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.

Track 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

I’d still never come up with a compilation idea this brilliant:

We’re starting with a thought that actually came to us almost by accident a few weeks ago, that in this 50 year history of pop music no single drumbeat has had the cultural impact of the four-beat Wrecking Crew seconds of intensity that kicks off Pitchfork’s sixth greatest song of the 60s and Rolling Stone’s 22nd best of all time, the Ronettes’ “Be My Baby”. (Alright, “Funky Drummer” has its fans, but that’s more for its intricacy and the fact it’s had the song named after its fill.) It seems resonant of an era, a genre and a possibility all at the same time, and with its comparative simplicity that even the most amateur of garage band skinbeaters can copy it’s no wonder it’s been co-opted so often in much. Once we’d got the obvious in as track one we found a good 35 or so songs that featured the beat in some way, shape or form, eventually cutting down to a trim 21 replicants, all of which feature it in its purest form and use it at the start or near enough.

And that’s exactly what you get: the original Hal Blaine thunder, and re-creations thereof that fit a lot better than you’d think they do.

I’m not quite sure what’s more amazing: the idea of Scarlett Johansson making a record album — and an album of Tom Waits tunes, at that — or that it’s going to be on Atco, fercryingoutloud.

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?

Track 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

There’s a lot less of it around these days, to be sure.

Case in point: Well-known record dealer John Tefteller has three copies of Meet the Supremes (Motown 606) in his September auction, all three mint, all three still sealed. The minimum bid he’ll take on the mono version is $250; on the stereo, $200.

Both of those have the 1965 reissue cover, which you can see here. The original “stool” cover from late 1962, which shows the girls perched on barstools, used for mono copies only — there was no stereo mix until ‘65 — pushes the price up to $1000.

(Incidentally, I used to follow Tefteller’s auctions in Discoveries, which is being folded into Goldmine starting next month; Tefteller says he’ll stick to the Web from here on out.)

(Update: My Goldmine subscription has started, in lieu of Discoveries, and Tefteller is back into the fold.)

Wendex.net went live on the 3rd of September 2005, so we’ve been up for one year. During those twelve months we’ve posted seventy-six CD compilations, about three years’ work. (Does this mean there will be 25 or so in the next twelve months? I have no idea.)

Not a lot of people visit this site, and not many of them understand why it’s here. Sometimes I’m not so sure myself. But what the heck. As far as Web space goes, it’s use it or lose it, and I’ve got lots of it to use.

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.

Track 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

The intrusions of Real Life and an upgrade to WordPress 2.0.4 got in the way. We’ll be back as soon as there’s something new to post.

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.

Track 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

The sequel to the original One Word contains more songs with a title consisting of, yes, one word. The young lady’s hosiery, if I remember correctly, is Holeproof®. It is perhaps noteworthy that the two acts represented on both discs are Dee Dee Sharp and ZZ Top.

Track listing for 111124-2:

1. Frankie Valli: Grease
2. Major Lance: Rhythm
3. Jan and Dean: Popsicle
4. Heart: Barracuda
5. R.E.M.: Stand
6. The Guess Who: Laughing
7. Rupert Holmes: Him
8. Jim Croce: Operator
9. Dee Dee Sharp: Gravy
10. J. J. Cale: Cocaine
11. Three Dog Night: Liar
12. The Outsiders: Respectable
13. Blondie: Rapture
14. Herman’s Hermits: Dandy
15. The Sheppards: Tragic
16. ZZ Top: Legs
17. The McGuire Sisters: Sugartime
18. Earth, Wind and Fire: Evil
19. Kim Weston: Helpless
20. Desmond Dekker and the Aces: Israelites
21. David Bowie: Fame
22. The Toys: Attack
23. Brick: Dazz
24. Mary Hopkin: Goodbye