Zero to 180 – Three Minute Magic

Discoveries of a Pop Music Archaeologist

Category: Instrumentals

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Nina Simone (vs. Syd Nathan) at Bethlehem Records

Browsing Nina Simone‘s early single releases on Bethlehem Records — Gus Wildi‘s jazz label, whose control and eventual ownership would ultimately be given over to Syd Nathan of King Records — my eyes are immediately drawn to the instrumental B-side, “African Mailman,” a fairly radical and oblique song title for

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Bob Mitchell
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This Is the Dance Mix You Are Looking For

Zero to 180, which began life on 12/12/12, turns ten today! In recognition of the event’s magnitude, last year’s musical take on TV’s Shark Tank by Silver Spring duo Dubble Trubble — the world’s first singalong instrumental — has been musically reengineered for even broader worldwide appeal. Musical Jedi Mind

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Harmonica instrumentals
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Larry Adler & His Dime Store Harmonica

Larry Adler became a “professional” musician in the eyes of the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) when he joined Local 47 in Beverly Hills, where he lived, on July 10, 1948. As the front page of Billboard‘s July 17, 1948 edition reported in deadpan fashion — “Adler Now Rates” [see

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Bob Mitchell
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The World’s First Sing-Along Instrumental?

The latest effort from Silver Spring-based duo, Dubble Trubble, in celebration of Zero to 180’s ninth birthday: Inspired by Mark Cuban‘s recurring catch phrase on TV’s Shark Tank, could this be the world’s first sing-along instrumental? Check out this 100-second version of “(For Those Reasons) I’m Out” that features drum

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45 sides +/- obscure tracks
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Curly Chalker’s Dutch-Only 45: Party Game for Steel Guitar Fanatics

Zero to 180’s summertime celebration breezes right along with this parlor game for music nerds: First, launch a new web browser and point it at 45Cat — www.45cat.com(go ahead, I’ll wait)   Next, type the name of ace steel guitarist, Curly Chalker, in the search window(and press Enter)   Curly

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Bob Wills & the Texas Playboys
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Gary Burton’s Tennessee Firebird

Jimmy Colvard was a teen in 1963 when he played those distinctive snapping and popping guitar sounds that helped make “Six Days on the Road” a runaway hit for Dave Dudley.  I have since learned that Colvard played guitar on a number of albums in the 1960s and 70s by

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"Love Me Do"
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Earliest Melodica Recording ’64

A Postcard From Canton [Massachusetts] celebrates the accomplishments of one of the town’s most “esteemed citizens” — and industrious tinkerers: [James Amireaux] Bazin came to examine a simple free-reed instrument when he was 23 years old.  A group of men brought him a broken pitch pipe and asked him to

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"Mrs. Fletcher"
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“Mrs. Fletcher”: New TV Theme?

Zero to 180 turns seven today, which means another opportunity to muddy the waters with the musical equivalent of home movies — it’s okay if you want to sit this one out. Last December 12th’s dubious dub-inspired “Mrs. Fletcher” (you might recall) was a late-year release that got buried in

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"The Skip"
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Goldie & the Gingerbreads B-Side

One trivia bit from The Rolling Stone Rock Almanac that didn’t make it into Zero to 180’s big Summer Beach Read: April 30, 1965:  The Kinks begin their first headlining UK tour, with The Yardbirds and Goldie and the Gingerbreads providing support. I have always been curious about the ‘all-girl’ beat group with such

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