Sunday morning gospel: The Looper Trio--The Gospel in Song

My fourth LP by this wonderful trio from Monterey, Tennessee. Best of this distinguished group of tracks: an a cappella version of Were You There. LP produced and recorded by Midwest Gospel Sound Records of Dayton, Ohio. My other three Looper Trio offerings are still up and running--here are the posts: Life Beyond Death, The Holy Hills of Home, and Singing on the Way.

And, thanks to That's All Rite Mama, we have the release year: 1971. That was about my guess.

And today's offering: The Gospel in Song.

TRACKLIST

ONE DAY NEARER HOME
WHEN THE CALL COMES
GREAT GILDED HALL
HE SAVED MY SOUL
I'M WORKING ON A BUILDING
AT SUN DOWN
THAT GREAT GREAT DAY
STRENGTH IN THE LORD
I'LL BE IN HEAVEN
ALTAR OF PRAYER
THE VOICE OF MY SAVIOUR
WERE YOU THERE


The Gospel in Song--The Looper Trio (Midwest Gospel Sound Records 28347/8)


Lee

Popular Melodies of Chopin--Elly Ellason and Orch. (Hudson 235)

One of my favorite LP jackets of all time. And the music--easy-listening renditions of Chopin a la 1945 Andre Kostelanetz--is great fun. Fidelity is decent, save for crappy-sounding highs, and the musicianship (I'm guessing this was made in Europe on the cheap) is first-rate.

What I love most about this album, though, is the unbelievable cheapness of packaging, in which six selections are turned into eight by repeating portions of two tracks. It's the outer limits of cheap-label chutzpah. Specifically, Nocturne and Polonaise are partial repeats of Polonaise, Op. 53 (better known as Till the End of Time) and Nocturne, Op. 9. Of course, this scam only works if the listener isn't paying attention, has a poor short-term memory, or both.

I've never before encountered this particular method of playlist padding--I'm impressed. Don't get me wrong--cheap labels specialize in the reuse of material from LP to LP. It's their preferred method of deceptive marketing. But to pull this stunt within a single release--incredible! Of course, it makes me love this album all the more.

The music is so fun, you won't mind the pair of partial repeats. (Always wanted to type that.) Great fun, great cheapness, great budget cover. And I found a very clean copy, to boot. I must be in good graces with the thrifting god--hopefully, I can stay there.

To the Chopin: Popular Melodies of Chopin--Elly Ellason and Orch.

PLAYLIST

NOCTURNE, OP. 9
POLONAISE, OP. 53
FUNEBRE MARCH, OP. 35
NOCTURE (Partial repeat of Track 1)
MINUTE WALTZ POLONAISE (Partial repeat of track 2)
ETUDE OP. 10 No. 3
POLONAISE, OP. 40

Popular Melodies of Chopin--Elly Ellason and Orch. (Hudson 235)


Lee

Novelty Festival, Volume 3!!--"Ain't Got a Hit," "Mr. Grillon," "Sinner's Train," more!

Ah, what novelties we have today. (In fact, what novelties do we have today?) Let me check the list.... Ah. Good ones.

For example, the November 10, 1958 Billboard pick, Mr. Grillon, which I featured last time around as Mr. Drillon. That's what happens when you can't read your own typing. And it's the second time on the blog for Merv Griffin's hilarious Ain't Got a Hit (to the tune of Wish You Were Here), in which Merv says the sh- word, and a couple others.

Then there's Sinner's Train, one of my favorite records at any speed, and just astonishingly well done. This 1956 Art Mooney side bears no resemblance to that bandleader's fun faux-Twenties sides of the late 1940s like I'm Looking Over a Four-Leaf Clover and Paddlin' Madeline Home, two numbers that "serious" record collectors love as much as I can't get enough Led Zeppelin. Tarrentela Rock is the kind of record that my Dad considered the epitome of excrement--sharply-delineated triplets (duh, duh, duh/duh, duh, duh, etc.), bone-simple harmony, and background exhortations that make little sense (though I love the guy who goes "Bay-beh!" at the fade-out).

Meanwhile, and despite its title, there's no screaming anywhere in I Love Him So Much (I Could Scream). They should have borrowed the Tarrentela musicians. And there are a bunch of other sides. Hear them here: Novelty Festival, Vol. 3

PLAYLIST I LOVE HIM SO MUCH (I COULD SCREAM)--Peggy Lloyd, 1954.
SINNER'S TRAIN--Art Mooney Orch. and Cho., 1956. (MGM 45)
HELLO, IS THAT YOU?--The (Original) Red Tops, 1957.
HESITATION (Winterhalter)--Hugo Winterhalter Orch., 1952. (RCA 45)
TARRENTELA ROCK--Frank Sandy and the King's Men, 1958. (MGM 45)
FLIGHT 88 (Linda)--Rosa Linda, piano, 1953. (Allen label 78)
ONE BEER--Chuck Murphy w. Pee Wee Erwin, 1953. (Coral label 78)
MISS AMERICA! (Bernie Wayne)--Johnny Desmond, 1955. (Coral 45)
YOU DON'T KNO' WHAT LONESOME IS--Perry Como, Sons of the Pioneers, 1951.
HAPPY DAYS THEME--The Pop Singers and Orch. (Peter Pan 8185)
BROTHER FATS--Ray Anthony O. w. Gloria Craig, Skyliners, 1951. (Capitol 45)
CARAVAN--Martin and Brown, the Harmonic Duo, 1951. (Republic label 45)
TABU (Lecuona)--Rose Linda, piano, 1953. (Allen label 78)
MR. GRILLON--The Archibald Players, 1958. (Arch label 45)
AIN'T GOT A HIT--Merv Griffin (78 w. no label info)

Lee

Novelty Festival, Part 2--Boogie, "Huh?", "I Walk the Line Polka," more!

Boogie rules in our latest playlist, though we also have a spiritual by the Ames Brothers, a pop-Cuban number by Mitch Miller, an I Walk the Line Polka by Ed Podolak, and a great Eddie Sauter composition (Hangover Square--not related to Bernard Herrmann's movie score) played by Ray McKinley, who also shows up with Mitch singing his very own Bunk House Boogie, with Stan (Come on-a My House) Freeman on blues harpsichord. Serenade for Horns and Horn Belt Boogie were composed by Alec Wilder.

And, making its fifth or sixth appearance, Huh? by the Top Kicks (1954). "A title that speaks for all victims of the Communication Age," I called this in 2005 when I first featured it. All ripped from my collection--eight from 78s. I live to find records like these.

So, you see, I do have a life. I mean, sort of. To the music: Click here to hear: Novelty Festival, Part 2


PLAYLIST HUH?--The Top Kicks, 1954 (Guyden)
I WALK THE LINE POLKA--Ed Podolak and His O. (Rex)
HANGOVER SQUARE (E. Sauter)--Ray McKinley and His O.. 1946 (Majestic)
SERENADE FOR HORNS (A. Wilder)--Mitch Miller w. Stan Freeman, 1951 (Columbia) HORN BELT BOOGIE (A. Wilder)--Same.
BUNK HOUSE BOOGIE (McKinley)--Same, with Ray McKinley, vocal, 1952 (Columbia)
CUBAN NIGHTINGALE--Miller, Chorus, Freeman, 1952 (Columbia)
A 2-D GAL IN A 3-D TOWN--Chuck Miller w. Pee Wee Erwin, 1953 (Coral)
SHADRACK--The Ames Brothers, 1952 (Coral)
CANDY BAR BOOGIE (EIGHT BITES TO THE BAR)--Same, 1953.
THE SHEIK OF ARABY--Same, 1952.
TABBY THE CAT--Pied Pipers, Paul Weston O., 1944 (Capitol)
WILD BILL HICKOK--Slim Boyd & His Range Riders (Coronet)
LITTLE JOE FROM CHICAGO--Andy Kirk and His Clouds of Joy, 1957 (RCA)
RAG MOP--Ralph Flanagan and His O., 1958 (RCA)




Lee

Sunday morning gospel: Roy and Dale--Sweet Hour of Prayer (1957)

From 1957, Roy and Dale in lush and laid-back arrangements of such first-rate hymns as Since Jesus Came Into My Heart, Love Lifted Me, and Sweet Hour of Prayer. Until this evening, I was under the impression that eight of these tracks had appeared earlier in this collection, but on-line discographies tell me the earlier collection is from 1949. I did not know that. Thanks, Internet. (Especially, this Roy Rogers page.)

Two of the duets, Love Lifted Me and Charles Gabriel's He Is So Precious to Me, sound as if they were written for Roy and Dale (they weren't, of course), and the thoughtful versions of What a Friend (solo Roy) and Since Jesus Came Into My Heart (solo Dale) are a nice alternative to the less fancy readings we usually hear. A more ordinary treatment of The Old Rugged Cross would have worked a lot better, though, in this blogger's opinion. Duet all the way, simpler arrangement--but no one asked me then or now. Overall, a superior collection.

Orchestra and chorus data should come with the mp3s, unless my tagging software isn't doing its job.

To the Roy and Dale: Sweet Hour of Prayer-- Roy Rogers and Dale Evans


WHAT A FRIEND
IN THE GARDEN
THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD IS JESUS
THE OLD RUGGED CROSS
NEAR TO THE HEART OF GOD
NEAR THE CROSS
SWEET HOUR OF PRAYER
I LOVE TO TELL THE STORY
WHERE HE LEADS ME
HE IS SO PRECIOUS TO ME (Charles H. Gabriel)
SINCE JESUS CAME INTO MY HEART (McDaniel-Gabriel)
LOVE LIFTED ME

Roy Rogers and Dale Evans--Sweet Hour of Prayer (RCA LPM-1439; 1957)

Lee