Thursday, September 26, 2013

Record Geek Theater: The Capitol Tower (1958)




Living just up the street from this landmark (which is apparently about to be sandwiched between two behemoth apartments nobody but the developers seems to want) is a big deal to me.  I go running most nights north on Vine, past this building where some of my very favorite records were cut -- Merle Haggard, Les Baxter, Nat Cole, Wanda Jackson, Louis Prima, Sinatra, and you name it.

Tennessee Ernie Ford -- who was a huge star at the time -- is the voiceover.  The scenes on the roof are particularly cool for me, because I've been up there, taking in a later version of these views (still breathtaking).  The structural makeup of the famous studios is revealed as well.  Great shots of old recording and mastering gear as well.

(The girl seems to be lipsynching to a Sue Raney vocal, if my ears are hearing correctly.)

At 16:50, you can see Mickey Katz doing the cover photo session for The Most Mishigge, completely with the Exotica girl from the Martin Denny covers, Sandy Warner.

A treasure for record geeks like me.  And most of you.

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Source material for Elvis geeks like me



 Those of you who saw us play the 2012 Art Fein Elvis Birthday Bash at the Echo might remember we did "I, John" (with guest bass singer Jesse Merlin and guest baritone George Wendt). Many of us best remember this one from his backstage version in Elvis On Tour, where he killed it.  Elvis was no weekend warrior as a gospel fan.  He knew the music very well, and it is a cinch that he was a fan of the Trumpeteers (a/k/a the CBS Trumpeteers), because he cut a great version of their signature 1947 hit "Milky White Way", a record that went far beyond being just a hit -- it was a stylistic cornerstone of quartet gospel.

Their lead singer, Joseph Johnson, had previously sung with the Golden Gate Quartet.  In the Trumpeteers, he brought about something a little more rhythmically aggressive.  Their "Leave That Liar Alone" is the obviously template for Ray Charles' "Leave My Woman Alone", too.  The stuff they cut for Score and King is always worth checking out.  I read someplace they made seventeen 78's for Score.  I have five, and they're all great.

This clip, taken from an (unnamed) sixties TV show gives us a glimpse into how great they were, up until Joseph Johnson died in '84.  I think -- along with Julius Cheeks of the Sensational Nightengales and Sam Cooke -- he's one of the real guys.  No wonder Elvis dug him.