Zero to 180 – Three Minute Magic

Discoveries of a Pop Music Archaeologist

Category: Latin-American sounds

"Juanita Jones"
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Juanita Jones — In The Driver’s Seat At ASCAP?

Billboard‘s special October 19, 1968 issue devoted to ‘The World of Country Music‘ includes a 2-page article by Bill Williams – “Ladies in the Driver’s Seat” – that highlights a number of Nashville’s powerful female executives who worked without fanfare behind the scenes within the country music industry. Williams devotes

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Afro-Cuban +/- Latin jazz
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Lord Thunder: Final Deluxe 45?

Browsing DeLuxe releases in chronological order in Discog’s database, Lord Thunder‘s “Thunder” from 1975 appears to be the last gasp of Starday-King: “Thunder” Lord Thunder (1975) But wait:  1975 sounds much too late in the post-Syd Nathan saga for a new production to come out of the Starday-King studios, especially

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"Mambo Mexicano"
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King’s Budget Subsidiary Label

According to Both Sides Now Publications: In late 1958, Audio Lab was formed as a budget label subsidiary to Cincinnati-based King Records.  From 1959 -1962, Audio Lab released a lot of material that had never appeared in album form, including rare albums by Bullmoose Jackson, Annie Laurie, April Stevens, Lattie

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"Ocean Liner (Bossa Nova)"
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Calvin Shields — Musical Pioneer

Hard to believe it was only 20 years or so ago I was having cheese coneys with The Cincinnati Enquirer‘s preeminent music writer Larry Nager and asking what it would take for the city to finally “own up” to its King Records history.  Last week, to my utter delight and

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"Muskeeta"
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King’s “Tequila” Knock-Off

King Records, who no doubt envied the massive success of “Tequila” by The Champs, did their level best to cash in, as Johnnie Pate‘s 1958 Federal 45 “Muskeeta” clearly demonstrates, with the flute (substituting for sax) as the lead instrument: “Muskeeta” by Johnny Pate (1958) Recorded in Chicago on March

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"Tacos and Grits"
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“Tacos & Grits”: Jazz Trombone

Zero to 180 kicks off its musical salute to grits with “Tacos And Grits,” an obvious winner of an instrumental by jazz trombonist, Al Grey: “Tacos and Grits” Al Grey (1963) This first featured song in Zero to 180’s music & grits series — launched on the heels of Saturday’s

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"Meu Mundo É Uma Bola"
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When Pelé Tried His Hand at Pop

Thanks to my neighbor Stan, who graciously lent me a documentary, Once in a Lifetime, about the New York Cosmos and the groundbreaking-though-ill-fated North American Soccer League.  While last weekend’s recent record snowstorm raged, I was riveted to the screen, grateful to have power — and incredulous that the most

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"Gonna Get Along Without You Now"
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Bossa Country -or- Honky Nova?

On my one and only visit to Northampton, Massachusetts (NRBQ‘s 35th anniversary show in 2004), I ducked into a second-hand vinyl shop and came away with a K-Tel country collection from 1976 — Country Superstars – 20 Greatest Hits This collection of early-to-mid 70s hits includes 1976 dieselbilly hit “Roll

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"Scotch and Soul"
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Rufus Harley’s “Scotch ‘n’ Soul”

Rufus Harley‘s sole 45, “Bagpipe Blues” on Atlantic Records — an original amalgamation of Scottish highland and African-American musical traditions from 1965 — was undoubtedly the first of its kind.  45Cat‘s carey jeggs notes that Harley is “[p]robably the first jazz musician to play the bagpipes, although Albert Ayler also

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"Chili Beans"
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Felix & His (Cash-in) Guitar

“Cerveza” by Boots Brown (see previous post about rock/pop’s Latin roots) was only one of the more obvious attempts to cash in on the runaway success of “Tequila” by The Champs in 1958.  “Chili Beans” by Felix & His Guitar also does a great job of appropriating that familiar riff

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