December 29, 2022

August 5, 2022

On the street job offer interview ~ San Francisco 1963




When the streets where alive. When the streets where cool. A real to reel job interview on the street - San Francisco, California 1963
Bright young job applicants riding the cable car 1963

R & B / early soul group dancer ~ Virginia 1963




From '62 to 1963, The Grandison Singers recorded/pressed only three 45s during their time together, all on RCA Victor. They also had an EP pressed in Spain consisting of the same US recorded songs. Found this 45 some time ago, but couldn't find much info/detail until recently. Was curious as to who the singer was.
The Grandison Singers, two sisters and their two cousins originally from Virginia. From church gospel to secular R&B and early Soul, a familiar history/musical path many groups/artists took in the early years of RnB & Soul. A measured chorus, these ladies can sing and the slightly delayed lead-in makes the song build. Piano player, arranger, lead vocal, Floyd Bibbons sings it out.
The 'Hungry i' nightclub around 1959-60, a venue The Grandison Singers played in when it was still located on Jackson street in San Francisco.
Mary and Helen Grandison right top/bottom w/their cousins Dorothy Webster and Floyd Bibbins.

June 11, 2022

Hello loyal 45 RPM followers.
It's most unfortunate that the file sharing site "yourlisten" that I've used here for more than a few years does not technically work anymore - At least not for me. A tech glitch? Tried contacting multiple times to no avail...
In the meantime, this blog is on hold until I figure out another service and repost some of the better broken 45 post links. Will be back soon with more obscure to unusual 45s.

May 21, 2022

rocksteady reggae ~ Jamaica 1969


Embed Music Files - Embed Audio -


Haunting rhythmic vocal side reissue pressed on a correct late 60s, "period-blue" Supreme label. The flip is, 'So Many Problems' by the Viceroys. The Supreme label was an offshoot/subsidiary label of producer Coxsone Dodd's Studio One label through the early 70s.
Recorded at Studio One in Jamaica in 1969, 'Whisper To Me' was originally pressed/released the same year on a blank Jamaican Estick label (also as Estic) with the B-side flip, 'I Need Love.'

If 'Whisper To Me' was ever intended to be officially released on any of Coxsone Dodd's stock, full design colored labels, it's anyone's guess. It never was at the time. Such is the case and mystery with many great Jamaican blank pre-release 45s.

Cecile Campbell joined Jamaica's, 'Soulettes' in 1968 during the middle period of the group's incarnation with Rita Marley (Bob Marley's wife) and Hortense Lewis (not to be confused with reggae soulster, Hortense Ellis).
She recorded two other 45s, 'Breaking Up' with Jackie Estick on the Studio One label in 1968 with the flip, 'Musical Scorcher' by the Sound Dimension (also pressed on Muzik City). The other, 'Shimmering Star' which was pressed on a blank Coxsone/Studio One pre-release label about the same time. Though not sure of the flip.

'The Soulettes' in 1968, left to right: Rita Marley, Nora Dean, & Cecile Campbell.
Nora Dean left the group in 1969, joined/replaced then by Hortense Lewis.

May 14, 2022

funk dancer ~ 1972


Music Hosting - Listen Audio - Bobby Byrd - Sayin' It And D...


Could argue that Bobby Byrd invented funk.
Always viewed Bobby Byrd and James Brown as one and the same. They needed each other. Their collaborations created so many amazing sounds.

In 1970, James Brown collaborated and started the Brownstone record label with Florida producer and future 70s soul disco pioneer, Henry Stone. Stone would later run TK records, Florida. From 1970 to 1977, the Brownstone record label released about eleven 45s. Most all funk/soul.

It's been written and documented that Bobby actually "discovered" the young James Brown in 1952 while playing baseball on a juvenile prison field in Georgia. James was serving time there for stealing clothes...

A dance side that needs to be played with some volume through speakers.
Sayin' it and doin' it are two different things.
True enough. Funk perfection.