OK, well actually the WFMU record fair was last weekend. And none of these is particularly new. But the upshot is that I bought a ton of records– here’s some of the best tracks so far. No photos yet, because I’m too lazy and I need sunlight to do it anyway.
Johnny Denis & Netta Rogers - Studio and Stage
A Vegas lounge act. I was… surprised by the timbre of Netta Rogers’ voice. The back of this record contains an apology: “We took out the comedy patter which we feel does not improve after continued playing and we do hope you will play our record more than once… please!”
Dale McKenzie - Musically & Vocally Yours
Another lounge act, this time from Cleveland. Dale “can adapt to any song of any era with tones of such sweet quality that you beg for more.” The front of this record is signed “To Deb, I hope you enjoy my humble efforts.”
Betty Bond Sings Pop
An album of “song-poems.” Betty is more infamous for her ode to heroin addiction, Till Death Do Us Part (which you can hear here) but I was amused by this schlocky rip-off of Harper Valley PTA. “Presently single, she has four children and has done secretarial work in addition to professional singing.”
Joe Barone and Lily Ann Carol Play For Their Friends
This album is subtitled “Live From Jupiter’s” and features Joe and Lily’s faces glued to shooting stars, orbiting a big orange planet. Lilly sort of sounds like Cher crossed with Maya Rudolph doing Whitney Houston.
Come And Dance With The Tolmans to Johnny Brogan’s Orchestra
“For Ballroom Dancers and Musical Gourmets,” this record hails from Springfield, Massachusetts. Ballroom Dancing records usually put me to sleep, but this whitebread version of One Note Samba drew me in with its hot dual guiro action. I also wish I could show you Phyllis Tolman’s wig right now, which I absolutely promise to post a photo of at a later date.
This is just the tip of the iceberg, folks! More to come…
3 Comments
Re: Lilyann Carol & Joe Barone Sing for their Friends “Old Black Magic”
You might be interested to know the story behind this 1975 spoof of the Louie Prima/Keely Smith hit from 1959.
Lilyann originally started out as the very first vocalist with Louis Prima’s Orchestra back in 1940. (Her best known recording with him was “I’ll Walk Alone” in 1944)
She left Prima’s band in 1946 for a solo music career and was replaced by vocalists named Cathy Allen, Florida Keyes and in 1948 by Keely Smith.
Lilyann later formed a successful nightclub combo with her husband, saxophonist Joe Barone, who is heard on the “Live At Jupiter’s” LP.
To hear Lilyann’s low pitched, near perfect impression of Louie Prima’s vocal style on “Old Black Magic” is priceless, and, considering she worked with him for nearly 7 years in the 1940’s, she certainly captures his style! Her “tribute” version is a laugh riot, and to me one of the LP’s highlights.
Note that she also performs an updated arrangement of her most well known hit, “I’ll Walk Alone”.
I’ve been researching her life story and wonder whatever became of her after this LP. (She was born Lillian Kaufman in Brooklyn in 1922)
Regards,
Lou
My father sang Lilyann Carol’s “I’ll Walk Alone” to me all the time we grew up, including her signature ending–”You know that I won’t walk around with anyone else but you–I’ll walk alone.”
This afternoon(February 17, 2008) our Sunday music group has been learning this song, because it seems to be one on the endangered specis list.
I found the mention on your site while searching for my father and his friends to double-check the lyrics we have for the song.
Janet Riehl
http://www.riehlife.com
I recently learned that Lilyann Carol passed away around 1999 or 2000 from cancer.
She and her husband Joe Barone continued to perform music together up until the 1980’s in and around the New York and New Jersey area. This LP, Live at Jupiter’s, is apparently her last recording.