Zero to 180 – Three Minute Magic

Discoveries of a Pop Music Archaeologist

Tag: RCA Victor

"Juanita Jones"
Zeroto180

Juanita Jones — In The Driver’s Seat At ASCAP?

Billboard‘s special October 19, 1968 issue devoted to ‘The World of Country Music‘ includes a 2-page article by Bill Williams – “Ladies in the Driver’s Seat” – that highlights a number of Nashville’s powerful female executives who worked without fanfare behind the scenes within the country music industry. Williams devotes

Read More »
"Gonna Get Along Without You Now"
Zeroto180

Bossa Country -or- Honky Nova?

On my one and only visit to Northampton, Massachusetts (NRBQ‘s 35th anniversary show in 2004), I ducked into a second-hand vinyl shop and came away with a K-Tel country collection from 1976 — Country Superstars – 20 Greatest Hits This collection of early-to-mid 70s hits includes 1976 dieselbilly hit “Roll

Read More »
"Tennessee Border"
Zeroto180

“Tennessee Border”: Nashville All-Star Band

“Tennessee Border” is a tuneful instrumental from an album, That Happy Nashville Sound, that features some of the finest musicianship that 1960s Nashville had to offer: I’m surprised, however, by how little I can find about this 1967 album on the internet.  Perhaps now is a good time for Bear

Read More »
"Clean Up Your Own Back Yard"
Zeroto180

“Clean Up Your Own Back Yard”: Elvis, Like Dion, Gardens From Within

The synchronicity is startling:  Elvis and Dion would release single-only tracks that share the title “Your Own Back Yard” within 12 months of each other.  Spooky, isn’t it? “Clean Up Your Own Back Yard“ Elvis Presley (1969) Elvis’s “Clean Up Your Own Back Yard” was, as the 45 picture sleeve

Read More »
"I Can't Tell The Boys From The Girls"
Zeroto180

Lester Flatt Can’t Tell the Boys from the Girls

WFMU Rock & Soul Ichiban‘s Greg G hilariously pairs this Dear Abby snippet against this streaming audio clip of Lester Flatt’s wry jab at hippie hairstyles: “I “Can’t Tell the Boys from the Girls“ Lester Flatt (1971) “I Can’t Tell the Boys From the Girls” — the A-side of Lester

Read More »
"Sweet Soul Music"
Zeroto180

“Yeah Man”: Musical Thievery

I am riveted with Peter Guralnick’s biographical account – Dream Boogie – of the visionary musical entrepreneur, Sam Cooke, who also happened to be gifted vocalist.   My attention was particularly piqued by Sam’s fraught – and ultimately unsuccessful – attempt to release the song “Yeah Man” as a single. Rare

Read More »
"In the Jailhouse Now #2"
Zeroto180

Jimmie Rodgers: First to Be Posthumously Produced?

Believe it or not, Sean Combs isn’t the first person to fashion new musical product from older material created by commercially viable artists who are no longer extant.  Far from it. Back in 1955, twenty-five years after Jimmie Rodgers‘ passing, RCA Victor convened an overdub recording session in Nashville with

Read More »
Ken Nordine
Zeroto180

‘Sounds in Space’: Ken Nordine Revels in Stereo’s Wonder

This early stereo demonstration record by the fine folks at RCA Victor features spoken word parts by Ken Nordine (the maestro of “word jazz” – check out this ‘kinetic type’ animation clip for “Green” from Nordine’s Colors album) as between-song stereo banter.  The recordings, which feature mainly orchestral works (pop,

Read More »
All Categories
Archives