are there albums where the covers are worth more than the records?

HERE’S ANOTHER QUESTION ABOUT VINYL on Quora that distracted me from various writing projects! The question is, “What vinyl album cover empty is worth more than a mint vinyl album without the cover?” Or, as I have worded it in this article’s title: Are there albums with covers that are worth more than the records? [Continue reading]

Jackie DeShannon on stage 2011 1500 crop

does jackie deshannon belong in the rock & roll hall of fame?

DOES JACKIE DeSHANNON belong in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame? Making an argument for her or any artist is not easy for two reasons. First, the Hall does not have any set of criteria by which fans can assess potential candidates. Each year each vote appears to be a reflection of the mood of the nominators and voters of that year. [Continue reading]

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the #1 hit records on the pop charts 1968

THIS IS THE NINTH 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 “Grazing In The Grass With Mrs. Robinson” on my publication Tell It Like It Was on Medium on September 19, 2019. [Continue reading]

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. [Continue reading]

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introduction to the #1 records on the cash box pop chart of the ’60s

ON JANUARY 1, 2109, I launched a new publication on Medium, the largest and most-read blogging platform in the world. The publication is called Tell It Like It Was and is a joint effort by myself along with John Ross and Lew Shiner. It covers rock & roll and related pop music from 1955 through 1975, focused on the ’60s. [Continue reading]

Beatles Rishikesh Ashram Sajish 2 1500 crop

sgt. pepper on blue jay way (beatles ’68 part 1)

THE BEATLES AS A GROUPas a rock & roll-based pop band—are an example of a gestalt, as the abilities and the accomplishments of the group far outstrip what could be expected of the four members knowing their individual skills and talents. This is not belittling their skills, which are many, but as their solo careers made too evident, each on his own wasn’t even close to what he had been as a Beatle. [Continue reading]

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how richard hamilton jazzed up the white album (beatles ’68 part 5)

ARTIST RICHARD HAMILTON was a fixture in the world of international art before the Beatles cut their first sides. For the 1956 exhibition called This Is Tomorrow, Richard Hamilton submitted a tiny (10 x 9-inch) collage titled “Just What Is It That Makes Today’s Homes so Different, so Appealing?” [Continue reading]

JulieLondon 1956 close up 1500 crop

yummy yummy yummy julie london’s got love in her tummy

ANYTHING WITH “BEATLES” on it was hot property in the ’60s. Artists across the gamut of musical genres recorded Lennon-McCartney songs. This included the occasional country and folk artist and even jazz singers delved into the Fab Four’s songbook looking for hits. Few of these non-rock artists enjoyed any notable commercial success with these attempts. [Continue reading]

PatBoone 1955 PublicityPhoto 1500

should pat boone be in the rock & roll hall of fame?

THE QUESTION ON QUORA was “Who was the first rock & roll superstar to be discarded and forgotten to time?” I answered with Bill Haley, Pat Boone, and Connie Francis. Each singer was a big star in their heyday—the word “superstar” did not exist then—but each has been under-appreciated by most critics and historians since rock & roll became self-reflective decades ago. [Continue reading]