Finally added to the
Rockin Rebels page, is the Russ Hallett release of Frosty, on the Phitom label. It took a while to find it, and now you can see both sides of the record as well as hear them both. It was certainly a local hit, as it was spun on the Tommy Shannon show on WKBW in Buffalo. Now, if I can find the copy released on Vim records.....
Also added to the page is the stock copy of Monday Morning/Flibbity Jibbit on the "black" swan label. Though certainly not difficult to find, it is probably the record that comes up the least when you are talking about the non-original Rockin Rebels sides.
While we are in Buffalo, I got a copy of another classic band on the ARP label. Billy Lehman and the Rock-itts had at least three records. Two on ARP and one on Prime. I actually prefer the side Black Derby to the flip, Lollie. I think I have a couple additional records from the Buffalo area, but more research needs to be done.
I am definitely an Earl Bostic fan. I have a dozen LP's and many singles. I will never come close to collecting everything he made, but am always on the lookout for something interesting. A couple of years ago I ran across what is considered to be his earliest and only 45 on Gotham, 8:45 Stomp. According to Rockin Records, it was issued in 1951. The record actually came out in 1948, but maybe the 45 was then released in 1951. I have seen where labels got into the 45 RPM market by issuing records that had been on 78, onto 45, after the fact. I recently came across another Gotham 45, Apollo Theatre Jump. It was definitely pressed in 1951, for the first time, on 45 and 78. This copy happens to be on red vinyl. I never knew it existed. Maybe there are more Gotham red vinyl records by Bostic? I know some of his King label releases were on colored vinyl.
Soundexchange has come to an agreement with the Digital Media Association - DiMA, but from my vantage point, it looks like an agreement that just covers the big stations that have huge numbers of channels. It basically sets the cap at $50,000.00 for an unlimited amount of streams. The simple math shows that at $500.00 a channel, you would need more than 100 channels to take advantage of this special "deal". The agreement also takes the burden of "stream ripping" off the broadcasters, where it never should have been. I get the idea that corporate Internet radio with mega channels is happy, but the small broadcaster is still paying high fees, and their situation has not been addressed. Did I miss something? Here is a link to an overview.
Every now and then, I come across a record that is a surprise. A pleasant one. Taking a chance on buying records you don't know, is an interesting business. Most really don't turn out the way you hoped, and it's not for the lack of trying to put all the information together beforehand. Maybe it's the label, the writer, or the song title that sparks your interest. Since you can't find out enough to know what it sounds like, you end up forking over the dough and hoping you found a good one. OK, so this is not the Flamingos, Orioles or any of the other amazing harmony groups, but it has a great sound. Who would have guessed it on the Magnolia label. That label is best know by me as the one that launched Johnny
Standley's "It's In The Book", a comedy record from the early 1950's. Anyway, I can't confirm the exact release date, but it's a very pleasing record. If anything, I wish the vocals on the background group could have been brought up a little. If you have ever heard 8 O' Clock Date by the
Gorman sisters, that is another record where the group should have been recorded
much higher. Take a listen to "
What Can I do", by James Austin and the
Tradewinds, and I think you will like it.
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I have been in a buying mood as of late. The Quarternotes on Bison will make the first and second pressings page this next week. Other items of interest include the Colts on Antler. This is the Guiding Angel/Shiek Of Araby recording. That is certainly the toughest Antler of the two they recorded for the label. I suppose my collecting habits are scattered at best, and many may never appear on my pages. I continue to collect a few records from the Lin label out of Gainesville Texas. "The Fickle Chicken" is a very cool instrumental by the Atmospheres. Next week I will list several additional records that I couldn't live without!
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I finally got the chance to hear "You", not by the Aquatones, but Gale Storm on Dot. It sounds about like you think it would. I just had to buy the record to listen to it. OK, so I do have odd buying habits, besides being scattered as previously mentioned.
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Got a CD in the mail from a group based in the UK. They are called the
Firebirds. Maybe you have heard of them? I love the uptempo rock and roll, and that is what they seem to specialize in. The CD I was sent is called
Doo Wop Volume one. It has some great recordings on it, though not all exactly D
oo Wop. Nonetheless, I didn't think there was a bad one - or even mediocre track of the 16 included on the CD. Check out their website
here.
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I have not read anything amazing in the
Soundexchange battle over Internet radio. I did read an interesting article about a lady in Oregon that was sued by the
RIAA for illegal downloading. The
RIAA lost, and now that lady is
counter suing. It's the second part of the article
here.
As negotiations stall with Soundexchange, the Congress has now said that resolve needs to be made between Soundexchange and Internet radio before Congress returns to office on September 6th. They expect the two parties to find common ground, and make major progress. I bet the fine folks at Soundexchange had no idea what they would run up against when the new rates were "Announced". I have to wonder if it would be in Internet radio's best interest to stall the talks and let Congress step in. I think it may be their best bet. A short article can be read here.
I added the Serock release for Joyce Harris, plus the audio clips. It's a great two sided record, with the nod going to the "Don't Knock It" side. I still have a couple of records that I need to complete her page. The hardest - make that the most expensive disc, is on the Fun label. That one is just out of my price range. I will find the others! Frankly, I think a nice CD package of her records, both solo and with her sister(s) would be very cool.
There seems to always be a bunch of records I buy that really have no place on my web site. My motto has always been a record collector first, then radio, and then the web site. Of course, those lines can get fuzzy. I have several issues on Dick "Huggy Boy" Hugg's Caddy label. The latest is Jeanette Baker and the Dots Johnny/I Lost You. There is just something I like about the variety of musicians and artists that graced the label. I'm also a big fan of the late Johnny Flamingo, who had releases on the label.. I just don't quite have enough of his releases yet to justify a page.
The Virtues are one of those instrumental groups that I have always enjoyed. They recorded a huge quantity of 45's and several LP's, and tracking them all down is an on-going project. While I am at it, that collecting binge has to include records by main member Frank Virtuoso recorded as other groups or names. The fun part is trying to find all the records that are listed in the books, and then looking for the ones that are not.
