The Oldie

A Great Song from 1958

2009-11-02T17:21:00.000-06:00

The Fascinators were quite popular on the East Coast in the late 50s and early 60s. This song is the best of the best from this group, a truly outstanding DooWop ballad.

Enjoy.

2009-10-29T12:59:00.002-05:00

This song was played first around the St. Louis area back in 1963. As you can see by the record number, this was actually the A-side of this 45. However, the B-side, "Wildwood Days," became the hit recording for Bobby Rydell back in the summer of '63.

Enjoy

Beatles For Sale Remastered

2009-10-05T15:10:00.005-05:00

My look at the new Beatles remastered CDs continues with Beatles For Sale. In England, this was their 4th LP release. Here in America, the bulk of this album was better known as Beatles 65. For me, as lover of and a collector of Beatles music, this is the first decent sounding recording they did in stereo. You might know that the first 4 Beatles CDs originally released in 1987 were taken from the mono masters. This was a decision that I liked at the time they came out. When I learned of the new CDs, I decided the first one I would covet would be Beatles For Sale. Well, after listening to the disc, I think I was right on with that decision.

A one word description of this CD is “stunning.” However, I’m not one to limit myself to one word descriptions. Let’s just say this CD has the general characteristics of the other new remastered discs. The bass is enhanced, as is the overall charity of the recordings. The surprise, for me are the sounds I’d never heard in the first CD reissues. And, there are a few tracks that really stand out.

Here’s a brief track-by-track description. No Reply and I’m a Loser are awesome. There are little sounds I’d not heard before in both songs. The first of the tracks that make me say “WOW” is Baby’s In Black. On this gem you hear all sorts of different things, especially with the guitar playing, that just stand out making this song a must hear.

Rock and Roll Music does Chuck Berry proud. On one verse, one of the guitars disappears for some unknown reason and this is heard quite clear. Paul’s I’ll Follow The Sun has always sounded good, on vinyl and on CD. Well this version sounds even better to my ears.

Now we’re up to another one of those special tracks, John’s remake of Dr. Feelgood and the Interns Mr. Moonlight. The unique organ part is brought out in this remastered goodie. Plus you really hear John’s voice crack when he opens the song screeching “Mr. moonlight.” What a treat for the ear.

Next Paul does his best Little Richard on Kansas City/Hey Hey Hey Hey, which is actually a medley of two songs from Little Richard. The version of Kansas City is a remake of the Little Richard version of the often recorded song. And boy it sure sounds great.

Then comes another of the gems on this CD, Eight Days a Week. I was actually tipped off to listen for this one with a write-up I’d read on the Internet. It’s much fuller then the 45, LP version, or the version on the first Beatles For Sale CD from 1987. Everything in this song from the hand clapping to the harmony stand out crisp and clear.

The next two songs are Buddy Holly’s Words of Love and Carl Perkin’s Honey Don’t. Both are remakes of the originals and both continue with this bright, full sound on the new disc.

Every Little Thing is another of those songs that really stick out as nothing short of outstanding on this new recording. You hear the instruments in a new way, especially the timpani Ringo plays. It adds it’s booming sound to the enhancement on this disc.

I Don’t Want to Spoil the Party is another delight and a surprise. This is one of those Beatles songs I’ve sort of dismissed, or passed by in the past. The new remastered version makes it hard to pass over now. All the clear sounding guitar work and the always great John and Paul harmonies are great.

Paul’s What You’re Doing is next and like the rest of this outstanding work, it sounds great. You hear the piano work, and all the rest of the instruments as clear as a bell. It’s like you’re there when they recorded the song.

Finally, George rocks out with another Carl Perkins remake, Everybody’s Trying to Be My Baby. You hear the little things in the guitar work that make this a rockabilly delight.

Overall, this is another gem of a disc to listen to over and over and over again. Like the other discs I’ve talked about, the packaging, pictures and video for the computer, are great. A final thought on these CDs is I told myself I was just going to get Abbey Road, the White Album, and Beatles For Sale for the moment. Well, after hearing all three of these disc sets, I find I will buy others. Sgt. Pepper will probably be next for me.

The Beatles (the White Album) Pt. 2

2009-10-01T21:13:00.006-05:00

Some of the more dramatically different sounding tracks on this set are on disc two. We start with Birthday and Yer Blues. In both cases, the overall sound is brighter and fuller then the original 1987 CD release. Listen for those little things in the background that I’ve been talking about. The keyboards on Birthday are crisp. The guitars on Yer Blues are clean sounding. Paul’s Mother Natures Son continues with the more fuller sound theme. The horns in the background boom out over the acoustic guitar and the clear vocals.

Now we’re up to four tracks that stand out as much improved sounding songs. Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except for Me and My Monkey has a lot going on; and I mean more than just an eleven word title. That cow bell rings lout like it never has in previous issues of the song. Put the headset on, and listen to the driving guitar reverberate across your brain. John gets two in a row with the haunting Sexy Sadie. I’ve always found this to be a unique sounding song; and you can hear it all now on this remastered gem. Once again, there’s that haunting guitar over a piano with echo on it. And, there’s that background vocal.

Helter Skelter surprised me. This has been one of my least favorite songs on this recording; but I have to admit, the newly remastered sound brings it to a new light. Long, Long, Long carries on with that haunting thing again. Just listen to that organ and the overblown vibrato.

Revolution 1 was intended to be a single release off of the album. It was decided the song was too slow and that turned out to be a good thing for Beatles fans because they then recorded the version we got on that first Apple 45; however, the LP version sounds great. The horns in the background come out to the foreground. Then Paul gives us Honey Pie; this is a track that can go overlooked, but don’t overlook it when you get the new CDs. It’s reborn anew now.

I was tipped off about Savoy Truffle before I heard the new CD. On the disc, I find sounds I never dreamed were part of the original recording. It almost sounds like the horns in the background were rerecorded; but they were not. This song might be the most dramatic in sound improvement on this set. George wrote a fine tune; and now we really hear it.

The next two tracks are pretty much John Lennon. Cry Baby Cry sure sounds good. The now familiar echo on John’s voice rings out. I guess John owes a special debt to Les Paul for inventing that technique. Then John Lennon takes on another ‘magical mystery tour’ with Revolution 9. You might be tempted to pass over this 8 minute and 22 second experiment; well do yourself a favor and put the headphones on and give it a listen, at least once. You’ll hear things you didn’t hear before.

Disc two finishes up with Richard Starkey singing the vocals on the orchestral Good Night. Like most orchestral music on CD, this is a keeper when it comes to sound. The strings, the harp, the voices, we hear it all.

In conclusion, I was not disappointed with the White Album. I had planned to get a copy of this set, along with Abbey Road, when I heard they were going to do all this remastering. Oh, by the way, you do get a copy of the poster that was part of the original LP, although this one is smaller in size.

There is one other CD I had initially planned to get, and I’ll tell you about it next; so keep watching the blog.

The Beatles (the White Album) Pt. 1

2009-09-30T12:49:00.007-05:00

I recall when the “White Album” first was released on vinyl in 1968. It hit the stores on November 22nd, a date that lives in infamy in American history. It was a clear,cold early Winter morning and I decided I must get the record on opening day, so-to-speak. So I walked from my house to Florissant Records. I believe it was approximately a mile from my parents house and got my first copy of The Beatles, aka The White Album on vinyl. The recording was unique; the record label was very unique; the packaging was unique.

As mentioned in my Abbey Road review, I bought the first issue CDs when they came out in 1987. ‘And I loved them.’ Like Abbey Road, the new remastered White Album has an overall sound that is better than the first CDs. Unlike Abbey Road, there are certain songs that almost sound totally new on this CD set. And the packaging is superb, including the use of the B-side label on disc two and the more recognizable Granny Smith green apple on disc one’s label. That is still one of the coolest labels ever made. You would expect that from The Beatles.

I’m not going to spend time with each and every song. After all, there are 30 tracks on this two disc set; and even the not-so-good stuff sounds good on the remastered issue. What I will do is talk about some specific tracks that as stated above, almost sound totally new.

The White Album has more stuff going on behind the music than any other Beatles record, including Sgt. Pepper; well, the new CD set brings those little things to the front. This is another “listen with the headset on” CDs. And when you listen, listen to everything. ‘Don’t pass tracks by.’

Side one starts with the plane landing in Russia on Paul’s Beach Boy inspired Back in the U.S.S.R. We hear it all loud and clear as a bell. The piano on the opener rings across the roar of the jet engine. Hand clapping, background vocals, enhanced bass guitar and the lead guitar blast across your ears like a rocket. Then track one fades out and John’s Dear Prudence fades in as it always has; but this time it’s clear, crisp and downright haunting. Listen to all the sounds and that guitar work and those backing vocals. Outstanding stuff. Glass Onion is next sounding like a reborn piece of art. Hear that flute on the last verse. And then it’s Polka time as Paul gives us the classic Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da; listen to that “banging on the piano,” and all the hand clapping and the voices in the background. “Swing your partner round and round” and sing, sing, sing along.

Now please don’t overlook a thing on these CDs, including Wild Honey Pie; you hear it in a refreshingly new way along with The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill. I used to play that one at parties. “All the children sing.”

The next two songs continue with an underlying theme of haunting sounds that are peppered throughout this collection. At least I’ve always thought they were haunting tunes.

George Harrison’s While My Guitar Gently Weeps is a masterpiece of recording excellence; much thanks to Eric Clapton for that lead guitar that now pierces the ears over all the other instruments. The organ, the castanets, bass and drums blend with the harmonies. Then there’s John’s VERY haunting Happiness Is a Warm Gun that never sounded better then on this new collection. Listen to yet another ear piercing guitar lead after the first movement of the song. Tell me that’s not spooky sounding.

What was side two on vinyl is the second part of disc one. Martha My Dear, I’m So Tired, and Blackbird sound so good they must be heard to understand what I’m talking about.

The next two songs deserve a little more here. Piggies is another of those born again tracks I’ve been eluding to here. It sounds brand new here. The harpsichord chimes out and the acoustic guitar can be heard plain as day along with the strings and tambourine. I love the ending on this one. Sounds great; sounds better then great. Now on Rocky Racoon, it is my opinion that Paul’s A string on his acoustic guitar is slightly out of tune. But it still sounds clear along with the harmonica, honky-tonk piano, and everything else that’s heard on this one.

The next two songs continue with this little silliness going on. Ringo sings about his lady friend who lost her hair in Don’t Pass Me By and Paul asks the musical question Why Don’t We Do It In The Road? Well, why don’t we?

Disc one finishes with Paul’s tribute to Don and Phil Everly, I Will; and it sure sounds good on this new remastered set. Then it’s back to that haunting theme with Julia, an most underrated gem from John Lennon.

That’s it for disc one. Disc two is coming up in the next installment; so stay tuned right here.

Seeing might be believing

2009-09-22T13:40:00.004-05:00

Following up on the Abbey Road remastered CD review, here is a comparison picture of the actual wave file of Come Together from the original 1987 CD release, and the new remastered version. These files are unaltered. You can see the difference as well as hear it on the CD.

Saving the Best for First Pt. 2

2009-09-16T07:59:00.005-05:00

We turn the old record over, if we had the old record, and get onf of the most classic album sides of all time, all crisp, clear and sounding better than we’ve ever heard it sound. I think these songs speak for themselves so I’ll talk about some of the neat parts about the side.

I must have listened to Here Comes The Sun over a thousand times in the past 40 years; now when I listen, I really hear the song. The acoustic guitar, bass, drums and that mellatron really come out. George’s vocals ring out over the music. One thing that stands out is the separation of the lead vocal and the background vocals. All the instrument layering is brought to life anew now.

Because and it’s multi track vocals are outstanding. As I’ve said over and over already, it all sounds so crisp and new. I love the synth flute at the end, always have loved it.

Now we get to the part of the CD where you have to take these next songs as one unit. When You Never Give Me Your Money starts, you hear a much sharper sounding guitar over Paul’s piano; then, the rest of the stuff all falls into line, as it always has. The guitar under Paul’s vocals, “Oh that magic feeling,” resonates like never before, as it does going into the last part of the song. Then the vocals fade out and we get the clear sounds of night, the clanging ship’s bell, then the crickets come in and listen for the talking. And then we get the Sun King and it’s panning guitar from left to right and Oh those Beach Boys’ like vocal harmonies.

Then Mean Mister Mustard, with the piano, tambourine, overdrive bass and vocals and then POW! Polyphene Pam blasts over the speaker. Listen for the break after the first verse and the little guitar riff that may have gone unheard before. I hear a woodblock during the guitar solo and some background chatter, probably somebody counting; I never heard that before. Then Paul takes over with She Came Into The Bathroom Window. Listen to the acoustic guitar; you might have paid attention to it before, but you will now. How ‘bout Ringo on the tom toms. Loud and clear.

Golden Slumbers sounds fabulous. When Paul’s voice cracks when he sings, “Smile awaits you when you rise,” we really hear it now. Then we Carry That Weight and it really carries through with all those sounds. I get lost in this stuff. And then, it’s The End and does it end with a bang. Ringo’s legendary drum break, and John, Paul, and George, each with their guitar solos ripping through your head as you listen, over a continuing drumbeat. Then the boys sing their famous, “And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.” Maybe they did know it was the end for the Beatles as a group.

Oh, don’t forget Her Majesty. We better not forget Her Majesty.

And one more thing about the new CDs is the packaging. It’s as outstanding as the discs. There’s lots of pictures and even a little video you can watch on your computer. Simply marvelous.

I recommend getting the new CDs, especially if you’re a die-hard Beatles fan.

Saving the Best for First PtI'' 1

2009-09-14T12:24:00.004-05:00

I'm going to talk about the new remastered Abbey Road CD in two parts.

The Beatles remastered Abbey Road is great, from it’s packaging to the famous Apple label on the CD itself, to it’s sound; it’s great.

I knew when I bought the remastered Abbey Road that it was going to be the best of the bunch as for as overall

sound quality. Well, I was correct.

The first thing I noticed is the enhancement of Paul’s bass throughout the album. It’s a lot better than the first CD reissue from back in 1987. I should point out I thought the original CD releases of the Beatles material was great; and I still think so, especially the mono issues which I will discuss later. That being said, the remasters are even better.

Come Together does just that; it comes together, from the opening salvo when John says “shout, to the drum roll, to the guitars, to John’s once-echo vocals and everything in between.
The guitars sound bright and ring through during the whole track. The sound of Ringo’s snare drum punches through and then the electric piano break comes through will brilliance. The lead guitar at the end of the song rings out over all the other instruments. What an opening number.

Then we get George Harrison’s masterpiece, Something, with the same overall sound as the opener but with the addition of the organ, symbols, and mellatron. Outstanding to say the least. The harmony is clear, the guitar solo sounds better than ever. Ringo’s drums ring over all the layered sounds. And as I said, that organ just sounds brilliant.

Maxwell’s Silver Hammer has always been one of my favorite Paul McCartney songs; I’m pleased with how it sounds on the new CD. The clanging anvil on the chorus, the mellatron again all throughout the

song, the piano, and Paul’s vocals all ring out. Oh yeah, there’s that enhanced bass sound again. Great!

I should point out that Abbey Road utilizes a lot of panning instruments and vocals that sound even better through headphones. I remember when I was younger listening to this album, laying down on the floor, taking the stereo speakers and putting them on either side of my head, so I could hear all the neat recording techniques. Well, they really bellow out on the new CD.

Oh Darling is outstanding as well. I dig those background vocals, the constant guitar strum and Ringo’s drumming. Wowsers! All of it is crisp and clear like you’ve never heard it on the new disc.

Next we go under the sea with Ringo and Octopuses Garden with it’s great guitar intro and the panning underwater sounding vocals on the instrumental break. Put on your swim fins and you won’t be disappointed with this goodie.

Finishing up what was side one on the old record is I Want You (She’s So Heavy) which is the biggest surprise for me on this CD. I’d never been a major fan of John’s Rock & Blues ditty but this remastered gem has changed that. The crisp sound of the guitar, organ, bass and drums, underneath John’s screeching vocals really comes across on the new CD. I make special note of the organ and the instrumental interlude between verses. Sounds like I’m right there at Abbey Road with the boys. The song ends with it’s famous guitar riffs and the crescendo of sounds building up and coming to a sudden stop at the end, and I do mean sudden. You hear things you may not have heard before; sounds like a windstorm or something that keeps going until the end.

I'm Back

2009-09-14T10:03:00.002-05:00

Well, it's been all summer plus since my last post. I plan to make up for that in the next few days so stay tuned.

With the release of the Beatles remastered CDs, it’s time for me to talk about what we’re hearing on these CDs. Yes the vocals are brighter; there’s definitely more bass, especially with the earlier albums.

There’s always those little things going on in the background that you swore you’ve never heard before. But wait a minute. Those sounds were there on the older CDs, and even on the vinyl.

I remember back in the 80s when I bought a CD from ACE of England called “Dion Hits.” At the time, it was the absolute best sounding collection of Dion’s Laurie recordings. The folks who do the remastering at ACE always do a good job to this day. One track, “Runaround Sue,” stuck out. I heard the drummer hit one drumstick with the other during one of his fills. I knew the sound the sticks made because I had played drums myself and often hit the sticks together in that fashion. After convincing myself that I’d not heard that sound on any other copy of “Runaround Sue” that I had on vinyl, I went back and listened to one of the particularly bad recordings and low and behold, the sound of the drumsticks hitting each other was there. I just never noticed until that CD.

Yes I know there have been some very bad, some criminally bad mixes of songs over the years in the Rock & Roll era. However, with the advent of the digital age, which began with the first CDs in the 80s, there have been some masterful remastered, remixed, recordings.

These CDs sound great. But are they really better then the first generation of Beatles CDs that came out in 1987; only time will tell.

Coming up: Abbey Road

I Wonder Why

2009-05-28T12:41:00.004-05:00

This is the best video that I've seen from Dion & the Belmonts singing I Wonder Why from back in the day. I suspect it's from American Bandstand, but I'm not totally sure.

Enjoy.

Happy Anniversary

2009-04-21T15:56:00.003-05:00

Well I almost got shut down on this due to DSL problems. However, they have been resolved. Today is my wife Adrienne and my 30th Wedding anniversary. There are some other friends who also are celebrating their 30th this year. So, here's Barney Rubble and the Bedrock Four with a little diddy for all people celebrating their Wedding anniversary.

Enjoy.

Coming Clean Pt 1

2009-03-06T14:53:00.005-06:00

Well it’s time to come clean on a few things. I’ll start with this.

It seems there’s this movie that will come out on May 8th. It’s about a bunch of people on a starship galloping though the galaxy. I think their names of Kirk and Spock.

Those of you who have known me for a long time are aware of my fondness for this Wagon Train in space. So it should come to no surprise to find that I am very much looking forward to the J. J. Abrams film.

BTW: Adrienne, my wife, is a big fan as well.

You can learn about the new Star Trek movie at www.trekmovie.com.

I'm Back with more Patty McCoy

2009-03-03T12:43:00.004-06:00

Sorry I've been away from the blog for some time, busy with other things, but I'm back!

Patty McCoy and the Renegades were from St. Louis and had a couple of songs on the Counsel label. This song came out in the spring of 1963 and has a Phil Spector flavor.

Hope you enjoy the tune.

Baseball Cards and Rock & Roll

2009-02-05T18:42:00.005-06:00

I remember back in 1989 when the very first set of Upper Deck baseball cards came out. These were what would be known as “premium” baseball cards, at least back in ’89 they were. These cards were link nothing that preceded them. They were more like fancy playing cards then the traditional cardboard picture cards we all came to know and love through the years.

The other two cards I’m picturing here at two Cardinals rookie cards. The first is #8, Cris Carpenter, not the same Chris Carpenter from the current Cardinals; this Cris Carpenter was a highly regarded pitcher in 1989. Unfortunately, his career would not amount to much.

The third and final card shown is from the “high number” set, #754 Todd Zeile. I remember that Zeile’s 89 Upper Deck card was one, hot tamale. Zeile had good years with the Redbirds, but his career never reached the expectations the media and the fans put on him.

The entire set was expensive for its day and I recall not being able to justify paying $100+ for a complete set. So, I made a deal with a collector friend who was getting married the next summer. I would disc jockey Willie and Ann’s reception and for payment, I’d get a factory box of 1989 Upper Deck baseball cards. Hey I couldn’t turn that down. I got to play music for a bunch of friends, a lot of Oldies at that reception; these folks were like me and really enjoyed the old Rock & Roll.

The not so good news is the Upper Deck set did not sky rocket in value over the years. But I never collected baseball cards for the money. It was the joy of collecting the cards that drove me. It still does to this day; although I don’t buy too many of the new product.

February 3rd, 1959

2009-02-02T18:41:00.008-06:00

I remember hearing the news of the plane crash that took The Big Bopper, Richie Valens, and Buddy Holly from us. I was nine years old and listening to Rock & Roll on a daily basis. We had “Chantilly Lace” by the Big Bopper and “Come On Let’s Go” by Richie Valens on 45’s. However, we had no records by Buddy Holly & the Crickets in our modest collection. Come to think of it, I would not get any Buddy Holly songs in my collection until the early 70’s when I bought the Decca release, “Buddy Holly, A Rock & Roll Collection.” At the time of the accident, I had no idea that Dion & the Belmonts were even on the tour. It could have been mentioned on some newscast, but I don’t recall it.

I wouldn’t become aware of just how significant of a contribution Buddy Holly would leave on American popular music until the British Invasion. I knew most of his hits; but it didn’t occur to me that Holly was as important to the history Rock & Roll as he would turn out to be. I had no idea how good Richie Valens was either, not to mention the talent of one Jiles Perry “J.P.” Richardson aka The Big Bopper. All of this would change as I grew older and wiser.
Don McLean would call February 3rd, 1959, “the day the music died.” I’m not going to dispute that here. In fact, I just might add to the mystique of this fateful day when these three stars fell from the sky outside of Mason City Iowa. I will say this, Charles Hardin Holley, may be the most underrated Rock & Roll performer of all time. Buddy Holly had talent. Buddy Holly could play the guitar and he could write songs and better yet, he was starting to become quite a producer. I often wonder what the Rock & Roll music scene would look like today had Holly not lost his life that night. Just how far would he have gone in the business. I wonder if the events following his death would have happened in the way they did, especially the British invasion. Many British acts, including The Beatles, Herman’s Hermits, and The Rolling Stones were heavily influenced by Buddy’s music.

So I guess I could go on and on about the great loss on February 3rd, 1959. Sufficient to say, the music world lost a potential rising star in Valens, a fine entertainer in the Big Bopper, and a major Rock & Roller in Buddy Holly. Let their music live on, and on, and on.

I envite you all to check out The Mystery Train Wreck; there's a link in the blogs I follow section to the right of this page. Ed has assembled some nice videos of these stars.

Way to go Chief!

The St. Louis Cardinals 100th Anniverary Baseball Card set pt 6

2009-01-30T11:37:00.009-06:00

Here's the final pages from the McDonalds St. Louis Cardinals 100th Anniversary set from 1992.

These are pages 6 and 7.

Bob Gibson, Whitey Herzog, Harry Brecheen, Howard Pollet, John Tudor, Bob Forsch, Bruce Sutter, Lee Smith, Todd Worrel

Al Hraboski, Checklist

Bob Gibson is the best Redbird pitcher I've ever seen. Bob Forsch pitched not one, but two no-hitters for the Redbirds. Forsch along with his brother Ken, are the only brother act to have both pitched no-hitters; Ken was with the Astros. "The White Rat" Whitey Herzog is one of the best managers I can remember. Then we have the Four Firemen, and of course the obligatory checklist.

Hope you've enjoyed the cards. This was a fun set to collect; but I ate a lot of Micky D's stuff during the time the set was available.

The St. Louis Cardinals 100th Anniverary Baseball Card set pt 5

2009-01-23T14:16:00.003-06:00

Here are the next nine cards from the McDonalds St. Louis Cardinals 100th Anniversary set from 1992.

Tommy Herr, Ozzie Smith, Joe Torre, Terry Pendleton, Ken Reitz, Vince Coleman, Willie McGee, Bake McBride, George Hendrick

"The Wizord," Ozzie Smith is perhaps the greatest Cardinal of the last part of the 20th Century.

One of my First 45's

2009-01-22T18:45:00.003-06:00

The Flying Saucers Pts. 1 & 2 by Buchanan & Goodman came out in August of 1957. This was one of my brother and I's first 45's.

Enjoy.

The St. Louis Cardinals 100th Anniverary Baseball Card set pt 4

2009-01-20T10:08:00.004-06:00

This is the forth page from the McDonalds 1992 St. Louis Cardinals 100th Anniversary card set.

On this page are some of the greatest Cardinals that I remember having the privilege of seeing on the field:

Dick Groat, Ken Boyer, Lou Brock, Mike Shannon, Curt Flood, Joe Cunningham, Reggie Smith, Ted Simmons, Tim McCarver

I must point out that the greatest Cardinal third baseman that I have ever seen is in the middle of the top row. I know there are those who loved Scott Rolen; he was a great third baseman. But I believe Ken Boyer was the greatest Cardinal to play that position.

DooWop from St. Louis!

2009-01-17T11:24:00.003-06:00

Got a goodie for you here. This is Patty McCoy & the Renegades from my own home town, St. Louis MO. This was released in 1962.

Hope you like it as much as I do. Enjoy.

The St. Louis Cardinals 100th Anniverary Baseball Card set pt 3

2009-01-16T18:19:00.005-06:00

Well it's still very cold here in St. Louis, so I thought I would do part 3 of the McDonalds tribute set of baseball cards for the 100th anniversary of the St. Louis Cardinals back in 1992.

And so here is the third set of cards. This page contains the following Redbirds:

Mart Cooper, Burleigh Grimes, Red Schoendienst, Stan "The Man" Musial, Enos Slaughter, Keith Hernandez, Bill White, Orlando Cepeda, Julian Javier

Finally we see some players I actually saw playing baseball for the Redbirds, starting with the greatest Cardinal of them all, Stan "The Man" Musial.

The St. Louis Cardinals 100th Anniverary Baseball Card set pt 2

2009-01-15T15:51:00.004-06:00

It's about 5 degrees here in St. Louis, a perfect time for more baseball.

Here is the second installment of the St. Louis area McDonalds restaurants 55 card commemerative set celebrating the St. Louis Cardinals 100th anniversary, 1892-1992.

Page two features:

Terry Moore, Chick Hafey, Pepper Martin,Bob O'Farrell, Walker Cooper, Dizzy DeanGrover Cleveland Alexander, Jesse Haines, Bill Hallahan

Swingin' Street

2009-01-13T22:10:00.002-06:00

This is a song that Dion recorded in late 1962 and it was never released.

Enjoy.

The St. Louis Cardinals 100th Anniverary Baseball Card set pt 1

2009-01-13T22:00:00.005-06:00

In 1992, St. Louis area McDonalds restaurants issued a 55 card commemerative set celebrating the St. Louis Cardinals 100th anniversary, 1892-1992. Here are the first nine cards in the set.

This page features:

Jim Bottomly, Rip Collins, Johnny Mize, Rogers Hornsby, Miller Huggins,
Marty Marion, Frank Frisch, Whitey Kurowski, and Joe Medwick

More to come later.

Feelin' No Pain, the Version People Remember

2009-01-13T17:21:00.004-06:00

Here's my first YouTube attempt. This is the song "Feelin' No Pain" written by Dion for the movie "Ten Girls Ago." The movie never saw the light of day; the song was given to Dion's back-up group, The Del Satins. This is their version of the song.

Enjoy.

I like this much better then the version Dion himself performed for that movie that was never released.

The Passions

2009-01-11T16:35:00.003-06:00

This is one of those groups that I actually do not remember from the time their songs were popular. Larry Miller, who did the original KADI Oldies show, told me back in 1972, that this group was quite popular in the New York area back in the late 50's and early 60's. The first time I came in contact with this song was on Laurie's "Greatest Golden Goodies" LP that I bought back in 1971. I came across this YouTube clip and thought I'd share it with all of you.

An interesting thingg about "Just to Be With You" is that the demo version of the song was sung by Carole King and Paul Simon.

Enjoy.

The Day the Music Lived

2009-01-04T21:33:00.005-06:00

Back in late 1986 I received a package from Columbia House with a CD that I was eagerly awaiting. I hurriedly put the disc into my CD player and was stunned. I immediately called my friend Bob and shouted out, 'listen to this, Buddy Holly is alive and singing in my living room.'

The disc was "Buddy Holly, From the Original Master Tapes on MCA. At the time I had not heard a lot of music on CD. And while a lot of people were complaining about the coldness of digital reproduction, I was taking a different approach. This technology was allowing me to hear things I'd never heard before on vinyl records. This would continue over time with other CDs that I have in my collection; some of them I will mention from time to time. And while I know there has been another Buddy Holly CD set that actually improved on the sound quality of this CD, I have a warm spot in my heart for this disc.

So, as we approach the 50th anniversary of the death of Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and The Big Bopper, I like to remember that day the music lived in my living room.

Minnie the Moocher

2009-01-04T17:13:00.003-06:00

This is a little bit off the beaten path of my blug; but I'm gonna do it anyway. Time for me to out cartoon my buddy the Chief.

One thing I forgot to mention in the initial post; I remember seeing this cartoon when I was a kid, but I became reaquainted with Minnie the Moocher during the early 70's when I first heard the Dr. Demento show. Of course in 1979, The Blues Brothers again rekindled my interest in this song.

Lost Dion Clip

2009-01-04T12:41:00.003-06:00

I've been hearing rumblings on the Internet about this clip for 12 years. I no longer wonder why it was a lost clip. But it is still interesting to see. It is from a film that was never released called "Ten Girls Ago."

Enjoy.

Our Record Players

2009-01-03T12:19:00.005-06:00

I was talking the other day about the record players we had back in the day. My buddy reminded me that record companies made record players under their name. What more likely happened is a few companies made the players and put more familiar names on the outside of the outfit. Even Lionel made record players in the early 60's. Here's a picture of an RCA 45 only record player from the 50's. The guts of the machine look very much like the Decca record player my family had. Of course, after a while we had to put a bottle opener on the tone arm in order to play the records without scratching them. Sure wish I still had the old Decca.

Decca also made guitars back in the 50's.

This one's unbelievable

2009-01-01T14:23:00.003-06:00

Here's a song from a guy who would go on to Las Veges and entertain millions.

Again enjoy.

One for All the Folks from St. Louis

2009-01-01T14:17:00.003-06:00

My fellow St. Louisians, this is a song from a St. Louis radio legand, KXOK DJ, Nick Charles. I don't know the actual date of the record; but judging from it being on the Satelite label, that means it's an early Stax recording. Nick probably did this when he was in Memphis, before he landed on 630, KXOK.

Enjoy.

"Rock & Roll Forever Will Stand"

2009-01-01T12:46:00.002-06:00

For the New Year, here are The Showmen:

Enjoy!

This stuff will work until I get a YouTube account going, or set up a podcast; both are in my plans for the not-to-distant future.

One of the GREATEST Cartoons of All Time

2009-01-01T11:30:00.003-06:00

"Gimmy a ticket; gimmy a lot of tickets; I'm a splurgin'"

A Teenager in Love

2008-12-31T22:39:00.002-06:00

I thought this might be a goodie for this New Years Eve.

Enjoy.

Well, Barney and the Boys Will Sing After All

2008-12-31T19:27:00.002-06:00

This speaks for itself!

Oh..........Happy Anniversary!

2008-12-31T19:16:00.004-06:00

Or, where's Barney Rubble and the Bedrock 5 so they can sing.

I was just sitting at the old ‘puter, listening to some tunes on the Media Player while my wonderful wife was watching Rachel Ray, and it hit me like a fast running Lionel train. It was on this date, December 31, 1996, when Adrienne said, lets get hooked up to the Internet. And so we did.

Back then we had a 386 computer with a whopping 40 megabyte hard drive. That’s right I said 40 megabytes. I think we paid some outlandish amount of money for that hard drive. We loaded the AOL start-up disc into the 3 ½ inch floppy drive (remember those things) and signed on at a lighting fast 9600 baud speed. The rest is history.

The very first web site I went to was the Lionel Trains web page. I had the URL from a Lionel catalog from 1986. I think it took two weeks for the web page to load up back then. Talk about your coffee break. A day or two later, I established my own E-mail
and Delwoodjef was born.

It was a few weeks later when I put out a requests somewhere on AOL for information on a DooWop message board. I got an E-mail from a guy named DooWopPop; he directed me to the DooWop Diner on the AOL Message Boards and the insanity grew from there.

My reputation as a master of misspelling grew and grew; I believe I crowned myself with the label, “The Butcher of Spelling.” A short time after that I got the name “The DooWop PostMan.” I can’t tell you how many people thought I worked for the Post Office. Wish I did.

I remember when I had my old web site and I did a “Vocal Group Gallery” page that took four weeks and six pots of coffee to load up on that old computer; even the next system I got crawled along with that 56K modem.

12 years later, we all speed around the Internet at lightning fast rates. The old web site is long gone, although I still have the individual pages on discs. I would recreate it but I was chastised by a web designer for poor design techniques. Back in 1998, it was bright colors and flashy graphics for me. Today I’m proud to be a part of the blogesphere, sharing what I know about this great music of the 50’s and 60’s, some thoughts on baseball cards, a lot about Lionel Trains, and anything else I feel like talking about.

I’d already reacquainted myself with several old friends through this blog. So it looks initially to be a good thing. As I said earlier, I’m looking forward to 2009 and some things I’ve wanted to do on the Internet for a long time.

So, please stand by.

Santa Brought Me a "Cold" for Christmas

2008-12-31T12:55:00.004-06:00

I've been on the sick side these past 5 days. I think when Santa saw that post about coal, he thought he'd humor me and give me that old Holiday cold. So, I didn't even go near the old computer until yesterday.

After the first of the year, I will begin to do my own YouTube videos for the blog. My plan is to do some sort of podcast also. Gotta keep up with the Mystery Trainwreck.

For now, we say Happy New Year, 2009 to each and every one of you out there in cyberspace. May the good Lord bring you what you need for a prosperous 2009.

2008-12-24T13:45:00.003-06:00

Here's some more Lionel Trains commercials for you on this Christmas eve. These two spots are from 1962.

Enjoy!

2008-12-23T15:05:00.005-06:00

First we have Deanna telling Mom that Santa should leave coal in my stocking.

Then Deanna sits on Santa's lap. I guess she's telling him about the coal.

Then I'm talking to Santa and setting the story right. No coal.

We all want to wish everyone a Very Merry Christmas!

All I Want for Christmas is Trains.

2008-12-23T14:16:00.003-06:00

Now that I know this YouTube thing works, get a look at this old Lionel Trains commercial.

Chug chug chew chew Ho Ho Ho!

Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)

2008-12-23T14:12:00.003-06:00

Let's see if this works.

It works! It works!

Off the Wall Christmas music Is ON the Net

2008-12-18T19:48:00.005-06:00

I want to tell all you hep cats and kittins to give a listen to my old buddy Rockin Ed and his Mystery Trainwreck at http://rockined.podbean.com/. He just put up his Christmas edition and it's a keeper from the beginning to the end. Check it out and see what I mean. Be forwarned, no Nat King Cole, Johnny Mathis, and other regular Christmas music.

It's Cold Outside. How 'bout some Baseball!

2008-12-17T01:01:00.007-06:00

Three Redbirds for you. On the left we have Mike Heath from the Topps 1986 updates set. Heath came to the Cardinals from Oakland in a trade for Joaquin Andujar after the '85 season. Heath was not to popular around St. Louis. In the middle is Tim Conroy from that same '86 Topps update set. I like this card because it was actually taken at Busch Stadium number 2.

Finally we have Mike Laga from the '87 Topps set. Mike is the only player from any team to hit a ball totally out of Busch Stadium number 2. Unfortunately, it was a foul ball; but it was a historic foul ball non-the-less. Hope you all enjoy them; hope it warms you up if you're cold this December day.

Christmas Is on Track pt 3

2008-12-17T00:54:00.006-06:00

The story behind these pictures deserves to be told. My daughter, Deanna, has a friend, Alan, who she went to high school with. She came home a few years ago and told me that Alan's dad had a train layout in his basement. Well, it took me two years to get to visit that layout. Here's a few pictures I took there last year. Lots of Lionel trains and a working colvert loader and unloader originally issued back in 1957.

Hope you enjoy the trains.

Christmas Is on Track pt 2

2008-12-17T00:45:00.005-06:00

Well it seems I have a request for more Christmas trains. I love trains and I love requests.

Here's a couple from our living room, including Christmas greetings from Dr. Pepper!

These two are from my friend Dan in Overland MO. He has an outstanding Christmas display in his front yard which includes a wonderful garden railroad that runs out from his basement and around the front yard. What a train show.

Christmas Is on Track

2008-12-15T15:37:00.006-06:00

It’s cold here in St. Louis. So I thought I’d share a couple of pictures of the train under the tree.

It sure is good to see the old War Bonnet all lit up and ready to roll again.

MF and the Galaxies

2008-12-12T18:03:00.004-06:00

“Or one of the skeletons in my closet”

I’ve been known by a lot of nicknames through the years; most of them can be talked about in public. One of the nicknames I’ll never forget is “Jocko.”

Back in 1971, I was proud to be a part of one of those 50’s tribute groups. We called ourselves MF and the Galaxies. Before I go any further, I must point out that “MF” was for Mike Franey, one of our lead vocalists. So get the minds out of the gutter. Gutters are for bowling balls. There were times when I had the pleasure of taking the lead on vocals; well I needed a name and it had to be a 50’s type nickname. So “Jocko” was born. The Galaxies sang a lot of DooWop and Rock & Roll from the 50’s and early 60’s. We even got aroud to singing the greatest song of them all, "I Wonder Why!"

The first time we sang, we used hairspray and something I came across called “Fitch Grease Hair Tonic.” When we put that stuff on our hair, I recall it just rolling down our faces. It added to the effect. Later we switched to good old Brylcream. The group went our separate ways after doing some fun shows through the 70’s. Unfortunately, our main lead vocalist, “MF” aka Mike Franey passed away in 1987. We were never able to recover after that tragedy.

Mike, and all the members of MF and the Galaxies, are more of those people that I blame for my fascination of the music of the 50’s and early 60’s.

I’ve been rummaging through my archived files looking for pictures of the Galaxies. So far, I’ve come across one of them, partly thanks to Sully, one of the followers of this blog. There was a comment from my first post saying, “Long Live MF and the Galaxies.” To this person, who obviously was around back then, I dedicate this post. Drop me an E-mail Poleprech, especially if you are one of our missing Galaxies. In the meantime, I’ll keep looking for those other pics of the group. I have them somewhere in a back up file.

Rock on everyone!

Christmas Time Is Here Again

2008-12-11T11:38:00.015-06:00

Well friends, it’s that time of the year. It’s time to go crazy finding the perfect gift for someone special on your Christmas list. It’s time to clean up the house, so you can mess it up when you put up all the decorations. It’s time to make sure you sent all your Christmas cards. It’s time to get sick and tired of hearing Johnny Mathis singing “Winter Wonderland” on the ‘All Christmas’ radio station. It’s time to “yust go nuts at Christmas,” as Yorgi Yorgeson once sang.

My cure for Christmas music blues is to embrace those great Rock & Roll Christmas songs and those off the wall Novelty Christmas records. I also enjoy anything the radio does not overplay. With this in mind, I give you my short list of must have Christmas CDs.

“A Christmas Gift For You from Phil Spector,” The Phil Spector Christmas Album is the quintessential Rock & Roll Christmas record. In my opinion, it’s the one record this is sometimes overplayed on these ‘All Christmas’ Holiday formatted radio stations. It’s also the record that all other Rock & Roll Christmas records strive to be. Darlene Love sings her classic, “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).” The Chrystals, Ronettes, and Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans will sing their Holiday classics for you. It’ll give you those great Christmas goose bumps.

My next must have pick is kind of a sleeper for a lot of people. It’s Dion’s “Rock & Roll Christmas.” The highlight of this gem is Dion’s rendition of “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town;” he gives Springsteen a run for his money on this one. I love Dion’s versions of “O Holy Night” and “Silent Night” as well. This CD rocks.

In 1978, a local station here in St. Louis, started to play a song called “Mary’s Boy Child, O My Lord” from a British group, Boney M. Many people here went nuts over this one. I myself included. I managed to find the single on Sire. Several years later, I discovered “The Most Beautiful Christmas Songs Of The World,” Boney M’s Christmas CD. This one might be a little harder to find; but it’s well worth the search. And that’s half the fun anyway.

“The Beach Boys Ultimate Christmas” is a collection of just about everything the boys from California recorded for the Holidays on Capital, and later on their Brother label. This is the Beach Boys Christmas CD to have in your collection. It sounds better than any other Beach Boys Christmas music on any other CD that I have in my collection. Again, this one brings on the Christmas goose bumps when I hear it.

“The Ultimate Christmas Album” volumes 1 through 6 from Collectables Records should be a part of any decent Holiday CD collection. There are so many great Christmas, and New Years, songs that I can’t mention them right now; so I’ll just point out a few. On Volume 1 you get The Four Seasons’ version of “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” along with Stevie Wonder singing “What Christmas Means to Me” and Brook Benton sounding a lot like Nat King Cole on “This Time of the Year.” Volume 2 is filled with gems like Andy Williams classic, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” Dean Martin with the best rendition of “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow,” and an outstanding DooWop version of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Raindeer” by a group called the Mellodeers. Volume 3 brings Jose Feliciano’s “Feliz Navidad” and an overlooked gem from Lou Christie and the University of Pittsburgh’s Men’s Glee Club. While I do not have the other 3 volumes in my collection, I’ve seen the track listings and they live up to the first 3 CDs. These six discs can be found at http://www.oldies.com/.

The last one I mention here is “A Christmas Party with Eddie G.” If you see this CD out there in stores or on the web, and you like light hearted Christmas music, take my advice and buy it. You might want to buy several copies and give them to your friends. There’s lunacy and total Christmas insanity throughout this collection. The highlight on this disc is a Three Stoogies spoof that goes through the entire recording. So "spread out" and find this CD.

Here’s a few honorable mentions on the Holiday CD list.

“Dr. Demento’s Greatest Christmas Novelty CD of All Time” and “Dr. Demento’s Holidays in Dementia;” the titles speak for themselves.

“Christmas “ by Bruce Cockburn is a Folk/Bluegrass masterpiece highlighted by “Mary Had a Baby.”

“Billboard’s Rock & Roll Christmas” is another fine collection of Holiday gems.

There is a certain amount of repetition with some of these collections. That’s a problem whenever you start to collect great music. But, it’s a good problem. You should be able to find this CD on Amazon or some other on-line music store; you should find this classic at Best Buy or other retail stores.

So let me be the one millionth person to say Merry Christmas to all. I know I'm two weeks early, but what the hey!

Blogs I visit and Links to some Interesting Sites Pt 1

2008-12-09T20:02:00.004-06:00

Well it’s cold and rainy here in old St. Louis this Tuesday evening. I thought I’d share some of the Blogs I visit and some web sites of interest.

Pop Culture Safari: http://popculturesafari.blogspot.com/
This is a neat site with a lot of things to jog the old memory.

Norm's Train Blog: http://normstrains.blogspot.com/
Norm Charbonneau is my Lionel Trains hero. His layout is outstanding.

Music You (Possibly) Won't Hear Anywhere Else: http://musicyouwont.blogspot.com/
The title says it all.

The Topps Archives: http://toppsarchives.blogspot.com/
One of the best trading cards sites I've come across. Topps made cards for almost everything.

The Italian American Baby Boomer Club: http://www.iabbc.com/
I'm not Italian, but this is the first web site to link back to this blog. Thanks!

Probe Is Turning On the People: http://www.philxmilstein.com/probe/index.htm
What a collection of off the wall music.

I’ll be sharing more stuff periodically so keep watching.

I Didn't Start the Fire Pt 2

2008-12-08T21:46:00.005-06:00

So who else is to blame for my love of Old Rock & Roll, or even more so, my love of DooWop. I mean after all, I’m a lifelong resident of St. Louis MO, where DooWop was not always at the forefront of Pop music back in the 50’s and early 60’s. Oh sure The Five Satins singing “In the Still of the Night” and The Del Vikings “Come Go With Me” and “Whispering Bells” were part of the tunes of the day here in St. Louis. “I Only Have Eyes for You” from The Flamingos along with The Skyliners classic “Since I Don’t Have You” are favorite songs of a folks here in St. Louis.

But there’s an awful lot of outstanding DooWop music that I just don’t recall hearing on local radio stations back then. So who do I blame for my obsession with DooWop? Well, I’d point the finger to the before-mentioned Larry Miller; for it was on his show that I would first hear The Chandellears from Kansas City and the great “Blueberry Sweet,” and “Long Tall Girl” by The Carnations; that song didn’t get a lot of airplay around here. I’d also have to point a finger at a few people who I crossed paths with right here on the Internet. I’d like to single out three people who have since passed away; I wish I had gotten the opportunity to meet all three. I did meet one of them in person. Let me explain further.

First I’d like to mention a gentleman by the name of Ron Tuskan, or as we knew him back in the days of the old AOL DooWop Diner, "RTUSKAN." Ron sent me a tape of a CD that changed me forever. The disc is Mr. Maestro’s “Memory Lane.” To this day, it remains one of my favorite CD compilations of all time. The title track “Memory Lane” came from a group I knew as The Hippies on Parkway records in 1963. I learned it was actually recorded in 1959. It was reissued on Parkway and had moderate air play in ’63 here in St. Louis. A few other songs on this CD were known to me, including “A Casual Look” from the Six Teens, “W-P-L-J” by The 4 Deuces, and The Rainbows “Mary Lee.”

However, it was the rest of the tracks on this disc that totally blew me away and left me wanting more, More, MORE! I’ll mention just a few songs: “Dance, Dance, Dance” by Scott Stevens & the Cavaliers, Baby, I Love You So” from Joe Weaver and the Don Juans, “Pledge of a Fool” from The Barons, “Now that I Found You” by The Willows, “There Goes (a Pretty Girl)” by The Enchanters, “Kiss and Make Up” by the Crowns, a group I would later learn would become The Drifters, the early 60’s version, “Something Cool” from The Academincs, “Shirley” by John Fred & the Playboy Band, and yep that’s John Fred of “Judy In Disguise with Diamonds” fame, plus two songs that simply put me in orbit: The Students “That’s How I Feel” and “Rainy Day Bells” from The Globetrotters; a song shrouded in mystery even today. I’m still not sure which story to believe about it

Ron sending me that tape, plus others I got from various folks I met through the net, left me starving for more DooWop gems.

Then there was Marsha Grant, aka "MGDOOWOP." I did get the fortune to meet this East coast DooWop queen back in 1998 when she came to visit me here in St. Louis. Marsha was another person who put me on to many, many songs, too numerous to mention.

Finally, I proudly mention Jerry Skokandich aka "Tuneman." I deeply regret never having the pleasure of meeting Jerry in person; however, we corresponded a great deal in the late 90’s and up until his untimely death. Jerry led me to discover so many great DooWop tunes I’d never heard before. He also was mainly responsible for my increased admiration of those wonderful DooWop Ballads. We’d go round and round via E-mail about ballads vs. up-tempo DooWops. I recall Jerry telling me that he once preferred the more upbeat, familiar music, and then he too discovered those more obscure ballads, and even some great up-tempo sides as well. This guy knew his stuff and was more than generous when it came to passing the knowledge along. Jerry, I know you’d be proud of me; my list of most favorite DooWop tunes is now filled with those dreamy ballads; thanks in a great part to you my friend.

Jerry turned me on to those great Relic Record survey’s that were done back in the 1990’s. Through Jerry, and a couple of other Internet friends, I was even able to hear the broadcast of the last few shows they did. That was quite enlightening for my musical education. Recently Hometown AOL shut its doors; we lost a number of great web sites when this happened. But thanks to Big Jack at the DooWop Café, Jerry’s outstanding “Rhythm and Blues Highway” is once again available. He spent a great deal of time and effort putting this site together; and I’ve been assured that is has been recreated with Jerry’s wife’s permission and is now available at http://www.doowopcafe.net/; you can find the link to the R&B Highway on the left hand side of the page. Thank you Jack.

There are so many other people whom I’d love to mention or blame for putting me on the road to this great music. I’ll drop a few more names from time to time. So again, stick around and see if I drop your name.

I Didn't Start the Fire Pt 1

2008-12-08T13:18:00.004-06:00

I could call this: "Who Can my Wife Blame For All of These Records, CD etc"

As I mentioned in the beginning of this thing, when I was a kid I listened to the radio more than anything else. The radio has been a mighty good friend of mine all my life. When Rock & Roll was still in the growing stage in the late 50’s, the radio stations played hits from Rock, Pop, Country, Folk, Early R&B, and Novelty records. So I got to hear it all. This type of formatting continued into the early 60’s when, at least in St. Louis, stations began to go in separate directions such asTop 40, Country, R&B, and Easy Listening. Then in 1964, things really changed with the British Invasion, the rise of Motown, the Folk music era, and other musical trends.

The funny thing for me was that by listening to The Beatles, The Beach Boys and other big artists of the mid 60’s, my desire to go back to the beginning of Rock & Roll and pick up on the sounds that I missed when this music was new, became more important. For instance, hearing The Beatles singing those Carl Perkins’ songs that I’d not heard back in the day of “Blue Suede Shoes,” would cause me to want to hear those songs performed by Perkins himself. The same was true with The Beatles covers of Larry Williams’ “Slow Down,” “Dizzy Miss Lizzy,” and “Bad Boy,” along with Buddy Holly’s “Words of Love.” These songs and others, made me hungry for more of the lesser known early songs from the legends of Rock & Roll, and those artists and groups who were not as well known.

In the beginning of the decade of the 70’s, several events would change the way I looked at the Rock & Roll era for ever. KADI, An FM radio station here in St. Louis, hired a guy from New York City whose name was Larry Miller. Miller began to play those old 45’s from the 50’s and early 60’s during his program. After a few weeks, this show evolved into what would become the Sunday Night Oldies Show. Larry Miller played the songs I was longing to hear for years. He played those Carl Perkins songs I’d not heard along with Buddy Holly, Larry Williams, Little Richard, Elvis, and Dion & the Belmonts, to name a few. Miller also introduced the local audience to some vocal group music that had not hit the airwaves here in St. Louis back in the 50’s.

These lesser known songs really wet my whistle and I started to have a desire to acquire them. So began the great hunt for the old music. I’d rummage through the “cut outs” section in any store that had one. I would buy up LPs that had one or two songs I knew, and a bunch of others I did not recognize by their titles. I’d take these records home and play them. To my surprise and delight, I’d find that Larry Miller was playing a lot of these songs on his Sunday Night Oldies Show.

The desire to search the bargain bins in stores such as E.J. Korvette, Arlands, Viscount Records, and later Camelot Music and Peaches would stay with me to this day. If there was a rack of LPs for $2.00 or less, I’d thumb through them, hoping to strike gold.

So I guess Larry Miller is partially to blame for the state of “musical” mind that I am in today.

There are other people, both living and deceased, who I hold personally responsible for fueling the flames of my continuing hunger for great old Rock & Roll records. I will mention these people as I proceed with these pages. So stay tuned to this blog and see if your name shows up on list. You never know.

More Books Pt 5

2008-12-05T10:57:00.004-06:00

The other book I’d like to mention here is my big coffee table book, Topps Baseball Cards, the Complete Picture Collection. I paid a lot of money for this book back in 1986 when I saw it on the old FNN SCORE cable network. This book is much like the Lionel Trains Catalog Archive. It has pictures of every Topps Baseball Card from 1951 through 1985. All of those cards from the late 50’s and 60’s that I once had are shown in this book. It’s another wonderful walk through memory lane for me.

I have more books that I plan to share with you as we go along. I also appreciate any feedback that you all have. I'm trying to lay the groundwork for future topics of interest.

More Books Pt 4

2008-12-05T10:52:00.003-06:00

Another must have music guide for me is The Complete Book of DooWop by Dr. Anthony Gribin and Dr. Mathew Schiff. This is a unique perspective on one of the most overlooked eras in Rock & Roll. It’s a book written by two guys who are obviously major fans of DooWop, as I am. It’s another valuable resource for me and my exploration of what just might be the most interesting era of Rock & Roll.

This is another book that I believe might not be in print. Again I have seen copies on EBay and Amazon. I think it is also available with a Collectables Records box set. I can't remember which one. Check them out at http://www.oldies.com/.

More Books Pt 3

2008-12-05T10:48:00.003-06:00

Norm N Nite is a legendary disc jockey who has written several books on the Rock & Roll era. I have two of them; Rock On, The Solid Gold Years and his Rock On Almanac from the first Four Decades of Rock & Roll. These books fill in many gaps in my musical memory. The Rock On Almanac does an outstanding job of tying Rock & Roll into the web of American Pop Culture. And in some cases, it goes beyond Whitburn’s great book.

Sadly, these books are out of print; I have seen copies on EBay and Amazon.

More Books Pt 2

2008-12-05T10:41:00.006-06:00

I’m on a book thing for the moment. Here’s the first of more books from my library that I treasure.

Joel Whitburn’s Top Pop Singles Book is a must have. I believe mine is the first one issued, 1955-1990. As you can see by the picture, I’ve read this book more than a few times. It lists every song to make Billboard’s Hot 100 Pop Charts from the years 1955 to 1990. I’ve found this book to be very helpful in my chronicles of Rock & Roll and Pop music from this era.

This book is still available; I'm not sure what edition they're up to, but the cover's of the later books are not quite as cool as this one.

A Must Have

2008-12-04T17:38:00.005-06:00

Recently I received a gift from my wife that ranks at the top of my list of must have reference guides. It’s the Lionel Catalog Archive 1945-1969. This gem of a CD ROM chronicles Lionel Train Catalogs from their celebrated “post war” era.

When I was young, it was a ritual for me every November, to go to Johnson’s Electric Trains on Chippewa in South St. Louis, and get my copy of the current Lionel Trains catalog. It would not be until I was a grown man that I would learn how these works of art were referred to as “wish lists.” I would peruse each catalog and marvel at the great trains Lionel was offering for the Holiday season. For many years, I managed to hang on to each year’s catalogs. Then, along came those teenage years when I would discard those fond memories of my youth.

The Lionel Catalog Archive allows me to recapture those fond memories; and I didn’t have to pay as much for the CD ROM as I would have to get good copies of each year’s catalog. It’s another trip down memory lane for me. Thanks to John Holtmann of HSL right here in St. Louis, for all your hard work on this project. If you love Lionel Trains as I do, this is a must have. You can check it out at http://www.hslinc.com/.

Way to go John.

What's playing on the old media player

2008-12-03T22:18:00.007-06:00

While I'm doing my web surfing, or even playing a game, I enjoy putting a bunch of songs into the old Media player and playing them on shuffle to see what comes up. It's kind of a fun thing to do while your doing your Internet thing. It'll work with Windows Media Player or ITunes as well.

Well this evening I'm in the year 1958, one of my absolute favorite years for music, and here's what I'm hearing on the old headset.

Chapel of Dreams - Dubs
Woodchoppers' Ball - Honky Tonkers
A Big Hunk of Love - Elvis Presley
Beep Beep - Playmates
Stupid Cupid - Connie Frances
Swinging Shepheard Blues - Johnny Pate
Yellow Dog Blues - Johnny Maddox
You Cheated - The Shields
Suzy Q - Dale Hawkins
Lonely Boy - Ronnie Jones & the Classmates
Itchy Twitchy Feeling - Bobby Hendricks
That Old Black Magic - Louis Prima & Keely Smith
So Tough - The Original Casuals
Down the Aisle of Love - The Quintones

Some great DooWop, a little Rockabilly, several Pop classics, those great Instromentals, and of course, a little Elvis
Like I said, I love all kinds of music from this era. They played it all on the same radio stations back then.

Well that's all for tonight.
BTW: How's the old "Butcher of Spelling" doing?

The Greatest Record of Them All

2008-12-02T22:18:00.010-06:00

Let’s get one thing off my chest right off the bat.

After over 50+ years of listening to all this great Rock & Roll music, I have come to one conclusion about the greatest record ever made. This is the song that surpasses others. To this day, I get goose bumps when I hear it on the radio or when it comes up on my media player.

It was a day in May 1958 when I first heard “I Wonder Why” by Dion and the Belmonts on American Bandstand. There they were, sporting white shoes and belting this tune out that had me mesmerized. As time went by, my older brother and I would sing the song; just imagine two kids trying to do a song with four parts. Well maybe you shouldn’t imagine it. We got a copy of the old gray Laurie single with that black lettering. Man we must have worn it out. As years past, I foolishly traded the 45 away for what song, I can’t remember.

In 1971 a acquired the song on a Laurie oldies album, which is an interesting story in itself that I will save for later. Since that time, I must have obtained “I Wonder Why” a countless number of times on LP, 45, and on various CDs. I even eagerly awaited the release of a STEREO version of the song, but came away a bit disappointed; again another story for another time.

Last year, I purchased the 45 of "I Wonder Why" on the original gray and black Laurie records label off of E-Bay for $15.00. I mean after all, it was the 50th anniversary of the release of the greatest record ever made; I thought I might as well own a copy of Laurie 45 #3013 on the original label.

As so I do.

Well, here we go!

2008-12-02T21:23:00.005-06:00

When I was a kid back in the late 1950’s here in St. Louis, I listened to a lot of radio; we had three stations playing Rock & Roll music back then on AM; KXOK, WIL, and KWK. That’s what I listened to.all the guys were playing Cowboys and Indians while I was diggin’ the tunes on the radio. The music was in my blood. From Carl Perkins to Fats Domino to Dion and the Belmonts to The Platters to Buddy Holly to The Everly Brothers to Elvis to Little Richard to The Chantels to The Shirelles and every other vocalist, group, or band that the radio played.

Like other kids back then, I collected Baseball cards, from ’58 to ’63 and then some. And like other kids I loved to play with those Lionel Trains we’d put up over the Christmas Holidays. As time went by, people who thought they were helping me grow up, told me to stop listening to that music, stop collecting those Baseball cards, and definitely stop playing with those Lionel Trains. Like so many others, I listened to them. Only later to learn I should have never given those things up.

It’s been over 50 years and while I don’t have those old Baseball cards, I still have some of our family Lionel Trains and I’ve managed to once again acquire that great music I listened to back then on the radio.

And that brings me to today; after 11 years surfing the net, I’ve found a way to let it all out; to tell everyone about those great songs from that great musical era that was the 50’s and 60’s. I’ve managed to compile a lot of information inside this old head of mine and it’s time to share it with the world.

Oh yes, on the way I’ll mention those great Baseball cards and let’s not forget those Lionel Trains too.
That’s what all of this is about; the music, the memories, the feeling of those wonderful care-free years.