TURNTABLE FAVORITES - VINYL's GOOD FOR THE SOUL ON PAUL VIDAL's BIG V JAMBOREE

However good to the ears CDs may be, vinyl remains the perfect medium to listen to music. I don't want to launch into an audiophile dissertation but those same ears will feel the warmth and dynamics that are generally missing from most CDs ; they will also be able to count the clicks and pops that appear even on high definition virgin vinyl ! More recent quality pressings from companies like Mobile Fidelity, DCC, Nautilus or Classic Records deserve praise but what about most '45s and '78s from the fifties and sixties? They will simply blow your mind - if in nice condition and pressed without hiss. And, even in lesser condition, there's still so much SOUND to discover inside those grooves ! Still, there's music which sounds better on CD (the Beach Boys for instance) but vinyl has the edge most of the time. Hence this page ! I will list some of the singles, EPs and LPs that I enjoy the most - outside of those by Artists who are already featured elsewhere on my site. For each of'em, a picture is displayed, linked to 30 seconds of music to savor. Have fun !!

Jim Alley & The Alley Cats Pearl 1111/2 This had to be one of the greatest discoveries of the early 80's for it was unknown even to Don Kirsch when he published the superb second edition of his 'Rock'n'Roll Obscurities' in 1981. Jim Alley had two 45's on the Pearl label out of Indianapolis but for years, only the second (#4447/8, 'Dig That Rock'n'Roll' c/w 'Lonesome Feeling') was listed ; the top side was a fabulous (albeit a touch repetitive) guitar rocker. But what a gas when we uncovered his unexpected, powerhouse version of 'The Great Pretender' - yes, the Platters' smash from 1956 ! Cut in 1961, recorded by Jan Eden, produced by George Mc Mahon and custom pressed by RCA, it rocks like there will be no tomorrow ! The juvenile vocal is superb and totally free of any sort of chorus ; as for the guitar break, underlined by some real pumpin' piano, it certainly ranks as one of the best of the genre. You'll never play the Platters' original again afterwards, believe me ! But you'll also avoid the funfair-style instro on the flip, 'The Alley Cat Scratch', just the same... Therein lies the magic of those great singles, as well as the foolishness of collectors : many a time, one side can be enough to satisfy our soul, regardless of the steep price of the whole disc ! Billy Bowman Decca 9-30195 Billy Bowman was the steel guitar player in Bob Wills's Texas Playboys for the best part of 1950 and then again, from 1953 to 1956. His clear, light touch on his non-pedal steel can be heard to great advantage on such MGM tracks as 'Jolie Blond Likes To Boogie', 'Bottle Baby Boogie', 'St-Louis Blues', 'Cadillac In Model A' and, of course, his own 'B. Bowman Hop'. After he left Wills, Billy cut two instrumental singles for Decca, most notably the one coupling 'New Roadside Rag' with his composition, 'Billy's Bounce'. And swing, it does ! Bowman has his own 'motifs' and plays with considerable drive. Both tracks also feature splendid guitar, piano & fiddle parts - as one would expect from such a seasoned Western Swing musician. Click to hear a sample of 'Billy's Bounce'. His other Decca '45 coupled 'Midnight in Old Amarillo' with 'Coquette' (#30477). Both discs released in 1957. Tiny Moore & Jethro Burns 'Back To Back' Kaleidoscope F-9 The Recalls Arrow AR 2003 Randy & The Radiants Sun 398 The Keymen Goldust GR 45-5019 Fine Young Cannibals I.R.S. 53639 The Bossmen Busy Bee 45-1001 (regular issue) The Bossmen Busy Bee 1001 (promo copy) The Bossmen Score SC 1003 Bobby Barnett 'At The World Famous Crystal Palace' Sims LP 118		Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs MGM K 13452 You all know at least one tune by this band - namely 'Wooly Bully', a monster hit in the summer of 1965 when leased from Stan Kesler's Pen Records in Memphis and released by MGM. Bit on the novelty side but a good sounding record anyway. Sam was Samudio Domingo (vocal & organ) ; the Pharaohs were comprised of David Martin (bass), Jerry Patterson (drums), Roy Stinnet (guitar) & Butch Gibson (tenor sax). All had Tex-Mex origins. Their first waxing was a cover of Gene Simmons's 'Haunted House' in 1964 (b/w 'How Does A Cheating Woman Feel', Dingo 001). 'Wooly Bully' climbed to the top spot in Billboard and was followed by a string of lesser hits including 'Ju Ju Hand' and 'Lil' Red Riding Hood'. The band appeared in the film, 'When The Boys Meet The Girls', where they sang 'Monkey See, Monkey Do' (see above picture). However, their best moment was their surprisingly excellent reworking of Billy Emerson's Sun cut, 'Red Hot', which had become a timeless rockabilly classic thanks to both Billy Lee Riley (Sun #277) and Bob Luman (Imperial #8313). Sam's vocal is powerful and the thumping backing, reminiscent of the Dave Clark Five productions of the time, is perfectly adequate - topped by a real fine guitar solo in the good ol' tradition. The other side, 'A Long, Long Way', written by Gibson the saxman, is good 60's rock with plenty of fuzz guitar. A Jack Clement production, it should not be overlooked. PS : On the record, the band's name is misspelled as 'Pharoahs'. Bob Hill & His Melody Boys Nabor NR 105 Little Eva London RE 10.131 S London RE 10.135 S Jorgen Ingman 'Apache' Atco 33-130 The Sunsets La Voix De Son Maître 7 EMF 282 Red Berry & The Bel-Raves Dreem DR 1001 The Van Brothers Walton EP 003 The Kids Chroma 45-1004 The Sherrys Roberts 701 Bill Carlisle 'The Best Of' Hickory LPM 129