Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Ask Mr. Music by Jerry Osborne

FOR THE WEEK OF AUGUST 29, 2011


DEAR JERRY: Here's a two prong question, a fun one that I doubt you've ever been asked.

Who is the top singles artist who never had a charted album? Then, who is the top albums artist who never had a charted vinyl single?
—Howard Silver, Baltimore


DEAR HOWARD: Yeah, this is a new one alright.

To be fair, we must limit the scope here to no earlier than the 1950s, and the beginning of the LP era.

My pick for the first prong is the McGuire Sisters. From 1954 through '61, Phyllis, Christine, and Dorothy charted one place or another with about 35 songs, including one No. 1 hit, “Sugartime” (1958). Yet, the only McGuire with a hit LP is Barry, with “Eve of Destruction” (1965).

Bill Gaither is my overwhelming choice for prong two. Using several different variations of his name (Bill Gaither Trio; The Gaithers; Gaither Vocal Band; Bill and Gloria Gaither; etc.), he has about 40 albums that did on the charts what his singles could not.


DEAR JERRY: Several men had recordings of ”Funny How Time Slips Away,“ but I have never heard it by a woman. Since I don't hear anything in the lyrics that makes it gender specific, is there perhaps a female version I missed? It would have been a perfect fit for Patsy Cline.

I bought it in the '60s by Johnny Tillotson. Is his the original?
—Margaret Sheffield, Hanover, Pa.


DEAR MARGARET: Johnny Tillotson's 1963 issue of ”Funny How Time Slips Away“ (Cadence 1441) may have been the first one you heard, but his is neither the original waxing nor the first to have a pop hit with Willie Nelson's masterful composition.

Billy Walker was first out of the gate with the tune, in September 1961, but his single (Columbia 42050) barely made the C&W charts, then vanished after just two weeks.

Definitely a shaky beginning, but royalties for Willie were about to increase.

The following month, in Nashville, Chet Atkins signed 18-year-old Jimmy Elledge, and produced his first record. For this they chose ”Funny How Time Slips Away“ (RCA Victor 47-7946). The session featured Floyd Cramer on piano and took place at RCA's legendary Studio B.

Despite the obvious C&W connections (Atkins, Floyd, Nashville), Jimmy's version was strictly a pop, or Top 40 format, hit. Spending 14 weeks on Billboard and peaking at No. 22 qualifies it as a success.

Perhaps because only two years had passed since the Elledge hit, Johnny Tillotson's 1963 version (Cadence 1441) only reached No. 50.

In the summer of '64, soul singer Joe Hinton gave “Funny” a go, and it turned out to be not only his biggest hit (Back Beat 541), but the top selling single overall of Willie Nelson's famed opus. It made No. 1 on the R&B and No. 13 on the Pop chart.

Many females recorded “Funny How Time Slips Away,” though, other than a minor hit for Dorothy Moore in 1976 (Malaco 1033), none made a splash of any consequence.

Here are a few recognizable gals who happily added “Funny How Time Slips Away” to their discographies: Wanda Jackson; Brenda Lee; Diana Ross and the Supremes; Tina Turner; Damita Jo; and Linda Ronstadt dueting with Homer Simpson.


IZ ZAT SO? Amazingly, of all the classics penned by Willie Nelson in the '60s, not once did Willie's own version become a hit, though mostly by design. His primary source of income then was from writing, not singing. That would change big time in the '70s.

Three profitable examples, and those who made them hits, are: “Night Life” (Ray Price, Rusty Draper); “Hello Walls” (Faron Young); and “Crazy” (Patsy Cline).



Jerry Osborne answers as many questions as possible through this column. Write Jerry at: Box 255, Port Townsend, WA 98368 E-mail: jpo@olympus.net   Visit his Web site: www.jerryosborne.com  

All values quoted in this column are for near-mint condition.

Copyright 2011 Osborne Enterprises- Reprinted By Exclusive Permission




Vinyl Record News & Music Notes

Beach Boys announce release details of lost album Smile

Surviving band members collaborate to issue abandoned Smile Sessions album 44 years after original studio recordings

The Smile Sessions will be released by Capitol/EMI on October 31st and will be available digitally and as a dual CD, double vinyl, or in box sets including 7 inch singles, shadow-boxes, signed lithographs and even a custom-made Hobie longboard. Brian Wilson, Al Jardine and Mike Love have worked with engineers to polish off the Beach Boys' original session masters, which were aborted when the group began work on 1967's Smiley Smile.

Besides Smile itself, the Beach Boys are issuing four albums of bonus material, including demos, alternate mixes and studio chatter. There is also a 60-page hardbound book, including essays by Wilson, Love, Jardine and Bruce Johnston, who joined the Beach Boys in the lead-up to Smile.





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interesting reading:

I Was There: How Nirvana Ripped Up a Club on the Eve of Nevermind’s Release

Ted Drozdowski

September 23, 1991 was like any other autumn night in Boston – unless you happened to be in the now-long-gone club Axis on Lansdowne Street, Boston, where one of the greatest rock shows of the past two decades blasted the black box room’s lid into the stratosphere.

Not coincidentally, September 23 was the day before the release of Nirvana’s Nevermind, and the headliner was – you guessed it – Nirvana.

Read the rest at Gibson.com

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Hexfire Reveals New Album "The Fire Of Redemption" Artwork

Hexfire, which recently signed to Nightmare Records, has recently revealed the cover artwork for the band's upcoming album called 'The Fire of Redemption.' However, no official release date has yet been announced but expect further details on the album to be released soon. i love the cover art!


















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MAGNUM Announce Release Date, Tracklisting, Cover Art For New Album

British hard rock outfit MAGNUM are scheduled to release their new album 'Evolution,' in Europe November 14th, Germany November 11th, and US/Canada at the end of November via teamhammer/SPV.  'Evolution' contains eight songs from their previous comeback albums which were partially re-recorded and fully re-mixed, two from 'The Visitation' album and two totally new recorded songs.

Tracklist:
‘That Holy Touch’
‘Just Like January’
‘Brand New Morning’
‘Immigrant Son’
‘When We Were Younger’
‘Out Of The Shadows’
‘All My Bridges’
‘Blood On Your Barbed Wire Thorns’
‘The Visitation’
‘Wild Angels’
‘The Fall’
‘Do You Know Who You Are’


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another great album cover!

ASTRAL DOORS: 'Jerusalem' Teaser Available

"Jerusalem", the new album from Swedish melodic metallers ASTRAL DOORS, will be released in October. The CD, which will be made available as a jewelcase, digipack and on vinyl, was mixed by Daniel Bergstrand, who has previously worked with BEHEMOTH, MESHUGGAH, DIMMU BORGIR, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD and SOILWORK, among others. The cover art was designed by Mattias Eriksson

Read the rest at Blabbermouth.com














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Roadrunner Records just announced that they have signed progressive rock behemoths Rush.

"We have tremendous respect for Roadrunner Records, and what Cees Wessels and Jonas Nachsin have built on a worldwide level. After years of Roadrunner pursuing the band, Tom Lipsky presented a deal that worked and the timing was right. We wanted to be at a label focused on the rock genre – and that's Roadrunner," said Ray Danniels, manager of Rush.

"In another life I worked with Rush and their great management team more than 30 years ago and to have Rush finally on the Roadrunner label is a dream come true. I am grateful for Ray Danniels' confidence in this new partnership," said Cees Wessels, Roadrunner Records Chairman.

"Rush has a tradition of excellence and independence, both in the studio and on the live stage, and they remain as prolific today as at any point in their career. We are excited to be their label partners," said Tom Lipsky, President of Lipsky Music, LLC, who brokered the significant deal for Roadrunner.

The first release from Rush through this deal will be various live configurations, recorded during their highly successful Time Machine tour that wrapped earlier this summer. Details of the release will be revealed in the coming weeks. The band will remain on Anthem/Universal Music in Canada only.

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rollingstone.com has this bit of news!

Lindsey Buckingham: Fleetwood Mac Will Return Next Year'

I wouldn't be shocked if it was a tour and possibly an album,' he says

By Andy Greene

"Working in a band is a lot like what I imagine making movies is like," says Lindsey Buckingham. "It's political and it takes a lot of verbalization to get from point A to point B. When I work alone, it's more like painting. You are one with the canvas and it's a subconscious, meditative process."

Read the rest at rollingstone.com

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Delta Blues Great David "Honeyboy" Edwards Passes Away at 96

One of the last of the bluesmen whose roots go back to the early-20th century has passed away. David "Honeyboy" Edwards died today (Monday) about 3 A.M. in his home at the age of 96.

Edwards stayed active musically until this past April when he fell ill, with shows still scheduled in Chicago and Europe. His last appearance was April 16 and 17 at the Juke Joint Festival and Cathead Mini-Festival in Clarksdale, MS.

Read more at our friends at vintagevinylnews.com




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this from our friends at vinylcollective.com

Face To Face New Album on Limited Vinyl

Face To Face have announced a vinyl release of their new album, “Laugh Now Laugh Later“ due out September 27, 2011. The album will be pressed on blue vinyl which is limited to only 500 copies. You can pre order “Laugh Now Laugh Later” now.











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Top 5 eBay Vinyl Record Sales - Week Ending 08/20/2011

Ooohhhh, cool - a week of oddities. Ok, the Butcher Cover isn't odd . . . well, yes it is for the Top 5 . . . it's definitely not the prime Beatles collectible anymore, the UK 1st pressings of "Please Please Me" fetch more money, and low numbered "White Albums" are classier and far more interesting. Hell, I'm more interested in a South American mono fold of "Abbey Road", and though they go for far less money than a Butcher Cover, they are way harder to find.

The #1 goes to a local LA punk treasure; the two Prog LP's in the #3 and #5 spots are both out of Italy. That David Bowie single is a real impossible record to find as a stock copy. Promo's fetch around $100.00, but this stock copy sold for almost $1k more than the last known sale, and at about the same price that it sold for in 2006.

1. 45 - Opus "Good Procedures" / "Atrocity" Catatonic - $4,800.00

2. LP - The Beatles "Yesterday And Today" 3rd Stat Butcher Stereo - $3,401.01

3. LP - Osage Tribe "Arrow Head" Bla Bla - $2,590.00

4. 45 - David Bowie "Can't Help Thinking About Me" / "And I Said To Myself" WB 5815 - $2,500.00

5. LP - Sandro Brugnolini "Overground" SEM - $2,460.60


More on this week's Top 5 on Vinyl Record Talk , Tuesday 8:00PM Eastern / 5:00PM Pacific on Radio Dentata.

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GRIMEY'S BEST SELLERS 8/22 - 8/28, 2011

Top 25 Vinyl:

1. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Mirror Traffic
2. Neon Indian - Fallout 7"
3. Big Star w/ John Davis - Live Tribute To Alex Chilton 7" EP
4. Flaming Lips w/ Lightning Bolt - I'm Working At NASA On Acid 12"
5. Brendan Benson / Ben Blackwell - Last Night In Detroit 7"
6. Loretta Lynn - Van Lear Rose
7. Primus - Green Naugahyde "bootleg" LP
8. War On Drugs - Slave Ambient
9. Radiohead - Give Up The Ghost remix 12"
10. Sic Alps - Breadhead 7"
11. D. Watusi - Slave Walls 7"
12. Jimi Hendrix - Indie exclusive Live 7"
13. Darondo - Listen To My Song: The Music City Sessions
14. Mister Heavenly - Out Of Love
15. Tune-Yards - WHOKILL
16. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
17. Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More
18. Pixies - Doolittle
19. PUJOL - Bonedaddy 7"
20. Cy Barkley & The Way Outsiders - Rock Together 7"
21. JEFF The Brotherhood - Heavy Days
22. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
23. The Ettes - Wicked Will
24. Buddy Miller - Majestic Silver Strings
25. Charles Bradley & The Menahan Street Band - No Time For Dreaming instrumentals

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and in music history for today, August 31st:

In 1957, Elvis Presley appeared at the Empire Stadium in Vancouver, Canada. This was only the third time ever Presley had performed outside of the U.S. – and it would be the last. 26,000 fans attended the show with tickets costing $1.50, $2.50 and $3.50.

In 1958, Ricky Nelson kicks off his musical concert career by appearing at Steel Pier in Atlantic City, New Jersey, where he sets an all time attendance record for the venue by performing in front of 44,221 people, spread out over two days. His fee for the gig was $10,000 and his supporting acts were comedian Henny Youngman and The Four Preps.

In 1963, the Angels become the first white girl group to have a US number one hit when "My Boyfriend's Back" topped the Billboard Hot 100.

In 1967, the Beatles announced that they would handle their own affairs following the death of manager Brian Epstein.

In 1968, Decca Records released what has been called the Rolling Stones most political song, "Street Fighting Man". The number was written after Mick Jagger attended a March 1968 anti-war rally at London's US embassy, during which mounted police attempted to control a crowd of 25,000. The single proved to be very popular, but was kept out of the US Top 40 (reaching #48) because many radio stations refused to play it based on what were perceived as subversive lyrics.



Also in 1968, the first Isle of Wight Festival was held with performers including the Jefferson Airplane, Fairport Convention, T-Rex, the Move, the Pretty Things and the Crazy World of Arthur Brown.

During a North American tour in 1969, Led Zeppelin appeared at the Texas International Pop Festival in Lewisville. Also on the bill: B.B. King, The Incredible String Band, Sam and Dave, and Janis Joplin.


The Rolling Stones released "Goat's Head Soup" in 1974.

"The Partridge Family" television show ended in 1974.

In 1974, in federal court, John Lennon testified the Nixon administration tried to have him deported because of his involvement with the anti-war demonstrations at the 1972 Republican convention in Miami, FL.

Carole King's "Jazzman" was released in 1974.

In 1976, George Harrison was found guilty of “subconscious plagiarism” of the Ronnie Mack song “He’s So Fine” when writing “My Sweet Lord.” Earnings from the song were awarded to Mack’s estate; The Chiffons then recorded their own version of “My Sweet Lord.”

In 1984, Purple Rain, the movie starring Prince opened at cinemas across the UK with special late night previews.

In 1985, 'Brothers in Arms' by Dire Straits started a nine-week run at #1 on the US album charts. The album also topped the charts in 25 other countries and went on to sell over 20 million worldwide.

In 1987, the largest pre-order of albums in the history of CBS Records occurred as 2.25 million copies of Michael Jackson’s Bad album were shipped to record stores in the U.S. The LP followed the Jackson album, Thriller, Jackson’s biggest seller of all time (over 35 million copies sold). Bad went on to sell over 13 million copies.

In 1991, Metallica started a four-week run at #1 on the US album chart with Metallica. The album featured “Enter Sandman,” “Sad but True,” “The Unforgiven” and “Nothing Else Matters” and went on to sell more than 10 million copies in the U.S. alone.

In 2002, it was announced that Lance Bass of *NSYNC would be the first celebrity astronaut. He would not be on the flight when he failed to pay the $20 million fee.

In 2004, Carl Wayne, the lead singer of the influential 1960s Pop group, The Move, died of esophageal cancer at the age of 61

In 2007, Hilly Kristal, founder of the New York punk club CBGB, died from complications arising from lung cancer at the age of 75. Kristal was credited with discovering Patti Smith and The Ramones and his club became a breeding ground for punk rock. The New York City venue, whose full title CBGB OMFUG stood for “country, bluegrass, blues and other music for uplifting gormandizers,” was originally launched to showcase country music.

celebrating birthdays today include (among many others): Jerry Allison (Crickets) (72), Roger Dean (album cover artist) (67), Rudolf Schenker (Scorpions) (63), Gina Schock (Go-Go's) (54) and the immortal Van Morrison (66)