Cleftones - Doo-Wop in Hart And Soul (1961)

2010-08-24T01:05:00.000-07:00

Formed in Queens, NY, in 1955, the Cleftones consisted of five friends from Jamaica High School -- Herb Cox (lead), Warren Corbin (bass), Charlie James (first tenor), William McClain (baritone), and Berman Patterson (second tenor). Originally signed to Gee, the group released its first single, "You Baby You," late in 1955; an up-tempo doo wop song, the record became a regional hit. "Little Girl of Mine," the Cleftones' second single, broke nationally, charting at number eight R&B and number 57 pop in 1956; two other similar singles, "Can't We Be Sweethearts" and "String Around My Heart," were released the same year, yet they failed to attract national attention. "See You Next Year," a ballad the group recorded in 1957, did not earn the group an audience outside of New York. Two years later, McClain left the group and was replaced by Gene Pearson from the Rivileers. Patricia Spann was also added to the Cleftones' lineup that year, which helped nudge the band away from traditional group-oriented doo wop harmonies and toward a vocal sound that was dominated by the lead vocals. In 1961, the Cleftones realized the potential of the sound with their smash hit version of the standard "Heart and Soul"; it became the group's biggest hit, reaching number 18 on both pop and R&B charts. Later that year, the group had another hit with "For Sentimental Reasons," but the band had reached a peak with "Heart and Soul" and were never able to reach those heights again. The Cleftones broke up in 1964, three years after their greatest success.

1961 LP Heart And Soul (US Gee SGLP-705)

01. The Cleftones - Heart And Soul
02. The Cleftones - How Do You Feel
03. The Cleftones - A Hunderd Pounds Of Clay
04. The Cleftones - Please Say You Want Me
05. The Cleftones - Can't We Be Sweethearts
06. The Cleftones - Time Is Running Out On Our Love
07. The Cleftones - Little Girl Of Mine
08. The Cleftones - Heavenly Father
09. The Cleftones - Glory Of Love
10. The Cleftones - You And I Can Climb
11. The Cleftones - You Baby You
12. The Cleftones - String Around My Heart

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1961 LP For Sentimental Reasons (US Gee GLP-707)

01. The Cleftones - For Sentimental Reasons.mp3
02. The Cleftones - Blues In The Night
03. The Cleftones - Red Sails In The Sunset
04. The Cleftones - She's Gone
05. The Cleftones - Vacation In The Mountains
06. The Cleftones - My Babe She's A Rolling Stone
07. The Cleftones - Earth Angel
08. The Cleftones - Deed I Do
09. The Cleftones - Shadows On The Very Last Row
10. The Cleftones - What Did I Do That Was Wrong
11. The Cleftones - Hey Babe
12. The Cleftones - Leave My Woman Alone

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The Lively Ones are Surfin' again

2010-08-23T03:34:00.000-07:00

One of the best of the many instrumental surf bands working the Southern California region in 1963, the Lively Ones made recordings built around storming, reverb-drenched Fender guitars embellished by occasional raunchy sax breaks. Originality was not the Lively Ones' forte; over a period of about 12 months, they ground out about five albums, filled out with many covers or retitled numbers based on other rock and R&B compositions. They had a couple of hits in the L.A. area in 1963 ("Surf Rider" and "Rik-A-Tik"), but their best moment was probably "Goofy Foot," whose staccato gunfire of riffs deservedly propelled the track onto several modern best-of-surf anthologies. They ranged far and wide for source material, giving the surf treatment to "Telstar," "Exodus," "Rawhide," and Cole Porter's "Night and Day." Even the overdone standards are arranged and executed with panache. One best-of compilation is all you need, but anyone who likes Dick Dale will dig the Lively Ones' similar sleek arrangements and prototypically twangy, classy surf guitar leads.

1963 LP Surf Rider (US Del-Fi DFLP-1226)

By the time their debut LP, Surf Rider! made it to store shelves in 1963, they had already issued a handful of singles, the most successful being a reworking of the Ventures' deep LP cut "Spudnik," rechristened as "Surf Rider." Although it made little impact nationally, the catchy tune and beguiling beat became a local smash, prompting Del-Fi to compile an album's worth of material with previously available sides, a few new originals, as well as some songs that would have been familiar to the audience. During an era marked by a plethora of nominally talented and ersatz sound-alike cover bands, in retrospect the Lively Ones' music remains noteworthy for their strong self-penned numbers. Among those highlights are the bouncy mid-tempo "Happy Gremmie," the driving rhythm behind "Walkin' the Board," and above all the gritty "Goofy Foot." As was customary, they also retooled and personalized concurrently popular melodies, including obligatory interpretations of Dick Dale's "Misirlou," "Let's Go Trippin'," and the solid opener "Surf Beat." Buoyed by incisive interplay between Masoner and Willenbring, other standouts are "Guitar Man" -- a Top 20 hit for Duane Eddy -- and the darkly brooding "Caterpillar Crawl."

01. The Lively Ones - Surf Beat
02. The Lively Ones - Let's Go Trippin'
03. The Lively Ones - Misirlou
04. The Lively Ones - (Dance With The) Guitar Man
05. The Lively Ones - The Caterpillar Crawl
06. The Lively Ones - Walkin' The Board
07. The Lively Ones - Paradise Cove
08. The Lively Ones - Goofy Foot
09. The Lively Ones - Surf Rider
10. The Lively Ones - Happy Gremmie
11. The Lively Ones - Hotdoggen
12. The Lively Ones - Surfer's Lament

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1963 LP Surf Drums (US Del-Fi DFLP-1231)

The second Lively Ones long-player, Surf Drums (1963), was compiled in much the same way their debut had been created, comparable to the vast majority of rush-released platters of the era. Del-Fi Records owner Bob Keane collected a few of the band's previous singles alongside a variety of already established covers, many of which were concurrent hits for other artists. The instrumental quintet had gained a sizable name for themselves in and around the Orange County, CA, scene, scoring regionally on covers of the Ventures' dynamic "Spudnik" and the Fireballs' effervescent "Rik-A-Tic." The album opens up with a remake of Duane Eddy's mid-tempo, ambling "40 Miles Bad Road." The track is the perfect vehicle for Jim Masoner (guitar) and Joel Willenbring (sax), whose collaborations became an integral ingredient not only in the Lively Ones' sound, but helped to separate them from the plethora of similar units. Providing support for the soloists and rounding out the personnel are solid contributions from Ed Chiaverini (guitar), Ron Griffith (bass), and Tim Fitzpatrick (drums). Despite the dearth of original compositions, the aggregate muscle through some choice overhauls of genre favorites, most notably the soulful strut of the Rockin' Rebels' "Wild Weekend," the high-energy yakety sax on the Belairs' "Mr. Moto" and the analogous rearrangement of "Tuff Surf," an R&B entry from the relatively obscure Nobel Watts.

01. The Lively Ones - Surf Beat
02. The Lively Ones - Let's Go Trippin'
03. The Lively Ones - Misirlou
04. The Lively Ones - (Dance With The) Guitar Man
05. The Lively Ones - The Caterpillar Crawl
06. The Lively Ones - Walkin' The Board
07. The Lively Ones - Paradise Cove
08. The Lively Ones - Goofy Foot
09. The Lively Ones - Surf Rider
10. The Lively Ones - Happy Gremmie
11. The Lively Ones - Hotdoggen
12. The Lively Ones - Surfer's Lament

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1963 LP Surf City (US Del-Fi DFLP-1237)

Following in much the same format as preceding releases, the platter consisted primarily of cuts that had been previously issued as singles or were initially left off previous LPs -- perhaps the most egregious example being "Surf Rider" (the title track from their 1963 debut album) -- in addition to a handful of "new" sides. As was fairly common practice at the time, there are several high-profile cover versions of well-established hits, which is how Surf City commences. The instrumental reworking of Jan & Dean's June 1963 chart-topper was undoubtedly a recent supplement to the Lively Ones' repertoire, as the original had only been around for a few months. Conversely, their carbon copy of Dick Dale's anthemic "Miserlou" -- another repeat from Surf Rider -- and the subdued interpretation of Santo & Johnny's "Sleepwalk" had already become surf rock staples. "Head's Up," a lesser-known entry from R&B guitarist Freddie King, is given a punchy reading that motors along with some tasty interplay between saxophonist Joel Willenbring and lead guitarist Jim Masoner. Speaking of King, they close with a spirited translation of his "Butterscotch," cleverly rechristened as "Forty Miles of Bad Surf." The languid and moody "Malibu Run" is one of two group-penned numbers, proving that while not as prolific as their record company might have desired, the Lively Ones easily made up for it with quality.

01. The Lively Ones - Surf City
02. The Lively Ones - Telstar Surf
03. The Lively Ones - Heads Up
04. The Lively Ones - Malibu Run
05. The Lively Ones - Miserlou
06. The Lively Ones - Surf Rider
07. The Lively Ones - Soul Surfer
08. The Lively Ones - Sleep Walk
09. The Lively Ones - Crazy Surf
10. The Lively Ones - Livin'
11. The Lively Ones - Tranquilizer
12. The Lively Ones - Forty Miles Of Bad Surf

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1964 LP Surfin' South Of The Border (US Del-Fi DFLP-1240)

The dozen cuts on 1964's Surfin' South of the Border are split among the Lively Ones and the Surf Mariachis -- the latter consisting of five renowned West Coast studio session instrumentalists under the direction of Del-Fi Records owner Bob Keane. The results yielded what was arguably one of the first "concept albums" of the surf rock subgenre. The project was unabashedly designed as a vehicle to release the remnants of the the Lively Ones' previous endeavors. The remaining time was filled with new Latin-flavored versions of tunes already well known by the targeted teen audience. Regardless of how opportunistic those terms might seem, give credit where credit is due, as Keane pulls off yet another inspired collection. Truth be told, it is curious why Lively Ones tracks such as the spirited opener, "Torquay," and the echoplex-happy reading of Ernest Gold's 1960 Oscar-winning composition "Exodus" were initially left on the editing room floor. The personnel of the Surf Mariachis boasted Conte Candoli (trumpet), Tom Scott (sax), Jay Migliori (sax), Billy Strange (guitar), and Frankie Capp (percussion), so it isn't that difficult to understand why they sound comparatively polished. "Watermelon Man" is a particularly tasty groove, as is Lalo Schifrin's frenetic "Undertow" and Lee Hazlewood's "Baja Surf," all of which strike a perfect balance between cool and kitsch.

01. The Lively Ones - Torquay
02. The Surf Mariachis - Baja Surf
03. The Lively Ones - Mexico
04. The Surf Mariachis - Limbo Rock
05. The Surf Mariachis - More
06. The Lively Ones - Exodus
07. The Lively Ones - Tequila
08. The Surf Mariachis - Watermelon Man
09. The Surf Mariachis - Undertow
10. The Lively Ones - Walking Memories (aka Surfing Mem
11. The Lively Ones - Latinia
12. The Surf Mariachis - Surf Fiesta

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The Golden Earrings - The early years (1965-1967)

2010-08-21T01:05:00.000-07:00

In 1961 four schoolboys, all from one neighborhood in The Hague, The Netherlands, started a band 'The Tornadoes.' The band consisted of young Rinus Gerritsen (bass), George Kooymans (guitar), Hans van Herwerden (guitar) and Fred van der Hilst (drums). In their early phase the Tornadoes played mostly covers of instrumentals of The Ventures and The Shadows like so many other bands in that period. When, in November 1962, the British Tornadoes scored a huge hit with "Telstar," their counterpart from The Hague realized that a new name must be invented. "Golden Earrings," a 1961 instrumental of the British guitar band 'The Hunters,' and also on the playlist of the boys, offers the solution. The band renamed itself to 'The Golden Earrings,' and first in the line of shuffling took place; Van Herwerden was replaced by Peter de Ronde (guitar).

In 1963 the first beat sounds blew over from England and brought the Golden Earrings to their senses that popularity of instrumentals was over. Beat vocals did take their place, and the recruitment of a singer was their most logical next step. Frans Krassenburg became that new vocalist. At the end of 1964 also Fred van der Hilst was leaving the Earrings and the band recruited the more talented Jaap Eggermont. In the meantime the band worked on its own repertoire, supplemented with covers of The Kinks and The Zombies. Read on +/-

1965 Turned out to be a crucial year in the existence of the Golden Earrings. During a gig in Scheveningen, the band was discovered by Fred Haayen, who at that time was still a student with a part-time job in the warehouse of Polydor records. But nevertheless he brought the young group to a recording contract. With the growing success of his discovery, also the star of Fred Haayen was rising. Later on he became director of Polydor and made career in America in the music industry. Haayen would produce the Golden Earring (without the 's' at that time) till the mid-70s, and was -- until a decade later -- business adviser to the group.

The year sixty five also saw their debut LP, "Just Earrings." A charming, but also not really perfect beat record. You still can hear how close the band was with their examples. The Golden Earrings played the classic rhythm & blues song "Sticks And Stones" note for note like The Zombies covered it a few months earlier -- including the excited cries. One of their own songs, "Please Go," showed up as the first single release. It ends on #10 of the Dutch 'Veronica hit list.' The release of the second single, "Lonely Every Day," was withdrawn the last minute, because they found out that the b-side, "Not To Find," had a grammatically incorrect title. You see... 'Yesterday's Gold' is not the only place with bad English. (Sorry!)

The year 1966 began with a ringing top three hit, "That Day." The first Dutch pop single recorded in England. The breakthrough of the Earrings was a fact. The band was the figurehead of an exploding The Hague beat scene, which yields groups as Q 65, Shocking Blue, The Motions and hundreds of lesser known bands. The Hague was for for several years the 'Liverpool of Holland'. The Golden Earrings scored several other hits with fresh beat songs as: "If You Leave Me;" "Daddy Buy Me A Girl;" and "Don't Run Too Far." Shortly before the release of their second album, "Winter Harvest," guitarist Peter de Ronde left the band.

Just after the release of Winter Harvest, in 1967, also Frans Krassenburg disappeared from the band, but one year later he would still live on old glory by his #20 hit single "Golden Earrings." Krassenburg was replaced by Barry Hay, from 'The Haigs.' Hay refuses an offer of 'Shocking Blue,' and saw the Golden Earrings as a better choice . "Sound Of The Screaming Day" was the first single release with him in the band, but Barry was heard only on flute. George Kooymans handled the vocals. It was a new big hit for the band. The year ended with "Together We Live, Together We Love." But after all, The Golden Earring stood just at the beginning of a long international career.

The Golden Earrings - The Early Singles 1965-1967

The Golden Earrings - Please Go / 1965 Polydor S1181
The Golden Earrings - Chunk Of Steel / 1965 Polydor S1181
The Golden Earrings - Lonely Everyday / 1965 Polydor S1185 (withdrawn)
The Golden Earrings - Not To Find / 1965 Polydor S1185 (withdrawn)
The Golden Earrings - That Day / 1966 Polydor 421.023
The Golden Earrings - The Words I Need / 1966 Polydor 421.023
The Golden Earrings - If You Leave Me / 1966 Polydor 421.036
The Golden Earrings - Waiting For You / 1966 Polydor 421.036
The Golden Earrings - Daddy Buy Me A Girl / 1966 Polydor 421.050
The Golden Earrings - What You Gonna Tell / 1966 Polydor 421.050
The Golden Earrings - Don't Run To Far / 1966 Polydor 421.056
The Golden Earrings - Wings / 1966 Polydor 421.056
The Golden Earrings - In My House 1967 Polydor / S1223
The Golden Earrings - Smoking Cigarettes 1967 Polydor / S1223
The Golden Earrings - Sound Of The Screaming Day / 1967 Polydor S1244
The Golden Earrings - She Won't Come To Me 1967 Polydor / S1244
The Golden Earrings - Together We Live, Together We Love / 1967 Polydor S1250
The Golden Earrings - I Wonder / 1967 Polydor S1250

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1965 LP Just Earrings (NL Polydor 007)

01. The Golden Earrings - Nobody But You
02. The Golden Earrings - I Hate Saying These Words
03. The Golden Earrings - She May Be
04. The Golden Earrings - Holy Witness
05. The Golden Earrings - No Need To Worry
06. The Golden Earrings - Please Go
07. The Golden Earrings - Sticks And Stones
08. The Golden Earrings - I Am A Fool
09. The Golden Earrings - Don't Stay Away
10. The Golden Earrings - Lonely Everyday
11. The Golden Earrings - When People Talk
12. The Golden Earrings - Now I Have

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1967 LP Winter Harvest (NL Polydor Special 736.068)

01. The Golden Earrings - Another Man In Town
02. The Golden Earrings - Smoking Cigarettes
03. The Golden Earrings - In My House
04. The Golden Earrings - Don't Wanna Loose That Girl
05. The Golden Earrings - Impeccable Girl
06. The Golden Earrings - Tears And Lies
07. The Golden Earrings - You've Got The Intention To Hurt Me
08. The Golden Earrings - Dream
09. The Golden Earrings - You Break My Heart
10. The Golden Earrings - Baby Don't Make Me Nervous
11. The Golden Earrings - Call Me
12. The Golden Earrings - Happy And Young Together
13. The Golden Earrings - Lionel The Miser
14. The Golden Earrings - There Will Be A Tomorrow

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Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs - Sugar Shack (1963)

2010-08-19T02:38:00.000-07:00

On request, two nice 1963 albums from the Fireballs. The first one, 'Torquay,' was in line with several very good more early instrumental platters from the group. 'Sugar Shack' was titled to the first million seller for Gilmer, and credited as 'Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs.' The title song was written in 1962 by Keith McCormack and Faye Voss. Gilmer, then aged 23, came from Amarillo, Texas, and began singing as a youngster in La Grange, IIIinois. In 1951 he moved with his family to Amarillo where he studied the piano for four years at the Musical Arts Conservatory. In 1957, he organized his own rock 'n' roll band, playing for schools and other teenage functions. While attending Amarillo College (for an engineering degree), he continued to perform.

Jimmy Gilmer, born in Chicago, 1939, met the Fireballs (Stan Lark, Eric Budd and George Pomsco) at Norman Petty's recording studios in Clovis, New Mexico. The Fireballs had already some success on disc, and Jimmy teamed up with them as singer and rhythm guitarist. Their first hit was "Quite a Party" (#27 in 1961). Then came "Sugar Shack", and subsequent tours of Canada and Europe. The disc was #1 for five weeks in the U.S.A., with 15 weeks in Billboard hot 100; #45 in Britain and eight weeks in the bestsellers, and a top rhythm-and blues seller. It was also a huge hit in many other countries all over the world. The Fireballs, sans Gilmer, made one last unexpected comeback in 1968, when their "Bottle of Wine" (featuring vocals by the group themselves) made the Top Ten.

1963 LP Torquay (US Dot DLP-25512)

01. Fireballs - Torquay
02. Fireballs - Alone
03. Fireballs - Joey's Song
04. Fireballs - Last Date
05. Fireballs - Chief Whoopin`Koff
06. Fireballs - El Ringo
07. Fireballs - Wheels
08. Fireballs - Honey
09. Fireballs - Rawhide
10. Fireballs - Tuff-A-Nuff
11. Fireballs - Dumbo
12. Fireballs - Quite A Party

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1963 LP Sugar Shack (US DOT DLP-25545)

01. Jimmy Gilmer & The Fireballs - Sugar Shack
02. Jimmy Gilmer & The Fireballs - Let's Talk
03. Jimmy Gilmer & The Fireballs - Linda Lu
04. Jimmy Gilmer & The Fireballs - Lonesome Tears
05. Jimmy Gilmer & The Fireballs - Let The Good Times Roll
06. Jimmy Gilmer & The Fireballs - Red Cadillac And A Black Mustache
07. Jimmy Gilmer & The Fireballs - Won't Be Long
08. Jimmy Gilmer & The Fireballs - Little Baby
09. Jimmy Gilmer & The Fireballs - I Wonder Why
10. Jimmy Gilmer & The Fireballs - Suzie Q
11. Jimmy Gilmer & The Fireballs - Pretend
12. Jimmy Gilmer & The Fireballs - Almost Eighteen

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Marv Johnson - Marvelous And More (1960)

2010-08-18T03:25:00.000-07:00

Best remembered for a handful of hits including the Top Ten smashes "You Got What It Takes" and "I Love the Way You Love," Marv Johnson was also a seminal figure in the early history of Motown Records. Marvin Earl Johnson was born in Detroit, MI in 1938, and was raised in a musical environment that mixed the gospel music of the Baptist church with the jump-jazz of Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five. By the time he was in high school he had joined a local singing group, playing carnivals and fairs. In 1958, he cut his first sides, "My Baby-O" and "Once Upon a Time;" the single failed to sell, but the recording session resulted in a meeting with songwriter and would-be record producer Berry Gordy. Read on +/-

After Johnson played his original song "Come to Me" for Gordy and his future wife Raynoma, the couple chose Johnson as the first artist for their fledgling record label, Tamla. Because the new label didn't have distribution outside of Detroit, "Come to Me" (credited to Gordy and Johnson) was released nationally by United Artists, and rose to No. 6 on the R&B charts and No. 30 on the pop charts. Gordy soon lost direct control of his first discovery after United Artists signed Johnson directly, but continued as the singer's manager. Johnson also toured with Motown acts such as the Miracles in addition to appearing on Alan Freed's rock & roll revues and media venues such as American Bandstand, and joined early package tours and stage revues where he shared bills with his idols Sam Cooke and Jackie Wilson.

Johnson's second single fared poorly, but his third, 1959's "You've Got What It Takes," exploded onto the charts, becoming a Top Ten hit and earning a gold record. The 1960 follow-up "I Love the Way You Love" also landed in the Top Ten; among his subsequent singles, "You've Got to Move Two Mountains" was a more pop-flavored effort that reached the Top 20, while "Happy Days" got to number seven on the R&B charts late in 1960. "Merry-Go-Round," issued in early 1961, was Johnson's last chart success. Even many R&B and soul fans have overlooked the greatness of Marv Johnson, whose smooth, exuberant, and sometimes poignant style helped turn some weepy numbers into triumphant outings. He sounded uniformly great throughout this early '60s albums, doing everything from light pop to anguished soul and singing with strength, conviction, and intensity.

1960 LP Marvelous Marv Johnson (US United Artists UAL 3081)

01. Marv Johnson - September In The Rain
02. Marv Johnson - You've Got What It Takes
03. Marv Johnson - Summertime
04. Marv Johnson - 's Wonderful
05. Marv Johnson - I Can't Get Started
06. Marv Johnson - Come To Me
07. Marv Johnson - Let Me Love You
08. Marv Johnson - Almost Like Being In Love
09. Marv Johnson - Love Is Here To Stay
10. Marv Johnson - I'm Coming Home
11. Marv Johnson - When I Fall In Love
12. Marv Johnson - Don't Leave Me

1960 LP More Marv Johnson (US United Artists UAL-3118)

01. Marv Johnson - Baby, Baby.mp3
02. Marv Johnson - This Heart Of Mine (Will Surely Sing)
03. Marv Johnson - I Love The Way You Love Me
04. Marv Johnson - River Of Tears
05. Marv Johnson - Clap Your Hands
06. Marv Johnson - Ain't Gonna Be That Way
07. Marv Johnson - When You've Lost Your Love
08. Marv Johnson - I Need You
09. Marv Johnson - Easier Said (Than Done)
10. Marv Johnson - Let Me Love You
11. Marv Johnson - What A Need
12. Marv Johnson - All The Love I've Got

If you want to listen to the music... Look up in the right column.
Als je naar de muziek wilt luisteren... Kijk boven in de rechter kolom.

Manfred Mann - The Manfred Mann Album (1964)

2010-08-17T03:44:00.000-07:00

Manfred Mann's debut full-length U.S. platter was probably their strongest, and indeed one of the stronger British Invasion albums of the very competitive year of 1964. Besides the smash "Do Wah Diddy Diddy," it contained a number of fine soul and R&B covers. Standouts were the versions of "Untie Me" and Ike & Tina Turner's "It's Gonna Work Out Fine," as well as the strong pounding Paul Jones original, "Without You."

1964 LP The Manfred Mann Album (US Ascot AM(S)-13015)

01. Manfred Mann - Do Wah Diddy Diddy
02. Manfred Mann - Don't Ask Me What I Say
03. Manfred Mann - Sack O'woe
04. Manfred Mann - What You Gonna Do
05. Manfred Mann - I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man
06. Manfred Mann - Smokestack Lightning
07. Manfred Mann - Got My Mojo Working
08. Manfred Mann - It's Gonna Work Out Fine
09. Manfred Mann - Down The Road Apiece
10. Manfred Mann - Untie Me
11. Manfred Mann - Bring It To Jerome
12. Manfred Mann - Without You

If you want to listen to the music... Look up in the right column.
Als je naar de muziek wilt luisteren... Kijk boven in de rechter kolom.

One of Manfred Mann's finest early records, My Little Red Book of Winners was, aside from being a fine album that captured the band's early sensibility, a highly influential record. The hit song "My Little Red Book," an excellent arrangement of the Bacharach/David masterpiece, was included in the hit movie What's New Pussycat. It was there that Love's lead singer Arthur Lee first heard it, after which he arranged it for his band. Lee also aped a sense of style and phrasing from Mann's lead singer, Paul Jones, and did so to great effect. The rest of this record is equally brilliant in spots. "The One in the Middle," an excellent midtempo blues from Jones, proved what a fine and witty songwriter he was. Other covers on the album include "Oh No, Not My Baby" and "With God on Our Side," which illustrate how effectively the band could capture any style and make it their own.

1965 LP My Little Red Book Of Winners! (US Ascot ALM(S)-13021)

01. Manfred Mann - My Little Red Book
02. Manfred Mann - Oh, No, Not My Baby
03. Manfred Mann - What Am I To Do
04. Manfred Mann - The One In The Middle
05. Manfred Mann - You Gave Me Somebody To Love
06. Manfred Mann - You're For Me
07. Manfred Mann - Poison Ivy
08. Manfred Mann - Without You
09. Manfred Mann - Brother Jack (Frére Jacques)
10. Manfred Mann - A Love Like Yours (Don't Come Knocking Everyday)
11. Manfred Mann - I Can't Believe What You Say
12. Manfred Mann - With God On Our Side

If you want to listen to the music... Look up in the right column.
Als je naar de muziek wilt luisteren... Kijk boven in de rechter kolom.

Jimmy Jones - Good Timin' (1961)

2010-08-16T12:27:00.000-07:00

Best known for his 1960 R&B smash "Handy Man," Jimmy Jones sang in a smooth yet soulful falsetto modeled on the likes of Clyde McPhatter and Sam Cooke. Born in Birmingham, AL, Jones moved to New York with his family and began his entertainment career as a tap dancer. In 1954, he joined his first doo wop group, the Berliners, who soon changed their name to the Sparks of Rhythm. Jones recorded a few sides with them in 1955, then left to form his own group, the Savoys. They recorded for Savoy in 1956, then jumped to Rama and changed their name to the Pretenders (after the Platters song). The Pretenders cut sides for several labels over the next few years, a few under the name the Jones Boys, before disbanding in 1959. Tired of serving as a group leader, Jones embarked on a solo career with the MGM-owned Cub label later that year. Read on +/-

Teamed with writer/producer Otis Blackwell, Jones recorded a song he'd written back in his Sparks of Rhythm days called "Handy Man." By early 1960, "Handy Man" had rocketed into the Top Five on both the pop and R&B charts. Jones followed "Handy Man" with another Top Ten hit, "Good Timin'," later that year. That proved to be the full extent of his major commercial success, although he kept recording through most of the '60s. He remained with Cub until 1962, scraping the lower reaches of the charts with "That's When I Cried" and "I Told You So." He recorded for Ro-Jac and Vee Jay over the next two years, and his work gradually took on a New York-style uptown soul flavor. From 1965-1967, he cut sides for Roulette, Parkway, and Bell, none of which restored his commercial standing despite some fine performances.

1961 LP Good Timin' (US MGM S-3847)

01. Jimmy Jones - Good Timin'.mp3
02. Jimmy Jones - A Wondrous Place
03. Jimmy Jones - Never Had It So Good
04. Jimmy Jones - For You
05. Jimmy Jones - Where In The World
06. Jimmy Jones - Then I'll Know
07. Jimmy Jones - Handy Man
08. Jimmy Jones - To Long Will Be To Late
09. Jimmy Jones - My Precious Angel
10. Jimmy Jones - Ready For Love
11. Jimmy Jones - The Search Is Over
12. Jimmy Jones - I Just Go For You

Ray Stevens - The Best Of (1970)

2010-08-12T11:23:00.000-07:00

One of the most popular novelty artists of all time, Ray Stevens enjoyed a remarkably long career, with a stretch of charting singles -- some of them major hits -- that spanned four decades. Unlike parody king Weird Al Yankovic, Stevens made most of his impact with original material, often based on cultural trends of the day. Yet his knack for sheer silliness translated across generations, not to mention countless compilations and special TV offers. Stevens was a legitimately skilled singer and producer who also performed straight country and pop, scoring the occasional serious hit. But in general, comic novelty songs were his bread and butter, and his brand of humor somehow managed to endure seismic shifts in popular taste and style. Read on +/-

Stevens was born Harold Ray Ragsdale on January 24, 1939, in the small town of Clarkdale, GA. He started piano lessons at age six and formed a band at 15 called the Barons, which played at local venues and social events. At 17, he moved to Atlanta and caught on with radioman Bill Lowery's music publishing company; one of his songs, "Silver Bracelet," got him a shot at recording for Capitol subsidiary Prep, but the single never hit outside of Atlanta. Stevens enrolled at Georgia State University to study classical piano and music theory and in the meantime continued to record for Lowery's NRC label. One of his earliest novelty songs, 1960's "Sgt. Preston of the Yukon," was building a national buzz until a copyright infringement suit took it off the racks. Stevens began performing regularly on a radio show called The Georgia Jubilee, which helped lead to a job with Mercury Records as a session musician, arranger, and A&R assistant. Meanwhile, in 1961, he landed his first Top 40 hit with the novelty (obviously) song "Jeremiah Peabody's Poly Unsaturated Quick Dissolving Fast Acting Pleasant Tasting Green and Purple Pills."

Once Stevens joined the Mercury staff, he recorded several more novelty singles. "Ahab the Arab," released in early 1962, was a smash hit, reaching the Top Five on the pop charts and even crossing over to the Top Ten on the R&B side. The follow-up, "Santa Claus Is Watching You," just missed the Top 40, but 1963's "Harry the Hairy Ape" returned him to the Top 20. Still, Stevens wasn't planning on a singing career; he concentrated more on learning the ropes in the studio. He worked with artists like Brenda Lee, Patti Page, and Brook Benton and sometimes sang as a substitute vocalist with the Jordanaires. In 1963, he played with Elvis Presley himself on the sessions for the Fun in Acapulco soundtrack. With no hits of his own on the way, however, Stevens wound up moving to the Monument label, where he signed on as a producer and arranger. There he worked with a young Dolly Parton and B.J. Thomas, among others, and formed a friendship with producer Bill Justis (best known for his Sun Records classic "Raunchy").

1970 LP The Best Of (US Mercury SR-61272)

Here a 1970 compilation of -- what I think -- his finest and most rock 'n' roll period on Mercury records. In the first three years he recorded for the label (1961-1963), Ray had seven entries on Billboard hot 100, with a #5 for his all time classic "Ahab, The Arab." On this 'The Best Of' sampler -- for what reason -- Mercury chooses for a live performance of the song, but in the file you'll find also the original long LP track as a bonus.

01. Ray Stevens - Ahab, The Arab
02. Ray Stevens - Funny Man
03. Ray Stevens - Harry The Hairy Ape
04. Ray Stevens - It's Been So Long
05. Ray Stevens - Speed Ball
06. Ray Stevens - Santa Claus Is Watching You
07. Ray Stevens - Butch Barbarian
08. Ray Stevens - Loved And Lost
09. Ray Stevens - The Rock And Roll Show
10. Ray Stevens - Jeremiah Peabody's Polyunsaturated Quick Dissolving Fast Acting Pleasant Tasting Green And Purple Pills
11. Ray Stevens - Bubble Gum The Bubble Dancer

Patti Page - Golden Hits (1960)

2010-08-10T09:19:00.000-07:00

The best-selling female singer during the 1950s, Patti Page in many ways defined the decade of earnest, novelty-ridden adult pop with throwaway hits like "The Doggie in the Window" and "I Went to Your Wedding." By singing a wide range of popular material and her own share of novelty fluff, she proved easily susceptible to the fall of classic adult pop but remained a chart force into the mid-'60s.

Born Clara Ann Fowler in Muskogee, OK, she began singing professionally at a radio station in Tulsa and took weekend gigs on the side. (After being billed as Patti Page for a program sponsored by Page Milk, she decided to take the name even after leaving.) Page toured the country with a band led by Jimmy Joy and ended up in Chicago by 1947, where she sang in a small-group outing by Benny Goodman and gained a recording contract with Mercury. Her first hit, "Confess," came that same year and made her the first pop artist to overdub harmony vocals onto her own lead. After a few more successes, Page gained her first million-seller in 1950 for "With My Eyes Wide Open I'm Dreaming," which cashed in on the novelty effect of overdubbing (the added touch came with listing it as "the Patti Page Quartet"). Also in 1950, "All My Love" became her first number one hit and spent several weeks at the top. That same year produced the biggest hit of her career, "The Tennessee Waltz." Notched at number one for months, it eventually became one of the best-selling singles of all time and prompted no less than six Top 40 covers during the following year.

During 1952-1953, Patti Page scored two more huge hits with "I Went to Your Wedding" and "The Doggie in the Window," both of which spent more than two months at number one. She gained her own television program, The Patti Page Show, in 1955 and moved into full-lengths with In the Land of Hi Fi and Manhattan Tower. Page also proved more resilient to the rise of rock & roll than most of her contemporaries, hitting big in 1956 with "Allegheny Moon" and "Old Cape Cod" the next year. Indeed, she kept reaching the charts (if only in moderate placings) throughout the '60s, paced by the Top Ten theme to the film Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte in 1965. Though she stopped recording for the most part in 1968, she continued performing into the '90s.

1960 LP Golden Hits (US Mercury SR-60495)

01. Patti Page - The Tennessee Waltz
02. Patti Page - Cross Over The Bridge
03. Patti Page - Mockin' Bird Hill
04. Patti Page - Detour
05. Patti Page - Changing Partners
06. Patti Page - Mister And Mississippi
07. Patti Page - The Doggie In The Window
08. Patti Page - Old Cape Cod
09. Patti Page - Allegheny Moon
10. Patti Page - With My Eyes Open I'm Dreaming
11. Patti Page - I Went To Your Wedding
12. Patti Page - Why Don't You Believe Me

Jimmy Justice - Justice For All (1964)

2010-08-10T07:48:00.000-07:00

Jimmy Justice probably did not realise his full potential because of a lack of original material and poor decision making. However, he had one of the richest sounding voices in the UK during the early 1960s- even if it failed to make him one of the richest singers. In fact, if you hadn't ever seen or heard of Jimmy Justice before, then his early recordings sounded more like those of an established black American than a young white Londoner. This illusion was reinforced by the choice of material used for his record releases which were mostly remakes and covers of songs taken from US groups.Jim Little had struck up a chance friendship with two of the Checkmates, Dave and George Sweetman- Emile Ford's step-brothers, no less. The fact that he could sing soon came to the attention of Emile who encouraged Jimmy to form his own group and join the coffee bar circuit.
Read on +/-

Emile also suggested entering the same talent competition that he had himself previously won. This led, as it had done for Emile, to an opportunity to record with the Pye record company and with Emile's help on production his first single "I Understand Just How You Feel" was released. This was credited to 'Jimmy Justice and Jury' although the backing musicians were really the Checkmates.Pye tried again with more singles and the pop wizard, Tony Hatch, was brought in to do the production. Jimmy's third release didn't quite reach the charts but did sell well and it's surprisingly easy to find a copy. This song was a cover of the Jarmels' "Little Bit Of Soap" and could be viewed now as a template for what was to come. Hatch chose the Drifters' "When My Little Girl Is Smiling" next- which on the face of it was a hopeless cause- being up against not only the original, but also another well made cover from the established British star, Craig Douglas. Nevertheless, the Justice version managed to share the honors of a #9 chart entry with the more experienced Craig.

The next release produced Jimmy's biggest UK success, "Ain't That Funny". It was a song that had been written by Les Vandyke and Justice was presumably lucky that the song had come to him rather than Eden Kane with whom the songwriter was closely associated at the time. After this splendid original, it was back to the US group catalogue with "Spanish Harlem", which turned out to be Jimmy's final UK chart entry. Sadly, the choice of Jimmy's following material was really not good enough for the competitive UK market. He had a little more luck on continental Europe and in Scandinavia, where the B-sides of some of his releases proved popular- and probably should have previously been released at home as the A-sides. As a result of his disappointment in the UK, Jimmy spent the following years in Sweden and his promising beginnings in the UK were allowed to fade away.

1964 LP Justice For All (US Kapp KL-1308)

Jimmy Justice - Ain't That Funny
Jimmy Justice - Drawning
Jimmy Justice - Early In The Morning
Jimmy Justice - I'm Beginning To See The Light
Jimmy Justice - If You Love Me
Jimmy Justice - Like Young
Jimmy Justice - Misty
Jimmy Justice - Once In A Lifetime
Jimmy Justice - Parade Of Broken Hearts
Jimmy Justice - Softly As In A Morning Sunrise
Jimmy Justice - Spanish Harlem
Jimmy Justice - When My Little Girl Is Smiling

Annette Funicello - Annette / Annette Sings Anka (1959-1960)

2010-08-05T22:43:00.000-07:00

Annette Funicello was 13 years old when she was discovered by studio head Walt Disney dancing in an amateur production of Swan Lake in Fullerton, CA. Much to the enmity of her Mickey Mouse Club co-stars, Funicello joined the cast late in the show's first season and was not required to audition. However, Disney's impulses proved correct, as she swiftly became the most popular performer on The Mickey Mouse Club and featured in her own storyline, Adventures in Dairyland. Soon it was obvious that Funicello needed to make records in order to exploit her potential as a teen star, and while Annette wasn't very enthusiastic about her ability to sing, Disney engaged established arranger Tutti Camerata to pilot her career as a recording artist. Funicello's first record, "Tall Paul," peaked at number seven on the Billboard pop charts and spent nine weeks there; it would prove the highest chart position she would enjoy.

Nevertheless, Funicello's enormous audience base -- mostly teen girls -- was enough to support her through 13 albums released through 1965, all but the first appearing on the Buena Vista label, a record company begun by Walt Disney so that Funicello's records need not appear on the Disneyland imprint. Funicello ultimately got accustomed to making records, and genuinely enjoyed working with Camerata, one of the few forty-something arrangers of the time who "got" the basic building blocks of early rock music. Her albums gradually improved starting with the second one, Annette Sings Anka, probably the first LP to treat the work of a rock songwriter as repertoire.

1959 LP Annette (US Buena Vista BV-3301)

01. Annette Funicello - Tall Paul
02. Annette Funicello - My Heart Becames Of Age
03. Annette Funicello - Don't Jump To Conclusions
04. Annette Funicello - Lonely Guitar
05. Annette Funicello - It Took Dreams
06. Annette Funicello - Wild Willie
07. Annette Funicello - Jo-Jo The Dog-Faced Boy
08. Annette Funicello - How Will I Know My Love
09. Annette Funicello - Ma, He's Making Eyes At Me
10. Annette Funicello - Especially For You
11. Annette Funicello - That Crazy Place From Outer Space
12. Annette Funicello - Love Me Forever

1960 LP Annette Sings Anka (US Buena Vista BV-3302)

01. Annette Funicello - Train Of Love
02. Annette Funicello - Teddy
03. Annette Funicello - I Love You
04. Annette Funicello - Hey Mama
05. Annette Funicello - I Love You Baby
06. Annette Funicello - Lonely Girl
07. Annette Funicello - Like a Baby
08. Annette Funicello - Talk To Me Baby
09. Annette Funicello - Tell Me That You Love Me
10. Annette Funicello - Waiting For You
11. Annette Funicello - It's Really Love
12. Annette Funicello - And So Its Goodbye

Dion & The Belmonts

2010-08-05T13:14:00.000-07:00

From the working class neighborhood of the Bronx came one of the defining vocal groups of the late nineteen fifties. They were Dion & The Belmonts (named for a neighborhood street - Belmont Avenue), and the members were Dion DiMucci - lead, Fred Milano and Angelo D'Aleo on tenor, and Carlo Mastroangelo on bass. At first Dion and The Belmonts were separate entities although they seemingly traveled in the same circles in their neighborhood, and both first recorded for the small independent Mohawk label - Dion with "The Chosen Few" and "Out In Colorado" on #105 which sounded like a pair of tunes from a grandiose western movie, certainly not the type of songs from the central Bronx of 1957. The Belmonts did not do much better with "Teenage Clementine" and "Santa Margarita" on #106 (who was picking these songs?). Neither record surfaced at all, and on Mohawk #107 both parts of the equation came together and Dion & The Belmonts recorded "We Went Away" and "Tag Along". The record drew another blank and that was the end of Mohawk Records as far as the newly formed vocal group was concerned. Read on +/-

Enter a newly formed record company called Laurie Records (was there a connection with Mohawk, or just neighbors in the same building on New York City's Broadway? ). In any event, whether it was a canny A & R man (maybe Sol Winkler or Ernie Maresca), luck, or divine guidance,the first release for the label by the group on Laurie #3013 "I Wonder Why" exploded on the street like a cannon shot. The tune was in New York everywhere, coming out of every radio, every record player, every open car door. These were their guys and they were hitting the big time. The flip side "Teen Angel" never got a play so dominant was the up tempo 'A' side. Every kid did his five-and-dime imitation of Carlo's stattaco bass intro and that became one of the signature sounds of the rock 'n' roll age. Dion & The Belmonts came off the starting line in full stride and never looked back.

Waiting for a follow up, listeners were surprised by the choice of a sentimental ballad instead of the usual copy cat repeat of the hit. The tune "No One Knows" on #3015, was an earnest story of unrequited teenage love, and it was a winner as fans took to the ballad sound. As for chart sales, it outdid their initial recording for Laurie, getting into the top twenty national pop charts which was a heady accomplishment for a doowop group in 1958 on their second try for the label. With that success, Laurie Records kept the group on track for a number of ballads, and all were successful in varying degrees proving out the direction that the group was taking. Now with a rocking hit and a ballad smash, the group hit the road for a period of extensive touring. They did a number of one nighters in the East and went out nationally on package tours around the country.

Just after the new year in 1959, the new release by the group was Laurie # 3021"Don't Pity Me" and "Just You". The sound of melancholy on "Don't Pity Me" worked for the group and it hit the national pop charts again although not as famously as the previous two records. In support of the new record, the group went out on a touring revue called "The Winter Dance Party" that played the Midwest. This show lives on in infamy because of the plane crash that took the lives of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. (The Big Bopper) Richardson near Clear Lake, Iowa. By late spring Dion & The Belmonts were readying their new Laurie release on #3027, called "A Teenager In Love". Once again the song struck a chord in the lives of so many of the listeners that lived the words of the tune, and as a result, sales for the record were phenomenal. A top five best seller and a pop chart record for four months, it was by far the biggest seller to date and the group was certainly a hot property. The song sung in tempo as midway between a ballad and a rocker was also great for dancing.

At this time one of the inevitabilities of any comparable situation arose. There were forces at work to make Dion DiMucci a solo performer and to showcase his talent (and consequently to have a much fewer number of voices) inputting plans and ideas. But for the time being the group moved ahead on their next record. Immediately following the new year of 1960, the quartet went into the studio and tried their hand on a pop standard "Where Or When" which featured a lovely counter melody played on sax in the intro and ending. The interesting flip side was the group's take on The Channels version of the Frankie Laine pop hit of "That's My Desire" which featured impeccable harmony without the bombastic bass which was a feature of the original version on Whirlin Disc. The record on Laurie #3044 was a huge success, dominating the pop charts in early 1960 and challenging for the top position on the national best sellers list (locked out of gaining the top spot by Percy Faith's MOR movie tune "Theme From A Summer Place"). It seemed that Dion & The Belmonts could do no wrong. Everything they put on record was a smash. In the spring they recorded a tune made famous by the Walt Disney movie "Pinnochio". The song was "When You Wish Upon A Star", and again the Belmonts and Dion made the charts though not anywhere as dominant a position as the two previous hits.

There was one more chart hit for the group that summer, "In The Still Of The Night" (the 1930s pop standard, not the Five Satins tune) on #3059. The successful formula that served the group so well for the last two years seemed to be played out now. The record barely charted, getting into the 30s just briefly. By the end of the year the split (mostly amicable according to those involved) took place, and Dion went out into the world as a solo performer and was signed as such by Laurie, while The Belmonts carried on with Carlo taking over the lead singing spot. Both parts of the act had a measure of fame and fortune - the Belmonts certainly must be classified as a moderate success, while Dion had some monumental hit records during the early sixties, with some of his tunes becoming teenage anthems that would last a lifetime.

1959 LP Presenting Dion And The Belmonts (US Laurie (S)LLP-2002)

Dion & The Belmonts - I Wonder Why
Dion & The Belmonts - Teen Angel
Dion & The Belmonts - Where Or When
Dion & The Belmonts - You Better Not Do That
Dion & The Belmonts - Just You
Dion & The Belmonts - I Got The Blues
Dion & The Belmonts - Don't Pity Me
Dion & The Belmonts - A Teenager In Love
Dion & The Belmonts - Wonderful Girl
Dion & The Belmonts - A Funny Feeling
Dion & The Belmonts - I've Cried Before
Dion & The Belmonts - That's My Desire
Dion & The Belmonts - No One Knows [UK release]
Dion & The Belmonts - I Can't Go On (Rosalie) [UK release]

1960 LP Wish Upon A Star (US Laurie (S)LLP-2006)

Dion & The Belmonts - When You Wish Upon A Star
Dion & The Belmonts - In The Still Of The Night
Dion & The Belmonts - A Lover's Prayer
Dion & The Belmonts - My Private Joy
Dion & The Belmonts - My Day
Dion & The Belmonts - Swinging On A Star
Dion & The Belmonts - Every Little Thing I Do
Dion & The Belmonts - All The Things You Are
Dion & The Belmonts - It's Only A Paper Moon
Dion & The Belmonts - Fly Me To The Moon (In Other Words)
Dion & The Belmonts - I'm Through With Love
Dion & The Belmonts - When The Red Red Robin Comes Bob Bob Bobbin' Along
Dion & The Belmonts - September Song
Dion & The Belmonts - Faith

1960 LP Alone With Dion (US Laurie (S)LLP-2004)

Dion - Lonely Teenager
Dion - After The Dance
Dion - P.S. I Love You
Dion - Save The Last Dance For Me
Dion - Little Miss Blue
Dion - Havin' Fun
Dion - Heaven Help Me
Dion - Close Your Eyes
Dion - Fools Rush In
Dion - My One And Only Love
Dion - North East End Of The Corner
Dion - One For My Baby
Dion - Then I'll Be Tired Of You
Dion - The Kissin' Game

Betty Harris - Soul Perfection (1969)

2010-08-05T04:10:00.000-07:00

During a 1965 tour Betty Harris met New Orleans composer and producer Allen Toussaint, and with the superbly slinky "I'm Evil Tonight" she became the first artist to record for his fledgling Sansu label. With Toussaint at the helm, the bluesy balladry of Harris' Jubilee sides gave way to a funky, sensual dynamic that heralded a new era of New Orleans R&B. The 1966 ballad "Sometime" was backed by the brilliant "I Don't Want to Hear It," Toussaint's edgiest and most aggressive production to date. The subsequent "12 Red Roses" further refined the approach, and with 1967's "Nearer to You" Harris finally returned to the R&B Top 20, delivering another sublimely emotional performance.

"Love Lots of Lovin'," a duet with fellow Toussaint charge Lee Dorsey, closed out the year -- Harris planned to support the record on tour with Otis Redding, but on December 10, the soul giant lost his life in a plane crash. Harris forged on, with 1968's "Mean Man" delivering her grittiest effort to date; backed by a session group that would soon evolve into the Meters. She ended her Sansu tenure with the fierce "Trouble with My Lover."

1969 LP Soul Perfection (US Action ACLP-6007)

01. Betty Harris - Ride Your Pony
02. Betty Harris - What A Sad Feeling
03. Betty Harris - Bad Luck
04. Betty Harris - I'm Gonna Git You
05. Betty Harris - Show It
06. Betty Harris - Can't Last Much Longer
07. Betty Harris - I Don't Want To Hear It
08. Betty Harris - Sometime
09. Betty Harris - Mean Man
10. Betty Harris - Lonely Hearts
11. Betty Harris - Hook Line 'N' Sinker
12. Betty Harris - What'd I Do Wrong
13. Betty Harris - Trouble With My Lover
14. Betty Harris - Nearer To You
15. Betty Harris - I'm Evil Tonight
16. Betty Harris - 12 Red Roses

Jack Good's Oh Boy! (1958)

2010-08-03T13:44:00.000-07:00

The 'Oh Boy!' UK ABC Television show first appeared as two trial broadcasts in the Midlands region. The show then went nationwide and was televised each Saturday evening, live from the Hackney Empire, in direct competition to the BBC's '6.5 Special' teen show. Within the first 6 weeks, the show became a smash hit and the number of viewers had doubled. Many top British vocalists who went on to achieve international fame made their early TV appearances on the show. Cliff Richard, Shirley Bassey, John Barry, Marty Wilde and Billy Fury are some examples. The cast listings read like a who's who of UK 'Hit Paraders' of the time and were household names - The Dallas Boys; Ronnie Carroll; The Vernons Girls; Emile Ford; The King Brothers; Lonnie Donegan; Vince Eager; Dickie Valentine and Alma Cogan. The show was even blessed with appearances by non British acts: The Inkspots; Conway Twitty and Brenda Lee from the USA and the Marino Marini Quartet from Italy all appearing to promote their latest recordings. Jimmy Henney and Tony Hall would take it in turns each week to compere the show.

In an interview for TV Times in 1958, Jimmy Henney explained how he came to be a compere for the show: "I'd known Jack Good as a telephone voice for years, but I'd never actually met him. One day he came over to my house and, during our conversation, he asked: 'Why don't you do some TV?' I replied that if someone liked to ask me I'd be only too happy. Jack said he'd try and do something about that, and when this show came up he gave me a camera test." He added "I'd never done a show like this, and was a bit worried. But it was so exciting that I couldn't have felt happier once it started."

The recording for the album was made in one session on the evening of October 19, 1958, the day before ABC Television had transmitted the sixth edition of 'Oh Boy!' and already the show was a smash hit. The number of viewers had doubled. Stage shows and films were being mooted. And now the L.P. In six short weeks 'Oh Boy!' had grown to the stature that '6.5 Special' had taken nine months to achieve. For, by an odd coincidence, October 19, 1958 marked to a day the first anniversary of the session at which the '6.5 Special' LP was made. And at that time '6.5 Special' had been running nine months. Both discs were made by Norman Newell and at both sessions I held a watching brief as producer of the television programme concerned. The difference of these two occasions formed a clear reflection of the changes that have taken place in the world of popular music.

1958 LP Jack Good's Oh Boy! (UK Parlophone PMC-1072)

01. Cliff Richard - TV Hop
02. Vernon Girls - Little Jonah
03. Cliff Richard - Rockin' Robin
04. John Barry Seven - When The Saints Go Marching In
05. Vince Eagar - Buzz, Buzz, Buzz
06. Neville Taylor & The Cutters - Good Good
07. Cliff Richard - High School Confidential
08. Vernons Girls - Bad Motorcycle
09. Cuddly Dudley - Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey
10. Dallas Boys - Zing Went The Strings Of My Heart
11. Peter Elliott - Your Hands, Your Heart, Your Love
12. Cliff Richard - Early In The Morning
13. Cliff Richard - King Creole
14. Two Vernons Girls - There's Never Been A Night
15. Neville Taylor & The Dallas Boys - Leroy
16. John Barry - Seven Pancho
17. Vince Eager - Blue Ribbon Baby
18. Neville Taylor & The Cutters - Little Miss Ruby
19. Cliff Richard - I'll Try
20. Vernons Girls - Don't Look Now, But
21. Cuddly Dudley - Let's Rock While The Rocking's Good
22. Dallas Boys - Joshua
23. Peter Elliott - The End
24. Cliff Richard - Somebody Touched Me

Bob B. Soxx & The Blue Jeans - Zip-A-Dee Doo Dah (1963)

2010-07-24T06:46:00.000-07:00

Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans' funky, modern update of "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" from the Disney feature Song of the South landed the group in the Top Ten in 1962. The Phil Spector-produced group, comprised of Robert Sheen and two-thirds of the Blossoms (Darlene Love & Fanita James), scored two more hits the following year with songs Spector co-wrote: "Why Do Lovers Break Each Other's Hearts?" and "Not Too Young to Get Married." All three hits are included on the group's sole album, Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah, a 12-song platter consisting of a number of high-quality girl group recordings and a few odd departures like the rock & roll instrumental "Dr. Kaplan's Office" and an inexplicable cover of Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land." Curiously, Sheen (aka Bob B. Soxx) is the nominal head of the group, but is hardly in evidence except on the bluesy "Everything's Gonna Be Alright" and "Dear (Here Comes My Baby)," the latter of which highlights his vocal resemblance to Clyde McPhatter. "Baby (I Love You)" became a hit for the Ronettes in 1963, and the cover of "The White Cliffs of Dover" is either album filler, a rehash of the "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" formula, or both. Listeners with a pointed interest in girl groups shouldn't be discouraged by the group's name, since Sheen/"Soxx" is mostly inaudible and Spector's production and songwriting contributions dominate.

1963 LP Zip-A-Dee-Doo (US Phillis PHILP-4002)

A1. Bob B. Soxx & The Blue Jeans - Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah
A2. Bob B. Soxx & The Blue Jeans - Why Do Lovers Break Each Others Hearts
A3. Bob B. Soxx & The Blue Jeans - Let The Good Times Roll
A4. Bob B. Soxx & The Blue Jeans - My Heart Beat A Little Bit Faster
A5. Bob B. Soxx & The Blue Jeans - Jimmy Baby
A6. Bob B. Soxx & The Blue Jeans - Baby (I Love You)

B1. Bob B. Soxx & The Blue Jeans - White Cliffs Of Dover
B2. Bob B. Soxx & The Blue Jeans - This Land Is Your Land
B3. Bob B. Soxx & The Blue Jeans - Dear (Here Comes My Baby)
B4. Bob B. Soxx & The Blue Jeans - I Shook The World
B5. Bob B. Soxx & The Blue Jeans - Everything's Gonna Be Allright
B6. Bob B. Soxx & The Blue Jeans - Dr. Kaplan's Office

Ben E. King

2010-07-23T07:27:00.000-07:00

From the groundbreaking orchestrated productions of the Drifters to his own solo hits, Ben E. King was the definition of R&B elegance. King's plaintive baritone had all the passion of gospel, but the settings in which it was displayed were tailored more for his honey smooth phrasing and crisp enunciation, proving for perhaps the first time that R&B could be sophisticated and accessible to straight pop audiences. King's approach influenced countless smooth soul singers in his wake and his records were key forerunners of the Motown sound.

King was born Benjamin Earl Nelson in Henderson, NC, in 1938, and sang with his church choir before the family moved to Harlem in 1947. In junior high, he began performing with a street corner doo wop group called the Four B's, which won second place in an Apollo Theater talent contest. While still in high school, he was offered a chance to join the Moonglows, but was simply too young and inexperienced to stick. He subsequently worked at his father's restaurant as a singing waiter, which led to an invitation to become the baritone singer in a doo wop outfit called the Five Crowns in 1958. The Five Crowns performed several gigs at the Apollo Theater along with the Drifters, whose career had begun to flounder in the years since original lead singer Clyde McPhatter departed. Drifters manager George Treadwell, dissatisfied with the group members' unreliability and lack of success, fired them all in the summer of 1958 and hired the Five Crowns to assume the name of the Drifters (which he owned). Read on +/-

The new Drifters toured for about a year, playing to often hostile audiences who knew they were a completely different group. In early 1959, they went into the studio with producers Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller to cut their first records. A song Nelson (still performing under his given name) co-wrote called "There Goes My Baby" became his first lead vocal and the lush backing arrangement made highly unorthodox (in fact, virtually unheard-of) use of a string section. "There Goes My Baby" became a massive hit, laying the groundwork for virtually every smooth/uptown soul production that followed. Over the next two years, Nelson sang lead on several other Drifters classics, including "Dance With Me," "This Magic Moment," "Save the Last Dance for Me," and "I Count the Tears."

In 1960, Nelson approached Treadwell about a salary increase and a fairer share of the group's royalties. Treadwell rebuffed him and Nelson quit the group, at this point assuming the more memorable stage name Ben E. King in preparation for a solo career. Remaining on Atlantic, King scored his first solo hit with the stylish, Latin-tinged ballad "Spanish Harlem," a Jerry Leiber/Phil Spector composition that hit the Top Ten in early 1961. The follow-up, "Stand By Me," a heartfelt ode to friendship and devotion co-written by King, became his signature song and an enduring R&B classic; it was also his biggest hit, topping the R&B charts and reaching the pop Top Five. King scored a few more chart singles through 1963, including velvety smooth pop-soul productions like "Amor," "Don't Play That Song (You Lied)," and the Italian tune "I (Who Have Nothing)." In the post-British Invasion years, King had a rough go of it on the pop charts but continued to score R&B hits. 1967's Southern-fried "What Is Soul?" was one of his last singles for Atco; seeking to revive his commercial fortunes, King departed in 1969.

1961 LP Spanish Harlem (US ATCO SD 33-133)

A close look at this album reveals just how ambitious Atlantic Records could be in the early 1960s, in generating LPs. Technically speaking, Ben E. King's debut long-player is a concept album — or, at least, a thematic album. Put together in the wake of his first solo hit, "Spanish Harlem," a Latin flavor and beat run all the way through this 12-song platter, which, at times, is really more of a pop record than a soul record. The dense, busy string section that characterized most of King's work of this era is present, and a lot of his singing may recall more the work of Sammy Davis, Jr. than that of any R&B artist one might think of from this period. And apart from the Jerry Leiber/Phil Spector co-authored title hit, most of what is here dates from a decade or more (sometimes several) earlier — "Frenesi," "Besame Mucho," and "Perfidia" were standards during the big-band era, and most of the rest is of similar or even older vintage. All of which doesn't mean that it is bad — King's version of "Besame Mucho" is a very successful reinterpretation in a Latin soul vein, and "Perfidia" never sounded better than it does in his hands, even if it and a lot of the rest is a long way from what most of us define as "soul." And for better or worse, the production is first-rate within the context of King's established sound, with a phenomenal string section and a percussion section to die for.

A1. Ben E. King - Amor
A2. Ben E. King - Sway
A3. Ben E. King - Come Closer To Me
A4. Ben E. King - Perfidia
A5. Ben E. King - Grenada
A6. Ben E. King - Sweet And Gentle

B1. Ben E. King - Quizas, Quizas, Quizas (Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps)
B2. Ben E. King - Frenesi
B3. Ben E. King - Souvenir Of Mexico
B4. Ben E. King - Besame Mucho
B5. Ben E. King - Love Me, Love Me
B6. Ben E. King - Spanish Harlem

1962 LP Ben E. King Sings For Soulful Lovers (US ATCO SD 33-137)

After parting ways with the Drifters in 1960, Ben E. King wasted no time establishing himself as a solo star with chart-toppers like "Spanish Harlem" and "Stand by Me," in which he made the most of his strong and expressive vocal style. Having scored on the R&B and pop charts, King's third album for Atco, Ben E. King Sings for Soulful Lovers, plays like a bid to cross over to more mature listeners after scoring big with the teens, much in the manner of Sam Cooke; the album is dominated by songs already made famous by other artists, featuring a blend of soulful chestnuts and classic standards, and the production and arrangements are polished and classy while still retaining the influence of the "rhythm & blues with strings" style that had become his hallmark. While "He Will Break Your Heart," "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow," and "It's All in the Game" seem tailor-made for King, some of the other cuts are a bit of a creative stretch, especially "Moon River" and "On the Street Where You Live," both of which sound rather clumsy in this context despite the struggle to make them swing. But King never gives less than his level best on these sessions, no matter what the material happens to be, and he effortlessly walks a line between supper-club polish and passionate sweet soul. If Ben E. King didn't become a regular in Las Vegas or at the Copacabana like Sam Cooke or Lou Rawls, it's certainly not because he lacked the style or the chops, and if the song selection sometimes lets him down on Sings for Soulful Lovers, his voice and his phrasing are spot-on on all 12 tracks.

A1. Ben E. King - My Heart Cries For You
A2. Ben E. King - He Will Break Your Heart
A3. Ben E. King - Dream Lover
A4. Ben E. King - Will You Love Me Tomorrow
A5. Ben E. King - My Foolish Heart
A6. Ben E. King - Fever

B1. Ben E. King - Moon River
B2. Ben E. King - What A Difference A Day Made
B3. Ben E. King - Because Of You
B4. Ben E. King - At Last
B5. Ben E. King - On The Street Where You Live
B6. Ben E. King - It's All In The Game

1962 LP Don't Play That Song (US ATCO SD 33-142)

Ben E. King's third album is a little short in running time but very high in quality, in terms of the dozen songs here. The title track was the selling point, but couldn't help but be seduced by the exquisite production of "Ecstasy" and "On the Horizon," the latter making about as fine use of harps and an ethereal chorus as one imagines possible — and when the strings come in, violins and cellos alternately, the sheer beauty of the track just overflows. "Show Me the Way to Your Heart" isn't too far behind, and then "Stand by Me" shores up the opening of the second side — not that anything here needed shoring up, but it's good that they got the single onto a long-player so it didn't go to waste. Even the lesser material, like "Here Comes the Night" and "First Taste of Love" (the latter a Jerry Leiber/Phil Spector song that bears an uncanny resemblance to Arthur Alexander's "You Better Move On"), is interesting to hear for the lively production. This album, like its predecessors, dates from a period in which producers and engineers were figuring out what one could do with soul and R&B in terms of engineering, and the sound separation and textures are nothing if not vibrant and alluring in their own right, separate from the music.

A1. Ben E. King - Don't Play That Song
A2. Ben E. King - Ecstasy
A3. Ben E. King - On The Horizon
A4. Ben E. King - Show Me The Way
A5. Ben E. King - Here Comes The Night
A6. Ben E. King - First Taste Of Love

B1. Ben E. King - Stand By Me
B2. Ben E. King - Yes
B3. Ben E. King - Young Boy Blues
B4. Ben E. King - The Hermit Of Misty Mountain
B5. Ben E. King - I Promise Love
B6. Ben E. King - Brace Yourself

1965 LP Seven Letters (US ATCO SD 33-174)

The original notes to the Seven Letters album indicate that it is the most diverse album of material that Ben E. King had ever recorded, and they're right. The range of material here, cut over a period of more than two years, included some impassioned soul music -- "River of Tears," "I'm Standing By," "It's All Over," "In the Middle of the Night," and the title track -- as well as some very personal pop ("Jamaica") and novelty ("Si Senor") tunes, and towering performances throughout. The requisite string-laden orchestral backings are present, courtesy of producers Leiber & Stoller, Jerry Wexler, Ahmet Ertegun, and the various arrangers, but there are also some nicely stripped down, more basic soul numbers. Interestingly, "Jamaica" was written by King in the wake of his 1961 tour of the island (soon to be island-nation), an event that helped spark a boom in local ska and reggae performers who were inspired by the presence of American soul stars like King on tour -- the song practically chronicles the spawning of the seed that led to the ska and reggae booms (which Atlantic would grab a piece of, not only by signing Byron Lee and securing a distribution agreement with him for the Cayman Islands, but also through Eric Clapton's efforts on Bob Marley's behalf less than a decade later). The album has not a single weak spot, and boasts some strong contributions by several outside songwriters including Carole King and Gerry Goffin, whose gorgeous "Down Home" provided the vehicle for King's best singing on the entire record. Not that it did much for him at the time of its release -- it had no weak spots, but also no major hits (even "I'm Standing By" was a failed follow-up to "Stand By Me," and this was the last of four Ben E. King albums issued by Atlantic in the United States. Like two of its predecessors, it disappeared without reaching any but King's hardcore audience, thus making it a choice collector's item. It lacked the hook of a massive hit single like a "Stand By Me" or a "Spanish Harlem" for a wider audience to grab onto.

A1. Ben E. King - Seven Letters
A2. Ben E. King - River Of Tears
A3. Ben E. King - I'm Standing By
A4. Ben E. King - Jamaica
A5. Ben E. King - Down Home
A6. Ben E. King - Si Senor

B1. Ben E. King - It's All Over
B2. Ben E. King - Let The Water Run Down
B3. Ben E. King - This Is My Dream
B4. Ben E. King - It's No Good For Me
B5. Ben E. King - In The Middle Of The Night
B6. Ben E. King - Don't Drive Me Away

1964 LP Greatest Hits (US ATCO SD 33-165)

1A. Ben E. King - Amor
2A. Ben E. King - Around The Corner
3A. Ben E. King - Auf Wiedersehen My Dear
4A. Ben E. King - Don't Play That Song (You Lied)
5A. Ben E. King - How Can I Forget
6A. Ben E. King - I (Who Have Nothing)

1B. Ben E. King - I Could Have Danced All Night
2B. Ben E. King - Spanish Harlem
3B. Ben E. King - Stand By Me
4B. Ben E. King - That's When It Hurts
5B. Ben E. King - What Now My Love
6B. Ben E. King - Young Boy Blues

Bobby Vee - 30 Big Hits of the 60's Volume 1 & 2 (1964-1966)

2010-07-22T05:52:00.000-07:00

As many other artists in the early sixties, Bobby Vee also made some albums with hits from others. Even as Bobby himself had a string of almost 40 hits of his own, he didn't step back for some extra commercial success with chart busters of other artists. Results of his interpretation of those classics you can find on two original releases from 1964 and 1966. Bobby Vee compiled the songs to several medleys who can't compete with the originals, but I think that wasn't really his intention. Both LP's are examples of uncomplicated 'party' music for his fans -- and he had a lot. Listen to Bobby's versions of Beatle hits as "Do You Want To Know A Secret," "P.S. I Love You," and "Love Me Do," place them back in 1964 and you can only hope that John Lennon and Paul McCartney never heard them at that time. But what the hell.., cheek to cheek on the dance floor you had other things to think about.

1964 LP 30 Big Hits Of The 60's (US Liberty LST-7385)

Bobby Vee - A Fool Never Learns/Do You Want To Know A Secret?/Goodbye Cruel World/Blame It On The Bossa Nova/Dawn
Bobby Vee - Memphis/Love Me Do/Twist And Shout/Hey! Baby/P.S. I Love You
Bobby Vee - Can't Get Used To Losing You/Spanish Harlem/Hey Girl/Blue On Blue/Everybody's Somebody's Fool
Bobby Vee - I Remember You/Venus In Blue Jeans/Save The Last Dance For Me/Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen/Danke Schoen
Bobby Vee - Breaking Up Is Hard to Do/Please Help Me I'm Falling/Nadine/Ruby Baby/Needles And Pins
Bobby Vee - Moon River/Crying In The Rain/Sukiyaki/Sealed With A Kiss/My Dad

1966 LP 30 Big Hits Of The 60's Vol. 2 (US Liberty LST-7448)

Bobby Vee - A Hundred Pounds Of Clay/Elusive Butterfly.mp3
Bobby Vee - A Taste of Honey/Wives and Lovers.mp3
Bobby Vee - These Boots Are Made For Walking/Sha La La.mp3
Bobby Vee - Tower Of Strength/The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.mp3
Bobby Vee - When You Walk In The Room/The 'In' Crowd.mp3
Bobby Vee - Pony Time/You Can Have Her.mp3
Bobby Vee - Lies/Count Me In.mp3
Bobby Vee - Love is All We Need/Call Me Irresponsible.mp3
Bobby Vee - Bad to Me/I'm A Fool.mp3
Bobby Vee - Save Your Heart for Me/In The Misty Moonlight.mp3
Bobby Vee - The Story of My Life/Travelin' Man.mp3
Bobby Vee - Mr. Blue/Come Stay With Me.mp3
Bobby Vee - Sandy/For Your Love.mp3
Bobby Vee - Houston/You're Sixteen.mp3

Bobby Hebb - Sunny (1966)

2010-07-22T03:13:00.000-07:00

Produced by Jerry Ross and arranged by Joe Renzetti, "Sunny" emerged from a twelve-song disc released on the Phillips label, a division of Mercury records. Although Bobby Hebb is known as "the song a day man," he only composed three of the dozen titles included on this collection. The title track, of course, which was the song of the summer of 1966, "Yes or No or Maybe Not," and "Crazy Baby." The follow-up, "A Satisfied Mind," was also a Top 40 hit that year, but it wasn't until 1971, when Lou Rawls had a Top 20 hit with "Natural Man," did Hebb get another smash. A pity, and a definite statement about the music industry when a man as prolific and talented as Robert Von Hebb constructs and delivers pop tunes with a voice and feeling that crosses genres and ethnic boundaries. Kal Rudman himself penned the liner notes on the back of the disc (at the time he was R&B Editor of Record World Magazine, a publication still missed by the industry). Rudman reports that "Sunny" hit number one in Detroit and the surrounding area on the R&B, pop, and country & western charts. A monster smash, with covers by Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra with Duke Ellington, Star Trek's Leonard Nimoy, there is no doubt this is Hebb's signature tune, but according to Marty Balin of The Jefferson Airplane he has "a pocketful of Miracles," implying the author/singer who gave us "Sunny" has mountains of songs that the world needs to hear. The producer/arranger team of Ross/Renzetti also penned "Bread," the flip side of the first 45, and "Love Love Love" on this album. Ross and Gamble co-authored "You Don't Know What You've Got Until You Lose It," McCoy's "For You," and there's even Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil's "Good Good Lovin'." All in all, this is a very pleasant pop album that remains an important snapshot of an important artist at the peak of his powers. As Rudman notes in the liners, in 1950 Hebb was hired by Roy Acuff at the age of 12 to perform at the Grand Ole Opry, as one of the first black artists.

1966 LP Sunny (US Philips PHS 200-212)

A1. Bobby Hebb - Sunny (1966-US#2)
A2. Bobby Hebb - Where Are You
A3. Bobby Hebb - Got You On My Mind
A4. Bobby Hebb - Yes Or No Or Maybe Not
A5. Bobby Hebb - Good Good Lovin'
A6. Bobby Hebb - Love, Love, Love

B1. Bobby Hebb - A Satisfied Mind (1966-US#39)
B2. Bobby Hebb - You Don't Know What You Got Until You Lose It
B3. Bobby Hebb - I Am Your Man
B4. Bobby Hebb - Crazy Baby
B5. Bobby Hebb - Bread
B6. Bobby Hebb - For You

The Hunters (UK)

2010-07-20T13:20:00.000-07:00

As The Shadows were pursuing a dual career as backing musicians and instrumentalists in their own right, there seemed to be no reason why The Hunters, as British backing group for Bobby Rydell, Jimmy Jones and UK stars The Allisons, Frank Ifield, The Avons, Mark Wynter, Kenny Lynch, Michael Cox and off course Dave Sampson, should not do the same. They cut their first single “Teen Scene” -- A Teddy Randazzo composition -- in about four takes and the result was an undoubted classic. On the flip was Brian Parker’s first ever composition “Santa Monica Flyer” -- named after the famed American train. “Teen Scene” didn’t chart, even so the next single “Golden Earrings” with “Taay Ho!” on the backside. But, although there was no charting, they sell sufficiently well for Fontana to grant their first LP release.

At the end of ’61 “Teen Scene” had been selected by Radio Luxembourg for a new show and that was enough reason for Fontana to rush in for a re-release -- with the moaning voices of a male vocal group dubbed in. The dubbing came as a complete and unpleasant surprise for the group. Also another album saw daylight, but lack of time found its echo in the quality. Even the cover was terrible cause there was no time for a sleeve photograph. But now, almost 50 years later, the two records have found their place in time. Not as spectacular milestones, but as evidence of how well The Hunters were as instrumentalists.

1961 LP Teen Scene The Hunters Play The Big Hits (UK Fontana TFL-5140)

A1. The Hunters - I Beg Of You
A2. The Hunters - Someone's Else's Baby
A3. The Hunters - Theme For A Dream
A4. The Hunters - Lipstick On Your Collar
A5. The Hunters - Pepe
A6. The Hunters - Teen Scene

B1. The Hunters - Golden Earrings
B2. The Hunters - Poor Me
B3. The Hunters - It Doesn't Matter Anymore
B4. The Hunters - A Voice In The Wilderness
B5. The Hunters - Theme From A Summer Place
B6. The Hunters - Tally Ho

1962 LP Hits From The Hunters (UK Fontana TFL-5175)

A1. Runaway
A2. All I Have To Do Is Dream
A3. All Shook Up
A4. Petite Fleur
A5. Misty
A6. The Storm

B1. Love Me Tender
B2. Walk Right Back
B3. A Girl Like You
B4. Hound Dog
B5. Portrait Of My Love
B6. How's 'm Chicks

Chad & Jeremy

2010-07-20T08:23:00.000-07:00

Of the many British Invasion acts that stormed the charts in the wake of the Beatles, Chad & Jeremy possessed a subtlety and sophistication unmatched among their contemporaries, essentially creating the template for the kind of lush, sensitive folk-pop embraced by followers from Nick Drake to Belle & Sebastian. Chad Stuart (born in Windemere, England, on December 10, 1941) and Jeremy Clyde (born March 22, 1941, in Buckinghamshire, England) met while attending London's Central School of Speech and Drama. The two became fast friends, and after Stuart taught Clyde to play guitar, they formed a folk duo as well as a rock & roll group, the Jerks. Because he graduated a year ahead of his bandmates, Clyde relocated to Scotland and performed with the Dundee Repertory Theatre.

When the Jerks dissolved, Stuart dropped out of school, studied arranging, and wrote songs with composer Russell Franks. Clyde returned to London soon after, but in the face of an actors' strike, he resumed his music career, reunited with Stuart, and the duo landed a residency at the local coffeehouse, Tina's. Chad & Jeremy quickly earned a fan following, and in mid-1963 composer and producer John Berry signed the duo to the small independent label Ember Records. They released their debut single, "Yesterday's Gone," that autumn and it entered the U.K. Top 40. Remarkably, it would prove their only British hit of any real substance. Read on +/-

By the time their sophomore effort, "Like I Love You Today," was released in early 1964, Chad & Jeremy were headlining the West End landmark Hatchett's. Despite the increased exposure, the record flopped, and Berry bought out his Ember contract, relegating the duo's planned LP to producer Shel Talmy in the process. Soon after the release of Chad & Jeremy Sing for You, the Daily Express published a photo of a young Clyde (a graduate of the prestigious private school Eton and a descendent of the famed Duke of Wellington) in royal garb at the 1952 coronation of Queen Elizabeth.

Given the credibility afforded the working-class backgrounds of rockers like John Lennon and Paul McCartney, the publicity proved a near-fatal blow, effectively branding Chad & Jeremy upper-crust nancy-boys merely pretending at careers in music. But, as the album tanked at home, Chad & Jeremy's U.S. label, World Artists, scored a Top 20 American hit with "Yesterday's Gone," followed in August of 1964 by "A Summer Song," a gorgeously nuanced and pastoral folk-pop masterpiece that cracked the Billboard Top Five. When "Willow Weep for Me" also charted in the U.S., Chad & Jeremy relocated to California and signed with the infamous manager Allen Klein, who negotiated a buyout of their World Artists contract and landed the duo a new deal with Columbia.

In late 1964, Chad & Jeremy made their American television debut on The Hollywood Palace. William Morris agent John Hartman was so impressed with their performance that he offered his representation, which resulted in appearances on the sitcoms The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Patty Duke Show. Chad & Jeremy were television fixtures for years to come, additionally appearing on The Danny Kaye Show, Shindig, and Hullabaloo. Between tour stops and studio dates, the pace was relentless and, in the spring of 1965, Stuart was leveled by mononucleosis. When Clyde accepted a role in the London musical Passion Flower Hotel (a nine-month commitment), he and Stuart quickly recorded an LP, I Don't Want to Lose You Baby, while the latter continued his rehabilitation.

The duo maintained they were not breaking up, but rumors reached a fever pitch when Clyde failed to return to the U.S. for a scheduled Chicago performance and forced Stuart to take the stage alone with a cardboard cutout of his partner under his arm. Stuart next released a record called "The Cruel War" with his wife, Jill, while Clyde cut a John Barry-produced solo single, "I Love My Love." Neither earned much attention, and at year's end Chad & Jeremy reunited to make a new album, Distant Shores, and film a proposed pilot for NBC. The show was rejected (in favor of another project with a rock & roll theme, The Monkees) and Chad & Jeremy instead guested on two episodes of the blockbuster Batman.

Chad & Jeremy spent close to a year in the studio with producer Gary Usher to create 1967's Of Cabbages and Kings, a dense, ambitious record dubbed "a soundtrack without the film" by Clyde. The album served to alienate much of the duo's core fan base, however, and sales proved dismal. Usher nevertheless produced the follow-up single, "Painted Dayglow Smile," followed in early 1968 by "Sister Marie." Tensions between Chad & Jeremy continued, prompted in large part by the latter's burgeoning acting career, and after completing The Ark -- a project so expensive it led Columbia to terminate Usher's contract -- the duo split, although the soundtrack to the film Three in the Attic, essentially a Stuart solo effort, appeared in 1969 under the Chad & Jeremy aegis.

Clyde turned to acting full-time and appeared alongside Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones in the long-running stage production Conduct Unbecoming. Stuart, meanwhile, signed on as music director for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, followed by a stint as a staff producer with A&M Records. Chad & Jeremy reunited in 1977 to record a handful of unreleased demos, and five years later, they signed to RCA's Rocshire subsidiary to release a comeback LP, Chad Stuart & Jeremy Clyde. The record went nowhere, but their partnership continued, first in a London production of Pump Boys and Dinettes and then as part of the 1986 "British Invasion II" package tour. Chad & Jeremy continued touring intermittently well into the 21st century.

1964 LP Yesterday's Gone (US World Artists WAM-2002)

Chad & Jeremy's debut U.S. album took its title from their first Top 40 hit, which combined two currently popular trends: folk music and British Merseybeat rock & roll. The album, which also contained their sole Top Ten hit, "A Summer Song," and a third Top 40 hit in "Willow Weep for Me," suggested that they were closer to folk than rock. The two sang calmly and carefully over restrained arrangements usually pegged to an acoustic guitar, with pleasant strings and a reined-in rhythm section. As such, the duo seemed less a true British Invasion act than a middle-of-the-road pop team effectively using the "Invasion" tag to get across.
By William Ruhlmann

Chad & Jeremy - A Summer Song • 1964 US#7
Chad & Jeremy - Now And Forever
Chad & Jeremy - Dirty Old Town
Chad & Jeremy - Like I Love You Today
Chad & Jeremy - September In The Rain
Chad & Jeremy - Yesterday's Gone • 1964 US#21
Chad & Jeremy - If She Was Mine
Chad & Jeremy - Willow Weep For Me • 1964 US#15
Chad & Jeremy - Only For The Young
Chad & Jeremy - Too Soon My Love
Chad & Jeremy - The Truth Often Hurts The Heart
Chad & Jeremy - No Tears For Johnny

1965 LP Sing For You (US World Artists WAM-2005)

Chad & Jeremy - My Colouring Book
Chad & Jeremy - What Do You Want With Me? • 1965 US#51
Chad & Jeremy - From A Window • 1965 US#97
Chad & Jeremy - If You've Got A Heart
Chad & Jeremy - No Other Baby
Chad & Jeremy - Donna Donna
Chad & Jeremy - The Girl From Ipanema
Chad & Jeremy - Four Strong Winds
Chad & Jeremy - Only Those In Love
Chad & Jeremy - You Know What
Chad & Jeremy - Sleep Little Boy
Chad & Jeremy - My How The Time Goes By

1965 LP Before And After (US CBS CS-9174)

Chad & Jeremy - Before And After • 1965 US#17
Chad & Jeremy - Why Should I Care
Chad & Jeremy - For Lovin' Me
Chad & Jeremy - I'm In Love Again
Chad & Jeremy - Little Does She Know
Chad & Jeremy - Tell Me Baby
Chad & Jeremy - What Do You Want With Me
Chad & Jeremy - Say It Isn't True
Chad & Jeremy - Fare Thee Well (I Must Be Gone)
Chad & Jeremy - Evil-Hearted Me
Chad & Jeremy - Can't Get Used To Losing You

1965 LP I Don't Want To Loose You Baby (US CBS CS-9398)

Chad & Jeremy - I Don't Want To Lose You Baby • 1965 US#35
Chad & Jeremy - Should I
Chad & Jeremy - The Girl Who Sang The Blues
Chad & Jeremy - Funny How Love Can Be
Chad & Jeremy - The Woman In You
Chad & Jeremy - Mr. Chad & Jeremy - Tambourine Man
Chad & Jeremy - I Have Dreamed • 1965 US#91
Chad & Jeremy - Don't Think Twice, It's All Right
Chad & Jeremy - Baby Don't Go
Chad & Jeremy - There But For Fortune
Chad & Jeremy - These Things You Don't Forget
Chad & Jeremy - I Don't Want To Lose You Baby

1966 LP Distant Shores (US CBS CS-9364)

Chad & Jeremy - Distant Shores • 1966 US#30
Chad & Jeremy - Ain't It Nice
Chad & Jeremy - When Your Love Has Gone
Chad & Jeremy - Homeward Bound
Chad & Jeremy - The Way You Look Tonight
Chad & Jeremy - Morning
Chad & Jeremy - You Are She • 1966 US#87
Chad & Jeremy - Everyone's Gone To The Moon
Chad & Jeremy - I Won't Cry
Chad & Jeremy - Early Mornin' Rain
Chad & Jeremy - Don't Make Me Do It

1967 LP Of Cabbages And Kings (US CBS CS-9471)

Chad Stuart And Jeremy Clyde - Reat In Peace
Chad Stuart And Jeremy Clyde - The Gentle Cold Of Down
Chad Stuart And Jeremy Clyde - Busmans Holiday
Chad Stuart And Jeremy Clyde - Can I See You
Chad Stuart And Jeremy Clyde - Family Way
Chad Stuart And Jeremy Clyde - Ill Get Around To It When And If I Can
Chad Stuart And Jeremy Clyde - Prologue
Chad Stuart And Jeremy Clyde - Decline
Chad Stuart And Jeremy Clyde - Editorial
Chad Stuart And Jeremy Clyde - Fall
Chad Stuart And Jeremy Clyde - Epilogue

1968 LP The Ark (US CBS CS-9699)

Chad Stuart And Jeremy Clyde - The Emancipation of Mr.X
Chad Stuart And Jeremy Clyde - Sunstroke
Chad Stuart And Jeremy Clyde - The Ark
Chad Stuart And Jeremy Clyde - The Raven
Chad Stuart And Jeremy Clyde - Imagination
Chad Stuart And Jeremy Clyde - Painted Dayglow Smile
Chad Stuart And Jeremy Clyde - Pipe Dream
Chad Stuart And Jeremy Clyde - Transatlantic Trauma 1966
Chad Stuart And Jeremy Clyde - Sidewalk Requiem, Los Angeles, June 5th and 6th
Chad Stuart And Jeremy Clyde - Pantheistic Study for Guitar and Large Bird
Chad Stuart And Jeremy Clyde - Paxton Quigley's Had the Course
Chad Stuart And Jeremy Clyde - You Need Feet

Johnny and his Cellar Rockers (NL) - The Singles

2010-05-10T09:46:00.000-07:00

In 1961 -- the year 15-year-old Jan Akkerman founded Johnny & his Cellar Rockers -- I was 14 years old. As a member of one of the many youth clubs Amsterdam counted, I was aloud to fix the stage every saturday night for the local bands who came to play. One of that early rock groups was Johnny & his Cellar Rockers. As a 'thank you' Jan gave me a copy of their first single witch I considered as one of my personal jewels for a long time. Besides Jan Akkerman and his 8-year-old brother Cocky, the band consisted of Pierre van der Linden on drums, later joined by Cor Engelsma (bass) and Jan Burgers (second guitarist).

The band started some months earlier. And because of their unbridled and loud enthusiasm during music practice, they were regularly banned to the cellar of the Akkerman family. The Cellar Rockers first played without a singer. They did not need one, for they played instrumental rock, a musical style that was very popular at the time. It was introduced in 1960 by the world-famous band The Shadows. The genre was eagerly picked up by young Dutch people and many Dutch musicians started copying it. With the talented Jan Akkerman as front man, the band soon became very popular in Amsterdam and its surroundings. They managed to get a record deal with Philips and released their first instrumental single "Exodus"/"Melody in F Rock" on Decca -- the one Akkerman gave me. "Blue Tango"/"Una Aventura Mas" were the first productions in 1962. Jan also started to play his own material with Johnny & his Cellar Rockers and two of his compositions, "Namrekka" (Akkerman in reverse) and "Bonzo", were released on vinyl. Both singles also appeared on an EP called "Blue Tango". Read on +/-

Pierre van der Linden was replaced in 1962 by Sydney Wachtel. The members of the band figured it was time for something new. Instrumental music decreased in popularity, so they decided to try out a new musical genre. The Beatles, who conquered the whole world with their music, were a great source of inspiration for many bands, including Jan and his crew. The song "All My Loving", written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, provided the basis for their next single, which finally got the title "Close your eyes". The B-side of that single was the rock classic "Be-Bop-A-Lula". These two songs proved that Johnny & his Cellar Rockers could handle vocal repertoire just as well. Many artists heard of the band's musical growth and as a result they were frequently asked to accompany various solo artists during studio recordings. In between collaborations, the band also recorded the single "I love you, yes I do"/"Why".

I saw Jan Akkerman many years later, after one of his solo concerts, but he didn't remember me as a 'stage manager'. Even so we had a nice talk, remembering those 'old days'.

1961 SP Exodus/Melody in F Rock (NL Decca FM 264.399) (GE Fontana 266.273 FE)
1961 SP Hits In Rock Medley 1/Hits In Rock Medley 2 (NL Decca FM 264.400)*

[Non Je Ne Regrette Rien-Surrender-Tommy Uit Tennessee/Wheels-Pepe-Are You Sure]

1962 SP Blue Tango/Una Aventura Mas (NL Decca FM 264.478)*
1962 SP Namrekka/Bonzo (NL Decca 264.479)*
1962 EP Blue Tango (NL Decca FM V 63119)
1963 SP Close Your Eyes/Be-Bop-A-Lula (NL Decca AT 10049)
1964 SP I Love You Yes I Do/Why (NL Decca AT 10106)
(* No picture sleeve)