Zero to 180 – Three Minute Magic

Discoveries of a Pop Music Archaeologist

Category: Bethlehem Records

Bethlehem Records
Zeroto180

King’s Jazz Legacy: Maxi-Tweets

I am liberating a special series of “maxi-tweets” tied to King Records‘ lesser known jazz legacy – part of 2018’s King 75th Birthday Celebration – that were otherwise buried in a PDF file attachment.  The following research was conducted primarily by scanning the index of Ruppli‘s 2-volume King recording session

Read More »
Afro-Cuban +/- Latin jazz
Zeroto180

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

Read More »
"I Get the Blues When It Rains"
Zeroto180

1969: Bethlehem’s Last Session?

As noted in Zero to 180’s recent history of Bethlehem Records in the “Post-Syd Nathan” era (i.e., starting in 1958, when Nathan had acquired 50% of the label), Ruppli’s King recording sessionography indicates that some new recording had taken place at King’s Cincinnati studios in a few instances connected to

Read More »
Bethlehem Records
Zeroto180

Jazz Misrepresented As Surf?

The Australian All-Stars‘s 1959 album – Jazz for Beach-Niks – was originally released on Columbia Australia and picked up for US release four years later by King subsidiary label, Bethlehem (and reissued 2013 in Japan), subject of the previous history piece.  One can only presume Syd Nathan was trying to capitalize

Read More »
"Shout Bamalama"
Zeroto180

Bethlehem Records: Post-Syd

Syd Nathan ended up acquiring jazz label, Bethlehem Records, in a series of strategic moves over the course of years — so when exactly can Syd Nathan take credit for shaping the music released on that label?  Unfortunately, that’s a question that each person has to answer for him/herself.  I

Read More »
"Chopper 70"
Zeroto180

“Chopper ’70”: Horn-Heavy Funk

Jaco, the 2015 documentary about the virtuosic electric fretless bassist, informs us that Jaco Pastorius’s first professional engagement was with former King recording artist, Wayne Cochran, whose contributions to the field of funk have not always been fully acknowledged. Written by Charles Brent While there’s no denying James Brown’s pivotal

Read More »
"Your Wiggle and Your Giggle"
Zeroto180

Lue Renney’s Lone Bethlehem 45 — A Giggle

Lue Renney‘s quirky and endearing “Your Wiggle And Your Giggle” was recorded at King’s Cincinnati studios on January 27, 1964: “Your Wiggle And Your Giggle” by Lue Renney (1964) 45Cat informs us this song was issued May, 1964 on King’s Bethlehem subsidiary label.  A half century later, this “teen-rock” 45

Read More »
"Since My Baby Hit the Numbers"
Zeroto180

Guitar Crusher: Baby Hit the #’s

Guitar Crusher, I’m happy to report, is still very vital* and, judging from his Facebook posts, appears to be based in Germany, where he performs much of the time. [*Facebook post from September 2020 informs us, sadly, that “Sidney ‘Guitar Crusher‘ Selby didn’t recover after an operation on his spine

Read More »
All Categories
Archives