Wednesday 45 Flashback: ‘It’s All in the Game’

One of my favorite songs of all time is “It’s All in the Game.”

It has been sung by Nat King Cole, Johnny Mathis, Sammy Davis, Jr., Louis Armstrong and the Four Tops. And also by Andy Williams, Robert Goulet, Van Morrison, Glen Campbell and Elton John.

That’s the mark of a great song.

The man who had the biggest hit with it is far lesser known. His name was Tommy Edwards, and his 1958 recording of “It’s All in the Game” was a No. 1 smash.

That platter is spinning below, courtesy of a YouTuber known as bucksheespins.

The song has an interesting history. For nearly 40 years, it didn’t have words. The music – titled “Melody in A Major” – was composed in 1912 by Charles Dawes, a banker and music hobbyist who later became vice president of the United States!

Dawes wrote the melody in 3/4 time. If you’d like to hear how it originally sounded, follow this link to Amazon.com, scroll down to Disc 5, Track 13, and stream a piece of the 1920s recording by violinist Fritz Kreisler.

In 1951, hit songwriter Carl Sigman added lyrics and a new title. (He also changed it to 4/4 time.) The rest is pop-music history.

One of my favorite versions of “It’s All in the Game” is a live instrumental performance by pianist Keith Jarrett. Click here to hear it on my Vox blog.

Wednesday 45 Flashback: ‘You Keep Me Hangin’ On’

Not the 1966 Supremes classic but the heavy-rock cover version by Vanilla Fudge... which was a Top-10 hit in 1967.

All hail Mr. Holland, Mr. Dozier and Mr. Holland.

Wednesday 45 Flashback: ‘Then He Kissed Me’

When Phil Spector put his “Wall of Sound” behind a New York City girl group called the Crystals, he created some great pop singles. This is one of them.

(Cheers, as always, to thunderbird1958, the YouTube 45 king.)

Wednesday 45 Flashback: ‘I Was Made to Love Her’

I hadn’t checked in with thunderbird1958 lately. My favorite YouTube record-spinner has got almost 1,300 singles loaded up in his digital jukebox.

Here’s one by Stevie Wonder from the summer of ’67. Hard to believe he was only 16 years old when he recorded this.

“I Was Made to Love Her” was Stevie’s biggest pop hit since his first one, “Fingertips” (in 1963). To this day, it’s guaranteed to make you feel right.

Wednesday 33⅓ Flashback: ‘I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus’

The words “A Christmas gift for you from Phil Spector” may have a dark undertone now. (“Close your eyes, honey... Don’t open ’em... Are they closed?...” BLAM!)

But the 1963 LP “A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector” is, in the words of the All Music Guide, “inarguably the greatest Christmas record of all time.”

(So thank you, crazy Jewish man!)

Here it is. Watch it spin. And listen as the Ronettes sing “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus,” produced by Phil Spector in his prime. This LP came out mere months after the Ronettes had their first hit single, “Be My Baby.”

I hereby send warm holiday wishes to the fellow who posted this on YouTube: the one, the only... thunderbird1958. Keep ’em coming in ’08, T’bird.

Wednesday 78 Flashback: ‘Don’t You Lie to Me’

Yep, this one is spinning at 78 revolutions per minute!

It’s a 1940 platter by a Blues Hall of Famer known as Tampa Red (pictured).

This tune was remade as “I Get Evil” by Albert King in the late ’60s. (Click here to hear King’s version on my Vox audio stash.)

This vidclip comes courtesy of yet another YouTube record jock... laceup1967. Keep on rockin’, all you guys!

Wednesday 45 Flashback: ‘Good Golly Miss Molly’

In honor of Little Richard’s b-day, I present not his 1956 original of “Good Golly Miss Molly” but a British Invasion cover version.

Ever hear of a Liverpool band called the Swinging Blue Jeans? They were one-hit wonders in the United States with their 1964 version of “Hippy Hippy Shake.” This revival of “Miss Molly” was the group’s follow-up single.

It didn’t raise any hell in America, but it almost cracked the Top 10 in Britain... which I can’t explain. This version is pretty soft.

I didn’t know about the Swinging Blue Jeans until I stumbled on this video at thunderbird1958’s YouTube page. Come to find out, this band –just like the Beatles – paid its dues playing Hamburg dives and Liverpool’s Cavern Club.

The Swinging BJs even sang German on a few records, just like the Beatles did a German-language version of “I Wanna Hold Your Hand.” Supposedly these chaps released German recordings of “Good Golly Miss Molly” and “Tutti Frutti.” Those I’d like to hear.

Believe it or not, the Swinging Blue Jeans are still active on the oldies circuit, led by singer/guitarist Ray Ennis... the same gent you’ll hear if you click below.

Wednesday 45 Flashback: ‘Willie and the Hand Jive’

Here’s a rock ’n’ roll/R&B classic from my favorite White Negro of all times, bandleader Johnny Otis. (That’s him singing lead as well.)

This tune has been covered by the likes of Eric Clapton, Levon Helm and George Thorogood.

I doff my cap to YouTube wax jockey nelsonwalrus.

Wednesday 45 Flashback: ‘Rama Lama Ding Dong’

Here’s a song that was a hit the year I was born (1961): “Rama Lama Ding Dong” by the Edsels.

I’m not deep into doo-wop, but I’ve liked this record ever since I stumbled upon it in the ’80s. Turns out that aficionados consider it a masterpiece of the form.

What trips me out is... doo-wop was the hip-hop of 50 years ago. This was ghetto music. Don’t-need-nothing-but-your-throat music.

Cool-guys-on-the-corner music. Male-bonding music.

Competitive music. Impress-the-ladies-with-your-tightness music.

Hope-to-get-a-record-deal music. White-guys-wanna-copy-it music.

So let’s not forget the history.

Plus, Edsels lead singer George Jones, Jr., was a bad cat by any standard.

Wednesday 45 Flashback: ‘Time Is Tight’

You might not recognize the title... but you’ll recognize the melody. This was a 1969 gold record for Booker T. & the MG’s.

What I didn’t know is that this tune comes from the soundtrack album to the movie “Up Tight!”

Cheers, as always, to thunderbird1958, steady spinning the platters that matter on YouTube.

Wednesday 45 Flashback: ‘My Baby Must Be a Magician’

One of Smokey Robinson’s lesser tunes (very lesser), this was recorded in 1967 by the Marvelettes.

Could this be the only song in Motown history never covered by another artist?

(Hat-tip, as always, to YouTube’s 45 king, thunderbird1958.)

Wednesday 45 Flashback: ‘My Boy Lollipop’

When this single by Millie Small became a transatlantic smash (in 1964), I was too young to notice or care. Now I come to the song with a historian’s detached appreciation.

What made this version of “My Boy Lollipop” historic? Well, the teenage singer was from Jamaica. This record was the first international hit by a Jamaican artist.

(The song was originally recorded in 1956 by Barbie Gaye, a white American.)

“My Boy Lollipop” also laid the groundwork for the coming reggae revolution. The music was arranged by guitarist Ernest Ranglin, a now-revered pioneer of both ska and reggae.

The session was produced by Chris Blackwell, founder of Island Records. “My Boy Lollipop” was Blackwell’s first major hit. Within a decade, Blackwell would release breakthrough albums by Bob Marley and the Wailers, thereby re-ordering the universe.

It all started with this.

“I used to go to New York and buy R&B records and then sell them on to the sound systems in Jamaica,” Blackwell recalled. “But I kept tapes of everything I imported, and one of the tracks was ‘My Boy Lollipop.’

“I was playing the tape one night, and when I heard the song again, I knew it was perfect for Millie.”

Wednesday 45 Flashback: ‘Remember Me’

Another lovely spinning artifact from thunderbird1958 (formerly spoonfedcornbread).

This Diana Ross hit was written and produced – grandiosely – by Ashford & Simpson.

Wednesday 45 Flashback: ‘Give Me Just a Little More Time’

The concept behind the Chairmen of the Board was this: A vocal group with four lead singers. Yeah, okay. But the Chairmen’s defining voice came out of the mouth of General Johnson, one of the quirkiest soul singers evar. He also wrote a lot of the group’s material.

Here is Mr. Johnson working out on the Chairmen’s first hit single:

Wednesday 45 Flashback: ‘You’ve Made Me So Very Happy’

Not the classic Blood, Sweat & Tears version, but the Motown original. It came out 40 years ago, sung by the sweet Brenda Holloway. She also co-wrote it.

It was a minor hit for Ms. Holloway. Now it’s part of the American songbook.

“You’ve Made Me So Very Happy” has been recorded by some of the greatest singing stars of all time... Sammy Davis, Jr., Mel Torme, Rosemary Clooney, Lou Rawls, Cher, Dionne Warwick, Diana Ross.

Cheers to YouTube’s 45 king, The Artist Formerly Known as Spoonfedcornbread, for uploading this:

Wednesday 45 Flashback: ‘I’m Doin’ Fine Now’

Aw shucks, y’all... Guess who’s back on YouTube, kickin’ up dust?

The Artist Formerly Known As Spoonfedcornbread. Yesss!

He has a new name, but the game is the same. I don’t want to jinx him by mentioning his new nickname here. Besides which, he will always be Spoonfedcornbread to me.

And he’s still rocking the hippest oldies you can imagine. Such as this 1973 hit by New York City, produced by Philly-soul kingpin Thom Bell. This is smooth ’70s pop-soul at its finest.

So... the weekly 45 Flashbacks are back. As long as TAFKAS can keep ’em coming.

Sending this one out to spoonfedcornbread

As I reported on September 13, YouTube shut down the account of “spoonfedcornbread,” the source of my Wednesday 45 Flashbacks.

In spoonfed’s honor, another YouTube record-spinner – name of “nelsonwalrus” – dedicated a few platters to the man. One of them was “Harvest for the World” by the Isleys.

Rock on, spoonfedcornbread!

Wednesday 45 Flashback: ‘Trying to Make a Fool of Me’

The Delfonics, y’all. Philly soul at its finest (from the 45 collection of spoonfedcornbread).

“Trying to Make a Fool of Me” was the second single off the Delfonics’ wondrous self-titled LP. It debuted on Billboard’s R&B singles chart on June 13, 1970, and barely snuck into the Top 40.

If you can tell me a better use of the harp in a pop record... well, forget it, because you can’t.

And if William Hart’s soaring falsetto makes you want to hear more, I’ve got something nice coming up in a minute...

UPDATE (09/13/07): Oh crap, y’all. Looks like YouTube has suspended spoonfedcornbread’s account! If you try to check out any of his spinning platters, it’ll say: “This video has been removed due to terms of use violation.”

Dammit. Dee-double-dammit. I sure hope my calling attention to him didn’t lead to his downfall. I didn’t even know this was illegal. He was just an oldies deejay to me... playing cool records and getting people excited about music... bringing back sweet memories...

Shit. I don’t even have a way to contact him and find out what the deal is. We communicated through YouTube messages. Wow. I couldn’t wait to embed 45s like “I’m Doin’ Fine Now” and “Remember Me.”

Wednesday 45 Flashback: ‘Look-Ka Py Py’

New Orleans funk is a special kind of funk, and nobody delivered it like the legendary Meters.

This tune, from the 45 collection of spoonfedcornbread, was a medium-sized hit, reaching No. 11 on the R&B singles chart in early 1970.

UPDATE (09/13/07): Oh crap, y’all. Looks like YouTube has suspended spoonfedcornbread’s account! If you try to check out any of his spinning platters, it’ll say: “This video has been removed due to terms of use violation.”

Dammit. Dee-double-dammit. I sure hope my calling attention to him didn’t lead to his downfall. I didn’t even know this was illegal. He was just an oldies deejay to me... playing cool records and getting people excited about music... bringing back sweet memories...

Shit. I don’t even have a way to contact him and find out what the deal is. We communicated through YouTube messages. Wow. I couldn’t wait to embed 45s like “I’m Doin’ Fine Now” and “Remember Me.”

Wednesday 45 Flashback: ‘Iko Iko’

On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. And things ain’t been right since.

So today on this blog, it’s all about Southern Louisiana, starting with this platter from YouTube’s 45 king, spoonfedcornbread.

The Mardi Gras song “Iko Iko” was first recorded in the 1950s by James “Sugar Boy” Crawford, and has been covered by the likes of Dr. John, Aaron Neville, Cyndi Lauper and the Grateful Dead.

But the hit version was this one by the Dixie Cups, a girl group out of New Orleans. Their 1965 single reached No. 20 on the pop chart, and No. 20 on the R&B chart.

I’m not old enough to remember “Iko Iko” from the radio. But anybody who’s American has heard this tune some kind of way.

UPDATE (08/29/07): If you’d like an MP3 of Sugar Boy Crawford’s original version (titled “Jock-a-Mo”), Nancy Nall has it up on her blog. Follow this link; click the blue button at the bottom of the post. But move quickly; the download will only be available for 24 hours.

I had never heard Crawford’s version before, so thank you, Nancy, for sharing! (To hear it streaming on my Vox blog, click here.)

UPDATE (09/13/07): Oh crap, y’all. Looks like YouTube has suspended spoonfedcornbread’s account! If you try to check out any of his spinning platters, it’ll say: “This video has been removed due to terms of use violation.”

Dammit. Dee-double-dammit. I sure hope my calling attention to him didn’t lead to his downfall. I didn’t even know this was illegal. He was just an oldies deejay to me... playing cool records and getting people excited about music... bringing back sweet memories...

Shit. I don’t even have a way to contact him and find out what the deal is. We communicated through YouTube messages. Wow. I couldn’t wait to embed 45s like “I’m Doing Fine Now” and “Remember Me.”