Today's Vinyl Spin: MUSIC POWER 22 Original Hits 22 Original Stars & Artists!

 #TBT Throwback Thursday

(cue screaming DJ and music):

K-Tel presents MUSIC POWER - 22 ORIGINAL HITS 22 ORIGINAL ARTISTS

The latest hits from 1974 and earlier are on this wonderful single record LP including "Smoking in the Boys Room" by Brownsville Station, "Rockin Roll Baby" by The Stylistics and "Keeper of the Castle" by The Four Tops.

Who can forget the wonderful hits "Oh Girl" by The Chi-Lites, "Pretty Lady" by Lighthouse or the always classic "Drift Away" by Dobie Gray?

These songs and many more are on this obsolete K-Tel collection of unforgettable hits and vinyl obscurities, yours to find at your nearest thrift shop or used record store if you're lucky!

Remember all the grooves are squeezed close together with many of the tracks severely edited for time constraints of the vinyl record format.

Hunt for your own copy of MUSIC POWER online or in your city or town today! ONLY FROM K-TEL.

See photos for complete track list. (fade music out)

Disclaimer: No Ginsu knives available with this offer.

Editor's Note: I bought this record album for only a dollar at our local thrift shop. I always wanted to own at least one K-Tel album, despite the dubious song edits and lousy sound.

52 Years Ago: July 20, 1969 - Apollo 11 Moon Landing - Historic Record

Today's Vinyl Spin: No Music Just Talk - Relive History

July 20, 1969 - Record Album - "One Small Step"
Narrated by Dr. Wernher von Braun and Chet Huntley

This post is about a record that has no music.

Where were you on July 20, 1969? I along with millions of other people were glued to our TV set watching astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin become the first two people to step on the surface of the moon. The Apollo 11 mission successfully launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida to fulfill President John F. Kennedy's goal of landing a man on the surface of the moon and returning him safely back to Earth. While Armstrong and Aldrin spent several hours on the moon, command module pilot Michael Collins orbited overhead and was there when the lunar module rejoined the Apollo spacecraft to make the safe journey home.

This record issued by RCA Red Seal in 1969 features the narration and commentary by NBC's Chet Huntley and Dr. Werhner von Braun, rocket scientist for NASA on every major phase of the Apollo 11 moon mission. The record also features the recorded voices of the astronauts as they commented on their historic journey including the famous "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" comment. Cool stuff if you remember it all from 1969.

There would be five more successful manned moon landings through the Apollo program that lasted until 1972. After that, no other human far has stepped on the moon.

Apollo 11 brought great pride to the United States at a time when we needed more patriotism and unity to come together as a country amid much turmoil that surrounded the year.
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The record is in playable condition. I run it through every few years.

Listen to the record at the link below:

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Jolene and Her Covers

Jolene....

In 1973 Dolly Parton released her big country hit that put her on the map. "Jolene" was a hit country single that made it to #1 on the Billboard Country chart and #1 in Canada. It also charted on the Billboard Hot 100 peaking at #60 and #44 on the Adult Contemporary Music chart. Since then, it has become her signature song and has been covered several times over many years by many other artists. The linked audio file above (from YouTube) is the original track that became the hit in early 1974.

In recent years the following covers appeared:

Dolly Parton & Pentatonix (2016) - This version made it to #18 on the Billboard Country Chart.

This version came out in 2012 by Miley Cyrus as part of the Backyard Sessions video album on YouTube. I like this one.

Alternative rock duo The White Stripes recorded this version which charted well in Europe, 2004 & 2005.

A new version was released earlier this summer by Chiquis with Becky G. This version has started its chart climb on Mel's Current Top 20.

Today's Vinyl Spin - "Carney" by Leon Russell

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.

"Tightrope" on  YouTube:

Today's Vinyl Spin - Fleetwood Mac "Mirage"

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.

Nohelani's First Album to Be Re-released

From the Aloha Got Soul record label comes this in my email:

"Five years ago I launched this niche music blog simply because I wanted to document some of the cool music that came out of Hawaii during the 1970s. 

Nohelani Cypriano's 1979 debut is one shining example of such music.

It's 2015 and Aloha Got Soul is working with Be With Records to reissue Nohelani's debut for the first time ever on vinyl, available August 7th.

Be With founder Rob Butler and Aloha Got Soul ambassador Cedric Bardawil are hosting a release party at Brilliant Corners in London—and you're invited.

Join us as we celebrate on Friday, August 7th for a night of amazing tunes including Hawaiian grooves, summertime sounds and island jams.

Nohelani Cypriano Release Party

Brilliant Corners
470 Kingsland Road, E8 4AE 

Friday, August 7th

7:00pm - 1:30am
Free entry
All-vinyl"

First off I definitely remember this album being released on vinyl in 1978 or 79 about a year after Nohelani Cypriano hit it big in Hawaii with her Homegrown II  hit, "Lihue".

Certainly, the album has been out of print for a while. It is good to know that it is being re-released again on vinyl. The album has long been available on CD and digital formats.

Kind of odd that the record release party is in London, UK. I guess Nohelani is popular there or perhaps there are more vinyl fans in the British Isles. Regardless I am sure this record will be also available in Hawaii.