Doris Day

Artist: Doris Day

LP: By the Light of the Silvery Moon [10" EP]

Song: "Be My Little Baby Bumble Bee"

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Song: "King Chanticleer"

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Happy 100th Birthday to Doris Day! If you're like me, you always hoped someone would lure Doris out of retirement (her last movie was released in 1968) to star in one last comedy...or maybe even to star in one of those horror movies featuring a formerly-super-famous actress! (I bet Doris was good with an axe well into her 70s and 80s.) Anyway, it seems appropriate that Doris and her centennial birthday have brought me out of retirement here on the blog. 

This year I revived my tradition of bringing a Doris Day birthday cake to work...but now, working at USPS with 40 or 50 colleagues, I had to supply a much larger cake than I've ever had to before. Sadly, of those 40 or 50 at work, only about 5 of them had ever even HEARD of Doris Day before, with one colleague actually even able to reference something about not eating the daisies. But if someone has to drag these youngsters, many of them raised outside the USA, kicking and screaming into mid-20th-century America, then I'm happy to be assigned the role. 

In addition to the Doris Day shrine in the break-room, the cake was accompanied by a Doris Day playlist I'd put together on my phone the night before. I couldn't figure out how to photograph my phone with the playlist on the table by the cake, since I also needed my phone to take the photos. (I bet somebody younger and more tech-savvy could've shown me how to do it.) Anyway, in spite of nobody having heard of her, and in spite of somebody pausing my Doris Day playlist every time I left the break-room, the cake was a hit with the USPS crew and it was gone by the end of the day!

[ Doris Day: April 3, 1922 — May 13, 2019 ]

Fastbacks

Artist: Fastbacks

LP: Alone In a Furniture Warehouse [10" EP]

Song: "Eyes of a Child"

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I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I'm just now—finally—getting into Fastbacks, the Seattle band that was together from 1979 to 2001. Better late than never!

[ Fastbacks ]

The Voices of Walter Schumann

Artist: The Voices of Walter Schumann

LP: Christmas Is In the Air! [10" EP]

Song: Side Two: "Wonderful Counselor/Wolcum Yole/Mary, Mary/Winter Wonderland/Adeste Fidelis/Finale"

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There's Christmas In the Air! ...though of course it's been in the aisles at Fred Meyer since the middle of October. According to the notes on the back of this 1951 10" EP, "In creating this album, (Walter) attained an inspired objective in his brilliant career...to assemble and rehearse a group of the finest male and female voices...not for days or weeks, but for years." For some reason that brings this movie to mind, and I can't help but wonder how many wives Walter had, and how many children called him "daddy." Plus you'd think that after rehearsing for years they'd be able to come up with enough material for a full-length LP, and not just a measly 10" record, lovely though it is. Go here to find out what famous TV show theme Walter Schumann composed, and which mesmerizing classic 1950s thriller he scored.

[ The Face of Walter Schumann: October 8, 1913 — August 21, 1958 ]

The Royal Amanzimtoti Entertainers

Artist: The Royal Amanzimtoti Entertainers

LP: Zulu Music and Songs [10" EP]

Song: "Solata Nje"

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Happy New Year! I didn't intend to go MIA for two months, but I guess that's what happens if you never actually log in and post anything. I didn't get to put up any Christmas records! Also, several people have died in the past few months that I've lined up postings for, but since it's a New Year and everything I figured I'd start with life! Or actually, I'm starting with people who have probably been dead for a very long time instead of the recently deceased. 

This 10" various artists compilation of Zulu music from the 1930s and '40s was released on London Records in 1951; it was printed in the USA. It's one of the things I picked up yesterday at Everyday Music on Capitol Hill with the gift certificate my friend Trevor gave me for Christmas. Thanks, Trevor! 

I didn't expect to find any information about The Royal Amanzimtoti Entertainers online, so was surprised when a few things turned up. First, you can sample several more of their recordings on the South African Music Archive Project website here, and then there's also some information and a photo below that I found and copied without permission from a book on South African music, published by University of Chicago Press in 1991. 

I hope anyone who's reading this had a wonderful set of holidays in 2018. Life here on the farm has been hectic, but it's simply bound to get better. It's one of my 2019 resolutions to pop in here more pften to post records and reviews and things.

[ The Royal Amanzimtoti Entertainers ]

Juliette Greco

Artist: Juliette Gréco

LP: No. 7 [10" EP]

Song: "On N'oublie Rien"
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I was excited to find this 1960 Juliette Gréco 10" EP at Georgetown Records a few weeks ago. The only downside, really, is that it's called "No. 7," which seems to indicate that there's probably a No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, No. 4, No. 5 and No. 6 that I still don't have in my collection. You can read about the fabulous Ms. Grego, who turned 91 earlier this year, on Wikipedia here and go here to read a career retrospective assembled by The Guardian on the occasion of her 90th birthday.  

[ Juliette Gréco ]

Debbie Reynolds [1932-2016]

Artist: Debbie Reynolds w/ Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor

LP: "Singin' In the Rain" [10" EP]

Song: "Good Morning" 
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Okay, now it seems like Death is just chasing celebrities around and mowing them down for fun, trying to get as many as possible by the end of the year. So very sad. 

My friends Chad and Melody and I once sang "Good Morning" from SINGIN' IN THE RAIN as we danced down some bland suburban roadway in Provo, Utah as the sun came up over the hills. That was in the early '90s—we were in college and had stayed up all night for some reason or another. 

You can read all about Debbie's incredible career here (I recommend WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH HELEN?) and go here to find her obituary in the Los Angeles Times.

Debbie Reynolds

[ April 1, 1932 — December 28, 2016 ]

We will miss you, Debbie.

Hiroshi Wada & Mahina Stars

Artist: Hiroshi Wada & Mahina Stars

LP: Enchanted Chorus - 3rd Collection [10" EP]

Song: "Kojonotsuki" 
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Everything's different now! After more than 43 minutes of diligently searching the web for English-language details or information regarding artist, song titles, etc for this 1958 Japanese 10-inch EP and some other one from Korea, I finally threw up my hands in frustration—and by that I mean I actually vomited and my hands came flying out of my mouth. Then I remembered someone at work mentioning some science-fiction mumbo-jumbo about how you could point your cell phone at a foreign language and your phone would automatically translate the text and tell you what the words meant in plain, bold-faced English. So I downloaded some app, pointed my phone at my Japanese record, and voilá—song titles! 

By simply highlighting the photographed text with my finger, I was able to translate all the lyrics to the song "Kojonotsuki," track three on side two. 

Of course the lyrics don't entirely make sense, but we all know how super poetic and metaphorical Japanese people get when they start to sing. I'm sure my magical translation device is 100% accurate. Here are the entire "Kojonotsuki" song lyrics in English: 

—Kojonotsuki—

Feast of spring lofty building of flower

Pointing over cup shade

It was Chiyo of Matsugae Wakei

Once upon a time of light now where

The color of the frost of fall camp

Show me the number of squeal go wild goose

The Resona stone shine in sword sell planting

Once upon a time of light now where

 
This formerly mysterious Japanese record with the gorgeous cover—I'd even call it stunning—is one that was formerly part of the David Lloyd Whited collection.

 

[ Hiroshi Wada & Mahina Stars ]

Texas, Li'l Darlin' — feat. Kenny Delmar

Artist: Kenny Delmar w/ Mary Hatcher and Chorus

LP: Texas, Li'l Darlin' [10" EP]

Song: "Texas, Li'l Darlin'" 
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Song: "The Yodel Blues" 
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I just got back from Dallas, Texas! I was there for an AIRS conference related to my work, but I did manage to slip away for a few hours to explore the city and to see if I could track down some records. My first attempt involved walking 2½ miles round trip in the muggy Texas sunshine from the Dallas Sheraton to Shake Rag Music. I had unwisely remained in the dark blue velveteen pants, dress shoes, and long-sleeved dress shirt that I'd worn at the conference, and by the time I arrived at the store I was a sweaty Texan mess.

[ Shake Rag Music Store — Dallas, Texas ]

It looked like a neat store from the outside, with the exception of this discouraging sign stuck on the door:

I set out the following evening in a slightly different direction (and in slightly more comfortable clothing) to visit Lula B's, an antique mall in the Deep Ellum neighborhood of Dallas that was rumored to have some vinyl. They did indeed have some records, including this terrific 1950 Broadway musical soundtrack 10" EP featuring eight songs from Texas, Li'l Darlin', a realistic portrayal of Lone Star state politics, where honesty, integrity, and old-fashioned American values triumph over corruption and deceit every time.

[ Lula B's — Dallas, Texas ]

Texas, Li'l Darlin' opened at the Mark Hellinger Theatre in New York City on November 25, 1949 and closed on September 9th of the following year after 293 performances. I was excited to have stumbled upon a record that could double as a Texas souvenir, and when I got home I discovered that the show includes an upstanding primary lead character named Dallas, so that's even better! The show's song lyrics are by Johnny Mercer; the cast includes Kenny Delmar, Danny Scholl, Mary Hatcher, Fredd Wayne, and Loring Smith. You'll find brief cast bios along with the entire plot outline of Texas, Li'l Darlin' in the liner notes included below.

 

[ Kenny Delmar: September 5, 1910 — July 14, 1984 ]

[ Danny Scholl: July 2, 1921 — June 21, 1983 ]

[ Mary Hatcher: born June 6, 1929 ]

[ Fredd Wayne: born October 17, 1924 ]

[ Loring Smith: November 18, 1890 — July 8, 1981 ]

[ Texas Li'l Darlin' — Cast Photo ]