It’s hard to believe that this is the seventieth CD I’ve done in this series. And it’s also hard to believe that the one song that inspired this compilation — Fats Domino’s “I’m Walkin’” — didn’t make it onto the disc. (Fats does make an appearance, but with a different song.) The walkers on the cover are wearing Van Raalte.

Track listing for 111120-2:

1. Jimmy McCracklin: The Walk
2. Dire Straits: Walk of Life
3. Dionne Warwick: Walk On By
4. Willie Tee: Walking Up a One-Way Street
5. David Ruffin: Walk Away from Love
6. The Essex: A Walkin’ Miracle
7. Joe South: Walk a Mile in My Shoes
8. The 4 Seasons: Walk Like a Man
9. Patsy Cline: Walkin’ After Midnight
10. Lou Reed: Walk on the Wild Side
11. The Rooftop Singers: Walk Right In
12. The Shangri-Las: Remember (Walkin’ in the Sand)
13. The Four Tops: Walk Away Renee
14. Katrina and the Waves: Walking on Sunshine
15. The Ventures: Walk—Don’t Run
16. Fats Domino: I Want to Walk You Home
17. Leroy Van Dyke: Walk On By
18. Rufus Thomas: Walking the Dog
19. Norma Tanega: Walkin’ My Cat Named Dog
20. The Turtles: You Don’t Have to Walk in the Rain
21. The Crystals: Da Doo Ron Ron (When He Walked Me Home)
22. The Everly Brothers: Walk Right Back
23. Bangles: Walk Like an Egyptian
24. Run-D.M.C.: Walk This Way
25. The Searchers: When You Walk in the Room
26. Nancy Sinatra: These Boots Are Made for Walkin’
27. Santo and Johnny: Sleep Walk

We keep dishing up that pre-British Invasion pop/R&B stuff, of which we have an abundance. And we also have another Belle-Sharmeer line-art wonder to illustrate it.

Track listing for 111119-2:

1. Bernadette Carroll: Party Girl
2. Bo Diddley: Crackin’ Up
3. The Big Bopper: Chantilly Lace
4. Ann-Margret: I Just Don’t Understand
5. The Diamonds: Little Darlin’
6. Brian Hyland: Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini
7. Gary U.S. Bonds: Dear Lady Twist
8. The Drifters: This Magic Moment
9. Buddy Holly: It Doesn’t Matter Anymore
10. Jerry Butler: He Will Break Your Heart
11. Rick Nelson: Fools Rush In
12. Conway Twitty: It’s Only Make Believe
13. Sue Thompson: Norman
14. Percy Faith and His Orchestra: Theme from A Summer Place
15. Marty Robbins: El Paso *
16. Pat Boone: Speedy Gonzales
17. LaVern Baker: Tweedlee Dee
18. Peter, Paul and Mary: Puff the Magic Dragon
19. Johnny Burnette: You’re Sixteen
20. Clyde McPhatter: Lover Please
21. Elvis Presley: Return to Sender
22. The Crests: Sixteen Candles
23. The Impressions: It’s All Right
24. The Jamies: Summertime, Summertime
25. The Kingston Trio: M.T.A.
26. Martha and the Vandellas: Come and Get These Memories
27. The Four Preps: 26 Miles (Santa Catalina)
28. Connie Francis: Where the Boys Are
29. Ritchie Valens: La Bamba
30. Mark Dinning: Teen Angel
31. Jorgen Ingmann: Apache

* This is the stereo version; the mono 45 contains one extra verse.

Lucky number 13, as the deejays used to say two-thirds of the way through the Top 40 countdown. The cover photo originally sold Van Raalte hosiery in all those puffy shades.

Track listing for 111118-2:

1. The Beatles: A Hard Day’s Night
2. Gene Pitney: It Hurts to Be in Love
3. The Shangri-Las: Give Him a Great Big Kiss
4. Billy Joe Royal: Down in the Boondocks
5. Jr. Walker and the All-Stars: Shotgun
6. Brian Hyland: The Joker Went Wild
7. The Barbarians: Are You a Boy or Are You a Girl
8. The Animals: We Gotta Get Out of This Place
9. Canned Heat: On the Road Again
10. Dion: Abraham, Martin and John
11. The Supremes: I Hear a Symphony
12. Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas: Little Children
13. Petula Clark: Kiss Me Goodbye
14. The Jimi Hendrix Experience: Purple Haze
15. The Dave Clark Five: Glad All Over
16. Aretha Franklin: Respect
17. Dusty Springfield: You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me
18. Deon Jackson: Love Makes the World Go Round
19. Tommy James and the Shondells: Get Out Now
20. Simon and Garfunkel: The Sounds of Silence
21. The Temptations: (I Know) I’m Losing You
22. The Guess Who: These Eyes
23. Lee Dorsey: Working in the Coal Mine
24. The Kinks: A Well Respected Man
25. The Miracles: Going to A Go Go
26. Cream: Sunshine of Your Love
27. The Who: Happy Jack
28. Spanky and Our Gang: Like to Get to Know You

Which includes John, Johnny or Johnnie, and friends as appropriate. (I drew the line at “Johnson,” because it seemed to be an unnecessary complication, and at “John Denver,” because it was, well, John Denver.) An unusually-minimalist cover, but then, I was going for timelessness.

Track listing for 111117-2:

1. John Sebastian: Welcome Back
2. John Fogerty: The Old Man Down the Road
3. Johnny Tillotson: Dreamy Eyes
4. Johnny Nash: I Can See Clearly Now
5. Robert and Johnny: We Belong Together
6. Dr. John: Such a Night
7. Johnny Mathis: Wonderful! Wonderful!
8. Little Willie John: All Around the World
9. Elton John: Sad Songs (Say So Much)
10. Johnny Kidd and the Pirates: Shakin’ All Over
11. Johnny Cymbal: Mr. Bass Man
12. John Cougar Mellencamp: Jack & Diane
13. The Fantastic Johnny C: Boogaloo Down Broadway
14. Johnny and the Hurricanes: Beatnik Fly
15. Johnny Horton: North to Alaska
16. Johnny Rivers: Seventh Son
17. John Stewart: Gold
18. Johnny Cash: A Boy Named Sue
19. John Lennon: Instant Karma (We All Shine On)
20. John Phillips: Mississippi
21. The Johnny Otis Show: Willie and the Hand Jive
22. Daryl Hall and John Oates: Out of Touch
23. Johnnie Taylor: Who’s Making Love
24. Johnny Preston: Cradle of Love
25. Robert John: The Lion Sleeps Tonight
26. Santo and Johnny: Sleep Walk

An overreaction, perhaps, to the Superlong series: these are songs that weigh in at 2:00 or less. (The shortest is “Bluebirds Over the Mountain,” which runs a mere 1:27.) The cover photo was derived from one of those zillions of Worth1000.com Photoshop contests.

Track listing for 111116-2:

1. Buddy Holly: Rave On
2. The Cleftones: Heart and Soul
3. Max Frost and the Troopers: Shape of Things to Come
4. Gene Pitney: (I Wanna) Love My Life Away
5. Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs: Stay
6. Ersel Hickey: Bluebirds Over the Mountain
7. Al Hirt: Java
8. Barry and the Tamerlanes: I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonight
9. The Chiffons: A Love So Fine
10. David Rose and His Orchestra: The Stripper
11. Roger Miller: Dang Me
12. The Aquatones: You
13. The Coasters: Yakety Yak
14. Tommy Roe: Everybody
15. Jerry Lee Lewis: Great Balls of Fire
16. Johnny Burnette: You’re Sixteen
17. Connie Stevens: Sixteen Reasons
18. The Dave Clark Five: Everybody Knows (I Still Love You)
19. Patience and Prudence: Tonight You Belong to Me
20. The Clovers: Love Potion No. 9
21. Gerry and the Pacemakers: How Do You Do It
22. Marianne Faithfull: Summer Nights
23. The Castaways: Liar, Liar
24. Lesley Gore: Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows
25. The Swinging Blue Jeans: Hippy Hippy Shake
26. Herman’s Hermits: I’m Henry VIII, I Am
27. The Everly Brothers: Wake Up Little Susie
28. Fats Domino: I’m in Love Again
29. Eddie Cochran: Sittin’ in the Balcony
30. The Shirelles: Dedicated to the One I Love
31. Dee Clark: Just Keep It Up (And See What Happens)
32. Dick and Dee Dee: Thou Shalt Not Steal
33. James Ray: If You Gotta Make a Fool of Somebody
34. The Caravelles: You Don’t Have to Be a Baby to Cry
35. Dickey Lee: I Saw Linda Yesterday
36. Chris Kenner: I Like It Like That
37. Joey Dee and the Starliters: Peppermint Twist
38. Clyde McPhatter: Lover Please
39. Diane Ray: Please Don’t Talk to the Lifeguard
40. Freddy Cannon: Palisades Park
41. The Dartells: Hot Pastrami
42. The Rolling Stones: Not Fade Away

Well, after 50s, 60s and 70s stuff, what was left? This is a collection of 1980s material, and there probably will be more of it as I get around to it. Cover photo, unlikely as it may seem, comes from Sears.

Track listing for 111115-2:

1. Robert Palmer: Simply Irresistible
2. Kate Bush: Running Up That Hill
3. Todd Rundgren: Bang the Drum All Day
4. Crowded House: Don’t Dream It’s Over
5. Tears for Fears: Head Over Heels
6. Janet Jackson: What Have You Done for Me Lately
7. Johnny Hates Jazz: Shattered Dreams
8. After the Fire: Der Kommissar
9. Cutting Crew: I Just Died in Your Arms
10. Suzanne Vega: Luka
11. Fine Young Cannibals: She Drives Me Crazy
12. The Romantics: Talking in Your Sleep
13. Bananarama: Cruel Summer
14. Tommy Tutone: 867-5309/Jenny
15. Dave Edmunds: Slipping Away
16. Starship: We Built This City
17. Wall of Voodoo: Mexican Radio
18. Exposé: Seasons Change

And still more of that pre-British Invasion pop/R&B stuff, and yet another two-dimensional (and largely dematerialized) doll from the wondrous world of Belle-Sharmeer.

Track listing for 111114-2:

1. Ritchie Valens: Come On, Let’s Go
2. The Ronettes: Baby I Love You
3. Chuck Berry: Sweet Little Sixteen
4. Big Joe Turner: Shake, Rattle and Roll
5. Randy and the Rainbows: Denise
6. Jan Bradley: Mama Didn’t Lie
7. Elvis Presley: (Marie’s the Name) His Latest Flame
8. Domenico Modugno: Nel Blu Dipino Di Blu (Volare)
9. The Coasters: Charlie Brown
10. The Crystals: He’s a Rebel
11. Jerry Butler: Moon River
12. The Chiffons: One Fine Day
13. Little Willie John: Fever
14. Skeeter Davis: I Can’t Stay Mad at You
15. Lou Christie: Two Faces Have I
16. The Raindrops: The Kind of Boy You Can’t Forget
17. The Righteous Brothers: Little Latin Lupe Lu
18. The Students: I’m So Young
19. The Platters: Twilight Time
20. Johnny Tillotson: Poetry in Motion
21. Barbara George: I Know (You Don’t Love Me No More)
22. The El Dorados: At My Front Door (Crazy Little Mama Song)
23. Sam Cooke: Chain Gang
24. Linda Scott: Starlight, Starbright
25. The Fireflies: You Were Mine
26. The Everly Brothers: Cathy’s Clown
27. Mickey and Sylvia: Love Is Strange
28. Bobby Rydell: The Cha-Cha-Cha
29. Jimmy Jones: Handy Man
30. The Drifters: There Goes My Baby
31. The Poni-Tails: Born Too Late
32. Jesse Belvin: Goodnight My Love

The objective here was to fill up a CD-R of car songs without having to resort to either “Freeway of Love” or “Paradise by the Dashboard Light,” both of which are incredibly long and seem even longer. In some of these, the automobiles seem more metaphoric than motorized, which doesn’t bother me at all. There are two Beach Boys tracks, two by Jan and Dean, and two by Chuck Berry, which seems reasonable; the title, of course, comes from the Beatles.

Track listing for 111113-2:

1. The Beatles: Drive My Car
2. Tracy Chapman: Fast Car
3. The Beach Boys: Shut Down
4. Chuck Berry: No Particular Place to Go
5. The Cars: Drive
6. Jan and Dean: Dead Man’s Curve
7. Rose Royce: Car Wash
8. Nervous Norvus: Transfusion
9. Ronny and the Daytonas: G.T.O.
10. The Playmates: Beep Beep
11. The Rip Chords: Hey Little Cobra
12. Sammy Hagar: I Can’t Drive 55
13. Paul Evans: Seven Little Girls Sitting in the Back Seat
14. Jerry Reed: Lord, Mr. Ford
15. Golden Earring: Radar Love
16. Jackie Brenston: Rocket “88″
17. Prince: Little Red Corvette
18. The Beach Boys: Fun, Fun, Fun
19. The Steve Miller Band: Mercury Blues
20. Lou Christie: If My Car Could Only Talk
21. Jan and Dean: Drag City
22. Johnny Cash: One Piece at a Time
23. Chuck Berry: You Can’t Catch Me
24. Janis Joplin: Mercedes Benz
25. Gary Numan: Cars

The twelfth in this seemingly-endless series, and we’re not through yet. The cover photo was scissored out of a Sears hosiery ad.

Track listing for 111112-2:

1. The First Edition: Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)
2. Clarence Carter: Slip Away
3. Cream: Badge
4. Johnny Rivers: Baby I Need Your Lovin’
5. The Rolling Stones: Get Off of My Cloud
6. Herman’s Hermits: Mrs Brown You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter
7. The Supremes: My World Is Empty Without You
8. Bee Gees: New York Mining Disaster 1941
9. The Doors: Light My Fire *
10. J. J. Jackson: But It’s Alright
11. Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart: I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonight
12. The Classics IV: Stormy
13. The Tams: What Kind of Fool (Do You Think I Am)
14. Mitch Ryder: What Now My Love
15. Them: Gloria
16. The Shangri-Las: I Can Never Go Home Anymore
17. Simon and Garfunkel: Homeward Bound
18. Shades of Blue: Oh How Happy
19. The Statler Brothers: Flowers on the Wall
20. The Tremeloes: Suddenly You Love Me
21. Manfred Mann: Mighty Quinn (Quinn the Eskimo)
22. The Four Tops: 7 Rooms of Gloom
23. Lesley Gore: My Town, My Guy and Me
24. The Foundations: Build Me Up Buttercup
25. The Beach Boys: The Little Girl I Once Knew
26. Oliver: Good Morning Starshine
27. Jackie DeShannon: What the World Needs Now Is Love
28. The Beatles: I Am the Walrus

* I need hardly point out that this is the 45 edit.

After the Table for One department at my regular site, this is a collection of songs about the state or condition of being alone, from the mildly depressed to the utterly despondent. The cover shot is a still from the motion picture Untitled: A Love Story.

Track listing for 111111-2:

1. Neil Diamond: Solitary Man
2. Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart
3. The Four Tops: Ask the Lonely
4. Jackie Wilson: Lonely Teardrops
5. The Shepherd Sisters: Alone (Why Must I Be Alone)
6. Art Garfunkel: All I Know
7. The Poppy Family: That’s Where I Went Wrong
8. Peter and Gordon: I Go to Pieces
9. Patsy Cline: I Fall to Pieces
10. Gilbert O’Sullivan: Along Again (Naturally)
11. The Friends of Distinction: Love or Let Me Be Lonely
12. Gene Pitney: It Hurts to Be in Love
13. Little Anthony and the Imperials: Tears on My Pillow
14. Billy Joe Royal: The Greatest Love
15. Faron Young: Hello Walls
16. Reparata and the Delrons: I’m Nobody’s Baby Now
17. Jimmy Ruffin: What Becomes of the Brokenhearted
18. Linda Ronstadt: Hurt So Bad
19. The Vogues: Magic Town
20. Brenda Lee: All Alone Am I
21. The Rascals: (I’ve Been) Lonely Too Long
22. Dionne Warwick: Trains and Boats and Planes
23. Al Green: Tired of Being Alone
24. Roy Orbison: Crying
25. Three Dog Night: One
26. Carpenters: Goodbye to Love
27. The Walker Brothers: The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine (Anymore)