Since we're on the subject of Eli Oberstein's Record Corp. of America, here's a Tops in Pops (or, An Hour of Tops and Pops) from that budget operation--one which I somehow hadn't yet featured. I've had this one for, gosh... 25 years now? I think this is one of the thrift finds that started me on my fake-hit addiction, so it's kind of a milestone. Or the purchasing of it was, at least. Two interesting things about this particular cover: 1) Royale forget to fill in the title strip area with titles, and 2) there's some faint ink script that says, "Darling--One (something) day, and every other day--you have all my love. James. Feb. 14, 1956." A Valentine's gift!
I wish I could make out the second word, but the ink is just too faded. I tried everything--resizing, increasing the contrast and saturation, messing with color filters, etc.--but no go. No type or amount of photo enhancing cracked the mystery of that second word. But we have the gist of the message.
So, I did a couple searches and only found only one source (rateyourmusic) which says anything about Eli Oberstein's use (specifically, on the Royale label) of European musicians on the cheap "to back up American performers," though I could swear I once read a piece which claimed Oberstein did this specifically for his fake-hit compilations, and because he didn't have to pay royalties for the backings. It would help a lot if I could find solid documentation for this, since my memory, like anyone's, often gets things wrong. Memories love to malfunction. I'd hate to think I've been hosting an urban legend. Then again, what else is cyberspace for, if not unsubstantiated claims?
Whoever did the instrumental backgrounds on these--they did well. The singers are all solid, too. I'm guessing this is late 1955 or early 1956 (the "Feb. 14, 1956" helps in that regard), since these are all late-1955 hits. Five are rock and roll numbers from that fabled period when the "pop" cover versions were outselling the originals--hence, Daddy-O copies the Fontane Sisters (and not Bonnie Lou), I Hear You Knockin' is an imitation of Gale Storm (not Smiley Lewis), At My Front Door copies Pat Boone (not the El Dorados), and My Boy--Flat Top copies the Dorothy Collins pop version of Boyd Bennett's hit. However, Only You does seem to be a copy of the Platters, even if the high voice sounds female here (at least to my ears). Memories Are Made of This is, of course, an imitation of Dean Martin; It's Almost Tomorrow, of Jo Stafford; Band of Gold, of Don Cherry; Love and Marriage, of Dinah Shore (I'm fairly shore, er, sure); Sixteen Tons, of Tennessee Ernie Ford; Autumn Leaves, of Roger Williams; and He, of Al Hibbler(?). Not sure about Hibbler. While he was the one who hit it big with the number, this singer doesn't seem to be trying to emulate Al. I guess only He knows who was being copied here. (Cha-dunk; crash!)
Enjoy, and I promise to do a Sunday morning post next, um, Sunday morning. I.e., a gospel post.
This is not an hour's worth of "pops," of course. It's not even a half hour, in fact. I trust no one sued over the misleading title. Oh, and notice the amusing title correlation in the line-up: I Hear You Knockin'/At My Front Door.
DOWNLOAD: An Hour of Tops in Pops--Royale Dance Orch. and Singers (Probably 1955)
Memories Are Made of This
Daddy-O
It's Almost Tomorrow
Band of Gold
Love and Marriage
Sixteen Tons
I Hear You Knockin'
At My Front Door
Only You
My Boy--Flat Top
Autumn Leaves
He
An Hour (not) of Tops in Pops--Royale 1389N; late 1955 or early 1956
(Banner should read, "Compiled According to Radio, Record and Music Surveys.")
12 comments:
Hi Lee, I am still tired from waking up from my sleep. But the missing words seem to be:
lives ______. I can make out maybe an m/r looks like maybe a e,a, r/g/y and maybe a te or a to to finish the word after lives and before day. But I can not think of any word yet. maybe this might help.
However, Darling, One lives ________ day, and every other day - you have all my love.
Bryan
Hi Lee, Still can not figure out that other missing word? I thought maybe marte as in martes (Tuesday) but Valintines day was a Sunday that year. Plus would you pick marte/s. The word every does not fit either. But every is a great fit. "One lives every day, and every other day... Oh well.
I tried cleaning up that area using the Windows 11 Preview or the same as Windows 10 photo viewer/editor, but no luck beyond it looking like maybe marte?
Here is an interesting link. (other links below this one)
http://www.soundfountain.com/allegro-royale/introduction.html
Listing to this album now, really like it. Bryan
Bryan,
I agree that "martes" is unlikely, but maybe that second word is "lives." I honestly couldn't begin to make it out. I'm thinking there could be two words that follow "One," with the second ending in an s, but that gets me nowhere!
Thanks for the link--Eric had shared it previously. I seem to remember reading the pre-revised version years back, and maybe that's where I got the bit about the instrumentals being recorded in Europe. Or not!
I'm trying to figure out what the cover says. Compiled According To...And Music Surveys. They took out the part I need to know!
Well Lee, it seems to only be one word.
To have it make sense that is.
"One __________ day, and every other day - you have my love."
It seems to start with the letter L. Then end with the letter e.
Maybe ending in the letters ate, ade, or? I tried binging (I no longer google, just binging), haha, for words that begin with l and end in e.
Currently, my head hurts so I will check later.
Maybe, Buster, Ernie, or Diane can come up with something. Too bad, I do not have the cover in front of my eyes.
I try looking at my laptop, from the sides, the bottom, and the top. Various angles, but can not figure it out. Even enlarging/clearing up the image did not work.
James, are you out there as a reader of Lee's blog. Help us if you can.
I am sure James is a very uncommon name. Haha.
Bryan
Hi Lee - That cover is strange. It looks like Oberstein was going to print the titles in the box and then thought, hey let's just die-cut a hole so people can read the label instead. This then made the ribbon across the front read "Compiled according to and music surveys," which makes no sense.
I can't read as much of the inscription as you can, so I'm no help.
I'm surprised you didn't mention the pressing, which I assume is the usual execrable Royale quality.
Bryan,
Paging James... I wish he'd pressed down a little harder with his pen!
Buster,
Yes, it would probably have cost too much money to redesign the jacket to accommodate the hole. Maybe they figured no one reads the blurbs, anyway.
I'll have to locate the full version of that phrase. Something to do with DJs/radio stations. And the pressing is surprisingly good, for once.
Hey Lee, Hey is a popular German Greeting, anyway, I keep trying:
One lives nearle (with and e) day, and every other day - you have all my love.
By the way, is it James or Jane. It just seems odd though by this person. Nearle sounds wrong, but that is so far as how I can filter it out to become.
On the other hand, it is how I type and write. My brain works faster than my hand. I miss and then have to re-read to fill in those little words.
Bryan
The unedited ribbon reads, "Compiled According to Radio, Record and Music Surveys."
Nothing says "love always" more than a Allegro Royale compilation. What was the old slogan - "When you care enough to send the very best."
I am not implying that you don't love your faithful followers, of course.
Buster,
Oh, I do, of course. I had thought of adding something to the effect of, "What a high-class Valentine's present" or the like, but I decided to be nice about it. But, let's face it--James was being cheap, or at least frugal. We have to wonder if he stopped at the local drugstore for some candy but discovered it was all sold out. Possibly, a clerk said, "Sorry about the candy, but we've got some dollar-bin LPs over there."
I am giving James a break. Maybe he was in Highschool and had very little lunch money left.
Seems like a record a young audience would buy.
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