Record #0486: Burning Bridges / Oh, Little One – JACK SCOTT

Top Rank 2041 (original) USA, Mar. 1960
Words & Music by:  Side A – Walter Scott; Side B – Jack Scott
Musicians: Jack Scott (lead vocals), The Chantones (backing vocals) and an orchestra arranged by Bill Sanford
Recording sessions: Produced by Sonny Lester at Bell Sound Studio, New York, NY, Side A - Dec. 21, 1959; Side B - Nov. 25, 1959
Highest chart positions:  Side A - US #3, US R&B #5, UK #32; Side B - US #34

This single has one of Jack Scott's four US Top 10 hits.

The flip-side was recorded in his first session for Top Rank. The session included the songs for his first Top Rank single, "What In the World's Come Over You"/"Baby Baby" (US #5, US R&B #7, UK #11).

Jack Scott performed in Helsinki, Finland on Aug. 10, 2013. I took the picture below in the event.

List price:  Very Good+ is $12.50, Near Mint is $25. Stereo release is $60 for a Near Mint.

Record #0485: Drugstore Rock and Roll / Will You, Willyum – JANIS MARTIN

RCA Victor 47-6491 (original) USA, Apr. 1956
Words & Music by:  Side A – Janis Martin; Side B – Carl Barefoot, Carl Stutz
Musicians: Janis Martin (vocals), Chet Atkins (lead guitar), Grady Martin (rhythm guitar), Floyd Cramer (piano), Bob Moore (bass), Buddy Harman (drums)
Recording sessions: Produced by Chet Atkins and/or Steve Sholes at RCA Victor Studio, Nashville, TN, Mar. 8, 1956 (7 pm - 10 pm)
Highest chart positions:  US #35

Here's the 15-year-old Janis Martin backed by the Nashville A-Team. RCA billed her as "The Female Elvis". While that may be kind of silly, she did have a great big voice - especially for a girl of that age.

The session also included songs "One More Year To Go" (released as the flip of her next single, "Ooby Dooby", RCA 47-6560) and "Let's Elope, Baby" (the A-side of her 4th single, RCA 47-6744).

Carl Stutz co-wrote "Little Things Mean a Lot", which was a US #1 hit for Kitty Allen in 1954.

List price:  Very Good+ is $20, Near Mint is $40

Record #0484: I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter / Date With the Blues – BILLY WILLIAMS

Coral 9-61830 (original) USA, May 5, 1957
Words & Music by:  Side A – Joe Young, Fred Ahlert; Side B – Hal Gordon, Herman Fairbanks
Musicians: Billy Williams (lead vocals) with chorus and orchestra conducted by Dick Jacobs
Recording sessions: New York, NY, 1957
Highest chart positions:  US #3, US R&B #9, UK #22

The title song was a revival of Fats Waller's 1935 hit recording (US #5). Many other cover versions have been recorded by artists/groups such as Bill Haley and His Comets, Frank Sinatra, Fabian, Dean Martin, Willie Nelson and Nat "King" Cole.
The song was lyricist Joe Young's last work.

This single was Williams' only million-seller and the title song was his only US Top 10 entry.

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

Record #0483: Catch a Falling Star / Magic Moments – PERRY COMO

RCA Victor 47-7128 (original) USA, Dec. 1957
Words & Music by:  Side A – Paul Vance, Lee Pockriss; Side B – Hal David, Burt Bacharach
Musicians: Perry Como (lead vocals) with Mitchell Ayres Orchestra and The Ray Charles Singers
Recording sessions: Produced by Joe Reisman in New York (?), NY, 1957
Highest chart positions:  Side A - US #1, UK #9; Side B - US #4, UK #1

A dead person was described as "He was as calm as a Perry Como groupie" by Sledge Hammer in an 80's TV series "Sledge Hammer!". It wasn't so funny if there wasn't a (large) seed of truth in it. This guy was the king of "easy listening" and elevator music - if Como would've ever recorded "The Girl From Ipanema", that would have been the pinnacle of elevator music. :)

Having said that, apparently Como knew what he was doing as he had fourteen #1 hits in US, three #1's in US AC and two of his songs topped the UK chart. A whopping 108 of his songs made it to US Top 40!

The UK release (RCA 1036, Jan. 1958) was flipped over to have "Magic Moments" as the A-side.
The flip is an early songwriting work of Bacharach and David. They penned their first #1 hit "The Story of My Life" for Marty Robbins in 1957. "Magic Moments" was the second one in line and more was to come, especially in the late 60's and early 70's.

List price:  Very Good+ is $6, Near Mint is $12. Orange label is a re-issue from 1969 and listed for $8 for a NM.

Record #0482: My Secret / What Does It Matter – THE PLATTERS

Mercury 71538 (original) USA, Oct. 1959
Words & Music by:  Side A – Buck Ram; Side B – Seymour Gottlieb, Herb Weiner
Musicians: Tony Williams (lead tenor), Herb Reed (bass vocals), Zola Taylor (contralto), David Lynch (2nd tenor), Paul Robi (baritone), and an orchestra conducted by Eddie Beal, who possibly also played the piano in the session
Recording sessions: Produced by Buck Ram in Los Angeles, CA, Aug. 27, 1959
Highest chart positions:  didn't chart

Around the time when this single was released, Williams pursued a solo career. He had just issued his first solo LP "A Girl Is a Girl Is a Girl" the month before. Sales-wise the LP was a flop. One reason could be that he had some bad publicity due to a lawsuit (on a morals charge) that autumn. The Platters had also a quite slow year in terms of chart success in 1959, with just one US Top 40 hit ("Enchanted").

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