(Above: Carol Holmes' box of records, circa 1958) The 45s in my collection fall into three categories: a) The original records I inherited from my folks when I got my first record player at age 4. There's maybe 30 or 40 of these. b) Records that I bought new. There's hundreds of these. c) Records … Continue reading Re-collecting a collection: Various artists (1950s)
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Leonard Chess at 100: Jackie Brentston and his Delta Cats, “Rocket 88” (1951)
(Above: Leonard Chess, who I don't think looks like Adrien Brody.) One hundred years ago today - March 12, 1917 - Lejnor Czyz was born in Motal, which was in Poland then but is in Belarus today. I'm sure that no one in the village had any idea that he'd go on to become a … Continue reading Leonard Chess at 100: Jackie Brentston and his Delta Cats, “Rocket 88” (1951)
One boy’s quest for vinyl: Buddy Holly, “That’ll Be the Day” (1957)
The tragic story of Charles Hardin Holley has always fascinated and saddened me. What would rock and roll have been had Buddy Holly not perished in the famous plane crash on the early morning of February 3, 1959 in Clear Lake, Iowa? Would a British band inspired by his music so much that they also … Continue reading One boy’s quest for vinyl: Buddy Holly, “That’ll Be the Day” (1957)
Saturday night with a box of records: Part 2, Also The 1980s
(Above, Me, every time I turn on the radio lately.) You get two for the price of one tonight - the next box was also from the 1980s. It's marked Box 3. I skipped Box 1 because it contains all picture sleeves and (I suspect) bigger hits than we'll find here. In the last post … Continue reading Saturday night with a box of records: Part 2, Also The 1980s
Saturday night with a box of records: Part 1, The 1980s
(Above: Charlie Brown gets it.) It's a quiet Saturday night. Mrs. O has plans with some colleagues tonight. My plans involve a frozen pizza, a couple beers, and a box of 45s. Over the years I've amassed a pile of records. Some came from radio stations where I worked (ssh). Some, as I've referred to … Continue reading Saturday night with a box of records: Part 1, The 1980s
Lost local hits (Grand Rapids, MI): The Fredric, “The Girl I Love” (1968)
(Above: The Fredric, circa 1967). In an earlier post I wrote about the phenomenon of the local chart hit, a product of a bygone era when local radio programmers had sway in adding songs to the playlists of their radio stations. It was a phenomenon I investigated in writing my dissertation to see if the … Continue reading Lost local hits (Grand Rapids, MI): The Fredric, “The Girl I Love” (1968)
50 years of happiness: The Beach Boys, “Good Vibrations” (1966)
(Above: Two copies of the same song, released 50 years apart.) This week marked the 50th anniversary of, what was at the time of its production, the most expensive rock and roll single ever made. "Good Vibrations" cost a cool $75,000 to produce in 1966 - about a half a million bucks in today's cash. … Continue reading 50 years of happiness: The Beach Boys, “Good Vibrations” (1966)
Check your stylus: George Hamilton IV, “A Rose and a Baby Ruth” (1956)
(Above: The sort of thing you find in my house.) Now that my dissertation on 1960s radio and race is completed, I finally get to read things that I want to read rather than sticking to research that I need to do. Sometimes, I get lucky, and find a book that serves both masters, in … Continue reading Check your stylus: George Hamilton IV, “A Rose and a Baby Ruth” (1956)
Happy birthday, Boss: Bruce Springsteen, “Growin’ Up” (1973)
Bruce Springsteen turns 67 today. Proving without a doubt that age is merely a number, The Boss has been touring the last several months, continually breaking his own record for longest concert appearance. His shows on this tour have been clocking in at over four hours. I've seen him twice, and both times the shows … Continue reading Happy birthday, Boss: Bruce Springsteen, “Growin’ Up” (1973)
Rainy day music: Dee Clark, “Raindrops” (1961)
The image that I use for the blog is a Panasonic phonograph model SG-336. It is identical to the one that was probably the most important birthday present I ever received. When I turned 4, my parents decided that I could probably handle my own phonograph. This may have been partly motivated that I was … Continue reading Rainy day music: Dee Clark, “Raindrops” (1961)
45 Ruminations Per Megabyte 