Welcome to the weird and wonderful world of record covers from the golden age of LPs


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September, 2010

Slappin’ da bass mon

Robo Arigo Sexy Thing Nigerian funk from 1982.   Check out Comb and Razor – a cool music site which has done posts on this and other rare grooves.

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Happy Birthday Brothers Ray and Trane!

In honor of Ray’s 80th Birthday and John Coltrane’s 84th Birthday on September 23rd!  

Ray Charles At Newport Atlantic Records.   Newport, Rhode Island, July, 1958   — The Newport Jazz Festival was Ray’s initiation into the jazz circuit.   Even though he was slated to play on the Festival’s first “Blues Night,” the concert was recorded “live” on July 8, 1958.   The young boppers flocked to Ray who started out the set with jazz, moved onto his R&B hits and closed with the rockin’ “I’ve Got A Woman.” Many felt that Ray’s Newport appearance helped move jazz towards a “back to roots” movement. At the end of 1958, Downbeat Magazine named Ray Charles their “Best Male Star – New Singer”.

Ray Charles – keyboards, vocals, alto saxophone; Marcus Belgrave – trumpet; Lee Harper – trumpet; David Newman – tenor saxophone; Bennie (Hank) Crawford – baritone saxophone; Edgar Wills – bass; Richie Goldberg – drums; Marjorie Hendricks – vocals; The Raelettes – vocal group

(Night Time Is) The Right Time; In A Little Spanish Town; I’ve Got A Woman; Blues Waltz; Hot Rod (The Spirit – Feel); Talkin’ ‘Bout You; Sherry; A Fool For You

“New Thing at Newport”   Impulse Records (1965)   John Coltrane at the Newport Jazz Festival.   The title, “New Thing at Newport” refers to the avante garde style of jazz Coltrane and Shepp unleash throughout their sets.   The first two tracks “One Down, One Up” and “My Favorite Things” features Coltrane’s “classic” quartet of McCoy Tyner on piano, Elvin Jones on drums, and Jimmy Garrison on bass.   The second section features Archie Shepp, who managed to do something few tenors of the era did, develop his own sound outside of Coltrane’s influence.   The group Shepp fronts consists of the distinctive vibeist, Bobby Hutcherson, Joe Chambers on drums, and Barre Phillips on bass.

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (55 votes, average: 3.82 out of 5)
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B boys

Enoch Light Orchestra Presents “Spaced Out”   “Exploratory Trips Through the Music of Bach, Bacharach, The Beatles Integrating the Moog,   The Guitar Scene, Electric Harpsichord, French Horns, Etc.”   EMI / Columbia   UK

The Ted Heath Orchestra Plays Beatles, Bach & Bacharach   Phase 4 Stereo   Decca Records     Why the same three “B”s?!

Ron Goodman and His Orchestra ….Play Burt Bacharach   EMI/Columbia UK

Lennon & McCartney GO LATIN with Tony Osborne

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (51 votes, average: 4.22 out of 5)
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The Temps

The Temptations   “I Wish It Would Rain”/”I Truly, Truly Believe”   Tamla/Motown   The last of the classic lineup of David Ruffin, Eddie Kendricks, Paul Williams, Melvin Franklin and Otis Williams   (1968)   Produced by Norman Whitfield     Check out this performance clip with David Ruffin upfront. Bass Melvin steps up to the mic on this single’s B-Side “I Truly, Truly Believe”

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (38 votes, average: 3.18 out of 5)
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Q: John Turturro played whom in the Big Lebowski?

Evangelist Lottie Adams   “Jesus is the Answer” This looks almost like a rockabilly record.   It’s not.

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (45 votes, average: 2.60 out of 5)
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American graffitti

Bob Dylan   “Oh Mercy”   Columbia Records (1989)   Produced by Daniel Lanois   Street Art by Trotsky; Album Design by Christopher Austopchuk; Type Design by Mark Burdett; Photo: Suzie-Q

Bob Dylan — Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica
Daniel Lanois — Dobro
Malcolm Burn — Tambourine
Tony Hall — Bass
Willie Green — Drums
Brian Stoltz — Guitar
Daryl Johnson — Percussion

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1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (48 votes, average: 2.81 out of 5)
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Another blind-soul singer

“I’d Rather Be Blind (In My Eyes Than In My Soul)”   Benny Dean   Erin Records

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Geno Washington vs. Gino Washington

Geno Washington and the Ram Jam Band   PYE Records UK   (1966)   Here’s one by the OTHER Gino Washington   that’s not on this 45 … but I really like it:

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1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (41 votes, average: 2.71 out of 5)
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Walk like a man

“The Next Step….” by Darrell Bledsoe   RAINBOW RECORDS   “…is it directed toward an eternal life with God the Father in Paradise; or is your soul bound for endless torment in the firey depths of hell?   This is the Searching question for which these songs of the times are directed.”

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (38 votes, average: 2.24 out of 5)
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Cell portrait

“I Am An Ex-Convict From A Florida Chain Gang”   All songs written and sung by Floyd McClellan   Sagitario Records (1978)   Side One:   Title track and “Last Train to the Gallows”   Side Two:   “Toll Bridge of My Heart”, “Moon Intrigue”, “Highway of Loneliness”, “If I Owned the World”, “Truckdriver’s Prayer”,   “Rebel Superstar”, “Ironworker” and     “I just Closed the Door on Love”

From the Liner Notes:

“This record album tells the true story of my prison life in the Florida State Penitentiary in the late ’40’s.     Convicted for the crime of armed robbery, I was sentenced to serve seven years in a Florida Chain Gang.   The songs that you will hear in this album are some that I wrote while I was in prison.   They portray the brutalities and atrocities that I endured during that time.

I was born in the state of Florida and was in the United States Army and the U.S. Merchant Marines during World War II.   At this time I am married to a lovely woman, Carol, and have a three year-old son David.”

– Thank you, Floyd McClellan (Ex-convict)

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (46 votes, average: 3.20 out of 5)
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