A Few of My Favorite Things, Volume 36

As some of you know, I've undertaken a CD-R project on which I plan to collect semi-random sets of my favorite songs of all time (well, at least since World War II, though I reserve the right to do some older stuff if I feel like it).

After several months of inactivity in this regard, I finally did the latest collection, which is Volume 36. And there's still no end in sight, as my list of uncompiled songs still numbers in the hundreds.

The only two rules that apply to these CDs are:
-- No more than one song by any one artist, though solo records by members of a group otherwise on the CD are allowed.
-- The CD must be at least 79 minutes long.

I try to start and end with songs that feel appropriate, but otherwise, anything goes.

That said, here's Volume 36 of my ongoing series, which covers a span of 52 years of music!

1. "Here Comes the Sun" – The Beatles
2. "Criminal” – Fiona Apple
3. "Born to Be Alive” – Patrick Hernandez
4. "Riders in the Sky (A Cowboy Legend)” – Vaughn Monroe *
5. "Durham Town (The Leavin’)” – Roger Whittaker
6. "Push It” – Salt-N-Pepa
7. "Don’t Go Out Into the Rain (You’re Going to Melt)” – Herman’s Hermits
8. "I Drove All Night” – Roy Orbison
9. "My Best Friend” – Jefferson Airplane
10. "Poor Little Fool” – Ricky Nelson *
11. "Jamming” – Bob Marley and the Wailers
12. "When She Cries” – Restless Heart
13. "Two of Hearts” – Stacey Q
14. "Will You Be Staying After Sunday” – The Peppermint Rainbow
15. "Justified and Ancient (Stand By the Jams)” – The KLF
16. "This Is Where I Came In” – Bee Gees
17. "Touch Me” – The Doors
18. "Lake Shore Drive” – Aliotta-Haynes-Jeremiah
19. "Tubthumping” – Chumbawamba
20. "Lodi” – Creedence Clearwater Revival
21. "I’m Gonna Be Strong” – Gene Pitney
22. "Goodbye” – Mary Hopkin

Total Time 79:48

* Mono (all others stereo)

15 of the 22 songs were dubbed from vinyl, which I think is a record for a single CD-R in this series.
1, 4, 11, 16, 18, 20, 21 are from CDs
2, 6, 8, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, 22 are from 45s
3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 14 are from LPs

 

Tim,

A nice series! An eclectic track selection mix for sure with Patrick Hernandez followed by Vaughn Monroe, as an example. I never do this but I commend you for being able to enjoy a comp. presented in such a manner!

Enjoy!

Bob

 

Nice collection!

Personally, I like to select a period or year in time. I do mix genres if they all fall within a specific time frame.

 

Nice job, Tim!

But if I tried that, I'd feeling like I was spinning in a mutant time warp.
I tend to listen to music in periods, not all over the map like that. But it is a unique approach. I'm only surprised you used so much vinyl, since quite a few of those are available on CD, though not all in their 45 form.

Cool!


ED

 

Bob,

I think it reflects that I grew up with old-fashioned Top 40 radio and still like that sense of surprise that comes with an unexpected segue.

The only radio station around here that is reminiscent of those days is one that plays nothing but 70s music (give or take a year or two; it's more like 1969-1981). You never know what will pop up next on that station.

 

Tim,

I see your thinking here! I tend to record a wide variety of tracks within a certain time period

Here is an example:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oldies In HiFi Vol. # 4 (all tracks MONO unless otherwise indicated)

1. Barbara - Temptations (Stereo) 1960
2. Step By Step - Crests (Stereo) 1960
3. School Is Out - Gary U.S. Bonds (Stereo) 1961
4. South Street - Orlons 1963
5. I Believe What You Say - Rick Nelson 1958
6. Tell Him - Exciters (Stereo) 1962
7. Buzz, Buzz, Buzz - Hollywood Flames 1957
8. He's So Fine - Chiffons 1963
9. Oh! Little One - Jack Scott (Stereo) 1960
10. Manhattan Spiritual - Reg Owen Orchestra 1958
11. Hard Headed Woman - Elvis Presley 1958
12. I Can't Stay Mad At You - Skeeter Davis (Stereo) 1963
13. Little By Little - Nappy Brown 1957
14. Pop Pop Pop Pie - Sherrys 1962
15. So Much In Love - Tymes 1963
16. The Fool - Sanford Clark 1956
17. The Wah-Watusi - Orlons 1962
18. What's A Matter Baby (Is It Hurting You) - Timi Yuro (Stereo) 1962
19. Just A Little Too Much - Rick Nelson 1959
20. Rinky Dink - Dave "Baby" Cortez 1962
21. Dear Lady Twist - Gary U.S. Bonds (Stereo) 1961
22. Patty Baby - Freddy Cannon 1963
23. Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow - Rivingtons (Stereo) 1962
24. You're No Good - Betty Everett (Stereo) 1963
25. Tell Me Why - Belmonts (Stereo) 1961
26. I'll Be Satisfied - Jackie Wilson (Stereo) 1959
27. Teach Me Tiger - April Stevens 1959
28. Don't Say Nothing Bad (About My Baby) - Cookies 1963
29. Patsy - Jack Scott (Stereo) 1960
30. This I Swear - Skyliners 1959
31. "7-11" (Mambo # 5) - Gone All-Stars f/ Buddy Lucas 1958

#
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bob

 

I also miss the diversity of hit radio.

There are virtually NO stations around here that plays much 70s anymore outside of Fleetwood Mac anymore. To think that all the younger generations will know about the 70s is Fleetwod mac and a couple of disco songs that aren't even disco.

There are no longer any stations that play consistiently classic R&B/soul in Arizona anymore.

 

Yes, this makes sense. But notice your list stays around 1956-1963. right before the British invasion. And, your CD ignores early British "advisors" like The Tornadoes and the Dave Clark Five. You seem to have been going for s certain "atmosphere".

 

In most cases, I went with what I had that I felt was best.

Part of the fun of this project is pulling out the 45s and LPs and realizing that, after a good, thorough cleaning, they still sound good after all these years. Also, most of them are in pretty fine shape for a collection that, until the late 1980s, mostly came from yard sales and flea markets unless it was a then-current 45.

I don't have a Rick Nelson comp on CD, believe it or not. I went with the Time-Life Rick Nelson: 1957-1972 volume of "The Rock 'n' Roll Era," the first 40 volumes of which I have on vinyl, including two with two different covers.

"My Best Friend" by the Airplane came from my DCC vinyl of Surrealistic Pillow, another LP I don't have on CD at this time. Didya know that it was actually the first single released from that album??

I've never trusted Roger Whittaker CD comps to have the correct versions, as he re-recorded some of his most popular songs more than once, so I went with an LP that I knew had the correct version: The Last Farewell and Other Hits from 1975.

I went with the LP-length version of "Born to Be Alive," all 7-plus minutes of it, from the original LP. I find that for most of the disco-style songs I like, I like more of them than the 45 can provide!

The Peppermint Rainbow track also came from the original LP, but that one was tricky, because it has a slow coda tacked on that serves as a segue to the next song. I decided I didn't like it, so I faded the song where the main part ended, to match the single version.

"Don't Go Out Into the Rain" came from a near-mint copy of the LP Blaze, in true stereo. Well, at least the string section is in stereo.

Most of the 1990s songs I have only on 45s; it's still my first choice. If it doesn't come out on 45, my next choice is a promo CD single.

 

Grant,

I was replicating Top 40 Radio from a late 50's - early 60's perspective - pre-'64 and pre-DC5, of course!

Bob

 

"My Best Friend" Bubbled Under in Billboard, in fact, as did the Doors' "Break On Through," also a forgotten 45, since the next hit was The BIG One. And I'm also surprised how many 'diehard' Moodies fans don't realize "Nights In White Satin" charted in 1968 first, and that two different mixes were issued when it was reissued in 1972.

45 collecting is always fun!


ED

 

I have this comp on CD and "The Best of Roger Whittaker" on LP.

 

I don't know why, but I was pleasantly surprised by Tim Neely's open mind to music from different genres and eras.

Go Tim. .

Mark P.