Zero to 180 – Three Minute Magic

Discoveries of a Pop Music Archaeologist

Tag: Soul 45s

"Love Lots of Lovin'"
Zeroto180

Rx: Love (Lot’s of Lovin’)

So, have you figured out the pattern yet?  It’s still early, I know, but congratulations to those who correctly deduced that Zero to 180 is paying tribute to Allen Toussaint (who left us exactly one week ago) by taking a little “time walk” – one that began last Friday with

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"Walking in the Night"
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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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"Gimme the Green Light"
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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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"Good Day Sunshine"
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“Good Day Sunshine”: Roy Redmond, Man of Mystery

It would appear that Roy Redmond recorded two 45s — both on Loma, a Warner Brothers subsidiary — and then, mysteriously, nothing more.  Redmond’s inspired and soulful take on “Good Day Sunshine” from The Beatles‘ startling and forward-thinking Revolver, named in 2010 as the best pop album of all time

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"I've Got to Be Strong"
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“I’ve Got to Be Strong”: Cultivating Inner Discipline

The horns really drive the sound in this great 1966 single “I’ve Got to Be Strong” from Chuck Jackson on the Wand label, an imprint of Scepter: Billboard predicted that “I’ve Got To Be Strong” would reach the Hot 100 chart in its October 22, 1966 edition.  That same week,

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"The Buzzard"
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Charlie Smalls: Guest Music Instructor on The Monkees

Once in the late 1990s I picked up a CD anthology of rare funk and soul singles at Midnight Records, (formerly at 148 W. 23rd St.) just down the street from the Chelsea Hotel.  I had purchased disc one of a six-volume series entitled Funkaphonix:  Raw & Uncut Funk 1968-1975. 

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"Ain't You Glad"
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“Ain’t You Glad”: 35-Year Victim of Criminal Neglect

On December 16-17, 1966 Mill Evans recorded three songs in Chicago for King Records.  For some unfathomable reason, one of those tracks – “Ain’t You Glad” – stayed in the can for 35 years and would have remained unissued, had it not been for the fine (and far-sighted) folks at

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"Everybody Knows I Love You"
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Kenny Smith: From Soul Street to God Pop and Beyond

Thanks to Darren Blase and Shake It Records for assembling One More Day, an 18-track collection of recordings by singer, songwriter and producer, Kenny Smith, that span a total of eleven labels: * Intriguing to discover that the one-time host of soul music TV show – Soul Street – once released

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"Congratulations Baby"
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“Congratulations Baby”: Marriage as Payback

Doris Duke (the singer, not the tobacco heiress) is getting married out of spite, and frankly, I think she’s making a big mistake: “Congratulations Baby“ Doris Duke (1969) This classic track is from 1969’s I’m a Loser, first solo album for the vocalist (who also sang backup on  Nina Simone‘s

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"Soul Train"
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Musical Roll Call pt. 1: “Soul Train”

Little Royal‘s musical roll call of soul music luminaries – “Soul Train” from 1972 – is connected to the post-Syd Nathan era of the King Records story after Starday Records had purchased King and henceforth became known as Starday-King: “Soul Train” Little Royal (1972) Interesting to see which artists were

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