My latest thrift trip (say that 50 times) had me bringing home a decent amount of vinyl--and the bill was way low. It was the local St. Vincent de Paul thrift store, and I was going to go right back the next day and do another look-through of the boxes of 45s--and I didn't. Didn't go today, either. What's happening to me??
Anyway, 45s were only a quarter, plus I got a senior discount. People used to ask if I qualified for a senior discount--now they simply assume. I wonder what gives me away? Must be my age.
So, I scored Tony Orlando (pre-Dawn) singing the terrific King/Goffin song, Halfway to Paradise; marching band versions (conducted by Ray Martin) of, among other numbers, Witch Doctor, Rock Around the Clock, and April Love; a thing called Oatmeal Stomp; Al Caiola's Tango Boogie performed by Hugo Winterhalter; The Andrews Sisters singing the Gershwin-Gershwin Of Thee I Sing; and Les Harris' awesome And the Bull Walked Around Olay, which defies description (in the best kind of way). Apparently, that's a bass saxophone.
Hugo Winterhalter's Midnight, the flip of Tango Boogie, is a twelve-bar blues featuring a vocal by Johnny Oaks, who I never heard of--it's like a sped-up version of the 1957 Diamonds hit, The Stroll (Oaks even sounds like that group's lead singer). A rock and roll side by Winterhalter is not something I ever expected to encounter, but here it is.
Click here to hear: Latest thrift trip
Halfway to Paradise (King/Goffin)--Tony Orlando, 1961
Midnight--Hugo Winterhalter's Orch. and Chorus, v: Johnny Oaks, 1958
Tango Boogie (Al Caiola)--Hugo Winterhalter and His Orch., 1958
Oatmeal Stomp--Si Zentner and his Orch. (Sesac Repertory Recording AD-78)
Hollow Horse Hoedown--Same
All-American Scramble--Same
Tigertail--Same
Rock Around the Clock--The Swingin' Marchin' Band, c. Ray Martin, 1958 (RCA LPM-1771)
Witch Doctor--Same
Tequila--Same
April Love--Same
Rock and Roll March (Steve Allen-Bob Carroll)--Same
And the Bull Walked Around Olay--Les Harris, 1952
Of Thee I Sing (Gershwin-Gershwin)--Andrews Sisters w. Billy May, 1957
Lee