Brian's Music Musings

Cruising around on Ebay , I bought a record by Delma(r) Goggins on the Vibro label. Not a bad record at all, and it does have a group background on it. Maybe the V Eights? Leave Me If You Want To/I Thank My Lucky Stars from 1961. I love the V Eights, especially "Everything That You Said"!

I had a great interview with Joyce Harris on my last radio show. I played about 10 of her records, and many for the first time on my show. Nice person, and she had some great experiences in her recording career. Check out the interview and some of her records on my web page.

I will start editing my interview with Little Willie G of Thee Midniters" fame this next week. I hope to have a mostly Latino show in late April, that will include the interview, a bunch of their songs, and many others from that community in Los Angeles. Now, if I can just find a way for him to do an in-studio appearance someday......

Another interview is in the works with a female group from Watts, in the Los Angeles area. More info on that in an upcoming blog. Don't you hate these mysteries?

I am presently working on a couple of Rockit Radio shows. These will be the first of this year. I never meant to have such a big gap between shows, but it has all been timing and priorities. Hopefully the next two won't take so long.

I have not seen too much outrageous on Ebay as of late. I did see a Harptones EP go up for sale. That is one rare puppy. Seems the seller pulled it off Ebay, and rumor has it, accepted an offer of $7,000.00. That is not only amazing, but way out of my price range. I don't even have that much money to spend in a year. I should get into another line of work. Anybody have a connection at Fort Knox?

I have a few Class label 78's. The label from Los Angeles started near the end of 1952, and had a ton of great artists in it's roster, including Oscar McLollie. Some of the later releases on 78, can be a bit tough to find. Eugene Church and Pretty Girls's Everywhere, is one, and certainly his follow-up, Miami, is difficult to find. I show the Oscar McLollie maroon 78 in his duet with Jeanette Baker, "Let Me Know, Let Me Know" on the McLollie page, and I will be adding a black label 78 this next week of the song.

Sometimes it's really easy to think too hard about first and second labels. What actually constitutes a second label? What if that label was a few years after the original? I think it is still the second label. Case in point: The Rivileers had a great record on baton 200 called "1000 Stars". The original was backed with "Hey Chiquita" and actually got some good regional play for the Rivileers in several major markets. That was 1954. The same label brought it back again as Baton 241 and flipped it with "Who is That Girl" in 1957. The 3rd incarnation was on the "Dark" label, which also used number 241, which technically is the second label, but the third issue of the record. It also carried the same baton numbers - like BA-5301/5306. Anyway, I will be adding it to my first and second label page.

I have added 2 new shows to the radio shows page. I may add last week's show when I get a chance. Speaking of shows, tomorrow will feature an interview with Joyce Harris. She has some great records, did some writing and is alive and well. I will also be updating my page with some new information.

On it's way in the mail to me, is a later pressing of the J Frank Wilson recording of Last Kiss on Lecam. Again, referencing my first and second label page, I have the original Lecam and then the second label shown. This odd one is a light blue lecam with scrolly fonts and they title it "The Original" Last Kiss. Definitely a later issue, but I'm not certain what the exact story is....Yet!

Sometimes "Stuff" happens all at once. It seems to go that way with me and interviews. I had a relative of Joyce Harris (No Way Out + Others) contact me, and then Joyce emailed me. Next thing I know, I'm on the phone interviewing her. She's got the voice. If you have ever heard the unreleased "I Got My Mojo Working" and the top 100 "No Way Out", you know what I'm talking about. I have some editing to do on the interview and some updating on my site to do as well. She's a very nice person, and was informative.

Then I got a call from Little Willie G. OK, actually I called him first after getting his phone number from a listener to my radio show. Time for another interview and my mind had to completely switch gears. Little Willie G, AKA Willie Garcia, was the front man of the East LA band Thee Midniters. A legend in those parts, and frankly, many other parts - not to mention, my stomping grounds. Cruising Whittier Boulevard, Jacks, and Bob's Big Boy have Lot's of memories for me. We had a short, but great interview. The problem was that there was nowhere near the time to cover as much as i wanted to. Not even close. I was just honored to get the time he gave me. I don't think 2 hours could have done justice to the subjects. Little Willie G is a really nice guy, personable and loves to talk about his history and current gospel outreach ministries. I have this feeling that he is an encylclopedia on the Los Angeles sound of the 50's and 60's, and I bet we could find even more common ground. I will probably push that out into April for the radio program, but it will be a fun show to feature his records along with some other great Latino rockers from the time period. I tried to convince him to come up to northern California to do a live show. He didn't exactly say no.

Speaking of Los Angeles, I have a nice copy of Pachuko Hop by Chuck Higgins, on a 45. On Ebay, this is the second week I have seen the 78 listed for 200 bucks! Seems outrageous to me, especially in "Good condition for it's age". I would think there are more 78's than 45's on that 1953 release. At least the bio information that is included in the listing is a good read. Only thing is, it is obviously a cut and paste job from other websites, and no credit is given to the authors. I actually had a guy from Germany do that to my whole PAGE on the Chords, label shots and all! Yep, it was an Ebay listing. And, it didn't sell!

Do I dare bring up the subject of variations on the Music City label? Talk about a million variations, a ton of flipside combinations, several vinyl colors and at times, no rhyme or reason, THAT is Music City. I will probably never construct a page just because of the cost to obtain all that stuff. The page would never be adequate no matter what. One record I have constantly been on the lookout for is the classic, WPLJ. I've seen or have the maroon label and black label, both on 78 and 45. The multi-color label is also on 45 and 78. Flipsides include Mr. Undertaker, and Kary Maeson. A bit lesser known is the flip with the Gaylarks and Doodle Doo. That came on black, green, and I believe yellow as well as red vinyl. Maybe more. I should work toward a page with all the variations of just the Four Deuces, similar to my Eternals site. I'll put that on my list.

I think Tommy Dee only recorded tribute songs, teenage death songs, and an occasional story song. I thought I had a winner in the teenage death tragedy department. On the Pike label, it says "Look Homeward Dead Angel" An obvious death song, right? Wrong. Listening to the 45, it is not dead, but DEAR! OK, well that sucked, or did it? Missing On A Mountain is the flip. A tribute song to Patsy Cline, Hawkshaw Hawkins and Cowboy Copas. It was done in the same style as "Three Stars" about the Big Bopper, Buddy Holly, and Mr. Valens. I suppose I am happy.

I know that there are several Johnnie and Joe 78's out there. Over The Mountain is the most common, on Chess. I doubt it was ever a 78 on the J+S label. Another on my site is the J+S label recording of It Was There. I hope to add Feel Alright from the Chess label, on 78, to my site this next week. I know there are more. It is similar in some ways to the Tuneweavers. "I Remember Dear" is on a Casa Grande 78 and was the follow-up to Happy Happy Birthday Baby. I figure "Happy Birthday" must be also be on a Casa Grande 78, but I have just not seen one to date. The other scare variation is the Casa Grande promo 45 of Happy Birthday. I have just seen one, and it's on my site.

It's always fun to take a chance on a record, when you have no idea what it is. The process of deciding why you should buy it is most of the fun. More times than not, it's not quite what you expected, but that dangling carrot that says maybe it's a gem, is always a possibility. I saw one on the blue colored "Haven" label. There was no city on the label, but it has the block style printing of the company from West Haven CT. The Hi Tones are the backing group, and the lead is Johnny Cordo. The year was 1955. I thought it had all the elements until the needle hit the wax. Turns out it is more pop/jazz with a beat, almost trying to be rock and roll. It just never makes it there. There were a couple of other recordings for the label that had the Hi Tones, and had very "Rock And Roll Type Titles". A similar record I have is the Manhattans on the Piney label. It combines R+R with jazz and it really works. This one, well, I'm glad I only spent 5 bucks on it.

No new big pages are in the works. I do hope to put a short page together of the Pixies. i have 3 or 4 Pixies records that are likely unrelated and have nothing to do with the Pixies Three. I seem to have all these crazy ideas..........

I posted a new radio show, and you can hear it here! This is from my radio show on KVMR-FM, from February 24th. I seemed to have just a little bit too much fun on that one. Everything seemed to flow well, and I think you will enjoy it.

I finally got a copy of Sunglasses, by the Shades and featuring the Knott sisters. Cool song in the style of the coasters. I suppose when I think of songs about sunglasses, I automatically start singing (to myself of course) Dwight Pullen and his amazing Sunglasses After Dark. The flip, "Undivided Attention" is OK.

The Eternals "Rockin In The Jungle" may be the one song in my record collection with the most variations, but I have always enjoyed the Fashions, "I Am Dreaming Of You". It was released twice on the orange label - second press - with two different flipsides. Lonesome Road was first, and I Love You So was second. The first release was on the blue Vtone label. Mine is the block letters with no graphics. I imagine it is also available with the graphics on the blue label. I will find that one next. Maybe there is a black label? Promo? Still may not get the variations like the Eternals record!

Anybody ever heard of Johnny Corvo and the Hi Tones, on Haven records? It looks like the West Haven,CT label. A bit pop sounding, it looks like the Hi Tones made a couple of records for the label, and the year was 1955.