Loose Ends No.4

In my opinion, the most beautiful song Eddie Bo ever wrote. Well worth the effort to upload my own rip. The recording itself isn't that clean. This is about as nice as you'll find......

Your pity won't help me....

I've made an alteration to my rule concerning newly bought 45s. Instead of: 'Always Listen To Both Sides', it's now: 'Always Listen All The Way Through Both Sides'.

A friend handed me this record while I was in the middle of cashing out at a shop. He said, "Buy it". The guy has similar taste to mine so I said, "sure".

When I got home I put the 45 on the turntable and it sounded nice enough, I mean, after all it is by Ray Agee...and how bad could that be? I doubt Agee ever made a truly horrible record. But ya know, nice is as nice does and the up-tempo side just didn't crank me in the way I expected.

So I flipped the record over to this side.....and after listening for a bit I decided it too was running low on natural crank factor, so I didn't even listen all the way through. Not that this side sounded bad, it's got a very cool horn thing going on, it's just that it sounded like one of those songs where once you've heard the first verse, that's about all there is to it.

This left me wondering why my friend was so insistent that I buy it, 'cause I really do trust his opinion.

Anyway, over the last couple of years I've pulled the 45 out several times and given it a few more spins, apparently doing exactly the same thing each time that I did when I first played it. Listen to the up-tempo cut, stifle a slight yawn, and then flip it over, only to pull the record off the turntable after a minute or so.

What a stupid move. Ya see, it's not till after the second verse, more than half way through the record, that one of the female backup singers [along with Agee at one point] starts to screaming and moaning....and that's when the tune shows itself to be anything but simple.

From 1967, although it sounds like it could've been cut much earlier.

Hope ya'll enjoy......

Why did you go....

I may be wrong, but I don't think there's a collection of Alvin Robinson's output currently in print. May even be that there as only ever one issued: "Shine On" released by Charly in 1988.

If so, that's a serious shame.

Here's a cut from Robinson's first 45. Sure would like to know who did the beautiful arrangement. Could be it's Joe Jones. He worked with Robinson quite a lot.

Hope ya'll enjoy, it's from 1961......

tired of waiting....

I swear, I dreamed of this the other night.

A 3D printed record.

Many thanks to Boing Boing for giving me a glimpse of the future of record collecting. Let me know when I can print out a copy of Howlin' Wolf's, unreleased at the time, 5 minute and 40 second long recording of "Tired Of Crying"......preferably on a deep groove 12in 45.

I'm crazy 'bout you baby....

Another record caught up in the current plague of re-presses. It was first re-pressed in 1963 on the Vivid label, then again more recently as look-alike copies of both the Cobra and Vivid issues.

Yep, many of those cheap copies currently available are re-pressings of a re-press.

In fact, I'm not sure my copy is an original. The vinyl is just a little too clean. Not clean enough to be a current repop, but possibly an older [70s?] re-press that I don't know about? Anyway, as far as I can tell the run-out code is correct, so who knows? Maybe I've just got a relatively nice original.

I should point out that I don't really care whether I have an original in most cases.....as long as I don't have to pay an original copy premium price. However, I do largely draw the line at new repops just because it makes 'the hunt' too easy.....and muddies the water further on down the line.

As far as I'm concerned, an 'ethical' re-pressing has noticeable differences in the label, or includes a different song on the b-side, or is pressed on colored wax. You shouldn't have to check the run-out code when paying for a record.

Anyway, here's another tough-as-nails tune from Harold Burrage. It can be found, along with the rest of Burrage's output on Cobra, including several alternate takes, on the very nice comp, "Messed Up". Or just pick yourself up a brand new re-press of the 45 for $10.

Need more info on Harold Burrage? Check this out.

Hope ya'll enjoy........

Cool down baby, I love you...

Oh boy! A brand new box of records from the Ebay Guru!!! Including one in particular that I've been dying to get my hands on. But what's that? Omg. It's cracked....and the b-side is unplayable.

Luckily the seller is a good guy, and refunded much more of the selling price than he had to. I even protested the refund, thinking he deserved to keep more. It's hard enough to make a buck on Ebay. I've no problem with paying a reasonable price for records, even if they're cracked.

On the other hand, it is one of those unstable cracks that makes the 45 feel like it's going to fall apart in your hand, so maybe the dealer did the right thing? Certainly the record isn't worth near what I initially paid for it.

Anyway, I'll put some super glue on the edge and hope it holds together till I can find another copy.

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Five years ago, Red Kelly ran the first of his Mystery Contests on the Soul Detective blog....and the song in question turned out to be by Elton Anderson.

Now, I was much too shy in those days to speak up, but I did know a little something about Anderson even then....mostly from a friend who to this day thinks that "I Love You" is one of the coolest songs ever recorded. And I tend to agree with him. When Anderson was 'on it' [which by no means was all the time], the results were memorable.

Anyway, it wasn't long before I had my own copies of many Anderson 45s. In fact, I featured my Mercury label copy of "Cool Down Baby" on the blog quite some time ago. But that pressing is super easy to find and you know how it is with collectors....I kept on looking for an original release copy on Trey.

And that took awhile because the Trey's are tough to find. In fact, a recent look-a-like re-press of "Cool Down Baby" was printed with the Mercury label, which makes me think those responsible either didn't know of the Trey issue, or simply couldn't find a copy to uhmmm....copy. [Actually, pretty silly 'cause Mercury label originals often cost less than the repops.]

These same folks also recently re-pressed "I Love You"...which totally infuriates me because after spending years looking high and low for the 45, it's now all over the place, $10 bucks a copy, all the copies you could ever want. I've had to stop myself from buying one at least ten times in the past six months. Fortunately, I know that every time I buy a modern repress, I almost never play it.

Anyway, here ya go, both of Elton Anderson's releases on the Trey label. As I said above, this is the second time I've featured "Cool Down Baby".....I just though you might like to see/hear an original pressing.

"I Love You" is the real star here......if you're anything like me, you might as well just get on up out of your seat right now.

I Love You

Cool Down Baby

Talk like love.....

Over a million views? In this case, I'd be very surprised if there were less.

Just a note....

For those who poo-pooed concerns over recent "anti-piracy" initiatives....earlier today the FBI, Justice Dept., took down Megaupload....even without SOPA.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/19/megauploadcom-piracy-charges_n_1216764.html

and then of course, there's this

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/19/anonymous-megaupload_n_1217418.html

Tried to get you off my mind...

[Turns out I do have the scan on my laptop, it was just labeled stupidly.]

Before I forget....it's Allen Toussaint's birthday.

Another one I've been meaning to post forever. One of the first 45s I ever bought and a very important record. Released in 1961, Alon 9000 "New Kind Of Love/But I Couldn't", was very much ahead of it time, especially in terms of the way records were being made in New Orleans. As one musician put it, "he even wrote out the bass lines".

Mr. Toussaint was 23 years old. The 45 literally signaled the coming of a new sound.

Sorry, I don't have the scan with me...I'll add it to the post when I get back home on Monday.

Hope ya'll enjoy......

I think of you....

We're in Austin this weekend....not for the most pleasant of reasons....but it's a beautiful day and I'm feeling happy to be alive. This goes out to two marvelous women, one of whom I'll miss more than I can say, and the other who will [with God's grace] be around for many years to come. Blessings on both.

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I've been meaning to feature this cut ever since I posted the flip-side two years ago. It's a good bit funkier than "Without Your Love I Can't Make It", with a strange off-kilter beat that made me wonder if the record wasn't skipping when I first heard it.

I can't really say why, but it's just one of those 45s that never seems to stray too far from the turntable.

As far as I know, there's still no available info on Vikki Styles.

Hope ya'll enjoy.......

As long as I have to cry....

It happens with some regularity that I pick up a nice, 'new to me', record only to find that John Ridley has already been there/done that. And I really shouldn't be surprised, the man has dug very deeply in his life. Undoubtedly much deeper than I ever will.

Here's a really nice interview with John....along with a few handpicked tunes to listen to.

The one aspect of the interview I would disagree with is that his tastes are "out of step". Any one who's paid any attention this blog will know that I'm just as likely to post a ballad as a dance tune. The truth is, I often have to present the flip-sides of what John's posted simply because he's already posted the best side and I need to send ya'll over to his site for the info. Thank God so many of the artists featured on the Sir Shambling site made records worth flipping over.

Today's selection is a good example. This tune ain't bad at all, in fact I'm sure some will enjoy it more than the flip, but if I had my druthers, I'd post the same song off the 45 that Sir John did. It's the reason I bought the record. Give a listen and read what Sir Shambling has to say about Tony Ashley, here.

Hope ya'll enjoy.......

Last night I dreamed....again

While I'm at it...here's Lady Ponce from Cameroon. I only wish I could shake like this...and believe me, I ain't bad at it.

Last night I dreamed....

Oh yeah....the fabulous Queen Slizer.

If it feels good it's alright....

Far more abstract than either of the Little Sister 45's or even "Dynamite" by 6IX, this is truly the most experimental recording Sly Stone ever made.

Now, Joe Hicks made some very nice records in his day, I don't mean to imply otherwise, but make no mistake, this is a Sly Stone record.....and nothing else on earth sounds quite like it.

Fyi, I'm not the only one who finds the comp "Listen to The Voices: Sly Stone In The Studio" fascinating. If you don't have a copy already, I'd def hunt it up.

Hope ya'll enjoy....Part 1, and Part 2, of "Life and Death in G & A".

I was high as a Georgia pine....

This one goes out to girlfriend Suzie who is reportedly on the second day of her post New Year's Eve hangover. Poor baby.

'Diablo' is Al Reed, someone on whom I still have no info other than a questionable discography. Why he chose to release the record under a pseudonym is anyone's guess.

I only know of three 45s released on Axe, although I believe the catalog numbers suggest that there were four.

Anyway, the 45 is def rare-ish....and I don't think it's ever been comped. Mr. Finewine owns a copy but I can't see that he's ever played this particular cut on the air, which I find surprising 'cause I'm not sure I don't like it better than the flip.

Cool organ sound, touches of heavy echo, and great lyrics. What more do you want?

Hope ya'll enjoy......