Record #0312: The Song of Raintree County / With You On My Mind – NAT KING COLE

Capitol F3782 (original) USA, 1957
Words & Music by:  Side A – Paul Francis Webster,  Johnny Green; Side B – Nat Cole, Charlotte Hawkins
Musicians: Nat Cole (vocals), Side A – The MGM Studio Orchestra conducted by Johnny Green; Side B – John Collins (guitar), Alton Hendrickson (guitar), Charles Harris (bass), Lee Young (drums), Paul T. Smith (piano), Plas Johnson (tenor sax), The Herman McCoy Boys (background vocals)
Recording sessions: Side A – MGM Studios, Culver City, CA, Jul. 20, 1957; Side B – Capitol Recording Studio, Hollywood, CA, May 14, 1957
Highest chart positions:  Side B – US #30

The title song is from a 1957 film “Raintree County” starring Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor. Despite that, the song didn’t hit the charts.

List price:  Very Good+ is $5, Near Mint is $10

Record #0311: Masquerade / You’re Nobody Till Somebody Loves You – SONNY KING

Colpix 107 (original) USA, 1959
Words & Music by:  Side A – Loeb, Webster; Side B –Cavanaugh, Stock, Morgan
Musicians: Sonny King (vocals) and an orchestra conducted by Van Alexander
Recording sessions: Hollywood, CA, 1958
Highest chart positions:  none

These songs were on King’s 1958 debut album “For Losers Only” (CP-402).

I didn’t find a clip of these tracks, but here’s one where King is performing with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.

List price:  not listed in Goldmine’s catalog

Record #0310: Mr. Wonderful / You Ought To Have a Wife – SARAH VAUGHAN

Mercury 70777 (original) USA, 1956
Words & Music by:  Side A – Jerry Bock, George David Weiss, Larry Holofcener; Side B – David Whitman, Bob Shelley
Musicians: Sarah Vaughan (vocals) and an orchestra conducted by Hugo Peretti
Recording sessions: New York, NY, 1955 ?
Highest chart positions:  US #13

This was Vaughan’s highest ranking single in 1956.

Personally I like her jazz recordings more than this orchestra stuff, but nevertheless, the voice is great.

List price:  Very Good+ is $6, Near Mint is $12

Record #0309: The Beatnik Fly / Sand Storm – JOHNNY & THE HURRICANES

Warwick 520 (original) USA, Jan. 1960
Music by:  Tom King and Ira Mack ( = Harry Balk and Irving Micahnik)
Musicians: Johnny Paris (sax), Dave Yorko (guitar), Paul Tesluk (keyboards), Butch Mattice (bass), Bill Savich (drums)
Recording sessions: USA, 1959
Highest chart positions:  US #15, UK #8

An interesting detail about this band is that when they headlined a gig in Star Club in Hamburg in 1962, the opening act was the Beatles, who later on bragged about the gig. :)

Side A is here and the flip is here.

List price:  Very Good+ is $10, Near Mint is $20

Record #0308: Up On the Roof / Another Night With the Boys – THE DRIFTERS

Atlantic 2162 (original, NY pressing) USA, Sep. 1962
Words & Music by:  Gerry Goffin, Carole King
Musicians: Rudy Lewis (lead vocals), Charlie Thomas (tenor), Dock Green (baritone), Elsbeary Hobbs (bass vocals), Bob Bushnell (guitar), Al Casamenti (guitar), Don Arnone (guitar), Carole King (piano), Ernie Hayes (piano), George Duvivier (bass), Gary Chester (drums), Jimmy Nottingham & Jimmy Sedler (trumpets), Jimmy Cleveland & Frank Sarraco (trombones), Bobby Rosegarden & George Devens (percussions)
Recording sessions: Produced by Leiber & Stoller at Bell Sound Studios, New York, NY, Jun. 28, 1962
Highest chart positions:  US #5, US R&B #4

“Up On the Roof” is at #113 in Rolling Stone Magazine’s “500 Greatest Songs”. 

The group went through many line-up changes. Rudy Lewis got the job as the lead singer in 1961, as Ben E. King had just left the group. After this session Green left the group and was replaced by Eugene Pearson.

The flip is a lesser known track. It didn’t appear on the group’s original albums.

List price:  Very Good+ is $10, Near Mint is $20