Arthur Lyman

A Brick Lane find I think from afew years back - this 1966 recording by Arthur Lyman on the Vocalion label is essential listening , I would have thought , for fans of "exotica" and Hawaiian cocktail lounge jazz. The sleeeve notes tell us the record was made in the " acoustically near perfect Aluminum Dome on the beautiful grounds of Conrad Hilton's fabulous Hawaiian Village Hotel in Honolulu, where the Arthur Lyman Group were appearing in the Shell Bar."

"Arthur Lyman (February 2, 1932 - February 24, 2002) popularized a jazzy style of Hawaiian music during the 1950s, and gathered a following as a purveyor of so-called exotic music or Exotica. As a child, Lyman moved to the large Hawaiian city of Honolulu, where he became interested in the music of Benny Goodman and Lionel Hampton. He learned to play along with their records on a toy marimba. At the age of 14, he joined a jazz group and by his early 20s was performing with "mood music" king Martin Denny.
Known for his vibraphone stylings, bird songs and bells, Lyman helped turn exotic music into a national trend in the 1950s and 1960s, producing more than 30 albums and almost 400 singles and earning three gold albums.
In 1957, Lyman recorded "Yellow Bird," a Haitian folk song. The song made the Billboard magazine charts, peaking at #4 in 1961.
Lyman's last charting album in 1963 was I Wish You Love, but his music enjoyed a new burst of popularity in the 1990s with the easy listening revival. He died from throat cancer in February 2002."

Discover more about Arthur Lyman HERE.

Arthur Lyman - The (Jungle) Cat

Arthur Lyman - The Boy From Laupahoehoe

Arthur Lyman - Waimea Cowboy

Arthur Lyman - Bird Train


These SendSpace files are available for seven days or until exhausted.

Mickey Katz

I already uploaded a couple of tracks from this great LP last year but had some requests for more. How could I refuse? One of my favourite sleeves and some great yiddish flavoured novelty songs.

"Long before Allan Sherman and Woody Allen showered the public with Yiddish slang -- and decades before the klezmer revival breathed new life into a once-popular ethnic music -- a little clarinetist with a lot of chutzpah blazed the trail, exposing "crossover" audiences to the language and the melodies of his forebears with a series of English-Yiddish parody records.

Being Jewish "was always popular in my house," recalled Mickey Katz, who embraced his heritage from the early days of his career. "The only people it wasn't popular with were those who were frightened." Among those who were displeased with him for being open about his religious persuasion was the Jewish editor of Variety, who reprimanded Katz for "defiling" the legend of Davy Crockett when the bandleader's parody "Duvid Crockett" became a hit record.

Katz made a lot of people uncomfortable in the 1940s and '50s. He was too ethnic for many Jews of his generation who couldn't shed their Old World roots fast enough, and too much of a comedian for the purists -- a strange hybrid of Naftule Brandwein and Spike Jones they didn't quite dig."

See previous Mickey Katz blog page at Boot Sale Sounds HERE


Mickey Katz - Sixteen Tons

Mickey Katz - Roiselle From Texas

Mickey Katz - Tweedle Dee


These SendSpace files are available for seven days or until exhausted.

Miki and Griff

A record I found today in a charity shop for 50p. Miki and Griff occasionally sang backing vocals for Lonnie Donegan and here Lonnie and his skiffle group help out on this EP of four tracks on the Pye label. Recorded in 1960. Very little can be found about Miki and Griff but here is a short piece found on the internet-

"One of Britain's biggest Country duos was Miki & Griff, who met when they both became members of the George Mitchell Choir and were married in 1950. Leaving Mitchell, they developed their own act including comedy and novelty songs. In 1958 they fell in love with the Everly Brother's Country album, "Songs Our Daddy Taught Us" and various Louvin Brothers albums. Lonnie Donegan heard Miki & Griff singing these songs in their dressing-room and invited them on to his TV show to sing them and also had a hand in producing their Country records. Soon they gained the nickname of "Britain's Mr & Mrs Country Music". In 1958 Miki & Griff made the UK Top 30 with 'Hold Back Tomorrow' and recorded successful EPs with 'Rockin' Alone (In An Old Rockin' Chair)' and 'This Is Miki - This Is Griff'. In 1962 they had a UK Top 20 hit with Burl Ives' 'A Little Bitty Tear' and in 1964 received a standing ovation at the Grand Ole Opry, when they appeared in Roy Acuff's part of the show. Sadly Miki passed away with cancer in April 1989 and Griff died just a year or two ago."

Miki & Griff - Hold Back Tomorrow

Miki & Griff - Deedle-Dum-Doo-Die-Day

Miki & Griff - Some Day You'll Call My Name

These SendSpace files are available for seven days or until exhausted.

Big Maybelle

Sadly this double LP from Brick Lane has only one disc but it's a cracker! Looking at that great photo on the sleeve you just know this woman is going to sound great - what a voice! A fantastic band backing her on these 1953/54 recordings for Okeh which include Sam"The Man" Taylor on saxophone and Mickey Baker on guitar.

"Her mountainous stature matching the sheer soulful power of her massive vocal talent, Big Maybelle was one of the premier R&B chanteuses of the 1950s. Her deep, gravelly voice was as singular as her recorded output for Okeh and Savoy, which ranged from down-in-the-alley blues to pop-slanted ballads. In 1967, she even covered ? & the Mysterians' "96 Tears" (it was her final chart appearance). Alleged drug addiction leveled the mighty belter at the premature age of 47, but Maybelle packed a lot of living into her shortened lifespan.

Born Mabel Louise Smith, the singer strolled off with top honors at a Memphis amateur contest at the precocious age of eight. Gospel music was an important element in Maybelle's intense vocal style, but the church wasn't big enough to hold her talent. In 1936, she hooked up with Memphis bandleader Dave Clark; a few years later, Maybelle toured with the International Sweethearts of Rhythm. She debuted on wax with pianist Christine Chatman's combo on Decca in 1944, before signing with Cincinnati's King Records in 1947 for three singles of her own backed by trumpeter Hot Lips Page's band.

Producer Fred Mendelsohn discovered Smith in the Queen City, re-christened her Big Maybelle, and signed her to Columbia's OKeh R&B subsidiary in 1952. Her first Okeh platter, the unusual "Gabbin' Blues" (written by tunesmith Rose Marie McCoy and arranger Leroy Kirkland) swiftly hit, climbing to the upper reaches of the R&B charts. "Way Back Home" and "My Country Man" made it a 1953 hat trick for Maybelle and OKeh. In 1955, she cut a rendition of "Whole Lot of Shakin' Goin' On" a full two years before Louisiana piano pumper Jerry Lee Lewis got his hands and feet on it. Mendelsohn soon brought her over to Herman Lubinsky's Savoy diskery, where her tender rendition of the pop chestnut "Candy" proved another solid R&B hit in 1956. Maybelle rocked harder than ever at Savoy, her "Ring Dang Dilly," "That's a Pretty Good Love," and "Tell Me Who" benefiting from blistering backing by New York's top sessioneers. Her last Savoy date in 1959 reflected the changing trends in R&B; Howard Biggs' stately arrangements encompassed four violins. Director Bert Stern immortalized her vivid blues-belting image in his documentary Jazz on a Summer's Day, filmed in color at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival."

Big Maybelle - Jinny Mule

Big Maybelle - I've Got A Feeling

Big Maybelle - My Country Man

These SendSpace files are available for seven days or until exhausted.

Roy Smeck

A boot sale bargain from last year. A record on the London label from the 60's when Smeck was getting on in years but still able to prove he was "Wizard of the Strings".

"You may recognize the name Roy Smeck as much for his own prolific recordings as for the dozens of guitar instruction books he issued throughout the years. Blessed with some of the most nimble fingers imaginable, Smeck's approach to music often bordered on the showy, novelty side, but he also influenced many Western swing guitarists in the process. Smeck began issuing records and appearing on Warner Bros. movie shorts during the 1920s. It was then that he introduced his unique blend of jazz, country, and Hawaiian styles, wowing anyone who heard or saw him in action. In addition to working solo, Smeck also played on sessions by country greats Vernon Dalhart and Carson Robinson and formed his own band in the '30s, the Vita Trio. It was around this time that the guitarist began issuing a stream of instructional books on everything from how to play guitar, ukulele, and Hawaiian slide guitar to banjo. After several years of minor success recording for ABC, Kapp, and other small labels, in the '70s the reissue label Yazoo released several of Smeck's virtuoso recordings from his early days, causing a whole new round of interest in the guitarist."

Discover more about Roy Smeck HERE.

Roy Smeck - Rocking The Uke

Roy Smeck - Tiger Rag

These SendSpace files are available for seven days or until exhausted.

"Tennessee" Ernie Ford

Mostly up-tempo numbers on this LP from the 50's hence the name "Ol' Rockin' Ern". Not sure where I bought it - probably a boot sale a few years back.

"The booming baritone voice of Tennessee Ernie Ford was best known for his 1955 cover of Merle Travis' grim coal-mining song "Sixteen Tons," watered down by the dulcet strains of a Hollywood studio orchestra but retaining its innate seriousness thanks to the sheer power of Ford's singing. But there was more to Tennessee Ernie Ford than that. Over his long career, Ford sang everything from proto-rock & roll to gospel, recorded over 100 albums, and earned numerous honors and awards, including the Medal of Freedom. A native of Bristol, TN, he began his career a DJ on local radio station WOAI. He sang in high-school choirs, and in the late '30s he left to study voice at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. He held radio jobs in Atlanta and Knoxville between 1939 and 1941 and then joined the U.S. Air Force during World War II. After the war, Ford moved his family to San Bernardino, CA, and took a DJ job on a local radio station. It was there that he first took on the name "Tennessee Ernie." "

Find out more about Ernie HERE.

Ernie Ford - Catfish Boogie

Ernie Ford - Anticipation Blues

Ernie Ford - Shotgun Boogie

These SendSpace files are available for seven days or until exhausted.

Martin Denny

Martin Denny is the King of Exotica - his first record with that name released back in the 60's that came to represent that genre of music beloved of audiophiles and lovers of strange and other worldly music that fills your head with the sounds of the jungle, far off pacific islands and distant shores. Volume 2 carries on where the first left off - " Herein Mr. Denny's imagination has gone even further afield, and with superb Spectra-Sonic Sound giving us matchless fidelity, he has further exlored the myriad tinkle of instruments foreign to our civilization, plus fresh approaches on those firmiliar to our ears."

"Denny was born in New York, and raised in Los Angeles, California. He studied classical piano and at a young age toured South America for four and a half years with the Don Dean Orchestra. This tour began Denny's fascination with Latin rhythms.
After serving in the United States Army Air Forces in World War II, Denny returned to Los Angeles where he studied piano and composition under Dr. Wesley La Violette and orchestration under Arthur Lange at the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music. He also studied at the University of Southern California.
In January of 1954, Don the Beachcomber's (which later became Duke Kahanamoku's) brought Denny to Honolulu, Hawaii. He performed here for ten years, forming his own combo in 1955 and signing to Liberty Records. The original combo consisted of Augie Colon on percussion and birdcalls, Arthur Lyman on vibes, John Kramer on string bass, and Denny on piano. Lyman soon left to form his own group and future Herb Alpert sideman and Baja Marimba founder Julius Wechter replaced him. Harvey Ragsdale later replaced John Kramer."

Discover more about Martin Denny HERE.

Martin Denny - Soshu Night Serenade

Martin Denny - Island Of Dreams

Martin Denny - Japanese Farewell Song (Sayonara)

These SendSpace files are available for seven days or until exhausted.

The New Temperance Seven

Not the Temperance Seven that hits in the early 60's with "Pasadena" and "You're Driving Me Crazy" but containing maybe one or two members from that influencial ( Bonzo Dog Band, Bob Kerr's Whoopee Band etc.) group who recreated some of the best jazz and dance tunes of the 20's and 30's.

"The Temperance Seven were formed at the Royal College of Art during 1957. The band usually had nine members (one over the eight!) and dressed in the style appropriate to the late 1920s jazz they played.

The members generally gave themselves fictitious titles. John R.T. Davies used the pseudonym Sheik Wadi El Yadounir and wore a fez. On the first hit numbers vocals were provided by 'Whispering' Paul McDowell who was replaced later by Allan Moody Mitchell. The band once appeared in Spike Milligan's 'The Bed Sitting Room' and spawned new interest in the styles of the 1920s."

See earlier Temperance Seven post HERE.

New Temperance Seven - I Ain't Got Nobody

New Temperance Seven - Four Or Five Times

New Temperance Seven - Cornflakes

These SendSpace files are available for seven days or until exhausted.

David Kossof

David Kossof sings a few cockney and music-hall songs in the role of Alf Larkin that he made famous in the early years of independent television in the late 50's. The series ,"The Larkins", ran for 40 episodes from 1958 to 1964 and included Peggy Mount as Ma Larkin. This Oriole Lp from 1960 is full of songs made by an earlier generation of vaudevillians like Albert Chevalier and Florrie Forde etc. He is joined by the Mike Sammes Singers and create a typical rowdy east end pub sing-along.

David Kossof - When Father Papered The Parlour

David Kossof - If It Wasn't For The 'Ouses In Between

David Kossof - The Hobnailed Boots That Farver Wore

These SendSpace files are available for seven days or until exhausted.

Fred Douglas

Not really a boot sale find but an excuse to upload some novelty songs by Fred Douglas who I know nothing about except he made lots of cover versions of hits on the cheap Regal label that sold in Woolworths I believe back in the 30's and 40's. Later they had the Embassy label which did a similar service - all the pop hits of the day by obscure singers who nobody had ever heard of! Fred Douglas went by several other nom de plumes so probably appeared on other records too.
Also this is a good way to try out SendSpace file hosting. I want to see if they last any longer than YouSendIt. We shall see.

Fred Douglas - When It's Night Time In Italy/Felix Kept On Walking

Fred Douglas - Why Robinson Crusoe Got The Blues


Fred Douglas - I'm Getting Better Every Day


These SendSpace files are available for seven days or until exhausted.

Spike Jones

A terribly scratched and crayoned copy of Spike Jones In Hi-Fi that i found some years ago at Brick Lane flea market. It's mono too which kind of wastes the idea of any hi-fidelity. On the sleeve it says "Have you ever heard a belch come from one corner of the room to the other, then re-trace it's tracks?" I guess you'd have to track down the stereo version to find out what that sounds like. Most of the humour here is created by impersonator Paul Frees who conjures up the voices of Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff to name but a few. Others taking part are Luli Jean Norman, Thurl Ravenscroft and George Rock.

"Lindley Armstrong "Spike" Jones (December 14, 1911 – May 1, 1965) was a popular musician and comedian. He was born in Long Beach, California.
His father was a Southern Pacific railroad agent. He got his nickname by being so thin that he was compared to a railroad spike. At the age of eleven he got his first set of drums. As a teenager he played in bands that he formed himself. A chef in a railroad restaurant taught him how to use adapted pots and pans, forks, knives and spoons as musical instruments. He frequently played in theater pit orchestras. In the 1930s he joined the Victor Young Band and thereby got many offers to appear to radio shows including the Al Jolson Lifebuoy Show, Burns and Allen (with George Burns) and Bing Crosby's Kraft Music Hall. In 1940, he had an uncredited part in the film Give Us Wings, and in 1942 as a hillbilly in Pass the Biscuits, Mirandy. He joined up with vocalist Del Porter and performed in Los Angeles, gaining a cult following. By 1941 the band included violinist Carl Grayson. Other band members were George Rock (voice and trumpet), Doodles Weaver (voice) and Red Ingle (voice). They became his backing band The City Slickers. Saxophonist Ed Metcalfe performed with Spike Jones for a while. Jones's wife was the singer Helen Grayco, who performed on some of his radio shows. They received a recording contract with RCA Victor and recorded extensively for the company until the mid 1950's."

Discover more about Spike Jones HERE.

Spike Jones - Only Have Eyes For You

Spike Jones - Teenage Brain Surgeon

These You Send It files are available for seven days or until exhausted.

SWAPATORIUM: Karl Denver

Trying out new SendSpace link for extra track-

Spike Jones - Monster Movie Ball

Bill Haley

One of two Bill Haley records found at the weekend which is most unusual. This one a compilation on the budget Ace Of Clubs label in the 60's of songs made famous ten years earlier.

"Haley broke into rock and roll via country and western music. He was a member of the Downhomers and musical director for the Saddlemen. The latter group had a regular radio show at a Chester, Pennsylvania, radio station. Haley brought different sounds into the Saddlemen's repertoire in an attempt to blend, in his words, "country and western, Dixieland and the old-style rhythm & blues." In 1952, the Saddlemen released "Rock This Joint" on the Essex label, and it sold 75,000 copies. By 1953, the group had changed its name to Bill Haley and His Comets and recorded the slang-filled "Crazy, Man, Crazy," a bonafide rock and roll hit. Haley and His Comets were thereupon signed to Decca Records.

At their first session for Decca, they cut "Rock Around the Clock" (which had originally been recorded in 1952 by Sunny Dae. Little attention was paid to Haley's version upon its initial release in the spring of 1954. The group followed it with their cover version of Big Joe Turner's "Shake, Rattle and Roll," which cracked the Top Ten in July 1954 and sold a million copies. "Rock Around the Clock" got its second lease on life by being chosen for the soundtrack to The Blackboard Jungle, a 1955 movie about high-school delinquency that generated controversy in the press and pandemonium among the young. In effect, "Rock Around the Clock" became an anthem for rebellious Fifties youth. A 1956 movie named after the song, which featured nine lip-synched performances by Haley, made him a star here and abroad. His celebrity was particularly long-lived in Britain, where he continued to be treated as rock royalty into the Seventies."

Discover more about Bill Haley HERE.

Bill Haley - Thirteen Women

Bill Haley - Razzle Dazzle

These You Send It files are available for seven days or until exhausted.

Savannah Syncopators

A record compiled by Paul Oliver from field recordings in Africa and the southern states of America to show the links between the two. There is also a book of the same name published by Studio Vista back in 1970 when this was all put together. Some wonderful tracks here including Robert Johnson, Lonnie Coleman, Butch cage and Willie Thomas amongst others. I have chosen three tracks that seem to run togther well. Heres what the sleevenotes say about them-

"North of the rain forest is a belt of savannah region which changes from woodland to parkland, to grassland, to steppe and semi-desert, as one moves further north toward the Sahara. The "ring dance" performed at night by Mamprusi tribesmen playing whistles and shaking rattles on their ankles and wrists with, in the centre of the ring, a drummer beating a huge calabash drum, is representative of music that can be heard on the edge of the savannah. Drumming is to be heard throughout West Africa but in the savannah their is no heavy wood for the big log drums of the rain forest. Ring dances have been long identified with Negro functions in America, while the rhythyms of the Como Drum Band behind Napoleon Strickland's fife on "Oh, Baby" seem to suggest a link with Mamprusi music. But it also may indicate the dacay of the military drum-and-fife traditions of the post-war years.
The closest part of Africa to North America is the Senegal- Gambia coast. In Senegal. the orchestra of a regional chief, Bour Fode Diouf, recored a war chant, "Wong", to the rythyms of drums slung from their shoulders, the group of men singing in high, strained voices. George Coleman "Bongo Joe", as he calls himself - is a solo perfomer in the streets of Galveston and San Antonio ,Texas, but he sings his blues "Eloise" in a voice that is not dissimilar, and accompanies himself on a set of drums made from oil drums."

The Como Drum Band - Oh Baby

Orch. of Bour Fode Diouf - Wong

Bongo Joe - Eloise

These You Send It files are available for seven days or until exhausted.

Grandpa Jones

No boot sales this week alas so going back to a find of last week. I have a couple of Grandpa Jones Lp's already so knew what to expect - some wonderful banjo picking and daft songs about Gooseberry Pie and I Ain't A Communist. In fact I was hard pressed to choose my favourites here to upload from this 1982 RCA compilation of songs recorded in the 40's and 50's one imagines ( sleeve-notes sadly lacking in any details ).


"Louis Marshall "Grandpa" Jones was one person who aged right into his makeup. Like his real appearance, however, his actual background and role in country music were
deceptive and more complex than they seem. Beginning in the 1920s, he began attracting attention with his boisterous performing style, old-time banjo performing, and powerful singing, and by the 1940s, with hits like "Rattler" and "Mountain Dew," he began receiving national attention. He joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1946 and remained there throughout his career; in the 1960s, with hits like "T for Texas," he continued making a place for himself on the country charts, and as a regular on Hee Haw since its inception in 1969, he became a television celebrity. But Jones' influence went much further than that chain of successes would indicate -- he was almost single-handedly responsible for keeping the banjo alive as a country music instrument during the 1930s and 1940s, and in addition to his own work and songs, he was an important associate and collaborator of Merle Travis."

Discover more about Grandpa Jones HERE.

Grandpa Jones - Gooseberry Pie

Grandpa Jones - Closer To The Bone

Grandpa Jones - T.V. Blues

These You send It files are available for seven days or until exhausted.

Wilf Carter

Another find from yesterday's boot sale. I assumed he was a member of the legendary Carter Family but this K-Tel compilation was printed in Canada and some of the songs are about Canada which made me think otherwise. A search on the internet came up with-

"Although he is largely forgotten today outside of Canada, where his commercial career lasted far longer than it did in the United States, Wilf Carter was a unique presence in country music and cowboy music from the 1930s until the end of the 1950s. Rare is the mid-century yodeller whose background predates the start of Jimmie Rodgers' career -- Carter represented one of the longest surviving links with country music before there was a recording industry. Although Canadian by birth, he was seduced by country music and, specifically, by the wonder of the American West, and created a body of work as unique and distinctive as any singer/guitarist of his era, romantic, playful, and upbeat.

He was born Wilfred Arthur Charles Carter, one of nine children. The family was poor, and by the time he was eight or nine, Carter was helping to support them by working in the fields in the nearby Annapolis Valley. By age 12, he was working away from home. It was a traveling show and the presence of a performer known as "The Yodeling Fool" introduced him to country music and inspired him to learn to yodel. Carter worked farms in central Nova Scotia during his early teens, and when he was 16, he left home in a dispute with his father, a strict Baptist and missionary, over attending prayer services. At age 17, he came to the United States to work in Massachusetts for a time, but he later returned to Nova Scotia. He later headed to Western Canada to work the harvests out in Alberta, and he became adept at breaking horses. It was while in Western Canada that Carter began singing at local dances, and he auditioned for a spot on the radio in 1925. At the time, he usually sang and yodeled without accompaniment, or occasionally added an autoharp. "

Discover more about Wilf Carter HERE.

Wilf Carter - Little Two Acre Farm

Wilf Carter - Pub With No Beer

These You Send It files are available for seven days or until exhausted.

Roger Dee

Slim pickings at the bootsale today although I did find this oddity which is on the Toby label from early 70's I imagine judging by some of the impersonations Mr. Dee is attempting pictured on the back of the sleeve - like Tiny Tim, Rolf Harris and Frankie Vaughn. This sounds like a live show in front of an enthusiastic audience at Pontins Holiday camp as they get a name check on the back in the sleeve notes which state-

"Roger was born in Pontins - the son of a lady and gentleman - obviously a marriage of convenience. He merrily tap danced his way up the Ladder of Fame, to become the famous tap dancing window cleaner that he is today!!"

No mention of him on the internet so assume he went back to window cleaning after this record was made!

Roger Dee - The Motorist

Roger Dee - Never Had A Girl Like This

Roger Dee - The Supermarket

These You Send It files are available for seven days or until exhausted.

Oliver Mtukudzi

Another Brick Lane find from the 90's. Recorded on the Gramma Records label in 1989. This LP called "Granpa Story" was inspired it says on the minimal sleeve notes based on a story told to Oliver by his grandfather Elijah.

"Oliver Mtukudzi is the best-selling artist in his home country of Zimbabwe, Africa. Lovingly called "Tuku" for short, Oliver began recording in the mid-1970s as a member of Wagon Wheels, a band that also featured Thomas Mapfumo. After Wagon Wheels rolled to fame in Southern Africa, Tuku formed Black Spirits, the band that has backed him throughout his career.

Tuku has been heavily influenced by chimurenga, the genre pioneered by Mapfumo that is inspired by the hypnotic rhythms of the mbira (thumb piano). However chimurenga is just one of many styles performed by Tuku, as his music also incorporates pop influences, South African mbaqanga, the energetic Zimbabwean pop style JIT, or the traditional kateke drumming of his clan, the Korekore.

While Tuku’s music is undeniably contagious, it is his lyrics that have captured the hearts of his people. The words to his songs, performed in the Shona language of Zimbabwe as well as English, invariably deal with social and economic issues. In the face of political turmoil and a horrific AIDS epidemic that has swept the African continent, Oliver's humor and optimism creates an appeal that crosses generations."

Find out more HERE.

Oliver Mtukudzi - Deep Pleasure

Oliver Mtukudzi - Mean What You Say

Oliver Mtukudzi - Teach Them Fine

These You Send It files are available for seven days or until exhausted.

Rusty Warren

I found this in a local charity shop recently for a few pence. A dodgy party record from the early 60's I imagine. Heres a few words I found about Rusty gleaned from the internet-

"Bawdy and risque, the comedy of Rusty Warren was daring and revolutionary; one of the few successful female performers in a business historically dominated by men, Warren pushed the envelope further by dealing explicitly with sex, a taboo topic for any mainstream comic of the 1950s and 1960s regardless of gender.

Born Ilene Goldman in New York in 1931, she was raised in Milton, Massachusetts, and after graduating from the New England Conservatory of Music in 1952, she became a teacher. On the advice of a boyfriend, Warren spent a summer performing in a piano lounge in upstate New York; she immediately fell in love with show business and never returned to academia. Her explicit style began to develop soon after, influenced by underground recordings by Sophie Tucker and Ruth Wallis.

After signing to the Jubilee label, Warren issued her debut record, Songs for Sinners, in 1959. While performing in Toledo, Ohio later that year, she introduced her trademark number, "Knockers Up," a call for women to shed their sexual inhibitions. Her next LP, also dubbed Knockers Up!, followed in 1960; the album became a surprise word-of-mouth smash, reaching the Top Ten and remaining on the charts for over three years. Overnight, Warren became a notorious figure, the queen of the party records; Sin-Sational! and Rusty Warren Bounces Back, both issued in 1961, hit the Top 40, and a fervent cult following emerged."

Discover more about Rusty Warren HERE at her website.

Rusty Warren - I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate

Rusty Warren - Frankie & Johnny

These You Send It files are available for seven days or until exhausted.

Cocky

Found this little gem ina charity shop this morning for a couple of quid. Recorded in 1976 on the little known Red Rag Recordings label based in Teddington in Middlesex. It has the unfortunate title of "Twelve Inches Of Cocky" and you can imagine the kind of websites that appeared when trying to track info. down on this band! Needless to say I didnt find out anything atall and so will have to use what little there is on the sleeve notes.
It says -" All songs played by the members of Cocky apart from Harmonica Henry who bribed us to play harp on Maggie Campbell, and Stan Arnold who didn't bribe us (tight sod!) to do a duck call on Jollity Farm.
Recorded at Riverside Studios with the help of David Le-Neve Foster. Produced by Dave "Hot Licks" Peabody.
Luncheon vouchers and cold coffee supplied by Stan Arnold. Pains in the arse caused and treated by Alan Robinson. Sleeve design by Mike "Toulouse" Walsh. Sleeve snapshots by Brownie 127 Studios - director D. Peabody."

It has been signed by all members of the band in lovely blue biro.



Cocky - Jollity Farm

Cocky - Cocaine Habit

Cocky - Draft Dodger Rag

Cocky - Medley a la Cocky

These You Send It files are available for seven days or until exhausted.

George Van Dusen

Little is known of George Van Dusen and despite extensive searches on the internet have failed to find anyone who knows anything about him except that he was a renowned yodeller held in high regard and a contemporary of Harry Torrani and Ronnie Ronalde in the 30's and 40's. His "Yodelling Chinaman" track is probably his most well known and popped up on several compilations of novelty songs over the years. These tracks are from 1937 and kindly supplied by Jim Benson who will doubtless phone me up to tell me I've got it all wrong and that infact George was a dutchman who died in 1929! I love this photo of him from the only one I could find. If anyone knows anymore about him - please do tell!

George Van Dusen - Izzy Izzy Izzy

George Van Dusen - The Yodelling Sailor

George Van Dusen - The Yiddish Yodeller

These You Send It files are available for seven days or until exhausted.

The Goodies

"Put simply, The Goodies was a live-action version of a typical Warner Bros cartoon, replete with speeded-up footage, film trickery and violent slapstick. The characters bore the same names as the players and were caricature exaggerations of their real selves, hence Tim was the respectable establishment figure, an effete man who grew into a manic royalist; Graeme was the scatty, back-room boffin, the inventor of all manner of weird devices; and Bill was an aggressive, earthy, hairy individual who eventually tended towards environmentalism, socialism and feminism. Each week the three climbed aboard and promptly fell off their customised bicycle for three (the 'Trandem') before remounting to pedal off to their task.

Initially there was a traditional sitcom element to the shows, the characters starting off each episode in their huge all-encompassing office suite, where they would be employed by someone to undertake a difficult task. Later, though, the format became diffused and in the show's classic period, 1973-76, it was a joyous, unrestrained, lightly satirical festival of visual humour, with models, special effects, explosions, giant props and camera tricks combining to produce a variety of fast-paced wild antics rarely seen since the heyday of the slapstick silent movies. The plots always veered towards the surreal and very often storylines lurched off-course to explore unrelated areas, just to get laughs. And most of the time it worked. Most episodes also included one or a few mock TV advertisements, which delightfully sent up the genre.

There was also a musical element to the shows, Bill Oddie providing songs or instrumental routines to fit in with the capers. This led to a long-lasting spin-off success for the team, with successful album releases and high-ranking chart entries for their singles 'The Inbetweenies', 'Funky Gibbon', 'Black Pudding Bertha', 'Nappy Love' and 'Make A Daft Noise For Christmas'. (Several such songs had first been performed by Oddie in the BBC radio sketch comedy show I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again, in which all three Goodies appeared.) Like the Monty Python team, the Goodies also published books that re-created their style of humour in print form. Successful though they were, however, critics never accorded the Goodies the same degree of cultural standing as the Pythons, probably considering their corny jokes and blatant slapstick less worthy than the Pythons' verbal artistry. If this snub bothered the Goodies they did not show it, and in one famous sequence they even featured John Cleese in a cameo role, as a genie taunting them with the jibe 'Kids' programme!'. Such celebrity appearances were a feature of The Goodies, episodes of which often spoofed other programmes and so were tailor-made for cameos, with all manner of unlikely TV personalities turning up, including presenters Michael Aspel, Sue Lawley, Michael Barrett, Raymond Baxter, McDonald Hobley, David Dimbleby, and Terry Wogan, DJs Tony Blackburn and John Peel, soccer commentator Kenneth Wolstenholme, quizmaster Magnus Magnusson, astronomer Patrick Moore and, perhaps most memorably of all, the rugby league commentator Eddie Waring."

Found at Crewe flea market yesterday for 50p. I have fond memories of this show in the 70's and it's a shame the BBC have never seen fit to repeat the series despite endlessly repeating nearly everything else!

Discover more about The Goodies HERE

The Goodies - Stuff That Gibbon

The Goodies - Mummy I Don't Like My Meat

These You Send It files are available for seven days or until exhausted.

Nellie Wallace

"Nellie Wallace was a music hall star who made her name playing comic characters and singing comic songs such as 'I was the early birdie after the early worm' and 'I've been jilted by the baker Mr White'. Nellie began performing in pantomime when she was only seven years old and added a comic fall to her tiny part in the pantomime, to get more laughs. She did attempt serious roles, but her performance in Little Willie's deathbed scene in East Lynne was received with so much laughter that Nellie was finally convinced she should not attempt to be a serious actress.

This is one of Nellie's music hall characters - a spinster with buck teeth and heavily drawn eyebrows who wore an ill-fitting tweed suit, a hat with one feather protruding at the top, and a fur which she referred to as 'me little bit of vermin'. Her exaggerated dress sense, bordering on the grotesque, made her one of the few women who appeared successfully as a pantomime dame."

Discover more about Nellie Wallace HERE.

Nellie Wallace - Let's Have A Tiddley At The Milk Bar

Nellie Wallace - Three Times A Day

These You Send It files are available for seven days or until exhausted.

Round The Horne

"Round the Horne crackled out of the nation's wirelesses Sunday afternoons from 1965, becoming one of the most popular comedies of the era until it finished in '69.

With its ground breaking mixture of innuendo, camp comedy and word play, it netted a regular audience of more than 15million listeners and was one of the best loved programmes in radio history.

A colourfully bizarre collection of characters and memorable catch phrases burst across the airwaves from the pages of its brilliantly inventive and sometimes outrageous scripts, the majority of which were written by zany duo Barry Took and Marty Feldman.

Kenneth Horne as the straight man anchored the whole careering, seething, teaming, chaotic hullabaloo emitted from the likes of J Peasemold Gruntfuttock, Rambling Syd Rumpo, Daphne Whitethigh, Shamus Android, Binkie Huckaback and Dame Celia Molestrangler (played by Betty Marsden, Hugh Paddick, Bill Pertwee and Kenneth Williams). This mad-cap bunch mercilessly sent up the establishment via a combination of bawdy jokes and surreal literary invention acted out in a series of sketches. Kenneth Williams camped his way through the script as limp-wristed Sandy, normally introduced by Hugh Paddick's character saying "Hello I'm Julian and this is my friend Sandy", making homosexual double entendres that allowed British suburbia to laugh openly about what had been strictly taboo."

Kenneth Horne - Oh, Lucky Jim

Round The Horne - Nice Cup Of Tea

Round The Horne - Cucumber Song

Kenneth Williams - The Marrow Song

Round The Horne - Rhymes

Kenneth Williams - Early One Morning

Round The Horne - Among My Souvenirs


These You Send It files are available for seven days or until exhausted.

Billy May Orchestra

I found this a few weeks back in a charity shop. I have fond memories of this and others on Childrens Favourites on the radio in the 50's.

"The last of the great arrangers who wrote regularly for Frank Sinatra, Billy May had several varied
careers in and out of jazz. His first notable gig was as an arranger/trumpeter with Charlie Barnet (1938-1940), for whom he wrote the wah-wah-ing hit arrangement of Ray Noble's "Cherokee." Later, he worked in the same capacities for Glenn Miller (1940-1942) and Les Brown (1942) before settling into staff jobs, first at NBC studios, then at Capitol Records, where he led his own studio big band from 1951 to 1954. His arrangements for Sinatra, beginning with Come Fly With Me (1957) and ending with Trilogy (1979), are often in a walloping, brassy, even taunting swing mode, generating some of the singer's most swaggering vocals. May also did extensive scoring for television, film, and commercials"

Henry Blair and cast do the voices. Narration by Verne Smith. Music by Billy May and His Orchestra.

Billy May/Henry Blair/Verne Smith - Sparky's Magic Piano

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Hank Snow

Two boot sales this bank holiday weekend but not a single record was found at either. This luckily was from the second hand record shop at Lady Hayes Antique Centre near Frodsham who had a box of albums - 50p each or 3 for a pound. I could have had The Chipmunks Meets Dr. Dolittle but settled for this one by Hank Snow from 1963. The title track was a big hit for him back then but I only remember the Rolf Harris version!



Clarence Eugene "Hank" Snow was born on May 9th, 1914 in the sleepy fishing village of Brooklyn, Queens County, on Nova Scotia's beautiful South Shore, just down the tracks from Liverpool.

"As a boy, Hank faced many difficulties and shortcomings. He had to face the trauma of his parents' divorce at just eight years old and he was forced to stay with his grandparents. He then had to deal with an abusive grandmother who forbid him to see his mother. He regularly sneaked out at night and walked the railroad tracks to Liverpool where his mother was living. Not willing to return to his grandmother, who would often beat him for visiting his mom, he would sometimes seek shelter in Liverpool's railway station, now home of the Hank Snow Country Music Centre.

Both his parents had musical talent and Hank picked up his basic guitar-playing skills from his mother. In 1926, Hank went to sea as a 12-year-old cabin boy on fishing schooners based out of Lunenburg to escape his abusive step-father and never returned to school. With his first earned income he bought his first guitar, a T. Eaton Special for $5.95. While at sea, Hank would listen to Jimmie Rodgers on the radio and began to imitate him and entertain the crew. It wasn't long before Hank had picked up his own style."

Discover more about Hank Snow HERE.

Hank Snow - I've Been Everywhere

Hank Snow - When It's Springtime In Alaska

Hank Snow - Melba From Melbourne

These You Send It files are available for seven days or until exhausted.

Millie Small

A rather distressed LP from Brick Lane I bought many years ago. I went through a phase of collecting old Ska and Reggae singles and albums from the 60's and 70's. This has Millie Small of "My Boy Lollipop" fame and several male stars of the Jamaican reggae scene back then. Owen Gray, Jackie Mitto, and Roland Alphonso amongst others.

"Born Millicent Small in Clarendon, she was the daughter of an overseer on a sugar plantation and she was one of the very few female singers in the early Ska era in Clarendon. She was already recording in her teens for Sir Coxone Dodd's Studio One label with Roy Panton (as the duo Roy & Millie), together they produced the hit "We'll Meet." She was brought her to England in late 1963 by Chris Blackwell who would later discover Bob Marley. Her fourth recording, "My Boy Lollipop," cut in London by a group of session musicians including guitarist Ernest Ranglin and featured Smalls childlike, extremely high-pitched vocals became of the few international ska hits reaching number two in the U.S. and number one in the U.K. in 1964. It remains one of the biggest-selling reggae or ska discs of all time with more than seven million sales.

She was perceived as a one-hit wonder novelty artist and she only made the Top 40 one more time, with the "My Boy Lollipop" sound-alike "Sweet William." She released an entire album with these two hits. In a trivial piece of information legend has it that popular British singer Rod Stewart played the Harmonica on "lollipop", more significantly the earnings from the sales of "lollipop", Chris Blackwell's first hit helped him to secure a strong firm hold in the music industry to later cultivate the likes of Reggae legend Bob Marley and Rock groups such as U2."

For more about the history of ska music go HERE

Roy and Millie - We'll Meet

Owen and Millie - Sugar Plum

Roland Alphonso - Backbeat

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Frankie Howerd

"Frankie Howerd was born Francis Alex Howard in York. He grew up in the Woolwich and Eltham area of South East London, where his father was a sergeant major in the Army. Howerd's father died when he was three, and his mother was forced to take cleaning jobs to pay for her three children's upkeep.
Howerd's trademark stammering and hesitation was, at that age, natural; in later years he exploited these afflictions to great comic effect; they became the comedian's trademark and, far from natural by this time, each and every one was included in his scripts.

He joined a church dramatic society at the age of 13 and made his stage debut in Tilly of Bloomsbury. Five years later, he auditioned for the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, but was turned down; his next ambition was comedy. Nevertheless, he performed badly at talent contests and ended up as a junior insurance clerk in London. He pursued his dreams of comedy, but continued unsuccessfully. When in the Army during the Second World War, he failed the auditions for both ENSA and Stars in Battledress. Undaunted, he practiced his routines in the canteen and the barracks, overcoming his stammer and perfecting the bumbling humility for which he later became so famous.

After the war, Howerd was spotted at the Stage Door Canteen in London, and signed to appear in the For the Fun of It roadshow. It was during his time here (at the bottom of the bill) that he changed the spelling of his surname from Howard to Howerd. The logic behind this minor change; there were so many funny Howards around and he wanted to distinguish himself.
Many minor stage roles followed, but as with so many of today's great comedians, it was the advent of radio variety that launched him to fame. He became a regular in the hugely popular Variety Bandbox, with Eric Sykes acting as his scriptwriter. He remained with the show for 5 years, during which time he topped the bills at theatres around the UK, culminating in his first Royal Variety Performance in 1950.

As the 1950s became the 1960s, music hall waned in popularity and Howerd's own career followed suit. Following an acclaimed performance in A Midsummer Night's Dream, and several not so well received shows, he began appearing at Peter Cook's Establishment Club in London; a showcase for the most topical and up-and-coming comedians. His performance, scripted by Till Death Us do Part's Johnny Speight, led to an appearance on That was the Week that Was and a starring role in the stage version of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. His fortunes were on the up.

This string of success was followed by the comedy with which Howerd has become synonymous; the classic Up Pompeii, in which he played the downtrodden slave Lurcio. Three spin-off films followed (Up Pompeii, Up the Chastity Belt and Up the Front).
Howerd was awarded an OBE in 1977 and was the winner of two Variety Club of Great Britain awards. Howerd was a much celebrated comedian, who enjoyed perhaps his greatest success in his later years; it was while riding on the crest of this wave when he was asked to appear in Carry On Columbus. Sadly, he suffered a heart attack and died shortly before filming."

Discover more about Frankie Howerd HERE

Frankie Howard - Song and Dance Man

Frankie Howard - It's Alright With Me

These You Send It files are available for seven days or until exhausted.

Norman Wisdom

"Norman Wisdom was born in the London district of Marylebone to Frederick and Maude Wisdom. His father was a chauffeur and his mother a dressmaker. After a difficult and poverty-stricken childhood he joined the 10th Hussars and began to develop his talents as a musician and stage entertainer

After he left the army he went into show-business, gradually becoming one of Britain's most successful stars. In 1954 he released the best-selling single that is still closely associated with his name, "Don't Laugh At Me (Cause I'm A Fool)".
Moving into film in the 1960s, he created an accident-prone, clownish character called Norman Pitkin, a lovable fool who appeared in several successful films, most notably The Early Bird (1965). His famous and widely imitated cry as Pitkin was "Mr Grimsdale! Mr Grimsdale!

In 1967, he was widely praised for his performance as a serious actor in The Night They Raided Minsky's, but his career began to decline in the 1970s and he was out of favour with British tastes in comedy for many years. On 11 February 1987 Norman Wisdom was the subject of Thames Television's This Is Your Life.
He became widely popular again in the 1990s, helped by the young comedian Lee Evans, whose act was heavily influenced by Wisdom's work. The highpoint of this new popularity was the knighthood he received in 1999 from Queen Elizabeth II.
After he was knighted, true to his accident-prone persona, he couldn't resist pretending to trip on his way out off the platform."

Discover more about Norman Wisdom HERE

Norman Wisdom & Joyce Grenfell - Narcissus

Norman Wisdom - The Joker

These You Send It files are available for seven days or until exhausted.

Eddie Cantor

"Eddie Cantor was born in New York City in 1892. After becoming a smash hit in vaudeville, Ziegfeld signed him for his Midnight Frolics and then the Follies of 1917, 1918, 1919 and 1923.

From there he went to films in the 1920s, starring in Whoopee, Kid from Spain and Kid Millions. After an appearance on Rudy Vallee’s Fleischmann Hour in 1931, Cantor's radio career began to soar.

By the early 30s, Eddie Cantor had become the highest-rated star on radio. For seven years, his Chase & Sanborn Hour on NBC garnered immense ratings. Cantor was the second most recognizable person in America—second only to President Roosevelt, for whom he created the March of Dimes to help in the fight against polio.

Cantor’s sign-off line—“I love to spend each Sunday with you”—was followed frequently by a pitch for a charitable or patriotic cause. He received a Presidential Citation for his dedication to charity. A union activist, Cantor was the first national president of AFRA and SAG.

Cantor also made the successful transition to television on the Colgate Comedy Hour, making him one of the few performers to reach star status on stage, screen, radio and television.

Eddie Cantor died on October 10, 1964."

Discover more about Eddie Cantor HERE.

Eddie Cantor - Josephine Please No Lean On The Bell

Eddie Cantor - Yes Sir, That's My Baby

These You Send It files are available for seven days or until exhausted.

George Melly

A record on the Decca label from 1973 but featuring Melly in the 50's playing with the Mick Mulligan Magnolia Jazz Band. His outrageous stories about these early days, travelling with the band are told in the very entertaining and funny book "Owning Up". On the sleeve notes it says-
"From being something of a hell-raiser, George became a critic for the Observer, TV personality and took over from Humphry Littelton writing the script for the FLOOK comic strip in the Daily Mail......"

Here's a recent article about George in the Guardian.

George Melly - I'm A Ding Dong Daddy

George Melly - Send Me To The 'electric Chair

These You Send It files are available for seven days or until exhausted.

Les Paul & Mary Ford

Found this today at a charity shop for a couple of quid. I think I have a Les Paul & Mary Ford cassette somewhere but hopefully some different tracks here. It always sounded like the records of Les were being played at the wrong speed until I learned he speeded up the tracks in his studio. Surely this is cheating? But a fascinating sound nonetheless. Heres what the Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame has to say about him-

"The name Les Paul is synonymous with the electric guitar. As a player, inventor and recording artist, Paul has been an innovator from the early years of his life. Born Lester William Polfus in 1915 in Waukesha, Wisconsin, Paul built his first crystal radio at age nine - which was about the time he first picked up a guitar. By age 13 he was performing semi-professionally as a country-music guitarist and working diligently on sound-related inventions. In 1941, Paul built his first solid-body electric guitar, and he continued to make refinements to his prototype throughout the decade. He also worked on refining the technology of sound, developing revolutionary engineering techniques such as close miking, echo delay and multitracking. All the while he busied himself as a bandleader who could play both jazz and country music.
His career as a musician nearly came to an end in 1948, when a near-fatal car accident shattered his right arm and elbow. However, he instructed the surgeons to set his arm at an angle that would allow him to cradle and pick the guitar. Paul subsequently made his mark as a jazz-pop musician extraordinaire, recording as a duo with his wife, singer Colleen Summers (a.k.a. Mary Ford). Their biggest hits included "How High the Moon" (1951) and "Vaya Con Dios" (1953), both reaching #1. The recordings of Les Paul and Mary Ford are noteworthy for Paul's pioneering use of overdubbing - i.e., layering guitar parts one atop another, a technique also referred to as multitracking or "sound on sound" recording. The results were bright, bubbly and a little otherworldly - just the sort of music you might expect from an inventor with an ear for the future.

In 1952, Les Paul introduced the first eight-track tape recorder (designed by Paul and marketed by Ampex) and, more significantly for the future of rock and roll, launched the solid-body electric guitar that bears his name. Built and marketed by Gibson, with continuous advances and refinements from Paul in such areas as low-impedance pickup technology, the Les Paul guitar became a staple instrument among discerning rock guitarists. This list of musicians associated with the Gibson Les Paul include Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Duane Allman and Mike Bloomfield. Over the ensuing decades, Paul himself has remained active, cutting a Grammy-winning album of instrumental duets with Chet Atkins, Chester and Lester in 1977, performing at New York jazz clubs, and continuing to indulge his inventor's curiosity in a basement workshop at his home in Mahwah, New Jersey."

Les Paul - Little Rock Getaway

Les Paul - Goofus

Les Paul & Mary Ford - The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise

These You Send It files are available for seven days or until exhausted.

Hoagart

"Hoagart Smith was born in 1924 in Plainsville, New York in 1923 and spent his early life going from town to town in a travelling vaudeville and medicine show his parents ran until 1938. His father, Haggio Smith was a contortionist and trombone player and his mother played the accordion whilst juggling small animals, mostly rats or any small rodents they could lay their hands on. This was the height of the depression and sometimes they had to make do with dead rats and sometimes even cockroaches. Hoagart grew up in this atmostphere of freewheeling lunacy and this he shaped into an act of his own by the time he was 9. Having taught himself to yodel and play the tuba he was billed as the Infant Prodigy - Hoagart.
When he was 23 he dropped the Infant Prodigy and became just Hoagart. He made several obscure and rare recordings for the defunct Prattle label in the 50's and these rare acetates came to light just recently in the basement of a dried fish stall being demolished in Brooklyn."

Hoagart - Oh Suzanna

Hoagart - Accordion Tune

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Arthur Mullard

The archetypal cockney geezer and heavy who used to pop up on TV sit-coms throughout the 50's 60's and 70's. Typecast as the East End thug in Hancock's Half Hour to The Benny Hill Show etc. he could always be relied upon to look the part even if his dialogue was limited to "Yus!" "Cor Blimey!" and "Do you want a punch up the froat?" He made several novelty records, none of which were big hits as far as I know. One with Hilda Baker was a terrible version of "Your The One That I Want" that John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John had a big hit with. On these two tracks he's backed by Chas 'N' Dave.

Arthur Mullard - One Fing 'N' Nuvver

Arthur Mullard - I Only Have Eyes For You

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Alvino Rey

"b. Alvin Henry McBurney, 1 July 1908, Oakland, California, USA, d. 24 February 2004, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. An accomplished guitarist, Rey learned to play several stringed instruments as a teenager growing up in Cleveland, most notably the banjo. He started his professional career on this instrument in 1927. Rey played guitar with various dance bands, including those of Phil Spitalny, Russ Morgan, Freddy Martin and Horace Heidt, before forming his own band in the winter of 1938/9. With Heidt, Rey had been featured on the steel Hawaiian guitar and also on an early form of electronically amplified guitar. He continued to play guitar in his own band, and also brought from Heidt the vocal group the King Sisters, one of whom, Luise, he married.
Rey toured extensively in the early 40s and eventually became popular with dancers across the USA. His orchestra, which was the house band for Mutual Broadcasting during this period, featured comedy, lots of vocals and highly competent musicianship. All this, allied to the unusual effect Rey created by miking Louise King's vocals through the guitar amplifier, helped to build a following for the band and they enjoyed national hits with "Deep In The Heart Of Texas", "I Said No", and "Strip Polka". "

A cassette I found last week in a charity shop for 60 pence. It would be churlish not to share two tracks here. The King Sisters remind me a bit of the Andrews Sisters.

Discover more about Alvino Rey HERE.

Alvino Rey - Rockin' Chair

Alvino Rey - 12th Street Rag

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Tiny Tim

"Tiny Tim already had something of a cult following around New York when he appeared in the film You Are What You Eat. This led to a booking on Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In, an American television comedy and variety show, which turned out to be his big break. Other appearances on the shows of Johnny Carson, Ed Sullivan, and Jackie Gleason followed, and he made a name for himself as a novelty performer. Apart from his extraordinarily high falsetto voice, his appearance—long curly hair, large nose, tall stature (he was six feet one inch), and clutching his relatively tiny ukulele—helped him stand out from the crowd.
In 1968, his first album, God Bless Tiny Tim, was released. It contained a version of his signature song, "Tiptoe Thru The Tulips", which was a hit when released as a single. The other songs displayed his wide-ranging knowledge of the American songbook, and also allowed him to demonstrate his baritone voice, which was less often heard than his falsetto. On one track, a version of "I Got You Babe", he sang a duet with himself, taking one part in falsetto, and the other in the baritone range. "On the Old Front Porch" extends this to a trio, including a boy (Billy Murray), the girl he is courting (Ada Jones), and her father (probably Murray again).
Another notable song was a cover of "Stay Down Here where You Belong", written by Irving Berlin in 1914 to protest the Great War. It is a powerful condemnation of those who foment war. (The comedian Groucho Marx also used this song as part of his own act, at least in part to irk the patriotic Berlin, who in later years tried in vain to disown the song)."

Discover more about Tiny Tim HERE.

Tiny Tim - It's A Long Way To Tipparary

Tiny Tim - If You Wore A Tulip

Tiny Tim - Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home

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The Coasters

"The Coasters were one of the few artists in rock history to successfully straddle the line between music and comedy. Their undeniably funny lyrics and on-stage antics might have suggested a simple troupe of clowns, but Coasters records were no mere novelties -- their material, supplied by the legendary team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, was too witty, their arrangements too well-crafted, and the group itself too musically proficient. That engaging and infectious combination made them one of the most popular early R&B/rock & roll acts, as well as one of the most consistently entertaining doo wop/vocal groups of all time.

The Coasters grew out of a successful Los Angeles doo wop group called the Robins, which had been recording since 1949 and working with Leiber & Stoller since 1953. Atlantic Records acquired the Robins in 1955, when the Leiber & Stoller composition "Smokey Joe's Cafe" was becoming too big a hit for their small Spark label to handle; its success scored the duo an independent contract with Atlantic as producers and composers. Amid uncertainties over their new major-label arrangement, the Robins split up that fall; lead tenor Carl Gardner (a more recent addition) and bass Bobby Nunn formed a new group, the Coasters (named for their West Coast base), which maintained the Leiber & Stoller association -- an extremely wise move. The initial Coasters lineup was completed by baritone Billy Guy (a gifted comic vocalist) and second tenor Leon Hughes, with guitarist Adolph Jacobs figuring prominently on their recordings through 1959. Their first single, "Down in Mexico," became a Top Ten R&B hit in 1956, epitomizing the sort of humorous story-song Leiber & Stoller were perfecting. The Coasters hit again in 1957 with the double-sided smash "Young Blood"/"Searchin'," both sides of which reached the pop Top Ten. The follow-ups weren't as successful, and it was decided that both the group and Leiber & Stoller would move their operations to New York, where Atlantic was based. As a result, Nunn and Hughes left the group in late 1957, to be replaced respectively by bass Will "Dub" Jones (ex-Cadets, of "Stranded in the Jungle" fame) and second tenor Obie Jessie (for a very short period), then Cornell Gunter (ex-Flairs)."

Discover more about the Coasters HERE.

The Coasters - Keep On Rollin'

The Coasters - Stewball

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Hank Snow

Hank Snow
Originally uploaded by wastedpapiers.

"Clarence Eugene "Hank" Snow was born on May 9th, 1914 in the sleepy fishing village of Brooklyn, Queens County, on Nova Scotia's beautiful South Shore, just down the tracks from Liverpool.

As a boy, Hank faced many difficulties and shortcomings. He had to face the trauma of his parents' divorce at just eight years old and he was forced to stay with his grandparents. He then had to deal with an abusive grandmother who forbid him to see his mother. He regularly sneaked out at night and walked the railroad tracks to Liverpool where his mother was living. Not willing to return to his grandmother, who would often beat him for visiting his mom, he would sometimes seek shelter in Liverpool's railway station, now home of the Hank Snow Country Music Centre.


Both his parents had musical talent and Hank picked up his basic guitar-playing skills from his mother. In 1926, Hank went to sea as a 12-year-old cabin boy on fishing schooners based out of Lunenburg to escape his abusive step-father and never returned to school. With his first earned income he bought his first guitar, a T. Eaton Special for $5.95. While at sea, Hank would listen to Jimmie Rodgers on the radio and began to imitate him and entertain the crew. It wasn't long before Hank had picked up his own style.


He entertained friends and neighbors and quickly developed excellent skills as a musician and entertainer at kitchen parties and neighborhood picnics.

His professional career started at CHNS Radio in Halifax in 1933 where he had his own radio show. He changed his name to "Hank, The Yodeling Ranger" because it sounded more western. Throughout the 30s and 40s he toured the Maritimes and Western Canada playing at county fairs and local radio stations."

Read more about Hank at HERE.


Hank Snow - Wreck Of The Old 97

Hank Snow - Spanish Fireball

Hank Snow - Hobo Bill's Last Ride

These You Send It files are available for seven days or until exhausted.

Ivor Cutler 1923 - 2006

Sad news today that Ivor Cutler passed away last Friday aged 83. We had the pleasure to have tea with him a couple of times about 14 years ago when he was still getting around London on his bicycle despite terrible arthritus in his hands. He was very kind to us. He bought some of Hazel's badges and I think he saw her show of tea leaf inventions at the Royal Festival Hall where he would often go to sign books in the bookshop there. Anyway we got a phone call from him after we sent some badges and postcards and got a nice reply and invite to tea which we duly accepted. He was then living in a tiny and cluttered flat in North London. He treated us to one song on his wheezy harmonium and said " I cant do anymore - my hands seize up!" He gave Hazel some vocal lessons as he was concerned about her Black Country vowels. Also a list of sounds to repeat written on a peice of paper ( we still have it somewhere). The postcard above came around that time. The back is shown below. He was also very kind in phoning up Walker Books to get them to see my illustrations and Hazel's inventions which he thought they would like for the comic they were producing at the time called SNAP which Ivor contributed to on occasion. It was through his intervention that I got my first work in print. He said " People were kind to me when i was first starting out so now I'm helping you."

Lots of Ivor's songs on the web so no need to put any here. Just go to the links at the side and follow your nose. Go out and treat yourself to his records, CD's and wonderful books.

You will find an obituary in the Guardian HERE.

Hell's Gate Steel Band

I found this yesterday i the Oxfam shop in Chester. I have a couple of steel band Lp's already and didn't really want anymore but one of the songs caught my eye as it was the name of my son, "Archie". So I bought it and wasn't surprised to find it sounded much like the ones I have already. Nevermind, here are two tracks to give you an idea of what the album sounds like. The rest of the tracks are similar renditions of old favourites like Do Re Me , the old Oscar Hammerstein chestnut and even Handels' Messiah! This is what it says of the liner notes-

"In 1947, when pan music was in it's infancy, the band was formed, with instruments collected from the backyards and dumps. Sp persistent were the members to aquire the new art, that complaints were made to the authorities about the weird sounds made by the group, as they practised and paraded on the streets at night. However, the Govenor, the late Lord Baldwin of Bewdley, championed their cause, and so the HELL'S GATE STEEL BAND was born.
True success for the band came in 1964, when they emerged winners of the Antigua Steel Band Competition. To the amazement of the audience they played Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus". Thier prize was an all expenses paid trip to New York's World Fair."

Find out more about Steel Band music HERE.

Hell's Gate Steel Band - Archie

Hell's Gate Steel Band - Blowin' In The Wind

These You Send It files are available for seven days or until exhausted.

Miracle Legion

A six track EP/LP on the Making Waves label from 1985. I remember Andy Kershaw playing The Backyard on his BBC radio show back then and loving it and a short time after found a copy in Brick Lane market on a stall that sold deletions. This is what Trouser Press said of them-

"Criticized for their uncanny resemblance to R.E.M., Connecticut's Miracle Legion cannot be so easily dismissed as rote imitators. There's no denying the obvious similarities (vocals and guitar); thanks to musical creativity, however, Miracle Legion manages to stake out their own territory.

Savvy production techniques and aggressive playing make The Backyard a landmark. Mark Mulcahy's vocals can grate, but not enough to sully the sheer brilliance of the title track, "Stephen Are You There," "Closer to the Wall" and "Butterflies." Surprise Surprise Surprise lacks the honest abandon of The Backyard, an essential ingredient to Miracle Legion's appeal. In spite of improved musicianship and vocals, it's a disappointment."

If only REM sounded as good as this.

Miracle Legion - The Backyard

Miracle Legion - Butterflies

These You Send It files are avaible for seven days or until exhausted.

Otis Williams & The Charms

Doo-wop at it's best found at Brick Lane flea market back in the 80's. The sleeve notes tell us - " Otis Williams was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on June 3rd. 1936, and when he was sixteen , he successfully auditioned with four companions for Henry Stone who at the time owned the Rockin' label( Stone now owns TK Records). In 1953 Rockin' released the Charms first single "Heaven Only Knows". Later that year King picked up the label and used the Charms record to reactivate the Deluxe label which had been dormant since 1949. The original Charms were Donald Peak, Roland Bradley, Joseph Penn and Richard Parker.
In 1955 the Charms left to join Henry Stone's Chart label where they had two releases ( A third record featuring and Otis Williams master from Rockin' was also released). In 1960 three of the four original Charms returned to Federal as the Escos.

A three man group recorded with Otis during the later part of 1955, but by 1956 the Charms were reorganised into a five man backup group again. The group maintained a distinctive sound however due to Otis' distictive voice.

Downbeat Magazine voted the Charms R & B group of the year for 1955."

Discover more about Otis Williams HERE.

Otis Williams & the Charms - Ling Ting Tong

Otis Williams & the Charms - Gum Drop

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The Standells

"The Standells were formed in 1962 by guitarist Tony Valentino and organist Larry Tamblyn. The early line-up included Gary Lane on bass and drummer Gary Leeds, who would later find more success with the Walker Brothers. Leeds was eventually replaced by former Mousketeer Dick Dodd. As for the name the band chose, they would later tell Dick Clark on American Bandstand, they were just "standing around" one day, trying to think up a name for the band. The quartet became a leading attraction in Los Angeles night-spots and recorded some weak selling albums and singles for Liberty, MGM, and Vee Jay. As a popular local band, they also found themselves appearing in the movie "Get Yourself a College Girl", and getting a lot of television work (most notably, a guest appearance on 'The Munsters').

The band managed to hit the upper regions of the U.S. Top 100 with tunes like "Big Boss Man" and "Someday You'll Cry", but they didn't really hit their stride until teaming up with producer Ed Cobb, formerly of the vocal group the Four Preps. Cobb wrote a song called "Dirty Water", which marked quite a change of direction from their previous clean-cut image. At first the group didn't even like the song, but six months after it was released, "Dirty Water" was the number 11 song in the nation.

With their image now considerably toughened, the group issued four albums in quick succession in 1966 and 1967, as well as appearing in (and contributing the theme song to) the psychedelic exploitation movie "Riot on Sunset Strip". Cobb, in addition to writing "Dirty Water," also penned their other singles, including "Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White", "Why Pick on Me" and 'Try It" (the last of which was widely banned for its suggestive delivery). The group did write some decent material of their own, such as "All Fall Down", which bears an interesting similarity to some of Pink Floyd's early work.

Tower Records, as was the case with most of its artists, didn't apply intelligent long-range planning to the band's career, releasing too many albums at once. The group didn't help their own cause by issuing an awful vaudeville-rock single, "Don't Tell Me What to Do", under the transparent pseudonym of the Sllednats (Standells spelled backwards). It would be their last recording."

This, their second album on Tower Records, incuded some great songs and some not so good. Their version of Bacharach & David's "Little Red Book" comes quite close to equaling the excellent version by Arthur Lee and Love. They toured with the Stones and even covered "Paint It Black", also on this LP.

Discover more about The Standells HERE.

The Standells - Little Red Book

The Standells - Mainline

The Standells - Have You Ever Spent The Night In Jail

These You Send It files are available for seven days or until exhausted.

Billy Merson

More tape findings while the boot sales take a rest. Billy merson had a long career in the music hall, the circus and short films as this British Film Institute blurb describes-

"Billy Merson, a popular British performer and songwriter has been described as one of the greats of the music hall era. He gained considerable fame on the variety, pantomime and musical comedy stage and in 1915 started making two and three-reel comedies for Homeland Productions, shooting over a boathouse in Kew. Merson realised how much his act - even the slapstick routines - depended on comic patter and this is evident in the way he embraced the experiments in film sound. Using Lee De Forest’s 1926 Phonofilm, 'Billy Merson singing Desdemona', has been described as Britain’s first sound film. The reproduction for the film’s sound required an attachment to the projector and electric amplifiers, but the problems of synchronisation were made easier with De Forest’s system because the film carried space for a soundtrack running at the side of the picture, twenty frames behind the picture. Unfortunately, De Forest and Merson’s luck didn’t last. In 1928 one of De Forest’s principal staff, Theodore Case left to work at 20th Century Fox. In an example of the ruthless competition over sound at the time, De Forest’s system was rendered useless as Fox decided to put the sound twenty frames in front of the picture, meaning projectors equipped for De Forest were completely out of synch. Merson eventually went bust after he tried to get a credit from Al Jolson who plagiarised his song 'The Spaniard that Blighted My Life'."

See a short clip of film at the BFI HERE

Billy Merson - Medley/Senora etc.

Billy Merson - The Photo Of The Girl I Left Behind

Billy Merson - The Spaniard That Blighted My Life

These You Send It files are available for seven days or until exhausted.

Max Bacon

"Max was the larger-than-life drummer with the Ambrose Orchestra for many years, who also had a unique Jewish-style humour. Prior to joining Ambrose in late 1927, he had been with Leon van Straten's band in 1926 and also was briefly with Fred Elizalde's band (which seems to be made up of Ambrose musicians) and Al Starita's Kit-Cat band (probably a temporary substitute for Eric Little). He was a regular member of Ronnie Munro's band which recorded for Parlophone and Imperial from 1926 to 1929, and also with Arthur Lally's band at Decca in the early 1930s. His stint with Ambrose lasted until 1940 and his wry comments may be heard on a number of comedy titles, including the famous number "Cohen the Crooner (The Crosby of Mile-End)" which is extant on film. On leaving Ambrose, Max went into variety, and also acting, taking small parts in films and television shows."

These two tracks were sent on a cassette from a chap who dubbed them from old 78's using the "oil" method, whatever that means. He said it made for smooth running of the needle through the grooves of scratchy old wax discs. This style of crazy jewish humour reminds me of Stanley Unwin and his nonsense language.

Max Bacon - Little Red Hooding Ride

Max Bacon - William T. Hell

These You Send It files are available for seven days or until exhausted.

Joe "Fingers" Carr

"While heavily influenced by Art Tatum, this performer was hardly considered a heavyweight pianist during his career. Born Louis F. Bush, or Busch depending on the source, the keyboard maestro who would also make heavy use of the stage name of Joe "Fingers" Carr managed to make it into Leonard Feather's Encyclopedia of Jazz, but with the following disclaimer: "A novelty performer rather than a jazz artist." The novelty itself was a kind of heavily sexed-up ragtime piano style that caught on in the very dawn of the hi-fi era. The invention was in sharp contrast to lounge music and would most likely have the opposite effect than a seduction if played in a bachelor pad. Carr began driving his piano this way while working as an A&R man for Capitol. In a brainstorm based on a sharp analysis of current trends, he decided to sign himself up as the mysterious "Fingers."

Discover more about Joe "Fingers" Carr HERE.

Joe "Fingers" Carr - Stars & Stripes Forever

Joe "Fingers" Carr - Entrance of the Gladiators

These You Send It files are available for one week or until exhausted.