DavidBottoms StacksOfWax fc 1500 crop

“stacks of wax” is a history of record labels based in cincinnati, ohio

BOOK REVIEWS ARE NOT MY THING here on Rather Rare records, but exceptions to unwritten rules are often good things. So here is a review of “Stacks Of Wax – The Complete History Of The Record Labels Of Cincinnati, Ohio,” a self-published effort by David Bottoms. [Read more] ““stacks of wax” is a history of record labels based in cincinnati, ohio”

BrendaLee 1960 piano Billboard 1500

the #1 hit records on the pop charts 1960

THIS IS THE FIRST in a series of ten articles listing and addressing the #1 records of the year as they appeared on Cash Box magazine’s Top 100 chart from 1960 through 1969. It was originally published as “Save The Last Twist For Me” on my publication Tell It Like It Was on Medium on January 1, 2019. [Read more] “the #1 hit records on the pop charts 1960”

KingKong 1933 skyline 1500

the kinks’ plastic man wants to be ten feet long like king kong

IT’S DIFFICULT TO SAY why the Kinks fell out of favor as hit-makers, but by the end of 1968 they looked like they were already a part of rock & roll’s history. They were making music that veered off from most contemporary music pathways and as 1969 opened, remaining a Kinks fan was almost an act of defiance.  [Read more] “the kinks’ plastic man wants to be ten feet long like king kong”

Surfer BigWave PeterMendia 1600

a complementary if brief surf raiders bio/overview

DO MOST YOUNG PEOPLE know what “surf music” is? That’s REAL surf music, the kind played by a guitar-and-rhythm-section-and-no-singer group! Many people—including non-record collecting older folk—think of the Beach Boys’ early harmonies when they hear the term “surf music,” but that was never considered surf music by surfer guys and gals (dudes and bunnies?). [Read more] “a complementary if brief surf raiders bio/overview”