Chime School - Coming To Your Town / Love You More

 I hope that everyone has a safe New Years Eve, and that 2024 brings us peace, prosperity, faith, and lots and lots of records. In my youth I went to New Years get together's and clubs but those days thankfully are behind me. I prefer to stay home and have some finger foods and spend time with my wife. Today will be about football and recording more 45's for the upcoming year. I thought I would end this year with a new 45 that was released this past summer. Slumberland is this wonderful label that puts out some fantastic records and I highly recommend you check out the label if you are not familiar with them. Sometimes I set youtube to just play Slumberland music and I listen to it all day. Chime School put out a album in 2020 or so and it is so damn good. Picking this up was a no brainer. 

Mouse and the Traps - Beg Borrow and Steal

A record source of mine texted me he picked up 6000 45's this past week. I had the day off yesterday so I drove to Raleigh and managed to dig dig dig..man I love that. My wife and dog were going to go with me but she had a migraine the night before and I am glad she did not...3 hours of picking would have been reduced to 30 minutes. I picked up some killer 45's and a few gospel albums. These 45s were very clean but man were the sleeves dirty. 

My Saturday garage/psyche offering is one I picked this one up this summer. I have an acquaintance whose ex-wife's mother had a ton of 45's from her late husband. He would buy them at estate sales and auctions and did not start collecting until after he retired from his job. He must have had about 3 to 4 thousand of them. I would have purchased all of them but she wanted way too much so I was able to go through them and pull out the ones I wanted. I am glad I did not buy them all as there were alot of regular 60's records that I already have and then tons of 45's I would have given away. I think I ended up with about 100 in varying condition with this one in wonderful condition. I thougth I already had this and was surprised that I did not.

The Monzas - Hey! I Know You

A few years ago a picture sleeve for this release popped up and sold for a brinks truck full of gold. The OCD voice in my head is telling me to wait and post this when you find the picture sleeve. The realist in my head is telling me you will never find a copy simply because it is not prudent to spend your retirement money on a picture sleeve. (link to the picture courtesy of www.45.cat.com https://www.45cat.com/record/css5411998)

The Monzas are another North Carolina group I probably would have never discovered if I had not moved here. Killer blue eyed soul that was also released nationally on Wand. I thought I had a copy on Wand (I still may in one of my many boxes of 45's that have not been organized yet in my database). 

The Cold - Three Chord City

November 2022 I went to a record show. There was a guy with boxes of powerpop and indie/punk 45s with many on my wish list. I had to weed out the ones I just could not afford but happy this one was in my price range. So I welcome you to powerpop heaven.

I have been on vacation this week and the week is flying past me. It rained yesterday so Cooper and I had no walk. I was up late (for me) this morning so we had a short walk. When it is cold I wear a stocking cap that has speakers built over both ears (wonderful) and I use my sirius radio app on my phone. A song came on and I thought "wish that had been on a 45". That has me thinking...what if have a weekly deep album cut post? I could capture these killer songs that never graced the 7" wax. I broke the 7" mode long time ago when I posted some 12" singles. So are there any thoughts on deep album cuts from you, my few loyal listeners. Oh I have some doosies in my brain for this. Can't wait to post Starway to Heaven... (NOT)

Wreckless Eric - Take The Cash (K.A.S.H.)

 After Christmas the rush is on to return those unwanted gifts or use those gift cards. Everyone can take the CASH but me...I was happy with my Colorado Buffalo's hoodie

Miracle Legion - Little Drummer Boy / Blue Christmas

On The day afger Christmas my record collection brought me, an extra Christmas 45 suprise I bought nearly 37 or so years ago. I thought why stop at 13, let's make it an even 14 Christmas 45s before we get back to the wide variety I so love. Miracle Legion are the indie darlings you never discovered, or forgot about. I say indie darlings because the underground music rags/zines, that I read back in the 80's loved them. I bought their lp's simply because of the articles I read and was glad I did. I remember 120 minutes on MTV featured Miracle Legion and if I remember correctly they identlfied them as the next REM. I still have all their old albums and cd's and some of Mark Mulcahy's solo releases. I bought this at Wax Trax Denver when it was released. If you never have discovered them...go to youtube immediately!

Timbuk 3 - All I Want For Christmas

On The 13h day of Christmas my record collection brought me World Peace, That is a wonderful thought. John Lennon Imagined it 50+ years ago, Timbuk 3 reviisited it 36 years ago and we are still waiting. I think I have the promo 12" single of this as well but it's not in my database.

Cooper and I went for our O Dark 30 walk and it was warm and a beautiful Christmas morning. I would have loved to have had snow but it seems we rarely get snow anymore. We did a new variation route that I have come up with and I believe it may be my favoriite. We walk near the middle school then cut behind the middle school into a wooded area that goes to a walking path near the college sports complex. It is so completly dark and you can see the stars and is peaceful. Then we cut across campus and back near the dorms and home. Cooper seems to like it but of course Cooper was happy to get home as he wanted to check out his treats Santa brought him. He did express to me he was a bit worried, wondering why Grinch was near his treats. Cooper expressed the Grinch could have the cats toys and treats but to leave his alone. 

I wish everyone a healthy and blessed Christmas Day and I am excited for what the new year brings us.

Rev. Claude Jeter - Christmas In Heaven

On The 12h day of Christmas my record collection brought me a Gospel 45. .A nice soulful gospel Christmas 45 for ya.

15 years ago I would make these Christmas CD compilations for my co-workers.  Every year it would be a new compilation and would include a wide vareity of genres. I'm going to throw out being humble and state these cd's were fantastic. I think the 1st one was probably the best but really, they all were just amazing and I painstakingly compiled them and they flowed perfectly. I think I made 4 or 5 of them and they were a hit with my co-workers but most of the music was foreign to them. I can tell you my old boss probably never appreciated the Ramones song, well any of them really as she just was not a music lover. But I so enjoyed making them. I have no clue where my copies are but it is something I need to find. And as I look back at the Christmas blog postings since the beginning of this blog, I have come to realize there are some killer Christmas 45s in my collection I have not shared. If I am blessed to still be on this planet next Christmas I plan on uploading them. 

Edd "Kookie" Byrnes - Yulesville / Lonely Christmas

On The 11th day of Christmas my record collection brought me an a little beatnik Christmas. I picked up the promo copy at the flea market this past summer and the stock copy with picture sleeve arrived a week ago Monday...talk about cutting it close.  I was a little late posting this today as I had to go to Santa's workshop (petsmart) for the dog and cats....talk about spoiled. 

Debbie & The Darnels- Santa, Teach Me To Dance

On The 10th day of Christmas my record collection brought me an obscure killer early sixties girl group. When I bought this I remember thinking it would probably be pretty bad. I don't know why I thought that but nothing could have been farther from the truth. I  know nothing about this 45 or group other than it is pleasing to my old ears

Eddie C. Campbell - Santa's Messin With The Kid

 On the ninth day of Christmas my record collection brought me another blues 45. I picked this up in that huge lot of 45's last year. I just knew this was going to be killer because of the title.

Hank Thompson - I'd Like To Have An Elephant For Christmas

On the eighth day of Christmas my record collection brought to me, a country Elephant. Well, a song about Elephant that is. What would Christmas be without a little Country. I have to admit that this one almost did not get posted. There is a promo picture sleeve for this song floating out there and I don't have it. I am a little OCD (ok, a lot) about being a completest and the thought of this 45 being posted naked without it's picture sleeve is a bit unnerving. I have a few more Christmas 45s just like this and if they get posted someday without their accompanying picture sleeve my head may just explode. 

Fountains Of Wayne - I Want An Alien For Christmas / The Man In The Santa Suit

On the seventh day of Christmas my record collection brought to me, a green vinyl indie power pop 45 on glorious green vinyl. Here is another one I picked up this year. This really should be a Tom Delonge song.. (if you get it..lol). We lost Adam to Covid a few years ago

Dwight Twilley - Chistmas Night / Rockabilly Christmas Ball

On the sixth day of Christmas my record collection brought to me, a modern day rockabilly 45.  We lost Dwight this year as well. I do have one of his earlier 45's on my want list suprisingly I don't find much from him

Larry Norman - Christmas Time

On the fifth day of Christmas my record collection brought to me, a new arrival in my collection. This one arrived last week via gloious mail order. I had this previously and stupidly sold it. Matter of fact I stupedly sold the album this came from as well. I previously wrote a bit about Larry previously. I hightly recommend his album In Another Land which I still have.

Giant Sand - Christmas Everyday

On the fourth day of Christmas, my record collection brought to me, an obscure independent promo Christmas song. Back in the day, I collected anything and everything Homestead records. During the lean days, I sold the Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr, Nick Cave, Green River,  Sebadoh, Volcano Suns, Daniel Johnson, Salem 66, Tall Dwarfs and some of my Giant Sand releases among others (yes, everyone I am getting a bit emotional just thinking of those days when I had to do the liquidation. But we can wipe the tears from my eyes as I still have my Windbreakers, Beat Happening, some Giant Sand, The Chills, The Cakekitchen, Big Dipper, The Verlaines, Pauk K and the Weathermen left). Giant Sand was another indie darling and are an acquired taste..you either love them or hate them (or have no clue who they are). Very prolific band. This is a very hard to find promo only Homestead 45. I posted their Valley of Rain 45 some years back

Ike and Tina Turner - Merry Christmas Baby

On the third day of early Christmas my record collection brought to me, a promo from a soul icon.  We lost Tina this year and after her death. I watched a documentary on her life. She was a such a remarkable woman, full of compassion, strength, resilliance and grit. To overcome the abuse she suffered and be able to have a huge career afterwards is a testament to that resilliance. I pray she is in peace. I picked this beauty up in the Wilmington  NC buy 2 years ago.

12-17-23 update. Going through boxes today and found a stock copy..wow!

Holly Golightly - The Christmas Tree On Fire

On the second day of Christmas my record collection brought to me, a nice import Christmas picture disc. The song is a good illustration of why artificial trees are better. When I was a child in the Colorado Mountains my parents would load us up and we would take our snowmobile into the backwoods and cut our own Christmas tree. We moved when I was about 10 near Canon City and it was more Colorado plains then mountains.. We still cut our own tree but no snowmobiles. As an adult I think we only had one real tree after I was married but since then we have gone throught the artificial trees. I threw our old tree out 2 years ago and last Christmas we rented an airbnb cabin in the mountains so we had their little tree. I had to buy another one this year. No prelit tree for me...they never last. Back to this record,  I traded for this one this summer from someone I trade records to occassionally. He could careless about this and did not know who this was but I knew who she is. Holly was formally in Thee Headcoatees and is affliated with Billy Childish for those of you who may care.

Jimmy Liggins / Smokey Hogg - I Want My Baby For Christmas

On the First Day of early Christmas posts my Record Collection brought to me,  a little Blues on gorgous red vinyl. Yes, I have started posting Christmas songs earlier than I planned. I picked this one up last year in the big buy. I was immediately struck with how beautiful this looked and was equally excited when I listened to it. 

Paul Collins' Beat - Rock N Roll Girl

Powerpop Tuesday.  I stayed up late to watch the stupid Dolphins lose, then woke up early with my neck just killing me and I have to wait another week and half before my massage therapy session. Cooper and I went for a very short walk this morning as it was 29 degrees and I was in slo mo mode. I'm not dragging as much after a nice steaming mug of coffee and hot shower pulsating on my neck. It does help to focus on getting the blog post ready and today boys and girls, ladies and gentlemen we have a GEM. We have a song so mindblowing good that it has the ability to cure even the worst mood. If I ever attempt to do a top ten all time Power Pop list I am almost certain this would grace the list. I broke down a year or two ago and bought it from a shop in the Netherlands. It was not cheap but well worth it. I don't understand why this was not released as a US 45. Paul was initally in the Nerves which has a power pop classic of their own (and one that eludes me still)