Records On YouTube

I wonder who was the first person to think of just putting a picture of a record on YouTube and then playing the record. I should've thought of that ... but didn't.

I've done it a few times myself. The above record isn't one of mine. But it's one I listened to and it's a pretty cool song. A guy is being drafted and wants his girl to wait for him. The group, who I've never heard of before, does a great job with all the voices interrelating. It's nice.

The Elgins.

I like the way the poster (PJDooWop) does this. You've got a clean looking record, a clean opening, a crisp, good sound, like it was recorded directly into the computer, or came off an MP3 or WAV. Some of the ones I've seen at You Tube, you've got the guy holding it up to the camera ... it's going in and out of focus ... then they have to put it on the record player, then they set the stylus down, etc. I'd just soon be spared all that.

Another one I saw, the guy does about a 7-10 second theme song of his, complete with some animation, the same thing each video, then gets to the actual record. That's cumbersome and unwelcome. Please!

There are some where it's cool if they show the record player. Like I saw one where the guy has a really old time Victrola, and he also has a cool looking cylinder disc player. Still it'd be better if it was recorded in directly somehow, then the video would show it playing, not necessarily in time with where the music actually is. So you'd have cool video and good sound.

I Call My Baby STP

I used to have this record. Must've sold it. I sold lots of records over the years, for a very good reason, because I needed the money. But every time I regret missing a record out of my collection, I think, There surely was another way for me to have gotten money. I should've sold blood. I can make more blood. But records are tough to get.

I used to listen to it quite a bit. I've thought about looking it up, but then the thought passes and I don't think of it again for a year. Today was the day! I was at You Tube and typed it in and someone had it. That's great.

The group, The Del-Vetts, "I Call My Baby STP." I don't know if the STP company gave these away or what exactly was the deal. I believe I got mine at a thrift store or a garage sale. I even had the picture sleeve as seen in the video.

It was great hearing it again!

I wonder why STP was so extremely popular and advertised 40 years ago, and these days you hardly ever hear of it. I bet in the '60s and '70s I saw STP stickers a million times. Now I wasn't even sure they still made a product, but it appears that they do.

Why was it so popular at one time? And not popular now?

Put The Bone In

I've had the 45 rpm record of Terry Jacks' "Seasons in the Sun" for decades and had still never heard the flip side, "Put The Bone In."

When I was a kid we used to listen to records, the A side and the B side, over and over.

But at some point when I grew up I focused more on the A side. Not in every case but usually.

I was busy recording some of my 45s to MP3s and decided I may as well try this flip side. So I did.

"Put The Bone In" in my opinion is not a very good song. It sounds like one of those throwaway songs you might make up in the shower or driving down the road. The title is awful, in the first place, but funny sounding. Then the song itself is silly.

The story of it is that a woman's doggie has been hit by a car. She's at the market and buying some pork, and begs the meat guy for the pork bone for her dog. Why she would have to beg for it escapes me. Why not just buy the bone while buying the meat?

I've heard it now three or four times. It's short, less than two minutes.

Lady Gaga's Newie

I downloaded Lady Gaga's newest record today, "Bad Romance," without hearing it before. I like her.

I've heard it probably 15 times thereabouts since this morning. I like it. It's not so stunning that I'm jumping up and down but it's good and good to hear.

My mind wanders so I still don't know precisely what it's all about entirely. She loves a bad romance as long as it's free. She wants to share your disease, get down and get funky in reckless ways.

I should listen and really listen. I'm mostly hearing the nonsense lyrics, blah blah ga ga, raw raw, all that.

She Comes In Colors

I listened to "Their Satanic Majesties Request" by The Rolling Stones again today. I don't have it on CD but on LP. It seems like I recorded it off one other time, but my system probably wasn't as good and I didn't look it up. So I recorded it again as MP3s.

I like this album more each time I hear it, which frankly hasn't been that many times. Less than 10 times in my whole life.

It seems like it gets something of a bum rap -- I could look it up, I guess -- because it is different than what the Stones were "supposed" to sound like. They were doing a Sgt. Pepper thing and it seemed out of character.

But it's very beautiful to me, especially songs like "She's Like A Rainbow" and "2000 Light Years From Home," which were together on a 45. I have one somewhere.

The other songs are cool too, for the most part. I wish "In Another Land" didn't have that weird vocal effect on Bill's voice. But even that is tolerable after a few times. Everything else I like.

I used to have one of the 3D covers, but it would seem that I sold it sometime over the years to get needed money. Drat. On the non-3D cover I can't see Paul and Ringo, and I know they're there on the 3D.

So Many Mishandled Records

I like to look at records, lots of them, whenever I can. Like at garage sales, thrift stores, book sales, wherever.

I see the ones at thrift stores all the time, because unless someone buys them they set there virtually forever. There was some guy in the area who was reportedly using them for wallpaper in his basement, the covers, so he would periodically swoop in and clean out all the crap. But he must have finished that project because the crap has come to stay.

It's amazing too, because a lot of the crap records would actually be decent records to own -- currently there's some great '60s country albums that I wouldn't mind having, except for one thing: Whoever owned them originally didn't take care of them.

It always makes me wonder how records get so abused and yet manage to end up in the proper cover. And even in the paper insert in the cover. It's absurd. If you totally messed up your record, scratched it, gouged it, stepped on it, whatever, why are you also being meticulous about putting it in the inner sleeve?

As for me, I hate scratches and pops. It's tough to believe someone was just oblivious to scratches and pops and purposely mistreated the things, then went to the trouble of putting them back in the inner sleeve, etc. Don't get me started.

The big downside to these showing up at the thrift store is that virtually no one is going to want them. The market is way down for records for one thing. And two, anyone with any discriminating taste will look at them and say, That's crap, because they've been mishandled.

Then there's all the religious records. By unknown groups and individuals. Some nutty looking guy usually. Or some group in big thick suits, weird '70s haircuts, and terrible album design standards. You could come up with a heck of a collection of oddball records if that's what you liked. I saw a place that had some of the worst covers of all time, and some of them were these religious records. I see candidates for the worst covers of all time ... all the time.

I crave getting some decent records. I know there are thousands upon thousands of decent records that would be worth buying ... but they don't show up that often.

Why Songs

"Tell me why-y-y-y you cried and why you lied to me ..." - The Beatles.

"Why, why, why, why? 'Cause I love you that's why ..." - Carl Smith.

"Why, baby, why don't you treat me, like you used to do ..." - Pat Boone.

"Tell me why, baby, why, baby, why, baby, why, you cry, baby, cry, baby... " - Can't remember who.

"Why don't you love me like you used to do?" - Hank Williams.

Out of these few songs -- and I'm sure there are lots more -- I like the Carl Smith record probably the best. It's very smooth and nice. The Beatles' song is thrilling too.

The Coolest Records I Heard Today

I'm still working through a box of records (45s) I got at a garage sale a little over a week ago.

There's some cool stuff in there, some gems.

I've never been terribly interested in "Tops" records. They were knockoffs of hits by no name artists, to sell cheaply and make a quick buck. I read some of their interesting story at this link.

I probably have a few more Tops records around. But there was one in this box (that I know of). It has four songs, as they generally did. One of them is a cover of "Peggy Sue" by a guy named Jack Sheldon. It's kind of humorous. He made a valiant effort at it ... but of course he's no Buddy Holly. In short, I loved it! That's one I'm going to listen to a few more times (on an MP3).

The other songs are about the same thing. They must have practiced up a song, then just went in and recorded it ... BANG, first take, we're done.

It's fascinating listening (I'm easily fascinated.)

The other coolest records were Hank Thompson's "Someone Can Steal Your Love From Me"; Jimmy Newman, "Blue Lonely Winter / The Devil Was Laughing At Me," Carl Butler, "Wonder Drug," Chet Atkins, "Yakety Axe," and the Wilburn Brothers, "Hurt Her Once For Me."

Hank's record there makes a good point. If I can steal your love from someone, someone can steel your love from me! And Jimmy Newman's "Devil" song has some cool sound effects. Carl Butler's "Wonder Drug" references Dr. Salk! And rhymes penicillin with killin'.

This is a great way to find music ... if you can manage it. Where I live (and go), boxes of 45s are very very rare.

A Few Old Country Boys

I was listening to a record a while ago, and I've decided I want to get more old country records.

There was an old label years ago called Artistic. It looks like maybe it was a mail order record. I don't know if they sold them in stores.

The typical Artistic record has eight songs on it. It's 7" and 33 rpm. The songs tend to be mostly very short, maybe to fit them on. I don't know if they're edited versions of longer songs, but that would be my suspicion.

A couple of songs on the one I was listening to tonight were under a minute and a half. I think one was 1:19. So is that the complete song? It has a beginning and an ending, but there might be something spliced out in the middle.

A couple of old names on this record were ones I wasn't familiar with, including Pete Pike and Slim Willet. But they sound very cool, old and rustic. I'd like to have more by them. I looked at eBay and almost everything by Slim is on 78 rpm records. One guy has an album for around $50. (I don't think so.)

There's some interesting old country stuff, though. One by Ferlin Husky is "Electrified Donkey." And one by Webb Pierce, a guy I'm reasonably familiar with (along with Ferlin), called "High Geared Daddy." You know a song called "High Geared Daddy" has to be good ... and it is.

Harper Valley PTA

I love the old song -- sung by Jeannie C. Riley, written by Tom T. Hall -- "Harper Valley PTA." I always have loved it, because I love the "Mama" in it and her attitude.

The PTA doesn't think Mrs. Johnson's bringing up her little girl in a good way, since she, Mrs. Johnson's wearing mini skirts and apparently running around with men and going wild. She doesn't deny it.

But the PTA happens to be meeting that very afternoon. And she wears her mini skirt into the room! (And maybe she ought to have a couple of the men with her, looking at the PTA gals and licking their lips.)

Mrs. Johnson's tactic of rebuttal is to point out the hypocrisy of those who are gathered, thinking themselves to be the moral arbiters of their generation. These include Bobby Taylor, who's asked Mrs. Johnson out for a date seven times. And Bobby's wife who uses a lot of ice when he's away. And Mr. Baker, whose secretary had to leave the town. And Widow Jones, who doesn't keep her window shades pulled completely down, and must be doing something in full view of passersby, that, frankly, I'd like to know more about.

In addition to these hypocrites, we have Mr. Harper -- of the famous Harpers, I guess -- who missed the meeting because he's at Kelly's Bar again. And Shirley Thompson, sitting there with gin on her breath.

Mrs. J sums it all up: "Then you have the nerve to tell me you think that as a mother I'm not fit. Well, this is just a little Peyton Place and you're all Harper Valley hypocrites!"

That's my Mama! the little girl seems to say. Because she celebrates what happened: "No I wouldn't put you on because it really did, it happened just this way. The day my Mama socked it to the Harper Valley P.T.A., the day my Mama socked it to the Harper Valley P.T.A."

I love Mamas like that. My actual Mama's like that. She doesn't run around with men and go wild like Mrs. Johnson. But if push ever came to shove, she'd definitely "sock it to 'em!" And good.

Candy Cane Sugary Plum

I just heard a Christmas song in July, "Candy Cane Sugary Plum" as recorded by Danny & the Juniors.

It's a cheerful little thing with some Chipmunks effects in the mix, and singing in rounds to boot. I don't know that I'll make it part of my normal holiday playlist, but could be.

For a hot day in July, though, it sounded good ... and out of place.

Impressive Freddy Cannon Site

I got this scan or photo of a Freddy Cannon LP from an impressive website about Freddy.

The website has lots of pictures of Freddy's albums and singles, with some good GIFs of record labels.

I have just a few 45s by Freddy and one LP. I used to have the "Action" LP but I don't know what happened to it precisely. Probably sold it.

I have "Palisades Park" (Swan S-4106-P) [oh, I have two of those, didn't know that]; "Tallahassee Lassie" (Swan S4031-A); "Way Down Yonder In New Orleans" (Swan S-4043-A); and, "For Me and My Gal" (Swan S 4083-F). Some of these are in fairly poor condition.

According to the website, Freddy's mom was one of the writers of "Tallahassee Lassie."

The LP I have is the one pictured, "Happy Shades of Blue." All the songs have "Blue" in the title. I just heard it for the first time yesterday and some of it today. I don't know, I'm not that impressed. I think time has left this kind of record way behind. But I have MP3s of the LP now, so maybe I'll listen to them again. That's the idea after all.

I definitely like Freddy's big hits though!

By the way, this "Blue" LP is still available on CD as a two-fer with "The Explosive Freddy Cannon."

The Plate Spinning Song -- Part 3

In a continuing series, this being Part 3, I report on the song "Sabre Dance" by Khachaturian.

In Part 1 I said I had it on a CD called "Caravan," songs of the Silk Road, something like that. And in Part 2 that is is on an LP by a group called Ekseption.

Today, Part 3, I got an LP by Ferrante and Teicher called "Popular Classics" and it's the first track. "Sabre Dance," it says, "from the Gayne Ballet." That's the first I've heard of the Gayne Ballet. But I'm assuming that in amongst the ballet dancers there's another guy spinning plates.

For this song is the universal theme song for plate spinners everywhere! You can't be out there spinning plates to some of the other tracks on this album, like "Jamaican Rhumba" and "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring." Is that "Jesus" without the "S," or some other person, like "Jesu and the Pussycats"?

I have probably owned Ferrante and Teicher albums before, like when you buy a box of albums somewhere for five bucks or everything on the table for 10 bucks. But I believe this is the first time I ever bought one on purpose. I guess I just associate it with old fogey music. But now that I'm an old fogey, it's time to go back and catch up on what I've been missing.

Ferrante and Teicher each play a separate piano, and their recordings are of the blend of the two, both appearing to be speed demons when it comes to the ivories. I never knew or thought about their first names until today, but it says here they're Arthur Ferrante and Louis Teicher, and they're lifelong friends. Since getting this album I looked at their website, and it says they recorded 148 original record albums. That explains why I've seen a million over them over the years.

The weird thing about their discography is that I don't see this album listed. It says in the small print that "Popular Classics" was formerly released on Westminster Records as "Ferrante and Teicher." And on their discography there's mentions of Westminster but not of an album with that name.

This particular issue is the mono release, ABC-Paramount Records, ABC-437. The "stereo" version of the album is a "Technically Augmented Stereo" record, which just means electronically simulated stereo. At least I didn't get that. The number for the fake stereo issue is T.A. Stereo-ABCS-437.

The tracks are 13. 1) Sabre Dance (from the Gayne Ballet), Khachaturian; 2) Habanera, Ravel; 3) Ritual First Dance (from El Amor Brujo), Falla; 4) Reverie, Debussy; 5) Jamaican Rhumba, A. Benjamin; 6) Tango in D Major, Op. 165, No. 2, Albeniz; 7) American Fantasy (Ferrante & Teicher). Then side 2: 1) Waltz in C Sharp Minor, Op. 64, No. 2; 2) Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (from Cantata No. 147), Bach; 3) Toccata (from Sonata No. 6 in A Major), Paradies; 4) Liebestraum No. 3, Liszt; 5) Valse (from Suite for Two Pianos, Op. 15), Arensky; 6) Slavonic Dance in C Major, Op. 46, No. 1, Dvorak.

Huh? Do I get any points for typing all that?

Unfortunately for my enjoyment of this record, even though it looks like it's in great shape, there's some kind of vinyl anomaly when you get toward the end of Side 1. So it's playing fine but you can hear a kind of Wow or Wump when the needle hits that patch each time around. I will probably copy off my plate spinning song and let it go at that.

NOTE: If anyone can tell me how to take a picture of a record cover or CD cover so it comes out looking FLAT, please let me know.

Serious Cleaning

I did some serious cleaning in my computer room here. It's been so bogged down with junk, crap piled as deep as it will go.

I reorganized some of it. Spent several hours on it. It's still kind of a mess but it's a lot better than it was. I can see there's a floor in this room, which had been a rumor for years.

Now I have everything basically up against the wall and piled up. A lot of garbage papers were thrown out and bills/statements, that kind of stuff, put in a shred basket. I had a few boxes of records and little stacks of 45s that I hadn't seen for a while. I was happy to see those under there.

I have a picture program I use all the time, a Microsoft thing called PictureMe! It's on my computers but I keep wondering where the original discs are, in case I need to reinstall it somewhere. I never come across them. I've looked through the basement, various places.

Then I found them deep in a drawer, which to be honest I'm sure I looked in before. There are five discs and at first I could only find four. Which wouldn't do me any good, but a little more systematic digging and I found the fifth.

It's hot in here, and with that many layers of miscellaneous floor crap, there was a lot of hairballs, fuzz, dust bunnies, etc. Pretty soon, I had it on my nose, my forehead, my chin, and it was itching like crazy. I might have been like one of those animals that goes plum loco, except I knew where the sink was. It got worse as I approached the sink, like there was some psychological thing about to send me over the edge, being very frantic. But I got it washed off.

I've done what I'm going to do for the day on it. It's not 100% but it's many times better than what it was. What an extraordinary mess!

Yellow Balloon

I've always liked this record, "Yellow Balloon" by The Yellow Balloon. I remember reading an article about it one time in a music magazine, maybe Goldmine, something like that.

There's probably more information about it online, as to the producer's actual name, etc., and circumstances of the session. I remember there was a rumor that one of the guys from "My Three Sons" (which I didn't watch) had something to do with it.

It's one of the prettiest songs I remember. There's another version of it by Jan and Dean on a Columbia Records 45.

A very happy sound. Taking its place in the pantheon of great Yellows, "Mellow Yellow" and "Yellow Balloon," and of course "Old Yeller."

Mighty Like A Broad

That's a strong looking leg on the cover model, possibly an actual burlesque stripper. Tough looking, as might be hinted at by track 3 on side 2, "Mighty Like a Broad."

This is a record album I have, and I see other references to it online, including a nice album cover photo by some other guy on Flickr. I took my own pictures of it so I could get a good close up of that tough looking foot and leg.

A couple comments. I'm interested in the quotation marks on the performer's name. On the front he's "Bald" Bill Hagan and his Trocaderons, but on the back he's "Bald Bill" Hagan and his Trocaderons. Slight difference. The second song is called "Frotic Fantasy." I've never heard the word so that might be a misprint.

As for the album, it's on the Somerset label, album SF-27200 stereo. Somerset albums, as far as I know, were budget records, like Diplomat or Spin-o-Rama. But I don't know much about the subject. If you ever see the old "Hit" Records, they're usually no name artists. Of course I don't know how big "Bald Bill" Hagan was, but I'm thinking small scale.

Some of the other albums listed, though, have name artists, Ray Charles Singers, Dolly Parton, and Jim Reeves. But for the most part, they're Polka Party, Gold Award Hits of '67, More Tijuana Hits, etc.

The stereo on this album is really good. And the sound quality is really clear and nice. My copy's in pretty good condition. The cover's getting shot around the edges, but the music plays clean.

The songs are burlesque in quality, and a good mixture of moods. I don't remember much about each track. They're kind of generic, but still quite invigorating listening. I know when I started listening to the LP I was fully dressed, but by the end ... well, I won't say what I was down to, but I did really notice it when the air conditioner kicked on.

The tracks are Vampin' and Campin', Frotic Fantasy, Party Time, Koochie Galore, Frankie and Johnny. Then side 2: G-String Twist, Fascination, Mighty Like a Broad, Cha Bump, Girdles Aweigh.

Manufactured by Alshire International, Burbank, California.

These Boots Are Make For Walkin'

I heard some of this album a couple times today. I was also mildly familiar with it from having the LP over the years. The one I have is mono, which I transferred over to my iPod. I was listening to it while taking the dog out to do her business at the park. So I could've been singing, "These bags were made for scoopin', and that's just what they'll do..."

I heard that song a couple times, the title song, and the best Nancy tune on the LP. It was a big hit. The others have a cool vibe to them, almost a detachment from Nancy. I like some of the arrangements, then her voice is in there to surround everything.

She claims to care but you have to think her overall attitude toward the "boy" in the songs is best reflected in her "Boots" song. "I'm going to walk all over you."

One of the Beatles' absolutely worst songs is on the LP, "Run For Your Life." I believe John said of this song in his Rolling Stone interviews that it was a toss-off bit of nothing. And I've certainly always believed that. Crummy song.

Nancy does some interesting things with it, though it is disconcerting to hear, "Run for your life if you can, little boy..." then she even says, "Baby boy," I believe. Goo goo gaa gaa. The original lady gaa gaa.

How about the liner notes? You ought to get a copy of the liner notes, if they're still legal to read.

It starts off mentioning the "Lesson in Love," and says, "How should I sing this?" "Like a 16 year old girl who's been dating a 40 year old man, but it's all over now." That might explain some of the strange tone throughout! And that kind of line would certainly turn heads now!

Interesting album.

Soulful Shrimp Workers 1953

Here's an unusual recording I've been carrying around for some years. I'm posting a link if you'd like to hear an MP3 of it.

Shrimp Song - Shrimp Workers

It would appear that WAGA radio of Atlanta was at the SeaPak Shrimp Company of St. Simons, Georgia, on December 10, 1953.

The shrimp workers very soulfully sing parts of two songs, with an announcer occasionally telling us what's going on.

At the end, as indicated on the label, Les Henrickson, apparently a guy from the radio station, is talking. His piece is very short and cut off quickly.

The record is one-sided and 12 inch, 33 rpm. I did some pop fixing on this and adjusted the volume in one place. The word "Georgia" was about one and a half times the volume of everything else.

The Cowsills

With my new "direct to MP3" record player I recorded three of The Cowsills' LPs yesterday.

I did this pretty much with the sound turned off because I had other official duties that I couldn't be distracted from. This is what makes me nervous, that a couple years ago, with my old unreliable record player there was a skip on one of the tracks. But I don't remember which one.

So now the tracks are on my iPod and I'm thinking I'm eventually going to come across that skip ... if it's there. This new record player does skip at some of the same spots as my old one did, meaning, I guess, that it's conclusive that there are issues at those spots on the record. But for other records it makes it through. I'm hoping that it made it through the skip on the Cowsills LP.

I've always liked The Cowsills' sound but for the most part didn't have the LPs originally when they were popular. So I only knew the singles at the time. But getting at least these three over the years and hearing them, there's a lot of sweetness and joy in the tracks. I like all that sunshine pop stuff. And you can tell they were also trying to stretch, reach for new stuff. They're worth getting.

The records I have are "The Cowsills," which leads off with "The Rain, The Park and Other Things"; "We Can Fly" and "Captain Sad and His Ship of Fools." The title tune to "We Can Fly" is one of the most wonderful things I've ever heard. "Captain Sad," of which I'm no expert but I have heard it a time or two, is what I was referring to that they were trying to stretch. Even the liner notes suggests this, with their 'audience growing with them,' that sort of thing. The title sounds vaguely like "Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band" or "Their Satanic Majesties Request" or "Major Happy's Up and Coming Once Upon A Good Time Band," that kind of effort.

I didn't have the sound off on this one but I was in another room, so I wasn't hearing it well yesterday. There was one track that sounded like a sore thumb, "The Fantasy World of Harry Faversham." I'm going to have to study that one out. The weird voice on it didn't appeal to me through the wall.

I read a little about The Cowsills at their website. Actually back when the hurricane happened, which killed one of the brothers. Then they were having a benefit for another brother, who, I see, since has also died. Plus their mom and dad have passed on.

They're still putting out an occasional record. And they have one at CD Baby (also at Amazon) that has a terrible title, something like "The Cocaine Drain Album," and it says it was dubbed off a single existing acetate. So I don't know what the problem was there. Since I believe in multiple backups and copies of everything. How could someone make an entire album and not have a tape?

I'd love to have all the Cowsills' albums on CD. And I see some are available or have been available. One of them, though, is like $155 at Amazon. I don't think so.

Lost One To Mold

I lost a nice record set today to mold, mildew, the stuff of being against the basement wall.

I have a good dehumidifier down there but it must not be strong enough to handle every challenge.

Anyway, I brought up a box of records (45s) and the one on the end was destroyed. This is very unfortunate since it wasn't just a record, but an envelope of a jukebox album. And if one record is destroyed the whole set is a loss. Darn. Too bad it wasn't just some junk on the end!

Now I think all the records need to come up ... and since there isn't really a decent place to put them, under my bed maybe will be the place.