When a Baby is Born

First of all, let me wish all of you a happy Christmas, and/or joyful whatever else you're having. I appreciate every visitor and every visit to this site, and I hope you find it worth your while every time you stop by.

When I found I had a recent acquisition containing the song title "When a Baby is Born", I felt that was a natural for a Christmas Day post. However, the song, named in this week's post title, is by far the lesser of the two songs on this 45, so I'll share it in the runner-up position.

And it's no surprise that the flip side is better, as it is yet another winner from Cara Stewart, in this case titled "Each Passing Day". I suppose nothing really sets this one aside from other Cara efforts, just another wonderfully winning vocal and more arrangement magic from Lee Hudson.

Download: Cara Stewart and Orchestra - Each Passing Day
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Actually the most interesting aspects of this record are probably the ones found on the label. When I shared the only other "Princess" label 45, in a post here (the links in that post no longer work), I speculated that the record in question was one of very few on the Princess label, a label not documented anywhere else at that time. Clearly, there were more, as this record, from three years later (1969), is number 19, a whole six records after the 1966 issue linked above. Clearly these are rarities - it took me eight years to acquire a second Princess release.

I didn't mention it in that previous post, but what is the deal with the copyright of "Dorothy Mann, Queen of the West"? That's got me thinking. And then of course, there is the matter of how and why did this come into the position of a Sergeant in the Women's Army Corps, as seen on the sticker. These are the things that would keep me up at night, if I was the sort to be kept up at night, which I'm not.

Anyway, the flip side, "When a Baby is Born", may make for a good title to use on a post for Christmas Day, but as a song - even a song-poem, it's fairly awful. This slow, dull record doesn't even give me much of a clue as to what song-poem factory it may have come from. Thoughts on that? The record claims the singer is someone named "Frank Cherry", but a quick listen shows that this is very unlikely to be the case. At least, I'm not familiar with "Frank" being a unisex name, but maybe I'm just out of the loop.

Download: (Labeled As) Frank Cherry and Orchestra - When a Baby is Born
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And finally, here is the Christmas card my family and I sent out to family and friends this year. We have a history of offbeat Christmas cards, and my older daughter, who is an artist, had perhaps the best idea we've ever had for a card. My wife and I are in the front row (I'm actually bald - that's a wig), and our daughters are in the back, on either side of the boyfriend of my my younger daughter (who is on the left).

A Real Rarity

No doubt all song-poem records are "rare", given that none of them was likely produced in numbers to match even the smallest of Billboard Hot 100 chart hits or near hits. On the other hand, there are certain records which turn up much more frequently than others on auction sites and in other places, particularly certain Preview 45's. 

But here's one I've never seen referred to anywhere but in the one eBay auction at which I bought it, and on a label which isn't referenced anywhere that I can find. Indeed, this may be the only record ever released on the "Princess" song-poem label, although the record number (13) may indicate that there were a few others. 

Out of the thousands of 45's in my collection, this disk also holds the distinction of being the 45 for which I paid the most money (although, technically, this is an EP). This record puts a lot of questions in my mind: Who is "Dorothy Mann - Queen of the West"? She's not the author of any of the songs. Why is this speciality label EP divided between two songwriters? And do the songs on the B-Side really date from 1966, at which point the singer involved was a decade removed from his most active period, and probably well along the way of what was likely a long, slow decline? 

Immediately upon hearing the first tune on the record - every time - I am smiling. This is clearly a Film City production, with Rodd Keith (as Rod Rogers) playing the Chamberlin. That's a sound I simply never get tired of, and all but the most maudlin of Chamberlin records (aside from most Richard Chamberlain records) make me happy, just from the sound of that ridiculous machine. Rod himself sings the first track, "Kisses": 

Download; Rod Rogers and Swinging Strings - Kisses

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And then Rod steps back to the Chamberlin and lets Film City regular Frank Perry (another vocalist I enjoy) take over the lead on "I Can't Go". 

Download: Frank Perry with Orchestra - I Can't Go

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I want a Chamberlin. 

I suspect the real draw to that auction, though, was the fact that the two songs on the flip side are by "Singing Jimmy Drake", better know as Nervous Norvis. 

His story has been told, in great fashion, elsewhere, and the CD of much of his material, put together masterfully by Phil Milstein, is a must-buy for fans of song-poems, of the offbeat, or just for those looking for something a little different. 

Anyway, on this EP, Drake takes over the second side, with two atmospheric songs, accompanied as usual by his top-notch baritone ukulele playing. The first song is "Beneath Our Sweetgum Tree":

Download: Singing Jimmy Drake - Beneath Our Sweetgum Tree

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And the similar, yet subtly different second song is "When the Roundup Days are Over": 

Download: Singing Jimmy Drake - When the Roundup Days are Over

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Again, these last two tracks really make me wonder - Drake died of Cirrhosis of the Liver in 1968. Was he still recording pieces like this in 1966? Perhaps, but I suspect we'll never know.