Howdy, everyone,
Before getting to today's feature, I'd like to offer up the first of a series of ads that a reader and correspondent named Pete was nice enough to send my way. Thank you very much, Pete. The first one is an issue of TV/Record mirror in July 1962. I am very dubious of the "Songwriters' Association"'s claims to have placed their songs on either side of the records listed, the first two of which contained genuine smash hits. Just the fact that they asked for "Poems" instead of "Lyrics", to say nothing of the fact that this is based on the idea of an unsolicited lyric being made into a hit record, indicates what these folks were up to.
Again, many thanks, Pete!
~~
Today, at least in the U.S., is Mother's Day. And who better to sing about his mother than former Governor of Oklahoma Frank Keating? Well, while that is the name on the label, sadly, the vocal here is actually not by a notable American politician. No, even a cursory listen will demonstrate to those in the song-poem know that although the label says Frank Keating, the singer here is Rodd Keith. And a bittersweet lyric it is, indeed, as Phillip A. Daugherty's lyric poignantly recalls his late mother, and looks forward to the day (which he seems to think is coming soon) when the angels will guide him to meet her in heaven.
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So the lesson is, that if she's still around, call your mother.
On the flip side is another Daugherty lyric, this time to a song titled "Rose Behind the Bar". This one lopes along well enough, with a pleasant melody and a nice vocal from Rodd.
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5 comments:
Thank you for posting. I now have a new least favorite Rodd Keith 45!!! xo
Both sides sound as they were pressed off center. Good enough songs, though...
The songs in that advert don't seem to have much in common, either by way of songwriters or of publishers. Two of them ("What A Surprise" and "Hop In My Jalop") are credited on the singles in question to "D. Pasternack" and "S. Lewis" ("What A Surprise" also to "P. Scerra"). I suspect given the scarcity of the name that the first of those is Dave Pasternack of Syracuse, NY, who had a few composer credits going back as far as 1956, and played in the 1960s group Carmen and the Vikings; but this is supposition...
For some reason that I can't put my finger on, the drum rhythms for both songs seem to be out of step with the remaining instruments.
I actually love this 45, and I'm surprised no one pointed out the lyrics for "Rose Behind The Bar". Mr. Daugherty obviously has a crush on Rose, probably has had that crush for a long time.....but now she's going out with this Buddy Pine! And he's being a gentleman! He's happy for Rose and Buddy! Or at least that's what he's saying! You kinda get the impression HE wants to be the one going out with Rose! This is all kinda inferred, between-the-lines kind of stuff. Plus the song says it's her birthday! So much can be gleaned (or projected!) onto the song-poet: he has a crush on a barmaid that has a birthday coming up, one who has now started going out with said Buddy Pine...he gives this 45 to her as a gift, namechecking Buddy in the song so that he doesn't get beaten up.......and then on the flip side he puts on a poem to his dearly-departed mother. It's a 45 for the two women Mr. Daugherty loves most!
The smear of the mellotrons on both sides is demented, Rodd at his most psychedelic, the melodies and hooks are strong on both, and Rodd is obviously "in character" as Mr. Daughtery for both sides. Love the back-up vocals on "Rose Behind The Bar", both sides actually. Rodd projects two things on this 45: sincerity.....and psychedelia! Plus hooks. Good enough for me!
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