Gene-r

This one that talks about South African Statside releases with a JSS prefix?

Exactly my thoughts Den. Unusual number though, CSS 1! Makes you wonder if there were any more released after this. Both sides were released as separate Top Rank singles in 1959 and 1961 respectively.

Browsing through 45cat just now, and I came across this oddball in the Stateside discography. Never seen it before, or even knew of its existence. Does anyone know anything about it? Any more releases in the CSS series? (Images from 45cat)

Wonder if records like these were rescued from a life of ship's ballast?

Blimey! Who was that by, Pete?

Does anyone have a soundclip of Eddie Daye & The Four Bars unreleased version of "A Windmill In Old Amsterdam", recorded for Shrine?

Yep - Shawn Elliott on US Roulette being probably the more listed version. Couldn't imagine Norman Wisdon doing a version of this, but I could imagine him doing the laughs on "The Joker" by the Mylestones ("oh Mr Grimsdale, I'm the joker")!

I think Tony would be your man on this one rather than me Den. Though, as another bit of trivia, "Cry / The Little White Cloud That Cried" by Johnnie Ray was issued in 1951 on Okeh in the states (on their "Rhythm & Blues Series"), and as a 78 in the UK on Columbia. There's no UK 45 of this, but both tracks were on his only UK Columbia EP in 1954. I think this was his only Okeh release before moving to Columbia in the US, but probably worth checking out, if only for collection completion. Not sure how far back you want to go in terms of collecting but, as far as I know, the first Okeh record to be released here was "Two Black Crows, Pt. 1 and 2" by Moran and Mack - a 1926 release on US Okeh 78, and a UK Columbia 78 (but I am open to correction!).

Hi Den, Yes, they were all UK releases. As you rightly assumed, they weren't for general release but were produced for the Juke Box industry. 36 releases are known in total. The first release was "Moonlight Gambler" by Frankie Laine (JK 1000). All of the 'JK' series were, of course, only publicly available as 78s with a PB number prefix - with one excption being the final release; "Kisses Sweeter Than Wine / Rock-A-Chicka" by Frankie Vaughan (JK 1035) which, for some reason, was the only one also released as a stock 45 (PB 775), as well as a 78 with the same number. The series was dominated by MOR artists such as Guy Mitchell, Frankie Vaughan, Rosemary Clooney, Johnnie Ray etc, with the only rockin' release being "Start Movin'" by Sal Mineo (JK 1024). Because of their intended usage on juke boxes, very few have turned up in decent condition. The majority that do turn up for sale are usually VG+ or less. Here's a label example for you to give you an idea of how they looked (one I sold on Ebay some months ago). Good luck with the Treniers and Doc Bagby 45s on Fontana by the way.

Could never understand the strategy of the Philips label. As Tony said, they were the last UK company to start manufacturing 45s generally but, before this, they had their own series of jukebox 45s (the JK series) from late 1956 to early 1958 (I could be wrong, but I think "Rock A-Chicka" by Frankie Vaughan crossed over onto both formats, the JK copy and the stock PB 45). What's even more complex is that they were issuing 7" EPs from about 1954, so why no commercial 45 releases until 1958? Like the Screamin' Jay Hawkins 78 on Fontana, I could never understand why "Bop A Lena" by Ronnie Self, a 1958 release (on Columbia in the USA), was on Philips 45 in countries like Holland, but only on Philips 78 in the UK.

Manusf3a, I know you mean me (and I hold my hands up to it), but can I ask you to at least get your facts and your tenses right? It's TURNED up at niters, not turns up......I haven't been to one in over a decade, and I have no intention of doing so for the rest of my life. However, I do appreciate that you don't see me as one of the 'bar-room blitz brigade'. I'm now a reformed church-going character - in fact, my local church does a late lock-in every Friday and Saturday night..... ! PS - apologies for any confusion in my message (now amended) with there being manus and manusf3a, both whom have contributed to the thread!

Awww Benji - I was getting ready to come quietly as well!

Looks like one of these 'strength testers' - lift it up and it pees all over you.

Hope this is still in topic, but if I were to compile an LP-only playlist, it would look something like this: 1. LARRY WILLIAMS & JOHNNY WATSON: Takin' No Chances (US Okeh - from "Two From The Price Of One") 2. THE METROS: I'll Never Forget You (US RCA - from "Sweetest One") 3. BOBBY BLAND: Sweet Lips Of Joy (US Duke - from "A Touch Of The Blues") 4. FREDA PAYNE: On Easy Street (US MGM - from "How Do You Say I Don't Love You Anymore") 5. THE TOYS: Deserted (US Dynovioce / UK Stateside - from "A Lovers Concerto") 6. TOMMY NAVARRO: I'm Comin' On Back (US Urania - from "Twist Around The Town") 7. DEE CLARK: I Love You Darling (US Abner / UK Top Rank - from "How About That") 8. THE MAGNIFICENT MEN: Keep On Climbing (US Capitol - from "The Magnificent Men") 9. THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS: It's Up To You (US / UK Verve - from "Souled Out") 10. ARCHIE BELL & THE DRELLS: A Thousand Wonders (US Atlantic - from "TIghten Up")

Believe it or not, that is exactly the first thing the came to my mind when I heard that lyric - I still think of it whenever I hear that.......brilliant!! "Beating Of My Lonely Heart" by P W Cannon is an OK-type mid-tempo track also on Hickory (US release only). So too is "Never Tell" by B J Thomas, which was released on US and UK Hickory (and US Warner Bros). Here's the Sue Thompson UK demo:

You're lucky Pete - I've still got mine!

Probably the one that was in Pete Crampton's collection in the early '80s, before he sold off in 1985 (that one hissed all the way through). And it's probably the same 'hissy' one that JM had!

Surely you don't mean this, Ady? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fs6fAsJ_U4

I thought the 1972 release on Jayboy would have been to meet some sort of demand?

You're right about the lyrics. For me, it's the musical arrangement itself that 'pushes the right buttons' though - the sort of tune I hum to myself on the way to work, etc!

They shouldn't hang around for too long. How lovely are they both!

Good to see it still going down well - got mine only a few months ago with some other nice UK demos (95% of which I sold on Ebay, though this was the only soul one), but this is one of only a few I decided to hold on to. I think I must play this more than anything else from my record collection these days!

I think that was the one Trev. In which case it wasn't as bad as I thought it was! The B-side must be burnt though.

Same Val as Joe Valentine? Or just coincidence that it's by T. VALENTINE?

Thanks Pete. So probably quite an early 'forgotten oldie'? I absolutely love it - better than anything else she's ever done IMHO. If I'm not wrong it was also her last Hickory release. Also interesting to note that Sue Thompson is still well at 87 years of age!