I know nearly nothing about the Family Library of Recorded Music label, except that this R&B vocal group recorded for it (on another issue), and that it had very cool picture sleeves. I don't have the one that came with my disc, but I found this one on Google Images:
I suspect the sleeve to my disc looked about the same, as there seems to have been a standard design for the the label's"Your Family Library Hit Parade" series, which I think my disc is a part of. Granted, the words "Your Family Library Hit Parade" do not appear on my label, but inconsistency between sleeve (or jacket) and label are almost the rule with these cheap outfits, so the absence of this phrase on the label may not mean a thing. I hate having to do so much suspecting and guessing and "may not" and "seems to have" but that's a big part of the torture of collecting cheap labels. I mean, that's a big part of the fun of collecting cheap labels.
On track 4, we have the famous Perry Como sound-alike vocalist Johnny Kay, but, oddly enough, not on either of the Como hits (Say You're Mine Again, Wild Horses). Kay, of course, is known for his stuff on Synthetic Plastics Co. labels like Promenade and Diplomat; Premier Albums, Inc. labels like Coronet and Spin-O-Rama; and Sutton.
Here are the singers on the 1953 originals being faked on this EP:
Side by Side--Kay Starr
Say You're Mine Again--Perry Como
Till I Waltz Again With You--Teresa Brewer
Pretend--Nat King Cole
Your Cheating Heart--Joni James
Wild Horses--Perry Como
We get the fakes. By the way, I recently talked about how much better my MAGIX filters work compared to the VinylStudio filters, but I have to take that back--the VS click scanner is far superior to M's DeClicker and far less work. Sorry about that, MAGIX. One application of VS click filtering on this noisy EP and I was left with only a handful of clicks to manually remove. Unreal.
Wild Horses, of course, is a rip of Schumann's The Wild Horseman, from Album for the Young. I was a piano student, so I caught it right away when I first heard the track about 35 years ago, around the start of my Perry Como phase. As noted before, the closest we get to Perry on this EP is Mr. Kay. Fun fakes, uncommon label.
Click here to hear: Family Library of Recorded Music 1044 (prob. 1953)
Side By Side--Lucille Dane
Say You're Mine Again--Fred Peters
Till I Waltz Again with You--Pat O'Dea
Pretend--Johnny Kay
Your Cheating Heart--Lucille Dane
Wild Horses--Johnny Dane
Family Library of Recorded Music 1044, prob. 1953
Lee
10 comments:
Now you have me listening to all these records against my better judgment - after I have been ignoring them for 60 years.
One of them is playing right now, in fact - the LP with the arrow-in-heart cover. It's good!
I always thought these were a little better than most folks give them credit for, I am curious this time though to hear someone croon like Mr. Como. Never realized until recently how much he and Dino sounded alike...tough to distinguish with eyes closed many times. Thanks, Lee.
After a comparison, the ladies on the wannabe cuts are pretty good, sorta close.The men...no way. Fred Peters sings and sounds like Dick Haymes to me, Johnny Cole is no NKC, and Johnny Dane is, well, I guess Johnny Dane. But they're all decent singers. Lucille Dane does a nice Joni James.
Now I'm hooked on these again, Lee. Not a bad habit.
Hi Lee - All the best to you. You bring so much joy to so many. Hang in there! I am sure things will get better.
Thanks, Buster. I see that my deleted comment stayed up for you. I don't understand how some browsers hang on to things and others don't. Unless you were still up when I posted it.
I subscribed to the comments, so it came to me when it was posted.
I do hope that everything turns out well for you. Losing someone can be intensely traumatic; I know from experience. My father died when I was young and my wife died about 13 years ago. (I am happily remarried.)
Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you!
I don't think I've seen any records in this series, but I've seen plenty of the three-selection-to-a-side 45s. Cramming a lot of music in there to save a buck, I guess.
This is so cool.
Buster,
Thanks again! I didn't realize that about comment subscription. Does that go with being a member? I've always wondered about all the revisions I make after posting things--I wonder if people get multiple notifications? I totally revamped my most recent post (Promenade--Rock 'n Roll) after putting it up--I was trying to make points about cheap labels in general, then realized I had made points specific to the SPC group (Promenade, Prom, Peter Pan). I could not let this stand, because, um... er....
DonHo57,
I really appreciate your comments. I agree there was quite a similarity between Dino and Perry's singing, though for some reason I love the latter and am indifferent to Dino. However, "Memories Are Made of This" is one of my all-time favorites. And I agree that the fakes are better than their reputation suggests--much better, really. There's something downright fishy about how good they are, something that doesn't comply with our stereotype of dime store labels operating on the fringe.
Ernie,
But... but they were giving us MORE for our buck. Er, weren't they?
Gilmarvinyl,
It's awesome, yes! Can't remember what I paid for it. Probably a little more than I usually would, because it's so uncommon.
Lee,
I only get the revisions to the comments, not your articles themselves.
Like you, I revise my posts after publishing. Often this is because I have caught a typo or repeated word, but at times I do clarify some of my foggier prose.
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