Rod Rogers: Jazz Singer

 Greetings - Happy March!

I have - yet again - updated another month's worth of posts. This time, as it was December of 2010, there were some Christmas releases mixed in. In addition to a rare Delicks label Christmas release (complete with comment at the bottom from the author of the song-poems), and holiday offerings from Mike Thomas and Sammy Marshall, there were also two stellar offerings, one an interesting number from Rodd Keith and the other an incomprehensible number from the Melodiers on Tin Pan Alley. 

And speaking of Rodd Keith: 

I have two 45's on the label which is named "Dave Owens' Circle 'D'" ("If it's Circle 'D', It's Good"), and previously shared the other of these discs (a Rodd Keith/Sammy Marshall hybrid) four years ago here. 

Today I have the other one. And there's a question here for you, my reading and listening audience. Because these tracks aren't really very good - with the exception of one very cool section. But I have a feeling that there are those out there who would prefer that ALL Rodd Keith tracks see release and/or sharing at some point. I don't believe this is true for any other person in the song-poem world. So my question is this - are there those of you who want to hear everything I own by Rodd, even if it's poor to middling, as these tracks are? Or should I self edit more? 

Regardless, I think I would have shared this one - "Tears of Happiness" - anyway, because of how much I enjoy a solo section near the end. First, let's note that someone helpfully wrote "Jazz Singer" in large letters around much of the label. I've listened to this track several times, and honestly, that's not what I hear. Not even in the same ballpark. Not even in the same sport. This is Rodd at 3/4s of his most unctuous, and the song seems to go on forever. But then, the magic of the Chamberlin hits at 1:58, and for 23 seconds, I'm in heaven. 

Download: Rod Rogers - Tears of Happiness

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From the same musical world - and beat to hell for the first minute or so (and I will soon try again to fix that skip...) - is "I Couldn't Live Without You", but this one doesn't even have the benefit of a very  interesting Chamberlin arrangement. Also, is there a link between his inability to live without her and his not having a dime? I must know!

Time to EMOTE, Rod!: 

Download: Rod Rogers - I Couldn't Live Without You

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If It's Circle D, It's Good!

The "Circle 'D'" label, out of Speedwell, Tennessee, seems to have been a teeny-tiny project. And based on the one site I can find that has captured some information on the label, found here, it's connection to the song-poem world seems quite tenuous. The other known releases on the label are largely religious in nature, and the one other label scan found does not feature the same song-writers as are seen on this record (a hallmark of these teeny labels is that often, all songs on the label are written by the same person or people).

 

However, at some point in the mid 1960's, someone named Ruth Ellen White teamed up with two different co-writers (and perhaps composers) to put together songs, and then bought the talents of two very disparate song-poem outfits, Sandy Stanton's Film City factory and the gigantic Globe song-poem operation. Remarkably, they produced records which - despite completely different instrumentation and singers, have the same tempo, general (rolling) beat and key.

 

From Film City, we have chief label star, and one-man-band, Rodd Keith (as Rod Rogers, of course), with a lovely midtempo ditty titled "Out Where the Coyotes Howl". This is not one of Rodd's greatest vocals or Chamberlin efforts, but the thick production has some appeal to me, as do the howls that he helpfully added to the mix.

 

Download: Rod Rogers: Out Where the Coyotes Howl

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On the flip side, we have Sammy Marshall, or Sonny Marcell, to be specific. True to its title, "Strumming the Old Guitar" is accompanied by guitar, although it does precious little strumming, and a lot more picking, behind a fairly dreary song.

 

But wait, maybe it's better than I think it is, because, as the label says, "If Its (sic) Circle D Its (sic) Good"

 

Download: Sonny Marcell: Strumming the Old Guitar

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