*** OT - OFFICIAL cyclones500 & MeanDean Weekly Wednesday Music Post - AKA "On that Note." ***

[MeanDean]

My second installment and the 3rd overall. I did go back and look at the first one. In retrospect it seems a bit stuffy and pseudo-intellectual. I think this'll be a bit more folksy from me from now on. Mostly about songs I like and how I came to discover, appreciate, and sometimes own them. And maybe you will too... maybe, hopefully... oh go on, just click something else, maybe over there on the sidebar.

Still here? Ok, one of my loves is finding obscure or non-hit releases that were good enough (IMHO) to have been hits. My excitement translates to 'forcing' my friends and relatives to listen to my discoveries and comment. I love a positive response. I accept a negative response. What I don't like is no response or a generic, "It was good." Oh really, why was it good? The singing, the instrumentation? Did it remind you of another song or artist? Does it fit the period it was released? And I love the minutiae... you'll see.

So now you, my CF victims/friends can share my discoveries. Enjoy, be gentle, this is my first (I'm lying, second) time!

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The 1988 movie Hairspray... I don't even remember it coming out. However, one random evening at home flipping through channels - I heard something for an instant that made me stop flipping and start watching. I didn't really care much about the plot and characters, but the soundtrack intrigued me immensely; it was full of all these great obscure early 60's records/songs, most of which I'd never heard before.

[Side thought - I always get a kick out of thinking - Hairspray, it was a movie they made into a play they made into a movie; perhaps someone could take that movie and develop a play based on it!]

So, next day after work I stopped at one of those awful mega-chain music stores (It's a Land, and they had Music) - figuring a soundtrack to a movie might be something they'd actually stock. I checked through the soundtracks and didn't find the CD. So I asked the clerk. When I said what I wanted, he rolled his eyes (literally!) and pointed wordlessly to the bin of cut-out CD's over in the corner. Sure enough, there were several copies of the soundtrack in there. I was glad to find it, and cheap too, but it sure seemed like there were way more songs in the actual movie than on the soundtrack.

In particular I remembered a little rockin' number by some group whose name I couldn't remember. Something related to early American history - possibly a founding father? My curiosity was so piqued, in fact, I actually leafed through my "Top 100 Singles 1955-1986" book page by page looking for an artist group name that might ring that mental bell. No luck.

Several years later my neighbors were cleaning out their home and asked me if I wanted a box of records. I (are you kidding OF COURSE) said "sure, I'll take a look." The husband brought over the box and it was all LP's... except ONE (1) lonely little single. That's right, it was THIS RECORD! I was instantly stoked! Pulled it out of the sleeve to check the condition and... damn - it was WARPED!!!

Well, at least I finally knew what I wanted. Lafayettes - that's the name I couldn't remember. Soon I hunted down my own personal copy.

I'm kind of a sucker for songs with interesting percussion and the rim-drumming (I later found out it was actually the underside of a timpani drum) is great.

Enjoy! From 1962, the pride of Baltimore MD.

 

[cyclones500]

Bump

 

[IsUaClone2]

I really haven't thought about it but a driving percussion seems to intrigue me as well. I found the Everly Brothers to be ok (except the tear-chasing songs like Ebony Eyes) but I really got into Temptation . Wipe Out by the Sufaris may have started it (Mean Dean can confirm but I think I remember it being released twice becoming a hit the second time) or Sandy Nelson with Teen Beat and this .

 

[MeanDean]

I was always partial to this one on A Date With the Everly Brothers. The guitar/rhythm at the 40 second mark and then repeated throughout was the kicker for me.

Actually, that's a pretty strong album all the way through.

 

[MeanDean]

Wipeout was actually intended to be the throwaway B-side of the single. And the introductory laugh and 'Wipe Out!' was actually the band's manager.

Yes, it was a #2 hit in 1963 and then was issued again in 1966 and made the top 20 again.

Surfer Joe was the original A-Side. A lighthearted song about a surfer who eventually gets shorn and joins the Marines. I think that's how it ends, LOL. Been a while.

 

[flynnhicks03]

Just a side note on your original post, I sure do miss record/CD stores. There was nothing I enjoyed more than browsing through the discount bin, looking for a hidden treasure for $3 or $4. I also loved hanging at Peeple's Records in Ames. I bought so many CDs there, and it was just cool to hang around in there. That whole building had a great smell. It was like a coffee and incense mix.

 

[MeanDean]

Just a side note on your original post, I sure do miss record/CD stores. There was nothing I enjoyed more than browsing through the discount bin, looking for a hidden treasure for $3 or $4. I also loved hanging at Peeple's Records in Ames. I bought so many CDs there, and it was just cool to hang around in there. That whole building had a great smell. It was like a coffee and incense mix.

I'm not sure but I think Peeple's was the former Co-op. In that funky mini-mall about a block from campus past Lincoln Way? I think the entrance was actually from the alley. If so, yes I bought several good discount records including the Byrds first 4 or 5 LP's and the Allman Brothers Eat A Peach.

I also remember buying the UK Import Mono version of Sgt Pepper there. The guy at the counter wanted to make sure I understood it was mono. He had someone return a copy because he didn't realize it. I said, "Yeah, that's why I'm buying it. I already have the Stereo version."

 

[IsUaClone2]

I remember record stores. I played the records for the weekly sock hop at my high school and I got to go to the record store and pick out the music. The 45s were in paper sleeves and the LPs were in cardboard sleeves -- no shrink wrap. You'd grab a handful of new releases and go into one of the individual booths (about the size of a small coat closet) and listen to the record before you bought it. You could spend hours listening, put back on the rack the ones you didn't want, buy the few you wanted and leave with no hassle.

 

[cyrocksmypants]

Just a side note on your original post, I sure do miss record/CD stores. There was nothing I enjoyed more than browsing through the discount bin, looking for a hidden treasure for $3 or $4. I also loved hanging at Peeple's Records in Ames. I bought so many CDs there, and it was just cool to hang around in there. That whole building had a great smell. It was like a coffee and incense mix.

They're still alive and kicking! My office is just a few blocks down from Electric Fetus in Minneapolis and sometimes when it's slow I'll just walk down there and spend an hour checking things out. Totally awesome store to spend some time in. And there's probably about three others within walking distance as well.

 

[MeanDean]

I remember record stores. I played the records for the weekly sock hop at my high school and I got to go to the record store and pick out the music. The 45s were in paper sleeves and the LPs were in cardboard sleeves -- no shrink wrap. You'd grab a handful of new releases and go into one of the individual booths (about the size of a small coat closet) and listen to the record before you bought it. You could spend hours listening, put back on the rack the ones you didn't want, buy the few you wanted and leave with no hassle.

Interesting post. I don't remember any of that listening booth availability. I think in one record store in town they would play a 45 for you if you were unsure if it was the one you were looking for.

And the shrink-wrapping seems to have been introduced in 1964 or early 1965. In the Maysles Brothers Documentary "Beatles: Their First US Visit" there is a scene in a record store of kids browsing the LP's and the Meet The Beatles albums are not shrink-wrapped. But it was pretty soon thereafter that the practice was standardized. It might have even been different for different record companies.

 

[jcyclonee]

They're still alive and kicking! My office is just a few blocks down from Electric Fetus in Minneapolis and sometimes when it's slow I'll just walk down there and spend an hour checking things out. Totally awesome store to spend some time in. And there's probably about three others within walking distance as well.

And the funky artwork makes Electric Fetus even better.

 

[jcyclonee]

Beth was the B-side of Detroit Rock City.

This post is definitely not stuffy or intellectual in any way.

Getting late
I just can't wait
Ten o'clock and I know I gotta hit the road
First I drink, then I smoke
Start the car, and I try to make the midnight show

 

[cyclones500]

They're still alive and kicking! My office is just a few blocks down from Electric Fetus in Minneapolis and sometimes when it's slow I'll just walk down there and spend an hour checking things out. Totally awesome store to spend some time in. And there's probably about three others within walking distance as well.

That's cool Electric Fetus is still open ... I'm about 20 years removed from living in The Cities, and haven't even visited for 15.

I checked online out of curiosity, Treehouse and Cheapo are still open. I'm sure a few other shops I frequented are defunct, unless store names have changed.

 

[flynnhicks03]

They're still alive and kicking! My office is just a few blocks down from Electric Fetus in Minneapolis and sometimes when it's slow I'll just walk down there and spend an hour checking things out. Totally awesome store to spend some time in. And there's probably about three others within walking distance as well.

Des Moines just doesn't have much for record stores any more. There are a few hole-in-the-wall types, but not much that I'm aware.

 

[IsUaClone2]

Interesting post. I don't remember any of that listening booth availability. I think in one record store in town they would play a 45 for you if you were unsure if it was the one you were looking for.

And the shrink-wrapping seems to have been introduced in 1964 or early 1965. In the Maysles Brothers Documentary "Beatles: Their First US Visit" there is a scene in a record store of kids browsing the LP's and the Meet The Beatles albums are not shrink-wrapped. But it was pretty soon thereafter that the practice was standardized. It might have even been different for different record companies.

The store I used was still in Council Bluffs in early 1962 because that's when I left for Ames. I finally bought some albums like Martin Denny's Taste of Honey instead of 45s because I had some money. I kinda liked that album but left it on top of a warm amp and it warped. Dave Brubeck's Take Five was great but it got played so much when at ISU, it got worn out. What I can't remember was the prices. A 45 was either 49 or 98 cents. A LP was $3-$5. Can't remember for sure.

 

[MeanDean]

The store I used was still in Council Bluffs in early 1962 because that's when I left for Ames. I finally bought some albums like Martin Denny's Taste of Honey instead of 45s because I had some omney. I kinda liked that album but left it on top of a warm amp and it warped. Dave Brubeck's Take Five was great but it got played so much when at ISU, it got worn out. What I can't remember was the prices. A 45 was either 49 or 98 cents. A LP was $3-$5. Can't remember for sure.

In my heyday of the mid/late 60's the list price of a 45 was, I think, 99 cents. The Mom and Pop music stores with the wider selection who would look stuff up and order for you were normally that price. Woolworths or other discount/department stores were normally in the 79 cents range. Once in a while they'd be 69 cents on sale.

Mono albums were usually about 3.49. Stereo was a premium. I think list was a whole dollar more than the mono.

 

[cyclones500]

In my heyday of the mid/late 60's the list price of a 45 was, I think, 99 cents ... Woolworths or other discount/department stores were normally in the 79 cents range. Once in a while they'd be 69 cents on sale.

Mono albums were usually about 3.49. Stereo was a premium. I think list was a whole dollar more than the mono.

Insightful.

I wasn't a major purchaser of 45s — a majority of my collection accumulated via family "inheritance." We had a modest set of singles as I was growing up, but by the time I reached age to buy stuff with my money, my focus was more on albums. So I don't recall what I paid for 45s.

My earliest recollections of LP cost was in mid- to late-'70s. For some reason, $6.87 stands out as a typical price. Sometimes, I could get discounted costs in the $5 range. At some point, common price became $7.98. Specific years for that, no clue.

Out of curiosity, I checked an online inflation calculator, and this boggles my mind: A $7 album in 1978 would cost roughly $27 in 2017. That assumes music is consumed/marketed/distributed and whatnot the same as it was 40 years ago, which obviously isn't the case.