Casey's Really Scratchy Record Collection Presents: K-Tel's " Dynamite"

When I was in elementary school, I was a big pop music fan. I used to buy records at the Gold Circle department store. (Anybody remember those?)

One of the first albums I ever bought was a K-Tel album called "Dynamite".  This was around 1974. K-Tel was a company that specialized in compilation albums. They would compile a collection of recent hit songs, design a groovy album cover, advertise on tv and sell them in department stores. They also stealthily edited the length of the songs in order to maximize the number of tunes per album.

                   
I bought "Dynamite" when I was nine years old and played it non stop on my red white and blue record player.( Everything in the mid seventies was red, white and blue; basketballs, bicycles, sports jerseys, automobiles..) The album ran the gamut of seventies pop; rock n roll (BTO, Eric Clapton, Rick Derringer, Nazareth), soul (Al Wilson, The Stylistics, Kool & The Gang, Gladys Knight), AM pop (Terry Jacks, Paper Lace, Lobo, Albert Hammond), and even "Jesus Rock" (Sister Janet Mead's rockin' version of "The Lord's Prayer").

K-Tel Records were marketed to pre-teens and junior high kids and, predictably, in high school I moved on to more "serious" brands of music (most of which sounds much worse today than the pop music I listened to in the fourth grade). Along the way, I lost my copy of  "Dynamite" (and my red, white and blue record player) but I recently bought a copy on Amazon for a couple bucks and I am happy to say it sounds as good today as it did back in 1974, scratches and all.

Take a listen for yourself.

Casey's One Man Rock N Roll Band Website

Casey's Musical Dustbin Radio Show "Jungle Rock N Roll"

On this episode of Casey's Musical Dustbin we will be bringing you jungle rock n roll featuring tunes about...well...the jungle. In addition, you will hear great vintage rock n roll from The Troggs, The Surfaris, Barrett Strong, The Rolling Stones, The Nightcaps and more...LISTEN

Casey's Musical Dustbin Radio Show " Jungle Rock N Roll" Playlist

"Jungle Hop"    Kip Tyler
"C'mon, Let's Go"     Ritchie Valens
"With A Girl Like You"   The Troggs
"Wild Thing"   The Ventures
"Money"  Barrett Strong
"Stranded In The Jungle"   The Cadets

"Jungle Rock"  Shakin' Stevens & The Sunsets
"Positively 4th Street"   Bob Dylan
"The Cave Pt. 1"    Gary "Spider" Webb
"Mary, Mary"  Monkees
"Let's Work Together"   Canned Heat
"Rock N Roll Jungle Girl"

"Ubangi Stomp"   The Trashmen
"Riot In Cell Block #9"   The Robins
"Wipe out"  The Surfaris
"Boris The Spider"   The Who
"Fortune Teller"   The Rolling Stones
"Rock N Roll Jungle"   Joe Benson

"George Of The Jungle Theme"
"Wine, Wine, Wine"  The Nightcaps
"Let There Be Drums"   Sandy Nelson

LISTEN

"The Mystery Of Fast Eddie Hoh"

In the nineteen sixties, Fast Eddie Hoh was one of the premiere session drummers on the west coast. He played on dozens of recordings by the likes of Donovan, The Mamas And The Papas, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Al Kooper and The Monkees.

One of my favorite Eddie Hoh cuts is The Monkees
" Pleasant Valley Sunday". I have always felt this is one of the best pop tunes of the sixties; great melody, hip lyrics, perfect harmonies and a cool guitar lick to boot. But long before I ever heard of Eddie Hoh, I loved the drumming on this song. Great fills and cymbal work throughout and check out the drum work during the bridge--amazing.

If you are wondering why you have never heard of Eddie Hoh, it is probably because he only recorded for a few years. Around 1970, he reportedly had some kind of breakdown (possibly drug related) left California and disappeared.

Whatever happened to Eddie Hoh? There are reports that he passed away in the seventies or eighties but no one seems to know for sure. Recently, stories have sprung up on the internet claiming that he is alive and living somewhere in Illinois. One guy swears he sold him a drum set a few years back. Perhaps Eddie Hoh is out there playing somewhere...
We can only hope.

Casey's One Man Rock N Roll Website

"Opie's Group" Andy Griffith Show

OPIE TAYLOR:  JUVENILE DELINQUENT!?!!?  Under the influence of the evil Clifford Brown, Opie joins Mayberry's answer to Steppenwolf. Dig the psychedelic/Easy Rider camera work during the teenage dance party. Speaking of the dance party, why are the band members the only ones not wearing ties and jackets? Because they are no good hooligans, that's why! And what is with the blonde in the powder blue dress dancing like some Mount Pilot hop head? It is those Godless jungle rhythms, I tell you!  This is one weird episode.

Casey's One Man Rock N Roll Website

Casey's Really Scratchy Record Collection Presents: "Movin" Bill Black's Combo

Bill Black was the bass player on Elvis' Sun Studio Sessions. A few years later, he formed Bill Black 's Combo playing a mix of instrumental rock, blues and r&b. They were stars in the early sixties, selling millions of records, recording a couple of top forty hits and even starring in a movie ("Teenage Millionaire" with Rocky Graziano!). Sadly, they are largely forgotten today. Bill Black died in 1965, he was 42 years old.

Here is Bill Black 's cover of Little Walter's "My Babe" from 1961's Movin' lp.

Casey's One Man Rock N Roll Website