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In the first two parts of this reminiscence, I listed several different groups of my records that have been sleeping in a cabinet in our den for a couple of decades. I have a couple of groups left to survey.
1
All right, I’ll admit it: the next stack of 45s includes some embarrassments. I just can't have collected all these myself, can I? Some may have been my wife's. Others may have been - gulp - my sister's. Well, at least this group does include some of the most familiar pop hits of the late fifties.
Tammy by The Ames Brothers
with Joe Reisman’s Orchestra and Chorus
Young Love by Tab Hunter
with the Billy Vaughan Orchestra
Heart of My Heart by The Four Aces
featuring Al Alberts
Speak Low (Tout Bas) by The Blue Stars
Soft Summer Breeze by Eddie Heywood
My Bonnie Lassie by The Ames Brothers
with the Hugo Winterhalter Orchestra
I’ll Never Stop Loving You by Doris Day
with the Percy Faith Orchestra
Tonight You Belong to Me by The Ames Brothers
with the Hugo Winterhalter Orchestra
Eh, Cumpari by Julius LaRosa
with the Archie Bleyer Orchestra
Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White
by the Perez Prado Orchestra
It’s Not for Me to Say by Johnny Mathis
with the Ray Conniff Orchestra
If You Believe by Johnnie Ray
with the Percy Faith Orchestra
Many Times by Bud Roman
with the Lee Raymond Orchestra
Young at Heart by Frankie Carle
The Man With the Golden Arm by Elmer Bernstein
and his Orchestra
My Truly, Truly Fair by Ray Anthony
and his Orchestra
Flip, Flop, and Fly by Johnnie Ray
with the Les Elgart Orchestra
Time by the Jackie Gleason Orchestra
Manhattan Spiritual by the Reg Owen Orchestra
The Trouble With Harry by Alfi and Harry
Who Needs You by The Four Lads
Play Me Hearts and Flowers by Johnny Desmond
Most of these records don’t really seem to reflect my taste, then or now… But this is history, right?
2
I suppose those who look carefully through all the records listed so far - in Parts One, Two, and Three - could pick out a few that might be termed “Country and Western” (like Webb Pierce singing “The Honky Tonk Song” that’s in the brown box and Rusty Howard’s “Mexican Joe” in Part Two). I did use to like listening to “Western Cavalcade” on KVET 1300 in the evening doing my Latin homework. But by and large I didn’t actually buy Country and Western records.
I did buy four, though, which I still have but have not yet mentioned. I am particularly proud of the last one.
Cool Water by The Sons of the Pioneers
Shadows on the Old Bayou by Johnny Horton
and the Texans
Red River Valley by The Sons of the Pioneers
and
Chew Tobacco Rag by Pee Wee King
and his Golden West Cowboys.
I can remember a few others that I don’t have anymore, including three little boxed sets of 45s: one of show tunes (I remember Howard Keel’s picture on the front), one of square-dance music (I enjoyed square dancing from elementary right through high school), and one of Roy Rogers’ biggest hits. Also, I regret having lost one record that would have appeared among the “also-rans” above: Guy Mitchell’s “I Never Felt More Like Singin’ the Blues.”
One final note: In all these lists, I didn’t include the B side of these records. They all have them, or course. Some fans might have chosen differently than I, but I chose the side I listened to most often, as far as I can remember.
There are 160 records altogether.
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