Crosby, Stills, and Nash - Our House
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Bird & Animal Names In Rock & Roll History- part eight
In our continuing series about “bird” and “animal” bands and artists in rock and roll history, let’s explore more “bird” group names.
The short career of the Detroit “bird” band the Falcons was highlighted by their release in 1959 called “You’re So Fine,” which is often considered the first true soul record. But a host of 1960's soul stars called themselves the Falcons at one time or another including the founder of the group, Eddie Floyd. The list also included a young Wilson Pickett, from 1961-63 (who went on to an illustrious career and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1991), Sir Mack Rice and Joe Stubbs (brother of Four Tops member Levi Stubbs). Under the direction of Robert West, the Falcons sound was more gospel based and when Pickett skillfully screamed the gospel-filled ballad “I Found A Love” to national prominence, it more or less ended the vocal group as Pickett went solo soon thereafter the release. The group broke up but not before carving a small, yet prominent niche in soul music.
In 1958, a line up consisting of Eddie Levert, Walter Williams, William Powell, Bobby Massey and Bill Isles formed a vocal ensemble called the Triumphs. They recorded for King as the Mascots and made their recording debut with the song “Miracles,” under the Wayco Record label. A Cleveland DJ named Eddie O’Jay loved the group and he decided to become the vocal group’s manager and as a gesture of appreciation the group renamed themselves the O’Jays. They recorded for Imperial Records from 1963-67 with minor success (“Stand In For Love” number twelve on the rhythm and blues charts in 1966).
In 1966, Isles left the group and the quartet signed on with Bell Records and scored a number eight R&B hit called “I’ll Be Sweeter Tomorrow (Than I Was Today”) in 1967. After the members of the O’Jays contemplating quitting, Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff signed the group to their Neptune label and the O’Jays had four hits including “One Night Affair” (number fifteen on the R&B 1969) and “Looky Looky (Look At Me Girl)” (number seventeen on the R&B charts in 1970). But after Neptune Records folded, Massey quit the group and started producing records.
The trio of Levert, Williams and Powell attempted self-promotion, but soon signed on with Gamble and Huff’s new label, Philadelphia International. Under their guidance, the O’Jays came into their own with an impressive set of gold and platinum records. This includes eight number one R&B singles from 1972-1978 including the smash hit (and now featured in a beer commercial), “Love Train (1973), “For The Love Of Money” (1974), “I Love Music (Part One) (1975) and “Use Ta Be My Girl” (number four in 1978).
But in 1975, Powell was stricken with cancer and could no longer tour (he died two years later) and he was replaced by Little Anthony & The Imperials veteran Sammy Strain. The group continued to produce quintessential Soul and R&B music with hits such as “Lovin You” (a number one on the R&B charts in 1987 from the LP, “Let Me Touch You”) and a number four R&B hit in 1989 called “Serious.” The singles included “Have You Had Your Love Today” (number one on the R&B singles chart), “Out Of My Mind” (number eleven R&B charts) as well as “Serious Hold On Me,” which peaked at number nine on the R&B charts. In 1991, the O’Jays released the LP (another gold record for the group) “Emotionally Yours,” which included the hit singles “Keep On Lovin Me” (number four on the R&B charts), “Don’t Let Me Down” (number two R&B charts) and the Bob Dylan-penned tune “Emotionally Yours” (number five on the R&B charts).
In 1993, Sammy Strain left the group to reform Little Anthony and the Imperials and was replaced by Nathan Best. The O’Jays released the album “Heartbreaker” that same year and it was yet another Top Ten R&B classic. Eric Grant replaced Best before the 1997 album called “Love You To Tears” (number fourteen on the R&B charts and number seventy-five on the Pop charts)
The group has certainly paid their dues, touring incessantly and they also have kept their sound alive by adapting to the musical changes in pop, R&B and soul music. But one thing has remained constant, the O’Jays have created an R&B legacy that is unmatched and they are one of the signature soul groups of all time.
The Partridge Family was not a family in real life (although they did play one on TV). But teen heartthrob David Cassidy and Shirley Jones were related (Shirley married David’s father Jack Cassidy). The fictional TV group, loosely based on the Cowsills, hit number one with the sappy song “I Think I Love You” in 1970. In the first episode of the sitcom, the kids ask Mom (Shirley Jones) to help with a recording session in the garage and then try to sell the music to a record label, hoping to have a number one single. Ironically, the song “I Think I Love You,” DID top the Billboard charts!
The show ran from 1970-1974 with only moderate musical success after that single, but David Cassidy emerged as one of the top great teen idols of the 1970's. Interestingly, Cassidy was actually declared a hazard to public health in Australia, as his solo tours were pop rock disasters filled with screaming teenage girls. During a London show, more than a thousand people were injured and tragically one female fan was crushed to death when a concert got out of hand. In 1971, David Cassidy was able to secure a Top 40 Billboard hit with the song “Cherish.” Fellow band member and actress Susan Dey, went on to L. A. Law fame and actor Danny Bonaduce slipped into drugs, but has recovered and is still active in show business.
Look for part nine of our series next week when again we will focus on some more bird names and groups in rock and roll history.
Falcons Tidbits:
The Falcons were originally:
Eddie Floyd (1955-1963)
Bob Manardo (1955-1957)
Arnett Robinson (1955-1957)
Tom Shetler (1955-1957)
Willie Schofield (1955-1963)
Some members were replaced over time:
Joe Stubbs (1957-1960)
Wilson Pickett (1960-1963)
Mack Rice (1957-1963)
Lance Finnie (1957-1963)
Robert Ward (1957-1963)
After 1963, the Fabulous Playboys took over the Falcons name. The later group comprised of Carlis 'Sonny' Monroe, James Gibson, Johnny Alvin, Alton Hollowell. This group made the R&B chart in 1966 with "Standing On Guard."
O’Jays Tidbits:
On February 23, 2007, Radio-Canada's website reported that Canadian Industry Minister Jim Prentice had used the song "For The Love of Money" without the group's permission during a political event, a faux pas since Prentice is responsible for the application of the Copyright Act in Canada. Radio-Canada also reports that Prentice has since been contacted by the attorneys for both the O'Jays and Warner/Chappell Music.
"For the Love of Money" is the theme song to the hit reality TV show The Apprentice, starring Donald Trump, which is ironic considering that the lyrics warn of the evil people will do for the love of money.
In 2005 the O'Jays were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Original members Eddie Levert, Walter Williams, Bobby Massey and, posthumously, William Powell, were inducted. In a note of controversy, 70's O'Jays member Sammy Strain was also inducted with the group, while original member Bill Isles was not. (Strain is one of the few artists in popular music history who is a double Rock Hall inductee: with The O'Jays in 2005, and The Imperials in 2009).
Partridge Family Tidbits:
The pilot was called The Family Business. After they found a manager, the group acquired an old school bus, painted it and departed to Las Vegas for their first live gig at Caesars Palace. After the series was sold, the title was changed to The Partridge Family.
The Partridge Family was produced for ABC by Screen Gems, which was just finishing its run with The Monkees, another show about a fictional musical group. The company promoted the show by releasing a series of albums featuring the family band, though most cast members did not actually play on the recordings. Led by producer Wes Farrell, a group of hired studio musicians (informally referred to as the Ron Hicklin Singers and Wrecking Crew) actually created the Partridge Family's sound. David Cassidy was originally to lip sync with the rest of the cast, but he convinced Farrell just weeks into production that he could sing well and was allowed to join the studio ensemble as the lead singer.
A modernized-version of the bus was created for a new promotion in 2004, when VH1 premiered In Search of the New Partridge Family. This talent competition in the format of American Idol sought a new cast for a contemporary version of the sitcom. The elimination-type program aired seven episodes in which a panel of judges selected a new Partridge Family cast from auditioners across the country. The resulting pilot episode of The New Partridge Family aired in January 2005, but due to low ratings VH1 opted not to produce any more episodes.
The short career of the Detroit “bird” band the Falcons was highlighted by their release in 1959 called “You’re So Fine,” which is often considered the first true soul record. But a host of 1960's soul stars called themselves the Falcons at one time or another including the founder of the group, Eddie Floyd. The list also included a young Wilson Pickett, from 1961-63 (who went on to an illustrious career and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1991), Sir Mack Rice and Joe Stubbs (brother of Four Tops member Levi Stubbs). Under the direction of Robert West, the Falcons sound was more gospel based and when Pickett skillfully screamed the gospel-filled ballad “I Found A Love” to national prominence, it more or less ended the vocal group as Pickett went solo soon thereafter the release. The group broke up but not before carving a small, yet prominent niche in soul music.
In 1958, a line up consisting of Eddie Levert, Walter Williams, William Powell, Bobby Massey and Bill Isles formed a vocal ensemble called the Triumphs. They recorded for King as the Mascots and made their recording debut with the song “Miracles,” under the Wayco Record label. A Cleveland DJ named Eddie O’Jay loved the group and he decided to become the vocal group’s manager and as a gesture of appreciation the group renamed themselves the O’Jays. They recorded for Imperial Records from 1963-67 with minor success (“Stand In For Love” number twelve on the rhythm and blues charts in 1966).
In 1966, Isles left the group and the quartet signed on with Bell Records and scored a number eight R&B hit called “I’ll Be Sweeter Tomorrow (Than I Was Today”) in 1967. After the members of the O’Jays contemplating quitting, Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff signed the group to their Neptune label and the O’Jays had four hits including “One Night Affair” (number fifteen on the R&B 1969) and “Looky Looky (Look At Me Girl)” (number seventeen on the R&B charts in 1970). But after Neptune Records folded, Massey quit the group and started producing records.
The trio of Levert, Williams and Powell attempted self-promotion, but soon signed on with Gamble and Huff’s new label, Philadelphia International. Under their guidance, the O’Jays came into their own with an impressive set of gold and platinum records. This includes eight number one R&B singles from 1972-1978 including the smash hit (and now featured in a beer commercial), “Love Train (1973), “For The Love Of Money” (1974), “I Love Music (Part One) (1975) and “Use Ta Be My Girl” (number four in 1978).
But in 1975, Powell was stricken with cancer and could no longer tour (he died two years later) and he was replaced by Little Anthony & The Imperials veteran Sammy Strain. The group continued to produce quintessential Soul and R&B music with hits such as “Lovin You” (a number one on the R&B charts in 1987 from the LP, “Let Me Touch You”) and a number four R&B hit in 1989 called “Serious.” The singles included “Have You Had Your Love Today” (number one on the R&B singles chart), “Out Of My Mind” (number eleven R&B charts) as well as “Serious Hold On Me,” which peaked at number nine on the R&B charts. In 1991, the O’Jays released the LP (another gold record for the group) “Emotionally Yours,” which included the hit singles “Keep On Lovin Me” (number four on the R&B charts), “Don’t Let Me Down” (number two R&B charts) and the Bob Dylan-penned tune “Emotionally Yours” (number five on the R&B charts).
In 1993, Sammy Strain left the group to reform Little Anthony and the Imperials and was replaced by Nathan Best. The O’Jays released the album “Heartbreaker” that same year and it was yet another Top Ten R&B classic. Eric Grant replaced Best before the 1997 album called “Love You To Tears” (number fourteen on the R&B charts and number seventy-five on the Pop charts)
The group has certainly paid their dues, touring incessantly and they also have kept their sound alive by adapting to the musical changes in pop, R&B and soul music. But one thing has remained constant, the O’Jays have created an R&B legacy that is unmatched and they are one of the signature soul groups of all time.
The Partridge Family was not a family in real life (although they did play one on TV). But teen heartthrob David Cassidy and Shirley Jones were related (Shirley married David’s father Jack Cassidy). The fictional TV group, loosely based on the Cowsills, hit number one with the sappy song “I Think I Love You” in 1970. In the first episode of the sitcom, the kids ask Mom (Shirley Jones) to help with a recording session in the garage and then try to sell the music to a record label, hoping to have a number one single. Ironically, the song “I Think I Love You,” DID top the Billboard charts!
The show ran from 1970-1974 with only moderate musical success after that single, but David Cassidy emerged as one of the top great teen idols of the 1970's. Interestingly, Cassidy was actually declared a hazard to public health in Australia, as his solo tours were pop rock disasters filled with screaming teenage girls. During a London show, more than a thousand people were injured and tragically one female fan was crushed to death when a concert got out of hand. In 1971, David Cassidy was able to secure a Top 40 Billboard hit with the song “Cherish.” Fellow band member and actress Susan Dey, went on to L. A. Law fame and actor Danny Bonaduce slipped into drugs, but has recovered and is still active in show business.
Look for part nine of our series next week when again we will focus on some more bird names and groups in rock and roll history.
Falcons Tidbits:
The Falcons were originally:
Eddie Floyd (1955-1963)
Bob Manardo (1955-1957)
Arnett Robinson (1955-1957)
Tom Shetler (1955-1957)
Willie Schofield (1955-1963)
Some members were replaced over time:
Joe Stubbs (1957-1960)
Wilson Pickett (1960-1963)
Mack Rice (1957-1963)
Lance Finnie (1957-1963)
Robert Ward (1957-1963)
After 1963, the Fabulous Playboys took over the Falcons name. The later group comprised of Carlis 'Sonny' Monroe, James Gibson, Johnny Alvin, Alton Hollowell. This group made the R&B chart in 1966 with "Standing On Guard."
O’Jays Tidbits:
On February 23, 2007, Radio-Canada's website reported that Canadian Industry Minister Jim Prentice had used the song "For The Love of Money" without the group's permission during a political event, a faux pas since Prentice is responsible for the application of the Copyright Act in Canada. Radio-Canada also reports that Prentice has since been contacted by the attorneys for both the O'Jays and Warner/Chappell Music.
"For the Love of Money" is the theme song to the hit reality TV show The Apprentice, starring Donald Trump, which is ironic considering that the lyrics warn of the evil people will do for the love of money.
In 2005 the O'Jays were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Original members Eddie Levert, Walter Williams, Bobby Massey and, posthumously, William Powell, were inducted. In a note of controversy, 70's O'Jays member Sammy Strain was also inducted with the group, while original member Bill Isles was not. (Strain is one of the few artists in popular music history who is a double Rock Hall inductee: with The O'Jays in 2005, and The Imperials in 2009).
Partridge Family Tidbits:
The pilot was called The Family Business. After they found a manager, the group acquired an old school bus, painted it and departed to Las Vegas for their first live gig at Caesars Palace. After the series was sold, the title was changed to The Partridge Family.
The Partridge Family was produced for ABC by Screen Gems, which was just finishing its run with The Monkees, another show about a fictional musical group. The company promoted the show by releasing a series of albums featuring the family band, though most cast members did not actually play on the recordings. Led by producer Wes Farrell, a group of hired studio musicians (informally referred to as the Ron Hicklin Singers and Wrecking Crew) actually created the Partridge Family's sound. David Cassidy was originally to lip sync with the rest of the cast, but he convinced Farrell just weeks into production that he could sing well and was allowed to join the studio ensemble as the lead singer.
A modernized-version of the bus was created for a new promotion in 2004, when VH1 premiered In Search of the New Partridge Family. This talent competition in the format of American Idol sought a new cast for a contemporary version of the sitcom. The elimination-type program aired seven episodes in which a panel of judges selected a new Partridge Family cast from auditioners across the country. The resulting pilot episode of The New Partridge Family aired in January 2005, but due to low ratings VH1 opted not to produce any more episodes.
Music News & Notes
Poor Britney
Britney Spears stopped performing halfway through her concert at the GM Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, after smoky conditions and ventilation problems forced the singer and her dancers to leave the stage for more than 30 minutes, reported the Vancouver Sun. After performing a few songs, Spears and her dancers vanished for no reason, leaving the impatient crowd to chant and do the wave in complete darkness. Apparently, the smoking of marijuana and cigarettes became so overwhelming, that the crew thought it was unsafe- so they stopped the concert.
Spears’ camp issued a statement after the concert, saying, “We want to apologize to all the fans who attended our Vancouver show tonight for the brief pause in Britney’s set. Crew members above the stage became ill due to a ventilation issue.”
You won't see that anywhere else, imagine a rock concert being stopped because of the smoke- hey, isn't that part of the show?
==========================
Prince at #2
Prince's new album, LotusFlow3r, premiers at number two this week on the Billboard Album chart with sales of 168,000. He was beat out by Keith Urban's new album which sold just 3,000 more copies.
Total sales were 7.11 million units, down 11% from the same week last year. Year-to-date sales are down 13.3%.
==========================
Eddie Vedder Embarks On 2009 US Solo Tour
Eddie Vedder will embark on an 11-date, 2009 US solo tour, which begins June 8th in Albany, New York and ends July 2nd in Honolulu, Hawaii (full list of tour dates below). New Zealand singer-songwriter Liam Finn will open these shows. General public tickets for all dates of the Eddie Vedder 2009 solo tour go on sale Saturday, April 18th (with the exception of the Baltimore dates which go on sale April 17th).
==========================
New Releases This Week
Mumiy Troll - "Comrade Ambassador" - Review
Maria Taylor - "LadyLuck" (Nettwerk Music Group)
Halloween, Alaska - "Champagne Downtown" (East Side Digital)
Other Lives - "Other Lives" (tbd records)
Tom Goss - "Back To Love"
The Blue Van - "Man Up" - iTunes release
Felice Brothers - "Yonder Is The Clock" (Team Love)
Zach Williams and the Reformation - "Zach Williams and the Reformation"
Datarock - "Give It Up" - Single
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - “From Her To Eternity” (Mute) - Re-release
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - “The Firstborn Is Dead” (Mute) - Re-release
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - “Kicking Against The Pricks” (Mute) - Re-release
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - “Your Funeral… My Trial” (Mute) - Re-release
Living With Lions - "Dude Manor" (Adeline Records)
Single File - "Common Struggles"
Gliss - "Devotion Implosion" (Rydkodisc/Cordless Recordings)
Richard Swift - "The Atlantic Ocean" (Secretly Canadian)
Bat for Lashes - "Two Suns" (Astralwerks)
Britney Spears stopped performing halfway through her concert at the GM Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, after smoky conditions and ventilation problems forced the singer and her dancers to leave the stage for more than 30 minutes, reported the Vancouver Sun. After performing a few songs, Spears and her dancers vanished for no reason, leaving the impatient crowd to chant and do the wave in complete darkness. Apparently, the smoking of marijuana and cigarettes became so overwhelming, that the crew thought it was unsafe- so they stopped the concert.
Spears’ camp issued a statement after the concert, saying, “We want to apologize to all the fans who attended our Vancouver show tonight for the brief pause in Britney’s set. Crew members above the stage became ill due to a ventilation issue.”
You won't see that anywhere else, imagine a rock concert being stopped because of the smoke- hey, isn't that part of the show?
==========================
Prince at #2
Prince's new album, LotusFlow3r, premiers at number two this week on the Billboard Album chart with sales of 168,000. He was beat out by Keith Urban's new album which sold just 3,000 more copies.
Total sales were 7.11 million units, down 11% from the same week last year. Year-to-date sales are down 13.3%.
==========================
Eddie Vedder Embarks On 2009 US Solo Tour
Eddie Vedder will embark on an 11-date, 2009 US solo tour, which begins June 8th in Albany, New York and ends July 2nd in Honolulu, Hawaii (full list of tour dates below). New Zealand singer-songwriter Liam Finn will open these shows. General public tickets for all dates of the Eddie Vedder 2009 solo tour go on sale Saturday, April 18th (with the exception of the Baltimore dates which go on sale April 17th).
==========================
New Releases This Week
Mumiy Troll - "Comrade Ambassador" - Review
Maria Taylor - "LadyLuck" (Nettwerk Music Group)
Halloween, Alaska - "Champagne Downtown" (East Side Digital)
Other Lives - "Other Lives" (tbd records)
Tom Goss - "Back To Love"
The Blue Van - "Man Up" - iTunes release
Felice Brothers - "Yonder Is The Clock" (Team Love)
Zach Williams and the Reformation - "Zach Williams and the Reformation"
Datarock - "Give It Up" - Single
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - “From Her To Eternity” (Mute) - Re-release
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - “The Firstborn Is Dead” (Mute) - Re-release
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - “Kicking Against The Pricks” (Mute) - Re-release
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - “Your Funeral… My Trial” (Mute) - Re-release
Living With Lions - "Dude Manor" (Adeline Records)
Single File - "Common Struggles"
Gliss - "Devotion Implosion" (Rydkodisc/Cordless Recordings)
Richard Swift - "The Atlantic Ocean" (Secretly Canadian)
Bat for Lashes - "Two Suns" (Astralwerks)
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Mr. Music
I am continuing our new feature: Ask "Mr. Music." Now in its 23rd year of syndication (1986-2008), Jerry Osborne's weekly Q&A feature will be a regular post every Wednesday from now on. Be sure to stop by Jerry's site (www.jerryosborne.com) for more Mr. Music archives, record price guides, anything Elvis, buy & sell collectibles, record appraisals and much more. I thank Jerry for allowing the reprints.
DEAR JERRY: There is a comedy routine from the 1950s that I just can't get out of my mind.
I know it came out on a 45 rpm and is a parody of the Ed Sullivan Show. This comedian's name finally dawned on me, and it is Will Jordan.
I'd love to get a copy play it on my “Warped Records Radio Show,” which I have been doing for nearly 10 years locally on WSVA 550.
—Jim Bishop, Harrisonburg, Va.
DEAR JIM: As you likely recall, the original title of Ed Sullivan's Sunday night show was “Toast of the Town.”
Ed's distinctive style and mannerisms made him a favorite target of most impressionists. However, Will Jordan's Sullivan act was so good that Ed frequently booked him on “Toast of the Town.
One such Jordan parody routine did come out as a single in 1956, titled “Roast of the Town: Shnook Magazine TV Awards, Part 1” backed with “Roast of the Town: Shnook Magazine TV Awards, Part 2” (Jubilee 900). This must be the recording your mind can't discharge.
Billed as “Will Jordan Starring in a One Man Mimicry Show” on this record's picture sleeve, he lampoons other TV celebrities besides Ed Sullivan, specifically Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis; Jackie Gleason; Arthur Godfrey; Groucho Marx; Wally Cox; Lucille Ball & Desi Arnaz; and Liberace.
Jordan made other comedy albums in the 1950s and '60s, but Will's most marketable product remained his Sullivan impersonation.
I spotted “Roast of the Town” recently on eBay for about $12, including picture sleeve. While not close to near-mint, it probably would meet “Warped Records Radio Show” requirements.
Congratulations on 10 years of entertaining the beautiful Shenandoah Valley!
DEAR JERRY: Thoroughly enjoyed learning how many single-letter film titles exist, 23 to be exact.
Using various movie references I can confirm all except the N-movie.
Please resolve this cinematic mystery for me.
—Jill Stillman, Hanover, Pa.
DEAR JERRY: Regarding your list of single-letter movie titles. My co-workers dispute there is a 2005 movie titled “N.” Please restore my standing in the officeplace trivia rankings!
—Jim Chandler, Fraser, Mich
DEAR JILL & JIM: “N” is a 2005 German film, an 82-minute historical documentary.
Though “N” is the complete English title, it is better known to Germans as “N wie niemand” (translation: “N as no one”).
You can find it listed accordingly on both the U.S. and German language Internet Movie Database sites.
DEAR JERRY: Did Judy Collins ever record “Wedding Song (There Is Love)”?
I used to hear it on a radio station in Mexico, and I am pretty sure that it was presented like that. Still, after looking for years, I cannot find this song by Judy Collins.
Am I perhaps mistaken about the singer's identity?
—Alfonso de Leon, Mexico City
DEAR ALFONSO: Since I also find no recording of “Wedding Song (There Is Love)” by Judy Collins, one of two possibilities exist:
Either you have the title right and the wrong artist, or the song you recall is “Wedding Song,” a completely different song which is by Judy Collins, from her 1980 LP, “Running for My Life” (Elektra 253).
What has me leaning toward the first option is you clearly mention the complete title, “The Wedding Song (There Is Love).” Judy's “Wedding Song” makes no reference to “There Is Love.”
Three versions of “Wedding Song (There Is Love)” do exist by well-known female stars: Petula Clark (1972); Captain & Tennille, featuring Toni Tennille (1976); and Mary MacGregor (1978).
There is a good chance it is one of these you seek.
Paul Stookey, formerly of Peter, Paul and Mary, wrote “Wedding Song (There Is Love),” and his is the top selling and most famous version. It became a Top 25 hit in 1971.
IZ ZAT SO? Completely different than Judy Collins' 1980 “Wedding Song,” and still nothing like “Wedding Song (There Is Love),” is “Wedding Song (Song for Louis).”
This selection is from Judy's 2005 album, “Portrait of an American Girl.”
DEAR JERRY: There is a comedy routine from the 1950s that I just can't get out of my mind.
I know it came out on a 45 rpm and is a parody of the Ed Sullivan Show. This comedian's name finally dawned on me, and it is Will Jordan.
I'd love to get a copy play it on my “Warped Records Radio Show,” which I have been doing for nearly 10 years locally on WSVA 550.
—Jim Bishop, Harrisonburg, Va.
DEAR JIM: As you likely recall, the original title of Ed Sullivan's Sunday night show was “Toast of the Town.”
Ed's distinctive style and mannerisms made him a favorite target of most impressionists. However, Will Jordan's Sullivan act was so good that Ed frequently booked him on “Toast of the Town.
One such Jordan parody routine did come out as a single in 1956, titled “Roast of the Town: Shnook Magazine TV Awards, Part 1” backed with “Roast of the Town: Shnook Magazine TV Awards, Part 2” (Jubilee 900). This must be the recording your mind can't discharge.
Billed as “Will Jordan Starring in a One Man Mimicry Show” on this record's picture sleeve, he lampoons other TV celebrities besides Ed Sullivan, specifically Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis; Jackie Gleason; Arthur Godfrey; Groucho Marx; Wally Cox; Lucille Ball & Desi Arnaz; and Liberace.
Jordan made other comedy albums in the 1950s and '60s, but Will's most marketable product remained his Sullivan impersonation.
I spotted “Roast of the Town” recently on eBay for about $12, including picture sleeve. While not close to near-mint, it probably would meet “Warped Records Radio Show” requirements.
Congratulations on 10 years of entertaining the beautiful Shenandoah Valley!
DEAR JERRY: Thoroughly enjoyed learning how many single-letter film titles exist, 23 to be exact.
Using various movie references I can confirm all except the N-movie.
Please resolve this cinematic mystery for me.
—Jill Stillman, Hanover, Pa.
DEAR JERRY: Regarding your list of single-letter movie titles. My co-workers dispute there is a 2005 movie titled “N.” Please restore my standing in the officeplace trivia rankings!
—Jim Chandler, Fraser, Mich
DEAR JILL & JIM: “N” is a 2005 German film, an 82-minute historical documentary.
Though “N” is the complete English title, it is better known to Germans as “N wie niemand” (translation: “N as no one”).
You can find it listed accordingly on both the U.S. and German language Internet Movie Database sites.
DEAR JERRY: Did Judy Collins ever record “Wedding Song (There Is Love)”?
I used to hear it on a radio station in Mexico, and I am pretty sure that it was presented like that. Still, after looking for years, I cannot find this song by Judy Collins.
Am I perhaps mistaken about the singer's identity?
—Alfonso de Leon, Mexico City
DEAR ALFONSO: Since I also find no recording of “Wedding Song (There Is Love)” by Judy Collins, one of two possibilities exist:
Either you have the title right and the wrong artist, or the song you recall is “Wedding Song,” a completely different song which is by Judy Collins, from her 1980 LP, “Running for My Life” (Elektra 253).
What has me leaning toward the first option is you clearly mention the complete title, “The Wedding Song (There Is Love).” Judy's “Wedding Song” makes no reference to “There Is Love.”
Three versions of “Wedding Song (There Is Love)” do exist by well-known female stars: Petula Clark (1972); Captain & Tennille, featuring Toni Tennille (1976); and Mary MacGregor (1978).
There is a good chance it is one of these you seek.
Paul Stookey, formerly of Peter, Paul and Mary, wrote “Wedding Song (There Is Love),” and his is the top selling and most famous version. It became a Top 25 hit in 1971.
IZ ZAT SO? Completely different than Judy Collins' 1980 “Wedding Song,” and still nothing like “Wedding Song (There Is Love),” is “Wedding Song (Song for Louis).”
This selection is from Judy's 2005 album, “Portrait of an American Girl.”
Music News & Notes
Sir Paul & Ringo?
An unnamed source, has said that Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr are ready to head into the studio. "It has been a long time since Ringo played drums on any of Paul's songs but they've decided they can work together again. They had a fantastic time in New York, and realize they still work well together. They're now getting together later in the year to work on some of Paul's new songs."
=================================
Vinyl Collective News
Here is the latest from my friend Virgil over at www.vinylcollective.com- stop on by and pick up some great vinyl!
Due to a number of factors (me laid up in bed sick since Thurday and still sick today, it being spring, us having way too many records in our warehouse, and my higher than normal balances with my vinyl and cd pressing plants), I have decided to start putting together the Spring Cleaning sale to to end all Spring Cleaning sales. Every release is subject to be put on sale, test pressings will be sold, and we might dig out some out of print records, too. The sales will begin as early as tomorrow and the sales will go through the entire month of April.
It is our goal to make room for all the new records that we are having pressed. We hope to offer some insane prices on our records passing the savings onto you. I see everyday on the message board where folks are always complaining about their cash flow situation, well, this is going to be the month that you better make sure you have at least a few bucks set aside.
If you have any suggestions for a sale, we might even add a few of your ideas to our list of sales.
Vinyl Collective Top 10 Sales of the past Week
1. Jawbreaker - Etc. double LP (out of stock right now)
2. THE SIDEKICKS “So Long, Soggy Dog” LP powder blue vinyl
3. RISE AGAINST “S/T” 7″
4. COBRA SKULLS “Sitting Army” LP transparent green vinyl
5. THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM “New Jersey” Coffee Mug
6. COBRA SKULLS “Sitting Army” LP set of both colors
7. JONAH MATRANGA/ FRANK TURNER split LP clear yellow vinyl
8. POLAR BEAR CLUB “Sometimes Things Just Disappear” LP green vinyl w/ CD
9. COBRA SKULLS “Sitting Army” LP opaque yellow vinyl
10. BULLET TREATMENT “Designated Vol 1″ 7″
10. THE LAWRENCE ARMS “Apathy & Exhaustion” LP
10. Suburban Home Pick 5 for $25 Sale (CDs, Vinyl, Pint Glasses)
=================================
Michael Schenker Releases New CD / Vinyl
Gipsy Lady”, the first album from the Michael Schenker-Gary Barden Acoustic Project, will be available on CD and vinyl on May 19. Gary Barden’s vocals give the cleverly arranged songs just the touch of soul they need for full impact… The long-term Schenker collaborator wrote the lyrics virtually off the top of his head. Also on board is Michael Voss, an experienced producer, and second guitarist, who also provides background vocals. Kai Luennemann on percussion completes the team.
===================================
Second and Third Destroyer Albums To Get Vinyl Reissue
Nominal Records, the label responsible for the excellent Emergency Room Volume 1 compilation, has announced that it will be continuing to spread its love of Vancouver with two Destroyer reissues. The label will release City of Daughters and Thief, the second and third Destroyer records, on vinyl this month.
In a statement, the label explained its reasoning for the reissues, saying, “The original City of Daughters LP suffered from frequency related glitches, which caused it to skip on many turntables. The original Thief mix was never satisfying and the LP/CD was shoddily mastered into mono.”
The albums have been remixed and mastered by the original production team of Dan Bejar, Dave Carswell and John Collins at JC/DC studios, and their artwork has been reworked to fit on a fancy gatefold jacket.Tthe original pressing will only feature 1026 copies.
=================================
The Hours Album Cover
The new album of The Hours will be released on April 20th. “See The Light” is not only much anticipated because of the music, but also because the album cover art has been created by none other than British artist Damien Hirst. Both the CD and the LP cover art were designed by the artist.
An unnamed source, has said that Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr are ready to head into the studio. "It has been a long time since Ringo played drums on any of Paul's songs but they've decided they can work together again. They had a fantastic time in New York, and realize they still work well together. They're now getting together later in the year to work on some of Paul's new songs."
=================================
Vinyl Collective News
Here is the latest from my friend Virgil over at www.vinylcollective.com- stop on by and pick up some great vinyl!
Due to a number of factors (me laid up in bed sick since Thurday and still sick today, it being spring, us having way too many records in our warehouse, and my higher than normal balances with my vinyl and cd pressing plants), I have decided to start putting together the Spring Cleaning sale to to end all Spring Cleaning sales. Every release is subject to be put on sale, test pressings will be sold, and we might dig out some out of print records, too. The sales will begin as early as tomorrow and the sales will go through the entire month of April.
It is our goal to make room for all the new records that we are having pressed. We hope to offer some insane prices on our records passing the savings onto you. I see everyday on the message board where folks are always complaining about their cash flow situation, well, this is going to be the month that you better make sure you have at least a few bucks set aside.
If you have any suggestions for a sale, we might even add a few of your ideas to our list of sales.
Vinyl Collective Top 10 Sales of the past Week
1. Jawbreaker - Etc. double LP (out of stock right now)
2. THE SIDEKICKS “So Long, Soggy Dog” LP powder blue vinyl
3. RISE AGAINST “S/T” 7″
4. COBRA SKULLS “Sitting Army” LP transparent green vinyl
5. THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM “New Jersey” Coffee Mug
6. COBRA SKULLS “Sitting Army” LP set of both colors
7. JONAH MATRANGA/ FRANK TURNER split LP clear yellow vinyl
8. POLAR BEAR CLUB “Sometimes Things Just Disappear” LP green vinyl w/ CD
9. COBRA SKULLS “Sitting Army” LP opaque yellow vinyl
10. BULLET TREATMENT “Designated Vol 1″ 7″
10. THE LAWRENCE ARMS “Apathy & Exhaustion” LP
10. Suburban Home Pick 5 for $25 Sale (CDs, Vinyl, Pint Glasses)
=================================
Michael Schenker Releases New CD / Vinyl
Gipsy Lady”, the first album from the Michael Schenker-Gary Barden Acoustic Project, will be available on CD and vinyl on May 19. Gary Barden’s vocals give the cleverly arranged songs just the touch of soul they need for full impact… The long-term Schenker collaborator wrote the lyrics virtually off the top of his head. Also on board is Michael Voss, an experienced producer, and second guitarist, who also provides background vocals. Kai Luennemann on percussion completes the team.
===================================
Second and Third Destroyer Albums To Get Vinyl Reissue
Nominal Records, the label responsible for the excellent Emergency Room Volume 1 compilation, has announced that it will be continuing to spread its love of Vancouver with two Destroyer reissues. The label will release City of Daughters and Thief, the second and third Destroyer records, on vinyl this month.
In a statement, the label explained its reasoning for the reissues, saying, “The original City of Daughters LP suffered from frequency related glitches, which caused it to skip on many turntables. The original Thief mix was never satisfying and the LP/CD was shoddily mastered into mono.”
The albums have been remixed and mastered by the original production team of Dan Bejar, Dave Carswell and John Collins at JC/DC studios, and their artwork has been reworked to fit on a fancy gatefold jacket.Tthe original pressing will only feature 1026 copies.
=================================
The Hours Album Cover
The new album of The Hours will be released on April 20th. “See The Light” is not only much anticipated because of the music, but also because the album cover art has been created by none other than British artist Damien Hirst. Both the CD and the LP cover art were designed by the artist.
Collectors take vinyl for another spin in tactile music revival
By Sandra Dick
THAT couple of pounds of pocket money would be scorching a hole in your pocket, the tranny radio would be pressed to your ear and, naturally, your tiger feet would be taking you in just one direction.
Saturday mornings spent hanging out at the local record shop, flicking through thousands of albums for the hundredth time, tuning in to the latest single releases through a massive set of headphones . . . it was where a whole generation of music-loving kids got their kicks.
Hard to imagine the MP3 MySpace generation of today being able to remember their first ever download with great relish.
But for yesterday's youngsters – a growing number of them now middle aged record collectors – the joy of walking out the high street record shop swinging a 7in-square plastic bag containing the 45rpm single was a childhood rite of passage.
At home came the ritual of sliding the shiny black vinyl from its sleeve before placing it delicately on the old Decca portable record player. Tinny music would flood from the sole speaker while the sleeve notes were studied and then consigned to memory.
On the downside, the needle had a habit of jumping if you walked past in your clumpy platform shoes, within weeks it would be scratched or warped, the cover ripped by an overzealous little brother.
Perhaps no wonder the onset of the mighty and allegedly indestructible Compact Disc spelled the skip for many of our vinyl collections.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of Eddy Arnold's Texarkana Baby – the world's first seven-inch 45rpm single. Yet, ironically, while the CD boom of the '90s spelled the demise of the 45rpm single and their 12in 33rpm vinyl cousins, it is the CD that is suffering a lingering death of its own at the hands of the digital age. . . and for some it's good old vinyl that is back. In fact, as World Record Shop Day looms later this month and the golden era of vinyl is celebrated with the release of The Boat That Rocked – based on a pirate radio ship in the 1970s – there are those who say they never really went away.
"Okay, vinyl nearly died," laughs Bruce Findlay, who ran independent record shops before managing bands such as Simple Minds and China Crisis in the '80s. "But now it's like someone cloned it, used the DNA and now it's back.
"Agreed, it's not the way it was when everyone had a record player and that's all you could buy. Today it's collectible and it's what a lot of people want."
Indeed, today's artists are learning to cash in on the fans' love of a classic vinyl disc.
Duffy, the Pet Shop Boys and a string of modern artists have released tracks on vinyl, aware that the ethereal qualities of digital sounds cannot match the thrill of actually "owning" a piece of music. World Record Shop Day is being marked by a string of vinyl releases from artists such as The Smiths, Joy Division and Tom Waits.
"No matter how many people are on a band's MySpace page or download their music, it's not a real measure of success," explains Kevin Buckle, boss of Avalanche Records in Cockburn Street, one of Edinburgh's longest established independent record dealers. "It doesn't really translate to how many people actually go to their concerts or buy their CDs.
"The great thing about a record is you can put it on and play it to your friends. The trouble is, kids are so used to listening to music through headphones that they hardly know what it's like to sit to listen any other way."
The other problem with vinyl is the dearth of anything to actually play it on. For as CDs took over the world, record players – and the collections of discs once lovingly catalogued, polished and played – were mostly consigned to the tip.
"I've had young kids coming in to buy a vinyl record and saying that they were going off to their grandfather's house to play it because he was the only person in the family with a record player," adds Kevin.
"Record companies are obsessed with kids and computers and mobile phones and everything they do is geared towards that. They think no-one under 25 buys music, but I get plenty of kids in the shop who want more than just a song on an MP3 player. They want badges, posters, stuff that's more tactile than just the song."
It's a rising trend for a modern "antique" which is helping ensure the survival of an endangered species – the independent record shop. Once a feature on every high street, they were hit by the rise of the record superstores such as Our Price, HMV and Virgin.
Yet, just as vinyl is enjoying a revival at the expense of the CD, small record shops insist they are holding their own as the digital revolution engulfs the music superstores that once threatened their very survival.
Today there are around 300 independent record shops trading in Britain, and around half a dozen – the oldest of them Ripping Records at South Bridge, Avalanche and Vinyl Villains in Elm Row – in the Edinburgh area.
Tommy Robertson of second-hand record shop Back Track Music in Tollcross, admits business is still a struggle but with an increasing number of people seeing the potential rarity value in vinyl, there is hope.
"Some actually prefer the snap, crackle and pop of a vinyl disc," he explains. "Others like the fact it's something solid that you can hold, and you can read the sleeve notes better than you can on a CD.
"These days it's a throwaway society. But back then there was something very real about saving your pennies and buying a particular record."
David Griffen of second-hand record and book store Elvis and Shakespeare in Leith Walk, agrees. "There's a completely different aesthetic from vinyl to CD. I get people in the shop much older than me who just come in to look longingly at the stock and touch the covers."
Author Nick Hornby touched on the fascination of vinyl among collectors in his novel High Fidelity. "They're as close to being mad as makes no difference," he wrote.
Music impresario Bruce Findlay can identify with that. "There are a lot of 'anoraks' out there, and I'm one," he laughs, after quoting the catalogue numbers of a string of rare discs off the top of his head. "The music industry is going through massive change and the demise of the superstore means record shops have an opportunity.
"What's emerging is a cottage industry with new artists working in collectives, signing to local labels and bringing out limited numbers of vinyl records to sell in these independent stores.
"I wouldn't have said it two or three years ago but if I was a teenager leaving school just now, I know what I'd do," he adds with a grin. "Yeah, I'd definitely open a record shop."
RECORD PROFITS
HAVE you got any of these in your dusty record collection?
• The BEATLES White Album (1968): The plain white cover of the first pressings carried a unique number. In November number 0000005 sold for nearly £20,000.
• THE SEX PISTOLS God Save the Queen (1977): Released on A&M records. Expect to get in the region of £13,000.
• THE ROLLING STONES 7in Street Fighting Man (US version) It recently fetched $15,200 at auction.
• A promo of JUNIOR McCANT'S King, sold for $15,000. Last month the Scottish Parliament was asked to save a Fife collectors' copy of Do I Love You (Indeed I do) by FRANK WILSON for the nation. It's expected to reach up to £75,000.
&149 Other rarities include THE BEATLES' Yesterday and Today "Butcher" sleeve (£19,250); BOB DYLAN'S The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, with extra four tracks (£17,500) and LONG CLEVE REED & LITTLE HARVEY HULL'S Stack O'Lee Blues, worth £15,000.
SOURCE: http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com
THAT couple of pounds of pocket money would be scorching a hole in your pocket, the tranny radio would be pressed to your ear and, naturally, your tiger feet would be taking you in just one direction.
Saturday mornings spent hanging out at the local record shop, flicking through thousands of albums for the hundredth time, tuning in to the latest single releases through a massive set of headphones . . . it was where a whole generation of music-loving kids got their kicks.
Hard to imagine the MP3 MySpace generation of today being able to remember their first ever download with great relish.
But for yesterday's youngsters – a growing number of them now middle aged record collectors – the joy of walking out the high street record shop swinging a 7in-square plastic bag containing the 45rpm single was a childhood rite of passage.
At home came the ritual of sliding the shiny black vinyl from its sleeve before placing it delicately on the old Decca portable record player. Tinny music would flood from the sole speaker while the sleeve notes were studied and then consigned to memory.
On the downside, the needle had a habit of jumping if you walked past in your clumpy platform shoes, within weeks it would be scratched or warped, the cover ripped by an overzealous little brother.
Perhaps no wonder the onset of the mighty and allegedly indestructible Compact Disc spelled the skip for many of our vinyl collections.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of Eddy Arnold's Texarkana Baby – the world's first seven-inch 45rpm single. Yet, ironically, while the CD boom of the '90s spelled the demise of the 45rpm single and their 12in 33rpm vinyl cousins, it is the CD that is suffering a lingering death of its own at the hands of the digital age. . . and for some it's good old vinyl that is back. In fact, as World Record Shop Day looms later this month and the golden era of vinyl is celebrated with the release of The Boat That Rocked – based on a pirate radio ship in the 1970s – there are those who say they never really went away.
"Okay, vinyl nearly died," laughs Bruce Findlay, who ran independent record shops before managing bands such as Simple Minds and China Crisis in the '80s. "But now it's like someone cloned it, used the DNA and now it's back.
"Agreed, it's not the way it was when everyone had a record player and that's all you could buy. Today it's collectible and it's what a lot of people want."
Indeed, today's artists are learning to cash in on the fans' love of a classic vinyl disc.
Duffy, the Pet Shop Boys and a string of modern artists have released tracks on vinyl, aware that the ethereal qualities of digital sounds cannot match the thrill of actually "owning" a piece of music. World Record Shop Day is being marked by a string of vinyl releases from artists such as The Smiths, Joy Division and Tom Waits.
"No matter how many people are on a band's MySpace page or download their music, it's not a real measure of success," explains Kevin Buckle, boss of Avalanche Records in Cockburn Street, one of Edinburgh's longest established independent record dealers. "It doesn't really translate to how many people actually go to their concerts or buy their CDs.
"The great thing about a record is you can put it on and play it to your friends. The trouble is, kids are so used to listening to music through headphones that they hardly know what it's like to sit to listen any other way."
The other problem with vinyl is the dearth of anything to actually play it on. For as CDs took over the world, record players – and the collections of discs once lovingly catalogued, polished and played – were mostly consigned to the tip.
"I've had young kids coming in to buy a vinyl record and saying that they were going off to their grandfather's house to play it because he was the only person in the family with a record player," adds Kevin.
"Record companies are obsessed with kids and computers and mobile phones and everything they do is geared towards that. They think no-one under 25 buys music, but I get plenty of kids in the shop who want more than just a song on an MP3 player. They want badges, posters, stuff that's more tactile than just the song."
It's a rising trend for a modern "antique" which is helping ensure the survival of an endangered species – the independent record shop. Once a feature on every high street, they were hit by the rise of the record superstores such as Our Price, HMV and Virgin.
Yet, just as vinyl is enjoying a revival at the expense of the CD, small record shops insist they are holding their own as the digital revolution engulfs the music superstores that once threatened their very survival.
Today there are around 300 independent record shops trading in Britain, and around half a dozen – the oldest of them Ripping Records at South Bridge, Avalanche and Vinyl Villains in Elm Row – in the Edinburgh area.
Tommy Robertson of second-hand record shop Back Track Music in Tollcross, admits business is still a struggle but with an increasing number of people seeing the potential rarity value in vinyl, there is hope.
"Some actually prefer the snap, crackle and pop of a vinyl disc," he explains. "Others like the fact it's something solid that you can hold, and you can read the sleeve notes better than you can on a CD.
"These days it's a throwaway society. But back then there was something very real about saving your pennies and buying a particular record."
David Griffen of second-hand record and book store Elvis and Shakespeare in Leith Walk, agrees. "There's a completely different aesthetic from vinyl to CD. I get people in the shop much older than me who just come in to look longingly at the stock and touch the covers."
Author Nick Hornby touched on the fascination of vinyl among collectors in his novel High Fidelity. "They're as close to being mad as makes no difference," he wrote.
Music impresario Bruce Findlay can identify with that. "There are a lot of 'anoraks' out there, and I'm one," he laughs, after quoting the catalogue numbers of a string of rare discs off the top of his head. "The music industry is going through massive change and the demise of the superstore means record shops have an opportunity.
"What's emerging is a cottage industry with new artists working in collectives, signing to local labels and bringing out limited numbers of vinyl records to sell in these independent stores.
"I wouldn't have said it two or three years ago but if I was a teenager leaving school just now, I know what I'd do," he adds with a grin. "Yeah, I'd definitely open a record shop."
RECORD PROFITS
HAVE you got any of these in your dusty record collection?
• The BEATLES White Album (1968): The plain white cover of the first pressings carried a unique number. In November number 0000005 sold for nearly £20,000.
• THE SEX PISTOLS God Save the Queen (1977): Released on A&M records. Expect to get in the region of £13,000.
• THE ROLLING STONES 7in Street Fighting Man (US version) It recently fetched $15,200 at auction.
• A promo of JUNIOR McCANT'S King, sold for $15,000. Last month the Scottish Parliament was asked to save a Fife collectors' copy of Do I Love You (Indeed I do) by FRANK WILSON for the nation. It's expected to reach up to £75,000.
&149 Other rarities include THE BEATLES' Yesterday and Today "Butcher" sleeve (£19,250); BOB DYLAN'S The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, with extra four tracks (£17,500) and LONG CLEVE REED & LITTLE HARVEY HULL'S Stack O'Lee Blues, worth £15,000.
SOURCE: http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Bird & Animal Names In Rock & Roll History- part seven
In our continuing series about “bird” and “animal” groups and artists in rock and roll history, let’s continue with our “bird” theme.
In the early 50's there was a boon of “bird groups” including the famous doo wop group the Penguins. The group was formed in 1954 when members Cleveland Duncan (lead vocal), Bruce Tate, Dexter Tisby and Curtis Williams were attending high school in Los Angles. Their only Top 40 Billboard hit is one of the most classic doo wop tunes of all time: “Earth Angel” (it is estimated to have sold more than 10 million copies worldwide).
Surprisingly, the song “Earth Angel” was the B-side of the record with the up tempo song “Hey Senorita” as the A-side. Upon its release in late 1954, radio stations were receiving more requests for “Earth Angel,” and by the beginning of 1955 the single had reached the national charts, spending three weeks at the number one position on the rhythm and blues charts and peaking at number eight on the Billboard Top 40.
For the next several years the group toured (the Penguins were a popular member of Alan Freed’s Rock ‘N’ Roll Jubilee) and continued to release singles (switching record labels several times). They scored another Top 20 hit on the rhythm and blues charts with the song “Pledge Of Love” in the summer of 1957 and in that same year released their only album called “The Cool, Cool Penguins.”
The vocal group broke up in 1959 and Cleveland Duncan has led various incarnations of the group on the oldie’s circuit and reunion tours. Interestingly, in 1963 the Penguins recorded a song which was written by future Mothers of Invention members Frank Zappa and Ray Collins called “Memories Of El Monte” (the song failed to make an impact).
A groundbreaking rhythm and blues vocal group called the Orioles was one of the first black vocal groups to sing music directly to a black audience. Fusing pop songs with gospel overtones and enriching them with blues and smooth harmonies, the Orioles scored a number one hit on the r & b charts in late summer of 1948 with the song “It’s Too Soon To Know.” The song also crossed over to reach number thirteen on the pop charts. (It was known back then as a “race” record).
This was a major accomplishment, as the Orioles were the first black group to do this and subsequently they became stars. Based in Baltimore (and no they were not named after the baseball team), the Orioles were Sonny Til (lead vocals), Alexander Sharp (tenor vocals), George Nelson (baritone), Johnny Reed (bass vocals) and guitarist Tommy Gaither. The group caught the attention of a local merchant and song writer named Deborah Chessler, who became their manager and would also write many of the group’s subsequent hits.
Originally named the Vibranaires, they performed on Arthur Godfrey’s “Talent Scouts” television show and caught the ear of record executive Jerry Blaine, who signed the group to a recording contract and they changed their name to the Orioles.
After the success of their debut ballad (the previously mentioned “It’s Too Soon To Know”), the group scored a top ten hit with the seasonal tune “(It’s Gonna Be A) Lonely Christmas” at the end of 1948. They scored another r & b chart topper in the spring of 1949 with a splendid song called “Tell Me So.” That began a streak of six charted r & b singles, including “A Kiss And A Rose,” “I Challenge Your Kiss,” “Forgive And Forget” as well as a re-release of their Christmas hit and another seasonal tune called “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve” (which was the B-side of “Lonely Christmas”).
Tragedy followed in 1950 when Gaither, Nelson and Reed were involved in an auto accident that killed Gaither and severely injured Reed and Nelson. Nelson left the group later in that year and as Reed recovered, the group added guitarist Ralph Williams and vocalist Gregory Carroll. The new line up scored a hit in 1952 with the sophisticated song “Baby Please Don’t Go” (number eight on the r & b charts). The following year the vocal group had their biggest hit, the wonderfully crafted tune called “Crying In The Chapel” (number eleven on the pop charts and number one on the r & b charts), a tune that Elvis Presley would record twelve years later. Their last hit before the group disbanded in 1954 was the tune “In The Mission of St. Augustine.”
Sonny Til tried to keep the band going with several different reincarnations, but the group didn’t gain much attention after their last hit. However, the groundwork had been laid and the Orioles were an historic, influential vocal group and were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.
Many consider the Flamingos one of the most prolific and seminal vocal ensembles ever to record and certainly one of the best doo wop groups of all time. Their inventive singing and elegant harmonies were impeccable, and they influenced many future rhythm and blues groups, including the Four Tops and Temptations.
The vocal group was formed in 1950 by cousins, Jake and Zeke Carey, who subsequently met Paul Wilson and Johnny Carter at The Church of God and Saints of Christ Congregation in Baltimore. They all sang in the church choir and met up with Earl Lewis, who also joined the group. But before they recorded anything, Earl Lewis left to join the Echoes and he was replaced by lead singer Sollie McElroy. They originally called themselves the Swallows, but they had to switch the name because there was another Baltimore group using that moniker. Carter suggested they call themselves the El Flamingos, which was changed to the Five Flamingos and then they all agreed to shorten the name to the Flamingos.
In 1953, the Flamingos recorded the song “If I Can’t Have You” (Chance Records) which attracted some attention, especially on the East Coast and in the Midwest. They also recorded songs like “That’s My Desire” and the vocally adventurous “Golden Teardrops,” but these numbers failed to gain any national attention nor appear on the r & b charts.
McElroy left the group, being replaced by Nate Nelson and the group soon enjoyed their first chart success in the 1956 with the Top Ten r & b hit “I’ll be Home.” The group disbanded, but reformed in 1957 with members Nate Nelson, Jake Carey, Paul Wilson and Tommy Hunt. In 1958, Zeke Carey returned and the Flamingos secured their biggest hit and the one they are most associated with, a wonderful ballad called “I Only Have Eyes For You.”
For the next two years, the Flamingos had a few minor hits, such as “I Was Such A Fool” and “Nobody Loves Me Like You Do” (1960) as well as “Time Was” (1961). They later recorded for several record labels, including four albums for END, also recording albums for Phillips, Julman and Polydor, but could not capitalize on their previous success. Cousins Zeke and Jake continued with various incarnations of the band well into the 90's and this legendary vocal group was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.
We will continue with our series on Thursday, again discussing “bird” groups in the next article.
Penguin Tidbits:
In a common practice of the time, radio stations frequently featured segregated playlists. Thus, "Earth Angel" was simultaneously recorded by the white group, The Crew-Cuts, in 1955. The Crew-Cuts cover peaked at #3 on the Hot 100 chart, five spots higher than the Penguins version. The single's success launched the Crew-Cuts' own successful career of recording "crossover"-friendly covers of R&B hits.
The Penguins were one of a number of doo-wop groups of the period named after birds. One of the members smoked Kool cigarettes, which, at the time, had "Willie the Penguin" as its cartoon advertising character. They considered themselves "cool," and accordingly decided to call themselves "The Penguins."
The Penguins were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004.
Orioles Tidbits:
In performance, The Orioles were a phenomenon, with girls in the audiences screaming, fainting, and attempting to reach their idol Sonny Til in particular.
Til recorded briefly as a solo artist before putting together the third Orioles group, with members Delton McCall, Billy Taylor, and Gerald Gregory, former bass of The Spaniels.
The Vibra-Naires changed their name to The Orioles in honor of the state bird of Maryland and in emulation of another popular group, The Ravens.
Flamingos Tidbits:
In recent times, the group has seen time in the courtroom. Current Flamingos member J.C. Carey, along with Terry Johnson, Tommy Hunt, and descendants of Nate Nelson and Paul Wilson, sued PepsiCo for allegedly using "I Only Have Eyes For You" in a 1998 television commercial without consulting the group. The group was awarded $250,000.
The Flamingos received the Rhythm & Blues Foundation Pioneer Award in 1996 (where Terry Johnson, Jake Carey, Zeke Carey, Tommy Hunt and Johnny Carter performed) and were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2000 and the Doo-Wopp Hall of Fame in 2004. In 2003, The Flamingos recording of "I Only Have Eyes For You" was inducted into the Grammy Award Hall of Fame.
In the early 50's there was a boon of “bird groups” including the famous doo wop group the Penguins. The group was formed in 1954 when members Cleveland Duncan (lead vocal), Bruce Tate, Dexter Tisby and Curtis Williams were attending high school in Los Angles. Their only Top 40 Billboard hit is one of the most classic doo wop tunes of all time: “Earth Angel” (it is estimated to have sold more than 10 million copies worldwide).
Surprisingly, the song “Earth Angel” was the B-side of the record with the up tempo song “Hey Senorita” as the A-side. Upon its release in late 1954, radio stations were receiving more requests for “Earth Angel,” and by the beginning of 1955 the single had reached the national charts, spending three weeks at the number one position on the rhythm and blues charts and peaking at number eight on the Billboard Top 40.
For the next several years the group toured (the Penguins were a popular member of Alan Freed’s Rock ‘N’ Roll Jubilee) and continued to release singles (switching record labels several times). They scored another Top 20 hit on the rhythm and blues charts with the song “Pledge Of Love” in the summer of 1957 and in that same year released their only album called “The Cool, Cool Penguins.”
The vocal group broke up in 1959 and Cleveland Duncan has led various incarnations of the group on the oldie’s circuit and reunion tours. Interestingly, in 1963 the Penguins recorded a song which was written by future Mothers of Invention members Frank Zappa and Ray Collins called “Memories Of El Monte” (the song failed to make an impact).
A groundbreaking rhythm and blues vocal group called the Orioles was one of the first black vocal groups to sing music directly to a black audience. Fusing pop songs with gospel overtones and enriching them with blues and smooth harmonies, the Orioles scored a number one hit on the r & b charts in late summer of 1948 with the song “It’s Too Soon To Know.” The song also crossed over to reach number thirteen on the pop charts. (It was known back then as a “race” record).
This was a major accomplishment, as the Orioles were the first black group to do this and subsequently they became stars. Based in Baltimore (and no they were not named after the baseball team), the Orioles were Sonny Til (lead vocals), Alexander Sharp (tenor vocals), George Nelson (baritone), Johnny Reed (bass vocals) and guitarist Tommy Gaither. The group caught the attention of a local merchant and song writer named Deborah Chessler, who became their manager and would also write many of the group’s subsequent hits.
Originally named the Vibranaires, they performed on Arthur Godfrey’s “Talent Scouts” television show and caught the ear of record executive Jerry Blaine, who signed the group to a recording contract and they changed their name to the Orioles.
After the success of their debut ballad (the previously mentioned “It’s Too Soon To Know”), the group scored a top ten hit with the seasonal tune “(It’s Gonna Be A) Lonely Christmas” at the end of 1948. They scored another r & b chart topper in the spring of 1949 with a splendid song called “Tell Me So.” That began a streak of six charted r & b singles, including “A Kiss And A Rose,” “I Challenge Your Kiss,” “Forgive And Forget” as well as a re-release of their Christmas hit and another seasonal tune called “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve” (which was the B-side of “Lonely Christmas”).
Tragedy followed in 1950 when Gaither, Nelson and Reed were involved in an auto accident that killed Gaither and severely injured Reed and Nelson. Nelson left the group later in that year and as Reed recovered, the group added guitarist Ralph Williams and vocalist Gregory Carroll. The new line up scored a hit in 1952 with the sophisticated song “Baby Please Don’t Go” (number eight on the r & b charts). The following year the vocal group had their biggest hit, the wonderfully crafted tune called “Crying In The Chapel” (number eleven on the pop charts and number one on the r & b charts), a tune that Elvis Presley would record twelve years later. Their last hit before the group disbanded in 1954 was the tune “In The Mission of St. Augustine.”
Sonny Til tried to keep the band going with several different reincarnations, but the group didn’t gain much attention after their last hit. However, the groundwork had been laid and the Orioles were an historic, influential vocal group and were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.
Many consider the Flamingos one of the most prolific and seminal vocal ensembles ever to record and certainly one of the best doo wop groups of all time. Their inventive singing and elegant harmonies were impeccable, and they influenced many future rhythm and blues groups, including the Four Tops and Temptations.
The vocal group was formed in 1950 by cousins, Jake and Zeke Carey, who subsequently met Paul Wilson and Johnny Carter at The Church of God and Saints of Christ Congregation in Baltimore. They all sang in the church choir and met up with Earl Lewis, who also joined the group. But before they recorded anything, Earl Lewis left to join the Echoes and he was replaced by lead singer Sollie McElroy. They originally called themselves the Swallows, but they had to switch the name because there was another Baltimore group using that moniker. Carter suggested they call themselves the El Flamingos, which was changed to the Five Flamingos and then they all agreed to shorten the name to the Flamingos.
In 1953, the Flamingos recorded the song “If I Can’t Have You” (Chance Records) which attracted some attention, especially on the East Coast and in the Midwest. They also recorded songs like “That’s My Desire” and the vocally adventurous “Golden Teardrops,” but these numbers failed to gain any national attention nor appear on the r & b charts.
McElroy left the group, being replaced by Nate Nelson and the group soon enjoyed their first chart success in the 1956 with the Top Ten r & b hit “I’ll be Home.” The group disbanded, but reformed in 1957 with members Nate Nelson, Jake Carey, Paul Wilson and Tommy Hunt. In 1958, Zeke Carey returned and the Flamingos secured their biggest hit and the one they are most associated with, a wonderful ballad called “I Only Have Eyes For You.”
For the next two years, the Flamingos had a few minor hits, such as “I Was Such A Fool” and “Nobody Loves Me Like You Do” (1960) as well as “Time Was” (1961). They later recorded for several record labels, including four albums for END, also recording albums for Phillips, Julman and Polydor, but could not capitalize on their previous success. Cousins Zeke and Jake continued with various incarnations of the band well into the 90's and this legendary vocal group was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.
We will continue with our series on Thursday, again discussing “bird” groups in the next article.
Penguin Tidbits:
In a common practice of the time, radio stations frequently featured segregated playlists. Thus, "Earth Angel" was simultaneously recorded by the white group, The Crew-Cuts, in 1955. The Crew-Cuts cover peaked at #3 on the Hot 100 chart, five spots higher than the Penguins version. The single's success launched the Crew-Cuts' own successful career of recording "crossover"-friendly covers of R&B hits.
The Penguins were one of a number of doo-wop groups of the period named after birds. One of the members smoked Kool cigarettes, which, at the time, had "Willie the Penguin" as its cartoon advertising character. They considered themselves "cool," and accordingly decided to call themselves "The Penguins."
The Penguins were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004.
Orioles Tidbits:
In performance, The Orioles were a phenomenon, with girls in the audiences screaming, fainting, and attempting to reach their idol Sonny Til in particular.
Til recorded briefly as a solo artist before putting together the third Orioles group, with members Delton McCall, Billy Taylor, and Gerald Gregory, former bass of The Spaniels.
The Vibra-Naires changed their name to The Orioles in honor of the state bird of Maryland and in emulation of another popular group, The Ravens.
Flamingos Tidbits:
In recent times, the group has seen time in the courtroom. Current Flamingos member J.C. Carey, along with Terry Johnson, Tommy Hunt, and descendants of Nate Nelson and Paul Wilson, sued PepsiCo for allegedly using "I Only Have Eyes For You" in a 1998 television commercial without consulting the group. The group was awarded $250,000.
The Flamingos received the Rhythm & Blues Foundation Pioneer Award in 1996 (where Terry Johnson, Jake Carey, Zeke Carey, Tommy Hunt and Johnny Carter performed) and were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2000 and the Doo-Wopp Hall of Fame in 2004. In 2003, The Flamingos recording of "I Only Have Eyes For You" was inducted into the Grammy Award Hall of Fame.
Music News & Notes
With A Little Help From Their Friends
KISS has announced a partnership with social media company Eventful in order to allow their fans to vote where they will play on their next tour.
“No matter where the fans say – from stadiums to cornfields – if there are enough votes, KISS will be there!” according to a statement from the band.
The final determination will not be made just on votes but, to give small towns a fair chance, on the ratio of total population to number of votes. Fans who let their opinion be known will also have first shot at the pre-sale of tickets to the show.
=============================
Aerosmith LP Delayed Again
Aerosmith's new album has been delayed once again. The band had to change the date when Joe Perry had to have surgery for a knee replacement and again last month when Steven Tyler came down with pneumonia. According to Perry, that left too little time to finish anything before they went out on tour.
=============================
Rogers Guitar Sells For Big Bucks
Singing Cowboy Roy Rogers' OM-45 Deluxe Martin Guitar was sold last week at auction to an anonymous bidder for $460,000. The guitar was #1 of only 15 produced and was purchased in 1933 by a young Rogers for $30.
=============================
All You Need Are The Beatles
After a nearly 22-year wait, digitally remastered versions of all of the Beatles studio albums will be released on September 9, a press release has confirmed. Each album will feature the track listings and artwork as it was originally released in the U.K. and come with expanded booklets including original and newly written liner notes and rare photos.
The Beatles Remasters:
Please Please Me
With the Beatles
A Hard Day’s Night
Beatles for Sale
Help!
Rubber Soul
Revolver
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Magical Mystery Tour
The Beatles (The White Album)
Abbey Road
Let It Be
Past Masters
Yellow Submarine
KISS has announced a partnership with social media company Eventful in order to allow their fans to vote where they will play on their next tour.
“No matter where the fans say – from stadiums to cornfields – if there are enough votes, KISS will be there!” according to a statement from the band.
The final determination will not be made just on votes but, to give small towns a fair chance, on the ratio of total population to number of votes. Fans who let their opinion be known will also have first shot at the pre-sale of tickets to the show.
=============================
Aerosmith LP Delayed Again
Aerosmith's new album has been delayed once again. The band had to change the date when Joe Perry had to have surgery for a knee replacement and again last month when Steven Tyler came down with pneumonia. According to Perry, that left too little time to finish anything before they went out on tour.
=============================
Rogers Guitar Sells For Big Bucks
Singing Cowboy Roy Rogers' OM-45 Deluxe Martin Guitar was sold last week at auction to an anonymous bidder for $460,000. The guitar was #1 of only 15 produced and was purchased in 1933 by a young Rogers for $30.
=============================
All You Need Are The Beatles
After a nearly 22-year wait, digitally remastered versions of all of the Beatles studio albums will be released on September 9, a press release has confirmed. Each album will feature the track listings and artwork as it was originally released in the U.K. and come with expanded booklets including original and newly written liner notes and rare photos.
The Beatles Remasters:
Please Please Me
With the Beatles
A Hard Day’s Night
Beatles for Sale
Help!
Rubber Soul
Revolver
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Magical Mystery Tour
The Beatles (The White Album)
Abbey Road
Let It Be
Past Masters
Yellow Submarine
Vinyl Aid
Every now and then you run across a story that shows the true meaning of vinyl collecting, we all stick together, as this story explains:
Kawkawlin resident gives record collection to man who lost his to fire
By Patti Brandt
With the help of Kawkawlin resident Alex Doan, Bay City's John Sanchez is back in the groove.
Sanchez lost his record collection last month when his house burned down. On Saturday, Doan turned his collection of vintage vinyl over to Sanchez, who's been collecting records since he was 15.
On March 20, Sanchez stood outside his home at 607 N. Sheridan St. smelling burning vinyl as the entire collection went up in smoke.
Temporarily living in a hotel apartment in Saginaw, Sanchez, 61, said he had too many records to count, though he estimates there were about 800. And the collection contained all kinds of music, from country to rock.
''Most of them were oldies and popular music,'' he said.
Doan, 76, recently put his entire collection - 288 records in all - on disc, using a CD recorder.
''I just got through transferring them all and I saw this article in the paper,'' Doan said.
He knew right away what he would do.
''Here's a man that lost everything,'' he said. ''I thought, 'Why don't I just give him what I've got?' If it makes him feel better, fine.''
And though Sanchez doesn't yet have a record player - his was lost in the fire - he's looking forward to listening to Doan's collection.
''I feel real good about it,'' he said.
Doan said all his records are in excellent condition - no warps or scratches. That's because he never stacked them up on a record player, he said, which is the key to keeping them pristine.
Plus, the records were off limits to all the little fingers in his family of seven children and their progeny.
''My children and my grandchildren have never touched these records.''
Doan's favorite group is Santo & Johnny, the Brooklyn brothers who recorded the instrumental ''Sleep Walk.'' And while Doan likes instrumentals, his collection also contains country and western records, easy listening and big band and polka music.
''My type of music is something that I can sit back, close my eyes, and just listen to,'' Doan said.
The collection - which numbered 400 records at one time - once contained several Elvis and Beatles records. But family members already snapped those up, he said.
SOURCE: http://www.mlive.com/news
Kawkawlin resident gives record collection to man who lost his to fire
By Patti Brandt
With the help of Kawkawlin resident Alex Doan, Bay City's John Sanchez is back in the groove.
Sanchez lost his record collection last month when his house burned down. On Saturday, Doan turned his collection of vintage vinyl over to Sanchez, who's been collecting records since he was 15.
On March 20, Sanchez stood outside his home at 607 N. Sheridan St. smelling burning vinyl as the entire collection went up in smoke.
Temporarily living in a hotel apartment in Saginaw, Sanchez, 61, said he had too many records to count, though he estimates there were about 800. And the collection contained all kinds of music, from country to rock.
''Most of them were oldies and popular music,'' he said.
Doan, 76, recently put his entire collection - 288 records in all - on disc, using a CD recorder.
''I just got through transferring them all and I saw this article in the paper,'' Doan said.
He knew right away what he would do.
''Here's a man that lost everything,'' he said. ''I thought, 'Why don't I just give him what I've got?' If it makes him feel better, fine.''
And though Sanchez doesn't yet have a record player - his was lost in the fire - he's looking forward to listening to Doan's collection.
''I feel real good about it,'' he said.
Doan said all his records are in excellent condition - no warps or scratches. That's because he never stacked them up on a record player, he said, which is the key to keeping them pristine.
Plus, the records were off limits to all the little fingers in his family of seven children and their progeny.
''My children and my grandchildren have never touched these records.''
Doan's favorite group is Santo & Johnny, the Brooklyn brothers who recorded the instrumental ''Sleep Walk.'' And while Doan likes instrumentals, his collection also contains country and western records, easy listening and big band and polka music.
''My type of music is something that I can sit back, close my eyes, and just listen to,'' Doan said.
The collection - which numbered 400 records at one time - once contained several Elvis and Beatles records. But family members already snapped those up, he said.
SOURCE: http://www.mlive.com/news
Monday, April 6, 2009
Top 5 eBay Vinyl Record Sales
Week Ending 04/04/2009
1. 78 - Harmonica Frank "Rockin' Chair Daddy" / "The Great Medical Menagerist" Sun - $3,606.00 - Start: $700.00 - Bids: 33
2. LP - The Beatles "Yesterday And Today" 1st State Stereo Butcher Cover - $3,000.00 - Start: $3,900.00 - Bids: Best Offer
LP - The Beatess "Yesterday And Today" 2nd State Stereo Butcher Cover - $3,000.00 - Start: $499.99 - Bids: 12
3. 45 - Tommy & The Derby's "Don't Play That Role" / "Handy Andy" Swing - $2,651.00 - Start: $49.99 - Bids: 13
4. LP - The Beatles "Yesterday And Today" 1 State Stereo Butcher Cover - $2,400.00 - Start: $3,000 - Bids: Best Offer
5. 45 - The Rolling stones "Wild Horses" / "Sway" Japanese Pic Sleeve - $1,999.99 - Start: $1,999.99 - Bids: 1
More Beatles make the list this week, offering an amazing opportunity to look at the state of The Beatles' Butcher Cover.
But before we get into Beatles and baby dolls, the #1 must be recognized. This week the top spot goes to Harmonica Frank and a Sun Records' 78 RPM, which bids past $3.6k.
The #2 spot is the most interesting on the list this week, a tie at exactly $3k of two Butcher Covers. Each comes from a different seller. Both are stereo and one is a 1st State, the other a 2nd state cover. The 1st State LP sells from a seller who has sold a half dozen or so Butcher's over the past month. In his ads, this seller has stated that he is selling his many Butcher Covers for health reasons. The 2nd LP in the tie comes with a Perry Cox authentication certificate.
So here occurs an amazing convergence - the eBay market, which many consider the only true measure of a collectible's value, in a negative adjective laden economy (if I've confused you just insert "screwed up" for "negative adjective laden") causes a tie between an Average Joe seller posting his own stuff and a Perry Cox (think Christie's of the Beatles market) authenticated record.
What does the convergence tell us?
Mainly, I've been proved kinda sorta wrong. About a year ago, I posted numerous times that the Butcher Cover was getting far less on the eBay market than the book value (either Goldmine or Osborne's), and I speculated that the Beatles' market was beginning a decline. The book value for these two records are respectively, $5k for the 1st state cover and $2.5k for the 2nd state cover, taking into account the grading given by each seller. The $3k for the 1st state cover is exactly what would be expected for a non-dealer sale. By this I mean an item sold by someone who doesn't sell records for a living, and who would be selling it on eBay, or taking it into a store or convention for that matter. The $3k for the 2nd State cover is $1k more than the book price, which shows just how valuable is a Perry Cox authentication. And more importantly, this convergence demonstrates that collectible records are a damn stable market in this economy.
Record Store Day is coming up this month, and I'll be posting my annual list of top monthly sales for the past year and graphing the last two years of top monthly sales. This will show further that vinyl collecting is in no danger of extinction.
Now, on with the list. In the #3 spot sits an old friend on this list, the Tommy & The Derby's Northern Soul rarity sells for a dollar more than halfway over $2.6k.
From the same seller as the #2 1st state Butcher Cover, the #4 item this week sells on a Best Offer for $2.4k.
And last, a Rolling Stones 45 with pic sleeve from Japan gets its asking price at a penny less than $2k.
As alway, thanks to Norm at Counter Clock Records (http://ccdiscoveries.blogspot.com) for this great material!
1. 78 - Harmonica Frank "Rockin' Chair Daddy" / "The Great Medical Menagerist" Sun - $3,606.00 - Start: $700.00 - Bids: 33
2. LP - The Beatles "Yesterday And Today" 1st State Stereo Butcher Cover - $3,000.00 - Start: $3,900.00 - Bids: Best Offer
LP - The Beatess "Yesterday And Today" 2nd State Stereo Butcher Cover - $3,000.00 - Start: $499.99 - Bids: 12
3. 45 - Tommy & The Derby's "Don't Play That Role" / "Handy Andy" Swing - $2,651.00 - Start: $49.99 - Bids: 13
4. LP - The Beatles "Yesterday And Today" 1 State Stereo Butcher Cover - $2,400.00 - Start: $3,000 - Bids: Best Offer
5. 45 - The Rolling stones "Wild Horses" / "Sway" Japanese Pic Sleeve - $1,999.99 - Start: $1,999.99 - Bids: 1
More Beatles make the list this week, offering an amazing opportunity to look at the state of The Beatles' Butcher Cover.
But before we get into Beatles and baby dolls, the #1 must be recognized. This week the top spot goes to Harmonica Frank and a Sun Records' 78 RPM, which bids past $3.6k.
The #2 spot is the most interesting on the list this week, a tie at exactly $3k of two Butcher Covers. Each comes from a different seller. Both are stereo and one is a 1st State, the other a 2nd state cover. The 1st State LP sells from a seller who has sold a half dozen or so Butcher's over the past month. In his ads, this seller has stated that he is selling his many Butcher Covers for health reasons. The 2nd LP in the tie comes with a Perry Cox authentication certificate.
So here occurs an amazing convergence - the eBay market, which many consider the only true measure of a collectible's value, in a negative adjective laden economy (if I've confused you just insert "screwed up" for "negative adjective laden") causes a tie between an Average Joe seller posting his own stuff and a Perry Cox (think Christie's of the Beatles market) authenticated record.
What does the convergence tell us?
Mainly, I've been proved kinda sorta wrong. About a year ago, I posted numerous times that the Butcher Cover was getting far less on the eBay market than the book value (either Goldmine or Osborne's), and I speculated that the Beatles' market was beginning a decline. The book value for these two records are respectively, $5k for the 1st state cover and $2.5k for the 2nd state cover, taking into account the grading given by each seller. The $3k for the 1st state cover is exactly what would be expected for a non-dealer sale. By this I mean an item sold by someone who doesn't sell records for a living, and who would be selling it on eBay, or taking it into a store or convention for that matter. The $3k for the 2nd State cover is $1k more than the book price, which shows just how valuable is a Perry Cox authentication. And more importantly, this convergence demonstrates that collectible records are a damn stable market in this economy.
Record Store Day is coming up this month, and I'll be posting my annual list of top monthly sales for the past year and graphing the last two years of top monthly sales. This will show further that vinyl collecting is in no danger of extinction.
Now, on with the list. In the #3 spot sits an old friend on this list, the Tommy & The Derby's Northern Soul rarity sells for a dollar more than halfway over $2.6k.
From the same seller as the #2 1st state Butcher Cover, the #4 item this week sells on a Best Offer for $2.4k.
And last, a Rolling Stones 45 with pic sleeve from Japan gets its asking price at a penny less than $2k.
As alway, thanks to Norm at Counter Clock Records (http://ccdiscoveries.blogspot.com) for this great material!
Music News & Notes
Sabbath News
Bill Ward has stated that another reunion of the original lineup of Black Sabbath is not out of the question.
“I have an open mind when it comes to Sabbath. We just haven’t done anything for the last three years. But the door’s wide open as far as Black Sabbath is concerned. Playing, doing anything with the original band, that’s where I would like to be.”
====================================
Nothingface To Re-Release Classic Self-Titled Album on Vinyl and Digitally
Washington, D.C. based metalers NOTHINGFACE will release their sought after original debut album recorded in 1995 through indie labels, SICK6 Records and Play The Assassin, later this spring.
Limited to 500 vinyl copies worldwide, the 10 song self-titled Nothingface debut (re-mastered by Drew Mazurek (Hellyeah, Linkin Park, GWAR) will be released on a 140 gram clear vinyl with blood splatter imprints on Tuesday, May 26th. Six of the tracks would show up on the band's DCide Records label debut, "Pacifier," while the other 4 have gone unheard until now.
The album will also be available via iTunes and other digital outlets through SICK6 Records.
The orignal line-up, Matt Holt (vocals), Tom Maxwell (guitars), Bill Gaal (bass), and Chris Houck (drums) are currently writing and recording their first new music with the original lineup since 2000’s TVT release, "Violence," and the last recorded output since 2003’s "Skeletons." The band hopes to have a full length ready for release before the end of the 2009.
====================================
McCartney, Starr Wow The Audience
On Saturday, April 4th, Paul McCartney finally uttered the phrase that the 6,000 people in New York’s Radio City Music Hall had been anticipating to hear.
“At this point,” McCartney said, “we’d would like to introduce to you — someone you know, ladies and gentlemen, Billy Shears!”
Then Ringo Starr bounded onstage — to sing “With a Little Help From My Friends” with McCartney and his band and the crowd finally witnessed the closest thing to a Beatles reunion in 2009.
====================================
Al Jardine Recording New Album With Famous Friends
Ex-Beach Boy Al Jardine has been very busy in the studio working on his new album, "Post Card From California," which he anticipates to be released this summer.
Jardine recruiteda who's who group of friends to perform on the album, including Neil Young, Brian Wilson, Steve Miller, Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Glen Campbell and Stephen Stills. The singer told Billboard:
"They've all been great. Steve Miller flew up, diverted his jet to Monterey to be on it. (Young) wanted to play but the track was done. But he was very generous; we spent all day on it."
====================================
CMA Awards
Carrie Underwood won Entertainer of the Year at the 44th Academy of Country Music awards in Las Vegas on Sunday, ending Brad Paisley’s four-year winning streak in the category, Reuters reported. Underwood also took home Top Female Vocalist, while Taylor Swift received Album of the Year for Fearless and a “crystal milestone” trophy for being country’s top-seller in 2008.
Bill Ward has stated that another reunion of the original lineup of Black Sabbath is not out of the question.
“I have an open mind when it comes to Sabbath. We just haven’t done anything for the last three years. But the door’s wide open as far as Black Sabbath is concerned. Playing, doing anything with the original band, that’s where I would like to be.”
====================================
Nothingface To Re-Release Classic Self-Titled Album on Vinyl and Digitally
Washington, D.C. based metalers NOTHINGFACE will release their sought after original debut album recorded in 1995 through indie labels, SICK6 Records and Play The Assassin, later this spring.
Limited to 500 vinyl copies worldwide, the 10 song self-titled Nothingface debut (re-mastered by Drew Mazurek (Hellyeah, Linkin Park, GWAR) will be released on a 140 gram clear vinyl with blood splatter imprints on Tuesday, May 26th. Six of the tracks would show up on the band's DCide Records label debut, "Pacifier," while the other 4 have gone unheard until now.
The album will also be available via iTunes and other digital outlets through SICK6 Records.
The orignal line-up, Matt Holt (vocals), Tom Maxwell (guitars), Bill Gaal (bass), and Chris Houck (drums) are currently writing and recording their first new music with the original lineup since 2000’s TVT release, "Violence," and the last recorded output since 2003’s "Skeletons." The band hopes to have a full length ready for release before the end of the 2009.
====================================
McCartney, Starr Wow The Audience
On Saturday, April 4th, Paul McCartney finally uttered the phrase that the 6,000 people in New York’s Radio City Music Hall had been anticipating to hear.
“At this point,” McCartney said, “we’d would like to introduce to you — someone you know, ladies and gentlemen, Billy Shears!”
Then Ringo Starr bounded onstage — to sing “With a Little Help From My Friends” with McCartney and his band and the crowd finally witnessed the closest thing to a Beatles reunion in 2009.
====================================
Al Jardine Recording New Album With Famous Friends
Ex-Beach Boy Al Jardine has been very busy in the studio working on his new album, "Post Card From California," which he anticipates to be released this summer.
Jardine recruiteda who's who group of friends to perform on the album, including Neil Young, Brian Wilson, Steve Miller, Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Glen Campbell and Stephen Stills. The singer told Billboard:
"They've all been great. Steve Miller flew up, diverted his jet to Monterey to be on it. (Young) wanted to play but the track was done. But he was very generous; we spent all day on it."
====================================
CMA Awards
Carrie Underwood won Entertainer of the Year at the 44th Academy of Country Music awards in Las Vegas on Sunday, ending Brad Paisley’s four-year winning streak in the category, Reuters reported. Underwood also took home Top Female Vocalist, while Taylor Swift received Album of the Year for Fearless and a “crystal milestone” trophy for being country’s top-seller in 2008.
On the record IN A CHANGING INDUSTRY, MUSIC STORES STRUGGLE AND TRANSFORM TO STAY PROFITABLE
BY KEVIN KINDER ~ Northwest Arkansas Times
Where does one get from Aardvark to Zebra? Or from ABBA to ZZ Top? Or from And You Will Know Us By The Trail of The Dead to Zorro and the Blue Footballs?
At a record store, of course.
They are the type of place that serve as a mecca for the criminally obsessed, a place a dedicated collector can, and will, spend hours a day flipping excitedly through rack after rack of square-shaped cardboard sleeves with frayed edges, hoping to find something they don't already own.
While many would argue that all that one needs, musically speaking, can be found in big-box retail stores, there are just as many who believe that obscure CDs and vinyl records are best purchased from local independent stores. That's the idea behind National Record Store Day, which takes place April 18 at stores across the globe. It is a day filled with special, day-of-only items and in-store deals and performances.
And it's promoting what might be a dying breed. In a time of change in the record industry - and the global economic situation in general - records stores find themselves in desperate times. Stores throughout the country are closing their doors, moving online or simply folding, and that's a trend that has been echoed in Northwest Arkansas with two of the more prominent stores in the area - Clunk Records and Spun Records - closing in the past five years.
Which leaves one store, downtown Fayetteville's Sound Warehouse, now celebrating its 25th year, as the only independent music-centric store in the area.
But even such a well-established business, and one participating in Record Store Day, knows the very industry they are supporting is shaking under their feet.
Slumping sales Regardless of the reasons people may cite, such as poor music quality, the growth of digital swapping of music on the Internet or other theories, a fact remains: less music is being purchased year after year.
According to data from Nielsen SoundScan, which tracks music sales, U.S. consumers bought more than 785 million albums in 2000. By 2006, that number had fallen to just more than 588 million albums, a number that included both physical and electronic copies of albums.
The top artists aren't immune from the crunch, either. Nielsen reports the top 10 selling albums of 2000 were purchased a combined total of 60 million times. The 10 top sellers in 2006 sold just 25 million copies.
According to market analyst NPD Group's annual Digital Music Study, the trend continued in 2008, with a 19-percent decrease in CD sales.
As music buyers abandon the CD, many of them are heading toward digital formats, a trend expedited when companies began offering digital rights management-free (DRM) singles, giving the purchaser the ability to transfer the songs from computer to computer or to a portable player, such as an iPod, with ease.
In 2008, according the NPD, the number of Internet users paying for digital music increased more than 8 million to 36 million and the number of downloads rose 29 percent in 2008.
And although it represents a very small part of the overall music sales market, another format - once killed off by CDs - is experiencing a comeback.
According to Time magazine, just fewer than 1 million vinyl albums were sold in 2007, a 15.4 percent increase from the 858,000 that were sold in 2006.
To capitalize on that market, indie and bigname record labels alike are beginning to offer more artists on vinyl, often with offers for free digital downloads of the songs included with the purchase.
At Sound Warehouse, where store manager Randy Thomas sells new vinyl from indie rock artists such as Animal Collective, the Kings of Leon, Beck and hometown favorites such as Lucinda Williams, sales have certainly picked up.
"We can't keep it on the shelves," he said.
Something physical While he works to expand the rack space for new vinyl, Thomas also acknowledges one of his biggest challenges is trying to guess what people want.
Often times, it isn't CDs. Although the narrow building on Block Avenue has a long wall of new CDs for purchase, that isn't where the store makes money, he said. He compares CD sales to convenience stores selling gasoline. They don't make money on gasoline, but rather on the chips, drinks and trinkets inside. Likewise, some of Sound Warehouse's more profitable items aren't the albums sold there but the T-shirts, books, tobacco accessories and other items the store also carries.
As for music, the store carries tunes from a wide range of indie rock, bluegrass, country and local acts.
"You've got to throw a lure, and see what bites," he said.
Which is becoming increasingly tough as musicians diversify and music buyers have other options for obtaining new sounds.
Corbin Otwell, a University of Arkansas journalism major, said he finds himself buying more music online than through other formats, although he also collects CDs and vinyl records.
As someone who often discovers new music from online music blogs, it's often tough to find underground or indie artists in stores, Otwell said.
"That's part of the reason that I turned to the digital medium. ... I wanted a little more instant gratification."
Although he does buy physical albums, especially at live shows or as he visits stores while traveling, Otwell said he is content purchasing music in a digital format only.
Which would never appease some collectors.
Roger Barrett, a member of local rock band The Counterlife and an avid collector of punk and emo records from the '90s, always buys physical copies of music.
"I never [just buy digital music]. I'm a music nerd. I like to look at the music, the artwork," he said.
For him, it goes beyond the thought of just owning the music. In the age of uber-portable digital music players, elevator music and 100-plus-channel surfable satellite radio, he tries to make an effort to listen to songs.
"There is something about the act of sitting down in your room and putting on a record," he said.
He stands behind that in his own music, too. Last year, The Counterlife released a split album with local band Man The Helm available on 7-inch, goldcolored vinyl.
Sounding off But even though Barrett feels there will always be a market for music because of collectors and audiophiles like himself, he's not blind to the changes in the industry.
He worked at Clunk Records in Fayetteville, a store owned by Chris Selby. The music store, which specialized in the independent and obscure, opened in the '90s and was associated for many years with Clunk Music Hall, a music venue on College Avenue in Fayetteville.
The music hall changed ownership in 2002, but the music store remained open in another College Avenue location until late 2006. As an avid collector, musician and former record store clerk, Barrett has certainly seen the fading of sales. He only got the position at Clunk Records after Selby had to take another job to support the store and could no longer staff all the hours, Barrett said.
Barrett said that his music purchasing has also waned in recent years, and he is not optimistic that music sales - his or otherwise - will pick up anytime soon.
Clunk is certainly not the only record store in the area that could not endure the changing market, even within the past few years. Spun Records, which was located on Township Street in Fayetteville, sold its inventory and closed its doors in July 2007.
There are several places in Fayetteville that do sell music, of course, with opportunities at Best Buy, Wal-Mart (who has in recent years worked to secure exclusive deals with topname artists) and Hastings, which also has a collection of new vinyl. As for vinyl, places such as the Flying Dog, Sydney's Emporium, Vintage Stock, the Salvation Army and several other businesses and flea markets in the area do carry used vinyl.
Opportunities As for National Record Store Day, designed to promote indepen-, only has two official participants: Arkansas Record And CD Exchange in North Little Rock and Sound Warehouse in Fayetteville.
The Fayetteville store, which opened in 1983, has gone through several incarnations, which is to be understood in an industry that is so constantly and rapidly changing. It started as a vinyl and cassette store in the Evelyn Hills shopping center on College Avenue.
It has been located in downtown Fayetteville for the past six years, starting not long prior to brothers Randy and Chris Thomas taking over the store.
At that time, vinyl sales were no long in vogue, and the business had become a marketplace for CDs only.
Not long after he began working the store, however, Randy Thomas bought a box of used vinyl from a customer and promptly re-sold much of it, he said.
"It's turned into a really good seller," he said.
So has new vinyl, which barely stays on the shelves. Which is exactly what Sound Warehouse will be offering on Record Store Day. It's special purchase will be a vinyl-only solo offering from Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, guitarist for indie prog rockers The Mars Volta.
CDs, on the other hand, aren't going anywhere.
"No one can sell CDs" he said.
Even though that may be the case, Thomas said the store has seen constant, if modest, sales growth. He attributes that to a diverse product base, and also to the local flavor the store has strove to maintain. The store remains the only place where the releases of many local bands can be purchased in a physical format.
Instead of challenges, Thomas sees opportunities in the economy, specifically in regards to the sale of used vinyl.
"I can buy vinyl at a cheap price, and I can sell it at a good price," he said.
Considering the size of the store, Thomas said he's had to be selective about what vinyl he can buy - the shelves are at their capacity.
The business may change in the future, as he and his brother are exploring the possibility of offering online sales, which would expand their market to the rest of the world.
But as for Fayetteville?
"We're not going anywhere," Thomas said.
Source: http://nwanews.com
Where does one get from Aardvark to Zebra? Or from ABBA to ZZ Top? Or from And You Will Know Us By The Trail of The Dead to Zorro and the Blue Footballs?
At a record store, of course.
They are the type of place that serve as a mecca for the criminally obsessed, a place a dedicated collector can, and will, spend hours a day flipping excitedly through rack after rack of square-shaped cardboard sleeves with frayed edges, hoping to find something they don't already own.
While many would argue that all that one needs, musically speaking, can be found in big-box retail stores, there are just as many who believe that obscure CDs and vinyl records are best purchased from local independent stores. That's the idea behind National Record Store Day, which takes place April 18 at stores across the globe. It is a day filled with special, day-of-only items and in-store deals and performances.
And it's promoting what might be a dying breed. In a time of change in the record industry - and the global economic situation in general - records stores find themselves in desperate times. Stores throughout the country are closing their doors, moving online or simply folding, and that's a trend that has been echoed in Northwest Arkansas with two of the more prominent stores in the area - Clunk Records and Spun Records - closing in the past five years.
Which leaves one store, downtown Fayetteville's Sound Warehouse, now celebrating its 25th year, as the only independent music-centric store in the area.
But even such a well-established business, and one participating in Record Store Day, knows the very industry they are supporting is shaking under their feet.
Slumping sales Regardless of the reasons people may cite, such as poor music quality, the growth of digital swapping of music on the Internet or other theories, a fact remains: less music is being purchased year after year.
According to data from Nielsen SoundScan, which tracks music sales, U.S. consumers bought more than 785 million albums in 2000. By 2006, that number had fallen to just more than 588 million albums, a number that included both physical and electronic copies of albums.
The top artists aren't immune from the crunch, either. Nielsen reports the top 10 selling albums of 2000 were purchased a combined total of 60 million times. The 10 top sellers in 2006 sold just 25 million copies.
According to market analyst NPD Group's annual Digital Music Study, the trend continued in 2008, with a 19-percent decrease in CD sales.
As music buyers abandon the CD, many of them are heading toward digital formats, a trend expedited when companies began offering digital rights management-free (DRM) singles, giving the purchaser the ability to transfer the songs from computer to computer or to a portable player, such as an iPod, with ease.
In 2008, according the NPD, the number of Internet users paying for digital music increased more than 8 million to 36 million and the number of downloads rose 29 percent in 2008.
And although it represents a very small part of the overall music sales market, another format - once killed off by CDs - is experiencing a comeback.
According to Time magazine, just fewer than 1 million vinyl albums were sold in 2007, a 15.4 percent increase from the 858,000 that were sold in 2006.
To capitalize on that market, indie and bigname record labels alike are beginning to offer more artists on vinyl, often with offers for free digital downloads of the songs included with the purchase.
At Sound Warehouse, where store manager Randy Thomas sells new vinyl from indie rock artists such as Animal Collective, the Kings of Leon, Beck and hometown favorites such as Lucinda Williams, sales have certainly picked up.
"We can't keep it on the shelves," he said.
Something physical While he works to expand the rack space for new vinyl, Thomas also acknowledges one of his biggest challenges is trying to guess what people want.
Often times, it isn't CDs. Although the narrow building on Block Avenue has a long wall of new CDs for purchase, that isn't where the store makes money, he said. He compares CD sales to convenience stores selling gasoline. They don't make money on gasoline, but rather on the chips, drinks and trinkets inside. Likewise, some of Sound Warehouse's more profitable items aren't the albums sold there but the T-shirts, books, tobacco accessories and other items the store also carries.
As for music, the store carries tunes from a wide range of indie rock, bluegrass, country and local acts.
"You've got to throw a lure, and see what bites," he said.
Which is becoming increasingly tough as musicians diversify and music buyers have other options for obtaining new sounds.
Corbin Otwell, a University of Arkansas journalism major, said he finds himself buying more music online than through other formats, although he also collects CDs and vinyl records.
As someone who often discovers new music from online music blogs, it's often tough to find underground or indie artists in stores, Otwell said.
"That's part of the reason that I turned to the digital medium. ... I wanted a little more instant gratification."
Although he does buy physical albums, especially at live shows or as he visits stores while traveling, Otwell said he is content purchasing music in a digital format only.
Which would never appease some collectors.
Roger Barrett, a member of local rock band The Counterlife and an avid collector of punk and emo records from the '90s, always buys physical copies of music.
"I never [just buy digital music]. I'm a music nerd. I like to look at the music, the artwork," he said.
For him, it goes beyond the thought of just owning the music. In the age of uber-portable digital music players, elevator music and 100-plus-channel surfable satellite radio, he tries to make an effort to listen to songs.
"There is something about the act of sitting down in your room and putting on a record," he said.
He stands behind that in his own music, too. Last year, The Counterlife released a split album with local band Man The Helm available on 7-inch, goldcolored vinyl.
Sounding off But even though Barrett feels there will always be a market for music because of collectors and audiophiles like himself, he's not blind to the changes in the industry.
He worked at Clunk Records in Fayetteville, a store owned by Chris Selby. The music store, which specialized in the independent and obscure, opened in the '90s and was associated for many years with Clunk Music Hall, a music venue on College Avenue in Fayetteville.
The music hall changed ownership in 2002, but the music store remained open in another College Avenue location until late 2006. As an avid collector, musician and former record store clerk, Barrett has certainly seen the fading of sales. He only got the position at Clunk Records after Selby had to take another job to support the store and could no longer staff all the hours, Barrett said.
Barrett said that his music purchasing has also waned in recent years, and he is not optimistic that music sales - his or otherwise - will pick up anytime soon.
Clunk is certainly not the only record store in the area that could not endure the changing market, even within the past few years. Spun Records, which was located on Township Street in Fayetteville, sold its inventory and closed its doors in July 2007.
There are several places in Fayetteville that do sell music, of course, with opportunities at Best Buy, Wal-Mart (who has in recent years worked to secure exclusive deals with topname artists) and Hastings, which also has a collection of new vinyl. As for vinyl, places such as the Flying Dog, Sydney's Emporium, Vintage Stock, the Salvation Army and several other businesses and flea markets in the area do carry used vinyl.
Opportunities As for National Record Store Day, designed to promote indepen-, only has two official participants: Arkansas Record And CD Exchange in North Little Rock and Sound Warehouse in Fayetteville.
The Fayetteville store, which opened in 1983, has gone through several incarnations, which is to be understood in an industry that is so constantly and rapidly changing. It started as a vinyl and cassette store in the Evelyn Hills shopping center on College Avenue.
It has been located in downtown Fayetteville for the past six years, starting not long prior to brothers Randy and Chris Thomas taking over the store.
At that time, vinyl sales were no long in vogue, and the business had become a marketplace for CDs only.
Not long after he began working the store, however, Randy Thomas bought a box of used vinyl from a customer and promptly re-sold much of it, he said.
"It's turned into a really good seller," he said.
So has new vinyl, which barely stays on the shelves. Which is exactly what Sound Warehouse will be offering on Record Store Day. It's special purchase will be a vinyl-only solo offering from Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, guitarist for indie prog rockers The Mars Volta.
CDs, on the other hand, aren't going anywhere.
"No one can sell CDs" he said.
Even though that may be the case, Thomas said the store has seen constant, if modest, sales growth. He attributes that to a diverse product base, and also to the local flavor the store has strove to maintain. The store remains the only place where the releases of many local bands can be purchased in a physical format.
Instead of challenges, Thomas sees opportunities in the economy, specifically in regards to the sale of used vinyl.
"I can buy vinyl at a cheap price, and I can sell it at a good price," he said.
Considering the size of the store, Thomas said he's had to be selective about what vinyl he can buy - the shelves are at their capacity.
The business may change in the future, as he and his brother are exploring the possibility of offering online sales, which would expand their market to the rest of the world.
But as for Fayetteville?
"We're not going anywhere," Thomas said.
Source: http://nwanews.com
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