AnalogPlanet Radio

AnalogPlanet Radio's WFDU HD2 45RPM Oldies Singles Radio Show Streams Now!

Michael Fremer  |  Nov 14, 2016

The idea was to produce a show exclusively from old, gnarly-sounding 45 played back on a modest turntable to truly reproduce how "Boomers" heard their music at home. "Cleaned up" and sterilized on CD is just not the same. Then came the grim news that both Leonard Cohen and Leon Russell had passed away.

There wasn't sufficient time to produce an entire Cohen tribute show, so instead it opens with three versions of Cohen's "Hallelujah" and one Leon Russell tune. I chose the obscure "Tryin' To Stay Alive" from Asylum Choir II. Then it's on to the "moldy oldies"! BTW: one mint 45 was played back on the Continuum Caliburn. You'll know which when you hear it.

1) John Cale: Hallelujah
2) Jeff Buckley: Hallelujah
3) Leonard Cohen: Hallelujah
4) Asylum Choir: Tryin’ To Stay Alive
5) The Teddy Bears: To Know Him is to Love Him
6) The Monotones: The Book of Love
7) Thurston Harris: Little Bitty Pretty One
8) The Penguins: Earth Angel
9) The Elegants: Little Star
10) The Duprees: You Belong to Me
11) Chuck Berry: Sweet Little Sixteen
12) The Earls: Remember
13) Bobby Day: Rockin’ Robin
14) Reparata and the Delrons: Whenever a Teenaager Cries
15) The Mello Kings: Tonight Tonight
16) The Jive Five: My True Story
17) Rosie and the Originals: Angel Baby
18) Sue Thompson: Norman
19) Lori Rogers; Seymour
20) The Chiffons: I Have a Boyfriend
21) Bobby Lewis: Tossin and Turnin
22) Ernie K. Doe: Mother In Law
23) Aaron Neville: Tell It Like It Is
24) Gary U.S. Bonds: Quarter to Three
25) Huey Piano Smith and The Clowns: Don’t You Just Know It
26) J. Frank Wilson: Last Kiss
27) Jody Reynolds: Endless Sleep
28) Little Peggy March: I Love Him
29) Lesley Gore: It’s My Party
30) Lesley Gore: You Don’t Own Me
31) The Corsairs: Smoky Places
31) The Drifters: Under the Boardwalk
32) The Happenings: See You In September
33) The Crystals: Then He Kissed Me

COMMENTS
mrl1957's picture
Submitted by mrl1957 on Thu, 2016-11-17 07:37

...for me, is a disc pressed from an off-centered stamper. I have a few in my collection with one side pressed far off the bull's eye and the other dead-on (???!). Beyond that, I can live with a little surface racket and the edginess of a worn 45.

BTW: I thought the Huey Smith track was the "mint" one. To my ears it had the quietest surface.

evancent's picture
Submitted by evancent on Mon, 2016-11-21 09:29

To much Leonard Cohen is just right !

Thanks Heaps
Keep up the great work!
Yes we are listening to this great show down under in New Zealand
Cheers

Wimbo's picture
Submitted by Wimbo on Tue, 2016-11-22 16:47

First time I heard that Leon had passed away.
I still play his Version of "Girl from the North Country" live with Joe Cocker and feel that its the Best Version of the lot.
R.I.P. Leon.

M3 lover's picture
Submitted by M3 lover on Thu, 2016-11-24 10:23

Thanks Michael, I ended up listening to nearly all your program. Many of those songs were very familiar, well, other than "Norman" and "Seymour". A few comments -

Naming a favorite is of course always personal, but the version of "Hallelujah" that speaks to me is by kd lang.

Like several others online you lamented the number of music industry losses this year. But really, what can we expect? Just consider the number who made it past 30 and are now from 65 to maybe 85! Next year will see many more, and more yet the year after.

OK, moving on to 45s. I'm a bit older than you so began collecting 45s in the '50s while in junior and senior high. I still have nearly 100 of those. A couple of years ago I had a few audio buddies over and surprised them by playing several, they could hardly believe the presence and even dynamics. I will say mine are v. good condition (not played at parties!) and had been cleaned on my VPI. But I didn't have a mono cartridge or even a mono switch at that time. If you can find any which have not been abused they can be surprisingly enjoyable, as suggested even by your less than mint copies.

Rudy's picture
Submitted by Rudy on Mon, 2016-11-28 08:28

I've read that many of the reissue 45s were pressed using the original metal parts. That might explain why some of the reissues I bought in the 80s sound so much more punchy than any CD version I've heard. My copy of "Land of 1000 Dances" sounds like it is about to jump off of the turntable!

I'm actually going to be restoring an old Victrola 45 (a 45-EY-3 for those who are familiar) this winter, just to play back some old 45s of mine, and a box or two of 45s I bought dirt cheap that I wouldn't play on my good TT setup. It's just for fun! That's how it should be.

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