Monday, January 7, 2013

Helping Out Our Readers

re: BOOKS ON RECORD LABELS:  
Hi Kent. 
If it's of interest to those who wrote in about labels, my two Wisconsin books have a great deal of info on WI labels. The second part of each book is detailed coverage of the Cuca label and its artists, and then the 4th part of each book covers other WI labels with as much info as I could find. Of course all coverage is 1950-69. 
In fact, now that the new year is here, I thought I'd also announce that we're clearing out our Wisconsin books with drastic price reductions.
DO YOU HEAR THAT BEAT, in print since 1994 at $27.90.
Clearance price: Only $7.50 + shipping!
ON THAT WISCONSIN BEAT, introduced in 2006 at $31.95, later reduced to $26.95.
Clearance price: Only $8.50 + shipping!
TWO-BOOK SPECIAL, was $40.90.
Clearance price: Only $13.50 + shipping!
http://www.music-gem.com/wisconsin-music-books.html
And while I'm plugging things, I must mention that my new CD is getting some play and lots of great comments.  

Gary E. Myers / MusicGem  
http://www.music-gem.com/index.html  

Hey Kent,
I have a few books covering record labels that your readers might find interesting. Unfortunately, none of them seem to be exactly what they are looking for.
Brian Rust, the Dean of Discographies, wrote "The American Record Label Book" but, consistent with his main interest, it covers the time period from the 19th century up to 1942, but does include the genesis of Capitol, Columbia, Decca and Victor, as well as many other labels familiar to collectors of 78's.
Allan Sutton and Kurt Nauck cover the same territory in their "American Record Labels and Companies." Nauck runs an auction house out of Texas, and has many other books available at his website, www.78rpm.com. Michael W. Sherman's "The Collector's Guide to Victrola Records" and Sherman and Nauck's Note the Notes paperback covering Columbia are two that I have, but again, these books all cover the 78 era.
Joe Lindsay's "Record Label Guide for Domestic LP's" can help with LP dating by virtue of its black & white label images, but has very little other information. I got mine from www.recordranch.com.
There are two fine books covering the Columbia and Atlantic record labels. Gary Marmorstein provides a complete history of Columbia in his scholarly "The Label," from its beginnings in the 1880's up to the 1990's, with plenty of artist anecdotes. "The Last Sultan" is a biography of Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun by Robert Greenfield, and dishes a heaping helping of "dirt" with its inside look at how an indie label from 1947 became one of the world's great record companies. These two books are highly recommended.
The chart books and the price guides are all geared towards artists. The Joel Whitburn Billboard chart books do give artist bios, but the Jerry Osborne price guides list more acts, even if they don't list every record title. The Krause price guides do list every title, but don't include every recording artist, and I find myself more frustrated with those because of the omissions and deletions.
On the web, there is a great site called Both Sides Now. It may be just what you're looking for: http://www.bsnpubs.com/discog.html
Hope this helps.
Guy Arnston in Algonquin  
Some great suggestions here, Guy ... thank you! (kk)  

Kent,
Your reader Mike said today he was looking for a book that more or less told the story of the record labels, who founded them, the year, etc. I have a book here at home that is somewhat helpful but is not quite as lengthy as I am sure other books that may have been written about them. The book in question is Steve Propes book out of 1975 called Golden Goodies. There is one chapter which tells when labels were formed, year, etc. Chilton Book Company out of Radnor, Pa. was the publisher.
Larry Neal  

Here's a new release I just found recounting the history of Columbia Records:
When I checked, it was out of stock at Amazon ... but was available from several other dealers through their site. (kk)  

And, speaking of books ...  

Kent ...
Just finished reading this book, "Sinatra And Me - The Very Good Years" by Tony Consiglio, as told to Franz Douskey. This book is a must for all Frank Sinatra fans. Lots of inside, behind the scenes
information. Over 40 never before published photos.
Frank and Tony met when they were kids playing hooky from school. They became lifelong friends.
Tony was Frank's traveling companion. Frank wanted to concentrate on the concert or movie he was working on. He didn't want any distractions. Tony took care of travel arrangements, security and having Frank's clothes ready for showtime.
Frank loved Boxers: Joe Louis, Rocky Marchiano, Muhammad Ali.
Frank's dog was named Ring-A-Ding Ding.
Frank was a practical joker. He always carried a case of Cherry Bombs with him.
Frank died in 1998. Tony died in 2008.
Tony Consiglio helped establish the world-famous Sally's Apizza in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1938 with his brother Sally and their mother. It's still there today.
Frank B. 
 


re: DUSTY SPRINGFIELD:
>>>Just curious: has anyone had anything to say about the Dusty Springfield show that is currently running Off-Broadway? I'm on the fence about seeing it. I missed the reviews for "Forever Dusty", so I don't know what the critics think. My gut tells me it stinks, yet I feel compelled to see it. (Ping)
>>>I haven't heard a WORD about this new show. Anybody heard anything about this new show? (kk) Kent,
I recently had a visit at my second job from a friend who had seen the Dusty Springfield musical. Their reaction was the music was done surprisingly well, that they did not realize all the songs Dusty had done, and that it did not mince words about her drug / alchohol participation.
Shelley   

re: COMMERCIALS:
>>>I am looking for vintage late 60s radio spots for Tab cola. There was one in particular that had a kind of hippie-trippy sound that was typical of many commercials from that time. I believe that this same commercial (Be A Mind Sticker) was also done in a faster, louder rock format. (Justin)
Kent,
I believe this might be the radio spot that Justin in St. Paul was asking about. It was taken from a September 1969 Tom Campbell aircheck on KYA Radio.
Jeff Lemlich



re: THIS AND THAT:  
Happy Holidays to you and yours, Kent.
What a great year for Forgotten Hits.
Besides all the great contributions, stories and music, I thoroughly enjoyed when you ran the copies of the old WLS Silver Dollar Surveys. While 'clicking to enlarge”, I ran into an old hit from The Ramblers from 1964. There’s not much information about this group. I do believe they were out of New York and I don’t think these One Hit Wonders ever charted anywhere but Chicago.
The song was called "Father Sebastian" and it spent six weeks on the Chicago WLS charts in July and August of 1964. The song peaked at #10 on July 10, 1964. At my approaching older age, I’m not sure if this song or group has be discussed here before.
I guess it’s my St. Bernadette upbringing but I really found this to be a cleaver idea for a song then and now. I don’t think I would ever have taken up Father Sebastian’s time by turning him into a sounding board for the lovelorn.
Hell!!! I never even confided in my St. Bernadette priest about all the 45 RPM’s I borrowed from the Evergreen Park Plaza.
If, in fact, this group and song have previously been covered, in the words of Roseanne Rosannadanna ... “Ohhhhhh ... never mind”.
Happy New Year, Kent!!!
Thanks you for all you do.
Looking forward to another great year of Forgotten Hits!
Jerry Kamper
We HAVE covered "Father Sebastian" at least once (and maybe twice) before in FH ... but I, too, agree that it's a pretty clever concept for a rock and roll song lyric. Actually, the song DID chart nationally (albeit not very high ... #97 in Cash Box and #86 in both Billboard and Record World) ... but it climbed to #9 on The Top Tune Of Greater Chicagoland Chart and has long been one of my favorites from this bygone era ... so I have no problem at all sharing it again with any of our readers who may be unfamiliar with it. Thanks for the reminder, Jerry! (kk)  



Hi,
I know a song that was on the B Side of a popular song back in 1961 - 1962. I do not remember the A Side, nor the title, nor the artist, but I remember most of the words.
It had a calypso beat and words went something like this:
I tried the mineral bath and the violet ray and I stay off my feet the whole damn day. To help the circulation I hardly eat I should be feeling better but I feel so beat.
(Chorus)
I saw Si Be Da Do Do (sp?) on the Bo Da Do A Lay (sp?) she passed by his window everyday. She walked, she walked in the craziest way.
This is just part of the song. I was wondering if you recognized this song or know where I can find out. I have googled to no avail.
As an aside, I read your list of two hundred and while I agree with a lot of your readers, no way should Neil Diamond's two songs be on the list.
Thanks in advance. Have great New Year.
Gil Kort
I'm not familiar with the B-Side you're referring to so we'll put it out to the readers. As for the Top 200 Favorite, Forgotten B-Sides, the votes fell where the votes fell. With over 65,000 votes cast in that particular survey, I've got to feel pretty secure in the outcome of our little poll ... whether I like some of the tunes (or the results!) or not! (kk)  

Just a few words to let you know I visited your website and was impressed with the quality and the detail of the information you present. However, I was not able to find the instrumental piece I’m looking for. I know very little about the song except that:
It is imported music (probably Europe) from 1976-77. It is a slow ballad that lasts about 10 minutes with the word “Verde” in the title (or maybe the name of the band). This slow dance played every night at the closing of my favorite discotheque.
If you have something in your database that matches my search, I would appreciate if you could share a few titles or other sources. I found all the old disco songs I wanted to hear via Youtube. But this one is the only one I was not able to find.
Thanks for your help and Happy New Year.
Michel St-Pierre  
I'm probably the LAST guy to ask about Euro-Disco tunes ... but these clues may ring a bell with SOMEBODY on our list ... so let's give it a go! (kk)

>>>Ray Collins, who was listed as one of those who passed away last year, had down as being a writer of MEMORIES OF EL MONTE. Haven't heard that song title mentioned in years. (Larry Neal)
Check this out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgWRqlvc9vk 

It's a rare 1991 rehearsal video of the Penguins doing Memories Of El Monte and Earth Angel ... there are a couple other videos of them rehearsing from this same footage on youtube as well (in addition to footage of several other artists including Little Eva, who has little to no other video footage from her comeback era of 1991 onward available).
Tom Diehl