Zero to 180 – Three Minute Magic

Discoveries of a Pop Music Archaeologist

Tag: Counterpart Records – Cincinnati

"Phantom Lover"
Zeroto180

“Phantom Lover”: Halloween Hit?

This song sounds to me like an obvious – and instantaneous – hit: “Phantom Lover“ Marv Lockard (1967) And yet so little information exists about this classic 1967 mix (arranged and produced by Ray Allen) from Shad O’Shea‘s Counterpart Records, with its deep bass grooves and warm reverb. Three years

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"A Time for Peace"
Zeroto180

Mike Reid’s Bengal Ballad

I remember as a young Cincinnati Bengals fan what a brain-tickling proposition it was to have an NCAA All-American and All-Pro NFL defensive lineman who, when out of uniform, would play the piano with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and how this activity amusingly defied expectations of manly behavior in a

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"Walking in the Night"
Zeroto180

Felix Harris’ Insanely Rare, Impressively Different 45

Fascinating how Felix Harris‘s sole single — 1972’s “Walkin’ in the Night,” recorded at Cincinnati’s Counterpart Creative Studios and released on Shad O’Shea’s Counterpart Records — would be highly coveted by UK vinyl enthusiasts nearly 40 years later.  According to the soul music aficionado who posted this recording, Felix Harris’s

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"See What's Right"
Zeroto180

The Wyngates on Nick Clooney’s Bandstand

Northern Kentucky, who launched its own Music Hall of Fame in 2013, produced a pair of Nuggets-era garage rock classics:  New Lime‘s “Perfect Girl” (magic blend of organ + vibes), as well as The Wyngates “See What’s Right,” both issued on Cincinnati’s Counterpart Records in 1967.  Check out this archival

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"Gimme the Green Light"
Zeroto180

Cincinnati’s Bubblegum Soul

Randy McNutt gives a first-hand account of Cincinnati‘s local recording scene in the liner notes to his CD compilation Souled Out:  Queen City Soul-Rockers of the 1970s: “[Lonnie] Mack‘s 1963 hit “Memphis” and “Wham!” [on Cincinnati’s Fraternity label] had started a local fascination with blues-rock — a combination of the

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"Hang Up Your Hang-Ups"
Zeroto180

Umoja’s Hang Up-Free Funk

Impressive musicianship and stellar vocals make for another slice of Cincinnati funk on Counterpart Records that is able to command a decent two figures at auction: “Hang Up Your Hang-Ups“ Umoja As with 400 Years of What‘s “Get Down People,” this one-off 45 — Umoja‘s sole musical gift to the

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"Get Down People"
Zeroto180

“Get Down People”: $500 Funk

How cool that a 45 released on Shad O’Shea‘s Counterpart label — “Get Down People” by 400 Years of What — sold on Ebay for over $500.  However, if it weren’t for Buckeye Beat‘s comprehensive listing of 45s released on Cincinnati’s Counterpart Records, I might have missed out altogether on this

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"Love Me When I'm Down"
Zeroto180

Soul Inc’s A-Side Turned B-Side?

Louisville’s Soul Inc. is another music group from my hometown’s Ohio Valley region that recorded a local hit (“Love Me When I’m Down“) on a local label (Counterpart) that had been recorded locally (at Ray Allen‘s studio in Louisville perhaps?) and played on local AM hits radio station WSAI (thus,

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"The Perfect Girl"
Zeroto180

New Lime’s Mod Organ and Soulful Vibraphone

The mod organ and soulful vibraphone make a winning combination in 1967’s “Perfect Girl” by The New Lime from Campbell County, Kentucky: “The Perfect Girl“ The New Lime Written by Mickey Foellger [The organ+vibes immediately brings to mind seminal single “Space Walk” by The Astros] It is 2015, and I

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