KOSMO's VINYL of the Week

Rosemary Clooney, "Come On A My House"

2/23/2018

KOSMO's VINYL of the Week:
This week we're somewhere in immigrant USA, in the summer of 1951 for Rosemary Clooney's "Come On A My House"...

"It not being a hit in the UK, I discovered this in the early 1980s on one of those pre rock'n'roll "Hits of the 50s" compilations. I always felt that it had a slightly demented/manic quality about it and I've since learned that Rosemary (actor George's "auntie") absolutely detested the song and was forced to record it by Mitch Miller, which only fans the flames. Also turns out to be co-written by a broke William Saroyan in 1939! For some reason - unknown to me - Rosie has a mural in Cincinnati, Ohio, on (of course) the side of a house." - KV

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Sparks, "This Town Ain't Big Enough for the Both of Us"

2/16/2018

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KOSMO's VINYL of the Week:
This week it's London 1974 in the company of two Californian brothers for Sparks UK debut "This Town Ain't Big Enough for the Both of Us" on Island Records...

"Although Sparks are essentially a duo they were sold as a five-piece glam rock band by the same label that had brought us Roxy Music. The single came first but riding hard on its heels was the stylishly packaged album "Kimono my House", which I have not heard in perhaps 40 years. The single remains a teenage targeted classic and was produced by Muff Winwood. I knew Muff for many years as a record company executive at CBS/Sony and to this day it remains a mystery to me how he produced such a great 45 ?" - KV

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Lee Morgan, "The Sidewinder"

2/9/2018

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KOSMO's VINYL of the Week:
This week we're back to Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey - the year is 1964 and the record is the title track from Lee Morgan's Blue Note LP "The Sidewinder"...

"Lee Morgan was 25 when he cut this and it quickly made his LP a crossover hit. In 1965, Chrysler used it for a Super Bowl commercial without either Lee's or Blue Note's permission - they sued and won. I hope they paid him well. Sadly, at the age of 33, Lee Morgan was shot and killed in a bar, unfortunately named Slug's Saloon." - KV

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Taj Mahal, "Take a Giant Step"

2/2/2018

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KOSMO's VINYL of the Week:
This week we're back to a track recorded in 1968 and released in 1969: Taj Mahal's "Take A Giant Step" from his "Giant Step" LP...

"Taj Mahal was properly introduced to me by Ian Dury in the late 1970s and although I had an image of Taj in my mind (late 60s black hippie) I had never heard his records. There's no denying the quality of Taj's records varies, but when he's on it - HE'S ON IT ! and that's the reason most of his fans are musicians or musicologists. I've just learned that "Take A Giant Step" is, in fact, a Goffin/King song and first appeared on a Monkees' b-side. Goes to show, you never can tell !" - KV

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