tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257107662024-03-07T06:04:50.423-08:00AudiOdditiesThis is a spin-off of the Shellac Shanty, since I often run into neat stuff that doesn't fit into the format (commercial 78rpm era releases). Included here are home recordings and other strange things I run across... enjoy!The Impalerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669402884210585645noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710766.post-1176349926302654882007-04-11T20:51:00.000-07:002007-04-11T20:52:06.313-07:00WE'RE BACK IN BUSINESS!!!!I just this very night got the word that the hard drive that puked got restored, and all the archive files, as far as I can tell, are intact! So, this means that you now can peruse all the musical files you thought were gone forever. Don't feel bad, I thought they were gone, too.<br /><br />A Great Big Shoutout goes to Duane & Diane for getting the drive restored intact... Duane is the connection between myself and the hosting site, and Diane is a veritable wizard when it comes to network and site admin. Massive Blessings to both of you for the assistance!<br /><br />The bad news: I am back on the night shift for 6 weeks, so new material may be slow to happen, but there'll be some great stuff coming! I have boxen and boxen (inside joke) sitting in here....<br /><br />And to all of you, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE, as well as thanks for your kind offerings on the PayPal front.<br /><br />Cheerios!!!The Impalerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669402884210585645noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710766.post-1171298355901607702007-02-12T08:39:00.000-08:002007-02-12T08:39:15.913-08:00HOSTING SITE DOWN!If you're wondering where everything went, the box that hosts all of the pic and sound files has taken a massive POOP and will be down for a while. I don't know when it will return, but it should some time soon.<br /><br />Pray that it wasn't the hard drive....The Impalerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669402884210585645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710766.post-1156652458046438692006-08-26T21:13:00.000-07:002006-09-02T01:42:43.816-07:00Marino Marini - Pop della Italiano<img src="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/pics/marini-fs.jpg"><br /><img src="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/pics/marini-bs.jpg"><br /><br />I was debating whether or not to put this one here, or over on the MoodieToonz site, but since I already have a couple of 10-inch EPs here, I decided that this Italian EP was strange enough to merit being here instead of there.<br /><br />Apparently, according to my very lousy Italian, Marino Marini has worked with people like Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Kenton, and Charlie Ventura, and his guitar playing is not bad, even on the attempts at covering American pop and early rock'n'roll tunes. It may come out a bit comedic, but pop there was a whole lot different than pop here at the time... <br /><br />This is a cute EP, and note the label... yes, it says "Durium". the 78 collectors reading this will find that eyebrow-raising...<br /><br />Full size scans are here: <br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/pics/marini-f.jpg">front</a><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/pics/marini-b.jpg">back</a><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/pics/marini-L.jpg">a scan of the Durium label</a><br /><br />So, here we present a slice of Italy from 1955, <a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/MM.rar">Marino Marini ed il suo Quartetto</a>. <br /><br />And, yes, the ALF record went away. I'll repost it later when I can get a better encode of it.The Impalerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669402884210585645noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710766.post-1156486956824177022006-08-24T23:05:00.000-07:002006-08-24T23:24:11.683-07:00A Parent's Worst Nightmare!<img src="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/pics/ao-disney-fs.jpg"><br /><img src="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/pics/ao-disney-bs.jpg"><br /><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/IASW.mp3">It's a Small World After All</a>.<br /><br />You may now run screaming into the hills.<br /><br />This is actually an early version, perhaps even the original (gonna do research to see if this is the case)... it is the actual souvenir record from the 1964 World's Fair in New York City. Disney teamed up with Pepsi-Cola and had their ride around a large mobile (told about on the jacket cover). The audio quality is typical Disney, but I think you can get the idea...<br /><br />An interesting side note, the "It's A Small World" attraction is no longer in existence, at either the Los Angeles or the Florida Disney parks! Do I hear cheers of <i>Huzzah!</i> or do I sense a little pang of remorse.... there's a great site about what's there and not there anymore at DisneyWorld, you'll have to Google it, because I lost the URL. Silly me.<br /><br />Click on the link for full size scans of the <a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/pics/ao-disney-f.jpg">front</a> and the <a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/pics/ao-disney-b.jpg">back</a>... if you want 'em.The Impalerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669402884210585645noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710766.post-1156483464134377392006-08-24T21:50:00.000-07:002006-08-24T23:28:39.083-07:00A repost of some (mostly) european 45sOK, I absolutely blew away a posting, so now I'm gonna try and re-create it.......<br /><br /><img src="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/pics/ao-jesse-2s.jpg"><br /><br />Starting with Jesse Crawford on a Parade 45... yes, one of THOSE. The red-brown 45 EPs with the horrendous audio quality. The first cut had a groove dig so bad it was.... sadness, but I think I reconstructed enough of it to make some sense...<br /><br />Jesse Crawford made a LOT of recordings, from the 78 era up into the early 1960s. And, yes, most all of them sound like this. Some of his theater organ recordings are worth finding though!<br /><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/JC1.mp3">Some Enchanted Evening</a><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/JC2.mp3">Bali Hai</a><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/JC3.mp3">Just One Way to Say I Love You</a><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/JC4.mp3">Let's Take An Old-Fashioned Walk</a><br /><br /><img src="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/pics/ao-chorale-2fs.jpg"><img src="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/pics/ao-chorale-2bs.jpg"><br /><br />We go now to Europe, and a 1961 German Philips EP of some hymns and chorales, performed by Uwe Rohl... As you can see, I put up the back of the sleeve that has the German lyrics, in case you are motivated to sing along :) If you want the full size scan, click <a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/pics/ao-chorale-2b.jpg">here</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/CHO1.mp3">O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden</a><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/CHO2.mp3">Jesu meine Freunde</a><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/CHO3.mp3">So Nimm denn meine Hande</a><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/CHO4.mp3">Jesus meine Zuversicht</a><br /><br />Some nice work in the church, of where I know not.... but one thing about churches in Europe, most all have organs, they all have their own personalities, and they're all brilliant, in their own way.<br /><br /><img src="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/pics/ao-boys-2fs.jpg"><img src="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/pics/ao-boys-2bs.jpg"><br /><br />We move from the sacred to the secular, to be exact, some <i>volkslied</i>, sung by a rather good Austrian boys choir, the Wiener Sangerknaben, recorded in 1959 on German Philips. I'll let you go to the full size sleeve back for all the soloist info and lyrics <a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/pics/ao-boys-2b.jpg">here</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/BOY1.mp3">Wohin?</a><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/BOY2.mp3">Das Echo</a><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/BOY3.mp3">La Gironetta</a><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/BOY4.mp3">Heidenroslein</a><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/BOY5.mp3">Bruderlein fein</a><br /><br /><img src="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/pics/ao-berlin-2fs.jpg"><img src="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/pics/ao-berlin-2bs.jpg"><br /><br />Moving now to 1960 and another kind of modern <i>volkslied</i>, we present a German Polydor EP of 4 popular tunes about life in Berlin. These pop tunes were known as <i>schlagers</i>, or, more precisely on this EP, Schlagerbrucke nach Berlin.<br /><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/BER1.mp3">Das Cornel-Trio - Wer mal am Kurfurstendamm</a><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/BER2.mp3">Bully Buhlan - Ich hab' noch einen Koffer</a><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/BER3.mp3">Friedel Hensch und die Cyprys - Ich kauf mir ein Grundstuck</a><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/BER4.mp3">Bully Buhlan - Lieber Leierkastenmann</a><br /><br />Again, more orchestral credits can be found on the full size scan of the <a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/pics/ao-berlin-2b.jpg">back of the sleeve</a>.<br /><br />Enjoy these, because the next posting will be one of those things that you won't be able to get out of your mind for a lo-o-o-o-ong time.<br /><br />:)The Impalerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669402884210585645noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710766.post-1156412355430390922006-08-24T02:37:00.000-07:002006-08-24T02:39:15.440-07:00A Quick Commercial Message...I know, keeping up (kind of) three shares blogs is a lot of work, and I think I get a couple of you that check out one or two of the other blogs, but please take a moment and check out my other two sharesites, you may find something you like!!<br /><br />The <a href="http://moodietoonz.blogspot.com">moodietoonz</a> site has more tiki-jazz-lounge-mood type stuff from the post-shellac era, and The <a href="http://shellacshanty.blogspot.com">Shellac Shanty</a> site has lots of pre-vynil-era 78rpm goodness, mostly jazz and swing, but sometimes some classical and other fun stuff.<br /><br />As usual, comments are always welcome, and if you link to any one of the blogs, your link will show up in all three of the audioshare blogs.<br /><br />We now return you to our regularly scheduled programme....The Impalerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669402884210585645noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710766.post-1155788218882814492006-08-16T21:16:00.000-07:002006-08-20T17:50:08.303-07:00The Red Hot Needles, and "Blow Your Top"<img src="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/pics/ao-needles-s.JPG"><br /><br />I had meant to encode this and post it some time ago, but finally got around to it this afternoon... we have here some young ladies doing a comedic radio play called "Blow Your Top", a parody of radio quiz shows. It gets cute and funny in this ten minute program, originally broadcast on Denver radio station KFEL on May 28th, 1951. This is from a 78rpm 12" acetate disc that I found in a thrift store, and, as I do with all acetate discs, bought it.<br /><br />There is a cast list, and it is given at the end of the recording by the announcer.<br /><br />It celaned up really well, so here it is, without any further ado... here is the <a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/NEEDLES.mp3">Safeway Show Broadcast</a> containing the first and only episode of "Blow Your Top".<br /><br />Now, where did I put my aeroplane...The Impalerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669402884210585645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710766.post-1150087507688421842006-06-11T21:39:00.000-07:002006-06-11T21:51:19.523-07:00Some Minnesota Dinner Show Humour, he says...This is gonna be a quickie, but I found this interesting LP at the thrift store, in really really cruddy shape, only in a record inner sleeve, no jacket, no nothing. So, I says, I think I'll take a flyer on this one... and boy am I glad I did.<br /><br />The Betty Rydell Trio was a lounge act that played through the Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota area in the late 60s, and that's about all I know about them. A friend of mine from Minnesota says they were hilarious and that he has seen them several times back there, and I can, after listening to this while getting all the pops and clicks out, concur!<br /><br />This was released on the "United Audio Recording" label, with a very familiar looking UA logo, but it is from a local Minneapolis record pressing house. The track numbers are a little different than the label, because I have split out some of the comedy bits from the music. Oh yea, for a trio, they play pretty darn good stuff. Here's the LP then, without further ado:<br /><br />Betty Rydell Trio - Setting the Pace at Paul's Place<br /><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/BRT/PP01.mp3">Zorba The Greek</a><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/BRT/PP02.mp3">Jerky Jerry</a><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/BRT/PP03.mp3">It Must Be Him</a><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/BRT/PP04.mp3">The Chicken Song</a><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/BRT/PP05.mp3">Ob La Di</a><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/BRT/PP06.mp3">Midol</a><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/BRT/PP07.mp3">Folsom Prison Blues</a><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/BRT/PP08.mp3">Midnight Cowboy</a><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/BRT/PP09.mp3">Twelfth Street Rag</a><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/BRT/PP10.mp3">Aquarius / Let The Sun Shine In</a><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/BRT/PP11.mp3">The Impossible Dream</a><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/BRT/PP12.mp3">He Taught Me How To Yodel</a><br /><br />Enjoy this little comedy audio-oddity, there'll be more coming soon!The Impalerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669402884210585645noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710766.post-1148792867373019032006-05-27T21:56:00.000-07:002006-05-28T01:28:28.853-07:00It's just...... Dinner Music!I was debating just WHERE to post this album... first of all, CURSES BE TO MY DIGITAL CAMERAS!! I can't seem to get EITHER of them to get a pic so I can post the very bland and generic cover of this LP for you to gander in amazement at, or to get a shot of the label, which tells you even less.<br /><br />So, I'll tell you what this collection is: Dinner Music. That's ALL the cover says. No artist info, nuttin'. Oh, yes, it is on a 10-inch Pontiac label 33 1/3 rpm disc. There's the clue! THese were sold for 79 cents each, made of some kind of polystyrene/shellac combination, and usually very very BAD. Or at least very very BORING.<br /><br />As Peter Schickele once said: "These pieces were performed by an orchestra, under the direction of a conductor with a baton."<br /><br />I didn't know whether to mar the mood of MoodieToonz with these exercises in blandness, or to stick them in the Oddities blog (this one)... I figured they were a little off-kilter, enough to put them here instead of there, and DEFINATELY not in the Shellac Shanty.<br /><br />So, have some dinner music....<br /><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/pontiac/DM01.mp3">A Dream Of Love</a><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/pontiac/DM02.mp3">Dreams</a><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/pontiac/DM03.mp3">On Wings Of Song</a><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/pontiac/DM04.mp3">None But The Lonely Heart</a><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/pontiac/DM05.mp3">Calm Is The Night</a><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/pontiac/DM06.mp3">Serenade</a><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/pontiac/DM07.mp3">I Love Thee</a><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/pontiac/DM08.mp3">I Love You Truly</a><br /><br />Well, after listening to these terpsichorian trepidations, one wonders if this is music for dinner, or music to make you run from the dinner table into the Room of Relief. In some of these cuts it sounds like the orchestra is actually trying to get to the vomitorium.... but hey, whadd'ya want for 79 cents in 1952, rubber bisquick?<br /><br />OK, here's a lousy pic of the cover....<br /><br /><img src="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/pontiac/DM.JPG"><br /><br />and here's an even lousier shot of the label... I'll fix these as soon as I can get the damn camera to do what I want it to do...<br /><br /><img src="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/pontiac/Pontiac-disc.JPG"><br /><br />I hate technology...<br /><br />While we're at it, here's another wonderful Pontiac 79 cent record, Songs of Ireland. Yep, that's all it says, "Songs of Ireland". See for yourself...<br /><br /><img src="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/pontiac/SOI.JPG"><br /><br />Now, as you will all note, the tracks on the cover do NOT match what is on the label! Here's the label to prove it:<br /><br /><img src="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/pontiac/Pontiac-disc-2.JPG"><br /><br />Here are the tracks as noted on the labels:<br /><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/pontiac/SOI01.mp3">When Irish Eyes Are Smiling</a><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/pontiac/SOI02.mp3">I'll Take You Home Again Kathleen / Irish Washer Woman</a><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/pontiac/SOI03.mp3">Believe Me / Wearin' Of The Green</a><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/pontiac/SOI04.mp3">Come Back To Erin / Fisher's Horn Pipe</a><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/pontiac/SOI05.mp3">My Wild Irish Rose / An Irishman's Heart to the Ladies</a><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/pontiac/SOI06.mp3">Killarney / The Teetotaller's Reel</a><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/pontiac/SOI07.mp3">The HArp That Once Through Tara's Halls / Stack of Barley</a><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/pontiac/SOI08.mp3">The Last Rose of Summer - St. Patrick's Day in the Morning</a><br /><br />The recordings themselves are, again, pretty pedestrian, but there are a couple of flashes of brilliance... we're not talking high-fidelity here, considering this is 1951 for this disc, and again a 79-center, but hey, not bad once you get the shellac noise out of these, and the discs were in pretty good shape, too.<br /><br />I need to go to bed.<br /><br />I still hate technology...The Impalerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669402884210585645noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710766.post-1148580492543759462006-05-25T10:54:00.000-07:002006-05-28T00:54:49.853-07:00The Metrics are Coming!!!<img src="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/TMAC/metrics.JPG"><br /><br />I ran across this while hitting the thrift stores for 78s and other stuff, and thought "Wow, what a great LP for the AudiOddities blog!" I usually keep my eyes out for things that are.... different... and this one certainly qualifies! Recorded and released in 1977 by Janeen Brady, these songs are meant for "children of all ages" to help instill the metric system of measurement into the old, stodgy, fuddy-duddy American citizenry. Well, almost 30 years later, I'll leave it up to you as to the level of success of Ms. Brady and friends.<br /><br />The LP was released on Brite Records, a label out of Salt Lake City, Utah, and doesn't have a catalogue number on the label! Also, performance credits are limited to a group of names in the "Thanks to:" section inside the jacket: Rebecca Terry, Marvin Payne, and Brian Fetzer get the vocal credits, and "Special Thanks" go out to Quintessence, David Lambourne, Janet Todd, Ed Pratt, and Dennis Nichols. I assume these are the other performers. Arrangements are by Rob Simpson (who also gets Direcor credit), Clive Romney, Dennis Crockett, and Phil Davis.<br /><br />Here are the cuts, in track order:<br /><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/TMAC/01.mp3">The Metric System</a><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/TMAC/02.mp3">March of the Centimeters</a><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/TMAC/03.mp3">Give Me A Liter</a><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/TMAC/04.mp3">Kelly Kilogram</a><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/TMAC/05.mp3">Divide A Meter By Ten</a><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/TMAC/06.mp3">Millimeter Boogie</a><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/TMAC/07.mp3">Decimeter And A Dime</a><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/TMAC/08.mp3">Inches And Feet</a><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/TMAC/09.mp3">Peter, Peter</a><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/TMAC/10.mp3">A Liter Is...</a><br /><br />Hope you enjoy these as you drink your 355 ml can of your favorite beverage!The Impalerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669402884210585645noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710766.post-1147282260517657682006-05-10T01:51:00.000-07:002006-05-10T10:31:00.566-07:00World of Literature on 78rpmWell, it's been a while since I have put something up here, so to honour your patience, here's a set of 78rpm discs that I think are quite unusual. I found these at a thrift store in Idaho several years ago, and have just now gotten to them to do encodes of them... and they're some pretty interesting stuff, as far as spoken-word discs go.<br /><br />American Books Company amd Decca Records got together in the early 50s to produce some sets of literary works under the Audio Education label. I found two of these sets, both entitled World of Literature (but containing different material), in absolutely pristine-looking condition, so I snagged them. As soon as I can get my doggoned cheapy digital camera to quit eating batteries, I'll get a pic of the front cover and one of the disc labels (or I suppose I could just scan the damn things....) for you. There were a few entries in this series (as catalogued in the liner notes), but so far, I have only seen these two sets that I have here.<br /><br />The shellac quality is fantastic, even with a few scratches in the grooves that CoolEdit had issues with... you can get an idea which disc got the most play.<br /><br />We'll start with the pure spoken word poetry, read by Alexander Scourby. His renditions of Alfred Noyes' <a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/AS-TH.mp3">The Highwayman</a>, the old ballad <a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/AS-EE.mp3">Edward, Edward</a>, John Masefield's familiar <a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/AS-SF.mp3">Sea Fever</a>,, and Rudyard Kipling's <a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/AS-IF.mp3">If</a>, all are very inspired solo readings, much like the recitations given during Presentation Day in schools in the early part of the 20th century. Some schools and homeschool groups still do this, and these poems would be great material for such a recitation.<br /><br />The remaining two pieces are different than the solo recitations. Agnes Moorehead (Endora, the nagging mother-in-law on the old TV series "Bewitched", along with several other notable film credits) reads the John Greenleaf Whittier vignette of Stonewall Jackson's encounter with a Union patriot <a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/AM-BF.mp3">Barbara Frietchie</a> with an orchestral background. A moving piece, especially if you are a follower of the North. Nonetheless, it is a picture of patriotism that should be carried in the hearts of all American patriots in these troubled times. It is also the literary proof that one person can, indeed, make a difference and take a stand, especially if their heart and soul commands them to do so.<br /><br />The final recording in this set gives us the recording stars from the Northeast, the Ames Brothers. Their vocalisation and harmony are lent to the old spiritual <a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/AB-GDM.mp3">Go Down Moses</a>. This was from an earlier Coral label release, as opposed to tracks that were done specifically for the World of Literature set. The brothers and a Hammon organ, can't beat that with a stick!<br /><br />As you can probably guess, the last two sides were played the most, but they still transferred very well, and I hope that you enjoy them. I'll work on the other set I have and post that one in the future.<br /><br />BradThe Impalerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669402884210585645noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710766.post-1145234022080033632006-04-16T15:48:00.000-07:002006-04-17T00:52:56.306-07:00What we do after we gardenOK so the title has absolutely NOTHING to do with what I have dug out of the stacks for you. But I was out in the garden (kinda) and now I'm not, it is currently a gorgeous 74 degrees F (23 deg. C for those of you on the Metric System), and my mind is wandering.<br /><br />Let's wander around the world of theater organs for a sec. These are wonderful sounding things, one of my many passions. I have some recordings on 78, on LP, on reel tape, and on CD. Not to mention what I have accumulated on mp3. But this one is a great performance, spoiled only by the usual pops and tics from a thrift store record with no jacket. But what a record! I found one of the Cook Stereo Tour LPs, pressed on something slightly resembling vinyl, in the records-without-sleeves bin. THese are recognizable by a deep purple hue if you look through the disc into the light. Supposedly, when they were in better condition, these were an audiophiles' dream, and you can still hear glimmers of that dream in this cut of <a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/RF-V.mp3">"Valencia"</a>, performed by Reginald Foort on a monster Wurlitzer organ, somewhere unknown. Impressive, even though the transfer can be probably done better (and may well be in the future).<br /><br />One thing the organ cut isn't is blase'... which leads into the next cut, Phil Harris singing <a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/PH-YB.mp3">"You're Blase'"</a>. This is from a mid 1950s RCA 10" EP, and vastly departs from the usual Phil Harris treatment of a tune.... he actually is mellow, almost to the point of one thinking he has had a few too many tranquilizers. He DOES get the point of the song across, though, in the usual Phil Harris manner.<br /><br />Being deliciously random, we go from Phil Harris to Harpo Marx, and a cut from this here LP:<br><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/HarpoCover.jpg"><br /><img style="FLOAT: left; SIZE: 340px 315px; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="Harpo Marx - Harpo At Work LP cover" src="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/HarpoCover.jpg" border="0" /></a><br><br />The cut is one that evokes the promise of warm summer evenings (and is a favorite tune of mine), <a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/HM-MBH.mp3">"My Blue Heaven"</a>. Nice work on this one, the orchestra is subtle enough to let Harpo do his thing.<br /><br />Continuing on in random fashion, I pulled a bit of an audio oddity for your pleasure, <a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/SSQ-YOU.mp3">"You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To"</a>, performed by the Sal Salvatore Quartet. This is from one of RCA Victor's wonderful (to some) Stereo Action series. Now I will warn you, you MAY need some Dramamine to get through the track, as the recording engineers had a field day running individual tracks from right to left and back again, but the music was usually very sound (and 'lounge-y' to be sure)... played on the usual home cabinet stereo, this may not have been too bad, but if you have a system with any kind of left-right separation (or, Goddess forbid, headphones)........ have a bucket handy!<br /><br />Coming back to earth after the room has come to a complete stop, I have a couple from an interesting sampler disc I landed at the thrift store. Montgomery Ward (remember them?) issued a stereo LP in honor of their 90th anniversary, and featured nine artists on it. Where they GOT these recordings, I do not know, but I suspect they raided the dustbins rather than the vaults for these. Some may even qualify as Clankers, and the audio quality is nowhere near shining, but, here they are...<br /><br />First Up is David Rose & His Orchestra in a very mis-titled cut named, simply, <a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/DR-B.mp3">"Berceuse"</a>. Ummmmm, aren't we overly messing with Rimsky-Korsakov here, sir? I've not heard of a Great Wall of Berceuse, have you? David Rose usually has some fine works to his performing credit, and this DEFINATELY ain't one of them. Shame, shame. Oh, and next time you go into the studio, please make sure all the wet socks are out of the microphones?<br /><br />Next up, from the same piece of red vinyl, is Artie Shaw, attempting to overcome a studio engineer tho thinks that high fidelity is what can be crammed down an early 1960s telephone line. The song is the<a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/AS-AS.mp3">"Anniversary Song"</a>, I suppose in (dis-)honor of Monkey Ward's 90th year of providing reading matter for the Seat of Convenience. This recording definately has that 'phoned-in' sound, and, in comparison with MOST of his recorded catalogue, belongs in the outhouse catalogue that one used to use when finished with one's business there. Ewwww.<br /><br />OK, let's close this mess before I get tarred and feathered... I also get reel tapes from the thrift & anteeky stores whenever I can, and sometimes there are some GEMS in them there piles. Case in point: this excerpt from the Johnny Cash television show, circa 1966-7. In this cut, Johnny shares the stage with his wife, June Carter, and singer Tennessee Ernie Ford, performing a send-up of sorts of <a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/TEF-ANB.mp3">"Ain't Nobody's Business (If I Do)"</a>. If you'll notice, towards the end of the song, the other band that joins in is Kenny Rogers & The First Edition. Kind of a nice hodge-podge send-up, no? I like finding stuff like this, mostly because, since a lot of the television companies routinely erased and/or destroyed any tapes (audio and video) of shows like this, recordings made at home may be the only extant copies remaining of performances such as these. Much like the home-recorded discs earlier in the century, reel tapes are historical records, and should be part of the archive of culture (such as it is). Just my humble opinion.<br /><br />Thanks for allowing me to ramble, it's been one HELL of a week, and I think I'll go now to the porch and my lawn chair, with some pork rinds and a mix of bourbon and Mountain Dew (I couldn't get any Mexican Coca-Cola yesterday...), and watch the sun gloriously set amongst the Colorado rockies.<br /><br />Peace & Blessings be upon you and your House... I hope that your holiday was pleasant and restful, whichever holiday you celebrate was the one of your choosing (why am I writing in a style worse than BabelFish on Prozac??).... anyways, enjoy the day, enjoy the music, and Deities willing, we'll return later in the week with more STUFF!<br /><br />Right-click to download, you know the drill :)<br /><br />BradThe Impalerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669402884210585645noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710766.post-1144832688842742452006-04-12T01:49:00.000-07:002006-04-13T01:19:09.646-07:00Not odd, just not shellac...Well, since Lee decided to post some Ides of March on his MY(P)WHAE blog, and since I have been getting emotional support from Lady Domi (which is GREATLY appreciated), I thought I'd share a few cuts from one of my own "Desert Island Discs". The LP is a French RCA sub-label release (on ARC records), from a band called "Synthesis". Recorded in the early to mid 1970s (and purchased in a record shop somewhere in the Montmarte district of Paris when I was there in 1974 for a high-school jazz ensemble tour of Europe), I think that this thing is now waaaay out of print, and that's a shame, as it has some very funky stuff on it, as well as some very hard swinging straight-ahead jazz. I'll have to dig out the jacket for personnel, but to my recollection, this was an amassing of Paris studio players, that really really came together. I'll let you decide... in fact, I'm going to post for you the entire second side of the LP. Four tracks that fit very well together, even with the different stylings of each track. The tracks are in the order they appeared on the LP.<br /><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/S-F.mp3">Synthesis - Feeling</a><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/S-WNI.mp3">Synthesis - We Need It</a><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/S-INN.mp3">Synthesis - It's No New</a><br /><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/S-SG.mp3">Synthesis - Sophie's Gift</a><br /><br />Tracks are older encodes (apologies) so I didn't get a chance to really remaster them well, but I think I'll let the music to the talking, and transcend the little clicks that occasionally show up.<br /><br />Enjoy, my friends, for the strange stuff shall be returning!<br /><br />PS - awww crud, the ID tags got left off of them... I'll repost later with ID3 tags, sorry gang...<br /><br />PPS - links are now fixed, sorry about that, been one heck of a week...The Impalerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669402884210585645noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25710766.post-1144573105743149302006-04-09T01:21:00.000-07:002006-04-09T02:34:17.936-07:00American Idol, 1944 style!Welcome to the first post of AudiOddities... as stated in the description, this is where I'll be posting stuff that's not commercial released 78 shellac... and I have quite a few things in here that aren't in the mold of the Shellac Shanty. Amazing what kind of gems (and junque) you can find at the thrift stores and the flea markets and the anteeky stores......<br /><br />...kinda like these recordings here. I found three 7-inch home-recording discs in a bag of 45s at the thrift store tonight, all dated 1944, and done on a RecorDisc machine. These were recorded in someone's living room, and probably during some kind of party where alcohol was involved (as you can probably tell in a couple of the recordings). The two gentlen singing billed themselves as "Chick & Stick", and, well, would have been given the old heave-ho by the british guy on American Idol in the very early rounds. Not to mention a distinct lack of microphone technique (very overdriven during the alleged singing)...<br /><ul><br /><li><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/CS-GIJ.mp3">Chick & Stick - G I Jive / My Blue Heaven</a></li><br /><li><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/CS-WIR.mp3">Chick & Stick - My Wild Irish Rose</a></li><br /><li><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/CS-OMS1.mp3">Chick & Stick - Old Mill Stream take 1</a></li><br /><li><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/CS-OMS2.mp3">Chick & Stick - Old Mill Stream take 2</a></li><br /></ul><br />Home recordings were popular in the mid to late 40s, and could take many forms. I have seen some recordings of voices from home front to the soldier fighting on the lines in WW2, I have seen some transcriptions of radio broadcasts, and some others of just voices of family for rememberance. I have some also of some darn good country/western artists rehearsing in their living room in Grangeville, Idaho (which I'll post one of these eons, because this family was DARN GOOD, musically). It's kind of like pot-luck with these, you never know what you're gonna get until you drop the needle on the disc. And hope that the disc doesn't self-destruct. I have had that happen with some acetate-on-glass recordings, the record groove surface was flaking off DURING PLAYBACK! Good thing I had the computer and the reel-to-reel in record mode as I was playing the disc.... I hate seeing history go bye-bye.<br /><br />(deep cleansing breath)<br /><br />The other reason for this blog is to include stuff like this:<br /><ul><br /><li><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/H-SMS.mp3">'Heather' - Sing My Song</a></li><br /><li><a href="http://mallard.dishnuts.net/~brad/audiodd/H-ST.mp3">'Heather' - Sweet Times</a></li><br /></ul><br />I found this record in the same bag of 45s that had the Chick & Stick sides in it. It was put out by Mattel Toys for one of their Barbie-type doll lines, only the doll's name was apparently "Heather", and was supposed to be a singing pop star type thing, marketed under the name of "Rock Flowers" (how groovy and hip was THAT...). The disc is a burnt-orange plastic (always condusive for that pristine pressing quality...NOT!) disc with some slots next to the spindle hole for the doll to put her feet in so that it would spin merrily at 33 1/3 rpm and the pre-teens of 1970 (when this was released) would go "Ooo!" and "Ahh!" and then dance merrily around the room, knocking kiddie-phono and doll off of the table, onto the floor, etc etc etc....<br /><br />The music is, well, not too bad on the second side, "Sweet Times" (aimed at the non-white kids), it's got some kick to it! The "Sing My Song" side? Break out the insulin! Someone was on some of the leftover brown tabs from Woodstock when they wrote THOSE lyrics! <br /><br />Shudder.....<br /><br />Oh well, enough drivel. I'll post some more later on, after you get over the initial shock of these recordings.<br /><br />As always, please feel free to leave comments, and the tunes can be enjoyed by right-clicking on the link and downloading, if you don't want to hear them straight off.<br /><br />Cheers!The Impalerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669402884210585645noreply@blogger.com8