Merle Haggard's Christmas Present

Well it's that time of year again, Christmas! I will keep this post short. Here is a nice one from the one and only Merle Haggard. It features five penned songs by Haggard himself on the A side and the B Side contains 5 Christmas classics.

Enjoy and Happy Holidays!

MP3 LAME VBR OP LP Rip

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Jeremy Steig - Energy

Dropping a nice slice of psychedelic jazz / funk from flautist (flutist) Jeremy Steig. Awesome mind blowing grooves on this one with an all star line up on Capitol Records 1970. Line includes Jan Hammer-Keys, Gene Perla-Bass, Eddie Gomez-Bass, and Don Alias-Drums/Percussion. Produced by Sonny Lester and engineered by Eddie Kramer. Recorded at Electric Lady Studios.

Original vinyl rip @ VBR LAME MP3

Enjoy!

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Shirl Milete - Shirl Milete

I've been meaning to post this one up but haven't done so because I couldnt find the LP to scan the cover so today while looking for another album I spotted it and decided to go forth upon my mission. I couldnt find much information about Shirl Milete but I do know that the LP was recorded in Nashville and was released in 1969 on Poppy Records. Shirl is very similar to the man in black Johnny Cash and I would describe this album as a crossover of country and soul for the most part. Shirl did write half of the songs on the album and several songs are composed by Townes Van Zandt along with a Dylan and Elvis cover, Definitely worth a listen if you are a fan of Johnny Cash and I also gathered that one of the songs was featured on a Country Soul compilation at some point.

Original Vinyl rip @ VBR LAME MP3 with covers

Enjoy!

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Cledus Maggard & The Citizen's Band - The White Knight

In my never ending quest for all LP's dealing with Big Rigs and C.B.'s I came across this gem in my local record shop's value bin. Dating from 1976 Cledus Maggard brings us a quality album filled with tons of C.B. lingo based lyrics and comedic toned vocals. A must have for anyone into funny country songs or trucker songs in general. The album cover alone is classic in itself with Cledus portraying his many characters that appear through out the songs.

Original vinyl rip @ 320kbps MP3. Enjoy!

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Tom T. Hall - Homecoming - 1969

Funny that I'm dropping another country album as I'm not a huge country music fan but I just love this style of country and of course the great songwriter Tom T. Hall. Tom has written hundreds of songs and I first discovered him from a trucker song compilation LP. I rarely run into and full lengths by him but happened upon this one at our downtown area's sidewalk sales one Saturday afternoon. The lyrics on this album are just classic and also I really like the crossover psychedelic song Strawberry Farms. The cover photo is great as well and not your typical "country" image. This album dates from 1969 and sorry for the small skip on the first track side A.

Original vinyl rip @ 320kbps MP3

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High Fidelity Three - B Boys Breakdance 12" - 1984

Back with another 12" this time from the group High Fidelity Three. B Boys Breakdance from 1984 on Cutting Records. At the time of posting this and trying to research the High Fidelity Three I see this 12" is already posted on another blog and on youtube. I'm still gonna go ahead and post it anyway :) Nice electro hip-hop track with the beat out doing the lyrical skills.

Enjoy! 320kpbs MP3

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Boogie Boys - Romeo Knight

After a few month hiatus I'm bringing you the third LP from Harlem Hip-Hop group the Boogie Boys "Romeo Knight" from 1988. The Boogie Boys had a hit in 1985 with the track "A Fly Girl" a second album in '86 and soon after Lil' Raheim left the group and the duo of Boogie Knight & Romeo J.D. drop this album on their own. This may not be an all time classic but there are definitely a few nice tracks through out. Enjoy! Original vinyl rip @ 320 mp3.

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Been a while!

Its been some time since I posted any music. I recently moved from TN back to PA and just now got one of the 1200's hooked up so hopefully I will get some new music up soon!

Red Sovine - Phantom 309

I've always loved truck driving songs and any albums related to the big rigs or the C.B. culture. Red Sovine was one of the best story tellers and one of the greats when it comes to trucker songs. You will always find one of his songs on practically any trucker song compilation. I'm not a huge country music fan but love the narrative style country songs wether it be about driving across country, bad relationships, or getting drunk at the bar and this compilation has them all! I'm posting this as I thought it represents my move back east from the Nashville area and is a nice farewell to Music City. Red was born in West Virginia but died here in Nashville when he suffered a heart attack behind the wheel of his van. This is just classic country story telling at its best especially the track "Does Steppin' Out Mean Daddy Took A Walk" when he says and I quote "Does being a ladies man mean Daddy's a sissy?" That could be one of the greatest lines ever written as far as I'm concerned haha! Enjoy!

Wiki - Red Sovine

Original Vinyl Rip MP3 320kbps

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Earl Grant - At Basin Street East

I received this LP on my birthday from a little stack of records my girlfriend brought home for me that day and when we put it on later that night we both really dug it a lot. At Basin Street East is a live recording from 1962 and is a nice classic groovy set of jazz pop vocals which can get bluesy at times. Earl also does one of the best renditions of "Fever" I have ever heard. I would have to say thats probably my favorite track on the album. I also like the few times Earl Talks to the crowd in between songs. It has a nice "atmospheric" vibe to it. This album will put you in a feel good mood upon listening thats for sure. Here is the wiki on Earl Grant who had a some what short career as he passed at the age of 39 in a car accident.

Wiki - Earl Grant

Enjoy!

Original vinyl rip @ 320kbps MP3 with cover

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Merle Haggard - My Farewell To Elvis

A new post to celebrate my birthday coming up on January 8th the same day as the King Elvis Presley so with that I figured I would go ahead and post this album which was a birthday gift from a good friend last year. This is Merle Haggard's tribute to Elvis and is all covers of songs best known by The King except for "From Graceland To The Promised Land" which Haggard penned himself. This album seems to have been released on CD at some point with different artwork but seems to be out of print these days. Elvis died Aug. 16 1977 and with a little searching I found out this album was produced, recorded and on the shelves before Christmas of '77. It also utilized top Nashville session players instead of Haggard's band The Strangers. Personally certain circumstances and individuals lead my girlfriend and I to believe Elvis is still alive in the town we are currently living in here in TN but we may never know the truth.

Enjoy!

320kbps original vinyl rip with jacket art.

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Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde - Genius Rap

This is the first of many old school 12" singles I will be sharing in the future. An all time classic "Genius Rap features the well know Tom Tom Club sample that I'm sure is familiar to most and I believe this may be the first Hip-Hop track to use it. Here is the Wiki on Dr. Jeck and Mr. H-Y-D-E.

"Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde was a 1980s hip hop group consisting of Andre "Dr. Jeckyll" Harrell and Alonzo "Mr. Hyde" Brown. The group was known for its corporate business image, wearing designer suits and ties while they rapped. The group first performed under the name "Harlem World Crew" and recorded on Tayster in 1980. ^[1]

Alonzo Brown joined Profile Records in 1981 under the name "Lonnie Love," and recorded the song "Young Ladies."

That same year, Brown teamed with Andre Harrell to make "Genius Rap," a well-received record which was one of the first hip hop records to used the famous Tom Tom Club sample, "Genius of Love."

The pair ended their professional relationship in 1987, but Mr. Hyde continued recording with Profile Records, recording the solo 12", "The Witch" b/w "Hyde's Beat".^[2]

After the group's demise, Andre Harrell became the founder and CEO of Uptown Records. He later went on to head Motown Records.

Alonzo Brown went on to become a producer and screenwriter, serving as executive producer for the Judge Mathis show."

Enjoy!

Listen to: Genius Rap

The London Side Of Nashville - Third Coast New Wave

A little New Years Eve release for you all and something different. This is a private press compilation from Pollyfox Studios in Nashville circa 1982. It includes nine "New Wave" bands with about two songs per band. I bought this one nice and sealed but couldn't find much info online about the record itself. So I am deeming it rare and I'm positive it was a small pressing run but in all realness i didn't do much investigation of the bands featured. Definitely your early 80's synth tinged New Wave sound. My favorite stand out tracks are Video Widow by Sunshine Adams in which the female singer(I'm guessing Sunshine?) tells the story of her man who spent all of his money on VHS tapes and video machines and doesn't give her any attention anymore! Also I like the last track and the only single track by B.B. Gunne - Life In The Big City. All in all a nice mix of songs to fill your early 80's New Wave underground needs. I may have to do some more research on the bands and see if any of them or members actually broke into the mainstream. A definite different side to the Nashville music scene. Enjoy!

MP3 320kbps with covers

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Conway Twitty & His Little Friends - Merry Twismas

The second installment of my Christmas post is a pick from my girlfriend who wanted to share this one before even hearing it and I had to agree just from the title Merry Twismas alone! I wasn't sure what to expect but figured it was aimed more at kids and it definitely is. Conway goes on a little Christmas adventure with his pal Twitty Bird discovering different characters in Toyland Towne. This is a cross between the Chipmunks and classic Conway. I'd say this is worth at least one listen and more than likely it will get on your nerves after a while but its definitely a fun one and if you have kids they may enjoy it even more. My favorite cut is Silent Night which has a classic Conway intro and no annoying Twitty Bird to get in the way.

Happy Holidays!

Original vinyl rip @ 192kbps MP3 with covers.

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Rotary Connection - Peace

A little something for the Christmas season. This is the first of two albums I will be posting for the Holidays. The second is more for fun but more on that in the days to come. Roatary Coneection - Peace (1968) could quite possibly be the only psychedelic soul Christmas album ever released. Rotary Connection is one of my favorites and for those that don't know the group at the time included a little known and another favorite vocalist of mine Minnie Ripperton (Mariah's got nothing on Minnie when it comes to hittin' the high notes.). Obviously by the front and back covers the message of psychedelia is apparent for this Christmas gem. I know its been reissued on CD at one point and not sure about the vinyl. Found this at a local thrift and didn't realize what it was at first as I never knew about this album and almost passed it up because of the water damaged sleeve while flipping thru the stack. Luckily the Santa with the pipe caught my eye and one quick look I knew I scored and was hoping for the best for the LP inside. Definitely worth the $1 price tag and definitely worth sharing as I believe this is becoming my favorite Christmas album which can be listened too all year long.

Enjoy and Happy Holidays!

MP3 320kbps with covers

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Rudy Ray Moore "The Turning Point"

Ok this is my first time trying this so everything may not be up to par as of right now. I would like to thank all the other bloggers who have turned me on to some serious music over the years. Thank you all!

Ok here is a gem I recently dug up for $.50 cents.I couldn't believe it when I was digging thru the stack. For all that don't know Rudy Ray Moore is probably best known as Dolemite the star of many low budget blaxploitation flicks and raw humor comedy albums etc. Here Rudy takes on a role as a serious singer with a nice 8 song LP with a few definite up-tempo hard funk jams like The Turning Point and Put Your Weight On It. Moore also goes mellow with some nice R&B slow jams. Some quotes from the liner notes. "True to the title of this LP, this is the Turning Point of the successful career of Rudy Ray Moore. Believe me, this album is something else in exposing the other talents of the multi-talented Moore, as a singer, writer and composer. His selection of tunes delivered in his own soulful stylings, especially "Knock Me A Kiss, and "Lucky Ol' Sun" could well place him on the hit parade list along with the other vocalists in today's field of soul singers. And as a writer, both the tracks "Put Your Weight On It" and "The Turning Point" could well give Quincy Jones and Isaac Hayes a run for the musical money." -Warren Lanier

This is an original vinyl rip @ 320kbps MP3 with artwork. Link in comments. Enjoy!

So I'm finally starting a blog to share various vinyl findings with my friends and readers. Most of the records that I will drop here were purchased for $1 or less mostly at thrift shops etc. These will be all vinyl rips by me with cover art. I'm not much of a writer but I will try to have a brief description of each album or whatever it is I post. Who knows I may post some videos and photographs as well but the main focus of this blog will be the dusty dollar records I have been collecting for years. Enjoy!