Taping Project: "Possibles" 1964, Please Vote! Mono v. Stereo (14)

Tim,

Well...it was worth a shot. Philadelphia was a real hotbed of hits in the late 50's and early 60's because of Cameo-Parkway and, of course, the original home of American Bandstand. As I recall, Philly was also a musical hot bed in the 70's because of Gamble and Huff.

Bob

 

According to Recordmaster.com (a site that I find very helpful in identifying record dates for 45s), Citation 503 was released in 1962. Is this the Bobby Fuller song 'I Fought the Law'? If you are not familiar with BF's IFTL, look at the writing credit under the song title on the 45. According to Joel Whitburn, Fuller wrote the song in 1961, but didn't cut the 45 until 1964 (Exeter 124 ... which I believe was an El Paso (Fuller's hometown) label and nationally on Mustang 3014).

If it is Fuller's song, it would be one of the earliest versions that I can think of ... Indy Mike ... this is your kinda of music?

 

Chip,

That is a great website to be aware of!

Bob

 

I don't know what I was thinking of ... or better yet not thinking of ... I knew something didn't sound right ... Sonny Curtis wrote 'I Fought the Law' and the Crickets, which included Curtis at the time, recorded it on May 18, 1959, according to Bear Family, for the 'In Style With The Crickets' LP. I still don't understand the notation in Whitburn's 'Top Pop Singles 1955 - 1996'.

 

At the risk of causing a sensation, visit the Norton website if you want the poop on the Bobby Fuller pre Mustang/Del Fi material; get a copy of Kicks from them that has the Bobby Fuller story lovingly told (just ax our pal Steve about that issue!) I think they are the ones who have the rights to that home recorded material. Sonny Curtis was the pen man for that song as noted above, not Fuller, although Bobby certainly took it over and made it his own. Never heard that Wisconsin version - is it good???

Dance Franny Dance is a pounder - kinda lo fi but has a hell of a groove and you can watusi to it, no problemo. Abnak is now in the hands of the Sundazed folks, so maybe they'll do some excavating and searching for all the tapes. I think Guyden was a Philly based label, so maybe it's with their tapes... Unless you have a 45, you'll need Rhino's Texas Music Vol. 3 - Garage Bands and Psychedelia to hear it. There's a picture on the back of the booklet with a snap of the Jetstar label - "Recorded Live at the Pit in Dallas" - that might explain its grungy sound.

Two of Clubs - try Ace UK as they own the Fraternity label it came out on; they were some Cincinnati girls who made some noise on the local charts, and still perform at oldies shows around Cincy. I'd swear that tune has been reissued somewhere on cd - yo Grant, you have that one anywhere?

 

Mono Or Stereo? Version?

1) Oh, Pretty Woman--Roy Orbison (Mono single mix or Stereo as mastered by SH) use the Stereo...its GREAT!!!

2) My Guy--Mary Wells Stereo

3) Come See About Me--Supremes Stereo

4) Do Wah Diddy Diddy--Manfred Mann Stereo

5) Leader Of The Pack--Shangri-las Stereo)

6) Please, Please Me--Beatles Use the Repaired Stereo version!!


7) Glad All Over--Dave Clark Five Mono here

8) Twist And Shout--Beatles stereo

9) Remember (Walkin' in the Sand)--Shangri-las (Mono single mix or first-time Stereo) STEREO

10) Little Old Lady (From Pasadena)--Jan & Dean (original Stereo mix or the Stereo re-mix) Stereo Remix

11) Dean Man's Curve--Jan & Dean (original Stereo mix or Stereo re-mix)
Stereo Remix


12) Because--Dave Clark Five stereo

13) Can't You See That She's Mine--Dave Clark Dive stereo

14) Bits And Pieces--Dave Clark Mono

 

Mikey,

Thanks for voting!!

Bob

 

Mono for the Motown tracks. While I actually prefer the less compressed stereo mix of "Come See About Me", the mono mix has a certain something special about the brass and has the impact.

No preference on "My Guy".

Man, I can't wait until the 1965, '66, '67, and ESPECIALLY 1968 list goes up. There will be some SERIOUS mono/stereo debates here!

 

Not to mention could be/should be stereo tunes (I smell some Nuggets commentary coming up!)

 

Grant,

The Mono of Come See About About Me has that awsome fat low-end.

1965 list--will post the thread on Sunday!

Bob

 

...as long as the stereo MATCHES the mono...

 

What if it is *better* than the mono?

 

Oh, I know!
I guess bass isn't improtant for some people. Not to change the subject, but I recall a BSN'er complaining about the bass on the last set of Carpenters remasters. The tapes don't sound EQ'ed. In fact, they have less compression which gives them more sense of bass.

I haer many audiophiles say they don't really like bass. Very strange...

 

I suppose...

 

Eh? Steve's CDs often have a very fat bass sound, actually.

 

Again, according to Recordmaster.com, 'I Fought the Law' backed/w 'Say Mama' by 'Royal Lancers' was also on Cuca 5003 (this # does not jive with other Cuca releases at the time which were in the 1100s).

From the liner notes of Sweden's Classics Records 1996 CD 'Cuca Rock 'N Roll Records Story':

'The Story of Cuca Records commenced in the mid '50s when Jim Kirchstein returned from the Korean conflict. He opened a record shop in the basement of his brothers toy shop in Sauk City, Wisconsin, a small town about 20 miles northwest of Madison. Jim bought recording equipment from the widow of the owner of Pfau label.

In 1959 he began recording in his small studio - now called Sauk City Studio - choosing the unlikely name of Swastika for his label. The first two records were pressed by RCA. First out was Don Chambers (1000). When pressing the second issue (1001) Bill Leonard of RCA called and told Jim to change the name of the label. Right on the spot Jim took the name Cuca, which was a nickname for a Mexican cousin of his wife.

[In 1959], Jim ["]recorded["] the original 'Mule Skinner Blues' by the Fendermen and with the money he got from that he set up a larger studio and the legendary Cuca label was ready to move into the '60s.

[According to the liner notes in Plum's 1999 'The Best of the Fendermen' CD, Bill Dreger, who owned a music store in Middletown, WI, recorded the original 'Mule Skinner Blues' and Kirchstein pressed 500 copies on Cuca (1003) before leasing it to Minneapolis' Soma Records who rerecorded it before distributing it nationally]

There were over 1000 releases on the label and the subsidary labels which included Sara, Night Owl and Age of Aquarius etc. The Cuca corporation grew in size and in 1964 he built his own pressing plant and started up a radio station called WVLR (Very Live Radio).

Of the smaller independent labels, Cuca was a giant, releasing records in varying styles including Rock 'n' Roll, R&B, Jazz, Blues, Country Music, Polka etc.

... Cuca continued with releases into the '70s. In 1968 the founder began working for the University of Wisconsin. ...'

My guess is that Citation was a subsidary label of Cuca since I believe Citation is a WI label and the Cuca and Citation 45s have the same #.

Bob, sorry to clutter up your thread with this post, but I find the history of songs like 'Mule Skinner Blues' fascinating.

 

I'm not talking about Steve. I'm talking about many other audiophiles.

 

But yet many audiophiles seem to like Steve's work...

 

But i'm not talking about them. Have you heard the 45 of "Street Fighting Man"?

 

Chip,

Valuable information. I lived in Madsion from 1974 until 1986 and I recall seeing Cuca releases in the used record store bins during my collecting era.
Seemed to me there was Cactus as part of the logo but, I could be wrong.

Great research!

Bob

 

Bob, could the moving to Wisconsin in '74 have anything to do with it being your cutting off period of rock music in the 70s? Just curious...

 

Grant,

No, driven by other factors such as the transition from AM to FM that really took hold, nationally, in 1975. By 1976, FM Top 40 dominated! In fact, there was somewhat of a resurgance of Top 40 when so many FM stations tried the format. The competition wars on AM were long since, over!

Bob

 

I remember well. 1975 was the last year I heard top 40 on radio.

 

Chip,

Great work, man! I did not know anything about this release other than it was a nice alternate version of the Bobby Fuller hit. Except, of course, it can't be a cover of Fuller because it came out first!

You are correct that Citation Records is a division of Cuca Records. In fact, it says so right on the label.

I also wonder if IFTL is actually the b-side here. The record number reads J 5003'' with those two apostrophes. On the other side with "Say Mama" there is only one apostrophe.

Anyway, I have attached a scan of the label, and if the link works, the first 30 seconds or so of the record.

Thanks again for the info!

Listen:
http://home.wi.rr.com/miquefan/IFTL.mp3

 

Hey Chip, how's the sound on that beast? Is it all pounding rockinroll, or is there nutty polkas and other such stuff onnit?