Zero to 180 – Three Minute Magic

Discoveries of a Pop Music Archaeologist

Category: Rock music

Experimental pop
Zeroto180

Blink and You Miss It — Zapple Records

The timeline in Barry Miles‘ memoir of his ever-so-brief tenure as manager of Zapple Records (“the brainchild of Paul McCartney“) says it all: 1 May 1969 — Zapple launched in the US 9 May 1969 — Zapple launched in the UK June 1969 — Zapple closed. No announcement, funding simply

Read More »
"For Madmen Only"
Zeroto180

Steppenwolf’s Notoriously Lengthy B-side

David Fricke, in his “Fricke’s Picks” column published in Rolling Stone‘s February 22, 2007 issue, hinted at a bigger story with his assessment of a Steppenwolf B-side only track from 1971 “For Madmen Only” as being “8:46 of feedback and organ drone.” First question that immediately came to mind: Could

Read More »
Bob Mitchell
Zeroto180

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

Read More »
Central Recording Studio
Zeroto180

Silver Spring’s Central Recording Studio

Jeff Krulik was the first to inform me that back in the mid-to-late 1980s, one could exit Silver Spring’s Track Recorders and walk about a mile or so up Georgia Avenue to reach another commercial sound facility:  Central Recording Studio. Silver Spring historian, Robert Oshel, wrote about this very parcel

Read More »
60s/70s rock +/- pop
Zeroto180

Scepter 45 by NRBQ Alter Ego?

This month’s Zero to 180 music history piece is guest-written by a music industry insider who revealed on Popsike/Ebay how NRBQ — as their overbearing and musically-challenged alter ego, The Dickens — came close to having a 45 issued on Scepter Records, home of Dionne Warwick(e) and Chuck Jackson: The

Read More »
"Silk 'n Honey"
Zeroto180

Honey Ltd.’s Big Promo Push

Produced by Lee Hazlewood but arranged and conducted by Ian Freebairn Smith, “Silk ‘n’ Honey” — side one closing track of Honey Ltd.‘s sole album — is a great piece of pop music: “Silk ‘n’ Honey”     Honey Ltd.     1969 Much appreciation to self-titled mag* [*link from 2013 no longer active]

Read More »
Bob Devlin
Zeroto180

Michele (Valeri) & Bob (Devlin)’s Color-Your Own Album Cover

Zero to 180 has been a direct benefactor of Tom Avazian’s unending quest for musical inspiration, a journey that has informed this website in countless ways. When Tom recently handed over a selected set of second-hand musical acquisitions, he knew darn well that I’d be powerless to resist this color-your-own

Read More »
60s/70s rock +/- pop
Zeroto180

King 45s That “Bubbled Under”

My ambitiousness got the best of me with the posting of the two-part history piece, “Quirky 45s That Bubbled Under (1959-1976).”  If you go to Zero to 180’s home page now (as of April 2020), you might be frustrated that it takes so goshdarn long to finish loading all the

Read More »
"The Skip"
Zeroto180

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

Read More »
All Categories
Archives