Zero to 180 – Three Minute Magic

Discoveries of a Pop Music Archaeologist

Tag: Organ instrumentals

"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

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"Zanzie"
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Mickey Baker on a King Surf LP

Session guitarist Mickey (“Love Is Strange“) Baker — whose work would grace dozens of releases by King Records and its subsidiaries — ended up being allotted exactly one solo album by the label as an artist in his own right:  1963’s But Wild. Recorded in Paris in June of 1962,

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"Grits and Corn Bread"
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“Grits & Corn Bread”: Watts 103

Zero to 180’s musical salute to Georgia‘s official prepared food continues with “Grits & Corn Bread,” a song that listeners can enjoy at a variety of playback speeds (I’m partial to the medium speed): “Grits and Corn Bread” The Soul Runners (1966) This debut 45 from The Soul Runners, forerunners to

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"Soft"
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Bill Doggett’s “Soft”: Enduring

Bill Doggett and his Hammond organ, in 1957, would breathe (via flute) fresh life into Tiny Bradshaw‘s “Soft” from 1952 – both versions released on King.  Even though Doggett’s “Soft” would ‘only’ peak at #51, Billboard’s “Hot 100 Chart History” indicates this song to have spent 14 weeks on the

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"The Soul of JB"
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The Duel: Organ vs. Sax

In the early part of this century, reissue label, Hip-O, put out a comprehensive series of James Brown single releases that were issued from 1956-1981.  Historians & researchers will no doubt be studying these liner notes in decades to come as they try to organize and make sense of the

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"The Rabbit Got the Gun"
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Ohio Funk Invades France

Beau Dollar & The Dapps – according to Dave Thompson‘s history simply entitled, Funk – were the resident band at Cincinnati’s Living Room night club “when they were discovered by James Brown” in 1965.  Cincinnati music writer and producer, Randy McNutt, on the other hand, asserts in his King Records

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"Black Onion"
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“Black Onion”: Healing Organ

According to Doctors Across Borders, “when compared to every other natural remedy for auto-immune disorders,” black cumin (also known as black onion seed) “is the most effective” and “has the power to restore harmony.” Keyboardist, songwriter, and musical director, Jackie Mittoo, gets an organ workout, thanks to his musical compatriots

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"Fat Eddie"
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“Fat Eddie”: James Crawford’s Mighty B-Side

*Musical personnel info updated January 2023 Of course, no discussion about Cincinnati in song would be complete without a reference to the city’s storied indie label that helped give birth to rock & roll music – King Records. September 14, 1967 may not be a date that registers strongly in

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"Supersonics in Flight"
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“Supersonics In Flight”: Billy Mure’s Jet-Age Guitar Army

Before The Barclay Stars and their lone 1966 breakthrough album, Billy Mure was the first and last name in military guitar ensembles.  The title track from Billy’s 1959 RCA album, Supersonics in Flight, demonstrates the glorious sound of multiple guitars playing stereophonically in tandem. “Supersonics In Flight“ Billy Mure (1959)

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"Bye Bye Birdie"
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“Bye Bye Birdie”: Groovy Guitar & Organ Instrumental

Chet Atkins‘s guitar sounds mighty and majestic when propelled by the infectious, burbling rhythms of an unnamed organist in this treatment of “Bye Bye Birdie” from Chet’s 1963 album, Teen Scene — dig that groovy roller rink organ sound. Note the original album cover: Check out the new and improved

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