The Stroll, Tequila, Short Shorts, Charlie Brown--ever wanted to hear up to six different fake-hit versions of these rock and roll classics? No? Oh. Well, that's what I have for you today, anyway. Now, as a general rule, we observe fewer and fewer fake-hit versions as the 1950s progress, with the late '50s the start of the tradition of two--or, at most, three--different fakes per given chart hit. Two or three at best. Which means that a couple outfits were leasing their masters. Just my guess. I'm not counting the Waldorf and Bell labels, which did their own stuff (the other labels did a lot of swapping), though Waldorf was obviously absorbed by someone circa 1959--Pickwick, probably. You can tell, because instead of Artie Malvin, Enoch Light, and Loren Becker, suddenly these folks were replaced by fake-sounding artist credits. You never know who owned whom or when with these labels.
So, there was a trend toward fewer fake-hit versions per hit as the '50s went to. So, naturally, it's an amazing and super-interesting thing to me when I discover glaring exceptions to that trend--such as six versions apiece (!) of Short Shorts and Tequila, and four of The Stroll. How to explain? I think the answer lies in the lack of planning and organization which lie (lied? a dictionary gives that as the past tense) at the heart of the cheap operations. Without checking, I'll assume for the fun of assuming that Tequila was a huge overnight success. The cheapies wanted to rush out and siphon off some of its sales, but it had to be NOW, so there was no waiting for, say, Prom and Broadway to do their own versions and then lease those masters. Instead, they bellied up and did their own label-unique fakes. That's one theory.
OR... it's simply that 1958--the year of the three hits I named--was a period of transition. Things were moving toward the two-version norm, but they hadn't quite settled into that pattern, and so we get these sudden major fake-hit peaks. Yes, I actually just typed "sudden major fake-hit peaks."
I find the fact of six versions of Short Shorts more interesting than the six versions themselves, though I do--Go knows why--love listening to multiple rushed-out versions of hit song, all in a row--it's fun and amusing to me. But that's me. I don't pretend to be typical--no one would believe me for a second. Normal, yes. Normal, contrary to the popular take, covers a very wide range. You have to be really out there to leave the orbit of normal. But leaving the orbit of typical is almost child's play.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy this crazy-obsessive playlist. This is a delayed post, and it follows one heck of a week, which started with two days minus phone service, a fried modem, a fried Network Interface Card in my (fomer) PC, and a UFO in my back yard. No, just kidding about the fried modem. Anyway, PC problems, and my Lenovo was at the point where sinking money into it was going to become more trouble and expense than I could possibly justify--so I bought this new HP PC. It's a gorgeous machine. That's a fact--a fact which makes its Radio Shack-reject DVD drive a curious and unacceptable thing. I burn a lot of CD-Rs, and, in the space of only a day, TWO CD-Rs have gotten pushed into the wrong place, necessitating removal of the tower cover to coax out the discs. There's a cramped opening to the left of the drive, and the slightest misalignment of the CD or DVD disc in the transport thingie can send it there. I felt foolish for doing it, but then the Best Buy Geek Squad guy did the exact same thing when I took in the tower, so.... But I don't feel like having to pull the tower out, unscrew the side, and fish out lost CDs and DVDs on a regular basis. I mean, HP could have sunk a couple more bucks into the set-up. Good grief. I'm thinking of the analogy of a luxury car with Nerf Ball rubber on the steering wheel.
So this is me back at the blog--and you didn't even know I was gone. No time to do a Sunday post, I'm sorry to say, but things will be back to, um, normal in no time. As for Windows 10, I can only conclude that its designers possess brains whose atoms are scattered across the universe. It's the least linear thing I've ever encountered, outside of baby talk or MSNBC explanations for why Hillary lost. However, I've gotten all my downloaded programs on here, found the installation disc for my ancient Epson scanner (which means I don't have to buy a new ArcSoft program), have managed to turn off a lot of annoying prompts and Windows 10-style attempts at misdirection, and so things are going okay. Until the net time I scream at this thing.
Fakes in a row. Waiting for you below. (Depending upon how you feel about these tings, "waiting for you below" can have a sinister sound and connotation....)
DOWNLOAD: More Fakes in a Row
Talahassee Lassie--Don Meeks (Gilmar 233; also Broadway)
Talahassee Lassie--8 Top Hits (Allegro Elite 4150)
Hard Headed Woman--Steve Marks (Value Hit Parde Tunes 45-149; also Gilmar 221, and likely Broadway)
Hard Headed Woman--This Week's Pop Hits (Audition; plus other cheapies)
Short Shorts--The Corwins (Gilmar 45-149, and likely Broadway)
Short Shorts--Pops for Tots (Audition)
Short Shorts--The Nation's 12 Big Hit Recordings (Hollywood LPH-139)
Short Shorts--Bobby Vance w. Chorus and Bob Le Monte's Orch. (Gateway 1239, 1958--also Hollywood Records)
Short Shorts--The Promineers (Prom Hit 28--also Hollywood Records)
Short Shorts--The Blazers (Harmony HL 7103, 1958)
The Stroll--The Corwins (Value Hit Parade Tunes 45-149, also likely Broadway)
The Stroll--Jimmy Priddy and the Toppers (Tops 45-R415-49)
The Stroll--Dave Martin and His Group w. the Strollers (RCA Camden, 1958)
The Stroll--The Blazers (Harmony HL 7103, 1958)
Charlie Brown--Steve Marks (Broadway Value 163--also Value Hit Parade Tunes?)
Charlie Brown--Gateway Four (Big Buy--4 Hits Tunes 247--also Bravo)
Charlie Brown--The Promineers (Prom SOS-102--also Tops)
Tequila--Herbie Layne's Orch. (Big 4 Hits 230, 1958)
Tequila--Vic Corwin and His Orch. (Gilmar 218--also VHP Tunes?)
Tequila--Instrumental (Tops 45-R416-49)
Tequila--Al Garry and His Orch. (Rhythm n' Blues in Hi-Fi; Parade SP-201)
Tequila--The Nation's 12 Big Hit Recordings (Universal LPU-6001--Same as Big 4 Hits)
Tequila--Prom Orch. and Chorus (Promenade RR 33)
Lee
22 comments:
I find these fake hits absoluting fascinating. The same master of Talahassee Lassie on Allegro was also issued as by The Allegrettes on Pacific (a French label) and came (perhaps) from Cincinnati's Rite Records, as the same track was also issued on their Coast To Coast label credited to Skeets Price.
I'm always wondering how worked these masters exchanges. Not unlike the song-poem industry, behind this were perhaps some kind of secret brotherhood?
Surely more studies are needed...
Talahassee Lassie--8 Top Hits (Allegro Elite 4150 )does this have a letter after the 4150 ?
https://www.discogs.com/label/577785-Allegro-Elite show a series of 10"LP with 4150 all of which do have a letter a bc etc.
Talahassee Lassie--8 Top Hits (Allegro Elite 4150) sound the same to my ears as (1959) Skeets Price & The Coastiers Orch. : A Coast To Coast Parade Of Hits (OH) 45 - 1286
Hard Headed Woman--This Week's Pop Hits (Audition; plus other cheapies) sounds like the Dick Penrose version Top Hit Tunes (NJ) EP - found on http://a45blog.blogspot.com/2010/07/top-teen-hits.html
or (Peerless (Mexico) 45 - 5836 (flip By Artie Marvin) https://www.discogs.com/Dick-Penrose-Artie-Malvin-Hard-Haded-Woman-Enchanted-Island/release/12046962
Mujer Cabeza Dura (Hard Headed Woman)
Short Shorts--The Corwins (Gilmar 45-149, and likely Broadway) also Value
https://www.45cat.com/record/45148x
Short Shorts--Pops for Tots (Audition) = Zig Zags : Top Hit Tunes (NJ) EP - 17AA
Short Shorts--The Blazers (Harmony HL 7103, 1958) = (1957) Columbia (NY) EP - 2144
https://www.45cat.com/record/b2144
Gilmar (CA) EP - 216 V/A The Stroll--The Corwins (Value Hit Parade Tunes 45-149, also likely Broadway)
https://www.45cat.com/record/nc935922us
Charlie Brown Steve marks = (1958) A Coast To Coast Parade Of Hits (OH) 45 - 1273 : Gateway Four & The Coasters Orchestra
Tequila--Herbie Layne's Orch. (Big 4 Hits 230, 1958) also gateway Top Tune (PA) 45 - 1241 (1958) With Vocal Assistance By The Four Jacks
https://www.45cat.com/record/nc422190us
Bob, I figured the Coast to Coast releases were Rite-related, but I couldn't find proof. I probably didn't delve far enough into the Rite Records site. Thanks for confirming.
Yes, the passing around of masters is the big question--how did it work? As far as a secret brotherhood, I think it's clear they were working together. I'd say "conspiring," but unfortunately that word has a sinister connotation, which is too bad, since technically it just means the opposite of "aspiring." Yup, working together, but not in an organized way. They were careless operations, and so what we see is something planned, but sloppily so. If I made any sense there. Glad I'm not the only person fascinated with the whole question of how the version-swapping was decided.
Apesville,
Thanks for all the input. As for Allegro Elite 4150, the cover is without a suffix, but the label has an H (4150H) on side 1 and a J on (4150J) on side 2. Because of this weird discrepancy, I just went with 4150, since I have no idea what Allegro-Elite was thinking. It's possible they didn't, either!
The Top label's use of suffixes was inconsistent and confusing, too. I have one of their L1510 "Twelve Top Hits" LPs. Side A says "L1510-A11" and side B says "L1510-B10." Does that make the catalog number L1510-10/11? Makes no sense....
Apesville,
And I'd assume the Dick Penrose version is the same, since it's Waldorf.
Sorry to hear about your computer problems. But a UFO in the backyard? Don't leave us hanging...
Well, they helped me set up my new PC, then they said they had an appointment on Mars, which of course is part of the Moon. Or is it the other way around? Anyway, they were really cool. Couldn't believe their command of English. They even spoke with a central Ohio accent, which means these are some seriously advanced creatures. Language, dialect, local jokes--they just flip a switch, and it happens automatically. To them, my new computer must seem like something out of the Stone Age.
Thanks from Holland!
thank you so much for all these wonderfull songs from the 50's. Some of them can even give the original performers a run for their money.
Johnny.
Johnny,
I completely agree! And even the efforts that miss the mark are part of the fun, too. Glad you're enjoying--thanks for commenting!
you are obviously a man of far more restraint than myself. i’ve largely abandoned cds and dvds because of disc drive problems. i’d copy things with whatever free programs i could find and try to play the resulting discs back on my dvd player. half the time i’d get an error message like “cannot find the disc” which was right there spinning in the drive. the only way i could get it to recognize the disc was by banging repeatedly on the top of the machine with my flat, stiff palm until it did recognize it (a technique i’m sure you’ll recall from the days of boxy old tvs with rabbit ears). this worked with moderate success, but significantly shortened the life of the player… so much so that after going through several machines, i decided to call my disc days over. that was awhile back and i’ve since been willed a used working dvd player. i’ve got tons of discs buried in a closet somewhere. but life has presented me with new sources of frustration and i don’t think i want to recall a former one.
old people and technology… one of them has got to go.
It's amazing we older folks can cope with technology at all, given the rate of change over just the past 10 years, let alone 20. Unreal. I don't know if I'm a person of restraint as much as a highly determined one. In my experience--and I think I'm simply lucky--the tech problems I've encountered end up being easily fixed. One or two steps, and all is well. The problem is GETTING to those one or two steps. My current drive problem is mainly that stupid left-side cavity and the fact that Windows Media Player, my player of choice, is OLD (old is bad) and it doesn't want to comply with Windows 10. I don't blame it for not wanting to--Windows 10 is the most irrational thing yet devised by Microsoft, and that's saying a LOT. The player dates from a period when Operating Systems still made sense. In my mind, it's not WMP failing to comply with 10--it's the reverse.
The crazy thing about CDs and me is that I've burned a zillion of the things since 2005 or so, and yet I rarely listen to any. I use them as storage devices more than things for entertainment. Makes no sense, but neither do I. Anyway, to get WMP to work on this PC, I needed a shortcut to the E drive icon. That way, I can activate the player by activating the icon, a process I can't begin to explain, but it works--so all is well. Presumably, if I were using a media player other than WMP--a proper, NEWER player--my PC wouldn't need to reminded that it has an E drive. How a PC can forget it has an E drive is beyond me. Humans don't forget that we have feet, hands, arms, etc. "Oops--I forgot I had hands. Sorry, officer."--Driver, after 10-car pileup.
Windows is nonlinear to an extent I didn't realize was possible in our universe. If science should discover the universe is in the first stages of coming apart at the seams, they need look no further than Windows 10 for the trigger. In 10, you just sort of hop around. Twice, I've struggled to figure out how to do a function, only to discover the PC is already doing it. Unreal. The Geek Squad guys festooned this thing with ads and options and all kinds of crap I'll never need, and for some reason I gave them high marks on the Best Buy survey. I mean, they do great work, but why sabotage someone's PC? That's not service, that's an act of aggression. Anyway, in less than a week, besides all the pop-ups I never asked for and unwanted features which start installing on their own (it's like having ghosts in your PC), I've had one fake "Your Windows OS has been corrupted/invaded/whatever" scam page, which I was able to shut off with one mouse click, and I had McAfee telling me my subscription has ended, with the option to renew for $40. Now, I think I would have remembered ordering a two-day subscription to McAfee, especially if it was for $40, so I figured McAfee was lying. I closed their page or prompt (whichever) and downloaded the free Avast antivirus, and I think I only had to jump through a couple of hoops to get to the download button. They always try to coax you over into the paid portions of the download page. Funny--outfits that pull such (let's call them) tricks are considered legit, yet the Nigerian bank scam folks are called out as crooks. Aren't we being a little selective in our judgment?
i still use windows 7 and purposefully didn’t upgrade to 10, mostly due to microsoft’s “who wants to know” routine in response to questions about wmp and the windows media center (wmc) of which wmp was a part. while i prefer the vlc player for most things, i have a program called wintv which is integrated with wmc. it’s essentially a tv tuner and dvr for over-the-air television. i get about 70 ota channels with a dollar-store bow-tie antenna and can record and play them back at will. i paid dell $100 to install it with my new desktop eight years ago instead of paying cable+dvr bills that would now total over $5000. but windows 10 was going to abandon wmc and no one could answer if wintv would still work. so i stuck with 7. and now i hear they are going to abandon it. oh well. you can’t win.
I live in the country and no cable option is available--I have overpriced satellite service that conks out in bad weather. You're way ahead of me in the tech curve--I never even heard of wintv. I just checked, and the software portion can be downloaded for as little as $9.99 (for the product key). So says the site I visited. The site looks legit, but looking legit doesn't mean legit when were't talking cyberspace.
I'm so behind the entertainment curve, I don't even completely understand NetFlix. Partly, it's because current movies don't interest me at all, but of course NF features old TV shows, too. Or did. But, for what little TV I watch, it's insane for me to not simply get a digital TV receiver and watch ota channels. I checked on line a while back and saw that there are a decent number of channels receivable in my area. Not a huge list, but enough. Getting an ota service like the one you mention would expand the list, I'm gathering.
I also worry about DirecTV charging me a ton for uninstalling its service. My late foster mother got it about 10 years ago, but they may still claim I've violated the terms of service or whatever. And, as far as I know, they won't remove the dish--they just leave it where it is. But I'm not helpless--I have screwdrivers and wire cutters....
i’m in the big city. so ota channels are numerous (most are junk). i figured that in the country they are few and far between. but if you know different and are certain that you can at least get the big networks over the air, then wintv might be a good cheap option. it looks like the product is now a dongle for a usb port with a coaxial female adapter sticking out of it. that appears to cost $70-$100. i don’t know if there is additional software. probably… and probably comes with the dongle. that $10 key you mentioned is (i believe) just an activation code you get free at time of purchase. but if you need to reinstall the program for any reason (hard drive failure, etc) and lost your key, they charge you for a new one. when i bought the program, it included a video card that needed to be installed in a bay with a coaxial adapter sticking out of it. so i got dell to do it (free) and set up the software with windows media center before they sent me my desktop. i also received a software cd that i never needed.
i imagine a dongle would be much simpler. but i haven’t used one and i suggest some research on your general situation before buying one. it appears to work with windows 10, but as that no longer has wmc, it don’t know how they do it. here is my experience: my tv was already receiving an over-the-air line-up. (my tv was also my computer monitor.) i removed the tv coaxial cable from the bow-tie aerial and attached a splitter ($5?). i reconnected the tv cable to one of the two splitter attachments and put another coaxial cable on the other splitter attachment which i connected to the wintv coaxial port on the computer. i think i ran the initial set-up (scanned for working channels) on my tv once more just to be sure. that was all. from then on, in wmc there was (and still is) a grid that contains all my channels and programming for the coming week. i can click on a current time and channel, and it plays on my monitor (ie, my tv) with the wintv tuner. or i can look ahead in the grid and right-click a program for recording. i can set up as many recordings as i want as long as they don’t overlap (no multiple recordings at one scheduled time). recordings are kept in wmc for as long as i want. however, since the files are big (5gig for 1 hour of tv), i need a good reason to keep them any longer than necessary. also, the files have a strong copy-protection scheme. they will not play on any machine other than the one on which they are recorded. note that all this pertains only to the programs controlled by the wintv tuner. at any time, i can press the source button on my remote and go back to watching regular tv (on its “regular tv tuner”) which is unaffected by wintv. i can watch a program on regular tv and record one on another channel with wintv. i just can’t record two simultaneous programs on wintv.
wintv is very legal. you have a perfect right to record for your personal use and the files it creates are designed for just that. i haven’t used it with cable or satellite, only over-the-air. i don’t know if those systems create usage problems. (they usually rent or sell blackbox dvrs, so i don’t think they much like this product.) the only recording problem i’ve had started last year. the nfl now has some sort of drm that sabotages its broadcasts. i can no longer record nfl football games. (they’re really not supposed to do that, but what are you going to do?) note that wintv does not give you access to any programming other than what you can legally receive. this is not like kodi which surreptitiously tries to access essentially everything in the world. kodi doesn’t appeal to me because the first thing you need to use it is a good vpn, and you will pay a monthly fee for that. second, it’s part of a war. broadcasters are always trying to put it or parts of it out of business in a variety of ways. third, i personally don’t need very much programming. a little news and sports suffices.
Post a Comment