Ventures photo posed 1960 1500 crop

who was the first rock band to sell a million albums?

I HAD TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION: “Who was the first rock band to sell a million albums?” It was on Quora and immediately seized my attention. Why? Because not only had I never thought about it, but I had never heard a record-collecting friend or a professional music writer address it. [Continue reading]

Medium photo 1961 RayCharles piano France 1500 crop 1

the #1 hit records on the pop charts 1961

THIS IS THE SECOND 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 “Take Good Care Of Runaround Sue” on my publication Tell It Like It Was on Medium on January 15, 2019. [Continue reading]

GilligansIsland bar 1500

the stairway to heaven leads to gilligan’s island

IN MAY 1978, a record by a group with a rather silly name was released in the San Francisco Bay Area. After making a splash in that market, radio stations around the country picked it up for their playlists. Had things been left to themselves, the record might have been a really big hit record. [Continue reading]

Bamboogie WildDandelion cover 1500 crop

wild dandelion stomping with bamboogie injections

THIS ARTICLE is an introduction to Bamboogie Injections, a contemporary Russian surf band, with a look at their first album, Wild Dandelion Stomping. It is also a very brief look at the Russian surf music scene of the past—something few of us who grew up in the ’60s were aware existed. [Continue reading]

Ogden Wave1b

surf raiders discography & price guide

THE SURF RAIDERS Discography & Price Guide is the second of three articles on Bob Dalley and his group The Surf Raiders and his book Surfin’ Guitars. This is probably the most complete listing of the group’s records ever published. It is also most likely the most accurate if generalized price guide for the group’s records. [Continue reading]