The Everly Brothers - EB 84

This 1984 album on Mercury was the first new material from the Everly Brothers in 11 years and followed a televised reunion concert. Producer Dave Edmunds managed to preserve the Everlys' traditional harmonies while at the same time updating their sound.

EB 84 has tunes by Paul McCartney, Jeff Lynne and Bob Dylan, several originals by Don Everly and The First in Line, a wonderful ballad by Paul Kennerley, an English singer-songwriter working in Nashville. He has written songs for the Judds, Marty Stuart and Sweethearts of the Rodeo, among others. Kennerley also was responsible for the concept albums White Mansions and The Legend of Jesse James, both of which featured an all-star lineup of country and rock artists.

The MP3 is from a cassette copy of EB 84.

The First in Line



EB 84 was released on CD by Razor & Tie in 1994, but a copy of that out-of-print disc will set you back $60 or more. However, used vinyl or cassette copies of the album are plentiful and cheap online, starting at around $4. There is no legal download to be had.

This song was written for EB 84 by Jeff Lynne.

Carl Perkins - Born to Rock

Born to Rock (Universal, 1989) came late in the career of quintessential rockabilly performer Carl Perkins (1932-1998). Although the music on this album can't be compared with his ground-breaking performances in the 1950s it's not an embarrassment either.

In fact Perkins seems rejuvenated on the 10 tracks that range from bluesy country to out-and-out rockers. The album was produced by two gentlemen associated with The Judds -- producer Brent Maher and bandleader Don Potter. Below is the title track from Born to Rock.

Born to Rock



Born to Rock was issued in all three formats -- CD, cassette and vinyl (at least in some countries) -- but has long been deleted and has not been reissued. A legal download version doesn't exist, either. But there are numerous cheap used copies available on Amazon. It's well worth picking up.

Here's Carl Perkins performing Born to Rock on Austin City Limits (PBS) in 1990.

Dino, Desi & Billy - Desi's Drums (track)

The pre-bubblegum pop trio of Dino, Desi & Billy got into the Top 30 twice in 1965 (I'm a Fool and Not the Lovin' Kind) on very little talent and lots of connections. Dino was the son of Dean Martin and Desi the son of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnez. Billy Hinsche completed the trio, who had just entered their teens when they began recording for Frank Sinatra's Reprise label.

All three supposedly played instruments, but almost without exception the band on their recordings was made up of top Los Angeles session men like guitarist James Burton, pianist Don Randi and drummer Hal Blaine. Notice I said "almost without exception." Desi, the "drummer" of the group, apparently did the honours on Desi's Drums, which I believe is the group's only instrumental and appeared on their second album, Our Time's Coming (1966). When you hear it, you'll realize why producer Lee Hazelwood chose to use Blaine on the rest of the tracks. Burton does his best to cover the holes with some hot guitar licks, but it's all for naught. The kindest way to describe this would be chaotic but energetic. For diehard instrumental collectors and Dino, Desi & Billy fans only.

Desi's Drums



Dino, Desi & Billy never entered the Top 40 again after 1965 and their career was finished by the end of the decade.

For those of you who must have some of their bland vocal pop the Collectables label combined Our Time's Coming with the trio's first album I'm a Fool on a single CD in 2005. It's still available, as is a download version.

Here's a sample of what you'll hear if you buy this album.

Lee Wiley - Night in Manhattan

Jazz singer Lee Wiley (1910-1975) pioneered the concept of recording albums of songs that shared a common composer or theme.

Those albums began appearing in the late 1930s as sets of four 10-inch 78 r.p.m. records. Wiley recorded sets devoted to the Gershwins, Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hart, and Harold Arlen. In the '40s Wiley performed with the big band of pianist Jess Stacy (to whom she was married for a time) and with small groups organized by guitarist Eddie Condon.

In 1950, Wiley signed with Columbia, where she recorded what many consider to be her best album, Night in Manhattan, backed by a group that included trumpeter Bobby Hackett and pianist Joe Bushkin. The LP was first issued as a 10-incher with the cover pictured at the top of this post.

Four additional tracks were made available for the 12-inch release, which had this cover.

In 1995, Columbia Special Products reissued the LP on cassette and CD with the cover below.

Here's a track taken from the cassette version of the 1995 re-release.

I've Got a Crush on You



There are numerous options for obtaining on CD or via downloads the songs that Lee Wiley recorded for the Night in Manhattan sessions. Most of them are listed here.

And here's Wiley with the song that set the mood for Night in Manhattan.

Gale Storm - I Hear You Knocking

Actress and pop singer Gale Storm (1922-2009) is little remembered today, either for her movie and TV work or her hit recordings in the 1950s.

In the '50s Storm was a TV star with her series My Little Margie and later The Gale Storm Show. Her singing appearance on something called the Comedy Hour Show caught the attention of Randy Wood, the head of Dot Records and he signed her to the label.

Like Pat Boone, her label mate at Dot, much of Storm's early recording success was based on her covers of rhythm-and-blues hits. Her first, and biggest, hit was a version of I Hear You Knocking, which Smiley Lewis took into the R-and-B charts in the summer of 1955. Storm's recording, released in the fall of that year, reached No. 2 on Billboard's pop singles chart.



Gale Storm's success on the pop charts was brief. Her last hit, Dark Moon, came less than two years after I Hear You Knocking.

Storm's hits were gathered on a 1995 CD from Varese Sarabande, Dark Moon: The Best of Gale Storm.

This out-of-print release commands premier prices. The cheapest I've seem recently was $22 -- for a used copy! There are other options, however.

The best of these would be two collections from the European label Jasmine, available both on CD and as downloads. There may be some duplication on the tracks, so check before buying both.

Other downloads of Storm's recordings exist, but they are likely inferior in quality.

Here's Storm performing I Hear You Knocking on a 1950s TV show.

Helen O'Connell with Joe Reisman and His Orchestra - Amapola

Big band vocalist Helen O'Connell (1920-1993) achieved her greatest fame with the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra in the early 1940s. Partnered with vocalist Bob Eberly, she had a series of Latin influenced hits, including Brazil, Green Eyes, Tangerine, Yours and Amapola.

In the late 1960s, O'Connell made two recordings for Reader's Digest, reprises of her Dorsey Band hits, Amapola and Green Eyes. These sides were included in a number of various artist compilations that stretched into the digital era.

O'Connell's re-recording of Amapola, accompanied by Joe Reisman and his orchestra, turned up in a 1970 vinyl box set called Let's Take a Sentimental Journey. The link to the track is below.

Amapola



Helen O'Connell's Reader's Digest recordings of Amapola and Green Eyes are available on a 17-track album called The Reader's Digest "Songbird" Sessions, which also includes selections by Margaret Whiting and Helen Forrest. The album is available only as a download from all the major sources (iTunes, Amazon, eMusic, etc.).

Here's the original recording O'Connell and Bob Eberly made with the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra in 1941.

Oscar Peterson Sings Nat King Cole

Oscar Peterson Sings Nat King Cole is a 1970s British budget label reissue of an album called With Respect to Nat, which was released on the Limelight label in the U.S. in 1965.

The LP came out shortly after Cole's death and in his tribute Peterson, who didn't sing on record very often, sounds very much like Nat. On half of the tracks he's backed by a big band arranged and conducted by Manny Albam. On the rest former Oscar Peterson Trio members Herb Ellis (guitar) and Ray Brown (bass) provide the support. Overall the album provides a very pleasant listen. Below is a sample taken from the Contour vinyl reissue.

When My Sugar Walks Down the Street



If you like what your hear, you're in luck. The album is available almost everywhere on either CD or as a download under the original title With Respect to Nat.

Listen to another song from With Respect to Nat in this YouTube offering.