(Updated September 4, 2018)
Some music I've recorded off air in past years without identification. They're good enough to try to find out. Press any highlighted title to hear.
Who, title, when, etc.
1. Strange Things Happen
Is this Bobby Vinton? UPDATE: It's Johnny Tillotson from 1967~.
2. ?~Love Is Gone~?
Maybe from the 80s. Could this be a tribute to Karen Carpenter? Maybe produced by her husband? Maybe in Canada?
ANSWER: It's Karen Marklinger of Winnipeg Canada in 1971. Moment Of Love from the album Colours Of The Rainbow.
3. If I Found a New Girl
By who? Sounds like ~1959. UPDATE: This is by Little Caesar & The Consuls from 1963 in Canada. This is a revised edition.
4. There was also a mid-50s female R&B song with the line "Everybody made merry...and Mary got mad". I think about a Christmas party. UPDATE: It was "Christopher Columbus" by Dinah Washington in 1957.
5. Butterfly instrumental.
Which orchestra? This is the early 1970s international hit written by Danyel Gerard. From the beat I'd say German. It's not James Last, I checked his. This is a partial recording from Shaw Cable background music.
UPDATE: I now know this is the Werner Muller orchestra with Bob Powels on trumpet. The LP Golden Trumpet.
6. LAURA - who is the singer etc. ANSWER: Eileen Farrell, US opera singer.
7. OUT OF THIS WORLD - singer etc.
Press "comments" below to reply.
Saturday, June 9, 2007
Saturday, May 26, 2007
The Comedy of Ray Stevens
(Updated December 21, 2007)
Y'all probably know the songs Ahab the Arab and Guitarzan from the 1960s. What's worth checking out is a lot of his unknown obscurities that weren't hits. How do these titles sound: Rockin Teenage Mummies, Mr Baker the Undertaker, The Old English Surfer, Mary My Secretary. These were non-hit singles from the 1960s.
Ray started out at the beginning. Uhh, I mean in the late 50s. He tried some teen rock + roll ballads that weren't successful. He recorded a novelty song called Cholly Wolly Chang, about the Chinese inventing R&R. It wasn't a hit, and I don't even know if it was released as a single, but it appeared on some compilation LPs. The song was inspired by the hit Ling Ting Tong by the Five Keys.
In 1960 came a glimmer of success, with Sergeant Preston Of the Yukon. It was the first of his musical joke style records. It didn't chart but is found on some CDs now.
In 1961 he charted with, get this: Jeremiah Peabody's Polunsaturated Pleasant-Tasting Fast-Acting Green and Purple Pills. Based on the medicinal commercials that were heard on TV at the time. He was using a solid R&R beat as backup. Next was Scratch My Back. Then came his big breakthru with Ahab the Arab in 1962.
I know of three versions of Ahab: There's a long full version found on LPs; the single was shortened with the end cut; and there's a live version. Get this: when he went into Mercury studios to record Ahab he saw Clyde McPhatter recording in another room. He then changed the song words to call the camel Clyde.
Some of his singles are extremely rare and weren't on albums. You'd never find them, so here's a chance to hear samples. Press a title:
Cholley Wolly Chang (unknown origin)
Rockin Teenage Mummies (1965)
Mr. Baker the Undertaker (1965)
The Old English Surfer (1965)
Mary My Secretary (1967)
And Furthermore ....
Ray has kept recording to the present. Some are hard to find because all albums haven't been chosen for online purchasing, and they don't choose just individual songs.
In 1983 he had a good album titled "#1 With a Bullet". Here are two good samples:
The Sheik Of R&B
The Pirate Song - a takeoff on Laurel and Hardy, and on the British "Carry On" movie series. There is also a live version called The Gay Pirate Song, not as good as this original. And this one has been edited in some releases to eliminate a homosexual implication. Mine is complete.
Then in this millenium he has given us:
Osama Yo' Mama
The New Battle Of New Orleans - a takeoff on the chaos in NO after hurricane Katrina.
(posted September 2, 2007)
Y'all probably know the songs Ahab the Arab and Guitarzan from the 1960s. What's worth checking out is a lot of his unknown obscurities that weren't hits. How do these titles sound: Rockin Teenage Mummies, Mr Baker the Undertaker, The Old English Surfer, Mary My Secretary. These were non-hit singles from the 1960s.
Ray started out at the beginning. Uhh, I mean in the late 50s. He tried some teen rock + roll ballads that weren't successful. He recorded a novelty song called Cholly Wolly Chang, about the Chinese inventing R&R. It wasn't a hit, and I don't even know if it was released as a single, but it appeared on some compilation LPs. The song was inspired by the hit Ling Ting Tong by the Five Keys.
In 1960 came a glimmer of success, with Sergeant Preston Of the Yukon. It was the first of his musical joke style records. It didn't chart but is found on some CDs now.
In 1961 he charted with, get this: Jeremiah Peabody's Polunsaturated Pleasant-Tasting Fast-Acting Green and Purple Pills. Based on the medicinal commercials that were heard on TV at the time. He was using a solid R&R beat as backup. Next was Scratch My Back. Then came his big breakthru with Ahab the Arab in 1962.
I know of three versions of Ahab: There's a long full version found on LPs; the single was shortened with the end cut; and there's a live version. Get this: when he went into Mercury studios to record Ahab he saw Clyde McPhatter recording in another room. He then changed the song words to call the camel Clyde.
Some of his singles are extremely rare and weren't on albums. You'd never find them, so here's a chance to hear samples. Press a title:
Cholley Wolly Chang (unknown origin)
Rockin Teenage Mummies (1965)
Mr. Baker the Undertaker (1965)
The Old English Surfer (1965)
Mary My Secretary (1967)
And Furthermore ....
Ray has kept recording to the present. Some are hard to find because all albums haven't been chosen for online purchasing, and they don't choose just individual songs.
In 1983 he had a good album titled "#1 With a Bullet". Here are two good samples:
The Sheik Of R&B
The Pirate Song - a takeoff on Laurel and Hardy, and on the British "Carry On" movie series. There is also a live version called The Gay Pirate Song, not as good as this original. And this one has been edited in some releases to eliminate a homosexual implication. Mine is complete.
Then in this millenium he has given us:
Osama Yo' Mama
The New Battle Of New Orleans - a takeoff on the chaos in NO after hurricane Katrina.
(posted September 2, 2007)
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Do you remember Jack Scott
(updated May 1, 2009)
The great Jack Scott, one of the original damn hard rockers of the late 50s.
His first hit was My True Love in 1958, a slow moody gem of a rock ballad. It went to #3, and is one of the basic classic oldies. Followed by With Your Love, #28, a similar style. Then Goodbye Baby, a #8, with a rousing B-side Save My Soul. With Goodbye Baby he established a style of a hypnotic repetitive medium rock beat which he used well the rest of his career.
Jack was born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, but moved to Detroit, USA at age ten. Both nations would like to lay claim to him. He has a strong following to this day, and reissues are not hard to find. It was a time when Conway Twitty was doing similar things in rock+roll. Elvis was in the army 1958-1960, and they helped fill the gap. It seems like when Elvis returned, these two singers stopped having big hits, as if they were no longer needed. Is that fate?
Some other notable Scott hits were The Way I Walk (#35 1959), What In the World's Come Over You (#5 1960), and Burning Bridges (#3 1960).
Jack did spend 1959 in the army, but single releases on the Carlton label continued, including the #78 I Never Felt Like This. It had a haunting ballad on the B-side, "Bella", a great example of that style.
In 1960 he was on the Top Rank label. At the same time as Conway Twitty he had a single of What Am I Living For, without charting...talk about similarities. Plus he made an album of that name, very rare but good rock+roll. Another rare LP was What In the World's Come Over you. I know someone who found it for $1 in a stack at a Goodwill thrift shop. The definition of jealousy.
There was an album titled "I Remember Hank Williams". I was disappointed that he concentrated on slow ballads, and it didn't work well for his style. But a great LP the next year was "The Spirit Moves Me". That collection of uptempo spirituals worked very well.
He switched to Capitol in 1961 and released there until 1963. Some had a country tendency, but he was never far from that rock style, at least putting some good ones on B-sides. Examples of these are Sad Story, Strange Desire, Grizzly Bear. In 1963 came Laugh and the World Laughs With You, a non-hit which was played in my area, which is on a par with From a Jack To a King by Ned Miller.
In 1963 he was on RCA's Groove label. Among others, there was a Christmas release of There's Trouble Brewing/ Jingle Bell Slide, plus another hypnotic rock song Wiggle On Out.
That was it for his rock fame, but he has never quit making appearances. In Winnipeg Canada, home of the famed Burton Cummings, Burton has insisted on inviting him to rock revival events there. Burton can't get him out of his head either.
Click to hear a sample:
Save My Soul
Bella
Grizzly Bear
Laugh and the World Laughs With You
Wiggle On Out
The Spirit Moves Me 1961 album
This has to be one of the greatest gospel albums of the rock era, but it's so so obscure. It should be known. Sample the ENTIRE ALBUM here. It's uptempo and compares with Elvis', but contains a few songs you've never heard. Click the cover image to see it larger.
The great Jack Scott, one of the original damn hard rockers of the late 50s.
His first hit was My True Love in 1958, a slow moody gem of a rock ballad. It went to #3, and is one of the basic classic oldies. Followed by With Your Love, #28, a similar style. Then Goodbye Baby, a #8, with a rousing B-side Save My Soul. With Goodbye Baby he established a style of a hypnotic repetitive medium rock beat which he used well the rest of his career.
Jack was born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, but moved to Detroit, USA at age ten. Both nations would like to lay claim to him. He has a strong following to this day, and reissues are not hard to find. It was a time when Conway Twitty was doing similar things in rock+roll. Elvis was in the army 1958-1960, and they helped fill the gap. It seems like when Elvis returned, these two singers stopped having big hits, as if they were no longer needed. Is that fate?
Some other notable Scott hits were The Way I Walk (#35 1959), What In the World's Come Over You (#5 1960), and Burning Bridges (#3 1960).
Jack did spend 1959 in the army, but single releases on the Carlton label continued, including the #78 I Never Felt Like This. It had a haunting ballad on the B-side, "Bella", a great example of that style.
In 1960 he was on the Top Rank label. At the same time as Conway Twitty he had a single of What Am I Living For, without charting...talk about similarities. Plus he made an album of that name, very rare but good rock+roll. Another rare LP was What In the World's Come Over you. I know someone who found it for $1 in a stack at a Goodwill thrift shop. The definition of jealousy.
There was an album titled "I Remember Hank Williams". I was disappointed that he concentrated on slow ballads, and it didn't work well for his style. But a great LP the next year was "The Spirit Moves Me". That collection of uptempo spirituals worked very well.
He switched to Capitol in 1961 and released there until 1963. Some had a country tendency, but he was never far from that rock style, at least putting some good ones on B-sides. Examples of these are Sad Story, Strange Desire, Grizzly Bear. In 1963 came Laugh and the World Laughs With You, a non-hit which was played in my area, which is on a par with From a Jack To a King by Ned Miller.
In 1963 he was on RCA's Groove label. Among others, there was a Christmas release of There's Trouble Brewing/ Jingle Bell Slide, plus another hypnotic rock song Wiggle On Out.
That was it for his rock fame, but he has never quit making appearances. In Winnipeg Canada, home of the famed Burton Cummings, Burton has insisted on inviting him to rock revival events there. Burton can't get him out of his head either.
Click to hear a sample:
Save My Soul
Bella
Grizzly Bear
Laugh and the World Laughs With You
Wiggle On Out
The Spirit Moves Me 1961 album
This has to be one of the greatest gospel albums of the rock era, but it's so so obscure. It should be known. Sample the ENTIRE ALBUM here. It's uptempo and compares with Elvis', but contains a few songs you've never heard. Click the cover image to see it larger.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Did you know Conway Twitty was a rocker
Before he started singing country in the mid-60s, he was one of the biggest rock stars. He had chart hits between 1958 and 1960, plus other good releases outside that.
Conway tried out with Sun Records around 1956 but wasn't accepted. While there he wrote and recorded "Rockhouse", later done by Orbison on Sun, and by Buddy Knox on an LP. His real name was Harold Jenkins, which he changed in 1957. Then he recorded 3 or 4 singles on Mercury, which were not successful.
It started in 1958 on MGM records when he wrote his first big hit, It's Only Make Believe, a #1. Followups were The Story Of My Love (#28), Hey Little Lucy (#87), Mona Lisa (#29), Danny Boy (#10), Lonely Blue Boy (#6), What Am I Living For (#26), Is a Bluebird Blue (#35), C'est Si Bon (#22) in 1960.
He rocked up some of those old standards, to the extent that some radio stations rebelled against his "desecration" of a song like Danny Boy. Now "Lonely Blue Boy", not to be confused with Paul Anka's Lonely Boy, was an altered version of a song Elvis Presley sang for King Creole named "Danny" (not "Danny Boy"), which was not included in the movie or released until recently. This was one of Conway's slower sexy style rock songs, which he was good at, similar to Elvis on his "Elvis Is Back" album. That style was also shown in Make Me Know You're Mine, flip of Story Of My Love, and others.
In fact I'd say that while sexy Elvis was in the army 1958 to 1960, and ran out out of prerecorded hits mid-1959, Conway played the role of a replacement during that time.
Look at Conway's cover portraits of the time and you see that same curled-lip demeanor. Jack Scott was another si
milar singer at the time.
By the end of 1960 Conway ran out of big hits even tho his MGM recordings continued til 1963, with some good collectables in that period. He was then in the category of "whatever happened to ..?". In 1961 his record of "A Million Teardrops" was played where I lived and got noticed, but didn't make the charts nationally for whatever reason...the gods and dj's only know.
Pictured is his 1961 LP "The Conway Twitty Touch" with a great portrait. In 1963 he released an album "R&B '63" with great renditions of classic hits, including a good version of Shirley + Lee's "Let the Good Times Roll". But it wasn't being noticed.
So let's pay attention again and not forget. Let's get those reissues going, play them all on oldies radio, not just It's Only Make Believe, and keep Conway Twitty on the rock and roll pedestal he belongs on.
To hear a song sample press the title:
A Million Teardrops
Rockhouse
Let the Good Times Roll
Make Me Know You're Mine
Lonely Blue Boy
Danny (Elvis)
Do you know you can download any of these photos by right-clicking on them.
Reference:
Here is a good website (non-English) with descriptions and samples of his hit singles:
http://www.die-rock-and-roll-ag.de/html/conway_twitty.html
Conway tried out with Sun Records around 1956 but wasn't accepted. While there he wrote and recorded "Rockhouse", later done by Orbison on Sun, and by Buddy Knox on an LP. His real name was Harold Jenkins, which he changed in 1957. Then he recorded 3 or 4 singles on Mercury, which were not successful.
It started in 1958 on MGM records when he wrote his first big hit, It's Only Make Believe, a #1. Followups were The Story Of My Love (#28), Hey Little Lucy (#87), Mona Lisa (#29), Danny Boy (#10), Lonely Blue Boy (#6), What Am I Living For (#26), Is a Bluebird Blue (#35), C'est Si Bon (#22) in 1960.
He rocked up some of those old standards, to the extent that some radio stations rebelled against his "desecration" of a song like Danny Boy. Now "Lonely Blue Boy", not to be confused with Paul Anka's Lonely Boy, was an altered version of a song Elvis Presley sang for King Creole named "Danny" (not "Danny Boy"), which was not included in the movie or released until recently. This was one of Conway's slower sexy style rock songs, which he was good at, similar to Elvis on his "Elvis Is Back" album. That style was also shown in Make Me Know You're Mine, flip of Story Of My Love, and others.
In fact I'd say that while sexy Elvis was in the army 1958 to 1960, and ran out out of prerecorded hits mid-1959, Conway played the role of a replacement during that time.
Look at Conway's cover portraits of the time and you see that same curled-lip demeanor. Jack Scott was another si
milar singer at the time.By the end of 1960 Conway ran out of big hits even tho his MGM recordings continued til 1963, with some good collectables in that period. He was then in the category of "whatever happened to ..?". In 1961 his record of "A Million Teardrops" was played where I lived and got noticed, but didn't make the charts nationally for whatever reason...the gods and dj's only know.
Pictured is his 1961 LP "The Conway Twitty Touch" with a great portrait. In 1963 he released an album "R&B '63" with great renditions of classic hits, including a good version of Shirley + Lee's "Let the Good Times Roll". But it wasn't being noticed.
So let's pay attention again and not forget. Let's get those reissues going, play them all on oldies radio, not just It's Only Make Believe, and keep Conway Twitty on the rock and roll pedestal he belongs on.
To hear a song sample press the title:
A Million Teardrops
Rockhouse
Let the Good Times Roll
Make Me Know You're Mine
Lonely Blue Boy
Danny (Elvis)
Do you know you can download any of these photos by right-clicking on them.
Reference:
Here is a good website (non-English) with descriptions and samples of his hit singles:
http://www.die-rock-and-roll-ag.de/html/conway_twitty.html
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Diane Ray wanted the lifeguard; Diane Renay wanted the sailor.
(updated November 29, 2014)
"Please Don't Talk To the Lifeguard" was a #31 hit in 1963 for Diane Ray of North Carolina. It was one of the staples of 1960s oldies but is not common now. A great catchy tune. Diane followed it up with more singles, which were not hits. The album "The Exciting Years" collects some of these, but is very rare.
Diane Ray samples:
Please Don't Talk To the Lifeguard
Just So Bobby Can See
Tied Up With Mary
Diane Renay wanted the sailor. Born Renee Diane Kushner and working out of Philadelphia and produced by Bob Crewe, she hit big in 1964 with "Navy Blue", reaching #6. The followup was "Kiss Me Sailor", #29 nationally. Diane had a strong zesty voice
and the songs were energetic.
An album titled Navy Blue was
a success. It contained the song
Bell Bottom Trousers, which
was not released as a single, but
which I think could have made
a successful trio of hits. As it
was, this was the extent of her fame.
By the way, Bell-Bottom Trousers was a pop hit in 1945, and is based on an old sea shanty.
These two Dianes with the confusing names are good examples of the early 60s solo girl sound, along with Joanie Sommers, Leslie Gore and others. Then there were the "girl groups" like The Ronettes in addition. Those are other stories.
Speaking of Joanie Sommers, you've got to hear her 1960 nonhit Ruby Duby Du (press).
Song samples for Diane Renay:
Navy Blue and Kiss Me Sailor parts
Bell-Bottom Trousers
Bell-Bottom Trousers by Connie Boswell 1945 (edited)
Bell-Bottom Trousers - part of the bawdy sea shanty, sung by Oscar Brand
Diane Renay has her own website at: http://www.dianerenay.com
Anyone is welcome to leave comments - press comments below.
"Please Don't Talk To the Lifeguard" was a #31 hit in 1963 for Diane Ray of North Carolina. It was one of the staples of 1960s oldies but is not common now. A great catchy tune. Diane followed it up with more singles, which were not hits. The album "The Exciting Years" collects some of these, but is very rare.
Diane Ray samples:
Please Don't Talk To the Lifeguard
Just So Bobby Can See
Tied Up With Mary
Diane Renay wanted the sailor. Born Renee Diane Kushner and working out of Philadelphia and produced by Bob Crewe, she hit big in 1964 with "Navy Blue", reaching #6. The followup was "Kiss Me Sailor", #29 nationally. Diane had a strong zesty voice
and the songs were energetic.
An album titled Navy Blue was
a success. It contained the song
Bell Bottom Trousers, which
was not released as a single, but
which I think could have made
a successful trio of hits. As it
was, this was the extent of her fame.
By the way, Bell-Bottom Trousers was a pop hit in 1945, and is based on an old sea shanty.
These two Dianes with the confusing names are good examples of the early 60s solo girl sound, along with Joanie Sommers, Leslie Gore and others. Then there were the "girl groups" like The Ronettes in addition. Those are other stories.
Speaking of Joanie Sommers, you've got to hear her 1960 nonhit Ruby Duby Du (press).
Song samples for Diane Renay:
Navy Blue and Kiss Me Sailor parts
Bell-Bottom Trousers
Bell-Bottom Trousers by Connie Boswell 1945 (edited)
Bell-Bottom Trousers - part of the bawdy sea shanty, sung by Oscar Brand
Diane Renay has her own website at: http://www.dianerenay.com
Anyone is welcome to leave comments - press comments below.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
The first Jay and the Americans
(Updated April 20, 2014)
Jay and the Americans were one of the greatest groups of the 60s. The main lead singer was Jay Black. But in their first couple of years the lead was Jay Traynor. He sang on their first classic hit "She Cried" in 1962, and on the resulting album. Jay Black came in starting with "Only In America" and "Come a Little Bit Closer".
Each of them was asked to use the name Jay. The real names were John Traynor and David Blatt. They were from the New York area.
Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller were the producers in the early years of The Americans. They had been working at Atlantic Records with The Drifters. When they left, they retained some rights to their productions. Only In America had been meant for The Drifters, and that recording exists, but was not released at the time. The instrumental backing was then used for The Americans' recording with Jay Black. Similarly, "Yes" was recorded by Ben E.King, and the backing track was reused for this terrific recording by Jay Traynor and the Americans. It was on the album, and also on a non-hit single in 1963, and it deserves more attention.
The next Americans' album, Come A Little Bit Closer, contained songs by both Black and Traynor. At Jay Traynor's website he lists exactly which songs he sang.
After about four singles, only one of which was a hit, Traynor left the group. He recorded some sol0 songs, most notably "I Rise I Fall" on the Coral label in 1964. It was not a hit, but is one of those that when you hear it, you say it could have been and should have been. You get mad at the radio stations for not playing it. The song was good enough for Johnny Tillotson to have a minor hit, and for Rick Nelson to include on his Decca "For You" album.
Someone should reissue Jay's rendition.
Jay Traynor is currently part of the East coast Tokens revival group, Jay Siegel and the Tokens.
Jay had one of the best voices of that era, perfectly suited for the time, and made She Cried an irresistible treasure.
Here Jay Traynor is at the Coral recording studio in 1964.
The flip side of this single was "How Sweet It Is",
also a good song.
The She Cried album with the original members, with Jay Traynor in the middle top.
To hear song samples press the title:
I Rise I Fall
How Sweet It Is
Yes
She Cried
John "Jay" Traynor died on January 2, 2014 and no longer has a website at: http://home.nycap.rr.com/jtraynor/index2.htm
_____
Jay and the Americans were one of the greatest groups of the 60s. The main lead singer was Jay Black. But in their first couple of years the lead was Jay Traynor. He sang on their first classic hit "She Cried" in 1962, and on the resulting album. Jay Black came in starting with "Only In America" and "Come a Little Bit Closer".
Each of them was asked to use the name Jay. The real names were John Traynor and David Blatt. They were from the New York area.
Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller were the producers in the early years of The Americans. They had been working at Atlantic Records with The Drifters. When they left, they retained some rights to their productions. Only In America had been meant for The Drifters, and that recording exists, but was not released at the time. The instrumental backing was then used for The Americans' recording with Jay Black. Similarly, "Yes" was recorded by Ben E.King, and the backing track was reused for this terrific recording by Jay Traynor and the Americans. It was on the album, and also on a non-hit single in 1963, and it deserves more attention.
The next Americans' album, Come A Little Bit Closer, contained songs by both Black and Traynor. At Jay Traynor's website he lists exactly which songs he sang.
After about four singles, only one of which was a hit, Traynor left the group. He recorded some sol0 songs, most notably "I Rise I Fall" on the Coral label in 1964. It was not a hit, but is one of those that when you hear it, you say it could have been and should have been. You get mad at the radio stations for not playing it. The song was good enough for Johnny Tillotson to have a minor hit, and for Rick Nelson to include on his Decca "For You" album.
Someone should reissue Jay's rendition.
Jay Traynor is currently part of the East coast Tokens revival group, Jay Siegel and the Tokens.
Jay had one of the best voices of that era, perfectly suited for the time, and made She Cried an irresistible treasure.
Here Jay Traynor is at the Coral recording studio in 1964.
The flip side of this single was "How Sweet It Is",
also a good song.
The She Cried album with the original members, with Jay Traynor in the middle top.
To hear song samples press the title:
I Rise I Fall
How Sweet It Is
Yes
She Cried
John "Jay" Traynor died on January 2, 2014 and no longer has a website at: http://home.nycap.rr.com/jtraynor/index2.htm
_____
Friday, January 26, 2007
The Everly Brothers in the mid 1960s.
(updated March 3, 2012)When the brothers were drafted in 1962, it upset their career. In addition, the British invasion changed American tastes. In 1963 they had no hits. They had sporadic success in the US from 1964 on.
But in my opinion, at that time they produced some of their most impressive music. There was the driving power of "The Price Of Love". There were the seductive chords of Torture and of Love Is Strange. Lovey Kravezit was a great song with a carnival beat. It was a takeoff on the female character in Dean Martin's Matt Helm movie. The Ferris Wheel was a great nonhit. On the Rock 'N Soul album there was an amazing arrangement of Dancing In the Street. The Power Of Love was powerful, but not on the charts.
Some of the nonhits in 1963 that may be of interest to collectors include Don't Ask Me To Be Friends, Hello Amy, and Nancy's Minuet. Nancy's Minuet is a special one. Don Everly (the dark-haired) wrote it in 1961 inspired by Henry Mancini's Experiment In Terror. It imitates the haunting repetitive bass effect for a mysterious mood. Don was really taken by this, but it was not released until an insignificant single in 1963, and it wasn't the hit he wished for.
The Everlys had more airplay in the mid-60s in Canada and England than the US. It's worth investigating these songs.
When The Everlys performed in Winnipeg, Canada in 1967,
they played many of these mid-60s songs. Is that good-looking guitarist on the right in a rapture playing the chords to Love Is Strange?
_____________Photos copyright 2007 George Slivinsky
Rock 'N Soul album 1964:
Gone Gone Gone album 1965:
______Beat & Soul - 1965
In Our Image album 1966:
To hear a song sample press the title:
The Price Of Love
Love Is Strange
Dancing In the Street
Nancy's Minuet
Lovey Kravezit
(You Got) The Power Of Love
Torture (flip of Gone Gone Gone)
Other Everly rarities:
In 1961 Don Everly produced
three singles on his new Calliope label that were not Everly vocals. He used the artist name Adrian Kimberly, and used an orchestra and chorus. Listen to the first one:
Pomp and Circumstance - #34 Billboard
Black Mountain Stomp - flip side
In 1988 the brothers released a vocal of Don't Worry Baby sung together with The Beach Boys:
Don't Worry Baby - Capitol single
The Christmas album
The very rare 1962 album Christmas With the Everly Brothers.
Click an image to see it larger.
Here's a link to hear the COMPLETE ALBUM.
I have a second copy you could bid on in comments. It's very good mono.
A detailed list of their singles and albums can be found at Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Everly_Brothers
Their fan club is at everlybrothers.com
_____
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