And so we begin another Blogging from A to Z April Challenge. It will be my 13th Challenge and maybe my favorite theme: My vinyl record collection. It won't all be vinyl--there will be a few surprises here and there--but it will all be music I currently own. Along with perusing my record shelves will be stories about the music, how I acquired some of the albums, and links to the music itself. There will be hours of music ahead. Maybe you can click a link and let the music play while you read or whatever else you might be doing. I think it's all worth a listen. I've been enjoying hearing these albums again as I've been compiling my posts. I hope there is some music that you will also enjoy. And away we go...
Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass "Whipped Cream and Other Delights" (1965) What can I say about this album that you can't see with your own eyes? Just about any male who was an adolescent in the sixties likely had this album and daydreamed about that whipped cream covered woman. But the real delight is the music. At one time I owned just about all of the Tijuana Brass albums, but this is the one I kept. It's probably Herb Alpert's best. And the cover is a must for any respectable record collection. And the music is fabulous fun for everyone. This is among the earliest albums I owned.
Do you own any of these albums? What type of music do you mostly have in your own collection? Which letter A albums are your favorites?
Battle of the Bands
Stormy Monday Blues
This old blues standard written and first recorded by T-Bone Walker dates back to 1947. Since then it has been recorded by many artists and is a staple of any blues rock artist. You might know best the version by the Allman Brothers. I'm going to use versions by artists who will appear later on in my A to Z series. Yes, both of these versions are on albums that I currently own. Which do you like better?
The Candymen "Stormy Monday Blues" (1967)
The McCoys "Stormy Monday Blues" (1969)
Time to Vote!
Which artist do you enjoy the most? Of the two versions, which do you like better? I hope you'll at least give the versions a listen to discern your favorite. Hopefully you have an opinion of some kind. You don't have to know about music to have an opinion since it all comes down to your own personal taste.
Please vote on your favorite by letting us know your choice in the comment section and tell us why you prefer the version you chose. Then after you've finished here, please visit the other blogs listed below who may or may not be participating this time around. And if you've put up your own BOTB contest let us know that as well so we can vote on yours.
Here are some other places where you might find BOTB posts:
StMcC Presents Battle of the Bands
'MIKE'S RAMBLINGS'
'Curious as a Cathy'
Sound of One Hand Typing
Jingle, Jangle, Jungle
Winner of this Battle Announced Friday April 8th
Which artist do you enjoy the most? Of the two versions, which do you like better? I hope you'll at least give the versions a listen to discern your favorite. Hopefully you have an opinion of some kind. You don't have to know about music to have an opinion since it all comes down to your own personal taste.
Please vote on your favorite by letting us know your choice in the comment section and tell us why you prefer the version you chose. Then after you've finished here, please visit the other blogs listed below who may or may not be participating this time around. And if you've put up your own BOTB contest let us know that as well so we can vote on yours.
Here are some other places where you might find BOTB posts:
StMcC Presents Battle of the Bands
'MIKE'S RAMBLINGS'
'Curious as a Cathy'
Sound of One Hand Typing
Jingle, Jangle, Jungle
Winner of this Battle Announced Friday April 8th
I'll be posting everyday (except Sundays) during April so I know that's a lot of blog reading and all, but for those who want to know the outcome of this Battle please be sure to stop back by on Friday. But really I hope you'll be checking every post in April. I've got a lot of music to share and talk about during this month. Come on all you music loving folks!
I do not have any of those albums. I'm not sure I even know what kind of music is on them, but I am very glad you enjoy them. Can I pick the Alan Parsons Project for A, or should I come back with that for P? My husband introduced me to the excellent music many moons ago.
ReplyDeleteTasha
Tasha's Thinkings: YouTube - What They Don't Tell You
Tasha, yes! Alan Parsons Project is a great group and I will have something to say about them in my P post. It will be a special story related to that group so stay tuned.
DeleteLee
If I had to choose a fave album/c.d. from the letter "A", I'll go with the two volume set of the Duane Allman Anthology. Took me several years to get both copies as being them used was an adventure.
ReplyDeleteOverall, in my older 50's age, I now listen to all kinds of music, but I am partial towards alt-country and Americana.
GB, the Allman's were pretty consistent in putting out good music. I don't listen to them much anymore, but I like to have a good sampling of their music in my collection.
DeleteI've always been an eclectic music listener even in my younger days. You will see that in the posts coming up this April.
Lee
When I think of vinyl and I think of albums with A, I think no further than the Iconic Allan Sherman, My Son The Nut which my parents listened to ad nauseum in the 1970's. I'm sure that is where I got my taste in eclectic music. I listen to a lot of CCM (Contemporary Christian Music) and when it comes to A Albums the 1982 (I believe) Age to Age by Amy Grant is probably still the gold standard. introducing 2 of my future big 5 artists Michael Card and Rich Mullins as songwritters on the respective hits El Shaddai and Sing Your Praise To The Lord.
ReplyDeleteDave, I remember Sherman well from the sixties though I never had any of his albums. His music did appeal to me when I was a kid. I didn't even know that anyone was still listening to him in the seventies.
DeleteI was a big CCM fan in the eighties--you'll hear about some of those albums in upcoming posts. My collection of CCM is quite large, but mainly on cassette and CD.
Lee
That last album cover - wow!
ReplyDeleteAlex, such a classic cover! I do like TJ Brass's music a lot and it still sounds excellent.
DeleteLee
Lee,
ReplyDeleteOf the four artists, the last two are the ones I know by name. I love Herb Albert! I can't swear to it, but we might have the same album on CD and if not, we really ought to get a streaming copy of it.
In your BOTB, please give my vote to The McCoys.
My BOTB Licence to Kill Showdown
My A2Z post A Weeping Angel
Cathy, any of the TJ Brass albums are worth having. It's fun music.
DeleteBOTB voting opens with The McCoys
Lee
I well remember Larry Adler and Herb Alpert, showing my age I guess,
ReplyDeleteI too vote for the McCoys,
Yvonne.
Yvonne, Adler isn't super well known these days, but Alpert was responsible for so many great hits on his own and in producing other artists. Good music should never get old.
DeleteAnother vote for The McCoys.
Lee
The only experience I have with record albums is through you dad. One of my fondest memories is of you sitting in our living room, listening to your albums. I know it brought you so much joy.
ReplyDelete~ Ada Z.
https://opinionpiecepodcast.blogspot.com
Ada, back in those days I probably mostly listened to cassettes and CDs because I don't think my turntable was working much then. Yes, listening to albums were wonderful times of relaxation and escape.
DeleteDad
Hi Lee!
ReplyDelete“Fiddlesticks” was a word my great g-ma used when she didn’t want to cuss in front of us kids ;-) I loved that word. Definitely had (have) Allman Brothers in the house, as well as Aerosmith, and Alabama (don’t laugh). The Whipped Cream and other Delights album was so popular around our house that we had to replace it once – after it was stolen! Love this A to Z theme ;-)
As to the Stormy Monday Blues battle, I like the Candymen best.
Diedre, I don't know that I directly ever heard anyone use the expression "fiddlesticks", but I used to hear it in old movies and cartoons. Really kind of an outdated expression I think even in the fifties and sixties when I was growing up. Nothing to laugh about with Alabama as they are a great group. They came along after my main vinyl buying days. but I have music by them on cassette. I'm surprised I still have the original Alpert album as I played it to death back in the sixties.
DeleteA vote for The Candymen..
Lee
LEE ~
ReplyDeleteSurprisingly, my Grandpa had that very Herb Alpert album. That's how I first saw and heard it. And today, I have the compact disc version in my collection and play it pretty often. GREAT music to go with one of the all-time greatest album covers! ;^)
Considering that I'm not sure I ever even heard of The Candymen before, their version of this classic Blues tune was pert-dern goot! I thought the highly distorted psychedelic guitar licks worked well in this context. (Children, don't take music from strange Candymen!)
And then - Hang On, Sloopy! - we get The McCoys (and one of the best musical trivia questions ever, to which the answer is 'Rick Derringer').
This was a real tough call for me. I could vote either way. I listened to each version all the way through and then listened to 2:30 of each one again before deciding to the vote for...
The Candymen.
~ D-FensDogG
STMcC Presents BATTLE OF THE BANDS
STMcC, one can't go wrong with any TJ Brass music. Great for uplifting any day.
DeleteThe Candymen was such a great line-up of top pro musicians. They had a lot of connections with other great artists, and yet they were mainly known only regionally until they formed Atlanta Rhythm Section. I'll have more to say about them in my C post in a few days.
The trivia question is great, but now most people would probably say "Who's Rick Derringer?" He certainly made his rounds in the music scene throughout the decades, but I'm thinking his biggest hit was still "Hang on Sloopy" and probably very few people would know who Rick Zehringer is.
Yes, this is a pretty equal match. I'm still up in the air about my favorite because they're both good.
A vote for The Candymen.
Lee
A BETTER trivia question is (and one that was on the minds of a great many men in the 1970s redone video of "Sloopy"): WHO was played Sloopy dancing in the video? And how can I get her number?
DeleteSixgun
I don't actually own any of the albums you listed, but "Whipped Cream" is one I play on YouTube a lot. I think I read the model was four months pregnant when that shoot was done, and she was actually covered in shaving cream, which lasts better under the studio lights, though it's not as tasty, unless you happen to like the taste of shaving cream. Thanks for the tip on the Larry Adler album; he's one off the truly greats on the harmonica.
ReplyDeleteOn the Battle of the Bands, I much preferred The McCoys with Rick Derringer's guitar. Give my vote to hem.
John, yes, I've heard that story about the "Whipped Cream" cover shoot. I can see how shaving cream would work better for a photo shoot.
DeleteA vote for The McCoys.
Lee
While my taste in music is pretty eclectic, the truth is I don't seem to leave a lot of space in my life for it. Which is one of the reasons I especially like April - because it's a reminder of just how much I like it, and how fun it is to immerse myself through various blogs. I'm delighted to be peeking through your collection. If I chose an A, in this moment it would be Adele - I've got her "Easy on Me" on repeat as much as anything right now.
ReplyDeleteDeborah, as I've grown older I've stopped listening to music as much as I once did, but I still enjoy it when I do. By the time Adele came out I had mostly stopped buying albums. I like what I've heard by her.
DeleteLee
Interesting collection there.
ReplyDeleteJamie, I think it gets far more interesting as I wend on through the alphabet.
DeleteLee
I believe I do have the Whipped Cream album. Nice start Arlee.
ReplyDeleteJanet’s Smiles
Janet, if you have any TJ Brass then "Whipped Cream" is the album to own.
DeleteLee
I have never heard of any of these albums, and it is interesting to read about them. The record jackets look great.
ReplyDeleteOn my Way Home
Romi, there is some pretty obscure stuff here, but that will be the case in many of my upcoming posts.
DeleteLee
I still have quite a lot of vinyl although I rarely play them and one of my grandsons is angling to have them - which is a bitter sweet thing - hard to let go but good to pass the torch on...
ReplyDeleteI shall be following your challenge with interest!
Frewin, I'm thinking of my oldest granddaughter to eventually pass the records on to. She's a very good musician and she likes vinyl records as does her mother (my youngest daughter). But for now I'm keeping mine.
DeleteLee
My brother has a huge record album collection but I am not sure he has the gal in the whip cream one. I have ABBA's "Arrival" which I love and still play. As for the Battle, I prefer the 2nd one right from the get go. I like the more earthy manner in which this song is done. Hey, I think you might like "Nightmare Alley" because part of it take place on a fair/circus/freak show ground. It is a remake of the Tyrone Power film of the same name (which you may also like). Cool note, there is a quick moment where you see a young man twist his body around like a pretzel. I saw him being interviewed and he has an extreme case of Ehlers-Danlos which is what I have but I could never do what this guy does. I remember him saying he has no pain...I hope it stays that way.
ReplyDeleteBirgit, "Nightmare Alley" is the only Oscar nominated film that I've seen from 2021. It was on TV recently so I watched it soon after having watched the original with Tyrone Power. I liked the look of the newer film, but I think I still prefer the earlier version. I think that pretzel guy might have been on America's Got Talent a few years back. They've had some guys like that on.
DeleteAnother vote for The McCoys.
Lee
I gave up my vinyl collection a lifetime ago, but I do have CDs. You can probably predict that I have several Adeles, but I also have Armatrading (Joan) and Amore (great Italian love arias). This A to Z series will be fun for me as I sort through CDs I haven't listened to in a long time.
ReplyDeletePatricia, I'm kind of amazed that my vinyl collection stayed intact throughout the years I was on the road working. My mother kept it safe for me until I settled down in one place and was able to get it from her house.
DeleteLooking back over one's old music collection can bring back a lot of memories--sometimes bad, but mostly good.
Lee
Great topic, brought back a few memories!
ReplyDeleteBeth
https://bethlapinsatozblog.wordpress.com/
Beth, compiling my A to Z posts have brought back a lot of great memories as I've been listening to the old albums.
DeleteLee
This is a great battle, Lee! I liked both versions. I like the vocals and the organ from The Candymen, and I like the fabulous guitar work from The McCoys. I would cast a SOLID vote for The McCoys if it were an instrumental only... but I'll still give it a slight nod anyway.
ReplyDeleteAs for the "A" artists and albums: I liked the Allman Bros pretty well, and loved and love Alpert and the TJBrass. I do indeed still have that Whipped Cream record album. My parents loved Herb and Brass and bought several of their albums... which I listened to and eventually inherited.
There are lots of great "A" bands. My favorite won't be most people's: I love Angels and Airwaves. They are probably my favorite band ever. In the top three, certainly.
Sixgun McItchyfinger
6-Gun, who didn't like the TJ Brass! It's such upbeat positive music. I'm not familiar with Angels and Airwaves, but if you say they're good I'd probably like them.
DeleteAnother vote for The McCoys.
Lee
I love music, but never remember the song titles... that's why I keep hubby around, he remembers them all and have many of the ones you've shown. The Allman Brothers were a big favorite of his. I'm back for year 7.
ReplyDeleteJeanne, good to see you back! The Allman's were all the rage in the seventies especially if you were from a southern region of the U.S. Yeah, sometimes I'm bad about remembering song titles. I often don't pay attention to lyrics.
DeleteLee
Great start! Besides America, which was one of my dad´s fav groups, I didn´t know any of the artists you mentioned, but I´d love to hear more about them. Larry Adler reminded me a bit of Lee Oskar, they had the album "Before the Rain" and I grew up loving his music, too.
ReplyDeletehttps://steampunkcowunicorn.wordpress.com/2022/04/01/a-is-for-amnesia/
SCC, your dad must be about my age then. I listen to America a lot in my younger days. I haven't heard any of Oskar's solo work but I've heard him with War, a group I'll be talking about in m W post.
DeleteLee
Wow, I´m already looking forward to reading that post! :D
DeleteI'm not familiar with any of these albums though I know some of the groups or individual singers by names. We had a lot of vinyl records growing up; it is interesting they have made a resurgence over the recent years. These days I tend to listen to a lot of Christian praise music :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting my blog and creating the challenge :) Good luck with the rest of this year's challenge!
betty
https://benchsnotebook.blogspot.com/
Betty, I have a lot of Christian music in my collection. It's a good positive alternative to a lot of the music that is out there. I like music to lift me up and not drag me through the slime.
DeleteThanks for stopping by.
Lee
Nothing like a good album cover that sets the tone to The Stormy Monday Blues!
ReplyDeleteDamyanti, record album covers are so superior to the packaging of other forms of music delivery. Sometimes great art and interesting information.
DeleteLee
It's great how you remember the circumstances of getting these albums! I love violin, especially combined with pop music although it would only be there in the background for a short while. For example in the Army of Angels by The Script if we're at letter A :)
ReplyDeleteMiss Andi, My quest for music was so important to me in my younger days that it became an important part of my life story to me. Music is what I thought about most during many times of my life. I'm not familiar with The Script, but if a violin is featured then I'd probably like it.
DeleteLee
Oh wow 13 years?! This sounds like a very interesting topic! I read through A and B and have no idea of any of this music haha
ReplyDeleteGF, my music is mostly from before 1990 and most of that is pre-1980. There is so much one can write about in relation to music. Especially when it has been such an integral part of one's life like it has been mine.
DeleteLee
Indeed, I'm listening to those song as I catch up with the AtoZ.
ReplyDeleteLoving this 'Stormy Monday' :-)
JF, I spent a lot of time searching out the music and adding the links to my post. I'm glad you've listened to some and I'm hoping others will.
DeleteLee
It's been a long time since I've had any vinyl, but I do remember playing with the eclectic collection of records from the 50s & 60s inherited from my uncle (father's brother) and aunt (mother's deceased sister) when I was a kid in the 80s. Sadly as a children my sister and I didn't handle records well and some were cracked, some were melted in the sun, and the rest destroyed when our basement flooded. I know this would be heartbreaking for record collectors, but do know that those records were loved when we listened to them.
ReplyDeleteLiam, it's sad that records have frequently not been cared for properly. I used to have an nice collection of 45's and then when I started buying albums I figured the 45's were now obsolete. I gave them all to a friend so he could use them for target practice. Sad to think that I did that.
DeleteLee
Thank you for visiting my blog and commenting. I do not have much idea of English music. But shall learn some by reading your posts.
ReplyDeleteNarayana, I don't recall ever having any records of Indian music, but I used to enjoy sitar music and other classical Indian music on the radio. The Bollywood music can be fun too--I used to watch a video music show of Bollywood clips.
DeleteLee
Nothing beats standing in a record store and flipping through albums. Or sitting in a booth with enormous headphones on, previewing an album. Great theme!
ReplyDeleteDyanne, I've never done the album previews--not many times I've been in a store with listening booths. But I've spent hours and hours in music and book stores. I miss those.
DeleteLee
Hi Arlee, that whipped cream album cover/album shows up in nearly every thrift shop I visit. There must have been A LOT of pressings of that one.
ReplyDeleteTami, that "Whipped Cream" album has sold millions of copies over the past fifty plus years. I'm sure it has gone through several pressings. It's a great album so I can see why.
DeleteLee
What a fun idea for the A-Z challenge. I haven't had vinyl records for years, but they were a big part of my childhood, so there is so much nostalgia. Looking forward to the rest of them.
ReplyDeleteAnne, I think most people don't have vinyl any longer, but it's worth preserving in my opinion.
DeleteLee
wow I love this idea. I also haven't had vinyl records in years. I love they blues also, my late husband played and wrote delta blues, (my choice for the song is by candymen however I LOVE Allman Brothers version as this is the version that my late husband did as a cover song on his gigs.
ReplyDeleteGators, Since "Stormy Monday" was popularized so much I decided to use it when I saw that the song was on two of my other albums.
DeleteA vote for The Candymen.
Lee
My parents owned the “Whipped Cream and Other Delghts” album. Scandalous cover!! But the music was great.
ReplyDeleteMartha, The "Whipped Cream" cover is rather modest by some of today's standards. So many people had that album and many still do.
DeleteLee
Your record collection! Ok, this is going to be fun. The opinion I have (after following you for years) is that you have a rather large and eclectic collection. I am going to really enjoy this.
ReplyDeleteOn to your A.
YES, I had a copy of Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass "Whipped Cream and Other Delights." I think my brother has it now.
Timothy, pretty large and definitely very eclectic!
DeleteAny respectable male of a certain age had to have that "Whipped Cream" album in his collection and on prominent display.
Lee
I think I slightly prefer The McCoys, though both versions are good in their own ways.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite A albums are All Things Must Pass and All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes. I have the latter on both CD and vinyl.
Carrie-Anne, George's solo box set will be featured later under H. It's such a great album!
DeleteA vote for The McCoys.
Lee
Great collection of albums!
ReplyDeleteI'm casting my vote for the Candymen.
Mary B, so many albums with nothing to play them on.
DeleteA vote for The Candymen.
Lee
Ha! I actually recognize a couple groups . . . specifically Herb Albert and the Allman Bros. 😀 I get the feeling you have a HUGE record collection! Haha!
ReplyDelete⮞ AnjelaCurtis.com
Angela, actually 300 albums is relatively modest in the world of record collecting. I have at least one friend who probably has thousands of records. It's quite amazing.
DeleteLee
Interesting topic. We have a few vinyl records and a vast collection of cassettes. Includes Marathi, Hindi music, Classical (both western and Indian) and ofcourse children's music/stories. Thank you for stopping by my blog and your encouragement about my choice of topic for the AtoZ!
ReplyDelete