Raise your hand
“The Touch of Betty Johnson” Bally Records
(31 votes, average: 3.45 out of 5)
Loading ...July, 2008
(31 votes, average: 3.45 out of 5) Loading ...Hippy hippy shake
“Turma da Gafieira” Musicas de Altamiro Carrilho Hi-Fi Records
(38 votes, average: 3.50 out of 5) Loading ...New York City Madonna
Laura Nyro and Labelle “Gonna Take A Miracle” Columbia Records (1971) Laura Nyro has long been my favorite singer-songwriter. As a kid, I listened over and over again to all of her first records. When she came back to touring in 1976, I saw her at Tanglewood (released as the live record “Season of Lights”) and at Case Western University in Cleveland. Her first four records were her greatest, but as each new record came out during her middle period (“Smile,” “Nested,” “Mother’s Spiritual”), I bought them right away and found something special in each one. In the late 80’s I saw her at the Bottom Line a few times. I have her records from the 90’s and, while I don’t have the same emotional connection to those songs, her voice remains soulful and warm and familiar to me. I like her covers of r&b songs on those last records – which brings me back to “Gonna Take a Miracle” which is all covers of sixties soul songs with background vocals by Patti Labelle and Labelle. Laura grew up singing these songs accapella with her friends on the streets and in the subways of New York. Making this record must have been a labor of love. Sadly, she died in 1997 at only 49 years old.
(43 votes, average: 3.88 out of 5) Loading ...“Denial ain’t just a river in Egypt”
“Three Wise Monkeys” for $.29. A Tops For Tots 78 record. “See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil”
(38 votes, average: 3.24 out of 5) Loading ...
These eyes
“Jazz Eyes” Regent Records (a division of Savoy). Jazz by John Jenkins, Donald Byrd, Curtis Fuller, Tommy Flanagan, Doug Watkins and Art Taylor. Supervised by Ozzie Cadena. Recorded by Rudy Van Gelder. Album designed by Portrait Productions.
(40 votes, average: 3.58 out of 5) Loading ...Lodge lizards
Deiter and Gunter are The Chalets. Two wild and crazy guys that hit pay dirt performing, then unknown, at the German Pavilion at the Montreal Expo of 1967.
(43 votes, average: 3.60 out of 5) Loading ...
Sick and satired
“Sick #2” Starring the Sicknicks with Will Jordan and Sandy Baron. Amy Records. Sick was the poor man’s MAD. A satirical humor magazine published from 1960 to 1980. “A magazine for those who can’t read” According to the liner notes there never was a “Sick #1.”
I’ll send a free LP Cover Lover T-shirt to the first person to identify 15 of the characters illustrated on the front and back covers. Good luck!
(29 votes, average: 3.07 out of 5) Loading ...A little help from a friend
Colorful Stylings by The Crusaders of Illinois and the Singing Midget. Crusade Records. The Singing Midget is familiar to many here as Mr. Lowell Mason, the world’s smallest gospel singer. (Soon I’ll share an album I have by the worldest largest gospel singer). Lowell is 46″ inch small but stands large for the Lord.
(64 votes, average: 4.20 out of 5) Loading ...
