The day I was born the Billboard Magazine No.1 hit was Vaya con Dios by Les Paul & Mary Ford. The transistor radio had yet to be invented. Every home had a radio with vacuum tubes, as was the custom for decades in America. Radios in automobiles were ubiquitous. Television was established as the hot new technology with programming evolved to the level of I Love Lucy, The Honeymooners and the Ed Sullivan Show. Such was the state of the commercial broadcast environment.
As far as the state of community broadcasting, in 1946 Lewis Hill moved from Washington DC to the San Francisco Bay Area and began work toward creating the first listener supported non-commercial radio station in the United States. In 1949 Pacifica first goes on the air April 15 as KPFA 94.1 FM in Berkeley CA (FM was a novelty and never expected to be widely used). In 1953 KUHT in Houston becomes the first non-commercial educational TV station.
Music was common in my home environment by means of the commercial conduits mentioned above. My mother listened to the popular music of the time by tuning to the local AM station KTSA in San Antonio, Texas. My father kept the radio in the car tuned to KONO AM.
I remember the hits from those years, many of them from semi-ethereal fever ridden funks of childhood illness with radio accompaniment. For some reason The Wayward Wind, by Gogi Grant (#1-1956) brings back memories of measles. Weekly trips to the Drive-in theater with my parents afforded opportunity to listen to the popular songs of the era over the window-hung speaker, between movies. This Ole House by Rosemary Clooney, and the other novelty song, Does Your Chewing Gum Lose It's Flavor stand out.
Television was an increasingly important source of musical exposure during the period. My mother would watch Liberace during the day, bringing piano music, and some classics into the home. My father liked to watch Lawrence Welk, Ed Sullivan, Andy Williams, Perry Como, and Porter Wagoner, providing a wide range of music. My sister, five years older than I, liked Everly Brothers, Righteous Brothers, and Motown. Me -- I liked cartoons. That brought me into contact with all styles of music. Betty Boop had early jazz, Popeye used hornpipes, and Warner Brothers, especially, Carl Stalling, introduced me to classical themes from Wagner to Mendelssohn.
Sometime late in this period, my father purchased a Curtis Mathis Console Black and White TV, with multi-band radio and automatic phonograph. I was fascinated by the 'Magic Eye' FM tuner (seen at left). At that time FM radio in San Antonio, Texas was 'easy-listening' or environmental music, meant to be used for elevator, doctor's office and mercantile atmosphere. Dad bought one of those classical music collections with '120 beloved melodies,' and his era music (Glenn Miller). I enjoyed school field trips to see the San Antonio Symphony Orchestra educational presentations.
As I was turning ten years old, many changes to my musical life were occurring By 1963, the Beatles had become established as a major force in music. They had four #1 hits in the U.S. and were due to debut with a bullet on Ed Sullivan Show (Feb 1964).
Oh, and on my 10th birthday I got my first guitar as a present.
Bill's Ambitious Vinyl Transcription Project
The account of my journey through a collection of about 500 Vinyl LPs from my radio days, and general collecting. The process entails transcribing these albums into digital form for the purpose of adding them into my iTunes library. This will preserve the music, and in some cases, spoken word recordings before they are lost. The random nature of the listings results from blindly selecting from five boxes of recordings in an attempt to keep the process an adventure.
Monday, February 18, 2013
Monday, February 11, 2013
Album 65 - Larry Coryell & Philip Catherine - Twin-House
Larry Coryell & Philip Catherine– Twin-House - Elektra – 6E-123 - 1977
Genre: Jazz
Tracks:
Performers:
Guitar: Larry Coryell & Philip Catherine
Tracks:
- Ms. Julie
- Home Comings
- Airpower
- Twin House
- Mortage On Your Soul
- Gloryell
- Nuages
- Twice A Week
Performers:
Guitar: Larry Coryell & Philip Catherine
Joy of Joys. This duo is spectacular. Larry from Beaumont, Texas, and Philip form Brussels, both were influenced by guitarists such as Charlie Christian, Django Reinhardt (obvious), Jimmy Hendrix, Wes Montgomery. Both have played with the likes of Stephan Grapelli, and Gary Burton.
Recorded at Olympic Sound Studios London
Remixed at Rüssl Studios Hamburg
Producer – Siegfried E. Loch
________________
This record had some mold from storage. I hope the infection is minimal throughout the collection.
Recorded at Olympic Sound Studios London
Remixed at Rüssl Studios Hamburg
Producer – Siegfried E. Loch
________________
This record had some mold from storage. I hope the infection is minimal throughout the collection.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Album 64 - Arthur Rubinstein - Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, New Symphony Orchestra Of London, The – Chopin, Concerto No. 1
Arthur Rubinstein– Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, New Symphony Orchestra Of London, The – Chopin, Concerto No. 1 - RCA Victor Red Seal – LSC-2575-C - Unknown
Genre: Classical
Tracks:
Performers:
Unknown
Tracks:
- Allegro Maestoso
- Romanze. Larghetto
- Rondo. Vivace
Performers:
Unknown
Very little information was available for this album, besides what was on the cover.
"This recording was released to coincide with the series of ten Carnegie Hall Concerts, given by Arthur Rubenstein, between October 30th and December 10th, 1961." All of this is commemoration of the 25th anniversary of his arrival at Carnegie Hall.
"This recording was released to coincide with the series of ten Carnegie Hall Concerts, given by Arthur Rubenstein, between October 30th and December 10th, 1961." All of this is commemoration of the 25th anniversary of his arrival at Carnegie Hall.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Album 63 - Graham Nash - Songs For Beginners
Graham Nash– Songs For Beginners - Atlantic – SD 7204 - 1971
Genre: Folk Rock
Tracks:
Performers:
Acoustic Guitar – Graham Nash (tracks: Military Madness to Be Yourself , Man In The Mirror to We Can Change The World )
Backing Vocals – Clydie King (tracks: There's Only One , Chicago , We Can Change The World ), Dorothy Morrison (tracks: There's Only One , Chicago , We Can Change The World ),
Graham Nash (tracks: Better Days , Simple Man ),
Rita Coolidge (tracks: Military Madness , Better Days , Simple Man , There's Only One , Chicago , We Can Change The World ),
Shirley Matthews (tracks: There's Only One , Chicago , We Can Change The World ),
Vanetta Fields (tracks: There's Only One , Chicago , We Can Change The World )
Bass – Calvin Samuels (tracks: Military Madness , Better Days , Be Yourself ), Chris Ethridge (tracks: Man In The Mirror, There's Only One , Chicago , We Can Change The World )
Cello – Dorian Rudnytsky (tracks: Simple Man , Sleep Song)
Drums – Johnny Barbata (tracks: Military Madness , I Used To Be A King , Be Yourself , Man In The Mirror, There's Only One , Chicago , We Can Change The World )
Lead Vocals, Written-By – Graham Nash
Organ – Graham Nash (tracks: Better Days , There's Only One , Chicago )
Performer [Whiskers] – Larry Cox (tracks: Better Days , There's Only One , Chicago , We Can Change The World )
Piano – Graham Nash (tracks: Better Days , Simple Man , Chicago , We Can Change The World ),
Joe Yankee (tracks: Better Days , Man In The Mirror),
Rita Coolidge (tracks: Be Yourself , There's Only One )
Steel Guitar – Jerry Garcia (tracks: I Used To Be A King , Man In The Mirror)
Tambourine – Graham Nash (tracks: Chicago , We Can Change The World )
Tracks:
- Military Madness
- Better Days
- Wounded Bird
- I Used To Be A King
- Be Yourself
- Simple Man
- Man In The Mirror
- There's Only One
- Sleep Song
- Chicago
- We Can Change The World
Performers:
Acoustic Guitar – Graham Nash (tracks: Military Madness to Be Yourself , Man In The Mirror to We Can Change The World )
Backing Vocals – Clydie King (tracks: There's Only One , Chicago , We Can Change The World ), Dorothy Morrison (tracks: There's Only One , Chicago , We Can Change The World ),
Graham Nash (tracks: Better Days , Simple Man ),
Rita Coolidge (tracks: Military Madness , Better Days , Simple Man , There's Only One , Chicago , We Can Change The World ),
Shirley Matthews (tracks: There's Only One , Chicago , We Can Change The World ),
Vanetta Fields (tracks: There's Only One , Chicago , We Can Change The World )
Bass – Calvin Samuels (tracks: Military Madness , Better Days , Be Yourself ), Chris Ethridge (tracks: Man In The Mirror, There's Only One , Chicago , We Can Change The World )
Cello – Dorian Rudnytsky (tracks: Simple Man , Sleep Song)
Drums – Johnny Barbata (tracks: Military Madness , I Used To Be A King , Be Yourself , Man In The Mirror, There's Only One , Chicago , We Can Change The World )
Lead Vocals, Written-By – Graham Nash
Organ – Graham Nash (tracks: Better Days , There's Only One , Chicago )
Performer [Whiskers] – Larry Cox (tracks: Better Days , There's Only One , Chicago , We Can Change The World )
Piano – Graham Nash (tracks: Better Days , Simple Man , Chicago , We Can Change The World ),
Joe Yankee (tracks: Better Days , Man In The Mirror),
Rita Coolidge (tracks: Be Yourself , There's Only One )
Steel Guitar – Jerry Garcia (tracks: I Used To Be A King , Man In The Mirror)
Tambourine – Graham Nash (tracks: Chicago , We Can Change The World )
Produced the year I graduated from high school, and began college. I was already a fan of the Hollies, for years, and had been very fond of Crosby, Stills, and Nash from their initial album, and the performance at Woodstock. I think I bought the album much later, but remember first seeing it at the house of a lady friend in college.
Album 62 - Django Reinhardt - Django Reinhardt Volume III
Django Reinhardt– Django Reinhardt Volume III - Archive Of Folk & Jazz Music – FS-255 - 1970
Genre: Jazz
Tracks:
Performers:
Tracks:
- Minor Swing
- Blues En Mineur
- Dinette
- Topsy
- Stockholm
- Vendred 13
- Belleville
- Song D'Automne
- Swing 39
- Swing 49
- Blues Primitif
- Django Blues
- Sweet Atmosphere
- Del Salle
Performers:
Certainly Stephane Grapelli played violin, and possibly clarinet on this. Django's brother, Joseph is heard here on guitar. Otherwise, I have no other information. Django died the year I was born. I did not hear his music (and know who he was) until I was out of college.
_________________________________________________
I have more of Django's music in my collection than any other artist. Beyond the transcriptions made during this process, I began with ten albums (from a boxed set) already in iTunes.
_________________________________________________
I have more of Django's music in my collection than any other artist. Beyond the transcriptions made during this process, I began with ten albums (from a boxed set) already in iTunes.
Heart Hiatus

Then came the interruption. A heart attack and subsequent triple bypass operation. The process that put everything on hold until now.
Even though I am recovering, the physical demands of performing these operations required to transcribe these albums into suitable digital form for importing into my iTunes library, is not that demanding. so I can begin again slowly on my path to completion.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Album 61 - Charles Earland - Odyssey
Charles Earland – Odyssey - Mercury – SRM-1-1049 - 1976
Genre: Jazz
Tracks:
Performers:
1 - Bass – Ron Carter
Congas, Percussion – Lawrence Killiam
Drums – Abe Speller, Howard King
Guitar – John Abercrombie, Robert Lowe
Synthesizer [Arp Odessey] – Richard Himsvark
Synthesizer [Arp Pro-soloist, Arp String Ensemble], Electric Piano, Pedalboard [Echo-plex] – Charles Earland
Written-By – Charles Earland
2 - Bass – Billy Colburn
Congas – Lawrence Killiam
Drums – Abe Speller
Guitar – Jack Turner
Lead Vocals – Arthur Grant
Percussion – Hoséa Cheó Santos
Synthesizer [Arp Pro-soloist, Arp String Ensemble, Axe Arp], Organ, Clavinet – Charles Earland
Written-By – Charles Earland
3 - Bass – Ron Carter
Drums – Howard King, Norman Connors
Guitar – John Abercrombie, Robert Lowe
Synthesizer [Arp Odessey] – Richard Himsvark
Synthesizer [Arp Pro-soloist, Arp String Ensemble], Electric Piano, Pedalboard [Echo-plex] – Charles Earland
Trumpet [Electric] – Randy Brecker
Violin – Michał Urbaniak
Written-By – Charles Earland
4 - Backing Vocals – Charles Earland, Gene Skinner, Robert Brooks (2), Vernon Brown, Jr.
Bass – Billy Coburn
Congas – Lawrence Killiam
Drums – Abe Speller
Guitar – Jack Turner
Percussion – Hoséa Cheó Santos
Synthesizer [Arp String Ensemble], Electric Piano – Charles Earland
Written-By – Charles Earland
5 - Backing Vocals – Charles Earland, Gene Skinner, Robert Brooks (2), Vernon Brown, Jr.
Bass – Billy Coburn
Congas – Lawrence Killiam
Drums – Abe Speller
Guitar – Jack Turner
Percussion – Hoséa Cheó Santos
Synthesizer [Arp String Ensemble], Electric Piano – Charles Earland
Written-By – Charles Earland
6 - Bass – Billy Coburn
Congas – Lawrence Killiam
Drums – Abe Speller Guitar
Lead Vocals – Jack Turner
Percussion – Hoséa Cheó Santos
Saxophone [Tenor] – Arthur Grant
Synthesizer [Arp Pro-soloist, Arp String Ensemble, Axe Arp], Electric Piano – Charles Earland
Written-By – Jack Turner
7 - Bass – Ron Carter
Congas, Percussion – Lawrence Killiam
Drums – Abe Speller, Howard King
Guitar – John Abercrombie, Robert Lowe
Synthesizer [Arp Odessey] – Richard Himsvark
Synthesizer [Arp Pro-soloist, Arp String Ensemble], Electric Piano, Organ, Pedalboard [Echo-plex] – Charles Earland
Trumpet [Electric] – Randy Brecker
Violin – John Blair
Written-By – Charles Earland
,
Tracks:
- Intergalactic Love Song
- Sons Of The Gods
- Cosmic Fever
- From My Heart To Yours
- We All Live In The Jungle
- Phire
- Journey Of The Soul
Performers:
1 - Bass – Ron Carter
Congas, Percussion – Lawrence Killiam
Drums – Abe Speller, Howard King
Guitar – John Abercrombie, Robert Lowe
Synthesizer [Arp Odessey] – Richard Himsvark
Synthesizer [Arp Pro-soloist, Arp String Ensemble], Electric Piano, Pedalboard [Echo-plex] – Charles Earland
Written-By – Charles Earland
2 - Bass – Billy Colburn
Congas – Lawrence Killiam
Drums – Abe Speller
Guitar – Jack Turner
Lead Vocals – Arthur Grant
Percussion – Hoséa Cheó Santos
Synthesizer [Arp Pro-soloist, Arp String Ensemble, Axe Arp], Organ, Clavinet – Charles Earland
Written-By – Charles Earland
3 - Bass – Ron Carter
Drums – Howard King, Norman Connors
Guitar – John Abercrombie, Robert Lowe
Synthesizer [Arp Odessey] – Richard Himsvark
Synthesizer [Arp Pro-soloist, Arp String Ensemble], Electric Piano, Pedalboard [Echo-plex] – Charles Earland
Trumpet [Electric] – Randy Brecker
Violin – Michał Urbaniak
Written-By – Charles Earland
4 - Backing Vocals – Charles Earland, Gene Skinner, Robert Brooks (2), Vernon Brown, Jr.
Bass – Billy Coburn
Congas – Lawrence Killiam
Drums – Abe Speller
Guitar – Jack Turner
Percussion – Hoséa Cheó Santos
Synthesizer [Arp String Ensemble], Electric Piano – Charles Earland
Written-By – Charles Earland
5 - Backing Vocals – Charles Earland, Gene Skinner, Robert Brooks (2), Vernon Brown, Jr.
Bass – Billy Coburn
Congas – Lawrence Killiam
Drums – Abe Speller
Guitar – Jack Turner
Percussion – Hoséa Cheó Santos
Synthesizer [Arp String Ensemble], Electric Piano – Charles Earland
Written-By – Charles Earland
6 - Bass – Billy Coburn
Congas – Lawrence Killiam
Drums – Abe Speller Guitar
Lead Vocals – Jack Turner
Percussion – Hoséa Cheó Santos
Saxophone [Tenor] – Arthur Grant
Synthesizer [Arp Pro-soloist, Arp String Ensemble, Axe Arp], Electric Piano – Charles Earland
Written-By – Jack Turner
7 - Bass – Ron Carter
Congas, Percussion – Lawrence Killiam
Drums – Abe Speller, Howard King
Guitar – John Abercrombie, Robert Lowe
Synthesizer [Arp Odessey] – Richard Himsvark
Synthesizer [Arp Pro-soloist, Arp String Ensemble], Electric Piano, Organ, Pedalboard [Echo-plex] – Charles Earland
Trumpet [Electric] – Randy Brecker
Violin – John Blair
Written-By – Charles Earland
,
Electronic Jazz Fusion. It is not in my mainstream of music, but with Ron Carter, John Abercrombie, Randy Brecker, and Billy Cobham as participants, it is worthy of a place in my collection.
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