Snoopy

Artist: Snoopy

LP: 7" single

Song: "It's All In the Bible"

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Here's another one of the singles I was forced to purchase with my recent Discogs order from Europe so that my total order cost would be worthy of overseas shipping. According to Wikipedia, Snoopy was a short-lived Dutch disco duo formed in 1978, featuring Ethel Mezas and Florence Woerdings...until Florence left in 1979 and was replaced by Maureen Seedorf. In any case, Snoopy "ceased activities" in 1980, just two years after they had formed. "It's All In the Bible" was released in 1979, so one of those lovely ladies on the cover could still be Florence, or instead she might actually be Maureen. In any case, this song was a top-10 hit in both Belgium (peaked at no. 9) and The Netherlands (no. 10).

Les Paul and Mary Ford

Artist: Les Paul and Mary Ford

LP: The Hit Makers!
Song: "The World Is Waiting For the Sunrise"

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Song: "Tiger Rag"

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As I mentioned before, I'll start a new job on Monday, so yesterday I took myself out for a "Last Days of Freedom" vinyl shopping spree. First I dropped in at Beats and Bohos on Phinney Ridge for a brief session of crate-digging before meeting my friend Liz for lunch at the Greenlake Tacos Guaymas at 1pm. When I found this collection of hits by Les Paul and Mary Ford, I bought it sight unseen! Well, actually I could see it...so I guess I bought it sound unheard. I've learned that you can't really go wrong with these two. I'll pick up just about anything of theirs that I don't already have, and would encourage other vinyl collectors to do the same. Les and Mary really do add their "shiny musical finesse" to everything they do, making music that's both "sparkling and attractive!" 

Sadly, according to Wikipedia, they ended both their marriage and their musical partnership on unfriendly terms in 1964, after which Mary was never again to be found perched upon the neck of Les' guitar.

[ Mary Ford: July 7, 1924 — September 30, 1977 ]
[ Les Paul: June 9, 1915 — August 12, 2009 ]

Jim & Jean

Artist: Jim & Jean

LP: People World 

Song: "The Planet June"
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Song: "People World"
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Song: "Playground"
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I couldn't think of any better way to spend a grey and rainy Saturday afternoon than to go looking through my LPs to find the sexiest unibrow of all. There was some tough competition, but the winner, by a hair, is Jim Glover of the '60s folk duo Jim & Jean.

[ Jim & Unibrow ]

Not only is Jim smolderingly handsome to start with, and also not wearing any clothes, but when I propped this LP up on my kitchen counter, Jim's eyes seem to follow me all around the room. They even followed me into the bathroom!

Jim & Jean were married to each other when they made this, their third and last, LP in 1968. They didn't stay together much longer, but they were one of those genuine hippie/folk duos that performed together in Greenwich Village as they built a following that led to international stardom. Well, okay; stardom may be too strong a word, but their single "People World" did peak at #94 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Jim went on to release some solo material over the next few decades (and he may have operated a Chevrolet dealership in Tulsa), whereas Jean appeared in plays and then died in the summer of 2007.

Paul & Paula

Artist: Paul & Paula

LP: Holiday For Teens

Song: "Holiday For Teens"
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Song: "Winter Wonderland"
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Song: "Holiday Hootenanny"
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First of all, these people's names are Ray and Jill, not Paul and Paula, and they were both in their 20s when this record came out in 1963. This entire enterprise has been built upon a pack of lies! Not only that, but I tried singing "Holiday For Teens," hand-claps included, to some festive-looking teenagers on the bus on my way home from work today, and it did not go over well, to say the least. I immediately switched over to "Holiday Hootenanny," since to be honest that one seems more likely to appeal to today's youngsters, but the teens silently shuffled away to another part of the bus before I even finished the first verse.

[ Paula & Paul ]

Lon & Derrek Van Eaton

Artist: Lon & Derrek Van Eaton

LP: Brother

Song: "Sun Song"
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After a delicious breakfast with a bunch of friendly folks at Carl's Kountry Kitchen on the outskirts of Syracuse, I headed downtown to check out Sound Garden, the city's only record store. Sadly, the garden wasn't producing much this year. Had someone forgotten to water? I found only one fruit and a couple of vegetables that were ready for the harvest.

One of the veggies was this 1972 LP by Lon & Derrek Van Eaton, who had put together a homemade demo tape that drew the attention of at least half of The Beatles, who, in turn, helped these budding musical brothers get signed to their label, Apple Records. With no vinyl listening station available in the Garden of Sound, I had to take a leap of faith on this one. I figured they'd probably sound kinda' like The Beatles, but maybe more interesting since they hadn't become popular. 

In fact, Wikipedia informs us that George Harrison was fairly certain he had the next big thing on his hands with "Sweet Music," a Van Eaton Brothers song he produced and released as a single before the album came out. No one cared. Then the album got released and everyone ignored that too. Harrison reportedly sent a memo out to the Apple Records marketing staff: "What the !!!!! is the matter out there? 'Sweet Music' is a No. 1 Hit!" It just goes to show, you never can tell who the Americans will decide to throw their panties at. 

The Van Eatons do sound a little like The Beatles, but just knowing that these smouldering naked siblings (I have a brother too, but we never ended up in any of these positions together as far as I can recall)...anyway, just knowing that these sexy siblings never had people throwing panties at them somehow makes them way more alluring. And I can't explain the public indifference toward Lon & Derrek any better than George can. I threw my boxer underwear at the album cover as soon as I saw it at the record store.

Just look at those heavenly eyebrows.

[ Lon & Derrek Van Eaton, nowadays-ish ]

[ Sound Garden — Syracuse, NY ]

Mouth & MacNeal

Artist: Mouth & MacNeal

LP: Mouth & MacNeal II

Song: "Hello-A" 
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Ever since I found their "How Do You Do" 45 at Omega Music in Dayton, Ohio back in 2011, I've been on the lookout for more vinyl by dynamic Dutch duo Mouth & MacNeal. This 1972 LP (not their second, as one might suppose) is one I came across at Golden Oldies here in Seattle a few weeks ago. I stuck "Hello-A" on the track list I compiled for my good friend Carrie's 40th birthday party last night and the song was a hit. Admittedly, "Hello-A," with its hand-claps and "ooh-aah, ooh-aah, ooh-aah" chorus is probably a little more me than it is she, but who doesn't love hand-claps? Read more about Big Mouth and Maggie MacNeal on Wikipedia here.

[ MacNeal & Mouth ]

Hermanas Aguila

Artist: Hermanas Aguila

LP: Algo Diferente - Vol. II
Song: "De Colores"
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Song: "Algo Tonto" 
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Work has been pretty stressful lately. Today in the men's room there was a young man standing at the urinal who was using both his hands to send text messages on his phone while at the same time as he was urinating hands-free! This only added to my stress, somehow, and also made me wonder how many text messages I've received from men standing at urinals with their wieners out. Anyway, I'm finally back at home, and I'm relaxing to the grandmotherly Guadalajarian warblings of Hermanas Aguila, who do a lovely rendition of "Something Stupid." You can read about these beguiling Mexican ladies in English here and there's even more about them in español here. 

[ Marias Esperanza y Paz = Hermanas Aguila ]

Renate & Werner Leismann

Artist: Renate & Werner Leismann

LP: Wo Der Wind Weht

Song: "Wem Gott Will Rechte Gunst Erweisen" 
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Happy May Day! I just got home from a sunny bike ride to Seattle's Belltown neighborhood where I had brunch with my good friend Gene. I biked alongside the glistening waters of the Puget Sound, with Mount Rainier and the Seattle skyline off in the distance, and as I rode a cool spring wind was blowing through my hair. I've never felt more like Renate & Werner Leismann in my life!

In fact, "Wo Der Wind Weht" is German for "Where the Wind Blows" (durch meine haare) and, according to Google Translate, "Wem Gott Will Rechte Gunst Erweisen" means "Whom God Will Prove Right Favor." I think we can all agree that nothing proves God's right favor more than suddenly finding yourself in the middle of a golden wheat field wearing a fabulous jumpsuit in either yellow or pink.

 

[ Werner Leismann: December 31, 1936 — April 21, 2015 ]

[ Renate Leismann: April 16, 1942 — February 23, 2016 ]

Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart

Artist: Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart

LP: It's All Happening On the Inside

Song: "My Baby Loves Sad Songs" 
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I like to laugh about that time I met a group of three hipster guys at Havana on Capitol Hill and, though already in their 30s, all three of them still used the little-boy version of their names: Timmy, Billy and Tommy. I felt like we were about to play kick-ball! But I had no idea this lunacy had been going on for so long—evidently at least since this album came out back in 1969. Meet Tommy, Bobby, Billy, Louie...and John. They're otherwise known as Boyce & Hart, the fabulous swinging '60s duo who wrote lots of songs for The Monkees. Read more here.

[ Tommy Boyce: September 29, 1939 — November 23, 1994 ]

[ Bobby Hart: b. February 18, 1939 ]