Showing posts with label Bill Buchanan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bill Buchanan. Show all posts
November 2, 2022
July 25, 2019
45 RPM 34: Bill Buchanan & Dickie Goodman ~ The Flying Saucer
~
Viewfinder links:
Blackcat Rockabilly Europe ~
William V. Buchanan
Richard Dorian Goodman
MetaFilter ~ Look to the skies. The flying saucers will always be there
On July 25, 1956, Bill Buchanan & Dickie Goodman released the wacky novelty single, The Flying Saucer, Pts. 1 & 2 and I would never be the same; I was in my teens! What more can I say?
date & photographer unknown
The Flying Saucer is one of the early attempts at sampling in popular music; it was done with experimental & musique concrète music in the 40's. It featured segments of popular
songs intertwined with a spoken "news" commentary to tell the story of a
visit of a flying saucer.
Bill Buchanan plays the radio announcer, stating that the spacemen are attacking Earth. Dickie Goodman plays reporter John Cameron-Cameron (a play on the broadcaster John Cameron Swayze) (links below).
Buchanan & Goodman ~ The Flying Saucer Pt. 1
45 rpm record, side 1
photo by Styrous®
45 rpm record, side 1
photo by Styrous®
The song uses clips from 17 different songs, each of which was a top 20 hit in 1955 or 1956. In order of occurrence:
- Side One
- "Open Up That Door" by Nappy Brown (saxophone intro only)
- "The Great Pretender" by The Platters (referenced as "Too Real" by The Clatters)
- "I Want You to Be My Girl" by The Teenagers featuring Frankie Lymon
- "Long Tall Sally" by Little Richard
- "Poor Me" by Fats Domino
- "Heartbreak Hotel" by Elvis Presley
- "Earth Angel" by The Penguins (referenced as "Earth" by The Pelicans)
- "I Hear You Knocking" by Smiley Lewis (referenced as "Knocking" by Laughing Lewis)
- "Tutti Frutti" by Little Richard
- "(You've Got) The Magic Touch" by The Platters (referenced as "Uh-Oh" by The Clatters)
- "The Great Pretender" by The Platters
Buchanan & Goodman ~ The Flying Saucer Pt. 145 rpm record label, side 1photo by Styrous®
- Side Two
- "Band of Gold" by Don Cherry
- "Ain't That A Shame" by Fats Domino (referenced as "That's A Shame" by Skinny Dynamo)
- "Band of Gold" by Don Cherry (again)
- "Don't Be Angry" by Nappy Brown
- "Blue Suede Shoes" by Carl Perkins (referenced as "Shoes" by Pa Gherkins)
- "Maybellene" by Chuck Berry (referenced as "The Motor Cooled Down" by Huckle Berry)
- "See You Later Alligator" by Bill Haley & His Comets
- "My Prayer" by The Platters
Buchanan & Goodman ~ The Flying Saucer Pt. 2
45 rpm record, side 2
photo by Styrous®
45 rpm record, side 2
photo by Styrous®
The record also contains an early, deliberate backward secret message in
part two. The alien message in their own language plays as "caution,
secretary of defense" when played backward. There is an excellent breakdown of each sampled tune on Songfacts as well as the lyrics (links below).
The record was controversial from the moment it hit the shelves. Its wide use of "sampling" prompted music publishers to file suit against Buchanan and Goodman in July (1956). The two men were verbally attacked by record companies, too, with an anonymous source telling Billboard, "If we can't stop this nothing is safe in our business." While The Flying Saucer was not the first record to quote from famous songs (see "Cool Whalin'" by Babs Gonzales), it was the first popular record to sample directly from the records themselves.
The record was controversial from the moment it hit the shelves. Its wide use of "sampling" prompted music publishers to file suit against Buchanan and Goodman in July (1956). The two men were verbally attacked by record companies, too, with an anonymous source telling Billboard, "If we can't stop this nothing is safe in our business." While The Flying Saucer was not the first record to quote from famous songs (see "Cool Whalin'" by Babs Gonzales), it was the first popular record to sample directly from the records themselves.
The Flying Saucer reached position 3 in the Billboard rankings for 1956.
Net links:
Blackcat Rockabilly Europe ~
William V. Buchanan
Richard Dorian Goodman
MetaFilter ~ Look to the skies. The flying saucers will always be there
Songfacts ~ The Flying Saucer
Wayback Attack ~ Buchanan & Goodman
February 20, 2019
45 RPM 30: The Platters ~ (You've Got) The Magic Touch
~
45 RPM record in Mercury Records sleeve
photo by Styrous®
The first song I ever heard by The Platters was the heavenly, Only You,
which to this day is still my all-time favorite ballad! I had never heard anything like it before
and I was completely and forever in love with the group (links to info below). I have cherished every song they ever produced.
(You've Got) The Magic Touch was written by Buck Ram and released 62 years ago on February 20, 1956. The song reached #4 on the U.S. pop chart and the U.S. R&B chart in 1956. It ranked #36 on Billboard magazine's Top 50 singles of 1956.
In 1977 a country version of Magic Touch was recorded by American country music singer Billy Walker of the Grand Ole Opry.
Although not as emotionally intense as Only You, the song is nicely constructed. The lyrics are well written, the swooping voice of lead singer Tony Williams is awesome while the vocal backup by David Lynch, Paul Robi, Herb Reed and Zola Taylor is gorgeous. It has a bouncy but still qualifies as a slow-dance song.
(You've Got) The Magic Touch lyrics:
You-oo-'ve got the magic touch (woo-oo)
It makes me glow so much (oo-woo-oo)
It casts a spell, it rings a bell
The magic touch
Oh-uh-oh when I feel your charm (woo-oo)
It's like a fourth alarm (oo-woo-oo)
You make me thrill so much
You've got the magic touch
If I go reeling, uh-oh
I'm feeling the glow (uh-oh)
But where can I go from you
I didn't know too much (woo-oo)
And then I felt your touch (oo-woo-oo)
And now I've learned I can return
The magic touch
If I go reeling, uh-oh
I'm feeling the glow (uh-oh)
But where can I go from you
I didn't know too much (woo-oo)
And then I felt your touch (oo-woo-oo)
And now I've learned I can return
The magic touch
(Do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-dooooo)
In 1977 a country version of Magic Touch was recorded by American country music singer Billy Walker of the Grand Ole Opry.
Although not as emotionally intense as Only You, the song is nicely constructed. The lyrics are well written, the swooping voice of lead singer Tony Williams is awesome while the vocal backup by David Lynch, Paul Robi, Herb Reed and Zola Taylor is gorgeous. It has a bouncy but still qualifies as a slow-dance song.
(You've Got) The Magic Touch lyrics:
You-oo-'ve got the magic touch (woo-oo)
It makes me glow so much (oo-woo-oo)
It casts a spell, it rings a bell
The magic touch
Oh-uh-oh when I feel your charm (woo-oo)
It's like a fourth alarm (oo-woo-oo)
You make me thrill so much
You've got the magic touch
If I go reeling, uh-oh
I'm feeling the glow (uh-oh)
But where can I go from you
I didn't know too much (woo-oo)
And then I felt your touch (oo-woo-oo)
And now I've learned I can return
The magic touch
If I go reeling, uh-oh
I'm feeling the glow (uh-oh)
But where can I go from you
I didn't know too much (woo-oo)
And then I felt your touch (oo-woo-oo)
And now I've learned I can return
The magic touch
(Do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-dooooo)
(You've Got) The Magic Touch was sampled in the 1956 novelty song The Flying Saucer by Bill Buchanan and Dickie Goodman. An article on this to be done.
45 RPM label
photo by Styrous®
Winner Take All
is the "B" side of the record. It is upbeat and almost happy. It is
optimistic but still open to the possibility that love will not win out
after all.
Tracklist:
Side 1:
A - (You've Got) The Magic Touch, written by Buck Ram - 2:22
Side 2:
B - Winner Take All, written by Frisch*, Wayne* - 2:12
Companies, etc.
Published By – Panther Music
Published By – Southern Music
Credits:
Vocals – The Platters
Notes:
Black Mercury Label.
Barcode and Other Identifiers
Matrix / Runout (Runoff A): YW12457
Matrix / Runout (Runoff B): YW12456
Matrix / Runout (Label A): YW12457
Matrix / Runout (Label B): YW12456
Rights Society: ASCAP
The Platters – (You've Got) The Magic Touch / Winner Take All
Label: Mercury – 70819X45
Format: Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, Single
Country: US
Released: 20 Feb 1956
Genre: Rock, Funk / Soul
Style: Rock & Roll, Rhythm & Blues
Viewfinder link:
The Platters
Net links:
The Platters:
Original lineup (1953)
Classic lineup (1954–1970)
Singles discography
YouTube links:
(You've Got) The Magic Touch
Winner Take All
Styrous® ~ Wednesday, February 20, 2018
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