Archive for the ‘New and Unreleased’ Category

Major Babes 3

17 June 2007

This is the third Major Babes collection. Like its predecessors, it comprises a list of songs with girls’ names in the title. This time around, things were a little more flexible, in that it wasn’t required that the name be evoked in the lyrics, giving me an excuse to throw in an instrumental for once. The Scott English track, incidentally, was remade with a different (but not that different) title. A car show somewhere along the Pacific Rim was the background for the cover photo.

Cover art, Wendex 111134-2Track listing for 111134-2:

  1. Rod Stewart: Maggie May
  2. Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart: Alice Long (You’re Still My Favorite Girlfriend)
  3. Scott English: Brandy
  4. Kenny Rogers and the First Edition: Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town
  5. Jimi Hendrix Experience: The Wind Cries Mary
  6. Ritchie Valens: Donna
  7. Tommy Roe: Hooray for Hazel
  8. The Dovells: Betty in Bermudas
  9. Blood, Sweat & Tears: Lisa, Listen to Me
  10. Jimmy Soul: Twistin’ Matilda
  11. Boomer Castleman: Judy Mae
  12. Curtis Lee: Beverly Jean
  13. Glen Campbell: Brenda
  14. Neil Diamond: Cherry, Cherry
  15. The Contours: Shake Sherrie
  16. The Hollies: Dear Eloise
  17. Jan and Dean: Linda
  18. The 4 Seasons: Dawn (Go Away)
  19. Bobby Goldsboro: Honey
  20. The Charts: Deserie
  21. The Strangeloves: Cara-Lin
  22. Larry Hall: Sandy
  23. The Association: Pandora’s Golden Heebie Jeebies
  24. The Crickets: Deborah
  25. Chubby Checker: Lazy Elsie Molly
  26. Los Indios Tabajaras: Maria Elena

Surrounded by Temptations

12 May 2007

This is, of course, a collection of Temptations tracks, and mostly a fairly-obvious one, though stuff like “My Baby” (and its pretty-decent B-side, “Don’t Look Back”) had to be snipped to fit on the disc, and I was quite insistent on including the always-overlooked “I Want a Love I Can See,” which dates to 1963 and features a Paul Williams (!) lead vocal. (David Ruffin had yet to come on board.) The young lady with the 360-degree perspective was working for Van Raalte.

Cover art, Wendex 111133-2Track listing for 111133-2 (all tracks by the Temptations:

  1. I Want a Love I Can See
  2. The Way You Do the Things You Do
  3. Girl (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue)
  4. My Girl
  5. It’s Growing
  6. Since I Lost My Baby
  7. Get Ready
  8. Ain’t Too Proud to Beg
  9. Beauty Is Only Skin Deep
  10. (I Know) I’m Losing You
  11. All I Need
  12. You’re My Everything
  13. (Loneliness Made Me Realize) It’s You That I Need
  14. I Wish It Would Rain
  15. I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You)
  16. Please Return Your Love to Me
  17. Cloud Nine
  18. Run Away Child, Running Wild
  19. Don’t Let the Joneses Get You Down
  20. I Can’t Get Next to You
  21. Psychedelic Shack
  22. Ball of Confusion
  23. Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)
  24. Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone

The Bad Stuff

7 April 2007

Assignment: A lot of songs with “Bad” in the title. Difficulty: No Michael Jackson or Jim Croce tracks. Success: Reasonable. This is, of course, the Dark Side of last month’s The Good Stuff, and it might even have been more fun to assemble. The cover is swiped from a legendary French hosiery ad by the late René Gruau.

Cover art, Wendex 111132-2Track listing for 111132-2:

  1. Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas: Bad to Me
  2. Grand Funk: Bad Time
  3. Little Anthony and the Imperials: Hurt So Bad
  4. Steely Dan: Bad Sneakers
  5. The Jelly Beans: I Wanna Love Him So Bad
  6. Doug and the Slugs: Too Bad
  7. Bruce Springsteen: Badlands
  8. Creedence Clearwater Revival: Bad Moon Rising
  9. The Cookies: Don’t Say Nothin’ Bad (About My Baby)
  10. Elvis Presley: I Feel So Bad
  11. Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes: Bad Luck (Part I)
  12. Melanie: Bitter Bad
  13. The Jive Bombers: Bad Boy
  14. Miami Sound Machine: Bad Boy
  15. The Beatles: Bad Boy
  16. Donna Summer: Bad Girls
  17. The Miracles: Bad Girl
  18. Led Zeppelin: Good Times Bad Times
  19. Kim Carnes: It Hurts So Bad
  20. Jimmy Dean: Big Bad John
  21. Robert Palmer: Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor)
  22. Chris Clark: Love’s Gone Bad
  23. Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs: Oh That’s Bad, No That’s Good
  24. Meat Loaf: Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad

The Good Stuff

3 March 2007

Assignment: A lot of songs with “Good” in the title. Difficulty: No “Goodbye” or “Goodnight” tracks. Success: Reasonable. Besides, where else are you going to hear Tammy Wynette and the Knack on the same disc? Oh, and if you don’t recognize the cover, don’t blame Desenex.

Cover art, Wendex 111131-2Track listing for 111131-2:

  1. James Brown: I Got You (I Feel Good)
  2. 10cc: Good Morning Judge
  3. Herman’s Hermits: I’m Into Something Good
  4. Barbara Lynn: You’ll Lose a Good Thing
  5. Billy Joel: Only the Good Die Young
  6. Cat Mother and the All Night Newsboys: Good Old Rock ‘N’ Roll
  7. Rufus: Tell Me Something Good
  8. Frank Sinatra: It Was a Very Good Year
  9. The Beach Boys: Good Timin’
  10. Linda Ronstadt: You’re No Good
  11. The Knack: Good Girls Don’t
  12. Stevie Wonder: Nothing’s Too Good for My Baby
  13. Eric Burdon and the Animals: Good Times
  14. Chic: Good Times
  15. Bunny Sigler: Let the Good Times Roll/Feel So Good
  16. The Cars: Good Times Roll
  17. Fontella Bass and Bobby McClure: Don’t Mess Up a Good Thing
  18. Sam Cooke: Good News
  19. The Rascals: Good Lovin’
  20. Crazy Elephant: Gimme Gimme Good Lovin’
  21. Bobby Vee: Take Good Care of My Baby
  22. Little Richard: Good Golly Miss Molly
  23. The Beatles: Good Day Sunshine
  24. Tammy Wynette: Your Good Girl’s Gonna Go Bad
  25. Paul Revere and the Raiders: Good Thing
  26. Elvis Presley: Good Luck Charm
  27. Chuck Berry: Johnny B. Goode

Don’t

4 February 2007

Rather a lot of songs begin with this admonition, and the young lady with the weapon (she was actually selling hosiery, but who’s to know?) might be in a mood to enforce it. My first search for “Don’t” songs produced a list of nearly eight hundred; restricting it to those actually beginning with “Don’t” cut it back by three-fourths, and these were the ones that made the final, um, cut.

Cover art, Wendex 111130-2Track listing for 111130-2:

  1. Electric Light Orchestra: Don’t Let Me Down
  2. Elvis Presley: Don’t Be Cruel
  3. Patty Duke: Don’t Just Stand There
  4. Joe South: Don’t It Make You Want to Go Home
  5. Herman’s Hermits: Don’t Go Out into the Rain
  6. Beverly Bremers: Don’t Say You Don’t Remember
  7. The Orlons: Don’t Hang Up
  8. The Beach Boys: Don’t Worry Baby
  9. The Beatles: Don’t Let Me Down
  10. The Marvelettes: Don’t Mess with Bill
  11. Paul Revere and the Raiders: Don’t Take It So Hard
  12. Bettye Swann: Don’t Touch Me
  13. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Don’t Do Me Like That
  14. The Animals: Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood
  15. Petula Clark: Don’t Give Up
  16. Crowded House: Don’t Dream It’s Over
  17. Gerry and the Pacemakers: Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying
  18. Peppermint Rainbow: Don’t Wake Me Up in the Morning, Michael
  19. Elton John: Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me
  20. Della Reese: Don’t You Know
  21. The Human League: Don’t You Want Me
  22. The Searchers: Don’t Throw Your Love Away
  23. The Buckinghams: Don’t You Care
  24. Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over
  25. Hamilton, Joe Frank and Reynolds: Don’t Pull Your Love
  26. The Band: Don’t Do It

Son of Songs for People with Two Ears

10 December 2006

Because I can, again yet another collection of songs that are seldom heard in stereo, with yet another variation on the same cover art. This includes rather a lot of DES — “Digitally Extracted Stereo” — which is essentially fakery, but often really good fakery. One such (no points for guessing which one) actually made it to a commercial release.

Cover art, Wendex 111129-2Track listing for 111129-2:

  1. The Surfaris: Wipe Out
  2. Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich: Save Me
  3. The Crystals: He’s Sure the Boy I Love
  4. The Beach Boys: Help Me, Rhonda
  5. The Essex: A Walkin’ Miracle
  6. Procol Harum: A Whiter Shade of Pale
  7. Bill Justis: Raunchy
  8. The Zombies: She’s Not There
  9. The Dave Clark Five: Because
  10. Diane Renay: Kiss Me, Sailor
  11. The Marvelows: I Do
  12. Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames: Yeh, Yeh
  13. Jerry Butler and Betty Everett: Let It Be Me
  14. Leapy Lee: Little Arrows
  15. The Dixie Cups: Iko Iko
  16. Jimmy Reed: Big Boss Man
  17. Spencer Davis Group: I’m a Man
  18. Terry Stafford: Suspicion
  19. Senators Bobby and McKinley: Mellow Yellow
  20. Neil Diamond: You Got to Me
  21. Sam Cooke: Wonderful World
  22. Manfred Mann: Mighty Quinn (Quinn the Eskimo)
  23. Jorgen Ingmann: Apache
  24. The Ronettes: Do I Love You
  25. Herman’s Hermits: A Must to Avoid
  26. Ritchie Valens: Donna
  27. The Nashville Teens: Tobacco Road
  28. Thurston Harris: Little Bitty Pretty One
  29. The Champs: Tequila

Golden Years: Choice of Colors 2

12 November 2006

This is a sequel of sorts to Choice of Colors, from many months back. Originally this was going to be simply a Blues collection, to be titled after the Bobby Vinton cut included herein, but I decided that this was sheer overkill. Speaking of sheer, the young lady in the picture is wearing hosiery by Alba; tinting by yours truly with as much mechanical assistance as possible.

Cover art, Wendex 111128-2Track listing for 111128-2:

  1. David Bowie: Golden Years
  2. Bobby Vinton: Blue on Blue
  3. The Nightcrawlers: The Little Black Egg
  4. The Browns: Scarlet Ribbons
  5. The Rolling Stones: Paint It, Black
  6. Jim Lowe: Green Door
  7. Van Morrison: Brown-Eyed Girl
  8. It’s a Beautiful Day: White Bird
  9. Gary Lewis and the Playboys: Green Grass
  10. Petula Clark: The Other Man’s Grass Is Always Greener
  11. The Hollies: Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress
  12. UB40: Red Red Wine
  13. Madonna: True Blue
  14. Clear Light: Black Roses
  15. Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs: Li’l Red Riding Hood
  16. Neil Diamond: Forever in Blue Jeans
  17. Nick Drake: Pink Moon
  18. The Marcels: Blue Moon
  19. Brian Hyland: Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini
  20. Cat Stevens: Bitterblue
  21. The Doobie Brothers: Black Water
  22. Yellow Balloon: Yellow Balloon
  23. Sheb Wooley: The Purple People Eater
  24. Ram Jam: Black Betty
  25. The Lemon Pipers: Green Tambourine

Old Time Tunes

8 October 2006

Normally I don’t think of these as being “old-time,” but then I don’t think of myself as “old-time” either, and these songs, like me, date back fifty years or more. Mostly they come from the rhythm-and-blues side of things, though there are some pure-pop tunes sprinkled here or there for balance — or at least enough balance to justify not having to throw in any Eddie Fisher records, which were huge hits and which leave me cold as a cod. As for the young lady in the photo, I don’t think she’s really playing the piano: how could she work the pedals?

Cover art, Wendex 111127-2Track listing for 111127-2:

  1. Wynonie Harris: Good Rockin’ Tonight
  2. The Drifters: Money Honey
  3. Ruth Brown: Mama He Treats Your Daughter Mean
  4. The Chords: Sh-Boom
  5. Anton Karas: The Third Man Theme
  6. The Orioles: Crying in the Chapel
  7. The ’5′ Royales: Baby Don’t Do It
  8. Faye Adams: Shake a Hand
  9. Arthur Godfrey: Slap ‘er Down Again, Paw
  10. The Crows: Gee
  11. Johnny Maddox: The Crazy Otto
  12. Elvis Presley: That’s All Right (Mama)
  13. Ella Mae Morse: Oakie Boogie
  14. Bill Haley and the Comets: Rock Around the Clock
  15. Nappy Brown: Don’t Be Angry
  16. Etta James: The Wallflower
  17. The Four Lads: Istanbul (Not Constantinople)
  18. The Penguins: Earth Angel
  19. Les Paul and Mary Ford: How High the Moon
  20. Little Walter: My Babe
  21. The Moonglows: Sincerely
  22. Fats Domino: Ain’t That a Shame
  23. Julie London: Cry Me a River
  24. Jimmy Forrest: Night Train
  25. The Platters: The Great Pretender
  26. Big Joe Turner: Shake, Rattle and Roll
  27. Patti Page: Mister and Mississippi
  28. Chuck Berry: Maybellene
  29. The Spaniels: Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight

Mid-60s Mania Volume 15

2 September 2006

The hits, as they used to say on the radio, just keep on comin’. I can’t place this picture too accurately, but it does seem to look the part, and sometimes that’s all I need.

Cover art, Wendex 111126-2Track listing for 111126-2:

  1. The Gants: Road Runner
  2. Marvin Gaye: Ain’t That Peculiar
  3. The Mamas and the Papas: Creeque Alley
  4. The Edwin Hawkins Singers: Oh Happy Day
  5. The Turtles: She’d Rather Be with Me
  6. Sonny and Cher: The Beat Goes On
  7. The Critters: Mr. Dieingly Sad
  8. The Electric Prunes: Get Me to the World On Time
  9. The Supremes: Back in My Arms Again
  10. The Beatles: Get Back
  11. Tommy Roe: Sweet Pea
  12. Creedence Clearwater Revival: Proud Mary
  13. San Remo Golden Strings: Hungry for Love
  14. The Byrds: Eight Miles High
  15. The Doors: Touch Me
  16. ? and the Mysterians: I Need Somebody
  17. Gary Lewis and the Playboys: Count Me In
  18. The Guess Who: Shakin’ All Over
  19. The Dells: There Is
  20. The American Breed: Bend Me, Shape Me
  21. Lee Dorsey: Ride Your Pony
  22. The Fireballs: Bottle of Wine
  23. Billy Stewart: I Do Love You
  24. The Kingsmen: The Jolly Green Giant
  25. The Four Tops: It’s the Same Old Song
  26. Herman’s Hermits: Wonderful World
  27. Raymond Lefevre: Soul Coaxing (Âme Caline)
  28. I Know a Place: Petula Clark

WTMA Tunedex ’66

24 July 2006

The top 26 songs on radio station WTMA, Charleston, South Carolina, for the week ending 30 April 1966, and you can be sure I was listening that week: this was my station of choice during the years I lived in the Holy City. (If this sounds familiar, I’ve already done a similar disc from May 1967.) The cover art is a cut-down version of an actual WTMA “Tunedex” Top 40 chart, courtesy of station historian Ted Tatman. The first track is preceded by a brief WTMA jingle; a less-brief one follows the last.

Cover art, Wendex 111125-2Track listing for 111125-2:

  1. Johnny Rivers: Secret Agent Man
  2. The Righteous Brothers: (You’re My) Soul and Inspiration
  3. Cher: Bang Bang
  4. The Beach Boys: Sloop John B
  5. The Olympics: Good Lovin’
  6. The Mamas and the Papas: Monday, Monday
  7. Paul Revere and the Raiders: Kicks
  8. The Outsiders: Time Won’t Let Me
  9. B. J. Thomas and the Triumphs: I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry
  10. Petula Clark: A Sign of the Times
  11. Percy Sledge: When a Man Loves a Woman
  12. The Lovin’ Spoonful: Daydream
  13. The Rolling Stones: 19th Nervous Breakdown
  14. Len Barry: Somewhere
  15. The Shadows of Knight: Gloria
  16. Lou Christie: Rhapsody in the Rain
  17. Dionne Warwick: Message to Michael
  18. Ray Charles: Together Again
  19. The Isley Brothers: This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)
  20. The Yardbirds: Shapes of Things
  21. Herman’s Hermits: Leaning on the Lamp Post
  22. The Byrds: Eight Miles High
  23. Elvis Presley: Frankie and Johnny
  24. Nancy Sinatra: How Does That Grab You, Darlin’
  25. Garnet Mimms: I’ll Take Good Care of You
  26. Bob Dylan: Rainy Day Women #12 & 35
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