Howdy, everyone!
Well, problems getting Opendrive to accept my uploads, and some truly busy job and home requirements have left me nearly a week behind. Hopefully, today's offering makes up for the delay.
As I've documented several times, Prior to mid-1972, the Cinema label's releases (always labeled as having been performed by "The Real Pros") usually featured a one-man-band operation, and then, during 1972, the label slowly transitioned over to the MSR gang (which would soon take over the label's product almost entirely). And I've also probably made it clear that my tastes run to the former over the latter by a wide margin. So it is that I have another one of those early Cinema releases today, albeit one with a significant difference from the others I've shared.
On the side of the record featuring the remarkable and ridiculous "Kitchen Table Boogie", we have the early Cinema label vocalist I've come to know and love, and he's got a doozy for us. Here we have another lyricist who seemingly grabbed any word that rhymed with the end of the previous line, then created a line that could end with that rhyming word. Man, Combine that with a wah-wah styled keyboard setting, a swinging beat, and some wild soloing at the end, and it's a complete packing. In Fact, That's Country Style!
Download: The Real Pros - Kitchen Table Boogie
Play:
The difference comes up with the rather bland flip side, a song with the clunky title "Wondering Memories". Here we still have the same home-organ console, played very likely by the same person who is on most or all of the other Real Pros records from this period. But the singer in this case is a woman, a vocalist I don't recognize, and who does not have much vocal personality (or talent). Perhaps I've heard others from this label/era with this or another female vocalist (perhaps I've even shared one), but if so, I don't remember it. The song is very forgettable, the only thing that stands out me being this exceptionally poorly written couplet: "More Heartbreak Could Be Fatal / Especially For Me".
Download: The Real Pros - Wondering Memories
Play:
5 comments:
Kitchen Boogie is a real masterpiece. Memories is fatal.
I can only agree with Timmy. Should we assume that this is the guy who sang the wonderful "Teenage Queen" and "Deep Freeze Mama"?
To my ears, there is one great later Real Pros record ("Rain on the Roof").
Do you know anything about the name given under the title? Earl J Van Alstine? That was the name of my husband's childhood friend's father.....
W not J. :)
Hi, Heather - thanks for writing. I know almost nothing about anyone who wrote these song-poems, with VERY few exceptions. I'm not even sure how I would gain that information. Sorry I can't be of more help. Bob
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