Fantastic Oldies Game!

[GridLeakBias]

Margaret Whiting, wow. When I was a "yon teen", I got this fabulous GE Musaphonic hi-fi from my grandfather. 6 bands, including both FM's, Armstrongs and Sarnoff's. Huge amplifier, seperate tuner/pre-amp, twin 10" speakers w/turntable. In it were a bunch of 78's.

One was called "I've Been To Hollywood" by a female doing a hick-style impression...great record with a walking bassline in the middle eight. Also Tony Bennett on Columbia with "Cold, Cold Heart" b/w , damn I can't remember. And another by Whiting called "There's A Tree In The Meadow". Can anyone help me with the artist on the first, and does anyone have the audio to it or Whiting's "Meadow"? Late 40's/early 50's. I haven't heard those songs in 40 years, but they left an impression...hard to understand with a kid into Phil Ochs and Big Brother & The Holding Co at the time.

Amfmsw, I can’t help you with your search, but since you mentioned 78's, I have some of interest.

A friend who knows I’m a music collector gave me a number of 10’” - 78’s, mostly Mills Brothers and Ink Spots; a Bing Crosby “White Christmas” Decca 23778 (black label), plus a couple artists I’m not familiar with. I’m not sure the age of these items, probably early 50s.

Some interesting things:
On a Capitol 57-70031 label: ”OH, CHUCK IT (IN A BUCKET”), by JULIA LEE AND HER BOYFRIENDS. Under the artists’ name on the label it lists the group members: Julia Lee, vocal and piano; Jim Daddy Walker, guitar; Clint Weaver, bass; Baby Lovett, drums. Is this unusual to list all the individual group names on the label?

On the corner of a Decca sleeve, there is a warning : RESTRICTED USE NOTICE - This record is manufactured and sold under United States Patents Nos. 1637544, RE. 16588, 1895178 (and other patents pending), and is licensed by the manufacturer only for non-commercial use on phonographs in homes. The original purchaser has expressly agreed with the manufacturer of this record that it will not be resold or used for any purpose other than for non-commercial use on phonographs in homes. All subsequent purchasers and users are notified that this record may be used only for non-commercial purposes on phonographs in homes. Must have been music pirates even way-back-then!

On an audiodiscs (AUDIO DEVICES, INC., 444 MADISON AVE, NEW YORK, 32, N.Y.) paper sleeve, there is a label affixed at the corner, which reads: WARNING! Play on modern electric phonograph or radio-combination with light-weight playing-arm. Use new steel needle or permanent type. No cactus, thorn or wooden needles. Handle by center and edge to avoid finger marks. Keep dust-free at moderate temperatures. Store flat. Exact copies can be made from originals only. (DAMON TRANSCRIPTION LABORATORY – Studio, 510 Midland Bldg., Victor 2585, 1221 Baltimore Ave., Kansas City, Mo.) And the most interesting thing about this item is: There is a steel needle taped to the sleeve above the warning label!!

 

[AlexBrowne]

It is unusual to list all the individual players of a group on the label, but the label of the 1968 single "The Weight" (Capitol 2269) identifies the artists as "Jaime Robbie Robertson, Rick Danko, Richard Manuel, Garth Hudson, Levon Helm" rather than The Band, as they became known; "The Weight" was the group's first charted single, but they were listed on the label, more simply, as The Band by the time "Up On Cripple Creek" (Capitol 2635), their second hit, made the charts in late 1969.

 

[amfmsw]

I believe the Decca restriction had to do with publishing and distribution rights conflict at the time. I believe at one time ASCAP wouldn't allow their songs to be played on the radio (public distribution-performance...stupid move as well..now they're trying it again) which brought about BMI publishers. Most everything the Beatles released was throught BMI, which had a better royalty scale for airplay. Think John & Paul made the right decision? How many times has "A Hard Days Night", Elanor Rigby, Hello Goodbye and Yesterday been played since '64? CaChing!

 

[GridLeakBias]

I believe the Decca restriction had to do with publishing and distribution rights conflict at the time. I believe at one time ASCAP wouldn't allow their songs to be played on the radio (public distribution-performance...stupid move as well..now they're trying it again) which brought about BMI publishers. Most everything the Beatles released was throught BMI, which had a better royalty scale for airplay. Think John & Paul made the right decision? How many times has "A Hard Days Night", Elanor Rigby, Hello Goodbye and Yesterday been played since '64? CaChing!

Thanks amfmsw, I appreciate your input.

Conway Twitty (Harold Lloyd Jenkins), one of the most successful country music artists of the 20th century, began as a rock n’ roll singer. He had the most singles (55) reach Number 1 on various national music charts. "It's Only Make Believe" was recorded in 1958 and became the first of nine Top 40 hits for Twitty, selling eight million copies. The record took nearly one year in all to reach and stay at the top spot of the charts. In 1970, Conway recorded and released "Hello Darlin'", which went to #1 on the country charts.

 

[GridLeakBias]

It is unusual to list all the individual players of a group on the label, but the label of the 1968 single "The Weight" (Capitol 2269) identifies the artists as "Jaime Robbie Robertson, Rick Danko, Richard Manuel, Garth Hudson, Levon Helm" rather than The Band, as they became known; "The Weight" was the group's first charted single, but they were listed on the label, more simply, as The Band by the time "Up On Cripple Creek" (Capitol 2635), their second hit, made the charts in late 1969.

Off game comment:
Thanks Alex, I didn't know that. See ya.

 

[AlexBrowne]

Conway Twitty (Harold Lloyd Jenkins), one of the most successful country music artists of the 20th century, began as a rock n’ roll singer. He had the most singles (55) reach Number 1 on various national music charts. "It's Only Make Believe" was recorded in 1958 and became the first of nine Top 40 hits for Twitty, selling eight million copies. The record took nearly one year in all to reach and stay at the top spot of the charts. In 1970, Conway recorded and released "Hello Darlin'", which went to #1 on the country charts.

In 1964 alone, The Beatles had 30 charted singles -- from "I Want To Hold Your Hand" in January to "She's A Woman" in December; in 1965, the first of the quartet's hits was "Eight Days A Week," which was #1 for two weeks and was the first of three cuts from the album Beatles IV to chart (the other two were "I Don't Want To Spoil The Party" and "Yes It Is").

 

[GridLeakBias]

Conway Twitty (Harold Lloyd Jenkins), one of the most successful country music artists of the 20th century, began as a rock n’ roll singer. He had the most singles (55) reach Number 1 on various national music charts. "It's Only Make Believe" was recorded in 1958 and became the first of nine Top 40 hits for Twitty, selling eight million copies. The record took nearly one year in all to reach and stay at the top spot of the charts. In 1970, Conway recorded and released "Hello Darlin'", which went to #1 on the country charts.

In 1964 alone, The Beatles had 30 charted singles -- from "I Want To Hold Your Hand" in January to "She's A Woman" in December; in 1965, the first of the quartet's hits was "Eight Days A Week," which was #1 for two weeks and was the first of three cuts from the album Beatles IV to chart (the other two were "I Don't Want To Spoil The Party" and "Yes It Is").

Buddy Holly (Holley) signed a contract to record country music on the Decca label in 1956. The first session was in Nashville on January 26, 1956 and held at Owen Bradley's recording studio. Among the four songs that were recorded was "Blue Days, Black Nights" which would be Holly's first single. Reviewed favorably in the trade press, the record did not do well in the marketplace. The disc did not succeed partially because Holly and the Decca-selected backup group could not create the tightness inherent in the union of Holly's voice, his guitar and his own group of musicians. February 25, 1957 Holly and the newly named Crickets recorded the rock version of "That Will Be the Day" at Norman Petty's studio in Clovis, New Mexico, and the rest is history..

 

[AlexBrowne]

Eight months from now we will be marking one of the most significant anniversaries in the history of rock 'n' roll, "the day the music died": February 3, 2009, is the 50th anniversary of the date Buddy Holly (at age 22), Ritchie Valens (age 17), and the Big Bopper (J.P. Richardson, age 28) were killed in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, while on their Winter Dance Party tour; Bobby Vee and The Shadows filled in for Holly at his next scheduled show in Moorhead, Minnesota.

 

[GridLeakBias]

Eight months from now we will be marking one of the most significant anniversaries in the history of rock 'n' roll, "the day the music died": February 3, 2009, is the 50th anniversary of the date Buddy Holly (at age 22), Ritchie Valens (age 17), and the Big Bopper (J.P. Richardson, age 28) were killed in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, while on their Winter Dance Party tour; Bobby Vee and The Shadows filled in for Holly at his next scheduled show in Moorhead, Minnesota.

A bit of trivia I recently came across: The British Daily Mirror, February 4, 1959 edition, had a write-up of the tragic loss, in which reference is made to Buddy and his current hit, “That’ll Be The Day”; Ritchie Valens and his authorship of the tune “Come On, Let’s Go”; and “Big Bopper” (Jape Richardson), singer of the current hit, “Chantilly Lace”.

OK, my mind went into overdrive trying to justify the name Jape Richardson. Jape? Uh oh…J.P. = Jay Pee = Ja pe = Jape. Oh well…

Off game: Goodbye and God speed to Bo Diddly, this day in the year of our Lord, 2008.

 

[AlexBrowne]

Hank Ballard And The Midnighters, from Detroit, had the original recording of "The Twist," which was written by Ballard, more than a year before Chubby Checker's #1 cover -- it was the B-side of the group's first charted single, "Teardrops On Your Letter" in 1959 -- but their biggest hit was "Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go," an R&B #1 in 1960, which urged us to experience "a thrill upon the hill" (gee, I wonder what that was all about).

Yes, rest in peace, Bo!

 

[GridLeakBias]

Hank Ballard And The Midnighters, from Detroit, had the original recording of "The Twist," which was written by Ballard, more than a year before Chubby Checker's #1 cover -- it was the B-side of the group's first charted single, "Teardrops On Your Letter" in 1959 -- but their biggest hit was "Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go," an R&B #1 in 1960, which urged us to experience "a thrill upon the hill" (gee, I wonder what that was all about).

Yes, rest in peace, Bo!

"Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" is a show tune written by Kern and Harbach for their 1933 operetta Roberta. It has been covered by numerous artists, beginning with Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra which went to the top of the charts in 1934, and including Nat "King" Cole who first covered it in 1946. Possibly the most famous version was recorded in 1958 by the doo wop group The Platters, which became a #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks beginning January 19, 1959.

 

[AlexBrowne]

In 1969, "These Eyes" was the first million-seller and Top 10 single for the Canadian quintet The Guess Who; four more Top 10 hits would follow in 1969 and 1970: "Laughing," "No Time," "American Woman" (#1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks), and "Share The Land."

 

[Mayberry]

CANADIAN- American was the label for Santo & Johnny's Sleep Walk circa 1959.
(hi folks I'm back after a year)

 

[GridLeakBias]

CANADIAN- American was the label for Santo & Johnny's Sleep Walk circa 1959.
(hi folks I'm back after a year)

"Harlem Nocturne" (Bell 45) was a minor hit in 1959 for the Viscounts, a New Jersey based group. The group introduced an eerie guitar effect [to a 1940s tune] that has been retained in most of the subsequent covers. It has been covered by notable 50s/60s artists such as Earl Bostic, Sil Austin, King Curtis, Martin Denny, Quincy Jones, Herbie Mann, Sam “The Man“ Taylor, and many others.

 

[AlexBrowne]

Manfred Mann (born Michael Lubowitz in South Africa) was the keyboardist/leader of two popular groups: Manfred Mann (1964-1971), which scored with the #1 "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" and "Sha La La" in 1964, and the Bob Dylan composition "Mighty Quinn (Quinn The Eskimo)" in 1968; and Manfred Mann's Earth Band (1971-1986) whose big #1 hit was the Bruce Springsteen tune "Blinded By The Light" in 1976.

 

[amfmsw]

"Harbor Lights", bouy sound effects and all, went top 20 for The Platters on Mercury. I believe that record was released in both classic Mercurey black and silver, and maroon and silver.

Back to that Guess Who with Burton Cummings on lead vocal, ya gotta add the flip side of "Laughing".."Undun". A jukebox favorite of mine. I think Undun has the finest bassline in any rock record...ever. The drumming is inspirational too.

 

[Mayberry]

We've probably done this one before, but PARTY LIGHTS by Claudine Clark of a favorite of mine.

 

[amfmsw]

"Party Lights" was released on Chancellor Records, home to many Philly artists including Frankie Avalon. The Label took it's name from the fact it's offices were in the Chancellor Hotel (13th and Catherine?) in South Philadelphia. It was Cameo-Parkway's main competitor for sales and talent and airplay. Parkway Records too it's name in honor of Benjamin Frankiln. It maintained an office with a view of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway leading to the Philadelphia Museam Of Art.

 

[AlexBrowne]

There are only two singles in history to be #1, drop off the pop chart entirely, and then reappear to reclaim the #1 spot: "White Christmas" by Bing Crosby (the biggest selling record of all time, on Decca 18429 in 1942, reissued in 1946 as Decca 23778, and then in 1980 as MCA 65022 -- #1 first in 1942, then again in 1945 and 1946) and "The Twist" by Chubby Checker (Parkway 811 -- #1 first in 1960, then again in 1961).

 

[amfmsw]

Chubby Checker (Ernest Evans) got his stage name from Dick Clark's wife. The Chubster was a regular on Bandstand over WFIL-TV 6 at 46th and Market Sts. That song going #1 twice also earned him the nickname from WIBG's Joe "the Rockin' Bird" Niagara "Chubby Checker, the chart wrecker".

Those Cameo master tapes are now owned by Alan B. Klein Company, or ABBKO, whick also owns the London Rolling Stones masters.