On the turntable today:Leon Russell's Carney - Shelter Records, 1972. This is a great album featuring the tracks "Tightrope", "Out in the Woods," "Roller Derby," and the original version of "This Masquerade" which became a hit later for George Benson. Strangest track? "Acid Annapolis". Russell must have been on something!
This is an enjoyable, casual period piece to listen to if you just want some music to kick back to with a carnival like twang.
Track List
Side 1:
1. Tight Rope – 2:59
2. Out in the Woods – 3:35
3. Me and Baby Jane – 3:52
4. Manhattan Island Serenade – 3:25
5. Cajun Love Song – 3:08
6. Roller Derby – 2:22
Side 2:
7. Carney – :47
8. Acid Annapolis – 2:47
9. If the Shoe Fits – 2:21
10. My Cricket – 2:55
11. This Masquerade – 4:22
12. Magic Mirror – 4:56
Gotta love the logotype that appears throughout the package of this LP. Side 1 features a lavender label while the label on Side 2 is green.
The back cover has no track list but a picture of Leon sitting in front of a camper trailer attached to a vintage Rolls Royce. Nice.
In observance of the number sixty, I bring you Elton John's "Sixty Years On". The song was first released in 1970 on Elton John's first American released album. "Sixty Years On" was the song that lead off side 2 of the vinyl version. The LP contained the following songs:
Side one
1. Your Song – 4:02
2. I Need You to Turn To – 2:35
3. Take Me to the Pilot – 3:47
4. No Shoe Strings on Louise – 3:31
5. First Episode at Hienton – 4:48
Side two
6. Sixty Years On – 4:35
7. Border Song – 3:22
8. The Greatest Discovery – 4:12
9. The Cage – 3:28
10. The King Must Die – 5:23
This is the album that put him on the map of popular and rock music for the next 50+ years. This album and several more that followed up to 1975 is considered to be part of the singer-songwriter classic Elton John album collection of the 1970s. The songs were well written by Elton and lyricist Bernie Taupin which finds Britain's most celebrated piano man in great voice with a solid group of backing musicians that enhanced his music through that era.
The album contains his signature track "Your Song" as well as FM classic rock favorites "Take Me To the Pilot", "Border Song" and "The King Must Die". That said my favorites are "The Cage: and the tender "I Need You To Turn To."
"Sixty Years On" is a beautiful symphonic like piece that starts off side 2 of the LP. The song is re-created in this 2002 video shot at The Royal Opera House in London England. Enjoy!
Yep, got 100% on this quiz that is way too easy. I grew up in the 1970s, listened to a lot of music on AM and FM radio. KKUA, KPOI, KORL and KIKI were the top 40 radio stations of the day that played so many of these hits. I bought many of them on 45s and LP records. Made my first mixed cassette tapes. Those were the cool days.
Check the link above to take the quiz and comment below.
Mirage is Fleetwood Mac's first studio album released in the 1980s that features the hits "Hold Me" by Christine McVie and Stevie Nicks' "Gypsy". Both singles became big hits in 1982 in an album that to me tried to harken back to 1977's Rumours LP that sold in the mega millions and also earned the band their only #1 single "Dreams" and a Grammy Award.
However listening beyond the obvious singles, there are tracks on the album to love even more. My favorite is the retro sounding "Oh Diane" that features Lindsey Buckingham on lead vocals as well as his rollicking "Can't Hold Back". Christine is also solid with "Love in Store" and the ballad "Only Over You". There is a touch of country in Nicks' "That's Alright" while Buckingham's "Book of Love" reminds me of music from Tusk.
Overall a highly recommended but under-appreciated album from the Mac. :)
Giving Mirage a spin on the ol' Technics.
Artwork featured on the inner sleeve.
"Oh Diane" featuring Lindsey Buckingham, Top of the Pops.* * video may be taken down without notice.
Check this out. New video for an old classic song... Hit the Road Jack. I know nothing of the artist or record label that put this out. But hey, this is a cool video. Give it a spin.
Got a piece of retro tech that I found on YouTube. Watch this guy play a couple of old records with an RCA Victor 2-speed suitcase record player from the 1950s. This thing is big and play only 33 1/3 LPs and 45s. Most record players of this vintage used to include 16 and 78 rpm speeds. I would have to think RCA was a little forward thinking with this model in the fact that it only supported the two most popular speeds that are still used for vinyl records today.
The records the presenter plays are a 45, "Love Eyes" by The Duprees and an LP track "Bye Bye Love" by The Everly Brothers. Enjoy!
Here's a scarce RCA player (as are all 33/45 varieties of this player) from the mid 50's. This is a 2-speed, 33/45 RPM player that's been rebuilt & features a Sonotone 52T stereo ceramic cartridge bridged for mono playing through a single stage amplifier and feeding a 4" speaker. It has volume control only. The DeLuxe models featured a 2-stage amplifier w/volume AND tone controls feeding a 4"x6" speaker. The mechanism was made by Crescent and used exclusively by the RCA lineup in only 9 of their players. These 2-speed players were only made for a year and not many were sold simply because there was a TON of 4-speed players available at the time this was being merchandised. While 78 RPM records were quickly fading from the scene, there were still a lot of people that had 78's in their collection and, of course, they could not be played on these 2-speed players! As a consequence, very few of these 2-speed players were bought by the public. It's most definitely a strange player! 33 RPM records could only be played as singles - one at a time. NO provision was made for stacking 33 albums on these players. However, 45's could be stacked by a special 45 RPM spindle adapter. The adapters in their own right are collectible! It's not uncommon to spend $50 JUST for an unmolested adapter simply because after being dropped, they broke into pieces and became useless. When these players are found (and that goes for all 9 varieties), the adapter is often missing or broken beyond being usable. These models are eagerly sought after by collectors because they're a simple mechanism, durable, easy to repair & maintain, one of the few with a "neutral" position to avoid drive wheel damage AND...they're scarce! I have 6 of the 9 models made by RCA. I'd like to purchase the three I DON'T have in my collection which are the DeLuxe 3-tube suitcase models w/volume & tone controls and the plastic DeLuxe 3-tube model in Coral/White combination. If you have or know of anyone that has those models and would like sell them, PLEASE contact me! I really hope you can enjoy & appreciate these wonderful pieces of 1950's history!
