I wanna thank you...

I'd like to thank every one who's stopped by the blog in these first few months, with special thanks going out to those who've bothered to leave comments. It's nice to know the effort is appreciated.

Extra special thanks go out to my fellow bloggers who have universally been very helpful and kind. I half expected ya'll to boo me off the stage, and thus am more than pleasantly surprised by the response.

Up till now I've kept a tight reign on comments, emails, and such....but I'm going to loosen that up a bit as my biggest problem so far has been friends and family members trying to post comments rife with the written equivalent of embarrassing baby pictures.

In short, I'm still having a good time pumping out the tunes...and am throughly pleased that anyone out there enjoys what I post.

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Normally, I'd offer up both sides of something like this, but Part 2 is only an edited version of Part 1.

So, ya'll are stuck with 6 minutes and 21 seconds of some of the purest funk around [boo hoo].

Have a nice holiday, ok?

Baby don't do it!

Here's one of four Don Covay sides on Rosemart, which as far as I know were the only four sides ever issued on the label. Appearances suggest that the label was set up by Atlantic records as part of a scheme to channel money to a powerful DJ of the day [he was listed as label owner-of-record, Atlantic distributed the singles nationally].

Those who've heard both 45's will know that not only did the Rolling Stones cover one of the Rosemart sides note for note [Mercy Mercy], they also straight-up lifted Covay's entire sound for their more soul-inflected period, circa 1965-66. Those who haven't heard the records before may be in for a shock as the sound is so very 'Stones-like'.

...from 1964, Please Don't Let Me Know

Do you believe baby?

This one goes out to a very special guy. He's away at the moment and I'm missing him.

So if you got a sweetheart, maybe ya could give her a little spin to this song?...ya know, just for me? Cause tonight, I'd sure give a lot to have just one slow dance with my boy.

Enjoy

Love is nice when it's understood..

Oh, what the hell....might as well let the big dog out of the yard.

Watch it...sucka will knock ya down and steal your wallet.

I never knew what love could be..

Here's the first version of what most people know as, Come On [Let The Good Times Roll].

Cosimo Matassa issued it on his short-lived Rex label in 1959, only to see King re-work the song and put it out, again, on Imperial, one year later.

The Imperial version is, of course, definitive...but this earlier recording has it's own charm, not the least of which is a waaay cuter title.

Enjoy

Wipe these tears comin' out my eyes..

This is one of those records I'm amazed I actually own. Partially because I don't remember where I got it. Which is odd.

Most of my records have a little story attached to them....unfortunately, most of the stories are pretty boring and not worth the telling.

Believe me, I do my best to shield ya'll from having to read such nonsense.....I mean, does anybody really care if the sky opens and a 45 sails from the heavens to land gently at my feet? Even if it's a great 45? Even if it's a daily occurrence?

Ya'll should read this piece on Jackie Opel. I doubt that there's any better.

Enjoy the tune, hope it gets ya through the mid-week hump.

I just wants to be around...

Wouldn't matter if this song was 30 minutes long, I'd still be shakin' the whole time.

It's just one of those 45's that short-circuits the soft, jello-like center of my brain.

I think that means it swings.

Enjoy