Cover lovers all over the world are finding and sharing some of the strangest record store finds. This one comes from a Swedish blogger. I can’t understand a word of the commentary, but who needs it! A picture is worth a 1,000 words and the name of this group says it all. Check this site out.

(30 votes, average: 3.67 out of 5)

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Halo was one of the greatest budget labels for cover art. Often the images used were incongruous or without regard to the music contained within. Halo’s on-a-shoestring unpretentiousness and stock photos somehow transcended the square foot format.

(14 votes, average: 3.43 out of 5)

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Finding art in thrift store freebie bins is just a matter of outlook.

(9 votes, average: 3.00 out of 5)

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“Mambo By the King”   Perez Prado and His Orchestra.   An RCA Victor EP.

(17 votes, average: 4.71 out of 5)

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“The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” (And Other TV Themes). David McCallum (l) and Robert Vaughn (r), the stars of the hit sixties tv spy series “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” The show ran for four seasons (1964-68). A spin-off, “The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.” aired one season (1966) and starred Stephanie Powers. I just learned (or was reminded) that the acronym stands for “United Network Command for Law and Enforcement.”! Cool.

(24 votes, average: 3.50 out of 5)

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Vocalist Bas Sheva was born Beatrice Kurzman to a wealthy and prominent Jewish family in Philadelphia. When Kurzman decided to go into show business she adopted the name “Bas Sheva” (i.e., the Biblical “Bathsheba”) in order not to embarrass her family. She formally studied the voice and developed an extremely powerful instrument with extraordinary dexterity, and probably got her start singing in the so-called “Borscht Belt” of Catskill Mountains resorts. Her recording career began around 1950 with a small number of obscure singles of standards, none of which sparked much interest.

In 1953 Bas Sheva was engaged by bandleader Hal Mooney as the principal voice on Soul of a People, a collection of traditional Jewish songs issued by Capitol. This was a very successful disc in the Jewish market, and Bas Sheva’s brassy, no holds barred delivery of this familiar material was an important element in making Soul of a People appealing. Nonetheless, Bas Sheva did not record again for another five years, and she may have felt somewhat typecast as a primarily Jewish entertainer.

Composer and Capitol Records producer Les Baxter came to her rescue by offering Bas Sheva the role of star vocalist on his suite The Passions. Bas Sheva’s performance on The Passions is quite amazing even 50 years on; she screams, wails, whimpers, howls, grunts, and even acts a little to the pulsating rhythms of Baxter’s dark, gritty, and complex musical score. While The Passions was the very embodiment of innovation in an era that encouraged musicians to stretch out, it was considered far too edgy, obscure, and over the top in its time and was not a success. Despite this great showcase of all the astounding things Bas Sheva could do with her voice, she was never to record again.

In 1960 Bas Sheva died at age 34 from a diabetic reaction suffered while entertaining on board a cruise ship. ~ Uncle Dave Lewis, All Music Guide

(14 votes, average: 4.14 out of 5)

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Must be a player piano!

(14 votes, average: 4.64 out of 5)

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