Today, a mixed bag of items gathered from a variety of sources, posted at the request of and/or thanks to a few folks who have contacted me in recent weeks.First up is an offering sent to me by a correspondent named René. This one came about after my discussion here about the song-poet Phil Carroll, who also wrote this first rate song - "What Puts the Go in Chicago" - which René was kind enough to clean up and send my way (along with a scan of its label). There's a lot to like here, from the sinewy guitar that twists its way through to the track, to the swingin' beat of the rest of the band, to (especially) Mr. Carroll's unique lyrics. The verse about O'Hare airport made me laugh out loud, and the reference to where the sites are is downright peculiar. Here 'tis:
Download: Dick Kent - What Puts the Go in Chicago
Play:
Next up.....From a correspondent named Bill came a request to hear what I might have on the subject of John F. Kennedy. A recent acquisition came to mind: Gene Marshall's rendition of the downright peculiarly named "Mr. John Kennedy - Ex President". Here is that Preview label disk, in all its glory:
Next up.....From a correspondent named Bill came a request to hear what I might have on the subject of John F. Kennedy. A recent acquisition came to mind: Gene Marshall's rendition of the downright peculiarly named "Mr. John Kennedy - Ex President". Here is that Preview label disk, in all its glory:Play:
And here is the flip side, "Just Dreaming All the Time":
Play:
Finally, a real oddity, which I'm posting for a few friends and online acquaintances. This one was snagged from an online site, where it was only posted for a week or two - I'm not sure that the person who posted it realized that the MP3 and the 7" were downloadable. It's from a rare Halmark label acetate, and as usual, there is no artist named. Those of you familiar with the CD re-issues of song-poems will no doubt recognize the backing track here, but the horrendous lyrics are the real star in this case. Please enjoy the genius of Margie Fuller's song, "Gas": Download - Halmark Productions - Gas
Play:
Today's post was delayed by several days due to other obligations. There will be another post on Thursday or Friday.
6 comments:
Another fun Phil Carroll lyric! Did I tell you that I searched for him in the old Tribune archives? He used to send in jokes, wordplay, etc. to the society columnists, and they'd sometimes run his stuff.
That "Gas" lyric is a downer. Must have been hell to sing...
A little more info on the Margie Fuller acetate: the unnumbered 10" plays at 33 1/3 rpm, and the second side features a Chapel Recording Company label and the song High on the Love of Jesus, He Guarantee (written by Barbara Miller) Both songs have, in true Halmark/Hallmark style, no named artist, but I'd gess that Gas is either Dodie Frost or Mary Kimmell, probably the former.
Wow! Somebody had a story that only they could tell... or understand. THANKS for this one. I'll be back for more.
"What Puts the Go...", "Mr. John Kennedy", and "Gas" aren't working now. I'd like to know just how much heck "Gas" was to sing.
Thanks again. Bob, for getting these links to work! "It's headline news all over the nation, it's headline news all over the nation"!
I guess things aren't so bad nowadays, because we still have Jupiter and Mars. I guess nowadays, the end is Pluto.
I wonder how many presidents Gene Marshall has sung about through these years?
If you'll excuse me now, somebody just ran over a skunk, so I gotta take in some more sites now. See ya.
All I can honestly say is "gas" is well --- IT'S A GAS.
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