Hollywood Bound ~ Gene Autry, Flash Gordon & other Wonders

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A friend recently showed me a book he had just purchased entitled, Hollywood Bound by Peter Doggett, an English music journalist, author and magazine editor. The book had movie stills from films that had bondage themes of one type or another. As I had seen many of the films featured in the book, it brought back many memories.          

In the forties when I was about 8 years old, there was a movie theater called The State on 4th & Market, where Ross ("Dress for Less") is now located.   

 

 

The State Theater - ca 1950 

photographer unknown

 

 

On Saturdays The State had matinees for kids that cost 9¢ to get in. I lived in Visitacion Valley on Geneva Ave. in the outer Mission and my mother would give me a quarter to go to the 9 am showing. It cost 5¢ for the bus each way which left me 6¢. I would buy a candy bar which cost 5¢. That left me 1¢ which I saved and on the fifth Saturday I could buy TWO candy bars!         

During the Saturday matinee they had a double feature (two FULL length movies), usually "B" films that are now cult films, some featured in Hollywood Bound, or Hopalong Cassidy played by William Boyd . . .

             

 

Hopalong Cassidy Enters movie poster
 

 

. . . The Three Stooges usually with a great cast as in this one with Gale Storm, Louis Jordan, Will Osborne and Phil Regan an American actor and singer who later served time for bribery in a real estate scandal . . .        

 

 

Swing Parade of 1946 movie poster 
 

           

. . . coming attractions, a news reel (TV was newly invented & very few people had one, a bazillon cartoons and a serial, usually with cowboys (such as The Phantom Empire with Gene Autry), etc.!!!!!

 

 

Gene Autry ~ The Phantom Empire       

movie poster

The last Saturday I went, they showed a serial with Buster Crabbe (it was his birthday earlier this month) as Flash Gordon. It was my first viewing of a Sci-Fi film; even though it had pretty cheesy effects (e.g. the space ship), gaudy sets and bad acting (link below), from an 8 year old kid's point of view it was terrific. I remember being COMPLETELY transfixed and I had to see it again. Now, with all that stuff they showed, the entire program probably lasted three or four hours and I sat through THREE showings! I didn't get home until around 9 that evening; that's 12 hours I was gone. My mother was out of her wits by then, I caught holy hell and was never allowed to go to the movie matinee again. 

 

But it was worth it!!!           

Flash Gordon was always in trouble of one kind or another and in chapter 6, Emperor Ming (delightfully portrayed by Charles Middleton) . . . 

 

 

Charles Middleton as Emperor Ming 

film still

 

 

. . . was the culprit mentioned in the book, Hollywood Bound and shown on YouTube (link below).           

Buster Crabbe as Flash Gordon

Hollywood Bound has many other photographs in it that are absolutely wonderful, some romantic, some erotic and some hilarious! But I'll leave that for another blog entry.         

          

          

          

          

          

          

          

          

Viewfinder links:

           

Gene Autry          

Buster Crabbe          

Louis Jordan           

Will Osborne           

Gale Storm          

The Three Stooges          

         

YouTube links:

          

Flash Gordon (Ch. 6, Flaming Torture) serial clip          

Flash Gordon (space ship) serial clip                      

          

          

          

          

          

Flash on, Gordon!

          

          

          

          

          

Styrous® ~ Sunday, February 27, 2022 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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45 RPMs 41: "Fats" Domino ~ Blueberry Hill

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Fats Domino ~ Blueberry Hill
45 RPM record
photo by Styrous®

Today, February 26, is the birthday of Fats Domino who was born in 1928. He was an American rhythm and blues pianist and singer-songwriter. In 1957 he recorded one of my All-Time favorite hits, Blueberry Hill. I remember falling in love with the song when I heard it. I was in high school and deeply in love with a beautiful girl named Janet who would break my heart later that year. While the lyrics are about having lost a love, the melody is beautiful and Domino's piano work is exquisite. Also, it is a terrific slow dance song!             

         

 Fats Domino ~ Blueberry Hill
45 RPM record detail
detail photo by Styrous®

Blueberry Hill was written by Vincent Rose, Al Lewis and Larry Stock for Gene Autry to sing in his 1941 western The Singing Hill; it became one of Autry's best-selling recordings. The song had previously been recorded, in 1940 by Sammy Kaye, Gene Krupa, the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Kay Kyser, Russ Morgan, Connee Boswell, and Jimmy Dorsey; then by Louis Armstrong in 1949 and many others (links below).

The Domino version was ranked number 82 in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.           

       

 Fats Domino ~ Blueberry Hill
45 RPM record detail
detail photo by Styrous® 

Blueberry Hill lyrics

[Verse 1]
I found my thrill on Blueberry Hill
On Blueberry Hill, when I found you

[Verse 2]
The moon stood still on Blueberry Hill
And lingered until my dream came true

[Bridge 1]
The wind in the willow played
Love's sweet melody
But all of those vows you made
Were never to be

[Verse 3]
Though we're apart, you're part of me still
For you were my thrill on Blueberry Hill

[Bridge 2]
The wind in the willow played
Love's sweet melody
But all of those vows you made
Were only to be

[Verse 4]
Though we're apart, you're part of me still
For you were my thrill on Blueberry Hill

     

The song was featured in the soundtrack of the 1956 film, Shake, Rattle & Rock! The film starred Fats Domino, Big Joe Turner and saxophonist Choker Campbell as themselves, Mike Connors of later Mannix fame, Lisa Gaye the sister of Debra Paget, Sterling Holloway, Douglass Dumbrille of the 1964 film Shock Treatment, Raymond Hatton whose films included In Cold Blood, Percy Helton of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), Paul Dubov of High Noon (1952) and other film stars (link below).          

Since the Domino release in 1957, Blueberry Hill has been covered by dozens of recording artists: Elvis Presley (1957), Ricky Nelson (1958), Duane Eddy (1959), Little Richard (1964), Led Zeppelin (1970), Chris Isaac took a turn at it with French recording artist, Johnny Halllyday in 2006, Elton John (2007), an instrumental jazz version by Al Hirt and even a Czech version by Milan Chladil entitled, Růžový pahorek which translates into Pink Hill (the linguistic as well as the music suffers in translation). Dozens of others have covered it (links below).  

          

Fats Domino ~ Honey Chile
45 RPM record
photo by Styrous® 

The "B" side of the record is Honey Chile, the total opposite of Blueberry. It is bouncy, lively and a terrific dance song (link below).        
         

Fats Domino ~ Honey Chile
45 RPM record detail
detail photo by Styrous® 

One of the pioneers of rock and roll music, Fats Domino sold more than 65 million records. Between 1955 and 1960, he had eleven Top 10 hits. 

On his birthday in 1987 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 29th annual Grammy Awards (link below).

In 1995 Domino received the Rhythm & Blues Foundation's Ray Charles Lifetime Achievement Award.        

On January 12, 2007, Domino was honored with the OffBeat magazine Lifetime Achievement Award at the annual Best of the Beat Awards, held at the House of Blues in New Orleans. The Mayor of the city, Ray Nagin, declared the day "Fats Domino Day in New Orleans and presented him with a signed declaration.

On May 19, 2007, his last public performance was at Tipitina's at New Orleans, performing to a full house (link below). In September of that year, Domino was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.

In 2015, his song The Fat Man entered the Grammy Hall of Fame (The Recording Academy in Santa Monica, California).         

On August 21, 2016, Domino was inducted into the National Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame. The ceremony was held in Detroit, Michigan.         

       

        

Fats Domino ~ Honey Chile
45 RPM record detail
detail photo by Styrous®

Fats Domino died on October 24, 2017, at his home in Harvey, Louisiana, at the age of 89, from natural causes, according to the coroner's office.    

On June 25, 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed Fats Domino among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire.               
        

Tracklist:

Side 1:

A     Blueberry Hill, written by Lewis*, Stock*, Rose* - 2:14

Side 2:

B     Honey Chile, written by A. Domino & D. Bartholomew* - 1:55

Companies, etc.

    Published By – Reeve Music Co., Inc.
    Published By – Chappell & Co., Inc.

Notes:

B: From the American-International Picture Shake, Rattle and Rock

Maroon label version; for red label use this link: Blueberry Hill / Honey Chile
Barcode and Other Identifiers

    Matrix / Runout (Label Side A): IM-1082
    Matrix / Runout (Label Side B): IM-1083
    Matrix / Runout (Runout Side A): 45-IM-1082-2
    Matrix / Runout (Runout Side B): 45-IM-1083-2
    Matrix / Runout (Variant 2: Side A run-out, etched): 45-IM-1082-1 5407
    Matrix / Runout (Variant 2: Side B run-out, etched): 45-IM-1083-1 5407

Barcode and Other Identifiers

    Matrix / Runout (A side label): IM-1082
    Matrix / Runout (B side label): IM-1083
    Matrix / Runout (A side runout etched): 340 IM-1082
    Matrix / Runout (B side runout etched): 340 IM-1083

     
         
Viewfinder links:

1987 Lifetime Achievement Award         
Louis Armstrong    
Gene Autry       
Fats Domino
Jimmy Dorsey        
Gene Krupa     
Kay Kyser         
Glenn Miller       
Elvis Presley       
Little Richard          
Led Zeppelin             
Big Joe Turner        
    
Net links:
         
Blueberry Hill recorded versions           
Infogalactic ~ Selected list of recorded versions       
Jazziz ~ A short history of Blueberry Hill         
The Movie Court ~ Great Moments in Cover History: Blueberry Hill    
RollingStone ~ 500 Greatest Songs of All Time           
Shake, Rattle & Rock!        
Steyn Online ~ Steyn's Song of the Week ~ Blueberry Hill      

     
YouTube links:
         
Fats Domino ~  
        Blueberry Hill      
        Blueberry Hill (video)  
        Blueberry Hill (live) (1989)          
        Honey Chile         
        Honey Chile (film)         
Fats at New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival       
Louis Armstrong ~ Blueberry Hill (1941)       
Louis Armstrong ~ Blueberry Hill (live)      
Gene Autry ~ Blueberry Hill         
Milan Chladil ~ Růžový pahorek (Pink Hill)        
Al Hirt ~ Blueberry Hill              
Elton John ~ Blueberry Hill         
Sammy Kaye w/Tommy Ryan, vocal ~ Blueberry Hill (1940)   
Brenda Lee ~ Blueberry Hill              
Jerry Lee Lewis ~ Blueberry Hill              
Glenn Miller & Ray Eberle ~ Blueberry Hill             
Elvis Presley ~ Blueberry Hill             
Led Zeppelin ~ Blueberry Hill      
     
       
   
        
       
Styrous® ~ Wednesday, February 26, 2020       
   

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78 RPMs 7: John Marks ~ Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer - my first record

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Gene Autry ~ Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer
10" 78 RPM record cover detail

illustration by Denver Gillen 
detail photo by Styrous®

Well, after spending weeks gathering and wrapping all the Christmas presents I've finally gotten into the holiday spirit! And what could be more in keeping with Christmas, Santa Claus, snow and joy? Rudolph, of course!
      
Midway through creating this blog entry I realized this is the very first record I ever owned. So, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is my choice for celebrating 70 years of record collecting and this special day of a year that has been extraordinary in so many ways.        

This song about Rudolph was written by Johnny Marks in 1949, recorded by Gene Autry and was a HUGE hit! I remember when it came out . . .

Johnny Marks - 1956 

photo: Associated Press

Marks described the song as “one of the worst ever written” but he sent a copy to Gene Autry who agreed with him and rejected the song; however, his wife found it “enchanting” and talked Autry into using it on the other side of an already scheduled record. As they say, the rest is history!      

Johnny Marks ~ Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer

6" 78 RPM record
photo by Styrous®  

My mom (link below) bought a cover of the song on Golden Records for me in 1949 for Christmas. The Golden Records label was originally issued from 1948 to 1962; they were produced for little kids. Little Golden Records were six inches (15 cm) in diameter and made of bright yellow plastic (orange plastic was used for a few titles). Each side played for a maximum of about one minute and forty-five seconds at 78 RPM. I recall being disappointed she hadn't bought the popular version of it which was by Gene Autry on Columbia Records and for BIG kids.         

Gene Autry ~ Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer   

10" single 78 RPM

But, as can be seen, I played the record my mom bought me to death and beat it up as only a kid can; I remember it had a cover with Rudolph on it but the cover vanished decades ago, who knows where. I still can't believe that was 70 years ago!       

Johnny Marks ~ Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer
6" 78 RPM record label detail
detail photo by Styrous®

I fell in love with it!   

However, many years later when I was collecting vinyl LPs I came across a beat up old copy of the Autry recording which proudly proclaimed, "The Original", and bought it to satisfy that kid from the 40's still living inside me.

Gene Autry ~ Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer 

background illustration by Denver Gillen

vinyl LP album cover detail 

detail photo by Styrous®

 

Mike Stewart (not of the We Five fame) is the singer on my version of the song; he is accompanied by The Sandpapers (not of the Guantanamera fame) and Mitch Miller before he became a 50's recording star in his own right.    

The song has been covered by recording artists other than Autry: there is Perry Como with about a zillion version of it, Burl Ives, Dean Martin, Paul Carrack, The Temptations and many more (YouTube link below).    

Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer - lyrics

     
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a fictional reindeer created by Robert Lewis May. Rudolph is usually depicted as the ninth and youngest of Santa Claus's reindeer, using his luminous red nose to lead the reindeer team and guide Santa's sleigh on Christmas Eve. Though he initially receives ridicule for his nose as a fawn, the brightness of his nose is so powerful that it illuminates the team's path through the harsh winter weather.      

Rudolph first appeared in a 1939 promotional booklet written by Robert L. May and published by Montgomery Ward, the department store. Oh, my Gosh! Does the name of THAT store bring back memories of my childhood!   

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer 

Montgomery Ward promotional pamphlet

illustration by Denver Gillen

May, drew in part from the 1844 tale of The Ugly Duckyling by Hans Christian Andersen and his own background (he was often taunted as a child for being shy, small, and slight), settled on the idea of an underdog ostracized by the reindeer community because of his physical abnormality: a glowing red nose. His boss was worried that a story featuring a red nose — an image associated with drinking and drunkards — was unsuitable for a Christmas tale. May took Denver Gillen, a friend from the Montgomery Ward art department, to the Lincoln Park Zoo to sketch some deer. Gillen’s illustrations of a red-nosed reindeer overcame the hesitancy of May’s superiors, and the Rudolph story was approved. A total of 6 million copies had been distributed by the end of 1946.    

The "B" side of the record had a little ditty written by Alec Wilder called The Reindeer Dance and performed by Mitch Miller.    

Alec Wilder ~ The Reindeer Dance 
6" 78 RPM record & label
photos by Styrous®

It's a funky recording but sometimes enjoyable things in life aren't always the prim, proper and legitimate way to go!         

         

Viewfinder links:       

   
Gene Autry         
Burl Ives        
Dean Martin          
Mitch Miller      
Christine K. Simonson          

Christmas ~ 2019      

        

Net links:       

     
Groovy History ~ Who Wrote 'Rudolph?       
LA Times ~ Prolific Songwriter Johnny Marks Dies          

NY Times ~ Johnny Marks Dies      

Snopes ~ The Origins of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer      

         

        

 YouTube links:    
      
Gene Autry ~ Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer      
Perry Como ~ Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer               
Burl Ives~ Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer       
Dean Martin~ Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer        

      

       

       

Merry Christmas!

Christmas - 2019 

photo by Styrous®

     

        

       

Styrous® ~ Wednesday, December 25, 2019  

      

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78 RPMs Archive
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Gene Autry articles/mentions

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"Fats" Domino ~ Blueberry Hill    
Home for Xmas - Vol 1     

Hollywood Bound ~ Gene Autry, etc.           

John Marks ~ Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer      

     

   

       

     

   

       

     

   
       

Gene Autry - April 14, 1960 

publicity photo 

   
       
     
   
       
     
   

        

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101 Reel-to-Reel Tapes 122: Home for Xmas - Vol 1

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Tracklist:

        Volume 1

Side 1:

A1 – The Mormon Tabernacle Choir*, The Philadelphia Orchestra     Hallelujah Chorus, Conductor – Eugene Ormandy, Directed By – Richard P. Condie
   
A2 – Johnny Cash - I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day   
A3 – The Brothers Four - God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen   
A4 – Jerry Vale - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas   
A5 – Percy Faith - Good King Wenceslas   
A6 – Ray Conniff - Jingle Bells   
A7 – Tony Bennett - White Christmas   
A8 – Tammy Wynette - Count Your Blessings Instead Of Sheep   
A9 – Johnny Mathis - I'll Be Home For Christmas   
A10 – Eileen Farrell - Away In A Manger   
A11 – The London Pops Orchestra - Glory To God In The Highest, Composed by Pergolesi
A12 – John Davidson - What Child Is This (Greensleeves)

Side 2:
   
B1 – Marty Robbins - O Little Town Of Bethlehem   
B2 – The Philadelphia Brass Ensemble - O Tannenbaum   
B3 – Gene Autry - Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer   
B4 – Burl Ives - The Twelve Days Of Christmas   
B5 – Andre Kostelanetz & His Orchestra - O Holy Night, Baritone Vocal by Earl Wrightson
B6 – Anita Bryant - Silent Night, Holy Night   
B7 –The  Philadelphia Orchestra, The Temple University Choir - Ave Maria, Composed by Schubert, Conductor – Eugene Ormandy, Directed by Robert Page
B8 – Patti Page - The Little Drummer Boy   
B9 – E. Power Biggs - The Holly And The Ivy   
B10 – Mahalia Jackson - Go, Tell It On The Mountain   
B11 – Charlie Byrd - The First Noel   
B12 – Ray Conniff - Here Comes Santa Claus     

Various ‎– Home For Christmas
Label: Columbia House ‎– R21 6532
Series: A Columbia Musical Treasury –
Format: 2 × Reel-To-Reel, 3 ¾ ips, ¼", 7" Cine Reel, Compilation, Club Edition
Country: US
Released: 1971
Genre: Jazz, Pop, Classical, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Vocal, Ballad, Easy Listening

   
       

Viewfinder links:      

          
Home for Xmas - Vol 2             
Anita Bryant       

Johnny Cash          

Percy Faith
Burl Ives     

Eugene Ormandy      
Patti Page     
Marty Robbins      

Tammy Wynette          

       

YouTube links:      

          
Eugene Ormandy ~ Hallelujah Chorus         

Johnny Cash - I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day          

The Brothers Four - God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen         

Jerry Vale - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas         

Percy Faith - Good King Wenceslas          

Ray Conniff - Jingle Bells      

Tony Bennett - White Christmas         

Tammy Wynette - Count Your Blessings Instead Of Sheep          

Johnny Mathis - I'll Be Home For Christmas         

Eileen Farrell - Away In A Manger         

The London Pops Orchestra - Glory To God In The Highest          

John Davidson - What Child Is This (Greensleeves)      

Marty Robbins - O Little Town Of Bethlehem         

The Philadelphia Brass Ensemble - O Tannenbaum          

Burl Ives - The Twelve Days Of Christmas         

Andre Kostelanetz & Earl Wrightson - O Holy Night          

Anita Bryant - Silent Night, Holy Night   
Eugene Ormandy ~ Hallelujah Chorus             
Patti Page - The Little Drummer Boy   
E. Power Biggs - The Holly And The Ivy     
Mahalia Jackson - Go, Tell It On The Mountain   
Charlie Byrd - The First Noel     
Ray Conniff - Here Comes Santa Claus       

       

          

     

Home for Xmas - Vol 1, Reel-to-Reel tape is for sale on eBay    

       

          

Styrous® ~ Tuesday, December 18, 2018    
    

       

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