Zero to 180 – Three Minute Magic

Discoveries of a Pop Music Archaeologist

Month: December 2013

"Mandolina"
Zeroto180

“Mandolinia” vs. The Remarkable Riderless Runaway Tricycle

Media Alert! A battle has suddenly erupted between two formidable foes who share a common sound — the analog synthesizer.  Not just any analog synthesizer sound, mind you, but a deep burbling one:  pulsating and insistent. In this corner, wearing a strangely intricate electronic eyepiece, we have Ronnie Montrose with

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"Supersonics in Flight"
Zeroto180

“Supersonics In Flight”: Billy Mure’s Jet-Age Guitar Army

Before The Barclay Stars and their lone 1966 breakthrough album, Billy Mure was the first and last name in military guitar ensembles.  The title track from Billy’s 1959 RCA album, Supersonics in Flight, demonstrates the glorious sound of multiple guitars playing stereophonically in tandem. “Supersonics In Flight“ Billy Mure (1959)

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"On The Alamo"
Zeroto180

“On the Alamo”: (Inter)Twin(ed) Guitars

It is startling and sad the degree to which Jimmie Rivers is not represented in the history of recorded music.  Says AllMusic — Despite his obscurity, Jimmie Rivers is one of the great western swing/bop guitarists. His legacy is miniscule, consisting of a disc’s worth of live tracks with his group,

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"Keep On Tryin'"
Zeroto180

“Keep on Tryin'”: Final Song Before Disbanding

How ironic that the last track of the second and final album from American Flyer – Spirit Of A Woman – would be titled “Keep on Tryin’.”  I hate to think the group was burying this song, since it was the closing track on the album — such a radio-friendly

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"Understand Your Man"
Zeroto180

“Understand Your Man”: Little Jimmy Dempsey Picks on Johnny Cash

Guitarist “Little” Jimmy Dempsey uses twin guitars to transform Johnny Cash‘s “Understand Your Man” into a tuneful instrumental that bears little resemblance to the original – in a good way: “Understand Your Man“ Little Jimmy Dempsey (c. 1970) This track can be found on 1970’s Little Jimmy Dempsey Picks on Johnny

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"Musical Fight"
Zeroto180

“Musical Fight”: Most Literal Song Title

“Musical Fight” by The Crashers is, literally, a fight set to music — “Musical Fight“ The Crashers (1970) Produced in 1969 by Sonia Pottinger and released as a split single with Stranger & Patsy (“True Love“), this B-side — renamed “Target” — would be released in the UK the following

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"The Ash Grove"
Zeroto180

“The Ash Grove”: Not a Harpo Marx Original

When I first became enchanted with “The Ash Grove” from Harpo Marx‘s Harpo in Hi-Fi album, I initially suspected Harpo to have written the piece: “The Ash Grove“ Harpo Marx (1957) But alas, “The Ash Grove” is a traditional Welsh folk song.  Harpo’s version from 1957, coincidentally or not, predates

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"Out of the Blue"
Zeroto180

“Out of the Blue”: Earliest Toy Piano Pop Recording?

As noted in the update to my original posting, it appears that Neil Diamond has been supplanted by Tommy James & the Shondells as the new reigning champions* in the pioneering use of toy piano in musical recordings with “Out of the Blue,” their pop hit from 1967.  The details,

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"Hoopaw Rag"
Zeroto180

“Hoopaw Rag”: Mid-Century Modern Western Swing

Steel guitar prodigy, Vance Terry, gets co-songwriting credit on “Hoopaw Rag,” an adaptation of a fiddle tune – “Bob Wills Stomp” – that was recorded January 25, 1955 in Los Angeles at the beginning of a three-year association with the Decca label for Bob Wills & the Texas Playboys: “Hoopaw

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"Jazz Ain't Nothin' But Soul"
Zeroto180

“Jazz Ain’t Nothin’ But Soul”: What Jazz Is

From what I can tell, Norman Mapp only released one album as a vocalist – 1961’s Jazz Ain’t Nothin’ But Soul on the Epic label, an imprint of almighty Columbia Records (plus a 45 the preceding year “Fools Rush In” b/w “Whistling At The Moon” on Jaro International). As a

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