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: Alone 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)

Some more of that pre-British Invasion pop/R&B stuff, and yet another two-dimensional doll from the wondrous world of Belle-Sharmeer.

Track listing for 111110-2:

1. The Danleers: One Summer Night
2. Del Shannon: Hats Off to Larry
3. Rosie and the Originals: Angel Baby
4. Brook Benton: The Boll Weevil Song
5. The Jive Five: My True Story
6. Connie Francis: Lipstick on Your Collar
7. Sunny and the Sunglows: Talk to Me
8. The Five Satins: In the Still of the Nite
9. Ernie K-Doe: Mother-in-Law
10. Mary Wells: You Beat Me to the Punch
11. Dion and the Belmonts: A Teenager in Love
12. The Tams: Untie Me
13. The Everly Brothers: All I Have to Do Is Dream
14. Bobby Darin: Mack the Knife
15. The Flamingos: I Only Have Eyes for You
16. Dick Dale and His Del-Tones: Let’s Go Trippin’
17. The Orlons: Don’t Hang Up
18. The Echoes: Baby Blue
19. Jack Scott: Goodbye Baby
20. Brenda Lee: Dum Dum
21. Cookie and His Cupcakes: Matilda
22. Screamin’ Jay Hawkins: I Put a Spell on You
23. Elvis Presley: (You’re the) Devil in Disguise
24. The Cookies: Chains
25. Thurston Harris: Little Bitty Pretty One
26. The Coasters: Searchin’
27. Buddy Holly: Peggy Sue
28. Chubby Checker: The Twist
29. The 4 Seasons: Big Girls Don’t Cry
30. The Olympics: Western Movies
31. Gene Pitney: Every Breath I Take

Another batch of instrumentals, ending as usual with one with words of a sort, and decorated as usual with killer gams.

Track listing for 111109-2:

1. Cozy Cole: Topsy II
2. Angelo Badalamenti: Theme from Twin Peaks
3. Robert Maxwell and His Orchestra: Shangri-Las
4. Davie Allan and the Arrows: Blue’s Theme
5. Henry Mancini: Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet
6. Herbie Hancock: Rockit
7. Al Hirt: Java
8. Walter Wanderley: Summer Samba (So Nice)
9. Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass: Carmen
10. Meco: Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band
11. The Village Stompers: Washington Square
12. Lonnie Mack: Memphis
13. Kai Winding: More
14. Boots Randolph: Yakety Axe
15. Billy Joe and the Checkmates: Percolator (Twist)
16. Ray Charles: One Mint Julep
17. The Rumblers: Boss
18. Mason Williams: Greensleeves
19. Perez Prado: Patricia
20. Reg Owen and His Orchestra: Manhattan Serenade
21. Booker T. and the MGs: Time Is Tight
22. Paul Mauriat and His Orchestra: Love in Every Room
23. Link Wray and His Ray Men: Rumble
24. Charles Randolph Grean Sounde: Star Trek
25. The Virtues: Guitar Boogie Shuffle
26. Dave “Baby” Cortez: The Happy Organ
27. Les Baxter and His Orchestra: The Poor People of Paris
28. Neal Hefti and His Orchestra: Batman Theme

At some point I must have decided that I needed a single-disc Rolling Stones compilation, and this is it. About half these tracks are in mono, either because that’s all there is or because I thought it sounded better than the stereo. (I don’t think there’s ever going to be a really good-sounding “Have You Seen Your Mother Baby.”) David Osborne took the cover photo at Boulder Rock in Western Australia.

Track listing for 111108-2 (all tracks by The Rolling Stones):

1. I Wanna Be Your Man
2. Not Fade Away
3. It’s All Over Now
4. Tell Me
5. Time Is on My Side
6. Heart of Stone
7. The Last Time
8. Play with Fire
9. (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction
10. Get Off of My Cloud
11. As Tears Go By
12. 19th Nervous Breakdown
13. Paint It, Black
14. Mother’s Little Helper
15. Lady Jane
16. Have You Seen Your Mother Baby, Standing in the Shadow?
17. Ruby Tuesday
18. Dandelion
19. She’s a Rainbow
20. Jumpin’ Jack Flash
21. Sympathy for the Devil
22. Street Fighting Man
23. Honky Tonk Women
24. Brown Sugar