John Oates & Daryl Hall

Artist: John Oates & Daryl Hall

LP: 7" single

Song: "Jingle Bell Rock from John" 
[ listen ]

Song: "Jingle Bell Rock from Daryl" 
[ listen ]

Time for Christmas music! Here's a bit of holiday cheer (7 inches, to be exact) that I picked up in Arab, Alabama during my road trip through the South earlier this year. Yes, yes, I know you're "supposed" to say Hall & Oates, but I don't think it's fair that John Oates has always has to play second fiddle to Daryl Hall—and his hair. I mean what about the moustache! Honestly, if I had to pick just one member of Oates & Hall to spend the rest of eternity with on a deserted island, it would be John Oates for sure. It's an added bonus to discover that the very vinyl this promotional recording was pressed onto is the color of fake Christmas holly! It was also reportedly available in the color of berries.

[ Oates & Hall ]

Gene Martin and The Stalworth Gospel Singers

Artist: Gene Martin and The Stalworth Gospel Singers

LP: Peace In the Valley

Song: "Running For Jesus"

[ listen ]

The other record store I visited in Las Vegas was Zia Records, also located on Sahara Avenue. There were some other stores I wanted to check out, including second locations for both Zia Records and Record City, but there wasn't really much more room in my luggage after I got through these two, and I figured it was probably a good idea to spend SOME time with my friend Edwardo, since his birthday was the reason I was in Las Vegas in the first place. Zia's style can be found somewhere between Tower Records and the old Warehouse or Sam Goody music stores usually found in strip malls. They have lots of CDs and DVDs, but they've also got a nice selection of low-priced used vinyl in the back of the store next to the t-shirts, where you can evidently find some really neat stuff if you've got time to flip through all the bins. I was able to flip through most of them, and turned up this terrific Gene Martin gospel record for just $4.99. Martin's biographical notes, a personal message, and some other things from the back of the record are included below. As an added bonus, the LP is pressed on luminous red vinyl! (The blood of Christ?) It seems Gene is still going strong today, and I'm sure the Gene Martin 50 Year Celebration in Atlanta three years ago was lots of fun to attend. I've included links below for two of Gene's performances/sermons, and you can watch even more of them here. I'm pretty sure the "David" on the organ in the clip for "The Singing Slave" is David Davis, who provides Hammond organ accompaniment on the "Peace In the Valley" LP. Gene sends his songs from his heart to mine (via Las Vegas) so now I'm passing them from my heart to you!

Gene Martin on YouTube:

[ "God Specializes" ]

Gene Martin on YouTube:

[ "The Singing Slave" ]

[ Zia Records on Sahara Ave. - Las Vegas, Nevada ]

Bob Carter

Artist: Bob Carter

LP: 7" single

Song: "Rockin' On With U-HAUL"

[ listen ]

You know your music career is about to shoot to the moon when you're asked to record a single dedicated to one of the most popular moving-van companies in America. This limited edition (thank god) single was pressed on orange colored vinyl, naturally. Find my favorite U-HAUL image search results here and here, and go here to reserve a truck today!

Los Cinco Caballeros

Artist: Los Cinco Caballeros

LP: Latin Hurricane

Song: "Banana"

[ listen ]

Not to be confused with these other cinco caballeros, the musical ones of undisclosed national origin released this "Latin Hurricane" LP, probably sometime in the early 1960s, that up-rooted rock-n-roll addicts and whisked them off to Goodmusicland. And it's on red vinyl! Notes from the back of the LP are included below, and if you like the Caballeros sound, you can pick up the rest of their album's songs on iTunes here.