Easter 2011!!

Hoppy Easter! Today, I offer you the usual Easter mix of sacred, secular, and silly. Two versions of Robe of Calvary, and I meant to designate the artists in the mp3 titles--sorry! One is George Beverly Shea, the other Sonny Til and the Orioles.

I need to renew my search for Easter novelties. (Note to self: renew search for, etc.)

All but one of these are my rips.

Link: Easter 2011

PLAYLIST

HE LIVES--Ralph Carmichael Choir, 1965.
JESUS LIVES!--Trinity Quartet, 1922.
O SACRED HEAD SURROUNDED--Trinity Quartet, 1922.
HE BORE IT ALL--Smith's Sacred Singers, 1927.
THE PALMS--Harry Macdonough, 1908.
SILLY EASTER BONNET--Linda Barrie, w. the Peter Pan Orch.
FUNNY LITTLE BUNNIES--The Crickets, w. the Peter Pan Orch.
BUNNY HOP--Peter Pan Orch. and Singers, 1955.
MAKE LIKE A BUNNY, HONEY--Jill Corey, w. Jimmy Carroll Orch. and Cho., 1957.
AT CALVARY--Jerome Hines.
ROBE OF CALVARY--George Beverly Shea, 1957.
HALLELUJAH FOR THE CROSS--Myrtle Baptist Church Choir.
EASTER CHIMES (Hartsfeld)--Lee Hartsfeld, 2006.
ROBE OF CALVARY--Sonny Til and the Orioles, 1954.
CHRIST AROSE--The Hayden Quartet, 1908.


Lee

Happy (almost) Easter 2011!!

Acoustical polkas, more!

Though today's post contains some vintage polka sides, it isn't part of the "Polka Time!" series, which I may or my not continue. (If anyone especially wants to hear more of those Dana and Decca sides, give me a holler, as they say.)

There are six polkas in this list, and two were recorded acoustically (before microphones) in 1924 1922. They are my first-ever acoustical polka sides, and they contain whistling backed by a band featuring woodblocks (or someone rapping on a table). I have no idea what I just typed. The next two are lively 1937 sides, and the remaining polkas are "bohemian," i.e. Czech. They sound to my ears like Polish polkas given a German touch. No definite year on the Czech sides, but I'm guessing 1934-ish. Note how much they sound like the big-band polkas we associate with the '40s and beyond.

Then, two 1930 Nat Shilkret sides--the first, Baby's Birthday Party, includes the very pleasant surprise of a shuffle-style blues section. A swing-era moment contained within a Twenties-sounding chart. Other moments to die for: the twin-piano portion of Joseph C. Smith's 1919 Patches, and the vocal quartet on Paul Whiteman's No More Worryin'. And we have a Tops label cover of Peggy Lee's big hit of 1953, Lover. Not as bad as I remember it (from years ago), but still pretty sub-Gordon Jenkins and Decca.

All ripped by me from 78s in my collection. Enjoy.

Click here to hear: Acoustical polkas, music!

PLAYLIST

BALNAYA POLKA/MAZURKA--A. Petroff, whistling solo (Columbia E-7813; 1922)
KRESTYANSKAYA POLKA--Same.
PIES I KOT--Polish Polka--Wasyl Gula w. I Jego Nowa Modan Ork. (Col. 18652-F; 1937)
YA I TI--Polish Oberek--Same.
KDO JE RAD VESELY MUZIKAM PLATI--Polka (Bohemian)--Harry Sandauer a Jeho Soliste (Victor V-1066; circa 1934)
FLAMENDR--Polka--Same.
BABY'S BIRTHDAY PARTY--Nat Shilkret and the Victor Orch., 1930.
THE WEDDING OF THE BIRDS--Same.
PATCHES (Roberts)--Joseph C. Smith O., w. Hugo Frey/Frank Banta, pianos; 1919.
I MIGHT BE YOUR "ONCE IN A WHILE"--Medley (Herbert)--Same.
LOVER--Mimi Martel and the Hal Lomen Orch. (Tops 334)
NO MORE WORRYIN'--Paul Whiteman Orch., 1926.


Lee

A site worth checking out, regardless

I refer to We Are Controlling Transmission: We Are....

At WACT, John Scoleri and Peter Enfantino joke back and forth as they trash the Sixties sci-fi anthology, The Outer Limits (1963-65). If you've always been looking for such a forum, look no more. The two watch and review all 49 episodes and treat the feat as if it were a journey few have dared, which is kind of odd but par for the Internet, where everything is the first time. I think a better title for the blog, where two-star ratings are about the average, is We Don't Think Much of This Series. A little truth in advertising, you know.

So why check it out? For one thing, because of the fantastic photos, both archival and screen-capture. (I've always wanted to use "screen-capture" as an adjective.) And, more than anything else, because of the amazing fanzine surveys. Oh, and vintage press for the show. These more than make up for the "Why are the special effects so crappy?"-level insights of Scoleri and Enfantino.

We have to wonder--if a "classic" TV show rates about two stars overall, what would an ordinary program rate? Minus seven? I've searched for an answer from my inner mind to the outer limits, but all I come up with is what I had for supper last night.

I can't wait for this team to joke over some more classic shows they don't like. I should mention the blog is packed with special pieces written by people who rate the show higher (usually much higher) than so-so. The disconnect could make for an especially weird Outer Limits episode.


Lee

Sunday morning gospel: The Segos--Old Time Singing

Yet more great gospel of the down-home variety, this time from the Segos, a.k.a. The Sego Bros. and Naomi. I had to do some audio fix-up on this, but it was effort well spent. And observe how well I removed all traces of the Goodwill price sticker from this image. (I think, anyway.)

Speaking of Goodwill, I've been (reluctantly) getting rid of books I don't "need," and I just gave a couple of boxes to a local Goodwill. One of the loading-spot employees claimed that my books had "a strong mildew odor." Which didn't happen to be the case--I don't keep things with a strong mildew odor. But I simply said something like, "Oh."

It hurts when your books aren't good enough for Goodwill.... Anyway, to the music:

Click here to hear: Segos--Old Time Singing

PLAYLIST

THE GREAT SPECKLED BIRD
GOOD MORNING, NEIGHBOR
THERE'S A PAYDAY (FOR THE SAINTS OF THE LORD)
BROKEN PIECES
HAPPY DAY (Hughes/Benson)
HERE TODAY--GONE TOMORROW
I'VE GOT THAT OLD TIME RELIGION
I'VE BEEN BORN AGAIN
THE LIGHTS OF HOME
I'M BUILDING A BRIDGE (Abernathy)


Lee