LOOK WHAT I HAVE FOUND vol 153
"The garbage man dunnit" - 16 unusual trash tunes I found in the garbage can

 

In The Trashcan Records       GARBAGE153
"Watching monster movies with a brain twist on a saturday dance on a love boat, is like twistin' up a storm with a runaway vampire..."

1. (i'm in love with) the garbage man - linda carr & the impossibles

Her most obscure 45, recorded for Kay Star Records in 1961, years before she gained some attention in the northern soul scene. Later she tried again with funky disco songs. This r&b tune is her best effort. Released on green wax!

9. frieda frieda - the valiants

Excellent vocal group from Los Angeles with a handful of R&B and doo-wop releases in the 50s. This is from their second single on Keen Records in 1958.

2. theme from a whodunnit - jekyll & hyde

An instrumental "The train kept a-rolling"-ripoff with a killer guitar break

10. my baby loves monster movies - jekyll & hyde

A  crazy horror novelty tune. This great two-sider came out in 1964 on DCP International. That same year they released a second 45: "Dracula drag"/"Frankenstein meets The Beatles". It's no surprise that Dickie Goodman is behind this project.

3. twistin' up a storm - the lone twister

I first heard about The Lone Twister on the best compilation ever: "Wavy gravy". Years later I found the single, this is the flipside, recorded in 1961. The Lone Twister was an alias used by influential New York DJ Murray The K, who was once called the Fifth Beatle by George Harrison.

11. dracula cha cha cha - los dandies

Creepy Spanish version of this Halloween tune Latin style. See vols 24, 55 and 111 for more versions of this exotic Dracula song. A Disques Pop EP from 1960.

4. the kid from red bank - count basie

Written by Neal Hefti (who also wrote "Batman theme"), this was taken from Basie's 1958 album "Basie". He was one of the great jazz legends, a brilliant pianist. In those days he was nicknamed the Atomic Mr Basie. The Count Basie Orchestra turned this into a real swinger. A Roulette release from 1958.

12. brain twist - the brain twist

The Brain Twist released only two singles (as far as I know); both sides were written by Kenneth Chambers aka Christian Chevallier, a French pianist. This is one of my favourite songs from 1961.

5. anchors aweigh - b-lou jones & his jupiters

Everybody knows this song, the unofficial anthem of the US Navy, written by Charles Zimmermann about a century ago. This beat-jazz combo delivered a fine rendition of this tune in 1961 for Decca.

13. love boat - don covay & the goodtimers

When Donald Randolph changed his name into Don Covay in 1958 at the age of 20, he was a little too late for the first wave of rock 'n' roll. Yet he recorded some of the wildest songs, like this utterly great instrumental in 1961 backed by The Goodtimers.

6. bongo guitar - ralph marterie

Single taken from the same album "The Hits That Made Ralph Marterie And His Orchestra Famous" that gave us "Caravan", "Shish-kebab", "Dry Marterie"… and many more singles from 1961, his best year. Splendid instrumental, also known as "Oye negra".

14. runaway - mel turner

Jimmy Ross was born in Trinidad & Tobago as James Abraham but changed his name to Mel Turner when he left for Europe and met Bobbejaan Schoepen. He settled in Belgium until his death in 2000. He even lived for a while in Bobbejaanland, an amusement park. Bobbejaan released their song "They killed a king" (Martin Luther King!) in 1968 on the Bobbejaan label. This Del Shannon cover was released in 1970 on United Artists.

7. saturday dance - the shadows

One of the first vocal tracks by these instrumental rockers. It is the B-side of "Lonesome fella". A Columbia release from 1959. See also vol 193.

15. i got a wife - bob mitchell

I found this song on an EP featuring four artists. Other artists are The Promineers, Bobby Green and Richard Deane. Mitchell was already 47 when this was released. His music style may be out of date (in 1959) and only good for ancient radio shows. Still I love this weird song. A Gala Records release.

8. het gerucht - egbert douwe

Nino Ferrer's "Mao et Moa" brilliantly translated into Dutch by Radio Veronica anchorman Rob Out aka Egbert Douwe (named after coffee brand Douwe Egberts). A 1968 Philips release.

 16. le vagabond - richard anthony

Born in Egypt but changed his name in Anthony. His early oeuvre contains mainly French translations of chart toppers, like this Dion's "The wanderer", recorded for Pathé Marconi in 1963.