Buffalo Record Round-Up

Unlike Fayetteville, NC there are still places to score cheap LPs in Buffalo, NY.

I had two opportunities to do so during my recent trip, and since I haven't blogged about my vinyl fixation in a while...

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Stop #1 - THE GOODWILL

My unmentionable pal, Mr. X, guided me to a decent Goodwill store and we hit the record bins. At fifty cents, each, I picked up:

The New Yorkers: "Hello, Dolly Polka (And 11 Other Favorites Sung Polka Style)" This is a vintage 1964 polka LP by Buffalo's own "The New Yorkers." I've really grown to have an appreciation for this kind of music, thanks to my sound engineering buddy, Mike Brydalski. The big deal, here, is that the guys from the "Johnny & Jimmy Duo" were the accordionist and drummer, respectively, for Channel 7s "Dialing For Dollars" show.

Various Artists: "For A Musical Merry Christmas" Volumes 3 & 4. These are Christmas samplers that were sold at B. F. Goodrich stores in 1966 & 1967. Volume 3 has long been a touchstone for my wife's family and the discovery of volume 4 is a welcome addition to our Christmas music library.

The Three Suns: "The Sounds Of Christmas With..." We're big Three Suns fans here at Davison Manor.

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Stop #2 - The Clarence Flea Market.

Ah, the Budget Bin beckoned, and I answered!

Various Artists: "Out Of Sight!" & "Where The Action Is!" These are two throw-aways that were issued by the Design Records label. The conceit was to gather ten tracks, re-channel them to ear-ache-inducing pseudo-stereo and plop them into the eighty-eight cent bin. Seems these folks would snap up early, pre-hit recording of popular artists and then try to pretend that they were current "happening hits!" For me, the big deal was finally getting an original pressing of the non-hit "Cycle Annie" by a non-group called The Beachnuts. This was a song written and sung by Lou Reed in his pre-Velvet Underground days. I transferred these tracks to CD-R and restored all but one track to mono. (The Lou Christie track actually was in "real" stereo!)

Various Artists: "No Title?" The Modern Sound label would collect older sound-a-like tracks from their "Hit Records" 45s and put them into albums. This particular LP is #MS-1028 and contains 10 tracks like A Sign Of The Times, Secret Agent Man, Time Won't Let Me & Love Potion Number Nine. The version here of Ain't That A Shame is a cover of the Four Seasons' cover of the Fats Domino song. Dude!

Tony Vincent And His Orchestra: "Greatest Instrumental Hits" The lure of this Diplomat Records knock-off was that I wanted to hear their versions of Walk, Don't Run and Raunchy. Not bad, but WDR seemed to be missing a few bars here and there.

Maynard Ferguson: "Boy With Brass" & "Two's Company" These are a couple of MF albums that weren't in my Dad's collection. The price was right, so I grabbed them with an eye toward make CD-Rs for my Pappy.

I also picked up what looked liked bootleg LPs of The California Ramblers and Ben Selvin & His Orchestra. These appear to contain tracks taken from old 78s. Good stuff! (I have ripped them to CD-R and have been using them as soundtracks for some old silent cartoons.) Bonus point for these LPs having been pressed on green vinyl!

Back To The Buget Bin!

There was a record collectors' show in Raleigh this past weekend and yours truly went. I've sat out the past few years' worth of shows owing to issues concerning family and finances. The planets were in perfect alignment for this one, so I hit the ol' vinyl trail.

Naturally, I set my sights on cheap-jack artifacts from the 'sixties and I wasn't disappointed. Here are some high-lights from my outing.

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Given my irrational fascination with Beatle cash-in records, I'd have to say the major "find" of this particular outing was the "Sing A Song With The Beatles" LP on the Tower record label.

It's one of those audacious rip-off where an inattentive consumer hight've been lulled into thinking this was a legit album by the four lads from Liverpool. After all, there are their full-color pictures right on the front cover! And look "THE BEATLES" is displayed in large print right there at the top!

Now, if you knew what you were getting, this was a pretty cool record. There are instrumental "backing tracks" from eleven then-current Beatles songs on the record. The gate-fold sleeve includes all the lyrics and guitar chords so that one could sing and play along.

I'd been stalking this one for years, but the typical $100 price tag put it out of my range. This copy had a $4 sticker on it, so I pounced. It's in nice shape, too, barring a split at the top of the jacket. Sweet!

Here's a similar LP that I saw at another dealer's table. I didn't even know it existed! "Sing And Play Along Beatles Kit" is on the London label. I love the graphic equation on the front cover:

4 kids + wigs + guitar + harmonica + bass + LP = BEATLES!

Yep, it had on of those $100 price tags, so back in the bin it went.

But a new search has started. Maybe I'll find an affordable copy by the time I'm sixty?

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Oh, joy! I also found a couple surf / drag/ California-Sound cash-ins.

Dragsville, by The Woofers, is a pretty good album. In addition to not-too-bad versions of "Little Deuce Coupe" and "Drag City" we're treated to eight other decent exploitation-themed originals. Not up there with The Beach Boys or Jan & Dean, but a solid third-tier offering, I'd say.

"Some Of The Best Hits From California" on the "WW" label was an unexpected find! It is a collection of cover tunes by studio musicians much in the mold of my beloved "Hit Records" series. I had never come across the "WW" imprint before. Apparently this series was put out by something called "World Wide Productions," hence the double W.

The first side is the surf/folk-rock side with covers of Surf City, Fun, Fun, Fun, It Ain't Me, Babe and Eve of Destruction. The second side kicks off with "Everybody Loves Somebody!"

The covers are ably performed, but the energy level seems a little low over-all. Still, I'm happy to have this one in my pantheon of bogus LPs collection.

(Oh, yeah. I did manage to score a nice copy of "Current Hits Vol. No. 7" on the Hit Records label, as well. Life is good!)

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Back in the mid-sixties a Canadian rock and roll combo changed its name from Chad Allen and the Expressions to The Guess Who and started having hits. Their early stuff is really great and I managed to find two(!) budget line reissues of these songs for less than $4, total. The amazing thing is, except for their first big hit. "Shakin' All Over" there is very little overlap on the two LPs, even though they mine the same time period. One I transfer these to CD-R I'll have a pretty solid collection of jamz. Word up, home slice!

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Hey! Wait a minute! Who are these guys and what are they doing here?

Well, I found a couple interesting-looking big band compilations put out by Circle Records in 1983 and though I'd take a flyer. I like big bands and at a buck-apiece, how could I lose?

The picture, above, is from the "Tiny" Hill (far left) and his Orchestra (1943-1944) LP.

I also got Ray Herbeck and his Modern Music with Romance (1942). Wow, what an unwieldy moniker, eh?

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Oh, boy! Look what I found in the fifty cent bin! Man, a cool Mexican 45 with a really boss-looking picture sleeve. Los Pekenikes? Never heard of them! But the photo shows a quintet of angst-laden teens with electric guitars, so it has to be good, right?

Wrong!

Lady Pepa and Arena Caliente are two slices of prime musack from south of the border. This was really unexpected. Ah, well. It still is a pretty cool picture sleeve and I did manage to escape into the world of record collector geekdom for an afternoon.

Well, gang. That's my report. Now, the next big challenge will be to find time to listen to this stuff.

Budget Bin Revisted

In between trips to the doctor last week I received two CDs in the mail from my pal, Paul Urbahns. (See illustration, at left.)

Paul has devoted much time and effort in researching one of my favorite budget sound-alike labels from the 'sixties, HIT RECORDS. He was involved with assembling these two compilations for the German YELLOW LABEL records imprint.

Each disc contains two dozen tracks recorded by Nashville session musicians and singers. There is a pleasing mix of sound-alike covers (Sally Go Round The Roses, It's My Party, Surf City, Twistin' USA, etc.) and B-Side originals (Tiger In My Tank, I'm So Lonely, You Can't Trust A Friend, etc.)

Forty years after the fact we can now listen to these budget bombs on our CD players in all their glory. Kudos to Paul and company!

Ready For Download

Lately, I have been neglecting my precious Budget Bin LP fixation. Well, that's going to come to a screeching halt here and now!

If you click on the link below the album cover, you'll be able to download a zip file containing all the tracks as well as the artwork for the CD case insert.

DivShare File - NTBV1.zip

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DivShare File - NTBV2.zip

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DivShare File - NTBV3.zip

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DivShare File - NTBV4.zip

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DivShare File - NTBV5.zip

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There you go, cheesemeisters! FIVE compilations full of Beatles covers! I feel strangely refreshed...

SURF'S UP!

1. California Girls
2. I Get Around
3. Little Deuce Coupe
4. 409
5. Little Honda
6. When I Grow Up To Be A Man
7. The Warmth Of The Sun
8. Surfin'
9. Fun, Fun, Fun
10. Help Me, Rhonda

I had posted about this budget LP a while back and I have just now found mp3 links for all of the songs on it!

Seein' as how it's Summer and all, I figured I'd share it with you, my loyal blog readers.

DivShare File - SURFSIDERS.zip

Music For Longhairs

I found these two LPs listed on Ebay a while back. They're "various artists" compilation albums on the DESIGN label.

I like the troll doll cover better than the faux-Carnaby Street design. I can't be sure, but I get the feeling that this might be the same album issued with two different cover designs.

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Looking at the other end of the spectrum, here's an LP of "Music for Hardhats" played by The Hardhats.

Note that the song "A Boy Named Sue" is a featured tune. Our cover model is wearing a hardhat adorned with a pink flower and the name "Sue" emblazoned on it.

Is this supposed to be a "boy" named Sue? (Sue looks as if s/he got dressed in an awful hurry this morning!) I feel a tidal wade of conflicted gender-bending emotions by just looking at this cover.

One of the most pressing questions that springs to mind is, "Can I have a bite of that sandwich?"

C&W Budget Beatles Bonanza!

OK! The heck with my totally awesome insights into the scriptures and current events, let's get back to what I know best...

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I just came across this on-line and it is my new favorite album of the moment!

Looks like the Design record label decided to create a new Country-Western/Brit-Beat hybrid for the budget bin crowd.

The phony group is named "The Fabulous Beats" which is genius itself. They recorded ten C&W "standards" in what they considered to be the style of The Beatles. That is to say, lots of Liverpool harmonies, Harrisonesque guitar signatures and quirky Ringo-style drumming.

Well, almost. But it really works for me!

(Note: I took some liberties is "flipping" the cover photo so that guitars are all right-handed. Yeah, I know McCartney was a lefty, but that doesn't mean Lennon & Harrison have to be! I'm just that much of a nerd!)

Find out more HERE!

Budget Beatles Quickie

One Recording Session + One Photo Session = Infinite Budget LPs!
OK, this is really only TWO LPs. I know of at least 2 others for which I don't have photos readily available.

UPDATE: I found a third variant 04/30/07!

Also, one of these group photos (the one with the guy sitting on the bass drum) was used for a LOU REED bootleg back in the 'seventies! Speculation was rife that the drum-sitter was Lou, himself! I don't think so...
Somebody must've thought there was a "Yesterday And Today" butcher cover underneath the BEATS!!!! artwork. Can't blame a guy for trying, I guess.

Current Hits

Yep, it's time for another troll through the bidget bins. And, lookie here! It's my favorite label -HIT RECORDS!

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Here's an interesting one; TWENTY-SIX songs on one LP! How'd they do it? By creating two weird cuts that excerpt 30 second snippets from 14 different songs, that's how! The other 12 are full-length versions. The question is: WHY?

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I wonder if this collection of Country & Western tunes is the same weird medley deal, as described above? (I don't have this one, but the other HIT RECORDS C&W cuts I have heard are, predictably, top-notch!)

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Their "Current Hits" series is a favorite of mine. They made an effort to do some interesting, albeit, low-budget, cover designs. Here are but two volumes.

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I just bought this one off of eBay, so I don't know if this is 20 full-length hits, or what. HIT put out a whole series of LPs that simply showed the song titles with no attempt to create illustrations or other graphics. Some are even more austere than this!

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BONUS 45!

I can only imagine what those NASHVILLE session cats sounded like in their attempts to ape the "Lizard King!" Was there any indecent exposure involved..?

Meet The Buggs!

Hey, gang! Do you want to learn more about this budget bin "BEETLE" LP I've been flogging here?

How'd you like to actually hear the danged thing?

The Subversive Sounds blog is happy to oblige.

Yeah, yeah, yeah!!!

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UPDATE: The Subversive Sounds blog has done it again! Click HERE for a link to download both sides of THE BOLL WEEVILS' versions of "Please Please Me" and "My Bonnie!" Galactus, you rock!

Hey, Let's Twist!

Folks of "a certain age" will remember the cultural tsunami that was called "the twist." If you don't know what I'm going on about, stop now and rent TWIST, a really swell 1992 documentary on the subject that was directed by Ron Mann.

Like any other craze, the twist's popularity was reflected in the marketplace's budget bins. Heck, many "mainstream" artists clamored to coin some of that sweet, sweet twist money by recording their own twist albums!

Here are a very small random sampling of TWIST albums for your edification.

A surreal classic cover!

No, not CHUBBY CHECKER, but TUBBY CHESS!

Oh, I get it! OLIVER TWIST!

ROBBY ROBBER and THE HIJACKERS

We dare ya! What are ya... chicken?

Could this be any more generic?

Thanks for diggin' my scene, cats 'n' kittens. And remember... Don't Knock The Twist!

The NOW GENERATIONs

OK, I have to cleanse my palate from this whole iMAC thing.

And what better way than for me to once again dive into the deep-end of the BUDGET BIN!

My favorite budget label, HIT RECORDS had a few subsidiary labels, one of which was SPAR RECORDS. Toward the late 'sixties they came up with the in-house studio group concept of THE NOW GENERATION. My understanding is that Jimmy Buffett somehow had something to do with this aggregation. I neither know nor care much about MISTER PARROT-HEAD, but it may be of importance to you bald-headed, Hawaiian Shirt-Wearing Accountants out there who do. (Whew - where'd that hatred come from? All I know is I need more RAM for the iMAC. And I'm still stumped on the compatibility issue vis a vis the "Dazzle" A/V port.)

Deep, cleansing breath...

Where was I? Oh yeah, The NOW Generation. Here are some super-groovy examples of their SPAR LPs...

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Here are a few "other" NOW Generations that were NOT on the SPAR Label. They look pretty "outta sight" as well, don't you think?



Compare these to the evil-looking PROJECTION COMPANY album:


Ahhhh... I feel lots better now. Thanks for indulging me! iMAC? What's an iMAC?

Guitar Freak-Out & iMac Update

Well, looky here! It's our friends at Crown Records again! They released quite a few guitar instrumental albums over the years. Here are a few...

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Two volumes of "Guitars A Go Go!" The first volume credits "The Stingers" while the second volume indicates "Jerry Cole & The Stingers." Jerry was a very busy session man!

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I think there were several LPs credited to "The Firebirds." What a sultry, yet Mid-Sixties Republican-Looking model! In fact, they all look pretty "wholesome" don't you think?

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Here are "The Underground Electrics" jamming out on The Beatles' classic "Hey Jude" if you can dig that man. GASP! Look at that wanton hussy on the cover - I can see her bare midriff! Hmm. Where's her belly-button? She's kickin' it Barbara Eden style!

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iMAC UPDATE!

Well, Happy Valentines Day to me! Looks like that iMac will be delivered today! What could be more romantical, I axe ya?