Beach Boys Hits, More! The Roamers, Spartas, Jalopy Five, Chellows....

Over the years, I've saved most of the Beach Boys- and Jan and Dean-related material I've found while thrifting, flea-marketing, used-book-store-ing, etc. I let some stuff get away, but that always happens. Can't keep everything. But I saved most of it. And, so, this post is possible.

The surf sounds of Brian Wilson, Jan Berry, Gary Usher, and the rest have traditionally been dismissed as great-sounding fluff--as ever, the value of rock music is determined by the level of its lyrics, the notes and chords be damned. But these are great tunes and great arrangements--both of which shine through even in these chintzy cover versions (which really aren't bad for rushed sessions done on the cheap). These tunes get in our heads and stay there, and those brief, enigmatic chord turns (at the end of every refrain) manage to surprise, even when we're anticipating them. Sometimes simple and brilliant are the same thing.

Yes, the words are pretty dumb--but this is music. Let us not forget.

Anyway, surf's up! ("Yes? You called?"--Sir Fuhsup.)

Click here to reach the files: Beach Boys Hits, More! Parts 1 and 2

SURFLIST

I GET AROUND--The Roamers (Hit Records)
FUN, FUN, FUN--The Jalopy Five (Hit Records)
DANCE, DANCE, DANCE--The Spartas (Hit Records)
SURFER GIRL--The Jalopy Five (Modern Sound 518)
CALIFORNIA GIRLS--The Chellows (Hit Records)
BE TRUE TO YOUR SCHOOL--The Roamers (Hit Records)
WHEN I GROW UP (TO BE A MAN)--The Roamers (Hit Records)
LITTLE HONDA--The Super Stocks, Feat. Gary Usher, 1964 (Capitol)
GOOD VIBRATIONS--Floyd Cramer, 1967 (RCA Victor)
DO IT AGAIN--Ronnie Aldrich, pianos, w. London Festival Orch. (Phase 4)
SURF CITY--(Song Hits 24)
LITTLE OLD LADY FROM PASADENA--The Roamers (Hit Records)
SIDEWALK SURFIN'--The Jalopy Five (Hit Records)
RIDE THE WILD SURF--The Roamers (Hit Records)
SURF CITY--Jimmy and Joe (Hit Records)


Lee

BAM! BAM! THUMP-THUMP-THUMP!!! TELL MUH WHAT YOU WON'T!!!!

The hideous noise behind the latest Dell TV ad:

"Tell muh what you won't. Tell muh what you knee."

Not, to my surprise, recorded inside a crate. I would have sworn. About 2/3 of the way through, the drummer drops the Bam-Bam imitation and plays some actual drum figures. Too late to save the song, which is beyond hope, anyway. Doomed from the downbeat, really.

To fully enjoy this stuff, it's best to slam yourself over the head several times with a shovel. (Borrow one from the drummer.) If you're still awake, repeat.

The mute button--God's gift to humanity.

BAM BAM BAM BAM THUMP THUMP (AREN'T WE CLEVER) THUMP BUMP BAM BAM


Lee

More Off-Burt Burt Gems--Ray Martin, Nick Noble, Elvis, more!

Fifteen off-Burt gems, all ripped from my vinyl collection. This is some the more off-Burt Burt material I've thrifted, eBayed, or flea-marketed over the years. Burt material that's anywhere from slightly to notably off the Burt-en trail.

You know, "off-Burt" seemed like good word play when it occurred to me. It's possible I was drunk. Anyway, some great sounds to be heard here.

Click here to reach the two files:

More Off-Burt Gems, Parts 1 and 2.


PLAYLIST--Part 1

JUANITA'S PLACE--Burt Bacharach Orch. and Chorus, 1966.
ANY DAY NOW--Elvis Presley, 1969.
THE WORLD IS A CIRCLE--(Disneyland 1352), 1973.
LIVING TOGETHER, GROWING TOGETHER--(Disneyland 1352), 1973.
THE WINDOWS OF THE WORLD--Ray Martin and His O., 1967.
ALFIE--Chuck Kirkland, organ.
CASINO ROYALE--Pete Fountain, 1967.
THEY DON'T GIVE MEDALS TO YESTERDAY'S HEROES--Ben E. King, 1966.

PLAYLIST--Part 2

THIS EMPTY PLACE--The Fortunes, 1965.
THE LOOK OF LOVE--Nick Noble, 1969.
TO WAIT FOR LOVE--Nick Noble, 1969.
WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW IS LOVE--Terry Baxter Orch., 1971.
WHAT'S NEW, PUSSYCAT?--Peter Nero, 1966.
DO YOU KNOW THE WAY TO SAN JOSE--Robert Goulet, 1968.
TO WAIT FOR LOVE--The Billy Vaughn Singers, 1968.


Lee

Sunday morning gospel--Sacred shellac!

Using this blog's search box for various titles (to see if I'd previously posted them and/or when), I was surprised to discover the number of previous "Sacred Shellac" entries--five or six, maybe. I post so much on this blog, I forget what I posted. Blog Over-post Syndrome, or something.

Which is probably not on Google. Let's check. (Google: "Blog Over-post Syndrome.") Nope. Not there. Not as enclosed in quotes, anyway.

By the way, Blogger has a new feature wherein it matches both an enclosed ("-") phrase and that phrase without quotes. Have you encountered this yet? I'm not sure I find this very useful. Annoying, maybe. Yes. But we're here to hear some good ol' gospel music.

Which raises an interesting issue. Rewind to last week's choral selections--especially the wonderful Send the Light. Save for the fast tempo, the Fairfield Highland Baptist Church Choir's version was probably the most authentic I've ever found--i.e., more true to the period in which it was written. Yet, such terms as "old-timey," "authentic," and "good ol'" are far more likely to be applied to such Send the Light versions as The Chuck Wagon Gangs' Carter-style take from the Sixties or The Lewis Family's rapid, banjo-based live version. Why? Because these versions are more in line with our stereotype of old-time(y), authentic, and good ol'. When, in fact, the Fairfield Highland Baptist Church Choir got a lot closer to the original sound and feel, at least in the case of the 1890 Light. Interesting, no? (Now, if only someone would revive that song's lost bass-lead middle section.)

Nothing against those other two groups, whom I love. Just saying.

Similarly, we have some excellent old-timey/good ol' stuff today, though of a type 1) not usually regarded as such, and 2) worse, traditionally ridiculed by music bloggers. For instance, Only a Beam of Sunshine is the kind of song Little Marcy might have done. After all, she did a number of Sunday School songs from the Ira Sankey and Homer Rodeheaver periods--the type we'll be hearing a bunch of today. And in pre-Marcy versions!

Escape, escape. Before it's too late. Run!!

Anyway, just to let you know. I want you to realize what downloading this material could (and probably will) mean to your mp3-Blogosphere cred.

Anyway, gorgeous old-time gospel quartet singing of the 1922 variety with the Chautauqua Preachers' Quartet, who give us Hold the Fort and The Wayside Cross--the latter a dramatic, concert-type ballad whose lyrics can be found at the wonderful Cyberhymnal site: The Wayside Cross. Can you beat "Near, near thee, my son, is the old wayside cross, Like a gray friar cowled, in lichens and moss; And its crossbeam will point to the bright golden span,That bridges the waters so safely for man; That bridges the waters so safely for man"? Fabulous.

Then, Carter-Family-style singing from the Johnson Family Singers (who gave us Betty Johnson of Little Blue Man fame), followed by some superbly polished Forties/Fifties-style Southern quartet singing from The Dixie Four. Quartet evolution in action--and you were there. Unless you took off when I mentioned Little Marcy.

More conventionally old-timey is the hillbilly-style duet on The Unclouded Day and the Vaughan Quartet's two superb numbers (which have shown up at this blog twice before). What else can I say? Oh, yeah--dig the wonderful echo on Where the Gates Swing Outward Never.

Click here to reach the zip files and lose your mp3-Blogosphere cred: Sunday Morning Gospel, Apr. 13, 2008--Pts. 1 and 2.


PLAYLIST

OLD-FASHIONED COTTAGE IN HEAVEN--The Johnson Family Singers, 1952.
DELIVERANCE WILL COME--The Johnson Family Singers, 1951.
THE UNCLOUDED DAY--Chas. Richardson, O.S. Gabehart, 1929.
JUST TAKE IT TO JESUS--The Dixie Four.
NOAH--The Dixie Four.
THE SABBATH MORN (THE HOLY CITY)--Harry Macdonough, 1909.
ONLY A BEAM OF SUNSHINE (Crosby-Sweeney)--Macdonough and Bieling, 1908.
HOLD THE FORT (P.P. Bliss)--The Chautauqua Preachers' Q., 1914.
THE WAYSIDE CROSS--The Chautauqua Preachers' Quartette, 1914.
LIFE'S RAILWAY TO HEAVEN--Charles Harrison-Clifford Cairns, 1922.
THE HARBOR BELL (Yates-Sankey)--Harrison-Cairns, 1922.
HIS CHARMING LOVE--Vaughan Quartet, 1928.
I WANT TO GO THERE, DON'T YOU?--Vaughan Quartet, 1928.
A PICTURE FROM LIFE'S OTHER SIDE--Bradley Kincaid, 1930.
WHERE THE GATES SWING OUTWARD NEVER (Gabriel)--Homer Rodeheaver, Henry Burr, 1927.




Lee