Natural Born Lover

Natural Born Lover

If I remember correctly I picked this one up a few months back on my way to Bloomington, Indiana. On that trip I picked up some great blues and R&B. Got a Louie Meyers on ABCO out of Chicago and a Dandeliers on STATES......some big doo wop and blues pieces. This one I guess I forgot to listen to before filing it away into an oddball box. I was cleaning out boxes this week and threw this one on! Wowza! What a killer! This is my style of an R&B popcorn song. Great horns, killer blues guitar, and fantastic vocals! Has this been comped? There should be a repro of this. What a dynamite tune. Take it for a spin!

The Girl On The Match Box Cover

The Girl On The Match Box Cover

A friend of mine passed this my way some months ago. Wildcat is fantastic looking label and I don't think I would ever pass a record on it. "The Girl On The Match Box Cover" has great country travis picking and is quite a nice hillbilly bopper. I really like the lyrics to this song, for some reason it reminds a little bit like "The Girl On The Billboard". One of the great records on this label is "Country Boy" by The Rel-Yea's like Bill LaMont's cut on Okeh. Overall this Duke Bowman cut is a great tune. Dig!

THE CHASE!!!!!

The Chase

Found this one last month in a friends sale box. I touched this on the record player and I knew I had to have it. I don't know who Davey Jones is but he shouts on this R&B pounder! He's got a great voice and there's a wailin' sax break. "The Chase" sounds like it could be on a Stompin' or Desperate Rock N Roll compilation. Another great black rocker track! 

Another "Uncle Buck" Production......The Dawn Capri's

Going Home

Produced by Ron "Uncle Buck" Lipe, the Marlo label is his follow up to the famous Ron-Mar label. The Marlo label was his all around label and anybody that had some money could cut a record. The label was based out of Belleville, IL. One of the rarest records on the label is Lee McBride's-Confusin'. The label of the record itself went through different variations. This record "Going Home" by Dawn Capri's is a surfy R&B instrumental, not what I expected when I was given this record. I expected more of garage psych sound with the title of the group. The flip is a more hokey instrumental titled "Haunted House". The record is a RITE press and I have dated it to 1963. Hope ya'll think its as cool as I do.

Love You So!

Love You So

Picked this one up at the local record store early this month. I don't think its a super rare cut from Champion like Little Ike-She Can Rock, which if you don't know, listen to it now! Great R&B shouter by Earl Gaines. Fantastic guitar and sax. It's just an overall fantastic platter. I don't turn up blues records to often and I certainly don't see the Champion label a lot. Take er' for a spin!

Rockin' That Good Ol' Mountain Dew!

Rocking Mountain Dew

A friend of mine passed this one on to me about a year ago. Kind of an oddball rockin' classic hillbilly tune. "Rocking Mountain Dew", has that really distinctive sax line that I feel like I have heard many tunes. The REM label is out of Lexington, KY and this was pressed by RCA in 1961. There are several releases on this label dating up to 1969. Little Ennis takes the vocals on this cut with The Fabulous Table Toppers backing. Take a listen for yourselves!

It's A Mighty Good Road!

Rock Island Line

I found this nice cut of wax last month along with a bunch of other less known major label country. This is a really great instrumental version of "Rock Island Line". The label says it's by Sandy Coker with The Coker Family. However it sounds like the guitar picker could be Grady Martin or George Barnes, or at least a very distinctive sound I have heard before. Both Martin and Barnes have cut records for Decca so it quite could possibly be one of em. What do you think? Enjoy!

"Band With The Million Dollar Sound"

The Rock-A-Fellers

I was given this photo from a collector a few months back. I think its a pretty awesome photo. You can just make out the pin striping on the guitar and bass. I don't know anything about the band other than that they are from St. Louis. If anyone has any more information on this group, please let me know.

Don't Talk About When I'm Gone......Ron Volz & The Rockin' R's

Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone

Found this one at a record shop outside of Milwaukee this summer. I knew the Rockin' R's   from "Crazy Baby" and "Heat" and of course the great Rockin' R's comp put out by Norton. I had never heard this vocal cut but when I threw it on the turntable I was surprised to hear a nice uptempo ballad tune. I couldn't stop playing it, its got such a nice sound. This song really reminds of Ray Collin's Hot Club, I could really hear them covering this tune. The record was pressed by Columbia in 1959. The Tempus label is based out of Peoria,IL. If you don't know the Rockin' R's, I highly suggest you pick up the Norton compilation!

Great R&B from GROOVE!

I Believe In You

Found this Groove platter a week ago in a small record store in Normal, IL that has been good to me in the past. The first time I junked up that way I came home with Kid Thomas-Rockin' This Joint Tonite from the same record store! This is a nice R&B track by Frank Brunson. "I Believe In You" reminds a bit of Ray Charles "I've Got A Woman" for some reason. Nice uptempo danceable track. I almost always pickup anything on Groove, which isn't to often. You generally only see Mickey & Sylvia's "Love Is Strange" which is everywhere because it was a hit. There is great R&B on Groove such as: Cousin Leroy, Big John Greer, The Nite Caps and Roy Gaines to name a few. ENJOY!!!!

A Wild Instro From......Roy Buchanan!

Mule Train Stomp

I acquired this killer instrumental in a recent trade. "Mule Train Stomp" is a fantastic garage rockabilly cut. Roy Buchanan is more widely known as a blues guitar slinger. He made his recording debut with Dale Hawkins on Checker in 1958 which he would later leave to play bass with Ronnie Hawkins, his cousins band. To me this record sounds like it is early 60's. The publishing is Walt Disney Music, I wonder if this song was ever used in any Walt Disney films? 

The Hot Guitar Of David Price

Hot Guitar

Another $2 record convention score. David Price, "Hot Guitar" is an eerie country bopper. Great guitar work and nice vocals. I thought this song was going to be an Eddie Hill rip off. At first sight I thought this was a Doke record being from Columbia, Tenn. since the label is torn. After flipping over the record I see the label name PHICO which someone had taped on the label. This is a Southern Plastics pressing (SO: 756) which is now United Record Pressing. Giver er' a spin.

Romance From Outer Space.........Satellite Love

Satellite Love

My Heart Sings Ah

Picked this one up a few months ago from the St. Louis Record Convention. It was in someones $2 box, I took the chance based on the title. Not a bad R&B novelty number. By Lil Randolph "Madame Queen" whoever she might be, sings about her outer space romance. I think Chock Records "Full Of Hits" is kinda like one of those novelty or top hit labels. "Satellite Love" is credited to Elroy Peace who recorded "Quick Like" on the Trans Continental record label such as Kid Thomas' "Rockin' This Joint To-Nite". "Quick Like" was also comped on Sin Alley Vol.3. The flip side "My Heart Sings Ah", is more of a nice jump blues love number. Also credited to Elroy Peace. Here are sound clips of both. Enjoy!

Rex The Hex........THE CURSED RECORD!!!!

Rex The Hex

I really can't contain myself from picking up spooky Halloween titled records. Yes, the majority of them are terrible and corny, but I tend to like most of em. The Castle Kings-You Can Get Him Frankenstein on Atlantic is one of my favorite Halloween tracks. This a kooky novelty oddball cut from the KaHill label. I think most would consider this a popcorn record. I know the label produced all kinds of music, from this novelty cut to country to garage. There is a garage rarity on the label, The Infinitives-Heidi, which is a Louie, Louie ripoff. Don't pass this one as it has sold for over a grand! Anyway dig Rex The Hex!

Come Back Baby.......Great R&B From Capitol

Come Back Baby

Here's an odd one I just picked up while junkin' my friend Tony's basement. I never really knew there was much R&B on capitol besides: Johnny Otis, T-Bone Walker, Sugar Chile Robinson and infamous R&B pounder ESQUERITA! I took a chance on this record, someone wrote "piano blues w/ sexy sax & blues guitar" on the sleeve......I was sold. Took this platter for a spin and I was surprised, not a little bad jump number. Usually when I see records like this they turn out to be bad Bill Haley wannabes. Great guitar on this track and Pepper Neely on vocals really reminds me of Wynonie Harris. Whaddya think? 

Penny West & Her Lucky Penny Trio SLEEVE!!!!!

(PHOTO COURTESY OF JIM RONAT)

Mega RARE! I just first saw this sleeve in a friends collection about a week or so ago. I was amazed. I know very little about Penny West nor can I find any other information on her. At least now having a scan of the sleeve we have a picture of her and her band. 

All Haywire.....a real rockin' instro!

All Haywire

Lonesome Town

I managed to pull this gem out of a friends sale box. This record is by Larry Havir & The Four Glads. "All Haywire" is a real rockin' instrumental b/w a rendition of the Ricky Nelson classic "Lonesome Town". If I remember correctly this is a Wakefield Press. My guess is that is from the late 50's to early 60's. I haven't been able to find any other information on the LARRAL label or any other releases. These tracks are uncomped from the Bear Family "Rockin' and Boppin' In The Desert" volumes. Just another fantastic record to come out of Phoenix, Arizona.

Penny West & Lucky Penny Trio

Lonesome Blues

Here's one some people are probably not familiar with, Penny West & Lucky Penny Trio on Ozark Records out of St. Louis, MO. I first knew her track "Needle In A Haystack" than I found this one. Probably recorded sometime around 1956, this is her first release on the label. "Needle In A Haystack" is a RCA custom, but I'm not sure about this one. Rockin' Country Style shows a scan for this sleeve. Her 2nd release also came with a sleeve which I recently saw in a friends collection. I'm looking for both of these sleeves if anybody has one they went to get rid of. This track is a great eerie country ballad. I really like the guitar work on this song. Hope ya'll dig this one!

From Outer Space To A Little Record Shop In St. Louis!

Martian Chant

Oriental Flip

One day i decided to checkout a friends record shop, Phonomode, here in St. Louis. I have pulled countless great 45's out of this place. The back room of this place is a mess. A vinyl jungle. Piles of lps, stacks of 78s and boxes of 45s. You never know what you're going to find in this place, but if you like to dig and don't mind all the dust than you're more than likely to find a gem. Over on a shelf I saw a tiny stack of colored 45s. In this stack was primarily 70s and 80s records along with the red plastic RCA classical 45s. I managed to pullout this oddball along with a Red Murell feat. Jimmie River's & His Cherokees on Cavalier. The Space Men feat. King Sol & His Space Horn......sounds like a Sun Ra kind of guy. The flip is by Rick Shaw & The Mandarins. This record is a double sided oddball. Martian Chant b/w Oriental Flip. Dig!