December 16, 2024

west coast surf instrumental ~ California 1962





Classic surf instrumental b-side from the band's second single. The Sentinals were from San Luis Obispo on California's Central Coast.
The a-side flip is: 'Tor-Chula'

August 5, 2024

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.

July 5, 2024

pedal steel guitar instrumental ~ Nashville 1964

Pete Drake 1932 - 1988

Nashville maestro of the pedal steel, artist, publisher, producer, record label exec, and the musician who introduced Peter Frampton to the talk-box guitar. He also played his pedal steel on Bob Dylan's, 'Lay Lady Lay' among others.

June 11, 2024

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 RPM post links. Will be back soon with more obscure to unusual 45s.

June 3, 2024

punk/pop ~ Belgium 1977


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First released in Belgium in 1977, I remember first hearing 'Ça Plane Pour Moi' on KQAK 99 FM in San Francisco sometime in the early 80s. The station played a lot of New Wave/Post-Punk at the time. Always liked the song, but never figured out who the artist was.
Happy to finally come across this 45.

Besides being a killer power-pop/punk tune that stills holds up after 40 plus years, it's an interesting story. It sold over a million copies worldwide, reaching the top 10 in Europe, the top 100 in U.S., but is still relatively obscure to many.

The story starts with Belgian singer/guitarist writer/producer, Lou Deprijck, who had been in a number of bands starting back in 1968 with the Belgium band, 'Liberty 6' followed by 'Kleptomania', 'Two Man Sound', and finally, 'Lou & The Hollywood Bananas' in 1978.

Apparently Lou Deprijck had most of his success with these groups in Europe with varying degrees.

Interesting to note that for close to 30 years, Plastic Bertrand's lead vocalist was credited to and thought to be, Roger Jouret...
Roger Jouret had played drums in the Belgium band, 'Hubble Bubble' around 1974. But according to Lou Deprijck, was a terrible singer.
Roger is pictured on all Plastic Bertrand record sleeves and lip-synched in all their videos.

This was the beginning of the problem. Vogue records, for image reasons wanted Roger to be the perceived lead singer especially after the record took off in sales with Roger's image on it. Perhaps they didn't want fans of the song to feel they had been had, not sure(?)
When in fact it was Lou Deprijck who actually sung, co-wrote, produced, and recorded 'Ca Plane Pour Moi' first before recruiting and teaming up with Roger Jouret, the "perceived" front man...Lou agreed initially as long as he got paid.
In fact, Lou was the lead vocal on all Plastic Bertrand's recordings.


The real original singer, Lou Deprijck.

In 2006 Lou re-recorded a new version of ' Ça Plane Pour Moi'.
The AMC record label who then owned the rights took him to court claiming he didn't have the rights to the song. Ironic for sure. Lou countered the claim. The truth then came out.
In 2010, after careful listening, a Belgium court decided it was in fact, sung by Lou Deprijck who co-wrote and produced the original song!

Translated this song is absurd nonsense...

'Ca Plane Pour Moi...
It Glides For Me
That's Life For Me

This Works For Me
Everything Goes Well For Me
I Am The King Of The Divan!'


Roger Jouret & Lou Deprijck around 1978

May 24, 2024

rocksteady reggae ~ Jamaica 1969


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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.

April 28, 2024

roots reggae ~ Jamaica 1972


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This 45 was first pressed in 1972 on the Jamaican 'Splash' Label.
This 1974 Clocktower press label 45 is the same recording. Many reggae cover songs don't often credit the original songwriters on record labels. I see this a lot on reggae 45s.
Neil Young never sounded better.

April 11, 2024

Greatest soul singers of all time

Subjective of course. Just for fun. Huge honorable mentions go to: Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Russell Thompkins Jr, Edwin Starr.

July 4, 2023

soul / funk vocal ~ New Orleans 1969


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Edward Ross, aka "Little Buck", started out originally as a singer/member of Huey "Piano" Smith's Clowns in the late 50s.
As a solo artist, Little Buck recorded and released only four 45s from 1960 to '69 including this Seven B label 45. Really a perfect soul side and a brilliant vocal performance.
(*Note this is not R&B singer/guitarist Little Buck Sinegal, who has a 45 on the La Louisanne label).

From 1965 through the early 70s, the New Orleans based 'Seven B' label released about forty two 45s. The story of this song and Little Buck himself, is tough to be completely clear on. The music/backing track was written by New Orleans soul-funk musician/composer/producer, Eddie Bo (Edwin Bocage).
It was first recorded/pressed in 1968 as, 'Lover And A Friend' - a duet on the Seven B label by Eddie Bo & Inez Cheatham. Produced by Seven B label owner, Joe Banashek at Cosimo Matassa's studios in the French quarter of New Orleans. Eddie Bo composed and arranged the song using drummer, Bobby Williams, Louis Clark on guitar, and Paul Boudreaux on bass.

A year later Little Buck sang over the existing, 'Lover And A Friend' backing track with different lyrics written by Huey Smith and Brenda Brandon. In 1969 it was pressed and released again on Seven B as, 'Little Boy Blue'.
The flip side is, 'Whisper My Name'.

Aside from his four solo 45 pressings, in 1968 Little Buck recorded another great two-side soul vocal on Joe Banashak's Instant label. Recorded with Huey Smith's group The Hueys, 'You Ain't No Hippie / Coo Coo Over You' displays Little Buck's distinct soul/funk style of singing on both sides. Huey Smith's co-writer and common law wife, Brenda Brandon, sings backup on 'Coo Coo Over You' along with one of Huey's on and off backup singers, Pearl Edwards* (*unconfirmed, researched deductive guess - could also be Gloria Franklin, who Huey used on other sessions at this time...).

The flip side: 'You Ain't No Hippie' I like a bit better for it's uptempo, slightly frantic pace and timely topic. For 1968, a bit of a throwback sound and production perhaps. Almost sounds like an early 60s R&B dance record, to my ears anyhow. Little Buck calls out all the "Hippie" impostors -Though not sure if being bald makes anyone unqualified to be a Hippie...
Whoever he is, wherever he is, I love Little Buck's singing.



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May 11, 2023

hardcore / punk rock ~ UK 2016


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REPOST from 2016

Though their lineup and sound has changed over some forty years, Discharge still has a speed-sonic, truthful grind. No nostalgia here. Still hardcore. Still punk rock. Still calling out the global kleptocrat fascist bastards who continue to war, steal, and shit on the world.
Though haven't followed them closely over the years, really like this recent Nuclear Blast label 45.
Genres of music get defined and categorized with time. Mid-80s punk and metal were already mixing. Good or bad, I suspect if you asked any real punk in the late 70s or 80s how they felt about metal, categorized since as "d-beat..." one might get a stare or a middle finger.
Though never considered myself a punk. Always liked Discharge. One and only time I saw them here in late-80s San Francisco, the crowd of mostly what seemed like bike messengers, didn't receive them well at all. Some punk purists might disagree, I always liked their "metal" leanings especially as of late. Still a hardcore thrash-fuck-you wall of sound, Discharge is still alive and well.
" New World Order Gonna Profit From Death... "
Timely sounds for timely times.

The flip side is: 'Ain't No Feeble Bastard' (live).


UK's Discharge - late 70s

'New World Order' is also on their new LP/CD,
'End Of Days.'
NOT Downloadable-support the band!

CD's/vinyl/downloads...
thenightmarecontinues.yolasite.com/
www.nuclearblast.com

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.