Thrift Store Archives: Trinidad Cavaliers

Trinidad Cavaliers-Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In (3.63mb)
Go thrifting enough times and you are bound to find a wealth of records created by steel drum bands from Trinidad, enough to where it moved someone to write a book about those albums. The Trinidad Cavaliers were one of those bands, and for hip-hop fiends and sample addicts they will know the Cavaliers as the source of the steel drum samples in the Beastie Boys' "Body Movin'" (the song in question being a cover of Tito Puente's "Oye Como Va", at the time a hit by Santana).

This one was from a different album, which featured a cover of the 5th Dimension's big hit "Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In", complete with a tight transition from the first half of the song to the other.

Thrift Store Archives: Slim Goodbody

Slim Goodbody-Your Mouth Is A House (2mb)
Interesting artifact from my childhood, not so much this record (which I didn't find until seven years ago). For the younger people, Slim Goodbody was a physically fit man who dressed up in a nylon-type suit so it looked like you could see the inside of his body. The point was that you, the kid, would be able to see how you look from the inside, and that being physically fit will help keep your body strong. It seemed a bit scary, if not outright goofy, but for awhile the concept worked, and Mr. Goodbody would travel across the nation to elementary schools telling kids about how to have better eating and exercising habits. According to his website, John Burstein started the Slim Goodbody character in 1975, at a time when physical fitness was not in vogue, so in many ways he paved the way for the fitness craze that would come in the 80's, one that remains to this day.

It always seemed odd to me that Slim Goodbody found himself on the box of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, where if you bought a few boxes, you could turn in the proofs of purchase + a few dollars and get a free record album. Yes my friend, that's the reason I'm talking about him here. Goodbody had actually come out with a record before, with songs aimed at kids about keeping your body in tune. This one for Kraft was done with a number of puppet characters, with him doing the voices for some of them. I believe there may have been a TV special. Anyway, the Kraft album had a lot of interesting songs, but the one I liked the most was called "Your Mouth Is House". As an adult you might be having some nasty thoughts about that one, but this is not one of those songs. It's about maintaining your teeth and chewing your food properly. What's more interesting about the song, at least for me, is the first two seconds, featuring a nice guitar and bass riff, perfect for sampling (and I should know.) Anyway, perhaps being sponsored by Kraft was the easiest way to find his target audience.

As foolish as he seemed to some of us back then, Slim Goodbody has become a role model for children and adults alike, especially today at a time when child obesity is at an all time high. Laugh with him, not at him. Then get funky and make your mouth a house. Chew.

Thrift Store Archives: Sharron Lucky

Sharron Lucky - Finger Play (2.39mb)
Keep in mind, this is a children's record. Thank you.

Thrift Store Archives: Clyde Wilson

Clyde Wilson - Open Up (4mb)
This one I did not find at a thrift store, but at the only used record store in town, R&B. The guy has boxes of 45's that collect dust more than anything, and I decided to take a look at a few of them. Aside from finding The Winstons' "Amen Brother", I found this. I didn't know who Clyde Wilson was or the song, but I had one of those instincts. Northern soul?

No, this is more late 60's soul. With a title like "Open Up", one would expect to hear a song about a man singing open up your heart to me, right? No, this is about a completely type of opening up, where he proudly sings open up your lips, girl, wider, wider, wider, baby, are you comin'?/yeah, are you comin'?, let's do it right, baby/while I'm standing tall. It gets quite explicit without reaching into P. Vert's "Stickball" territory, and Wilson? Well, sometimes he misses a few notes but I wonder if he was ever able to get a few ladies to "open up" after performances.

Thrift Store Archives: Reino Moisio

Reino Moisio - World, Take My Son By The Hand (3.68mb)
I think this is from the Seattle area, but I don't know. It's about a man who now has to see his son start his first day of school, but knows that this is also the beginning of the growth of a boy who will become a man and see heartache and tragedy. As innocent as it sounds, perhaps it's something that all parents should hear. It is mostly a spoken word record, and when he sings... well, listen for yourself.

Just remember, the bullies are the easier people to lick.

Thrift Store Archives: Jiminy Cricket & Rica Moore

Jiminy Cricket & Rica Moore - The Switch-Hitch (3.29mb)
I remember when I found this album, I thought "oh shit, that Star Wars nut sampled this!" Here it is in its original form. Okay, let's begin.

Thrift Store Archives: Ben Sidran

Ben Sidran-I Lead A Life (3mb)
This is on Blue Thumb, which has been a great label to find great music. This is a nice jazzy rock track with a hint of funk, featuring The Pointer Sisters (fellow Blue Thumb artists back then) on background vocals.

Thrift Store Archives: Bubber Johnson

Bubber Johnson - My One Desire (2mb)
I bought this because it was on King, and I had never heard of a Bubber Johnson. Not Bubba, but Bubber. No date on it, but it sounds like a nice soulful ballad, maybe late 50's or early 60's.

Thrift Store Archives: Kathy Dalton

Kathy Dalton - Pour Your Wine All Over Me (3.97mb)
I bought this 45 because it was on DiscReet Records, which I had known as being a Frank Zappa label. The song was the B-side to the title track of her album Boogie Bands & One Night Stands (the album of which was a repressing of her debut album Amazing, with the addition of the "Boogie Bands & One Night Stands" song. I didn't know any of this when I saw the 45, but with titles like that, and the record being on DiscReet, I wasn't sure if it was going to be Zappa-esque or something unexpected. It was very much the latter.

Instead of trippy tales of yellow snow or the Central Scrutinizer, it was some nice country/pop. As a kid I hated country music, and yet I liked country music played by rock bands. It would be years, a number of heartbreaks and hard times later, that I finally realized "wow, some of those records I've been finding and throwing in the trash, they're not so bad."

Back to the 45. A woman pleading "please, pour your wine all over me." Who would resist that request? This is a country ballad, with the classic line "And now I'm strung out like a chick on junk, 'cause you're the kiss of God to me" Maybe husbands who were truckers were heading on the road, leaving their ladies behind for months at a time, and it moved these singers to make songs like this, and there are many others, such as the great "Tell Me A Lie" by Sami Jo on MGM South.

Anyway, what I did not know until a few minutes ago was that the band backing up Dalton on this song and the rest of the album were none other than Little Feat.

Thrift Store Archives: Chris Hills

Chris Hills - My Baby Said She Loved Me This Morning (4.01mb)
Is this a pre-cursor to Beck Hansen?

Chris Hills had an album out on Vanguard, featuring one Jim Pepper. When the late Herbie Mann was given the luxury of having his own label, Pepper was one of the artists he considered. The label was the great Embryo Records, which released both jazz and rock recordings. If you weren't into William S. Fischer, you could buy Air. Or Chris Hills.

The album is credited to Chris Hills/Everything Is Everything, the name of his band. The music mixes up soul with blues and rock, and this one takes a huge risk by being EXTRA soulful. You hear that first high note and you may say OUCH!, but it's funny but you're laughing with him to the point where you end up dancing.

Thrift Store Archives: Tyrone Ashley & The Funky Music Machine

Tyrone Ashley & The Funky Music Machine - I Want My Baby Back (4.02mb)
It was a bit of a shock when I found this 45. I saw it, a Phil-L.A. white label promo, and wanted to run home without paying 25 cents for it. But it would have been faster for them to take a quarter out of my pocket than it would have been for me to run. Oh well.

Got this home, and I knew I had a gem. At the time I had not heard of this song, but when it got to the 1:30 mark, I was smiling from ear to ear. There are moments when their playing is slightly off-key, but this Funky Music Machine keeps on going.

(If you are interested in hearing more, pick up a brand new compilation called Let Me Be Your Mand, featuring 12 previously unreleased tracks from Tyrone Ashley & The Funky Music Machine. You can order a copy through Fat Beats.)

Thrift Store Archives: The Ray Bloch Singers

The Ray Bloch Singers - Everyday People (3.55mb)
This song, in its original form by Sly & The Family Stone, is an oldies radio staple.

This cover, however, is not.

I had hoped to find some unknown beat when I spotted this, on an album featuring various covers of the day (it might have had "Spinning Wheel" on it too), but this album is far from funky, and the same can be said about The Ray Bloch Singers too. It is funny to hear this group try to "play it hip" when half the time it seems they aren't sure what they're singing or singing about. Not unlike anyone who was a special guest on a Dora Hall special.

Thrift Store Archives: Moe Koffman

Moe Koffman - Days Gone By (Egyptology) (5.68mb)
When I came across this album, I didn't know who Moe Koffman was or what kind of music it could be. It was on Janus Records, so there was a 50/50 chance of it being decent. In this case it was some pretty decent mid-70's jazz, and I would discover that Koffman was a musician from Canada. Then I came across this song. Fans of Jill Scott will recognize this as the source of the sample in her "Slowly, Surely" from her first album.

Those who seek this album will also find a nice break, which I believe I had heard on an album of the Chemical persuasion.

Thrift Store Archives: The Spiritual Wonders

The Spiritual Wonders - Use Me Lord (3.33mb)
The Spiritual Wonders - I'll Range For Him (3.89mb)
I found this 45 at the Goodwill in trusty Pasco, WA, and it surprised me because I had a feeling that it might be some good gospel music instead of some of th junk I have come across over the years. The actual credit reads The Spiritual Wonders of Detroit, Michigan, so I had to take this home.

The Spiritual Wonders seem to be a vocal group with full band backing, and this band is quite funky, at least in a gospel manner, as indicated by the A-side, "Use Me Lord". No date is given, but since the songs are mixed in stereo, I would say it is of early 70's vintage (with the exception of jazz, record labels didn't place stereo mixes on 45's until 1969, as they began to phase out mono).

"I'll Range For Him" is a bit more low-key but still retains the power that the group tries to present and share with its listeners.

If anyone has information on this group or the band, please contact me.

Thrift Store Archives: Mystery Tape (Reel-To-Reel)

Mystery Tape-Go Away Little Girl (excerpt) (1mb)
Music and music formats were always a part of my childhood. We always had records, 8-track tapes were plentiful, most cassette decks had one speaker, except for the Sony component deck my dad had with his quadraphonic record player. The cassette deck was in stereo though, but it had one of the BEST pause buttons I had ever seen. I say this because I would fool around and make my own mix tapes, and in time some of my Saturday fun would involve making goofy edits of whatever records I had nearby. It would be awhile before I did those edits rhythmically, and for years I thought I had invented this style of song extension, where a five section portion of a song could go on for five minutes, ten minutes. It may have taken three hours, but it was great to play the final tape and have them hear something that had not existed. Little did I know that there were thousands of music geeks like myself doing this thing called pause tape mixing, and that many of us who produce/make beats started out this way.

In my childhood, I also saw my share of reel-to-reel tape machines. My uncle had one and he would use it for "special listening". Unlike a record player, which I was allowed to use at home, I was never allowed to use my uncle's reels. NEVER. This was high pro, at least to my eyes. A few of my dad's friends had reel machines in the living room next to the turntable, and I always wondered why my dad never picked up one. My dad was a big car and motorcycle buff, but he also loved his music, but any money he had extra would go into fixing cars and bikes. When there was a bit more, he would buy a new album. In a good month we'd have about four to five new records, my mom would be the one to buy me 45's behind his back, because at a young age I was already becoming a music junkie. However, reel-to-reel tape machines were way beyond our means, and I would later find out why: they were very expensive.

The first time I would have a chance to play with reel-to-reel tape machines was when I was in Radio/TV Production Class in high school. Between 1986-1988, everything was of course done in analog, including the production of commercials and promotional service announcements (PSA's). Being a Beatles junkie, the thing I wanted to do was record my voice, then flip the tape around so I could hear myself backwards. In truth this was nothing new, since in intermediate school I had a friend who was of the church, and he taught me a way to unscrew a cassette, flip the tape upside-down, and do it that way. By flipping it upside-town, we are now hearing the other, unplayable side of the tape, and it sounds completely muffled. By doing this, you can hear a muffled version of what was recorded, but backwards. Apparently for the church, this was a revelation, and it was possible to hear those messages from Satan himself.

Anyway, back to school. I had already made tapes of myself at home, so working with a reel-to-reel tape machine meant "professional". I wanted to be a recording engineer once I got out of high school, and this was a chance to play with the tools of the trade. I made a few interesting tapes, especially when I was able to make the tape feedback upon itself. I thought it was cool, I could now make my own "Revolution No. 9".

Well, I didn't go to the Art Institute Of Seattle to become a recording engineer. Instead, I bought a hell of a lot of music. Being a fan of experimental and avant-garde sounds coincided with me becoming a genuine thrift store junkie. This would involve exploring the world of dead formats, which included 8-track tapes and reel-to-reel tape machines. I eventually found a Sony mono reel-to-reel machine from the 1950's or 1960's for under $10, and with the abundance of discarded reels for sale, it would end up being my way of making the music on some of my first albums.

I would also look for 8-tracks and reels not only for music, but to find custom made tapes that may have home recordings, anything odd and unusual. I did this not only for my curiosity, but if they were good I could sample them in my own music. This is when I came across a random 3 inch reel.

With any tape I bought, I would play it to see if there was anything worthy. Most of the time it was familiar music, but there was one 8-track tape which featured a young woman singing to a Kansas song. I put this on one of my tapes, and that was that. A few years ago I discovered that an MP3 of a woman doing the exact same thing had been widely circulated online. I am almost certain that the source of that recording was from my album which used the tape.

But back to the random 3 inch reel. I put it on the machine and played it. Silence for about a minute, and then the sound comes on. A girl (age unknown) says she is going to sing "Go Away Little Girl". She and her sister begin to sing, and it's a bit cute, as they stay on key and tempo. Before the song completes itself, it is interrupted by the girl in question, who now sings a very different tune, a more sinister tune to the sister who was just heard on the tape. The sister is calling her sibling a pig, "Piggy Renee". She stops singing, and now we hear what seems to have been recorded as a personal message to her sister: "you know what Renee?" For the next few seconds this girl rips her sister verbally. No "swear words" or anything, but she's steamed and she lets it all out. We hear the reason for her anger, and this MP3 is an excerpt of that tape, and in truth it is most of the recording that was on the tape. It goes on for another 15 seconds and I can only assume that as she was recording this message, her sister walks in the room and she begins to sing a few lines of "Go Away Little Girl" again, before concluding with and that's all, thank you.

The tape and the box it was in had no handwriting or date, so I have no idea who this girl is, where it was recorded, or when. This is very different from those Recordios with personal messages for family members and/or friends, this is a homemade recording made by an angry girl because her sister... well, you'll have to find out.

And that's all, thank you.

Thrift Store Archives: Erroll Garner

Erroll Garner - Spinning Wheel (4.65mb)
You know how it is, you're looking for a reason to buy a record at a thrift store and all you come up with is doo doo on your fingers. But then you find the one song you think might be worthy. Aaah yes, another version of "Put Your Hand In The Hand". Oh look, "Get Out Of My Life, Woman".

Then there's "Spinning Wheel". People want to find a variation of a good break, or maybe they just love the song that much. Here's another, and this one is quite good.

Thrift Store Archives: Willie Tee

Willie Tee - Love Of A Married Man (3mb)
In honor of Wilson "Willie Tee" Turbington, who passed away on September 11th at the age of 63.

I found this on a 45 a few years ago in Hermiston, Oregon not at a thrift store, but at an antique shop. There was a pile of 45's in the middle of cups and watches, it was on Capitol with the red and orange label, and it said it was produced by Heavy Productions. In other words, David Axelrod. The 45 was purchased for about 50 cents (if I remember correctly), brought it home, and out game this well orchestrated soul song that was about a man who was tempted by the fruit of another. He tells the woman in question that he has a good life, she should've been around when he was free to mingle.

Tee would later help put together The Gaturs, and had a hand in The Wild Magnolias as well. Because of his early work, and the work with The Gaturs and The Wild Magnolias, Tee would become a huge influence in the soul and funk music scenes of New Orleans, some of which would find their way in hip-hop through samples.

Rest in p.e.a.c.e, Wilson.

Thrift Store Archives: Dynamic Sound

Dynamic Sound - Which Way Is Up (4.26mb)
This was from an album with a bunch of hits recorded by a random group filled with uncredited studio musicians. In this case, this is a cover of the Stargard hit. Sample-happy people, take note.

Thrift Store Archives: Copper N' Brass

Copper N' Brass - Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is (3.64mb)
This is a cover of the Chicago Transit Authority hit, although one has to wonder if it was done as homage, or it was just a way for the label to make a record in the hopes people would think it was CTA, since it is very close to the original.

Thrift Store Archives: Don Cameron Nazy

Don Cameron Nazy - The Great Debate (Mr. Ickson)
This is a 45 released through Atlantic Records on the short lived Trey label. Being an Atlantic junkie myself, I had not heard of Trey until I purchased this.

The record itself is a cut-in released to coincide with the 1960 debate between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon. "Cut-ins" are records which feature someone asking a question, and th response comes in the form of the actual song. The odd thing is that on this 45, the questions and responses are exactly the same for each candidate. For this MP3, you can hear the questions given to Mr. "Ickson".

Thrift Store Archives: Carlo's Crown Jewel

Carlo's Crown Jewel - Shoo-Fly Pie & Apple Pan Dowdy (3.43mb)
I don't know what you'd call this, it's bubblegum-ish but not quite. I bought this because of the label, never heard of the group or the song. I heard it, thought the song was cool, and was able to use it in one of my own tracks.

Thrift Store Archives: Percy Faith

Percy Faith - 2001 (Also Sprach Zarathustra) (6.33mb)
All thrift store junkies should be very aware of Percy Faith's catalog, as his records are frequently spotted in many a bin. This one is slightly unusual, for it's a jazzy rendition of the song made famous in the film 2001: a space odyssey. While his early catalog is compete pop and schmaltz (and some of that schmaltz quite good), he (like many easy listening acts) picked up the groove a bit and started expanding. It's not a bad rendition either.

Thrift Store Archives: The Fat Albert Orchestra And Chorus

The Fat Albert Orchestra And Chorus - Fat Albert (Hey Hey Hey) (2.39mb)
The Fat Albert Orchestra And Chorus - Cosbyianna (2.67mb)

Comedian Bill Cosby would do anything to share his love of jazz, and this 45, released on his own Tetragrammaton label in 1967, was proof. The songs were co-written by Cosby and the "Fat Albert" track was based on the routine which celebrated one of his good friends. It is not the same version as the well known cartoon theme song. "Cosbyianna" may be his own Ellingtonia, who knows, but it's some mighty fine jazz indeed.

Thrift Store Archives: June Jackson

June Jackson - Little Dog Heaven (3.84)
There's got to be a little dog heaven/with fire hydrants on every cloud...

Thrift Store Archives: Dioni Fernandez

Dioni Fernandez - Al Ritmo De La Noche (5.96mb)

This is a Spanish, tropicalized version of the DeBarge classic, "Rhythm Of The Night".

Thrift Store Archives: Herbie Hancock & Wah Wah Watson

I had bought this late last year, briefly talked about it but did not post any audio. Here's the audio.

It's from a promotional 2LP set called Nightbird & Company: Cosmic Connections, one of four different radio series put together in the 70's by the US Army Reserve. The records inside did not match the artists that were listed on the back cover, but I bought it anyway. One record was meant for a show called William B. & Company, which is described as "MOR in style", and featured interviews with jazz legend Buddy Rich.

The other record was Nightbird & Company, but instead of Average White Band, Hubert Laws, Climax Blues Band, and Thin Lizzy, it featured interviews with John Mayall on one side, and Herbie Hancock & Wah Wah Watson on the other.

Nightbird & Company, hosted by Alison Steele, is described as a "rock show", apparently for those 3am eternal heads who have too much weed and Mountain Dew in their system to go to sleep. In this case, Steele interviews Hancock and Watson because both played on each other's album, so it was a nice way to do some cross promotion and have them reveal a few things about their music.

The most interesting comment comes from Hancock, who is asked about disco and its hazards. While Hancock does admit to it being trendy, he says that at least for his and Watson's music, it did have its benefits.

The concept of Nightbird & Company is that each side of the album can be played three ways: play the first 10 minute segment, play the second 15 minute segment, or play the full 25 minute piece as a "show" or something to casually play between other records. The MP3 below consists of both segments.

The first segment features a good amount of Hancock's music before the interview officially begins, but when it does it is an interesting listen. It also features two radio spots from the US Army Reserve. I do find it interesting that considering Hancock's spiritual beliefs, he would agree to do anything with the US Army Reserve, but promotion is promotion and if it meant gaining radio airplay when no other means was possible, he probably went into it for that reason.

Other radio programs done by the US Army Reserve include Country Cookin' (country music) and Rap N' Rhythm With Al Gee (soul).

Nightbird & Company with Alison Steele-Herbie Hancock & Wah Wah Watson (air week of February 27, 1977) (56mb @ 320kbps)

Thrift Store Archives: 5° Fahrenheit

Great version of the classic "Daddy's Home" right here:

5° Fahrenheit-Daddy's Home (3.41mb)

Thrift Store Archives: 101 Strings Orchestra

I have neglected this blog, and I apologize. Which is funny, considering how much I post elsewhere.

Anyway, to make it up, I am going to make an attempt to upload something every day from my archives. The archives in question are the Thrift Store Adventures archives, and no, I have not stopped doing it. Money has been extra tight as of late, and I have not been able to make the weekend trips for pleasurable vinyl buying.

Each of the songs I will upload in the month of September are "my own", in that I made them and converted them myself, nothing taken from other blogs. If you've been a fan of Thrift Store Adventures for the last few years, some of these may be familiar. If not, then take a listen and enjoy the good and bad of what you can find at your local thrift store/charity shop.

101 Strings Orchestra-Don't Tell Bill (4.69mb)
This is from a 101 Strings album made to look like a 12" single. When you hear the song, you'll know the identity of this "Bill". If you don't know even after hearing it, let's just say this "Bill" had an overture.