Stress

Artist: Stress

LP: Stress

Song: "My Father Once Said"
[ listen ]

After checking out the music and arts festival going on in downtown Baton Rouge, I drove over to the next record store on my list, Music Treasure Chest. Owned and operated by twin brothers Noel & Joel Jackson, the Music Treasure Chest is filled with Rap, R&B, Blues, Jazz, Gospel, Christian, Pop, Country, Zydeco, Cajun, Rock, Alternative, and more! All LPs are just $4.99, no matter if they're actually worth $1.99 or $109.99. Joel, the friendly twin working when I stopped by (his brother was probably busy doing his radio show), says he likes to price all records at $5 so that people from the neighborhood stop by often to see what's available, perhaps even finding a musical treasure! I found several treasures in the chest myself, including this 1991 self-titled LP by the short-lived British group Stress. I once owned this one on CD back in 1991 and liked it a lot, but some Mormon roommate/thief stole it from my bedroom, along with my Primus and Red Hot Chili Peppers CDs, in our large shared house in Provo, Utah. I'd rather own it on vinyl anyway, so if you're reading this, asshole, you can just go ahead and keep that CD. Unfortunately I wasn't able to find any more photos of the group, since my Google search for "Stress band" only conjured up images like this one, this one, and this one. But you can read a little about the Stress band on Wikipedia here. I sure wish they'd made another record.

[ Joel Jackson at Music Treasure Chest — Baton Rouge, Louisiana ]

Doug Clark and the Hot Nuts

Artist: Doug Clark and the Hot Nuts

LP: Nuts to You

Song: "Ding-a-Ling"
[ listen ]
Song: "A Soldier"
[ listen ]

I'm back home in Seattle after my Southern road trip and record-hunting excursion! Originally I'd planned to kick off my trip by hanging out in New Orleans for a few days, but I found it impossible to secure an available motel room there! I soon discovered that these guys were to blame: 

Well I didn't really want to hang out with the WrestleMania fellows and their fans anyway, so after flying into the New Orleans airport, I hightailed it out of town and headed northwest toward Baton Rouge. After a delicious breakfast at Louie's Cafe, I headed over to the first record store on my list, a little white house stuffed with vinyl known as Lagniappe Records (pronounced "LAN-yap"...not "lag-knee-YAP-pee," as I'd been saying...and then "WRECK-urds.") A small store with an excellent selection and decent prices, Lagniappe also features live shows and super friendly owners. The LPs are basically all mixed together in alphabetical order rather than being segregated by genre, thereby enabling browsers to find all sorts of exciting things they hadn't even realized they were looking for. I found lots of great stuff here, but this debut 1961 LP from the Chapel Hill, North Carolina frat party band Doug Clark and the Hot Nuts is right there at the top. It's nasty! You can read a little about Doug and his Nuts on Wikipedia here, and you can go here to visit the group's website. Album notes and photos from the back of the LP are included below.

[ Doug Clark and the Hot Nuts ]

[ Lagniappe Records — Baton Rouge, Louisiana ]

Doris Day

Artist: Doris Day

LP: Tea For Two [10" EP]

Song: "Oh Me! Oh My!"
[ listen ]
Song: "I Want to Be Happy"
[ listen ]

Today is Doris Day's 90th birthday! I'm celebrating by watching LOVE ME OR LEAVE ME while consuming a lemon mini triple layer cake from Fred Meyer that looks like a miniature version of one of Doris Day's hats from the late 1950s. As for Doris, she says she's never been big on celebrating her own birthday. She'll be spending this one in Carmel, California hosting a doggie fashion show featuring local rescues in need of a good home. Though she retired from show biz in 1973, Doris Day still gets film scripts and offers for work. "All I ever wanted in my life was to get married, have kids, keep house and cook, and even though I did all these things, I still ended up in Hollywood. It was a great trip. I've had an amazing life and wonderful times. And I'm happy!" You can read more about what Doris is up to as she enters her 90s in her interview with Closer magazine here. Notes from the back of the soundtrack to her 1950 film TEA FOR TWO are included below. The film co-stars Gordon MacRae, Gene Nelson, Eve Arden, Billy De Wolfe, and S.Z. Sakall.

[ Happy Birthday, Doris Day! ]