Sugah Sugah

Greetings, 

Sorry for the half-month without posts. My desktop was hacked early this month and I'm still working on getting it fully clean. I cannot access some of the sites I use for writing this site and saving the files, so I had to wait to get everything together on another machine. 

Anyway, first, here is yet another vintage song-poem ad, with all thanks to Vinnie. I have no idea what company this may have been, or which of the two composers of "Dream a Little Dream of Me" chose to go the non-legit route. Probably the one that died from alcoholism (and not actually from falling down an elevator shaft). 

As I've probably said before, too many times, Edith Hopkins is my favorite writer from the song-poem world. The records she wrote are technically not wholly song-poems, as she clearly wrote both the words AND the music for her songs. But she utilized the song-poem companies.She initially worked with the existing companies, most notably Carellen, where she also appears to have aimed some of her songs for the legit market, including one of the best records ever made.

Then she decided to form her own label, "Inner-Glo", but continued to use the various song-poem factories to record her songs, primarily the Globe factory (although a few Inner-Glo releases do not involve song-poem outfits, and appear to have been aimed at the legit market). You can hear all of the Inner-Glo postings I have shared (including this one), here. 

Today's offering, 1962's "Sugah Tongue", from Sammy Marshall (identified here as Sonny Marcell), is not one of her best, perhaps, but it is catchy and bouncy and Sammy/Sonny gives it his all. This was also recorded some time before Globe fell into the soulless, repetitive that is heard on most of their releases.  

Download: Sonny Marcell - Sugah Tongue

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As an aside, I have seen multiple copies of this record show up on eBay (none of which sold, I don't think), and every last one of them listed the name of the song incorrectly as "Sugar Tongue". 

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The flip side is "Was Young Love Born to Die", which is rendered without a question mark. And that might be the most interesting thing about it. The lyrics are not up to Edith Hopkins' standards, and while the echoey production and Sammy's effectively emotive pleading are appealing, there's not much else here to like. 

Download: Sonny Marcell - Was Young Love Born to Die

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Kris "Patsy Cline" Arden

To quote a previous post featuring the Inner-Glo label: 

As I do whenever I feature either an Edith Hopkins composition and/or a record on her custom label (out of Emporia, Kansas), "Inner-Glo", I will again explain that Ms. Hopkins is my favorite song-poet, based on the high quality of her (large number of) best songs, and also that she was a bit of a curio in the song-poem world in that, although she used the song-poem factories, particularly Globe, it appears that she wrote all the words AND music to her songs, so she was not technically fully part of the song-poem world. Additionally, although it doesn't apply here, she also wrote and commissioned records of certain songs meant to be directed at the legitimate radio/record store/Billboard magazine world, most notably with (but not limited to), the incomparable "What's She Got (That I Ain't Got)", by Betty Jayne.

"I Don't Get Over You" is another solid piece of songwriting. And as I wrote about a previous Inner-Glo release by Kris Arden, the singer and the arranger had clearly been listening to some of the later recordings made by Patsy Cline. The flute doesn't really fit in with that description, and seems superfluous to me, but otherwise, this is countrypolitan, Cline style all the way around. The harmony vocal on the bridges is particularly nice. 

Download: Kris Arden - I Don't Get Over You

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The flip side is "So You're Sorry Again", and pretty much everything I said about "I Don't Get Over You" applies here, although in this case, the unnecessary addition is a tenor sax player, whose honking is distracting and doesn't fit with the feel of the rest of the band. I don't think this is as solid a performance as the flip, but I do like a few moments of tight harmony, and it's worth a listen.

Download: Kris Arden - So You're Sorry Again

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Sammy Marshall's Greatest Hits

It was five months ago, when, while writing a post about an Inner-Glo records release, I discovered, to my great surprise, that I'd never featured my favorite two Sammy Marshall recordings, which are on the two sides of the same 45. I'd like to rectify that now. The record, as you might surmise from that introduction, also came out on the Inner-Glo label, and like all Inner-Glo releases, was written (or, in the case of these two songs, co-written) by label creator and head honcho (honcha?) Edith Hopkins, my all time favorite song-poet. I've rhapsodized about her quite enough, including in the post linked above, so I'll get right to the music. 

Now, I write that these are my favorite Sammy tunes, and labeled this post "Sammy Marshall's Greatest Hits" knowing full well that many, if not most of you out there - at least those who have a favorite Sammy Marshall record - probably prefer one of his rock and roll rave-ups, or maybe even one of his all-to-few (and excellent) atmospheric numbers such as "Picture in the Fire". 

(I also recognize that he's identified here as "Sonny Marcell", but I'll go with his most common song-poem name, here and in the labels.)

But these two teen idol styled numbers are the gold standard for me, with "Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained" getting the nod as the better of the two. Both of these songs, but particularly "Nothing Ventured", sound to me like records that could easily have been hits, and which are better than most of the pimply-pop-rock offerings of the various Bobbys and Brians and other teen and post teen warblers of the 1960-63 era (except, I hasten to add, nowhere near what Gene Pitney was doing - he was phenomenal). 

As I said, I think this one is the better of the two. They're both really good, but this one has an indelible melody, excellent lyrics, a sparkling arrangements - I love that effect laden guitar at the beginning and end (shades of George Harrison's Leslie'd guitar from several years later!) - fabulous, thick harmonies on the choruses and first rate vocals - did Sammy ever sing more effectively with heart-on-his-sleeve emotion ? I'm very pleased to offer up a record I consider to be among the best song-poems ever released. 

Download: Sonny Marcell - Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained

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Two other things I'll mention. First, this seems to date from around 1962, which is before the folks at Globe fell into a sort of bland sameness, which is to its advantage. And second, this is among the first song-poems I found, in 1997, less than year after I started looking for song-poems. 

The flip side, "I'll Do It For You", is no slouch, either. A loping beat, another wonderful melody, and sweet, love-struck lyrics, complete with a few humorous asides ("my canoe a-leakin'). And then there are even more close harmonies on the chorus - I swoon over those. Just another damn good song by Edith Hopkins and a record that does good by her. 

Download: Sonny Marcell - I'll Do It For You

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I rarely ask specifically for comments, but I am interested in this case to hear if other people here what I hear in these two songs, and if you also think these are among (or are) Sammy's Best. 

More Old Time Religion

Wow, can it really be four months (to the day!) that I featured Sammy Marshall? I'm gonna guess there's never been that much of a gap between Sammy records before, on this site. 

And this also gives me a chance to revisit, once again, song-poet extraordinaire Edith Hopkins. As I've written before, Edith Hopkins wrote several songs which appeared on the "Carellen" label, an outfit that appears to have provided vanity pressings and semi-legit releases for a number of songwriters and performers. But she then created her own label, "Inner-Glo", and utilized the folks at Globe and at Film City, as well as other performers, to perform her songs on that label. 

I have heard from members of her family over the years, and they have confirmed my suspicion she was the composer of her songs; that is, that she wrote the words AND the music for the songs which carried her name, unlike a 100% song-poem where someone at the song-poem factory wrote the music. So her releases sort of cross the song-poem/vanity line, at least on those records where someone like Sammy Marshall (or, as he's identified here, Sonny Marcell) is performing her work. Other releases were likely attempts to market actual potential hit records. 

For my money, Edith Hopkins was one of the best writers working within the environs of song-poems. Examples abound, but here are two: one from my site, and one which is available on YouTube. Oh, and there is the little matter about how she wrote my favorite record - by a country mile - that ever came out of anything even adjacent to the song-poem/vanity world. The first bridge of that record is quite likely my favorite 15 seconds ever record. Ever.

Anyway....

Today it's another religious song from the pen of Ms. Hopkins, appropriate, as it turns out, for the first week of Lent, I suppose, but that's a coincidence - the appeal to me here is the bouncy track and the engaging and warm vocals, not the lyrics (although they're quite effective, too). It's got the clunky title "Hurry Lord God, Reach Down For Me", and I'm guessing that no song-poem ever had more commas in a title. Something dreary could easily have been made out of this, and if so, I wouldn't be featuring it. But happily, it's a country pop groove, which becomes more and more gospelly as it goes along, what with the handclaps and the wailing soprano in the final minute. And, like so many of her songs, it's a capably written song, with effect lyrics and a really good melody (although I must admit that the words of the last verse, which touch on the crucifixion, sound more than a bit weird  when combined with this peppy, upbeat music. 

Download: Sonny Marcell - Hurry Lord God, Reach Down For Me

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Well, they can't all be winners. On the flip side we find "Just a Whisper". Musically, this is professionally done, and Sammy Marshall rather gave anything less than his all. But aside from a few minor pleasures (I like the harmonies), it's a pretty dang dull effort. 

By the way, for those who might be interested, this record is from 1962. 

Download: Sonny Marcell - Just a Whisper

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Dreamy Music to Make Your Inners Glo

Happy Second Half of the Year. Let's hope it's better than the First Half. 

I have updated another month's worth of broken posts, October of 2012 in this case. We're getting there.....

This week's fixes include a special post of a Bob Storm record sent to me by Darryl Bullock, a set of two disparate offerings from Tin Pan Alley, a pairing of Cara Stewart and "The Mystery Girl" singing a song with a mangled title, and a fairly awful Dick Kent number on MSR. 

As I do whenever I feature either an Edith Hopkins composition and/or a record on her custom label (out of Emporia, Kansas), "Inner-Glo", I will again explain that Ms. Hopkins is my favorite song-poet, based on the high quality of her (large number of) best songs, and also that she was a bit of a curio in the song-poem world in that, although she used the song-poem factories, particularly Globe, it appears that she wrote all the words AND music to her songs, so she was not technically fully part of the song-poem world. Additionally, although it doesn't apply here, she also wrote and commissioned records of certain songs meant to be directed at the legitimate radio/record store/Billboard magazine world, most notably with (but not limited to), the incomparable "What's She Got (That I Ain't Got)", by Betty Jayne.

Anyway, what we have today is a Hopkins special from that Inner-Glo label, from about 1964, and sounding all the world like some sort of brilliant mixture of a Patsy Cline song with production one might have found coming out of certain early '60's Los Angeles studios.

Whatever you want to call it, I think "That's the Place I Should Be" is just lovely. The lilting melody, the appealing duet vocals, and the loping 6/8 beat played by creating a wonderfully dreamy sound. And... I may have mentioned this before, but I adore the sound of a vibraphone, and the presence of one on both sides of this record (including a solo in each track!) is the perfect addition.

Download: Kris Arden - That's the Place I Should Be
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The flip side, "Should I Forget", doesn't have as much going for it - its main attraction for me is some fabulous vibraphone flavoring and another solo. Otherwise, while it's structurally somewhat similar to the flip side, and the lyrics are considerably better than the vast majority of song-poems, there's not much to set it apart from 100 other slow 6/8 weepers.

Download: Kris Arden - Should I Forget
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What Has He Done?

Arrgh! Probably with my file sharing site have kept me from posting for about two weeks. I assume the problem was only with me, as no one has complained of broken links on my recent posts. 

And speaking of broken links, I have no reconnected the four posts I made back in February of 2015. Now, once again, you can enjoy the full splendor of a classic Bob Storm emote-a-thon, a truly amazing record by Rod Barton about political problems in the Congo, Dick Kent with a simple solution for everything, and some sample kisses from Cara Stewart. 

And now....

I say this every time I share one of her songs, but Edith L. Hopkins sure could write a catchy song. She wasn't exactly a song-poet, as she wrote both the words and the music. And she seems to have gone for the legit market at times. But at other times, she engaged the services of various song-poem factories, particularly after she opened up her own label, Inner-Glo Records. So it is that we have multiple Edith Hopkins numbers sung by the likes of Sammy Marshall.

For his Inner-Glo releases, Sammy was renamed "Sandy Singer", but in every other way, this is a standard early period Globe/Sammy number, except that, to my ears, "What Have I Done?", has a wonderful, country edged and lilting melody, and Sammy provides one of his best heart-on-his-sleeve, pained vocals. The main drawback here, and it's a good one, is that the sound quality is nothing short of atrocious, as if the 45 was mastered directly from an acetate. 

Download: Sandy Singer (Sammy Marshall) - What Have I Done?

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"Never to Know" is on the flip side, and nothing I said about "What Have I Done?" applies. This is a fairly deadly 6/8 thing, done in a dreary arrangement that seems to go on forever. 

Download: Sandy Singer (Sammy Marshall) - Never to Know

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Carof and the Boys with a Folk-Song-Poem Single

I have a rather unusual release for you today, unusual for a few different reasons.

The record was released on the Inner-Glo label, a label which existed primarily for the purpose of housing songs written by Edith Hopkins. Edith Hopkins may be my favorite writer from the song-poem world, having written more than a half-dozen songs that I really love.

At some point, Ms. Hopkins may a go of it as an actual, prospective writer of hit songs, and a few non-song-poem (although not successful) artists recorded her work on the Carellen label, which seems to (maybe) have been a legit/song-poem hybrid. 

At some point, however, she moved on to her own Inner-Glo label. And many, if not most, of the records I've heard and seen on Inner-Glo came from the Globe song-poem factory, with such stalwarts as Sammy Marshall and Kris Arden. And they tend to sound very much like Globe releases, even when they are far above average, as with Sammy's great double-A side "I'll Do It For You" / "Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained".

The story behind today's record, though, is not so clear, and I find it kind of fascinating. First, there is the artist credit, to "David, Paul and Carof". I've done some searches just now, and I can't find any reference to "Carof" being a first name. It also appears that this record (from 1964) is the only one ever released bearing this artist credit.

And on top of that, the song's genre is one rarely heard on song-poem records - folk music, very much in the relatively simple vein of Peter, Paul and Mary or the Kingston Trio (although not in the wheelhouse of the more adept and musically excellent groups such as The Weavers, The Limeliters or The Chad Mitchell Trio). I can barely think of another song-poem that sounds quite like this.

The song on this side is by far the better of the two, to my ears, "The Love of a Woman" (although I wish they'd bothered to get all the instruments in tune with each other), and yes, the record really does end like that.

Download: David, Paul and Carof - The Love of a Woman
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The flip side is the more musically complex "A Rose Can't Grow", but it's also quite a bit more ponderous, and is the sort of thing that often tries my patience, despite my being a huge fan of the music of the folk revival of this era. It sounds to me like the vocal gymnastics required by the arrangement are a bit beyond these guys.

Download: David, Paul and Carof - A Rose Can't Grow
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A Little Housekeeping

Shortly after I began this song-poem-of-the-week project - exactly four years ago this week, as a matter of fact - commenters began requesting that rather than share just one song, that I post both sides of any single that I choose, and that I scan and include the labels from both sides. I aim to please, and with very few exceptions, I've done that in all of my posts since early in the project. 

But I didn't do so in my recent WFMU post of ten Christmas song poems (which, in case you missed it, can be found here). So, in a little act of end-of-the-year housekeeping, here are nine of the ten flip sides from the tracks featured in that WFMU post (as mentioned in that post, the tenth record, "Picolo, The Christmas Elf", had a significant, crescent moon shaped crack in it - the flip side was virtually unplayable, and in trying to make it playable, I broke that crescent shape right out of the record. Ah, well...)

Here goes!

I actually believe this record, and one other (below) have been available online at some point, and may circulate among collectors, but I can't find that either of them are currently available, so, in the interest of completeness, I'm including them. The flip side of the Norris Mayhams Christmas single "Jingle Mint Twist", also by Mayhams, and sung by "Singing Sammy Marshall", is "Come Back to Me": 

Download: Singing Sammy Marshall - Come Back to Me
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The flip side of Norm Burns' "Christmas With You" is the rather bland "Living Rose":

Download: Norm Burns - Living Rose
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"Xmas and You" may have been a bit of sweetness from Eleanor Shaw, but the flip side is anything but sweetness. Have a listen to "Scars On My Broken Heart": 

Download: Eleanor Shaw - Scars On My Broken Heart

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The high-end song-poem outfit Stylecraft brought us "Christmas in Ireland" in my WFMU post, and on the flip side, the same batch of performers, headed by Lynne Richards, offers up "You've Got to Live to Love":

Download: Lynne Richards with the Bill Lawrence Orchestra - You've Got to Love to Live
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Next up, two songs which I really should have included in that WFMU post, because they are both Christmas songs. But I was paying attention to titles, and not having a re-listen before making the files, so I didn't pay any attention to that fact. Here, a week or so late, is the flip side to "Christmas Tree", Sandy and Patty's Fable label rendition of "Oh, Lovely Night": 

Download: Sandy and Patty with The Panics - Oh, Lovely Night

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And another Christmassy one, here's that other record that I think probably floats around in trading circles, Rod Rogers' flip to "Smile, It's Christmas", in which he expresses a holier thought for the day, "Let's Share a Prayer":

Download: Rod Rogers - Let's Share a Prayer
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Eleanor Shaw is back again, with the flip side of "Dear Santa", which is titled "Come Back":

Download: Eleanor Shaw - Come Back
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As was often the case on MSR records, labelmates shared a release on MSR 2377. On the reverse of Dick Kent's "Everywhere You Go on Christmas" lives Bobbi Blake's very un-Christmassy "Wicked Woman":

Download: Bobbi Blake - Wicked Woman
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Saving the weirdest for last, here is Madelyn Buzzard. At WFMU, I shared her song "Christmas is the Love Within Your Heart". For the flip, we have the mid-winter saga "Chicken House Blues", which pairs deeply strange lyrics with half-assed musical performance, and Madelyn's relentlessly terrible singing for true song-poem trifecta. Enjoy!

Download: Madelyn Buzzard - Chicken House Blues
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HAPPY NEW YEAR - It's been a challenging, at times wretched year, for family, friends and neighbors. Aside from a bright spot at the beginning of November, there's not much I would want to relive, and I'll be happy to see a new, hopefully better year come along. Despite all that, I have greatly enjoyed, yet again, sharing all of this wondrous, odd and unique music with you, and one bright spot has been the feedback that I've received here, and at WFMU, and for that I am thankful.

Bob

Empty Seats and Empty Hearts

Today, in honor of Holy Week, I've got a record written by my all-time favorite Song-Poet, Edith Hopkins. On of these days, I'll have to do a large post - probably at WFMU - featuring the best of Edith Hopkins, because I've barely featured her here. Those with larger collections might recognize such titles as "Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained" by Sammy Marshall, "Only When She's Blue" by Rod Rogers or "What's She Got (That I Ain't Got)" by Betty Jayne, but many song-poem fans may have little or no idea who she was/is. Ms. Hopkins submitted lyrics to a variety of song-poem operations, and at some point set up her own label, "Inner-Glo", out of Imporia, Kansas. At Inner-Glo, she appears to have continued to commission song-poems from the usual subjects, but released the results herself, in addition to apparently commissioning some records (such as the excellent "Lock the Windows") via more legit channels. And that's really all I know about her (and even some of that is supposition). As I said, one of these days, a major Edith Hopkins blog post is coming. Today, however, two sides of an Inner-Glo 45, both featuring Christian lyrics. The first side featured is the winner here, a peppy slice of pre-Beatles era pimple-rock at its best. I don't know if Frankie Avalon ever did an inspirational album, but if he did, I imagine it sounding precisely like this. Please enjoy "Dollars For Satan": 

Download: Joel Pitt - Dollars For Satan

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From a musical and performance perspective, the flip side, "Most Precious Saviour", holds no interest for me at all, but in the interest of completeness, I'm offering it up here.

Download: Joel Pitt - Most Precious Savior

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