U.N.

Artist: U.N.

LP: U.N.

Song: "Get It On"
[ listen ]

The last and final record store I visited in Buffalo was Revolver Records on Hertel Avenue. I had saved the best for last. The store's owner, Phil, told me that he's only had his shop open there since November of 2015. Before that he attended record shows and sold records out of his garage. There was tons of stuff to look through at Revolver Records, and all of it was reasonably priced. The most I paid for an LP there was $15; the bulk of it was between $3 and $8. I bought so many records here, Phil had to give me a box instead of a bag. 

He'd recently gotten a bunch of great disco records in, including this sexy 1979 U.N. LP on Prelude Records, written and arranged by Tony Green. It was $6. If you'd asked me if it was possible for a great disco track to feature a saxophone solo, I would have said that it was not. But according to the U.N., I would have been dead wrong. I've just read a terrific interview with Tony Green by Seattle's own Kelly Wayne Hughes, where Tony reveals that those are models (not musicians) on the U.N. cover, and that lead vocals on the LP are handled by Goldie Alexander.

[ Revolver Records — Buffalo, NY ]

Frankie Avalon

Artist: Frankie Avalon

LP: Summer Scene

Song: "Summer Scene"

[ listen ]

The last and final record store I went to in Ohio was Magnolia Thunderpussy. Several people in Columbus had recommended it, but I think they were mostly just excited to say the name of the place out loud. They had lots of used CDs, DVDs, and new vinyl, but there wasn't much used vinyl to be found compared to other stores I'd visited. The only other thing I picked up besides this 1959 Frankie Avalon record was a Victor Buono comedy LP called "Heavy," on which he makes lots of jokes about being fat. Frankie Avalon, the ideal buddy-buddy and wonderful dream-guy next door, really lets his (leg) hair down on this collection of musical summertime ditties. Someone stole the full details of the "Win a date with Frankie" contest out of my copy of the record, but I don't usually date guys with ugly feet anyhow—and Frankie's feet must be ugly or they wouldn't have had to stick a fake beach ball on the front of the album to cover them up. You can read about the life and career of the talented teen trumpeter-actor-singer Frankie Avalon on Wikipedia here and see another sexy picture of him here. Liner notes from the album's paper insert are included below. 

 [ Magnolia Thunderpussy — Columbus, OH ]

Skyhooks

Artist: Skyhooks

LP: Ego Is Not a Dirty Word

Song: "Smartarse Songwriters"
[ listen ]

Here's something I picked up for .50¢ at Weirdo Records while on my trip to Boston last November. Skyhooks' 1974 debut album "Living In the '70s" was a big hit in their native Australia, but this 1975 international follow-up on the Mercury label failed to earn them the global audience they were hoping for—though it did give them yet another success down under. Skyhooks disbanded in June of 1980 and lead singer Graeme "Shirley" Strachan died in a helicopter accident in August of 2001 at the age of 49. You can read all about Skyhooks here and go here to find out why singer Graeme Strachan's surfer buddies used to call him "Shirley." A link for Skyhooks' incredibly goofy-cool video for "Horror Movie" is included below. I think my favorite is probably the guy in the white zoot suit.

Skyhooks on YouTube:
[ "Horror Movie" ]

Francis Lai

Artist: Francis Lai

LP: French Themes
Song: "Smic, Smac, Smoc"
[ listen ]

Here's Francis Lai's variation on the theme from Claude Lelouch's 1971 [film] of the same name. If you take a closer look at the album cover, you'll see a mirror that's reflecting an intimate "moment de l'amour." The flame of the kerosine lamp burns dimly beside the bed, the flowers have been set carefully in place upon the milky-white linens and a man with at least one handsome leg lies nakedly amongst the supple and vine-like limbs of an alabaster female beauty.

[before]

But then you flip the record over and there's another picture that was taken at the exact same location just moments later. the woman now lies heartbroken—naked, unsatisfied, alone—still surrounded by the flowers, which are now all messed up and torn to shreds. the gentleman's handsome, hairy leg has no doubt already carried him swiftly and smugly away down the darkening cobblestone boulevard.

[after]