LOOK WHAT I HAVE FOUND vol 45
"Bongos in pastel" - 16 exotic fruits from Bongolia

 

 

In The Trashcan Records       GARBAGE45
"You like songs about food? (vol 9), or about exotic lands? (vol 1) or rock 'n' roll and surf instrumentals? (vol 14) or dream away on a tiki boat to Bongolia? Sweet dreams..."

Top Rank 45-JAR-180 1. bongos in pastel -  preston epps

Originally on Original Sound also with”Doin’( the cha cha cha)” as flipside. Mano Negra recorded a song called “King of bongo”. I hope that they were thinking of the real bongo king Preston Epps. This '59 release is one of his lesser known bongo recordings.
9. big bad john - frankie dennis

I found this one on a split single (b-side= You Don’t Know by Nadia Minapoulos) released on a Belgian budget label that operated from the late 50s till the mid 60s.  Great outlaw country flavored novelty tune à la Robert Mitchum’s early recordings.
Stella For Teenagers 9.3078
Top Rank International 45-HTR-524 2. firewater - rusty isabell

Another '59 Top Rank release but originally on Brent  with b-side “The blast”. It’s a fast instrumental about whisky. It’s not the same “Firewater” as the wild song by The Premiers on Strummin’ Mental. The main ingredients are a fierce piano and a sax.
10.  six to go - willie mitchell

Now time for some genuine soul power with this b-side of “Last tango in paris”.  This release is from 1973, but I’m pretty sure this is a 60s recording.  On vol 46 you get another Willie Mitchell song.  And after this one, only six to go.
Hi 45-2237
World Pacific WP-77844 3. dirty water - billy larkin & the delegates

Also a sax here, but it’s Billy’s Hammond organ on the lead here. On the next volume you get the a-side  “Hold on I’m comin’. This '66 instrumental version of The Standells’ classic always works on the dancefloors of hip lounges.
11.  coctiez - carl henry hall

A ska-flavored popcorn tune, but I don’t know what year this sax instrumental comes from. If you like this, get ready for his version of “Summertime”, also on this volume.
Village UL.6217
Barclay 72518 4. le crabe - les playboys

And now something to eat. Les Playboys from France recorded this great EP in the 60s. They were mainly an instrumental guitar combo featuring an organ and a saxophone.
12. alice blue gown - leroy holmes & his orchestra

A Ventures-like guitar and a string section against each other and surprise surprise: it works! If you like it more moody and exotic, then I can suggest the b-side “Sweet Leilani”; from 1959.
MGM 45-MGM-1044
Decca 26.068 5. i love onions - laurie

What a silly b-side this is. No green onions, just a girl loving onions. This is bad bad bad campy novelty, not to be taken seriously. And on a later volume you’ll get another version of “I love onions”. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
13. summertime - carl henry hall

It’s from a 45 with two Gershwin compositions, the other being “Coctiez” which is also on this volume. Who was Carl Henry Hall? He’s got a great powerful and soulfulvoice and that makes this Summertime version very special. It should have been on that “Summertime” compiliation released in 2003 (in that same series also “Fever”)
Village UL.6217
Disco 107 6. lasagna - essence

Although this sounds like it was taken off “Frolic diner” (a fantastic series of compilations of  late 50s/early 60s songs about food and drinks) I believe it was recorded much later; maybe even in the early 70s.
14. big noise from winnetka pt2 - cozy cole

Part One can be found on several compilations but not this '62 b-side. A deep dark voice starts this second part that should have been selected for a Las Vegas Grind volume.
Coral 62339
Barclay 72518 7. la langouste - les playboys

Maybe they were living near the sea because after a song about a crab they’ve made a song about a spiny lobster or “langouste”. Other two songs on this EP are “Raunchy twist” and “Artistry in twist”.
15. the caterpillar crawl - dick dixon & the roommates

(b-side= Be goo, be good, be good) When I found this one, I was so thrilled. I only knew the version by The Strangers, also from 1959. This song was the original tune for “Boss” by The Rumblers in 1962 and also for “Garbageman” by The Cramps in 1980. But if you listen very carefully you just have to agree that there’s a big resemblance with Kip Tyler’s “She’s my witch” too.
Kapp K-292X
MGM K13535 8. door banger - the king pins

It’s the flipside to “Rod hot rod”, a '66 surf instrumental which can be found on the excellent compilation album Boss drag '64“. “Rod hot rod” was also covered by Jon & The Nightriders as “Catalina”. This is also an instrumental with some girls doing backing vocals in the same style as on Italian soundtracks.
16. the ooh and ah mambo - jerry gray

A girl sighing Ooh and Ah all the time for 99 seconds of uptempo orchestral mambo jazz
Decca 960987