Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Ask Mr. Music by Jerry Osborne

FOR THE WEEK OF MAY 28, 2012



DEAR JERRY: My mystery song was played by an urban country station in the Windsor-Detroit area, in the mid-'70s. I am no longer in that area, but have never heard it again anywhere.

It is a beautiful ballad about love grown cold, featuring a great vocalist with simple piano-guitar-drum backing.

Most of the verses end with "there's no sense in living anymore," but it's more about frustration than suicide. Neither Bing nor Google searches even suggest anything with that title.

Can you?
—Marianne Schulte, Oshkosh, Wisc.



DEAR MARIANNE: Sorry to say, I cannot suggest anything with that title.

But the news is not all bad. I can definitely unravel your four-decade-old musical mystery.

The line you recall so well is, as you say, at the end of the chorus. You just need to back up a bit to discover the title. Here's how they fit together:

Seems like I can't live with you
But I can't live without you
I know that time will never change us
So there's just no sense in living anymore

Titled "Seems Like I Can't Live with You, But I Can't Live Without You," this is the flip side of "Dancin' Fool" (RCA Victor 10075), by the Guess Who featuring Burton Cummings.

This 1974 single came out at a time when most country programmers had drifted away from traditional C&W music, while adding pop and soft rock to their playlists. For awhile they called their hybrid format "modern country," or "countrypolitan."

Those stations would not touch the rock-disco "Dancin' Fool," but "Seems Like I Can't Live with You, But I Can't Live Without You" was very countrypolitan.

To cite some of the modern country hits at the time, we can begin right at the top. Billy Swan had the No. 1 song, with "I Can Help."

Other crossover hits that year included: "Back Home Again" and "Annie's Song" (John Denver); "Let Me Be There" and "I Honestly Love You" (Olivia Newton-John); "Sundown" (Gordon Lightfoot), and, perhaps the purest rock and roll record to make the country Top 10, Elvis Presley's "Promised Land."

Though "Seems Like I Can't Live with You, But I Can't Live Without You" didn't make the charts, to have gotten some spins in Windsor is not surprising. The Guess Who is one of Canada's most famous bands.



DEAR JERRY: I am a 15-year-old pianist, who happens to enjoy playing in the ragtime and honky-tonk style.

One of the records my father gave me to learn is "Roulette," by Russ Conway (Cub 9034), and I love it!

Did Conway have other recordings in this style? Was "Roulette" ever a hit?
—Cal Millington, Portsmouth, Ohio




DEAR CAL: Russ made many, all in that style. As for question two, it depends on whether you were east or west of the Azores, in mid-1959.

In the U.S., Russ Conway remained virtually unknown. Not even his two biggest UK hits charted in the U.S., even though both were picked up by American labels, such as Capitol ("Side Saddle") and MGM's Cub imprint ("Roulette").

In his homeland, it was a completely different story for this honky-tonk instrumentalist. Between 1957 and '63, Russ had 20 charted hits. Of those, 17 made the Top 30; seven reached the Top 10; and two even claimed Great Britain's No. 1 position. This is even more impressive when you consider how much their charts were dominated by American rock and roll, and other teen-oriented styles. Neither describe Russ Conway.

His biggest hit, "Side Saddle," topped the New Musical Express for four weeks in the spring of 1959.

Russ finally surrendered the coveted position, but only for the next eight weeks; three for Buddy Holly ("It Doesn't Matter Anymore"), and five for Elvis ("A Fool Such As I"). That's when Conway's "Roulette" returned him to the No. 1 slot.

For three weeks in June and July of '59, the Top 10 included both "Side Saddle" and "Roulette," which is quite remarkable.

I know of no other 1950s or '60s instrumentalist with two separate records in the Top 10, and that goes for the record world on both sides of the Azores.



IZ ZAT SO? In 1959, "Side Saddle" stayed in the UK Top 10 for 18 consecutive weeks! To better appreciate that feat, consider that only one rock era instrumental in U.S., surpassed it, and by only one week!

Perez Prado's "Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White" remained in our Top 10 for 19 weeks in 1955.



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 2012 Osborne Enterprises- Reprinted By Exclusive Permission

Vinyl Record News & Music Notes

this vinyl news from our friends in europe

How vinyl got its groove back

Has digital sound in CD and PC killed the soul of music? Or are there other reasons why vinyl records are experiencing a steady increase in sales?

By: Arlid S. Foss

The record slides out of the sleeve with a whisper and settles on the spindle. You drop the needle gently on the black disc. A few discreet crackles in anticipation of the music – and it begins.

It almost sounds like a religious ritual, and for some it comes pretty close. Enthusiasts claim that nothing beats vinyl records for the warmth and range of sound.

Meanwhile, the digital deluge has arrived. Music is chopped into digital bits and streamed, stored and shared through MP3 players, mobile phones, tablets and PCs.

The 2011 Music Industry Report from the Nielsen Company and Billboard showed that digital music sales last year for the first time overtook sales of physical media, accounting for 50.5 percent of all music purchases.

With a total of 1.27 billion sales the 50 percent mark was conquered. It looks like it's digital from here on in.

Except it's not.

Read the rest at sciencenordic.com

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and another vinyl story from the uk!

Why we are falling in love with vinyl, again

It’s a finger action almost forgotten. But in The Beatles section of vinyl heaven – aka Shrewsbury’s only record store, White Rabbit – Mel Barratt deftly demonstrates that not only is the art of flicking through the racks of vinyl albums still alive, but judging by the number of people doing the same it is a resurgent trend.

“I do love the vinyl format,” says Mel, pulling out a copy of Rubber Soul. “Records are beautiful objects and they are physical objects, and the sound they make, with all their scratches and crackles, is warm and real.”

In an age of digital downloads where instant musical gratification comes at the touch of the dreaded ‘shuffle’ button, the vinyl 33 or 45 is format that demands audience involvement. For a start, enthusiasts have to take the record from its sleeve, cue it up and drop the needle onto the groove before retreating to the sofa to enjoy the fruits of their efforts.

“I have to sit and stay where I am when I am listening to a record,” adds Mel. “I don’t do other things at the same time and I listen to the whole album all the way through.

“I find that with CDs or downloads it’s just background music.” Meaning you turn the playing device on and do the housework, listening with only one ear.

Dave Lamont, who runs White Rabbit at Shrewsbury Indoor Market, says: “I have definitely noticed that interest in vinyl has increased.

Read the rest at shropshirestar.com/

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Eric Burdon Releasing New Album

Rock and roller Eric Burdon (of Animals fame) is set to release a new album called 'Til Your River Runs Dry,' which is slated for a September 18 release via ABKCO.  The album was recorded in New Orleans in 2010 with further work done in California in 2011.

'I started feeling that I needed to use this album as a catharsis, to express my own truth,' Eric said in a statement. 'It took longer than any other album, not because of time spent in the studio, but because of the subject matter of the songs I wanted to put out there,' Eric explains. The result is a deeply intimate, honest self-portrait as well as unsparing look at religion, politics and the environment. 'During the making of this record, we lost Bo Diddley, one of my greatest influences. There were many things I would have said to him, if I'd realized that his time was limited.'

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album cover art of the day:

SYMBOLICA: 'Precession' Cover Artwork Unveiled

The cover artwork of 'Precession,' the debut album from SYMBOLICA  has just been revealed. The effort will be released in the beginning of June.





















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www.punknews.org has a great interview to read:

Interviews: Chris Hansen (No Sleep Records)

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this from our friends at vinylcollective.com

Top 10 Albums – May 29, 2012

Here are the Top 10 Albums sold at Shop Radio Cast for the week of May 22 – May 29th, 2012:

1. The Starting Line – Direction LP
2. Gaslight Anthem – ’45 / You Got Lucky 7?
3. Dave Hause – Time Will Tell 7?
4. The Menzingers – The Obituaries 7?
5. Chuck Ragan – Saw Blade 7?
6. Say Anything – Is A Real Boy 2XLP
7. The Swellers – Vehicle City Blues 7?
8. At The Drive In – Vaya 10?
9. Blink 182 – Dude Ranch LP
10. Staring Back – On 2XLP

Buy these and other releases at ShopRadioCast

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GRIMEY'S BEST SELLERS 5/21 - 5/27, 2012

Vinyl Top 25:

1. Spiritualized - Sweet Heart, Sweet Light
2. Beach House - Bloom
3. Alabama Shakes - Boys & Girls
4. Jack White - Blunderbuss
5. Paul McCartney - Ram (Mono white label)
6. Best Coast - The Only Place
7. OFF! - OFF!
8. Paul McCartney - Ram
9. Dr. John - Locked Down
10. Gaslight Anthem - "45" 7"
11. Tortoise - Millions Now Living Will Never Die
12. Death Grips - Money Store
13. Heavy Cream - Super Treatment
14. Father John Misty - Fear Fun
15. The Black Keys - El Camino
16. Beach House - Teen Dream
17. Ryan Adams - Heartbreaker
18. Counting Crows - Underwater Sunshine
19. Bonnie Raitt - Slipstream
20. White Fence - Family Perfume 2
21. JEFF The Brotherhood - Live At Third Man
22. Of Monsters & Men - My Head Is An Animal
23. Mynahbirds - It's My Time 7"
24. Nobunny - La La La La Love You 7"
25. Bad Sports - Red Overlay 7"