The Tidal Waves, "I Don't Need Love" c/w "Big Boy Pete," Hanna-Barbera HBR 501 (rel. 10/1966) Michigan was a hotbed of teen music in the 1950s and '60s. In the age of Beatlemania, dozens of garage bands emerged. From Detroit-adjacent ...

Detroit garage band The Tidal Waves deliver a schizo single: a baroque pop ballad coupled with a frat-rock blaster. Only the best from Hanna Barbera Records!

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THE ORIGINALS FEATURING TONY ALLAN, "LET ME HEAR YOU SAY YEAH" C/W "WISHING STAR," ORIGINAL SOUND OR-10 (REL. 7/1960) Among a sea of colorful contenders, Tony Allen was a standout in the LA r&b scene. He had a major hit with "Nite Owl," a 1955 Specialty Reco...

Gritty, lo-fi nocturnal r&b raver on one side, chart-friendly pop-soul ballad on the other. Tony Allen, LA r&b mover/shaker in an obscure effort for Original Sound Records, c. July 1960.

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The Rue-Teens, "I Don't Cry Over Girls" c/w "Lucky Boy," Louis 45-6805 (rel. 11/64...?) Today's record is an odd outlier. Recorded in late 1964 and apparently released at the start of 1965, this was a curious choice for the ye...

One of the most obscure records of 1964, from an unplayed vinyl promo copy that was sealed in a box for 61 years! Bronx vocal group sings with future Dr. John guitarist.

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THE FIVE KEYS, "BIMBO" C/W "VALLEY OF LOVE," KING 45-5398 (REL. 10/1960) A welcome sight to any record hound is the dollar bin--golden vessel of indifference used by overwhelmed stores and sellers to rid themsel...

The Five Keys lead off a week of Dollar Bin Doozies: cool platters purchased for a buck (or less) and well-worth hearing. Dig the manic "Bimbo" on this 1960 King Records r&b disc!

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CLARENCE NELSON, "YOU MAKE ME FEEL SO GOOD" C/W "I HURT," PEN 45-352 (REL. 9/1964) You've heard Clarence Nelson many times on Memphis soul records of the 1960s and '70s. His rhythm and lead work is all over Stax, Hi, Volt...

Memphis guitar legend Clarence Nelson on a rare 1964 solo single for local label Pen Records.

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The Sentinals, "Tor-Chula" c/w "Latin'ia," WCEB 23 (rel. ?/1962; reissued as Era 3082, 6/1962) One of the rarest records I shall ever lay hands on was given to me last Sunday at a little record show. My friend who gifted it to me is ...

One of the rarest records I'll ever have the honor of owning and a powerful pair of guitar instrumentals from SoCal...plus free records to the first person to respond to an offer someone can't refuse!

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Why, thank you! It was tasty to be sure!

Fantastic Baggys, "Anywhere The Girls Are" c/w "Debbie Be True," Imperial 66072 (rel. 10/1964) In 1964, songwriters Phil Sloan and Steve Barri, teamed up by their mentor Lou Adler, explored every possible niche for a hit single. Within...

One of the great singles of 1964 was heard by no one when new. Phil Sloan and Steve Barri deliver a working-class teen anthem coupled with a Brian Wilson-ish ballad as 'The Fantastic Baggys' on a rare Imperial Records platter that matters!

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DON'T SLEEP ON THIS ONE! THE THEME IS DREAMS IN OUR NEW MINI-POD! To sleep or not to sleep? That's one of many dozy questions proffered in our new MINI-POD. Eight songs that explore the many sides of bein...

Our new Mini-Pod explores dreams, nightmares and waking up! Bed down with this 22-minute wonder...life could be a dream!

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Otis Williams & His Charms, "Burnin' Lips" c/w "Red Hot Love (Oo This Love)," DeLuxe 45-6165 (rel. 6/1958) Oh me. oh my! Otis Williams and His Charms are no strangers to the Jukebox, but here's what I think is their finest moment on vinyl. They ...

Your tawdry T-Day treat!

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Lafayettes, "Caravan Of Lonely Men" c/w "I Still Do," RCA-Victor 47-8082 (rel. 9/1962) Featured in John Waters' classic film Hairspray , "Life's Too Short" was a perfect specimen of 1962 pop music. To most viewers, it was an un...

Baltimore boys The Lafayettes deliver one weird-ass pop single--a follow-up to their all-time classic "Life's Too Short." Popcorn-tastic A-side on this 1962 RCA-Victor goodie.

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Carol Fran, "Knock Knock" c/w "Emmit Lee's Come Back," Excello 45-2156 (rel. 5/1959) A good while back we played Carol Fran's debut single for Excello Records, "Emmit Lee." It was a strong first record for this Lafayette, L...

Louisiana soul legend Carol Fran gets down on a scarce 1959 Excello Records 45. One of my favorite label designs and a mighty good record, too!

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Tommy Sands, "I Ain't Gittin' Rid Of You" c/w "Is It Ever Gonna Happen," Capitol F4160 (rel. 3/1959) Tommy Sands got into pop music before rock 'n' roll hit. Billed as Little Tommie Sands (the Western Wonder), his debut disc was issued in ...

Tommy Sands delivers two smoldering rock 'n' roll performances on an overlooked Capitol Records platter from early 1959. Primo!

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ETTA JAMES, "MELLOW FELLOW" C/W "BOBBY IS HIS NAME," ARGO 5485 (REL. 11/1964) Etta James was a show-biz veteran in late 1964. She'd been recording for almost a decade and had a long string of hits. For the past few y...

Etta James at her soulful peak on a rare, superb late 1964 single for Argo Records. Gritty begins to describe it!

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THE INVICTAS, "BREAKOUT" C/W "MISSING," 20th-CENTURY FOX 493 (REL. 5/1964) 1964 was one weird year in American music. Long-established groups and singers found themselves in limbo as European bands dominated the pop...

Moody, doomy, intense minor-key instrumentals from Bayonne, New Jersey's Invictas, via a 1964 20th Century Fox single. Surf noir that was likely to shake the merry mood of teen dancers!

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Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps, "Bluejean Bop" c/w "Who Slapped John," Capitol[ Germany] F 3558 (rel. summer 1956) Gene Vincent and The Blue Caps were on fire in 1956. Their debut LP, seen above, is a curious affair. Home to several great rockers, it also...

Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps warm up your Friday with some glorious rockabilly from 1956!

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It's a new podcast loaded wirh great records from all over the musical map. Give it a listen, won'cha?

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DAVID HOUSTON, "ONE AND ONLY" C/W "HACKIN' AROUND," RCA VICTOR 47-6927 (REL. 5/1957) Today's record, released in the rock 'n' roll-friendly year of 1957, illustrates how the major labels approached this vibrant vernacular m...

How about some FRANTIC rockabilly? Hoo-ee! David Houston lets his hair down on a 1957 RCA-Victor scorcher, with ace guitarist Mickey Baker at his side.

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The O'Jays, "You're On Top" c/w "Lovely Dee," Imperial 66037 (rel. 6/1964) Here's an odd one from The O'Jays. In the early to mid 1960s, they were Imperial Records' attempt at a Drifters/Impressions-type hitmaking r...

The O'Jays fulfill a debt to their producer and cover both sides of a three-year-old r&b single by another less-known vocal group. Quite good, considering that scenario. An Imperial Records oddity from 1964.

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The Midnighters, "Rock And Roll Wedding" c/w " That House On The Hill," Federal 45-12240 (rel. 11/1955) The Midnighters were one of the most successful Black vocal groups of the 1950s and '60s. Their long residency on Federal Records began in...

Hank Ballard and The Midnighters at their best on a rockin' 1955 single for Federal Records. Two killer-dillers!

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Annisteen Allen, "Pardon Me" c/w "Rough Lover," Decca 9-30368 (rel. 6/1957) Annisteen Allen is back with one of her most sought-after singles. All her 45s are on the radar of r&b DJs and us mere collectors. This wa...

Get your week off to a bluesy, rockin' start with a fab 1957 single by Annisteen Allen, with Mickey Baker on guitar. A record that worried the squares!

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Jimmy Ricks, "I Wonder" c/w "Let Me Down Easy," Fury 1070 (rel. 11/1962) Easy winner in the "how low can you go?" vocal contest, Jimmy Ricks was a master of blues' nether regions throughout a long career that sa...

Jimmy Ricks, r&b great deeeeeep bass voice, delivers a pair of soulful Chicago winners on a 1962 Fury Records 45, arranged by Horace Ott.

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Robin Luke w/The Lawrence Bros. Combo & The Uniques, "Won't You Please Be Mine" c/w "Five Minutes More," Bertram International 45-212 [Hawaii; rel. early 1959] Among the least-viewed posts here since the relo to this site was this February item:  https://franksjookbox.blogspot.com/2025/02/the-flam...

Chonky-cool lo-fi Hawaiian teen pop-rock with Robin Luke, from an island single released before Hawaii joined the US.

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John D. Loudermilk, "Blue Train (Of The Heartbreak Line)" c/w "Rhythm And Bluesy," RCA Victor 47-8308 (rel. 2/1964) Singer-songwriter John D. Loudermilk is a repeat visitor to the Jukebox. Here's one of his best singles. Recorded on April 17, 1961, its two...

Recorded in 1961 by singer-songwriter John D. Loudermilk--not release until 1964. A haunting, classic country song with great harmonica by Charlie McCoy.

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SHIRELLES, "DON'T GO HOME (MY LITTLE DARLIN')" C/W "NOBODY BABY AFTER YOU," SCEPTER SCE-12185 (REL. 1/1967) The Shirelles were at the end of their long tenure with Scepter Records as 1967 began. They had three more singles to go after today's rec...

The Shirelles in 1967--forgotten performers who'd been major hitmakers a few years before. Their talent hadn't decreased--just their faithful audience.

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Treniers, "Day Old Bread And Canned Beans" c/w "Rock 'N' Roll Call," Epic 5-9144 (rel. 12/1955) This was a prolific group's 18th release in the 45-rpm format; their first was in 1950, and they'd made records for the industry-standard ...

The rockin' rollin' singin' swingin' Treniers with one of their great singles for Epic Records--first-stage rock 'n' roll from 1955!

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Tennessee Ernie, "The Shot Gun Boogie" c/w "I Ain't Gonna Let It Happen No More," Capitol F1295 (rel. 12/1950) The roots of rock 'n' roll wound their way through popular music in the years after World War II. In wartime, a public mania for boogie-wo...

Proto-rock 'n' roll from Tennessee Ernie on a 1950 #1 country hit that his label almost didn't release.

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Hollywood Playboys, "Talk To Audrey" c/w "Ding, Dong, School Is Out," Sure S-105 (rel. 6/1960) As I view publicity photos of little-known groups from the era covered here, I think, many times: people sure looked different back then. ...

Some Jersey Boys to shoulder your way into a new week of whatever...

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Jimmy Jones, "The Nights of Mexico" c/w "You're Much Too Young," Cub K9110 (rel. 7/1962) After years of obscurity, vocalist Jimmy Jones had a major hit with 1959's "Handy Man," a song the history books have all confused. Jones ha...

Another post I'm not sure anyone will see;

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Robert Maxwell, His Harp & Orchestra, "Song Of The Nairobi Trio (Solfeggio)" c/w "Accidental Slip On An Oriental Rug," M-G-M K13410 (rel. 1/1957) Like many of television's more playful figures, Ernie Kovacs used music to further his comedic ideas. The right piece of music might inspi...

Robert Maxwell, multi-talented musician, intersected with cathode-ray visionary Ernie Kovacs for "Song of the Nairobi Trio," with a moody minor-key fantasia on the B-side for good measure. Uneasy listening for your Saturdaze!

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