Vinyl Record Memories Newsletter
(VIP CLUB)

The golden age of vinyl records and all things retro are the highlights of my Newsletter. Writing stories about my vinyl record memories with added content from my collection is my way of sharing memories and keeping the oldies alive.

I do hope that you enjoy these little stories, I write. They are short, they will not win any prizes for literature, but it’s all about the music and our vinyl record memories.

We wish you lots of fun on this journey to the time of Drive-In Movies, Pizza Parlors, Malt Shops, and those memorable Friday & Saturday night school dances. 

Issue #122 - July, 2023

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In This Issue:

•  What's New?

• The Reasons We Love All The Girls.
  

• Country Doo-Wop Spotlight Song - Darling Lorraine.
  

• Framed Album Cover Art Of The Month - A Rare Find  From 1956.
  

• Forgotten Country Classics - Tear Time (Sad Songs).
  

• Best Cover Songs - A Perfect Duet With Merle and Jewel.
  

• You Might Like These Stories - More Vinyl Record Memories.

• What's Next?

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What's New?

Last month we settled in on several great Boogie Woogie songs and traveled back to the 1940s. This month, 35 years after the original release, we bring back a Beach Boys favorite, show you the reasons we love all the girls, and let Brian Wilson tell you about them.

Golden Oldies Vinyl Record Memories returns with an old favorite from 1959. It's about a special lady and her special song and is our Country Doo-Wop Spotlight song of the month.

An original Gene Vincent LP Album was located at a local garage sale. An album I purchased new in 1956 and lost in a move 25 years later. Forty two years later this identical Album has found a new home in my collection.

There are singers who interpret some of our most treasured songs from the days when lyrics were everything. From 1967 this lady adds perfection to our Forgotten Country Classics for the month of July.

Best Cover Songs: That's The Way Love Goes - I liked this particular version of the song because That's The Way Love Goes offers a more laid back feel with Merle singing this beautiful love ballad with Jewel....and who would not want to see and listen to Jewel singing with Merle.

Let's get started...

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The Reasons We Love ALL The Girls.
A Brian Wilson live performance.

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From the DVD 'Brian Wilson On Tour, Brian delivers a stellar performance here, with one of the best "backing bands" you will ever hear.

The Wondermints are a power pop band from Los Angeles, California and in 1999 the group signed on to be part of Brian Wilson's touring band.

For many, including myself, Brian Wilson is The Mozart of Pop, a one-man Lennon and McCartney so to speak. The fact that the wunderkind architect of so many Beach Boys classics is still around at all, let alone largely recovered from his well-chronicled emotional and physical problems, borders on the miraculous.

How can anyone at Brian's age and who has been through what he has, still maintain a hairline like that? It's not fair. Brian Wilson may go on longer than we will be on this earth!!

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Each month we give a little shout-out to our favorite radio program, Ned Ward's Country Doo-Wop show. Our friend, Ned, along with producer, Mr. Barney, airs the show from out Oregon way and if you tune in you just might hear Ned talk a little about Vinyl Record Memories. Listen in Monday thru Saturday from 1pm to 3pm, all times Pacific, on KNCP Newberry Mix 107.3 FM.

Country Doo-Wop Spotlight Song.
1959 Classic "Darling Lorraine."

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It's been several years since I talked to Bob Gallagher, the son of the lady who actually wrote "Darling Lorraine." I called him a few days ago. The Darling Lorraine vinyl memories gets nice reviews and I wanted to let Bob know how much I continue to appreciate all the factual information he provided years ago.

It's nice to keep in touch with those who help when I enjoy a song but have very little information to go on. Bob and his family enjoy the "Darling Lorraine" page and that matters most to me.

My friend and DJ buddy, Ned Ward, plays the song regularly on his Country Doo-Wop show. In response, Darling Lorraine will be our Country Doo Wop Spotlight Song of The Month. Ned tells me it's one of his favorites and after you watch the video and the crowd reaction it may end up on your favorites list.

This Darling Lorraine vinyl record memories classic from 1959 by The Knockouts includes this memorable video clip with original Lead singer Bob D'Andrea. Enjoy this 60 year old classic and the "Darling Lorraine" story here...

Album Cover Art of The Month!
Original 1956 Gene Vincent LP.

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Gene Vincent fans...are you ready for this? I was at a garage sale this past week on July 27th and noticed a couple of boxes of vinyl records. Like with most garage sales, some records were laying flat on a table, and some were in boxes nearly stuck together.

I took a casual look as most were in very poor condition but I noticed one had no split seams across the top so I pulled it out for a closer look. (This is where I nearly passed out and was looking for a glass of water.) It was an original Gene Vincent 1956 LP in very good condition. No split seams, no writing on the album and the vinyl record inside the album cover was also in good condition. There are reissues of this album on the market, this one is an original.

A couple of years back I wrote a Newsletter article on Gene Vincent with a video of his 1956 hit song, Be-Bop-A-Lula, recorded on May 4th of that year. Now that I have his original album I will give Vincent his own page with the video of the song and his part in the 1956 movie, "The Girl Can't Help It." You can visit the Gene Vincent article here.

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Forgotten Country Classics
Tear Time (Sad Songs)

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The song lyrics to Tear Time are short and sad, leaving you to draw upon your own conclusion, that a loved one, either left the relationship, or suddenly passed on. There is a generation of singers who look back, with pride, to the glories of twentieth century American popular music. Those singers  interpret some of our most treasured songs from the days when lyrics were everything.

"Tear Time" is such a song as it takes you through a feminine emotional experience and will touch your heart with the lyrics, "All it takes is the smallest  thought of you...Then tear time starts crying all night through."

Best Cover Songs - Merle Haggard & Jewel
That's The Way Love Goes.

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This is one of my favorite Merle Haggard songs and Jewel's vocal adds a nice soft touch to his perfect country voice. Can you believe this is the second time around at #1 for this beautiful song, and with two different artists.

The song was the third #1 record for Johnny Rodriguez back in 1974 and Merle Haggard recorded his 13th #1 hit with the song ten years later. That's The Way Love Goes was released in 1983 off the album of the same name and includes one beautiful heartbreaking ballad after another.

Haggard's original version possesses a trace of sadness that somehow becomes uplifting mainly because of his masterful delivery of words and this added duet with Jewel is solid gold.

I believe this is the best country side of Jewel. It is, in my opinion, one of the better versions of the song ever recorded as a duet.  Simply put....

Jewel is a diamond and Merle is pure gold.

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You might also like these stories...

• In late 1960 this group's first session was held at the RCA studios in Nashville and produced four tunes. One of those tunes was "Tonight (Could Be The Night)" tells of a guy trying to get his nerve up to ask his girl to marry him, hence the title, "Tonight (Could be the Night).
  

• Enjoy this classic video with left to right Norman Wright (original lead singer on this song) his son Anthony Wright, son Norman Wright Jr and original member David Lerchey in this PBS Doo-Wop 50's special from 1999.

• A promo man for Colpix records heard the Marcels master and played it for WINS disc jockey Murray the K. He was so excited hearing the song he reportedly played the "Blue Moon" vinyl record 26 times during his four-hour show.
  

I hope you find time to visit more great stories about growing up in the 50s, 60s and 70s. You can start here.... 

What's Next?

Lost In The Fifties Tonight will showcase Ronnie Milsap and include one the very best videos ever on this great song.

This song first published in 1926 was a #1 recording by Elvis in 1960. When this gifted lady added her special touch, the cover made our list of special cover songs. 

More Framed Album Cover Art from our personal collection.

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