Spinning My Dad’s Vinyl

Special Volume: Nat's Very Thoughtful Valentine

It's  special Valentine’s Day episode of Spinning My Dad’s Vinyl. 
That means, of course, my girlfriend Karen gets to join me as we once again grab some music from one of the most romantic voices ever recorded.
We featured this voice two years ago in our Valentines special and it’s the third of five Nat King Cole records in his dad’s collection. This was one of 30 albums Cole recorded for Capitol Records.
So, get ready to hear the smooth velvety voice that sold more than nine million records in Special Volume: Nat's Very Thoughtful Valentine.
More information about this album, see the Discogs webpage for it. 
Credits and copyrights
Nat King Cole, Gordon Jenkins And His Orchestra – The Very Thought Of YouLabel: Capitol Records – W-1084Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Mono, Scranton PressingReleased: Nov 1958Genre: Jazz, PopStyle: Easy Listening, Vocal
We will hear 6 of the 14 songs on this album
The Very Thought Of YouWritten-By – Ray Noble
ParadiseWritten-By – Gordon Clifford, Nacio Herb Brown
This Is All I AskWritten-By – Gordon Jenkins
Cherchez La Femme Written-By – Bob Marcus and Lorenzo Pack
I Found A Million Dollar Baby (In A Five And Ten Cent Store)Written-By – Billy Rose, Harry Warren, and Mort Dixon
The More I See YouWritten-By – Harry Warren, and Mack Gordon
I do not own the rights to this music. ASCAP, BMI licenses provided by third-party platforms for music that is not under Public Domain.
#natkingcole #valentinesday #vinylcollector 

Volume 215: Single-Sided 78s

Welcome to a 78 RPM Sunday!
As I was flipping through my dad’s shellac collection looking for patterns to create a few 78 RPM episodes for this season, I found these 7 disks. What they had in common was their one-sidedness.
Yup. In the early days of records, they only pressed one side. And I’ll talk about why in detail a little later.
What’s most important to remember is that every one of these disks was pressed more than 110 years ago.
So, get ready to hear songs that were recorded and released with no flip side in Volume 215: Single-Sided 78s.
Credits and copyrights
All 78 RPM Shellac Recordings are on the Victor Record Red Label
Alice, Where Art Thou - Evan Williams (recorded Camden, NJ, July 18, 1912.)Written By – Wellington Gurnsey and Joseph Ascher
A Dream - Evan Williams (recorded Camden, NJ, December 18, 1913, released in 1914)written by Charles B. Cory, J.C. Bartlett
Absent - Evan Williams ( recorded Camden, NJ, February 28, 1913. released in 1914)Catherine Young Glen and John W. MetcalfEventually became the flip side of A Dream in 1923
A Perfect Day - Evan Williams (recorded Camden, NJ, July 16, 1913)written by Carrie Jacobs-BondEventually became the flip side for Just A-Wearyin’ For You, a recording my dad did not have, but was recorded in 1911.
Good-Bye, Sweetheart, Good-Bye - Evan WilliamsPublished in 1868 by John L. Halton
Love is Mine - Enrico Caruso (1912)Composed By – Clarence G. GartnerLyrics By – Edward Teschemacher
O Sole Mio (Neapolitan Folk Song) - Emilio de Gogorza (Recorded 13 May 1909)
I do not own the rights to this music. ASCAP, BMI licenses provided by third-party platforms for music that is not under Public Domain.
#78RPMShellac #vinylcollecting #victorrecordredlabel

Volume 214: Badlands

How are we only on record five of this great seven record set? Because I continue to find gold in this box set filled with legendary songs about the old west.
Each record, or in this case each side of this collection had its own theme. Even with those guides, I might take a little poetic license when I name episodes like this. 
One side of this record is about things South Of The Border. The flip side mentions a thing or two about Legends And Sagas. Some you may know. Some have some pretty odd twists if you ask me.
So, get ready to hear plenty of "ahh aaahs" and stories about heroes and villains in what is technically Tumbling Tumbleweeds Record 5, Volume 214: Badlands.
More information about this album, see the Discogs webpage for it. 
Credits and copyrights
Various – Tumbling TumbleweedsLabel: Reader's Digest – RDA-229 / AFormat: 7 x Vinyl, LP, Compilation Box SetReleased: 1982Genre: Folk, World, & CountryStyle: Country
We will be listening to record 5, sides 1 and 2. We will hear 7 of the 12 tunes from this disk.
Eddy Arnold - The Ballad Of Jesse Jameswritten by Billy Gashade
Red Foley - Don't Let The Stars Get In Your Eyeswritten by Slim Willet
Merle Travis - John HenryUnknown, but One of the earliest written copies of this ballad, prepared by a W. T. Blankenship was published about 1900 or slightly earlier.
The Sons Of The Pioneers - A Gay Rancherowritten by Francia Luban, Abe Tuvim, Juan José Espinosa
The Sons Of The Pioneers - The Strawberry Roanwritten by Nat Vincent, Fred Howard, Curly Fletcher, J.E. Patterson
Tex Ritter - Billy The KidA traditional song
Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys - South Of The Border (Down Mexico Way)written by Jimmy Kennedy, Michael Carr
I do not own the rights to this music. ASCAP, BMI licenses provided by third-party platforms for music that is not under Public Domain.
#oldcountrymusic #cowboymusic #vinylcollecting #spinvinyl

Volume 213: Ray's Marvelous

We once again pull out the most popular orchestra leader in my dad’s collection. This is a follow-up album to a popular record my dad does not have. Both titles reference the Ira and George Gershwin tune S’Wonderful from the 1927 Broadway musical Funny Face.
Of course Conniff arranged all of these standards by using a chorus singing tones and not lyrics, which created his own recognizable style.
So, get ready to hear another in the great line of Space-Age composers performing music you heard on stage and screen in Volume 213: Ray's Marvelous. 
More information about this album, see the Discogs webpage for it. 
Credits and copyrights
Ray Conniff And His Orchestra – 'S MarvelousLabel: Columbia – CL 1074Format: Vinyl, LP, Repress, MonoReleased: 1958Genre: Jazz, PopStyle: Easy Listening, Space-Age
We'll hear 6 of the 12 songs on this record.
The Way You Look TonightWritten-By – Dorothy Fields and Jerome Kern
They Can't Take That Away From MeWritten-By – The writing team of Ira and George Gershwin
I've Told Ev'ry Little StarWritten-By – the writing team of Oscar Hammerstein II and Jerome Kern
You Do Something To MeWritten-By – Cole Porter
Where Or WhenWritten-By – The writing team of Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart
As Time Goes ByWritten-By – Herman Hupfeld
I do not own the rights to this music. ASCAP, BMI licenses provided by third-party platforms for music that is not under Public Domain.
#rayconniff #easylistening #vinylcollecting #oldvinyl

Special Volume: History of a Champion O-H-I-O

Congratulations to the Ohio State Buckeye football team for winning their ninth national championship. 
If you grew up in Ohio, especially in the 1960s and 70s, you were probably an OSU fan no matter where you ended up going to college in the state. My parents certainly were and they instilled the love of Buckeye football on us as well.
During the early 1970s, the Bucks’ offense featured a back who is still the only two-time winner of the Heisman Trophy, given to the country’s best player each year. Archie Griffin.
But we’re here to listen to one of those albums that my dad collected over the years more for what’s on it than to really listen to it. In fact it doesn’t look like he did much playing of this one at all.
This record recaps in great detail the 1974 season which ended in a Rose Bowl loss to USC for the national championship. You are going to hear some very familiar names if you are an older college football fan.
And I’m going to do something different. I’m going to play the whole album with only one interruption at the end of side one. Each side is 45 minutes long.
So get ready to hear Ohio football history through the voice of Marv Homan to celebrate the 2024 NCAA Football Championship in this Special Volume: History of a Champion; O-H-I-O
For more information about this album, see the Discogs webpage for it. https://www.discogs.com/release/6751440-Marv-Homan-Great-Moments-In-Ohio-State-Football-A-Tribute-To-Woody-Hayes
Credits and copyrights
Marv Homan – Great Moments In Ohio State Football - A Tribute To Woody HayesLabel: Fleetwood Records – FMS 1009Format: Vinyl, 12", 33 ⅓ RPM, Compilation, StereoReleased: 1975Genre: Non-MusicStyle: Spoken Word
I do not own the rights to this music. ASCAP, BMI licenses provided by third-party platforms for music that is not under Public Domain.

Volume 212: Inauguration Italian Style

My dad seemed to have an album for every occasion. 
I can’t tell you how appropriate the timing is to play this record for you. Oh wait…yes I can…and will.
This is truly in the vein of “the more things change the more they stay the same.” And it’s all portrayed using some of the main characters of an all time classic movie.
Tomorrow the United States of America swears in its 47th president, who, of course, was also the 45th president. We will not be making any commentary on the results of the most recent election itself, but we will be reflecting on many similarities of current events to what you are about to hear.
So, get ready to listen to a comedy recording performed right about the time Richard Nixon was getting elected as the 37th president 53 years ago in Volume 212: Inauguration Italian Style.
More information about this album, see the Discogs webpage for it. 
Credits and copyrights
The Firsta Family – The Firsta FamilyLabel: Poppy – PYS5706Format: Vinyl, LP, StereoReleased: 1972Genre: Non-MusicStyle: Comedy, Spoken Word
We will hear 10 of the 17 tracks on this album.
The Godfathers InaugurationMama Presidentes TourFirst Cabinet EatingWhite House Garage Sale Group Confessional Papa Presidente's SecurityBreakfast ProblemFamily PortraitThe Late Show
I do not own the rights to this music. ASCAP, BMI licenses provided by third-party platforms for music that is not under Public Domain.
#comedyalbum #inauguration #godfather

Volume 211: Percy's Cuba

I’ve mentioned this a few times on this show. The Latin beat was extremely popular when my dad was a teenager and beyond. This record is a combination of taking that Latin beat, this time from a specific country, and arranging it with a plush orchestra.
The orchestra conductor who arranged this music was considered the leader in a genre that infiltrated hundreds of radio stations in the 1960s. It’s still a term widely used to describe this sound.
So get ready to hear the captain of the easy listening movement in Volume 211: Percy's Cuba.
More information about this album, see the Discogs webpage for it. 
Credits and copyrights
Percy Faith And His Orchestra – Malagueña (Music Of Cuba)Label: Columbia – CS 8081Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, StereoReleased: 1958Genre: Jazz, LatinStyle: Easy Listening, Afro-Cuban Jazz, Rumba, Samba, Cha-Cha
We'll hear 6 of 14 tunes from this album.
MalagueñaWritten-By – Ernesto Lecuona
El Manisero (The Peanut Vendor)Written-By – Marion Sunshine, Moises Simons, and Louise Wolfe Gilbert
El BodegueroWritten-By – Richard Egues
SiboneyWritten-By – Ernesto Lecuona
Mama InezWritten-By – Elisio Grenet
Para Vigo Me Voy (Say, Sí Sí)Written-By – Al Stillman, Ernesto Lecuona, and Francia Luben
I do not own the rights to this music. ASCAP, BMI licenses provided by third-party platforms for music that is not under Public Domain.
#percyfaith #vinylcollecting #easylistening #oldvinyl

Volume 210: Jonah Style

Welcome to season five.
We start out 2025 with a trumpet player you’ve heard twice before. This is the last of his records in my dad’s collection.
When I first came across him, 165 episodes ago, I realized quickly that I had been missing out on listening to another great trumpet player in my youth. His previous episodes are on my play-often list.
The arrangements on this record call for his playing to be smooth and lyrical, but we know he had a famous solo that was brash and beautiful.
So, get ready to hear from a musician who was the jokester of the Cab Calloway orchestra for over a decade in Volume 210: Jonah Style.
More information about this album, see the Discogs webpage for it. 
Here's the promised link: Read the Jonah Jones New York Time Obituary. 
Credits and copyrights
The Jonah Jones Quartet – Great Instrumental Hits Styled By Jonah JonesLabel: Capitol Records – T1557, Capitol Records – T-1557Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, MonoReleased: 1961Genre: JazzStyle: Swing, Easy Listening
Bass – John BrownDrums – George FosterPiano – Teddy Brannon
We’ll hear 7 of the 12 songs on the album.
The Poor People Of ParisWritten-By – Marguerite Monnot, and Rene Rouzard
DanseroWritten-By – Lee Daniels, Richard Hayman, and Sol Parker
The Third Man ThemeWritten-By – Anton Karas, and Walter Lord
Lisbon AntiguaWritten-By – Paul Portela
Soft Summer BreezeWritten-By – Eddie Heywood, and Judy Spencer
SerenataWritten-By – Leroy Anderson
Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom WhiteWritten-By – Louiguy (real name Louis Guglielmi)
I do not own the rights to this music. ASCAP, BMI licenses provided by third-party platforms for music that is not under Public Domain.
#jonahjones #trumpetsrule #jazzmusic #oldjazz