The Mad-Hatters  From the Greene County Tuberculosis Society of Springfield, Missouri.  Here’s a rarity – a simple DIY paste-on front cover with these simple, odd paper “creations” representing some of the songs inside.  All having to do with the ill effects and respiratory problems of having Tuberculosis.  This is incredibly strange.  (Thanks to Will and Show and Tell Music, who might have more to add…)

“A Crippled Boy’s Prayer”  Featuring Jerry D. Brown  Star Records  (Courtesy of LP cover lover, Tatum)

Listen here:   El Touchy

Buy it, and check out the other cool reissues, here:   Companion Records!

Some years ago, a Los Angeles area collector stumbled across an orphaned copy of the “Touchy” in a thrift store. It was shared through tape trading networks and bootlegged on vinyl — now, Companion Records is proudly offering this first official “Touchy” CD release.

Luie Luie has to be the most jaw-dropping one-man-band lounge act found to date. The “Touchy” serves as an conceptual dance album, an experimental album, as well as a sort of healing LP for ’60s burn-outs. What can his music be compared to? Nothing that we know of.

Luis Johnston is a Southern California screenwriter, painter, and musician who’s spent the past 30 years working in almost complete obscurity. But he’s also written and starred in a feature film and shaken hands with Elvis Presley. Luie has been playing live at various restaurants, lounges, and country clubs for three decades and is still going strong. He released a handful of 45s in the ’70s and one full-length LP, “Touchy” in 1974. And he continues to record unknown quantities of yet to be released CDs.

This deluxe CD version is housed in a digipak sleeve, includes a 20 page page booklet with rare photos, concert flyers, art work, and a new introduction from Luie himself which sheds some light on his original inspiration for the album. As an added bonus, we’ve printed up 500 “Touchy” buttons!   Each “Touchy” CD ordered from our website will receive a pair of these buttons, one for him/herself and one for his/her dancing partner. They are inspired by the original “Touchy” buttons issued with the original LP and read “Touchy Me Here” — instructions (from a song on the CD) will be included. According to public record, former Germs drummer Don Bolles is the only collector known to own an original “Touchy” button although it would make sense that the estate of Sun Ra and Queens rapper Biz Markie have originals filed as well.

Pantomime   Everywhere It’s Christmas   The Beatles’ fourth Christmas 7″ flexi distributed free to their fans through the fan club.   Recorded November 1966.     Produced by George Martin.   Illustration by Paul McCartney!

“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)

“Goodies Out Behind the Barn”   By Justy and the Keybenders

Shephard of the Hills featuring the “Ballad of Jim Lane”

We love to showcase examples of homemade album covers just like this one.   Whoever this DIY, cover art iconoclast was, he or she wanted to improve on the packaging of this run-of-the-mill record by the Ray Charles Singers.     Using just scissors, paste and pen (and the cut-up of a nude Jayne Mansfield), the result provides a personal, yet universal, response to the title, “Things To Do On A Rainy Night”.   Thanks to Will at ShowandTellMusic for showing this one-of-a-kind find.

Little Miss Jeri Kelly – 1o Year Old Songstress from Picayune, Miss.   “Poor Ol’ Santa Claus” b/w   “Hide and Seek”MPI   (Music Plus Inspiration) Records

“Sing It Again, Sam!”   The inimitable song stylings of Sam Sacks   Arliss Records   For those unfamiliar with the wonder of WFMU’s Beware of the Blog let this be a welcome introduction.   Go to BOTB and listen to Sam’s fantastically awful mauling of standards.   A private recording on par with the best of the worst from Mrs. Miller, Lucia Pamela and Florence Foster Jenkins.   I gotta find a copy!

“Deanie”   Heaven’s Hall of Fame!!